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[RuGalz]

Never heard of catch in focus before. That's super cool! How is the success rate? I can't fathom how the camera knows what you intend to be the subject.

It's center point only for Pentax when using old MF lenses (otherwise it uses whatever focus point you choose). Basically if nothing is in focus it won't take the shot. Success rate? It's as accurate as the AF module. It's super useful if you want to step up from spray and pray.

AFAIK, all Nikon cameras have focus-priority release.



It knows what you intend to be the subject because your focus point is over it Basically you hold down the shutter release, turn the focus and once it detects it's in focus, it actually releases the shutter.

Pentax uses focus-priority terminology for AF lenses. And catch-in-focus/focus trap for MF lenses. So I wasn't sure if there's separate settings.

 

[Ty4on]

I read through Understanding Exposure and definitely checked YouTube tutorials, but it never clicked for me with my old DSLR. Maybe I'm just dumb, but the disconnect between what you see on the OVF and what you get after hitting the shutter button was just too big for me. Maybe that's why I had better luck using the touch screen on my old Canon, although it was impossible for anything but still photography.

The way I came into it was probably different - lot's of theory stuff first that I absorbed - but I remember it really clicked when I fumbled around with a DLSR in manual mode and got to see what a stop of light actually looked like and figure out that "correct exposure" doesn't really exist.

It's center point only for Pentax. Basically if nothing is in focus it won't take the shot. Success rate? It's as accurate as the AF module. It's super useful if you want to step up from spray and pray.

I guess one inaccuracy is if you twist the dial quickly so it goes out of focus slightly when the picture is taken.

What happens if you try to select a different AF point? Nikon's "rangefinder" for manual lenses works with all AF points, but you have to select them.

 

[JadedWriter]

It knows what you intend to be the subject because your focus point is over it Basically you hold down the shutter release, turn the focus and once it detects it's in focus, it actually releases the shutter.

NICE!!!

 

[RuGalz]

What happens if you try to select a different AF point? Nikon's "rangefinder" for manual lenses works with all AF points, but you have to select them.

Updated my previous post. Old MF lenses, is center point only, it won't even look at other point (same goes to metering). AF lenses in MF mode let you pick AF point. Yes twisting too quickly can be an issue but isn't so much an issue with older MF lenses since their focus throw is so much longer.

 

[Astral/H3X]

The only reason I'd bother with an ovf is if I was using a film camera. Or the X100 with the hybrid stuff, I'd like to check that out.

 

[JadedWriter]

The only reason I'd bother with an ovf is if I was using a film camera. Or the X100 with the hybrid stuff, I'd like to check that out.

You do a lot of macro photography. EVF's in general are geared to your photography niche. I'm I guess an all rounder, master of nothing and just shoot whatever. I learned on an OVF and just...don't really seem to care. I can use both no problem just the "turn the fuck on" EVF lag bugs the shit out of me.

 

[Ty4on]

The only reason I'd bother with an ovf is if I was using a film camera. Or the X100 with the hybrid stuff, I'd like to check that out.

That's one thing that kinda got me interested in the X-Pro

It'd be so impractical on so many levels, but a proper digital rangefinder would be cool. OVF and off-sensor AF with the rangefinder.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

AFAIK, all Nikon cameras have focus-priority release.



It knows what you intend to be the subject because your focus point is over it Basically you hold down the shutter release, turn the focus and once it detects it's in focus, it actually releases the shutter.

Oh, duh. Of course it works that way...

That is a super cool feature, especially in a higher end DSLR with lots of focus points and a joystick to move them around. Combined with a high shutter speed, that must make wildlife photography a cinch!

 

[Deleted member 17706]

The way I came into it was probably different - lot's of theory stuff first that I absorbed - but I remember it really clicked when I fumbled around with a DLSR in manual mode and got to see what a stop of light actually looked like and figure out that "correct exposure" doesn't really exist..

Correct exposure definitely exists as an academic definition, but obviously there is no "creatively correct" exposure. Obviously you can't do stuff like silhouettes, or purposefully blown out highlights, etc. with a "correct exposure"

 

[Miniature Kaiju]

Pentax uses focus-priority terminology for AF lenses. And catch-in-focus/focus trap for MF lenses. So I wasn't sure if there's separate settings.

They're separate things. Nikon cameras don't have "true" trap/catch-in focus, you have to trick them by setting AF-S to focus-priority, AF-On, M/A on the lens. Works the same, a bit more annoying to get there.

 

[RuGalz]

They're separate things. Nikon cameras don't have "true" trap/catch-in focus, you have to trick them by setting AF-S to focus-priority, AF-On, M/A on the lens. Works the same, a bit more annoying to get there.

ahh, good to know, thanks

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

This year, I told myself I was going to organize everything and get a centralized location for ALL my photos and video, that was data redundant, and have an online back-up too.

