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Any photographers out there?

MatthewL

By MatthewL
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Griff

Griff

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@LosOjos really nice photos & advice

 

I haven't really got a proper camera but have recently taken stills on my GoPro of various things and have found I really enjoy just taking shots and tweaking them up in Lightroom, might look into getting an entry level camera just to get me started.

MrMat

MrMat

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at the beginning of the year I ditched all my cannon kit including some nice l glass and moved the whole lot over to a Fuji xt-1 and xf lenses. why? well it was just too bulky I have twins aged 3 1/2 and on a day out all there kit + my camera kit was just too much. the Fuji is a quarter of the cannons weight, smaller has an improved sensor and is capable of reproducing some stunning images.

 

the main thing is the weight it means that ill pick up my camera when we go out rather that leaving it at home. and it handles like my old film slr

 

Pretty much the same reason i sold my Canon gear. I absolute love the ergonomics of a big chunky DSLR (they are far superior to any mirrorless in this regard IMO) but it used to drive me mad having to lug it round all the time so i decided to go Mirrorless. The Sony A7 was the clear winner for me as i didn't want to take a step down in regards to image quality and low light performance etc (Full Frame Sensor in teeny tiny Mirrorless body?! What's not to like!).

 

The only real drawbacks are the ergonomics (takes some getting used to) and the relatively limited native lens range (easy to forget about this when you start delving into the world of older Legacy lenses etc!).

Edited by MrMat
MatthewL

MatthewL

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I had a Fuji bridge before I got my Sony and it was a good camera just slow at processing hence the full SLR. I've already killed one lens on it due to the heat at Waddington the other year and I've had it out in all sorts of weather when I have been out at night doing some press bits. I just fancy a change and I have compared pictures I have taken with ones my friends have taken at the same time and the ones on Nikon seem to be a totally different image to mine.

 

See what Friday brings, you never know might not even get one yet!

woodham

woodham

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I know what you mean about the feeling in the hand I loved that and the fact that it was built like a tank.

 

I looked into the sony's A7 when I was deciding what to do but the lenses are Hugh and heavy and that was one of the deciding factors for me as I wanted something smaller and lighter.

 

Full frame doesn't bother me anymore I use to think it was the be all and end all in image quality but to be honest I've seen prints at A1 + from both an A7 and the Xt-1 and would be really pushed to tell them apart,

maybe the Fuji image is more "vivid" and the Sony might take the lead at pixel level if your cropping the image heavily but that's the benefit of a 24 or 36 mp sensor v 16mp sensor in the Fuji, looking at both images (same settings side by side iso,speed,fstop) I don't think many people will notice anything different when viewed from an appropriate distance.

 

the Fuji x series are a mile away from the Fuji bridge cameras ( ive still got a year 2k ish Fuji s3000 somewhere a monsters 3.2mp fantastic in its day but very slow now still capable of capturing nice images using that silly long zoom)

Edited by woodham
MatthewL

MatthewL

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Been in to the shop today as I managed to claw some time back, I think Nikon is going to be the way forward, its down to these two. Think I know what I want, need to go back in and have another play and take a few snaps on my SD card and see what they are like.

 

The bloke there I was speaking to today uses a high end bridge camera which he said pee's all over these and has 4K video but that's over the top I think.

 

Thoughts from out there please.

LosOjos

LosOjos

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Been in to the shop today as I managed to claw some time back, I think Nikon is going to be the way forward, its down to these two. Think I know what I want, need to go back in and have another play and take a few snaps on my SD card and see what they are like.

 

The bloke there I was speaking to today uses a high end bridge camera which he said pee's all over these and has 4K video but that's over the top I think.

 

Thoughts from out there please.

 

The bloke in the shop probably does get better* photos out of his bridge camera if he shoots in automatic, the point of going for an SLR-like is to have the control to take photos the way you want to, not the way the camera wants to.

 

Another thing to consider is that the body makes no where near as much difference to IQ as the lens - compared to a cheap kit zoom lens, the bridge probably does take better quality photos as that lens has been manufactured exactly for that camera (it'll still never be as sharp as a prime though) whereas the kit lenses aren't great quality to begin with. YMMV.

 

If you only ever shoot in auto, an SLR-like is overkill IMO.

 

Call me a cynic but there's also the possibility there's a better markup on the bridge camera he was trying to sell to you.

 

* better is quite subjective, I mean photos that he's happier with more conistently

woodham

woodham

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I have it from a well respected source that the 3200 has been discontinued so unless its at a giveaway price id think very carefully about getting it, having said that its a very capable camera it's just the 3300 is more so and the Nikon kit lenses are very capable lenses. make sure its the mk 2 lens as they made some good improvements to the lens
jinnantonnixx

jinnantonnixx

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Nothing wrong with an old camera. My Canon 20D is still going strong, even though it's ancient. Even though it has 'only' 8 megapixels, unless I'm printing at A2, I will always be throwing away some pixels. The 20D has the tough, magnesium metal body (as opposed to the plastic bodies we see even today), quick wake-up and the 5 fps shooting rate is still fairly useful if you feel the need.

