The Camera Thread

[Harry Bizzle]

Chase Jarvis - yay.

Lego Camera not so much.

[Harry Bizzle]

http://www.youtube.com/digitalrev

[Harry Bizzle]

What a dude.


Also, I'm sure the Hong Kong Tourist Board should be paying DigitalRev by now.

[Dual]

I gots me a 50mm 1.8

[Outrunner]

I've seriously been looking at the Panasonic GF2 - the size for me is ideal and the simplicity of use (at least from the reviews I've read) make it a tempting buy.

On the other hand reading about different lenses is confusing me and seems like it could get expensive.

A bridge camera seems like a compromise but very few people seem to think highly of them (aside from my friend who loves his).

I'm wanting to take distance shots and action shots of animals.

I an keen but finding the longer I take to research the more my enthusiasm is dampened (I've been looking for about 9months now)

[Exxy]

Bridge cameras confuse me. If you want to take really nice photos and get into Photography, buy an DSLR. if you want something pocketable and easy to use in exchange for image quality then get a point and shoot.

There's something really amazing about using an DSLR, feels like your manipulating the light, then hearing the mirrors clunk about Just staring into a 4 inch screen and pressing a button, regardless of how much control it gives you, wont be the same. For me at least.

Everyone I've seen buy a bridge tends to like the idea of being a photographer more than they like taking photos.

[Knoyleo]

What a dude.


Also, I'm sure the Hong Kong Tourist Board should be paying DigitalRev by now.

That was awesome. Chase.

That really was a great episode of PTCC, what all the others should have been aspiring to. It didn't even matter what the final images actually turned out like, just watching the processes that he went through to compensate for the camera's shortcomings and making the most of the situation he was in was some really great viewing. He's an incredible guy, and it was nice to see Kai acting less aspie than normal, too.

Bridge cameras - Yeah, they're a worst of both worlds, best of neither compromise. You'd be better off going for a mirrorless like the GF2 if you absolutely must have something more compact than a full size DSLR, because at least you'll get the wealth of options afforded with interchangeable lenses. Outrunner's right in that it can get expensive, but if you know what you want, you can specialise and keep costs to a minimum. You want distance shots? Get a tele. Most EVIL cameras have a 55-200mm option, which will give you some respectable reach, but they're gnerally slower lenses. Want fast action shots? Get a normal length prime, typically called pancake lenses as they're super compact too, they're between 18 and 40mm generally, and should have a widest f stop value of at least f2, preferably f1.8, but it's not a huge difference.

My honest recommendation would be to go for a full fat DSLR, however. They're bigger, sure, but you will get over that, and you'll find the whole experience so much more enjoyable, not the mention the much wider range of accessories and lenses you'll have available compared to their micro-system cousins.

[Outrunner]

Had a play with my cousins DSLR today - it's a nice bit of kit but pretty sure it's not for me. The size is an issue as is the cost. Throw in the cost of lenses and I'm pretty much priced out of this market.

Hoping to get my hands on my friends bridge camera today, if only to make an informed choice on all of my options

[Harry Bizzle]

What a dude.


Also, I'm sure the Hong Kong Tourist Board should be paying DigitalRev by now.

That was awesome. Chase.

That really was a great episode of PTCC, what all the others should have been aspiring to. It didn't even matter what the final images actually turned out like, just watching the processes that he went through to compensate for the camera's shortcomings and making the most of the situation he was in was some really great viewing. He's an incredible guy, and it was nice to see Kai acting less aspie than normal, too.

I thought the most interesting thing was how he directed his subjects. I especially liked how he asked the Wing Chun dudes what they would want photographed if they had hired him.

The SB900 and ND filter was pretty damn pro though.

[Exxy]

DigitalRev

Just order myself a 16gb Class 6 SD Card. Means I can now shoot in RAW all the time. Now to go find Lightroom somewhere.

[Harry Bizzle]

Anyone got any experience with about an 85mm focal length on a crop body?


I'm thinking about getting this badboy:




90mm f/2.8 Tamron macro. Very sharp.

But I won't be using it exclusively as a Macro lens. It's no doubt a good portrait lens, but I'm not so sure about it as it's probably not very friendly as a walkabout lens.

edit: Screw it. I have found THE lens.


