Cameras

[MarkDennehy]

Yeah, the cameras are pretty okay out of doors Mignal, but in a shed with 400 lux, mine just wasn't getting it done
Apparently you can get better apps for using the camera, tweaking settings and so on, and that can help in odd situations. I must give that a try.

 

[Racers]

I think most camera makers have had their own software but Adobe LightRoom is probably more popular than any of them.

NX-D is seriously good for the money, its not like the mickey mouse editing programs given out with cameras.

Pete

 

[Claymore]

.......

 

[bugbear]

I have been known to take the odd Macro photos... all on a dslr plus my secret weapon a £10 Carl Zeiss 50mm manual focus lens

So - the Zeiss is reverse mounted, on tubes or a long lens?

BugBear

 

[Jonzjob]

As far as Canon lenses are concerned. I own a Canon 500D with a ES-F 18/200mm lens and have had it for about 6 years. The lens started to play up in June time this year and would not focus at 200mm unless I suported the end of the lens barrel. I contacted Canon U.K. and finished up sending it to them to sort out. They did the repair, and a full service and returned it by courier and it was all under waranty! On a 6 year old lens! That's what I call service! It is a complicated lens, but I doubt that I would have got that level of service from many other makers.

As for the difference in what you get from a phone as compaired to a DSLR, just google it. Your smart (?) phone may brag megamega pixles, but it's not the same as my 500D.

 

[graduate_owner]

What gets me about digital photography is the fact that you can take thousands of photographs for free, store them on a card the size of a fingernail, and see the results instantly. It is such a difference from the old pre-digital days. I had a Rollei TLR taking 12 pictures on 1 film. I used to carefully compose each shot, take a light meter reading etc, and rarely took 2 of the same subject because each frame was fairly expensive. These days I just hold down the shutter release and shoot 6 straight off, not even bothering to compose the shots. I might delete any rubbish, but then again, might not. It is a bit like typing on a typewriter versus a word processor. You don't need to take care with a WP, just correct any mistakes flagged up by the spellchecker.

Later on I bought a Pentax 35mm and a 36 exposure film could easily stay in the camera for months. Holiday snaps? By the time the film was finished and processed I would have forgotten what the pictures were.

K

 

[MattRoberts]

Mark, don't discount the value of a decent lens. Often the biggest contributor to the quality of an image is the glass on the front of the camera, and not the camera itself.

Depending on what you want to shoot, you can't go wrong with a good 50mm prime, and they're dead cheap too

 

[stuartpaul]

I am a Nikon user and can recommend the free Nikon Capture NX-D editing software, its free and does most things that I need to do with a photo.

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/microsi ... /download/

Shoot in RAW not jpeg to get the benefit of Capture NX-D.

Pete

Slightly off topic but how do you manage the large file sizes?

I'm about to trot off to the far east and will probably take in the region of 2000 photos (as someone's said above with digital you take far, far more than with film ) and I haven't got enough memory cards. I'd also soon fill my hard drive if not careful.

I know memory is reasonably cheap but is it simply a case of lots of it?

 

[Racers]

Lots of cards, laptop to back them up and a 4TB HDD.
You can up load to dropbox etc if you can get an internet connection.
Its mostly a problem with my D800 40-50meg per picture!

Pete

 

[RogerP]

You don't have to take far, far more than with film. You'll get better photos if you take less and consider each properly before pressing the button as you did with film rather than machine gunning in the hope you'll get a good one.

 

[bugbear]

You don't have to take far, far more than with film. You'll get better photos if you take less and consider each properly before pressing the button as you did with film rather than machine gunning in the hope you'll get a good one.

Go tell it to a wildlife photographer!

BugBear

 

[custard]

 

[thetyreman]

I use an old canon 5D mk1 full frame camera and a zeiss 50mm f/1.4 ZE, I've never been happier, it is a great setup, the only downside to the 5D is that you need really high end glass, it shows the flaws in rubbish lenses.

 

[woodpig]

I know memory is reasonably cheap but is it simply a case of lots of it?

Yes. Trusting all your pictures to one laptop on a holiday could end in tears.
If you spread your pictures over lots of cards it's very unlikely they'll all develop a fault. Sandisk announced a 1Tb SD card the other day but I'd stick with something a bit smaller!

 

[MIGNAL]

What gets me about digital photography is the fact that you can take thousands of photographs for free, store them on a card the size of a fingernail, and see the results instantly. It is such a difference from the old pre-digital days. I had a Rollei TLR taking 12 pictures on 1 film. I used to carefully compose each shot, take a light meter reading etc, and rarely took 2 of the same subject because each frame was fairly expensive. These days I just hold down the shutter release and shoot 6 straight off, not even bothering to compose the shots. I might delete any rubbish, but then again, might not. It is a bit like typing on a typewriter versus a word processor. You don't need to take care with a WP, just correct any mistakes flagged up by the spellchecker.

Later on I bought a Pentax 35mm and a 36 exposure film could easily stay in the camera for months. Holiday snaps? By the time the film was finished and processed I would have forgotten what the pictures were.

K

True. With all the gains and the all the obvious advantages over film you always lose a bit. . . . the anticipation, perhaps the disappointment, the surprise. It was a bit like being a kid at Christmas. That's gone, it's just so easy to go take another few shots and get the instant gratification.
A few weeks ago I met a rather nice young lady (would like to meet more!). I doubt she was much older than 20. She had just gone out and bought a s/h Leica SLR film camera! I was shocked. I thought that would be the preserve of doddering old fools such as myself.

 

[bugbear]

She had just gone out and bought a s/h Leica SLR film camera! I was shocked. I thought that would be the preserve of doddering old fools such as myself.

Slightly odd - I'd have thought Contax for SLR and Leica for Rangefinder, Hassleblad for medium format, if you want "Classic German"

BugBear

 

[MarkDennehy]

Is that the photography equivalent to using only hand tools Mignal?

 

[stuartpaul]

You don't have to take far, far more than with film. You'll get better photos if you take less and consider each properly before pressing the button as you did with film rather than machine gunning in the hope you'll get a good one.

No, - I don't but given the lack of cost why not? I don't 'machine gun' at all but will take a number of shots of the same subject with different settings and from different angles.

In the 'good old days' I would have 'made do' with one or two because I couldn't afford lots of processing whereas now I don't have to. I prefer having a larger selection to choose from when I can.

There is of course, still no substitute for taking a 'proper' photo the first time!

 

[graduate_owner]

Regarding using film camera lenses on DSLRs, are there any issues here? If I bought a Pentax DSLR body, could I just fit my existing old bayonet fitting lenses on? What compromises would there be (such as autofocus etc)? Surely it is not as simple as that.

K

 

[woodpig]

Regarding using film camera lenses on DSLRs, are there any issues here? If I bought a Pentax DSLR body, could I just fit my existing old bayonet fitting lenses on? What compromises would there be (such as autofocus etc)? Surely it is not as simple as that.
K

Decent old Pentax lenses aren't as plentiful second hand as they used to be as you can fit them on the latest Pentax DSLR's. Even screw fit lenses can be fitted with an adaptor. Obviously you only have manual focus but you do get auto exposure with the later ones.