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[Deleted member 17706]

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

Better and more intuitive technology reduces the barrier to entry and allows people who may have the creative skill, but not the technical skill, to pick up photography. Anything that makes it easier to take and develop images is a plus in my mind.

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.

All of that stuff is definitely worth learning, and shutter speed in particular is always going to be something that people need to figure out. I think it's probably the easiest one to learn though. Big number means fast for capturing fast action. Small number means slow. Anyway, I'm not arguing against learning the fundamentals of photography as they currently are with the tech available. I think it's definitely a good idea, but I also see the benefits of new and more intuitive tech. Depth of field, for example, is immediately visible with mirrorless cameras, so there is no guessing or doubt about what's in focus.

 

[JadedWriter]

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.

This. At the end of the day the person holding the camera is the photographer not the camera. A person without basic knowledge of the medium is essentially just a tripod.

 

[RuGalz]

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.

Any manufacture would work at that price point but you probably should just find 2 lenses bundle since you likely will need the long one for South Africa. Go try them in store if you can.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

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.

You're going to be hard pressed finding a camera and lens that can zoom and do well in lower light conditions with that budget. I would 100% recommend against the T6. It's newer and more expensive, but it's honestly a shit camera with limited features that will frustrate you. You're best bet might be grabbing a model from a couple of years ago. You can get a used T4i with an 18-135mm lens, which should cover most of your bases, for around $500 ~ $560 used. I would recommend going that route over the latest barebones model.

 

[RuGalz]

This. At the end of the day the person holding the camera is the photographer not the camera. A person without basic knowledge of the medium is essentially just a tripod.

I don't know. I think one day we'll just press a button and camera will do everything, producing all permutation of all possible style of photography at once and even rotate itself to track the subject.

 

[JadedWriter]

I don't know. I think one day we'll just press a button and camera will do everything, producing all permutation of all possible style of photography at once and even rotate itself to track the subject.

Where's the fun in that?

 

[GoldenEye 007]

You're going to be hard pressed finding a camera and lens that can zoom and do well in lower light conditions with that budget. I would 100% recommend against the T6. It's newer and more expensive, but it's honestly a shit camera with limited features that will frustrate you. You're best bet might be grabbing a model from a couple of years ago. You can get a used T4i with an 18-135mm lens, which should cover most of your bases, for around $500 ~ $560 used. I would recommend going that route over the latest barebones model.

Yeah I definitely understand the low light situation versus price point. In reality, I don't think it'll be a huge deal.

I'll look into the T4i, but do you think the T5 listed in the OP is a good one to consider too? Or at that point, are features/attachments close enough between the two where the T4i is good enough (I'll assume they use the same lens platform)? I'll also say that this camera ideally would be last a number of years - barring theft or destruction lol.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Yeah I definitely understand the low light situation versus price point. In reality, I don't think it'll be a huge deal.

I'll look into the T4i, but do you think the T5 listed in the OP is a good one to consider too? Or at that point, are features/attachments close enough between the two where the T4i is good enough (I'll assume they use the same lens platform)? I'll also say that this camera ideally would be last a number of years - barring theft or destruction lol.

All of the "i" series on Canon's entry-level APS-C DSLRs are just better all around than the equivalent non "i" model. They have better sensors and better focusing capabilities, better low light capabilities and ISO range, faster continuous shooting, an articulating touch-screen and more. They're just better overall cameras, and I would recommend getting a used model from a year or two ago over the latest non "i" model new.

Personally, when it comes to the entry-level DSLR stuff, I think Nikon has a better offering in the D3400 and it's more affordable to boot.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KITZRBE/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[JadedWriter]

Yeah I definitely understand the low light situation versus price point. In reality, I don't think it'll be a huge deal.

I'll look into the T4i, but do you think the T5 listed in the OP is a good one to consider too? Or at that point, are features/attachments close enough between the two where the T4i is good enough (I'll assume they use the same lens platform)? I'll also say that this camera ideally would be last a number of years - barring theft or destruction lol.