Tamron 60mm Macro...


f/2.


Oh yes. Buying that next time I'm in the UK.

[OldSoulCyborg]

Just bought:

Macro filter
FD to EOS adapter

I'm well aware of the issues with FD lenses on EOS bodies, but the adapter's cheap and gives me access to 3 more lenses to play with on my 550D. The pictures are pretty soft at the widest apertures, but if I step the lenses down they can get pretty sharp. There's no autofocus of course, but we all know autofocus is for pussies. Don't miss it one bit. IS though...

Here's a shot taken with the macro filter:

[Harry Bizzle]

F mount supremacy.

My 50mm 1.8:




Seriously though, when you miss shots because of a MF foul up, you feel the pain.


Fantastic lens, though. Generally if I don't want to miss any action I shoot it at about f/4 and preset the focus on the distance marker.

The fixed 50mm takes a bit of getting used to on a crop body, though.

[OldSoulCyborg]

The fixed 50mm takes a bit of getting used to on a crop body, though.

The glass in the adapter magnifies it by about 1.25, and add the 1.6 crop of the 550D on top of that and it's a 100mm lens. And my 70-210mm zoom is a 140-420mm!

I've read that many other types of lens adapters don't have the issues the FD ones do (softness at low Fs and the optics in the adapter), so next up is getting some other kind of old-lens adapter and some cheap lenses off Ebay.

[Dual]

Nikon D4 Announced

More than two years after the D3S began shipping and roughly a half-decade after we first got a peek at the D3, Nikon has finally announced the full-frame DSLR's long-awaited successor. As expected, the Nikon D4 boosts both megapixel rating (to 16.2) and extended ISO (204,800 at Hi-4), and includes a brand new full-frame FX-format sensor. Video capture also jumped from 720/24p to 1080/30p, but so did the camera's somewhat-out-of-reach price tag -- you'll be dropping $5,999.95 when the D4 hits stores in late February. You're clearly not spending all that hard-earned photo dough for nothing, though. There's also a 91k-pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix Meter III, compared to a 1,005-pixel meter in the D3S, enabling the camera to evaluate the color and brightness of a scene with much greater precision, yielding much more accurate results. And since the D4 reportedly offers phenomenal low-light performance, you'll probably be using it quite often in the dark -- letting you get good use out of the new back-lit controls.

Photographers can preview images using the 921k-dot 3.2-inch LCD, which offers a 170-degree viewing angle and ambient light sensor. HD video can be previewed on the display as well, or directly through the HDMI port, which also supports uncompressed 8-bit preview video output with optional overlay. Naturally, the D4 is fast. It can power on and be ready to shoot in approximately 0.012 seconds, and can capture 10 fps stills at full resolution with full auto focus and exposure. Willing to lock both AF and AE? The D4 goes to 11. A new 51-point AF system offers full cross-type focusing that's compatible with all Nikon lenses, even when paired with a teleconverter. The D4 includes two card slots with support for both UDMA-7 CF and the recently-announced XQD format, which brings write speeds of up to 125 MB/s -- enough to capture 105 consecutive RAW images at 10 fps. You'll find full details and specs on the D4 just past the break, along with an overview of Nikon's new AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G FX-format lens, which is set to ship in March for $499.95.

16.2 MP Sensor
204,000 extended ISO
$6,000 price tag

[Knoyleo]

Given that the D3X goes for £5k, that sounds about right. It's a top end professional model, the price is going to reflect that.

[Dual]

No doubt. Lot of camera for your dollar. My pictures would still be crappy

[Exxy]

http://www.tested.com/news/how-to-buy-t ... ined/3317/

Explains the reasons to get a decent memory card, always bought SanDisk's higher end models. My new 16gb Class 10 card arrived today, doubt my D3100 really has the capability to make the most of those write speeds though.

[Harry Bizzle]

Huge, ugly, and loads of things I can't ever see myself using.


A D7000 on the other hand would be awesome. Although I think the limitations of crops and superwide angles might force me to go FX some day.

[Knoyleo]

You know what I'm really lusting after on a camera now, after much frustration trying to shoot the crowds in London at New Year's? An AF assist lamp. It's not something I've ever cared about before but then, I suddenly found my lenses hunting like mad for focus in the dark, and I just about would have killed for one.