NeoGAF Camera Equipment Thread | MK II

No kid isn't there, this is an adult fundraiser. They definitely want me to do it for free. Head of the PTO asked my wife. And apparently the head of the PTO is a huge B. I really don't want to get in the middle of some school mom drama...

Anyway that's OT.

I paid for the vlog codec for my Gh5 and it's sweeeeet! :) really stupid process to activate it. Still not quite the dynamic range of the sonys or the blackmagic cams but I am loving the 10bit 4:2:2 internal recording (my computer is not, new Mac pros when?? Have to generate a proxy to get anywhere near "realtime" editing). Still haven't taken any photos with it yet. :P
 
No kid isn't there, this is an adult fundraiser. They definitely want me to do it for free. Head of the PTO asked my wife. And apparently the head of the PTO is a huge B. I really don't want to get in the middle of some school mom drama...

Anyway that's OT.

I paid for the vlog codec for my Gh5 and it's sweeeeet! :) really stupid process to activate it. Still not quite the dynamic range of the sonys or the blackmagic cams but I am loving the 10bit 4:2:2 internal recording (my computer is not, new Mac pros when?? Have to generate a proxy to get anywhere near "realtime" editing). Still haven't taken any photos with it yet. :P
Either don't do it, do it the Homer Simpson way or just grin and bare it. At least you enjoy the GH5.
 
No kid isn't there, this is an adult fundraiser. They definitely want me to do it for free. Head of the PTO asked my wife. And apparently the head of the PTO is a huge B. I really don't want to get in the middle of some school mom drama...

Anyway that's OT.

Yeah, no money, no service. End of.

Literally anything except bugs. But even discounting skittish bugs, such a short working distance can be tricky for lighting. Can you get little battery powered ring lights these days?

Honestly, if it's macro, I find it difficult to recommend anything other than a manual focus lens. There are a few cases where a modern lens can be *helpful*, but IMO that's purely down to situations where you need to stop down when shooting, but not when focusing/framing. And I guess maybe if there's stabilization and you're not using a tripod.... Outside of that? AF lenses make no sense for macro.

Especially since it'd be easy to adapt a vintage 50mm on a mirrorless body.

As for lighting, keep in mind this is for bugs, but I use a folding T bracket, that lets me position the flash mount way off to the left and above the camera -- putting it on a ballmount lets me put the flash essentially anywhere that I want on the left side of the camera, including directly next to the lens. It's heavy, but it works great. But to do that, you'll need either a wireless flash/flash transmitter (I use the Yongnuo 560IV and 560TX), or an extension cable thing. Then I have a medium sized diffuser on the flash. I've never had any issues with this set up.

NOW -- if you're not doing bugs, let's say you're doing products or toys or dollars or whatever, something that you don't need to be super mobile, honestly, I just use flash on a flash stand just as I would for portraits (Well, some differences, but EH). Easier to move around and position, and not as heavy on the camera.
 
thanks, I have a Yonguo III or IV transmitter and a couple of flashes so I'll experiment with a mini studio box type thing.

Any recommended manual lenses for m4/3? I have some old FD lenses from when I temporarily had a NEX and my father-in-law had some lying around, but I think they don't go well with m4/3.

I'd probably be using the 30mm in manual for macro, but £150 seems a good price even if I don't use it for anything other than macro. Happy to hear any alternatives (manual legacy lenses with adapter, extension tubes etc) that might be cheaper too.

currently have the collapsing kit lens, a 14-150, and the 45 1.8, in case any of those are particularly suited to extension tubes etc.
 
thanks, I have a Yonguo III or IV transmitter and a couple of flashes so I'll experiment with a mini studio box type thing.

Any recommended manual lenses for m4/3? I have some old FD lenses from when I temporarily had a NEX and my father-in-law had some lying around, but I think they don't go well with m4/3.