You have more options than you think you do. Check Ebay and see if you can find a Nikon D5300 with the 18-140 lens or even a D5200. Also see if you can find a Fuji XT10 kit. Your best kind of research is simply walking into a camera store and seeing what you like using. Basic net research isn't going to tell you what you like holding and what camera has the type of menu system and button layout you like. I always fiddle around with a camera before I buy it. For weeks I toyed around with D7100's, D810's and Fuji XT2's before I bought them. Only one I blind bought was my D600 and that's because it's nothing more than a full frame D7100, just slightly bigger for the most part.

All of the "i" series on Canon's entry-level APS-C DSLRs are just better all around than the equivalent non "i" model. They have better sensors and better focusing capabilities, better low light capabilities and ISO range, faster continuous shooting, an articulating touch-screen and more. They're just better overall cameras, and I would recommend getting a used model from a year or two ago over the latest non "i" model new.

I usually recommend used 60D's personally, they've come down pretty well in price. I'm looking at a used one right now for 400 bucks on Adorama.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

You have more options than you think you do. Check Ebay and see if you can find a Nikon D5300 with the 18-140 lens or even a D5200. Also see if you can find a Fuji XT10 kit. Your best kind of research is simply walking into a camera store and seeing what you like using. Basic net research isn't going to tell you what you like holding and what camera has the type of menu system and button layout you like. I always fiddle around with a camera before I buy it. For weeks I toyed around with D7100's, D810's and Fuji XT2's before I bought them. Only one I blind bought was my D600 and that's because it's nothing more than a full frame D7100, just slightly bigger for the most part.

Yeah, just echoing this, but if you have the ability to do so, play around with them in the store.

Also, nice recommendation on that D5300. I just checked and they are going for dirt cheap considering how much more capable they are compared to the entry-level stuff.

 

[Astral/H3X]

Re: technology vs skill: keep in mind that while basic knowledge and skills in using a camera is, of course, important, technology has two benefits -- it helps crappier photographers take less crappy photos, and, it let's good photographers take even better photos. While getting technology gradually sort of masks progression, we are getting crazier and crazier photos. Lightroom alone probably contributes to an entire spectrum of styles in photography that simply didn't exist in any meaningful way. Panoramas no longer require expensive, specialized equipment. 360 degree photos are a thing *to begin with*. And with VR coming of age soon, we're sure to see a whole new realm of photography with that, as well (can you imagine a VR macro photo?)

And not only that, but the less that the photographer has to worry about, the better. Yes, a photographer needs to know how shutter speed and aperture will affect his photo.
No, he doesn't need to micro manage it every second of every shot. Things like IBIS allow a photographer to push what was possible, but he still needs to know why it helps him, to get any value out of it. EVF allows him to see blown highlights or underexposed areas on the first shot, etc etc.

It's less that you can't take a good photo without these things, but that they help you take a BETTER photo when the camera can do more to make the non creative aspects more in the background.

 

[JadedWriter]

Re: technology vs skill: keep in mind that while basic knowledge and skills in using a camera is, of course, important, technology has two benefits -- it helps crappier photographers take less crappy photos, and, it let's good photographers take even better photos. While getting technology gradually sort of masks progression, we are getting crazier and crazier photos. Lightroom alone probably contributes to an entire spectrum of styles in photography that simply didn't exist in any meaningful way. Panoramas no longer require expensive, specialized equipment. 360 degree photos are a thing *to begin with*. And with VR coming of age soon, we're sure to see a whole new realm of photography with that, as well (can you imagine a VR macro photo?)

And not only that, but the less that the photographer has to worry about, the better. Yes, a photographer needs to know how shutter speed and aperture will affect his photo.
No, he doesn't need to micro manage it every second of every shot. Things like IBIS allow a photographer to push what was possible, but he still needs to know why it helps him, to get any value out of it. EVF allows him to see blown highlights or underexposed areas on the first shot, etc etc.

It's less that you can't take a good photo without these things, but that they help you take a BETTER photo when the camera can do more to make the non creative aspects more in the background.