I've got an L lens and a nice Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 which, although old, still holds its own. Ooo-er.

I checked its second hand value, and Wex were selling a good 20D for under £70 delivered. This is fantastic value. Coupled with a cheap (but good) 50mm and you have a nice SLR you won't be worried about taking anywhere.

 

That said, I'm still considering a downsize shift to the Fuji X range. Cogitation and procrastination will be my wallet's friend.

Edited by jinnantonnixx
woodham

woodham

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I wasn't saying there was anything wrong with older cameras I have and still use several film cameras both slr and rangefinders dating back to the 50's just that a warranty claim for an electronic device might be easier for a product that's not discontinued.

 

ps I can sell you a very lightly used Fuji xe-1 body only immaculate condition with all accessories, had been used as a stop gap whilst waiting for my xt-1 to be delivered :) drop me a pm if your interested

SteveBentley

SteveBentley

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These kind of conversations usually boil down to how many accessories you have for your current camera, and usually end up with people buying the same make to maintain compatibility.

 

However Sony have thrown in a curve ball with the A58 in that they've changed the hotshoe, so you won't be able to use your existing flashgun, if you have one. The remote port is different too, so if you have a remote release you won't be able to use that either. I'm struggling to find third party accessories.

 

On the upside, the battery is exactly the same as the one in my A200, which was a nice surprise, and means I now have a spare.

MatthewL

MatthewL

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Bought the Nikon D3300 and 18-105 lens at dinner today, so far so good, did some testing with the Sony v Nikon on Saturday and the results were miles better on the Nikon and it was nicer to use. For the sake of 1 lens which I hardly used it was worth the swap. I still have the Sony at the moment so if I need bigger lens I can and my mate who works in local press has offered me any lens if I ever need big ones for stuff.
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Duke5A

Duke5A

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If I was looking at general portrait and scenic picture work I would love to try a compact mirrorless body, but I shoot sports as a side business. A good friend of mine got me into it a few years back and I was able to work it out with the district I work for that they'll pay me to cover their sports. It's a lot of fun and the equipment has paid for itself a couple times over now. My current load out of gear consists of:

 

  • Canon 60D Body
  • Canon 6D Body
  • 70-200 F2.8L
  • 70-200 F2.8L IS
  • 300MM F4L
  • 16-35MM F2.8L Ultra Wide
  • 430EXII hot shoe flash unit

 

http://mjmmedia.smugmug.com/Sports/2014-04-23-Varsity-Baseball/i-zrgsvRv/0/XL/IMG_1790-XL.jpg

 

I honestly don't think there is any appreciable difference between Nikon and Canon equipment anymore. The used equipment I first picked up was Canon, so I stayed with what I was already invested in.

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SHimmer45

SHimmer45

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i brought an old canon powershot G2 for doing self takes when fishing as it has an infrared remote trigger & also doing close ups of other bits and bob's.

im sure someone recommended as book for understanding exposure and other photograpahic methods?

 

its a bit more bulky than my sony camera which is tiny but alot newer, it feels "better" more solid (canon is 4MP the sony is a daft 14MP)

Edited by SHimmer45
LosOjos

LosOjos

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i brought an old canon powershot G2 for doing self takes when fishing as it has an infrared remote trigger & also doing close ups of other bits and bob's.

im sure someone recommended as book for understanding exposure and other photograpahic methods?

 

its a bit more bulky than my sony camera which is tiny but alot newer, it feels "better" more solid (canon is 4MP the sony is a daft 14MP)

 

I recommend this one to anyone getting in to photography - I found it really useful without getting too bogged down in the specifics, and it's pure photography technique (some books focus on a specific camera/brand or certain features, this is all technique that can be applied to any camera that gives you the means to control exposure/aperture properly)

 

Collins Complete Photography Course [Amazon]

 

As the title suggests, it is laid out like a course too with lessons and assignments. Obviously nobody is going to mark your work but you should be able to see the technique working and if you want some feedback on anything, I'm sure there are folk in this thread who would happily oblige (myself included) :)

Edited by LosOjos
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LosOjos

LosOjos

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@Los0jos ordered thanks mate, I am using the Canon Companion app which is pretty good as well.

 

Hope you enjoy it! Be sure to share your work too or at least keep record somewhere; it's a great feeling to look back on shots you've taken and think "wow, I could do so much better now!" :)

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Griff

Griff

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Hope you enjoy it! Be sure to share your work too or at least keep record somewhere; it's a great feeling to look back on shots you've taken and think "wow, I could do so much better now!" :)

 

Well go on then https://www.flickr.com/photos/lsgriffin :D after seeing yours I decided Flickr would probably be the best way to go.

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