I'd probably be using the 30mm in manual for macro, but £150 seems a good price even if I don't use it for anything other than macro. Happy to hear any alternatives (manual legacy lenses with adapter, extension tubes etc) that might be cheaper too.

currently have the collapsing kit lens, a 14-150, and the 45 1.8, in case any of those are particularly suited to extension tubes etc.

From my experience, you are going to want to use a dedicated, macro lens for it. The Canon FD 50mm 3.5 Macro is what I personally use -- I've tried the extension tube on my 50mm 1.4, and there's a huge difference between the two; I wouldn't use the 1.4 on "regular" macro photos (Though it does create an absolutely insane amount of bokeh).
To be more specific, even at the same aperture, the macro lens was sharper and better in focus (They are designed to have a flat field of focus, whereas regular lenses have a slight round field of focus).

No one's going to be able to tell what focal length you're using for macro, so should have no problems using an FD 50mm.
 
Is the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 really as unreliable as the internet is leading me to believe? I was thinking of getting it with my D7200 because the sharpness looks real nice but everywhere I look I can only see horror stories about broken autofocus.
 
Is the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 really as unreliable as the internet is leading me to believe? I was thinking of getting it with my D7200 because the sharpness looks real nice but everywhere I look I can only see horror stories about broken autofocus.

it does have "Sigma 1 Year North and South America Limited Warranty (3 Year USA Extended Warranty for a Total of 4 Years from Date of Purchase)."

Should last you as long as you remember that it's zoom/focus change the length of the lens, so just don't smash it. When I worked at a camera shop that was the sort of damage you would typically see
 
Is the Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 really as unreliable as the internet is leading me to believe? I was thinking of getting it with my D7200 because the sharpness looks real nice but everywhere I look I can only see horror stories about broken autofocus.
So it's not just me bitching about the inconsistent AF on that fucking thing?!!!! Look for one of the two Tamron versions.
 
No kid isn't there, this is an adult fundraiser. They definitely want me to do it for free. Head of the PTO asked my wife. And apparently the head of the PTO is a huge B. I really don't want to get in the middle of some school mom drama...

Anyway that's OT.

I paid for the vlog codec for my Gh5 and it's sweeeeet! :) really stupid process to activate it. Still not quite the dynamic range of the sonys or the blackmagic cams but I am loving the 10bit 4:2:2 internal recording (my computer is not, new Mac pros when?? Have to generate a proxy to get anywhere near "realtime" editing). Still haven't taken any photos with it yet. :P

Yo Hackintosh. All the cool kids are doing it.
 
No kid isn't there, this is an adult fundraiser. They definitely want me to do it for free. Head of the PTO asked my wife. And apparently the head of the PTO is a huge B. I really don't want to get in the middle of some school mom drama...

If you do this one for free, you'll never hear the end of it. Give a mouse a cookie, as the saying goes.

Tell them that that this is your side business, so for official events, your minimum price is *insert price here*, and thank them for thinking so highly of your photography that they'd ask you to work their event.

If they complain, say, "Hey, at least I'm not charging you at my full price, which is *pull out numbers out of your ass that sound high but believable*".

If they still balk, then say, sorry but technically you are a guest with a ticket that you fully paid for yourself, so you would respectfully like to attend as such.
 
Or just switch to Windows ;o

Premier throws itself into a crash loop when trying to edit 10bit gh5 footage so no. https://youtu.be/rKjL2fSN7iA

Final cut handles generating proxy footage (for performance, you can edit the 4K 10bit stuff without it if your computer is strong enough) automatically and seemlesssly.

Going back and trying to use premier is too painful. Not to mention the whole windows OS :P

If you do this one for free, you'll never hear the end of it. Give a mouse a cookie, as the saying goes.

Tell them that that this is your side business, so for official events, your minimum price is *insert price here*, and thank them for thinking so highly of your photography that they'd ask you to work their event.

If they complain, say, "Hey, at least I'm not charging you at my full price, which is *pull out numbers out of your ass that sound high but believable*".

If they still balk, then say, sorry but technically you are a guest with a ticket that you fully paid for yourself, so you would respectfully like to attend as such.