I will say this. Tech helps, but it shouldn't straight up replace overall knowledge. If the me 2 years ago picked up a D810 I'd just be taking higher res shitty pictures.

Yeah, just echoing this, but if you have the ability to do so, play around with them in the store.

Also, nice recommendation on that D5300. I just checked and they are going for dirt cheap considering how much more capable they are compared to the entry-level stuff.

I don't think anything can ever replace literal hands on time with a camera, it's how you figure out what you actually like about something. The D5300 is a nice little camera. It's really good for what it is, good bargain too. I'd recommend a 7xxx camera but those are expensive, except for the D7000, but I'm pretty sure it's a bit outdated at this point.

 

[Astral/H3X]

I will say this. Tech helps, but it shouldn't straight up replace overall knowledge. If the me 2 years ago picked up a D810 I'd just be taking higher res shitty pictures.

I don't think anything can ever replace literal hands on time with a camera, it's how you figure out what you actually like about something. The D5300 is a nice little camera. It's really good for what it is, good bargain too. I'd recommend a 7xxx camera but those are expensive, except for the D7000, but I'm pretty sure it's a bit outdated at this point.

Absolutely. Tech can't replace knowledge, that's why those are still important.
And, there is skill even in using tech. For example, I have no skill in using autofocus. Therefore, I cannot effectively use autofocus. It took me a while to figure out how I could use the exposure compensation in a way that freed me from using completely manual mode for every shot.
Likewise, doing bracketing is a skill. Or timer, panorama, whatever it may be. Focus peaking is a skill, but it's still "tech".

 

[JadedWriter]

Absolutely. Tech can't replace knowledge, that's why those are still important.
And, there is skill even in using tech. For example, I have no skill in using autofocus. Therefore, I cannot effectively use autofocus. It took me a while to figure out how I could use the exposure compensation in a way that freed me from using completely manual mode for every shot.
Likewise, doing bracketing is a skill. Or timer, panorama, whatever it may be. Focus peaking is a skill, but it's still "tech".

Completely manual with no AF would drive me crazy, though yeah there is definitely an inherit skill in that, there's even knowing which metering mode to be in. At first the whole thing is complicated, but once you figure out what does what it's not impossible to figure out what to change and how it'll effect everything. It just gets to a point where you have a picture in your head and you're just trying to get as close to that as possible so you can tidy it up in post and make that picture. That's the fun for me. The effort. Even if it's just bending down and angling yourself in a way to get a different picture.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Thanks for the recommendations. I frequently see Nikon come up too, so I'll keep those models in mind. And yeah, I guess I have plenty of time to mess around with them in person. At the very least, I can usually adapt to any sort of UI configuration.

 

[Ty4on]

Thanks for the recommendations. I frequently see Nikon come up too, so I'll keep those models in mind. And yeah, I guess I have plenty of time to mess around with them in person. At the very least, I can usually adapt to any sort of UI configuration.

I really wish I knew the lower end lineups well, but if size is a consideration I'd give the Micro Four Thirds cameras a look. They have a little less image quality with a smaller sensor, but in return the lenses are generally smaller. Olympus cameras also have sensor stabilization which stabilizes all lenses. If you're planning to only use zooms that's not as useful as most zooms come with stabilization (called VR in Nikon speak, IS in Canon, Power OIS in Panasonic and OSS in Sony).

 

[RuGalz]

Fuji X-T2s with IBIS... now that piques my interest

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Fuji X-T2s with IBIS... now that piques my interest

What's this all about?

Despite my qualms with the RAW files and noise reduction in the JPEGs, I would probably cave and buy an X-T2 successor/upgrade especially if it has IBIS. I really loved using the X-T2 when I had it.

 

[Sec0nd]

For a given scene, what is the correct exposure?


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.

Thanks for the comment! Though I kinda don't feel like scanning my own negatives anymore now... Seems like a whole lot of work and research with the risk of not getting close to the results of my labs lol.

 

[JadedWriter]

What's this all about?