About two dozen hard drives from 128GB to 2TB are now stored on a Drobo with 2x6TB drives on it now. Holy shit was this project a pain in the ass. Combining catalogs. Re-syncing file locations. Re-arranging storage and folders. Re-building smart libraries. This has taken me a month, but finally, finally, it's actually all organized. Just look how nice and clean those folders are!

... It feels like such an accomplishment. This is what my desk has looked like for the last four weeks:

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Going on vacation next week, so I figured I need a ultrawide prime - because fuck it.
Got the Voigtländer SuperWide Heliar 15mm F4.5 III for my A7II.

Was debating to switch systems, because the A7II has severe heat problems... but the A9 really got me back in, not that I would buy it any time soon but an A7III with some key features of the A9 (like autofocus/ Battery) would make me stay on this system.

Hope its a fun lens to use.

 

[Sec0nd]

Any 35mm shooters here? I'm kind of thinking about of scanning my own negatives in the future. I've got this amazing lab that's super cheap and do development and scanning in about one hour, but it's 1,5 - 2 hours away. And I've got this other place that's about 40 mins away that do excellent work but charge a stupid amount for scanning. I don't feel like traveling so long and I don't feel like paying stupid amounts. So doing my own scans might seem like an option.

Any experiences with scanning negatives here? Opinions about doing it yourself and what scanner I should potentially get?

 

[Miniature Kaiju]

Any experiences with scanning negatives here? Opinions about doing it yourself and what scanner I should potentially get?

Some experience here. If you're doing volume, a flatbed like an Epson V700 will be mostly fine. If you're just doing a handful of frames, I've found out that using a high-res digital camera with a good macro lens and panorama stitching will net you results close to what you'd get with a good drum scan.

 

[Sec0nd]

Some experience here. If you're doing volume, a flatbed like an Epson V700 will be mostly fine. If you're just doing a handful of frames, I've found out that using a high-res digital camera with a good macro lens and panorama stitching will net you results close to what you'd get with a good drum scan.

I don't shoot that often. A roll every once in a while. Got 3 ready for development at the moment. And unfortunately I don't have a macro lens

Anyway, I'm really happy with the scans from my labs and if I can get something close to that without spending too much time on it that'd be great. But I've got no experience in this field.

 

[Groof]

So I got this tiny stain on my camera's sensor that I don't know how to get rid of. I bought this tiny sensor cleaning kit that definitely helped with other minor spots, but this big one just won't come out.

Any tips on what I can do? Don't have any pics of it handy, but I can probably get one if needed.

quoting myself since it seems to have gotten hidden in the conversation

 

[Ty4on]

Correct exposure definitely exists as an academic definition, but obviously there is no "creatively correct" exposure. Obviously you can't do stuff like silhouettes, or purposefully blown out highlights, etc. with a "correct exposure"

For a given scene, what is the correct exposure?

Any 35mm shooters here? I'm kind of thinking about of scanning my own negatives in the future. I've got this amazing lab that's super cheap and do development and scanning in about one hour, but it's 1,5 - 2 hours away. And I've got this other place that's about 40 mins away that do excellent work but charge a stupid amount for scanning. I don't feel like traveling so long and I don't feel like paying stupid amounts. So doing my own scans might seem like an option.

Any experiences with scanning negatives here? Opinions about doing it yourself and what scanner I should potentially get?

The market is a bit of a pain right now, but a dedicated scanner like a Plustek or Reflecta will give you sharper results than a flatbed scanner. They're generally quite slow tho. My Plustek 8100 is frame by frame and a high quality scan can take a few minutes. I haven't really timed myself, but it seems to take around an hour to go through a 36 picture roll and adjust levels and stuff for each picture.

I at first thought software was fairly important, but I've found that using the basic Plustek software to spit out a TIF that I then edit in something else (I use DXO, but Lightroom and others should work great) gave me the best results.

Filmscanner info is one of the few sites that compares various scanners. The reviews are translations and can be hard to read, but they give basic results of the sharpness, dynamic range, dust removal, scanning times etc. The best scanner is still the old Nikon Coolscan 5000, but they cost almost 2000$ on the used market. My Plustek 8100 is one of the cheaper scanners available. It's decently sharp, but lacks any hardware dust removal and dynamic range with slide film is poor. I do miss some dust removal as even new negatives can be quite and it's a pain to clean them just to see you missed a few spots or just moved the dirt around.

 

[JadedWriter]

Going on vacation next week, so I figured I need a ultrawide prime - because fuck it.
Got the Voigtländer SuperWide Heliar 15mm F4.5 III for my A7II.

Was debating to switch systems, because the A7II has severe heat problems... but the A9 really got me back in, not that I would buy it any time soon but an A7III with some key features of the A9 (like autofocus/ Battery) would make me stay on this system.