It's not about the money, I don't really want to do it at any price. I just don't want to seem like a dick.
 
it does have "Sigma 1 Year North and South America Limited Warranty (3 Year USA Extended Warranty for a Total of 4 Years from Date of Purchase)."

Should last you as long as you remember that it's zoom/focus change the length of the lens, so just don't smash it. When I worked at a camera shop that was the sort of damage you would typically see
The warranty is reassuring, but if I have to keep sending it in instead of using it, that'd kinda suck :(
So it's not just me bitching about the inconsistent AF on that fucking thing?!!!! Look for one of the two Tamron versions.
Is the Tamron 17-50 without VC a good alternative? Was looking at the Sigma because it has stabilization too, but it doesn't count for much if it can't autofocus correctly... The VC'd Tamron is out of my price range, and apparently the VC doesn't work well.
 
Is the Tamron 17-50 without VC a good alternative? Was looking at the Sigma because it has stabilization too, but it doesn't count for much if it can't autofocus correctly... The VC'd Tamron is out of my price range, and apparently the VC doesn't work well.
The non VC Tamron is supposed to be pretty damn sharp.
 
I've had both and I liked the sigma more because the stabilization came in handy at times and they're practically the same size and weight. Didn't have many issues with inaccuracy outside of really dark photos, but I did send my lens and body in to Sigma for calibration as my 7D doesn't have in-body adjustments for both the max and min focal lengths. Cost ~$20 to ship to New York from california and I had my camera back in 3 days.

Recently upgraded to a sigma 18-35, and if you can afford the cost, added weight, lack of stabilization and are ok with losing the upper focal length range of the 17-50, it's pretty fucking amazing. Otherwise, get whichever of the two 17-50s is cheaper and comes with a warranty in case it needs calibration. Avoid the tamron version with VC, it's generally regarded to not perform as well.
 
Need to replace my camera and looking at the Cannon 80D and Nixon D5600

1. What is your budget budget?
$1000-$1500
2. Main purpose of the camera?
Wildlife and Scenery
3. What form factor is most appealing to you?
No preference really
4. Will you be investing in the camera? (buying more stuff for it later)
Yes
5. Any cameras you've used before or liked?
I have the Sony NEX 5R. Its good but limited.

Anyone have any thoughts really? Pro's/Cons for what I am wanting to use it for? I see the 80D and D5600 are very comparable. If I choose a Nixon or Cannon I am sticking with it as I invest in lenses.
 
Need to replace my camera and looking at the Cannon 80D and Nixon D5600

1. What is your budget budget?
$1000-$1500
2. Main purpose of the camera?
Wildlife and Scenery
3. What form factor is most appealing to you?
No preference really
4. Will you be investing in the camera? (buying more stuff for it later)
Yes
5. Any cameras you've used before or liked?
I have the Sony NEX 5R. Its good but limited.

Anyone have any thoughts really? Pro's/Cons for what I am wanting to use it for? I see the 80D and D5600 are very comparable. If I choose a Nixon or Cannon I am sticking with it as I invest in lenses.

The Canon 80D and Nikon D7200/D7500 are more comparable to each other. But the D5600 is one of the best entry level DSLRs. The Canon likely records slightly better video and the Nikon's typically have better image quality. I prefer Nikon button and menu layout as well. Nikon + Canon and 3rd parties offer a huge variety of lenses, and Nikon cameras will accept most of their old lenses. (if you see an old lens you like, just ask and we can tell you how well it work with your modern camera).

https://www.dpreview.com/products/c..._d5600&products=nikon_d7500&sortDir=ascending
Check out their reviews for more in depth info.
 
The Canon 80D and Nikon D7200/D7500 are more comparable to each other. But the D5600 is one of the best entry level DSLRs. The Canon likely records slightly better video and the Nikon's typically have better image quality. I prefer Nikon button and menu layout as well. Nikon + Canon and 3rd parties offer a huge variety of lenses, and Nikon cameras will accept most of their old lenses. (if you see an old lens you like, just ask and we can tell you how well it work with your modern camera).

https://www.dpreview.com/products/c..._d5600&products=nikon_d7500&sortDir=ascending
Check out their reviews for more in depth info.
If he wants anything old lens wise he should stay far away from the 5600 and 7500 cause they don't have the screw driven motor for AF-D lenses.
 