Despite my qualms with the RAW files and noise reduction in the JPEGs, I would probably cave and buy an X-T2 successor/upgrade especially if it has IBIS. I really loved using the X-T2 when I had it.

Fujifilm X-T2S will have IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization)

 

[Ty4on]

Thanks for the comment! Though I kinda don't feel like scanning my own negatives anymore now... Seems like a whole lot of work and research with the risk of not getting close to the results of my labs lol.

Yeah, you save a lot of time with a lab. If you have a loupe or similar you can check the negatives closely and avoid paying to get blurry or out of focus pictures scanned.

 

[Astral/H3X]

Completely manual with no AF would drive me crazy, though yeah there is definitely an inherit skill in that, there's even knowing which metering mode to be in. At first the whole thing is complicated, but once you figure out what does what it's not impossible to figure out what to change and how it'll effect everything. It just gets to a point where you have a picture in your head and you're just trying to get as close to that as possible so you can tidy it up in post and make that picture. That's the fun for me. The effort. Even if it's just bending down and angling yourself in a way to get a different picture.

Believe it or not, it was the easiest way for me to get the photos that I wanted. Now I know more about my camera, so I know how to tell it to take some of the work off my shoulders, but not fuck everything up (well, outside of AF ), so that's helping me get more keepers.

 

[Lasthope106]

Fujifilm X-T2S will have IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization)

Be still my beating heart.

 

[Thraktor]

As I picked up some Leica R mount glass for my A7II recently, and there isn't a whole lot of information online about the lenses, I thought it would be interesting to write some mini-reviews of each of them. It would hopefully be useful for anyone looking to use any of these lenses with a Sony A7/A9 series camera, and it's also a good excuse for me to actually go out and shoot with each of them individually, rather than just default to my trusty 50mm and leave the rest on the shelf. So, without further ado:

Mini-Review: Leica Vario-Elmar-R 35-70mm f/4


Sony A7 MkII with Leica Vario-Elmar-R 35-70mm f/4 by Owen Rooney, on Flickr

The 35-70mm f/4 was one of the later lenses released for the Leica R system, with production running from 1997 until they discontinued the system in 2009 (mine is a 1998 copy). While their previous zooms had all been designed and built externally (by Sigma and Minolta), this was the first R-mount zoom lens that Leica actually designed in-house, although it was manufactured in Japan by Kyocera, known for the Yashica brand. It's also interesting in that it has an aspherical element, although it wasn't given the "ASPH" designation by Leica, likely as it was one of the "cheaper" lenses in the R lineup. It seems to be the best-regarded of the R-mount zooms, with the exception of the later 28-90mm f/2.8-4.5 and 35-70mm f/2.8, although as they sell for over $5,000 and over $10,000 respectively they're well out of the reach of us mere mortals.

Mechanically it's extremely well made, with nothing lost by the manufacturing taking place in Japan rather than Germany. It's made entirely of metal, and feels like it, with a weight of 505g and a relatively small body making it feel quite dense. Although it's relatively short for a standard zoom, the R-mount adapter adds quite a bit to the length, as you can see in the photo above. The zoom and focus rings are both very smooth and well-damped, and the button-press to engage the macro mode works quite well. The aperture ring feels very good too, with solid half-stop clicks.

Optically it seems as close to perfect as I could need. I haven't done any methodical studio testing, and I'm not generally one to obsessively pixel-peep all my photos, but I haven't found a single meaningful optical failing at any focal length or aperture across any of the 280 photos I've taken with it. Even at f/4, everything is (to my standards) perfectly sharp right into the corners, and I haven't noticed any distortion, CA, or vignetting. That's not to say that they don't exist, and I have no doubt that if you put it in front of an A7Rii and did proper studio testing you'd be able to find its limits, but I haven't hit those limits in my real-world shooting on the A7ii. As it is, I'm comfortable choosing the right aperture and focal length for a shot without having to worry about how the lens performs, which is a nice position to be in with a zoom.