Hope its a fun lens to use.

You ever think about switching to something that doesn't have severe heat problems? It doesn't sound like Sony's going to fix their heat problems ever.

 

[Astral/H3X]

You do a lot of macro photography. EVF's in general are geared to your photography niche. I'm I guess an all rounder, master of nothing and just shoot whatever. I learned on an OVF and just...don't really seem to care. I can use both no problem just the "turn the fuck on" EVF lag bugs the shit out of me.

Truth be told, I think the A6300 or 6500 is probably the best macro camera ever, purely because of how good the EVF is. The A6000 is already really good, but as it's an older Sony EVF, it has some issues with choppy view when you're not getting a lot of light... the A7II is already a huge improvement in that area, but runs into the fact that it's full frame, and as a result has the problem of being much further out at a given focus distance... you get more "bang for your buck" on APSC, as long as you can get enough light on exposure to make up for being on APSC.

Spoiler

I have to stop myself from selling what is now my GF's A6000 to put towards an A6300 purely for this reason.

That's one thing that kinda got me interested in the X-Pro

It'd be so impractical on so many levels, but a proper digital rangefinder would be cool. OVF and off-sensor AF with the rangefinder.

Isn't that essentially what the X100 is? Maybe I'm confused.

 

[JadedWriter]

Truth be told, I think the A6300 or 6500 is probably the best macro camera ever, purely because of how good the EVF is. The A6000 is already really good, but as it's an older Sony EVF, it has some issues with choppy view when you're not getting a lot of light... the A7II is already a huge improvement in that area, but runs into the fact that it's full frame, and as a result has the problem of being much further out at a given focus distance... you get more "bang for your buck" on APSC, as long as you can get enough light on exposure to make up for being on APSC.

Spoiler

I have to stop myself from selling what is now my GF's A6000 to put towards an A6300 purely for this reason.

Thankfully EVF tech has gotten a lot better over the years. I couldn't imagine using something like an NEX5 for example and being happy with it. I should also get the battery grip for my camera since it's supposed to enhance my EVFs refresh rate. I like the tech don't get me wrong, I just find both useful and beneficial as a person that routinely alternates my cameras.

 

[Daedardus]

Do you ever need to go above around iso 800? What lighting conditions do you find yourself shooting at? I personally don't touch anything without an iso button or knob or switch. Also what focal lengths do you see yourself shooting at? You can probably get a Nikon D7100 and get a Nikon 24-120 F4, which turns into a 36-180? for a decent enough price and call it a day.

I sometimes take pictures in dark circumstances yes, since I've used it a lot on travels and we're out quite a few times in the dark or dusk. I think I just need to learn how to control the flash and use it when shooting people, since I'm way too inexperienced with it and they always come out overexposed and the wrong parts exposed. Maybe just have to get a hang of decent RAW editing.

What do you typically shoot in? It certainly lacks controls, but it's also a pocketable camera, so there have to be trade offs. I usually shoot in manual mode and in that mode the ring on the lens controls aperture and the control wheel on the back controls shutter speed. I have ISO set to the right button, but I usually keep it in auto 100 ~ 800.

I usually shoot in automatic aperture and shutter and set all the rest to my liking and the ring is for manual focussing. But it's the ISO that needs constant adjustments yes, maybe I do need to map it to the button. I don't always find the auto ISO trustworthy, but you can limit the maximum range? Complete manual mode is still a bit complex for me, but when I have the time to create a good shot I usually fiddle with it to test things out. Like I said I'm not a pro, I just want to get better at taking nice shots on holiday or in the neighbourhood.

 

[RuGalz]

quoting myself since it seems to have gotten hidden in the conversation

If you have already tried cleaning it yourself then you may want to just get it serviced.

... It feels like such an accomplishment. This is what my desk has looked like for the last four weeks:

Congrats, it's a huge accomplishment. Speaking of organizing, I've been wanting to export all my images to jpeg so that my wife has easier access to them but every time I start working on a folder I end up spending most of the time re-touching old photos because I'm much better at PP than I did a decade ago or whatever. It's never going to get done with 50k+ images in the library at this point, lol.

 

[JadedWriter]

I sometimes take pictures in dark circumstances yes, since I've used it a lot on travels and we're out quite a few times in the dark or dusk. I think I just need to learn how to control the flash and use it when shooting people, since I'm way too inexperienced with it and they always come out overexposed and the wrong parts exposed. Maybe just have to get a hang of decent RAW editing.



I usually shoot in automatic aperture and shutter and set all the rest to my liking and the ring is for manual focussing. But it's the ISO that needs constant adjustments yes, maybe I do need to map it to the button. I don't always find the auto ISO trustworthy, but you can limit the maximum range? Complete manual mode is still a bit complex for me, but when I have the time to create a good shot I usually fiddle with it to test things out. Like I said I'm not a pro, I just want to get better at taking nice shots on holiday or in the neighbourhood.