The choice between entry level Canon or Nikon is basically the same. I'd say the deciding factor is more like "what brand do my friends use different I can borrow their stuff?"
 
If he wants anything old lens wise he should stay far away from the 5600 and 7500 cause they don't have the screw driven motor for AF-D lenses.

The D7XXX cameras have a screw drive AF motor. What I was saying is that you can use older classic lenses with the nikon if you want because you can mount those lenses. You just may lose metering and/or autofocus depending on the old lens and camera combo.
 
The D7XXX cameras have a screw drive AF motor. What I was saying is that you can use older classic lenses with the nikon if you want because you can mount those lenses. You just may lose metering and/or autofocus depending on the old lens and camera combo.
I know the 7200 kept it but they yanked out so many features out of the 7500 that I'm honestly not even sure if that's still in there. If you don't mind manual then sure whatever, if you do that's a different matter altogether. I'm not sold on the 7500 so I would never recommend it.
 
I know the 7200 kept it but they yanked out so many features out of the 7500 that I'm honestly not even sure if that's still in there. If you don't mind manual then sure whatever, if you do that's a different matter altogether. I'm not sold on the 7500 so I would never recommend it.

It's still there
nikon_d7500_preview_01.jpg
 
Thanks guys and good to know! I guess since none of my friends have real nice lenses I should probably just go with the Nikon since its a cheaper starter camera.
 
Picked up a 7200 a few months ago and have really been enjoying it. With the exception of some of the options being kind of buried in the menus, it's been solid.
 
I'm honestly effing surprised. I guess I lumped the motor in with the lack of AI lens indexing.
Isn't that an AI indexing ring around the mount?
Thanks guys and good to know! I guess since none of my friends have real nice lenses I should probably just go with the Nikon since its a cheaper starter camera.
I'd look at the lenses first and follow whatever fits your style and budget.

Like Canon has a cheap wide zoom while Nikon has a cheap 35mm f1.8 etc.
 
Thanks guys and good to know! I guess since none of my friends have real nice lenses I should probably just go with the Nikon since its a cheaper starter camera.

Some things to consider about the lack of autofocus motor on the entry level Nikon bodies:

If you're going to buy budget prime lenses from Rokinon/Samyang/etc, they're all manual focus anyway on any brand of body.

If by "scenery", you mean stuff like landscapes and things that don't move much, which you'd probably be shooting with a tripod sometimes anyway, manual focus isn't a big deal.

For wildlife, especially faster moving wildlife, having autofocus is more important, so your wildlife lens should reflect that.
 
been thinking about the D500 over the D7200 (still haven't made my decision lol) but I know I can't really justify the $800 hike despite some of the substantial advantages the D500 has...

like the improvements of the D500 are worthwhile but I could put that $800 toward better lenses so it's really a wash since I have finite disposable income

ultimately I'm probably going to go with the D7200 but damn is the D500 tempting. I looked at the D7500 but it's way too crippled compared to the D7200 let alone the D500 despite using the same sensor as the D500. If I were okay with an all plastic body and one SD card slot I'd just move down to the D5xxx series and put even more money into lenses tbh
 
been thinking about the D500 over the D7200 (still haven't made my decision lol) but I know I can't really justify the $800 hike despite some of the substantial advantages the D500 has...

like the improvements of the D500 are worthwhile but I could put that $800 toward better lenses so it's really a wash since I have finite disposable income

ultimately I'm probably going to go with the D7200 but damn is the D500 tempting. I looked at the D7500 but it's way too crippled compared to the D7200 let alone the D500 despite using the same sensor as the D500. If I were okay with an all plastic body and one SD card slot I'd just move down to the D5xxx series and put even more money into lenses tbh

Or get a used D7100?
 