When it comes to lower light situations you really can't top overall sensor size. Also with flash get a bounce card or a diffuser cap. If you don't have a speed light with a rotating head so you can angle it a bit to either bounce off a wall or ceiling that's half your problem right there. I've gotten pretty damn good at flash correction on people as well so that's an experience thing.
These should be pretty decentish flash shots:
DSC_6385 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_7037 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr
DSC_7096 by Marcus Beasley, on Flickr

 

[sankt-Antonio]

You ever think about switching to something that doesn't have severe heat problems? It doesn't sound like Sony's going to fix their heat problems ever.

I have to be optimistic at this point in time, I invested way to much in good lenses
Plus there is no FF alternative on the market right now.

On the overheating Thing:
I have yet to see someone with an A9 actually recording the moment it overheats, in the world of smartphones this should be readily available, yet i can't seem to find vids - Just a lot of videos where people talking about overheating...to get clicks I guess, so I figure Sony did improve the issue and is hopefully going to continue in the future.

 

[JadedWriter]

I have to be optimistic at this point in time, I invested way to much in good lenses
Plus there is no FF alternative on the market right now.

On the overheating Thing:
I have yet to see someone with an A9 actually recording the moment it overheats, in the world of smartphones this should be readily available, yet i can't seem to find vids - Just a lot of videos where people talking about overheating...to get clicks I guess, so I figure Sony did improve the issue and is hopefully going to continue in the future.

Kai Wong in his Sony F4 14-24 lens review said that his A9 shut off on him so yeah it does happen on that thing. At times Kai annoys me but he's not the type to say things just to say things. If you absolutely must have FF MILC then yeah stick with Sony, I have a MILC crop and FF dslrs I think that's just going to be how I personally roll.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Kai Wong in his Sony F4 14-24 lens review said that his A9 shut off on him so yeah it does happen on that thing. At times Kai annoys me but he's not the type to say things just to say things. If you absolutely must have FF MILC then yeah stick with Sony, I have a MILC crop and FF dslrs I think that's just going to be how I personally roll.

Dude, his video turns black and a voiceover is like "yeah... here the A9 overheated so no video from here on out" and cut to next location, like nothing happened. Couldn't the guy who filmed him point his camera at the A9 or maybe pull a Smartphone out?

If he had a A9 overheating live, his vid would have gotten him even more clicks... So I call bullshit on that and a lot of peoples vids with burning A9 in their thumbnails

 

[JadedWriter]

Dude, his video turns black and a voiceover is like "yeah... here the A9 overheated so no video from here on out" and cut to next location, like nothing happened. Couldn't the guy who filmed him point his camera at the A9 or maybe pull a Smartphone out?

If he had a A9 overheating live, his vid would have gotten him even more clicks... So I call bullshit on that and a lot of peoples vids with burning A9 in their thumbnails

Do what you wanna do on that one, but Sony stuff overheating isn't a myth for filming. I think it's mostly reliable on stills, but if you have multiple videographers dropping their Sony filming rigs and adopting Panasonic's then it's more of a sign and less bullshit. You being a person with an A7ii with severe heating problems shouldn't exactly be casting doubt on this one just because you spent too much on Sony mount lenses.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

Do what you wanna do on that one, but Sony stuff overheating isn't a myth for filming. I think it's mostly reliable on stills, but if you have multiple videographers dropping their Sony filming rigs and adopting Panasonic's then it's more of a sign and less bullshit. You being a person with an A7ii with severe heating problems shouldn't exactly be casting doubt on this one just because you spent too much on Sony mount lenses.

Oh I know, and believe me im very critical of what Sony is doing, but im getting kind of annoyed when people out there make stuff up. It gets hard to find the truth.

Like I said, i have to have some hope that things are going to be better for the sake of my lenses, had Nikon or Canon a comparable device on the marked I would be all over it.

 

[JadedWriter]

Oh I know, and believe me im very critical of what Sony is doing, but im getting kind of annoyed when people out there make stuff up. It gets hard to find the truth.

Like I said, i have to have some hope that things are going to be better for the sake of my lenses, had Nikon or Canon a comparable device on the marked I would be all over it.

You can't take a picture without IBIS, Eye focus, an EVF, face recognition and something else that I either don't have on my dslr or turned off on my mirrorless?

 

[Laieon]

Not really sure if this is the place for it, but does anyone know what could be the problem with this GoPro? My girlfriend is in Bali and bought one at the airport. She used it three times, now it's doing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcE0pRuYh8

She has both batteries, says both are charged, but can't figure out what's going on. I've never used a GoPro and Google isn't really helping, so I can't either.

This year, I told myself I was going to organize everything and get a centralized location for ALL my photos and video, that was data redundant, and have an online back-up too.

About two dozen hard drives from 128GB to 2TB are now stored on a Drobo with 2x6TB drives on it now. Holy shit was this project a pain in the ass. Combining catalogs. Re-syncing file locations. Re-arranging storage and folders. Re-building smart libraries. This has taken me a month, but finally, finally, it's actually all organized. Just look how nice and clean those folders are!

I really need to do this soon. Have no clue how network/NAS storage works though.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

You can't take a picture without IBIS, Eye focus, an EVF, face recognition and something else that I either don't have on my dslr or turned off on my mirrorless?

bingo.

 

[mrklaw]

If you have already tried cleaning it yourself then you may want to just get it serviced.



Congrats, it's a huge accomplishment. Speaking of organizing, I've been wanting to export all my images to jpeg so that my wife has easier access to them but every time I start working on a folder I end up spending most of the time re-touching old photos because I'm much better at PP than I did a decade ago or whatever. It's never going to get done with 50k+ images in the library at this point, lol.

jr folder plugin for lightroom is great for mirroring your lightroom folder structure in jpeg form. I use it to export anything 3* or above onto OneDrive and my NAS in two sizes - full size for future use, and 2048 on the long side for iPad/ease of browsing (of course I also back up my raws etc)

 

[RuGalz]

jr folder plugin for lightroom is great for mirroring your lightroom folder structure in jpeg form. I use it to export anything 3* or above onto OneDrive and my NAS in two sizes - full size for future use, and 2048 on the long side for iPad/ease of browsing (of course I also back up my raws etc)

Yep I'm aware of the plugin, thanks. I only want to export edited photos (since I only really rate photos that have potential for print) and as I go through them the temptation to re-edit, make different style of edit, etc is just too great. I need to get it done though, at some point. It'll be nice to have larger collection of photos displayed on my TV when it goes to screen saver mode.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Oh I know, and believe me im very critical of what Sony is doing, but im getting kind of annoyed when people out there make stuff up. It gets hard to find the truth.

Like I said, i have to have some hope that things are going to be better for the sake of my lenses, had Nikon or Canon a comparable device on the marked I would be all over it.

I'm hearing rumors that Nikon has a full frame mirrorless coming... "soon." Very interested to see the likes of Nikon and Canon enter the market with some competitive camera bodies.

I don't do much video shooting personally, so I've never experienced overheating issues with the Sony bodies I've used (a7r ii, a6500, RX100) even shooting thousands of photos in burst modes over a short amount of time in hot weather and direct sunlight and shooting the occasional short 24fps/4K or 120 fps/720p video clip.

You can't take a picture without IBIS, Eye focus, an EVF, face recognition and something else that I either don't have on my dslr or turned off on my mirrorless?

You can take "a picture" with any camera. All of the tech you listed off enables you to more easily and more quickly take photos in a wide variety of specific scenarios. These aren't just unnecessary luxuries or gimmicks any more than a digital sensor being able to record data to a memory card is an unnecessary luxury in the face of film rolls and mechanical cameras.

For a given scene, what is the correct exposure?

Obviously the real answer is "whatever exposure gives you the look you're going for." I think it's generally considered that when you're exposure meter is at 0 or in the center, you are "correctly" exposing for whatever metering mode you're in. Another definition might be a photo in which there is no highlight or shadow clipping. Again, none of this matters since creativity is king.

I usually shoot in automatic aperture and shutter and set all the rest to my liking and the ring is for manual focussing. But it's the ISO that needs constant adjustments yes, maybe I do need to map it to the button. I don't always find the auto ISO trustworthy, but you can limit the maximum range? Complete manual mode is still a bit complex for me, but when I have the time to create a good shot I usually fiddle with it to test things out. Like I said I'm not a pro, I just want to get better at taking nice shots on holiday or in the neighbourhood.

I would recommend mapping it to a button, or at the very least setting it to auto. It's very flexible. You can sit a minimum ISO and a maximum ISO and it will obey those limits even if it means it's over/under exposing for your given metering mode. When shooting aperture priority or full automatic, you can also set a minimum shutter speed. In those modes, the camera will first try to lower the shutter speed before increasing ISO, but if you set your minimum shutter speed in the auto ISO settings to, say, 1/60, it will never reduce your shutter speed lower than that and will give priority to auto ISO adjustments. Even in that mode, if it's already lowered the shutter speed to 1/60, and it's already at the maximum ISO you set, it will just underexpose the image. Very handy.

On my RX100V, I have the ISO range set from 80 (extended) to 800. I usually shoot in manual or shutter priority, so I don't really bother with the minimum shutter speed setting, but I think it's at 1/60.