Any rumor about the sucessor to the D750? I was about to buy it but its out of stock on all the major sites, which usually happens when there is a new product coming out.
 
Any rumor about the sucessor to the D750? I was about to buy it but its out of stock on all the major sites, which usually happens when there is a new product coming out.

Rumors are the D820 will be released before a D750 successor. Nikonrumors thinks End of 2017 or first half of 2018 for the D760 (or whatever it will be called)
 
So, I'm really tempted to get a Fuji X-T20 (with the 18-55 kit). I'm coming from a Canon 550D, and looking for something nice for travelling. I was also looking at the a6500 but I'm not planning on doing a lot of video on it, probably 90% stills.

Any potential pitfalls or better options around (below £1500)?
 
I'm planning on doing a week long solo backpacking trip in July... What medium format camera has the easiest learning curve? I'm not sure how many chances I'll get to shoot with whatever camera I end up with before being out in the wilderness, so I want to maximize my chances of not fucking all of the photos up.
 
So, I'm really tempted to get a Fuji X-T20 (with the 18-55 kit). I'm coming from a Canon 550D, and looking for something nice for travelling. I was also looking at the a6500 but I'm not planning on doing a lot of video on it, probably 90% stills.

Any potential pitfalls or better options around (below £1500)?

You could try to see if you can score a used XT2.
 
Anyone else sick of watching ungraded or poorly graded videos on YT? -_-

I'm not a video guy, but it seems to me like you either grade your videos or use a different profile and deal with it blowing out highlights/shadows.
 
Hi Cameragaf,

I'm looking for a camera (probably a point and shoot, unless you can recommend something better). Somewhat small form factor that's easy to carry around on trips. I don't think i'll be spending extra on accessories. Just looking for something to take shots as I travel around so that I don't have to take out my cellphone to take pictures.

Would like something of better quality then cellphone camera of course. Any suggestions on what I should be looking at? Probably looking to spend about $200-$250 CAD

Total camera noob here.
 
Hi Cameragaf,

I'm looking for a camera (probably a point and shoot, unless you can recommend something better). Somewhat small form factor that's easy to carry around on trips. I don't think i'll be spending extra on accessories. Just looking for something to take shots as I travel around so that I don't have to take out my cellphone to take pictures.

Would like something of better quality then cellphone camera of course. Any suggestions on what I should be looking at? Probably looking to spend about $200-$250 CAD

Total camera noob here.

For that price range there are plenty that will fit your budget. Here is a link for a $100-$250 sorted by best rating first. Just pick the first one that tickles your fancy after deciding on what form factor you want.
https://www.adorama.com/l/Cameras/D...=de&sel=Price-Range_-dollar-100-to-dollar-250
 
I got this clearanced D3300 bundle $300 at Target! It was a display unit and it's in perfect shape. I still get the 1 year warranty.

lAFj22M.jpg


I now need to sell my D3100, which has a blurry viewfinder due to dropping it. Using the viewfinder on the LCD is fine, no blur. What would be a fair price to ask for it?
 
I did. Made no difference.

It sounds like you may have knocked the focussing screen out of place. If you remove the lens you should be able to see it above the mirror (the mirror actually reflects directly up to it, making its reflection pretty easy to see). See if it's visibly out of place, or if it moves when you move the camera (it shouldn't).
 
The warranty is reassuring, but if I have to keep sending it in instead of using it, that'd kinda suck :(

Is the Tamron 17-50 without VC a good alternative? Was looking at the Sigma because it has stabilization too, but it doesn't count for much if it can't autofocus correctly... The VC'd Tamron is out of my price range, and apparently the VC doesn't work well.

Mine works great on Canon if it's any relief... did have to send it in because I bought refurbished and the focal length reporting mechanism was broken, and reported 17mm from 35mm on. (This threw the AF out of whack, the camera took the increased circle of confusion of a longer focal lengh for that of the image being way out of focus, thus overshooting focus back and forth like crazy)
 
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