 

[JadedWriter]

You can take "a picture" with any camera. All of the tech you listed off enables you to more easily and more quickly take photos in a wide variety of specific scenarios. These aren't just unnecessary luxuries or gimmicks any more than a digital sensor being able to record data to a memory card is an unnecessary luxury in the face of film rolls and mechanical cameras.

There are things that make your life easier and just overall stuff one doesn't exactly need as long as they know how to compensate without it. I turned face tracking off of my XT-2 to make street photography easier, that's telling me that one doesn't exactly need stuff like that to take pictures, now if you're just dealing with a singular person in a non crowded scenario, like say an intimate portrait shoot, then there's a better chance I'll turn it on. IBIS is more of a videographer thing unless you're hand holding a half second exposure and regarding EVF's as long as you know about metering and the exposure triangle then a person can function without it. You have to realize I went from a bridge camera with an EVF as my first camera, to a DSLR with an OVF as my second camera, to several OVF cameras as my event/portrait/street photography cameras and then back to a EVF camera for pretty much random BS. I personally think I'd rather just be versatile than hyper tech reliant. Also regarding IBIS if the dude owns a ton of vintage manual lenses and wants them all stabilized then fine that makes more sense. The reasons have to make sense to me. If a person just says, "I can't do it without tech" without listing said reasons I'm going to challenge it.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

There are things that make your life easier and just overall stuff one doesn't exactly need as long as they know how to compensate without it. I turned face tracking off of my XT-2 to make street photography easier, that's telling me that one doesn't exactly need stuff like that to take pictures, now if you're just dealing with a singular person in a non crowded scenario, like say an intimate portrait shoot, then there's a better chance I'll turn it on. IBIS is more of a videographer thing unless you're hand holding a half second exposure and regarding EVF's as long as you know about metering and the exposure triangle then a person can function without it. You have to realize I went from a bridge camera with an EVF as my first camera, to a DSLR with an OVF as my second camera, to several OVF cameras as my event/portrait/street photography cameras and then back to a EVF camera for pretty much random BS. I personally think I'd rather just be versatile than hyper tech reliant.

Yes, of course you *can* compensate for everything. That's why I keep coming back to the example of an old film shooter curmudgeon that views digital photography as something for lazy people who will never understand "real" photography. I feel like your arguments are exactly the same, just for different technology that you personally view as unnecessary.

IBIS is absolutely amazing for stills. Why wouldn't you want to be able to take handheld shots at 1/10 of a second or even half a second with lenses that don't have OIS? It removes the requirement for a tripod from a ton of situations and casual/hobbyist photographers don't typically carry around tripods.

Face tracking is an incredible technology, as well. For your purposes, where you are shooting random people in big crowds and you know exactly where you want to focus going into the shot, it's a hindrance, but imagine a situation where someone is shooting their child running around a park. This is speaking from experience, but having face tracking and eye tracking has allowed me to take some incredible shots I wouldn't have been able to get otherwise.

OVFs are OVFs, and I like them personally, but the bigger advantage for mirrorless for me is the lack of the mirror. Not needing to hold up the viewfinder to your eye to take a shot is pretty liberating to me and opens you up to a lot more angles to shoot from.

Yes, you can function without all of this stuff and more, but I guess I will never understand the desire to decry advances in technology that lower the barrier to entry for many people and open up new possibilities. You see this in every technology category and there is always someone with that "back in my day" mentality where they don't need anything more than what they got started with and no one else should either.

 

[JadedWriter]

Yes, of course you *can* compensate for everything. That's why I keep coming back to the example of an old film shooter curmudgeon that views digital photography as something for lazy people who will never understand "real" photography. I feel like your arguments are exactly the same, just for different technology that you personally view as unnecessary.

IBIS is absolutely amazing for stills. Why wouldn't you want to be able to take handheld shots at 1/10 of a second or even half a second with lenses that don't have OIS? It removes the requirement for a tripod from a ton of situations and casual/hobbyist photographers don't typically carry around tripods.

Face tracking is an incredible technology, as well. For your purposes, where you are shooting random people in big crowds and you know exactly where you want to focus going into the shot, it's a hindrance, but imagine a situation where someone is shooting their child running around a park. This is speaking from experience, but having face tracking and eye tracking has allowed me to take some incredible shots I wouldn't have been able to get otherwise.

OVFs are OVFs, and I like them personally, but the bigger advantage for mirrorless for me is the lack of the mirror. Not needing to hold up the viewfinder to your eye to take a shot is pretty liberating to me and opens you up to a lot more angles to shoot from.

Yes, you can function without all of this stuff and more, but I guess I will never understand the desire to decry advances in technology that lower the barrier to entry for many people and open up new possibilities. You see this in every technology category and there is always someone with that "back in my day" mentality where they don't need anything more than what they got started with and no one else should either.

You do realize that a lot of the caveats you mentioned I had covered right? IBIS is great for a lot of low light stuff and that I'll admit to since I do more low light stuff than I want to do. Doesn't stop a dude from moving and messing the shot up though. I'm not exactly decrying said tech. I'm mostly asking if said person could actually function and get said shot if he turned certain things off of his camera. That's the main difference. I'm not asking the guy to go out and shoot on film. nine times out of ten I just bend to get a lower angle, I'm just oddly very viewfinder dependent tilting screen or no tilting screen. Though I always have to realize that not everybody learned the same way or even shoots the same way. I can't watch his work flow nor can he see mine. Tech is tech, tech helps, but it's not supposed to completely override user skill.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

You do realize that a lot of the caveats you mentioned I had covered right? IBIS is great for a lot of low light stuff and that I'll admit to since I do more low light stuff than I want to do. Doesn't stop a dude from moving and messing the shot up though. I'm not exactly decrying said tech. I'm mostly asking if said person could actually function and get said shot if he turned certain things off of his camera. That's the main difference. I'm not asking the guy to go out and shoot on film. nine times out of ten I just bend to get a lower angle, I'm just oddly very viewfinder dependent tilting screen or no tilting screen. Though I always have to realize that not everybody learned the same way or even shoots the same way. I can't watch his work flow nor can he see mine. Tech is tech, tech helps, but it's not supposed to completely override user skill.

You can't take a shot with the camera on the ground or positioned way above your head with a viewfinder. I use viewfinders a decent amount, too, but I don't think anyone will disagree that they limit the angles you can shoot without needing to shoot blindly. Some people may not be interested in shots from those angles, and that's totally fine, but I like having the option.

In my mind, the less skill or technique required to operate the device the better. Smartphones have been huge in democratizing photography and videography and they allow people who may not be technically minded to better express their creativity. I think that's great.

 

[JadedWriter]

You can't take a shot with the camera on the ground or positioned way above your head with a viewfinder. I use viewfinders a decent amount, too, but I don't think anyone will disagree that they limit the angles you can shoot without needing to shoot blindly. Some people may not be interested in shots from those angles, and that's totally fine, but I like having the option.

In my mind, the less skill or technique required to operate the device the better. Smartphones have been huge in democratizing photography and videography and they allow people who may not be technically minded to better express their creativity. I think that's great.

On one side I agree with you, on the other hand...not so much. Half the fun of photography to me is getting better at using your camera and by extension getting better at photography. Half the fun to me is knowing how to get a shot some random person on the street doesn't know how to get. Regarding tilting screens, I've used mine twice. For a floor shot I'd still have to set focus...on something...it's really just not how I regularly shoot. I like the option, but it's mainly just not my priority.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Half the fun to me is knowing how to get a shot some random person on the street doesn't know how to get.

I think this is the big one for lots of people, and frankly, it comes off as a sort of selfish technological elitism to me. Not wanting the masses to have the same access as you unless they put in the time and work to learn what you deem to be the 'proper' tool for the job. I feel like it's just resistance to change due to fear of being rendered irrelevant or no longer being part of your own special niche. I could see people who work as a professional photographer feeling that way, and indeed, I imagine rates for middle-of-the-road wedding photographers have gone down dramatically as DSLR tech has become very affordable for just about anyone.

Luckily, though, photography is a creative field, too, so the truly outstanding photographers will always be able to make a name for themselves even if the tech eventually gets to the point where anyone can instantaneously capture the images straight from their eyeballs at insane resolutions.

 

[RuGalz]

Not wanting the masses to have the same access as you unless they put in the time and work to learn what you deem to be the 'proper' tool for the job.

No one here says that, maybe you are reading too many forums. However, better techniques will always give you better keep rate regardless how good technology becomes. Tech helps but it can't read your mind.

 

[JadedWriter]

I think this is the big one for lots of people, and frankly, it comes off as a sort of selfish technological elitism to me. Not wanting the masses to have the same access as you unless they put in the time and work to learn what you deem to be the 'proper' tool for the job. I feel like it's just resistance to change due to fear of being rendered irrelevant or no longer being part of your own special niche. I could see people who work as a professional photographer feeling that way, and indeed, I imagine rates for middle-of-the-road wedding photographers have gone down dramatically as DSLR tech has become very affordable for just about anyone.

Luckily, though, photography is a creative field, too, so the truly outstanding photographers will always be able to make a name for themselves even if the tech eventually gets to the point where anyone can instantaneously capture the images straight from their eyeballs at insane resolutions.

My mind set is if I can learn it then they can as well. It's not elitism and the same information that I have access to then they do as well.

No one here says that, maybe you are reading too many forums. However, better techniques will always give you better keep rate regardless how good technology becomes. Tech helps but it can't read your mind.

This is what I've been trying to say...

 

[Deleted member 17706]

No one here says that, maybe you are reading too many forums. However, better techniques will always give you better keep rate regardless how good technology becomes. Tech helps but it can't read your mind.

I don't know how else to read the comment, honestly. To me it reads like a lot of value is put on knowing how to use a complicated piece of equipment and knowing what kind of picture your camera will produce at which settings. Obviously, those are very valuable skills, but they all have to do with technological limitations. At some point, I think technology will advance to the point where anyone can easily get images that match what our eyes see even if they don't know all of the technical details happening in the background.

At that point, the only techniques that will matter will be the creative stuff like framing and composition and being able to identify interesting subjects and lighting.

 

[Ty4on]

Isn't that essentially what the X100 is? Maybe I'm confused.

No, the AF and metering is still done by the sensor.

I was thinking more old-school rangefinder:

 

[sneaky77]

At that point, the only techniques that will matter will be the creative stuff like framing and composition and being able to identify interesting subjects and lighting.

But that's the same today.. cameras are already very capable of taking really good photos. I am not sure why more technology is always the answer, and I am nowhere close to being an awesome photographer

 

[JadedWriter]

I don't know how else to read the comment, honestly. To me it reads like a lot of value is put on knowing how to use a complicated piece of equipment and knowing what kind of picture your camera will produce at which settings. Obviously, those are very valuable skills, but they all have to do with technological limitations. At some point, I think technology will advance to the point where anyone can easily get images that match what our eyes see even if they don't know all of the technical details happening in the background.

At that point, the only techniques that will matter will be the creative stuff like framing and composition and being able to identify interesting subjects and lighting.

Who is saying that cameras are complicated? A camera is only complicated if you don't know how to use it.

 

[Ty4on]

Obviously the real answer is "whatever exposure gives you the look you're going for." I think it's generally considered that when you're exposure meter is at 0 or in the center, you are "correctly" exposing for whatever metering mode you're in. Another definition might be a photo in which there is no highlight or shadow clipping. Again, none of this matters since creativity is king.

Yes

Kinda my point is when the camera exposure thingy is at 0 it might still be quite off and if you move the camera a small bit it can move a few stops up and down.
I just kinda hate that it's always referred to it in that way like: "this is how you get the correct exposure" when you can't really define it.
I feel like instead of framing it like exposing the picture it's better to frame it as exposing the subjects and remember that "correct exposure" for the spot meter is middle gray.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Hey All,

Likely will be in the market for a dedicated camera in the next few months - likely waiting until around Black Friday, but may spring before if it makes sense. I've copied part of the OP below:

1. What is your budget?

- ~$500 including a lens or two.

2. Main purpose of the camera?

-Just casual shooting. My fiance and I like to travel. So getting a camera that's better than our cellphones is ideal. Next year, we're going to South Africa for our honeymoon. Beyond that, just shooting things outside around our city in Dallas, and eventually something to use for family stuff once we start one. I also have very basic editing experience, but it's novice at best. Beyond that, I know the "rule of thirds" and some very basic lighting considerations. I'm not concerned as much with full light/daytime conditions, as I am with dusk/lower light conditions - which I can imagine gets expensive quickly for high quality.

3. What form factor is most appealing to you?

- Easily tucked away is always nice, but I understand this isn't really possible with DSLRs and lenses. So that's an ok compromise.

4. Will you be investing in the camera? (buying more stuff for it later).

- Potentially yes, nothing too crazy, but something that enjoys wide support for lenses/equipment would be nice. I don't think I'd ever get to the level of needing filters, dedicated lighting equipment, etc.

5. Any cameras you've used before or liked?

- I've recently only relied on smartphone cameras. Before that, just basic point and shoots.

I've tried to do some basic research, and that frequently seems to fall to the Canon T6 or so. But I see a T5 is listed here. Is that a pretty safe level to look at? I also know mirrorless can be smaller and more simple in operation, but I'm not sure if that is the right move.

 

[RuGalz]

I don't know how else to read the comment, honestly. To me it reads like a lot of value is put on knowing how to use a complicated piece of equipment and knowing what kind of picture your camera will produce at which settings. Obviously, those are very valuable skills, but they all have to do with technological limitations. At some point, I think technology will advance to the point where anyone can easily get images that match what our eyes see even if they don't know all of the technical details happening in the background.

Sure, if that's the only thing you care. There are many things that are simply not technical limitations even today. How will camera ever know I intentionally choose a shutter speed that when I take a picture of a person drumming, the person is crystal clear but the hands are blurry to describe motion? How will it know my intention is to take 2 kids doing light painting instead of 2 kids holding light sources? How does it know how much DOF I really want? How does it know I'm trying to do a panning shot vs a frozen shot? How will it know how much blur I really want from the water? The list goes on and on. And the answer is that it can't unless it reads my mind.

A person with zero knowledge of exposure triangle wants to mimic the work, at minimum, needs to know there is a scene mode that might work.