I find the bokeh to be quite nice, although it's of course very subjective. The 7-bladed aperture doesn't produce perfectly-round highlights when stopped down, although outside of macro photography you've got such a large depth of field when stopped-down that it's not really an issue. The photos linked below should give people a good idea of how it handles bokeh (the macro shots are all f/8, as far as I recall, and the other photos are f/8, f/4 and f/5.6 in order, again afair).

One useful feature of this lens is that it has an honest-to-god macro mode, with up to 1:2 magnification. I'm actually really surprised with the results from this, as again the lens performs really well. I haven't noticed much field distortion, which I understand tends to be an issue with zooms with macro modes bolted on, although again I haven't rigorously tested for it. It's still just as good as it is in non-macro mode, and allows you to get extremely close to the subject (literally a few centimetres from the front of the lens). It has reminded me of just how difficult it is to shoot moving insects, but I can hardly blame the lens for that.

Overall I'm extremely happy with the lens, although whether I'd actually recommend it is a bit more complicated. Most people like manual focus film lenses as they offer a cheaper alternative to modern autofocus glass, but in this case you're going to have to drop perhaps $900 or more to get hold of one, going by eBay prices. I was fortunate enough to get a very good deal on a collection of R-series kit, but I have to admit that it would be a more difficult sell at that price, as you're not far off modern f/4 zooms like the Sony/Zeiss 24-70mm f/4 or the Canon 24-105mm f/4. They offer longer zoom ranges, autofocus and, in the case of the Sony/Zeiss, a smaller, lighter package. On the other hand, the Leica has a far superior macro capabilities, and better build quality.

The question with this lens is really how comfortable you are with manual focus, and how happy you are with the zoom range. If you're specifically looking for a manual focus zoom, though, then I would whole-heartedly recommend it. There aren't many good manual focus zooms around, but this has to be one of the best of them (no doubt helped by the fact it was built after most of the industry had given up on manual focus). It works excellently as a good-weather walk-around lens, and has pretty much negated any need for a dedicated macro lens for me too.

Sample photo set 1

Sample photo set 2 (Macro)

Bonus Nano-Review: Novoflex Leica R to Sony FE Mount Adapter

I just thought I'd mention that the Novoflex adapter I've been using for my R-mount glass is excellent. I've got a couple of cheap K&F Concept adapters, which actually work quite well for the price, but the Novoflex is so much better than them in build quality it's crazy. Additionally, unlike the cheaper adapters which allow you to focus past infinity, the Novoflex provides precise infinity focus, which both makes it easier to shoot landscapes, and also means that the focus scale on the lens can be relied upon. I understand that the Novoflex ones can be very expensive in some places, but as I'm in Europe I was able to get it for €119, which is about the same as a Metabones adapter would usually sell for. The only downside is that you have to pay quite a lot extra for a tripod collar, although I don't feel that any of my lenses are large or heavy enough to warrant it.

 

[JadedWriter]

Had to show someone how to enter live view on their 60D, didn't even look new. I don't think he knows how to zoom into his pictures either.

 

[Sir Doom]

I posted before that I wanted to do landscape pictures and maybe night time. But these are the only camera available in my local store

Which is a good beginner camera?

D5600 with
AF 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR 70-300 mm f/4-6.3GED for 897.99 (I heard Snapbridge sucks)

A5100 with 15-50mm 597.99

T7i with 18-55mm $894

 

[JadedWriter]

I posted before that I wanted to do landscape pictures and maybe night time. But these are the only camera available in my local store

Which is a good beginner camera?

D5600 with
AF 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR 70-300 mm f/4-6.3GED for 897.99 (I heard Snapbridge sucks)

A5100 with 15-50mm 597.99

T7i with 18-55mm $894

Snapbridge ain't shit so just get the model before that and save some money or find a refurb D7100 or 7200. I personally wouldn't go for a A5100.

 

[LostCaress]

So I'm thinking of buying a new camera. Right now i have Sony dsc-hx300, and I'm looking to buy a camera around 800€. I use it for my trips around the world, specially while trekking mountains so size is very important - some mountains are over 16000 feet and at that height every gram counts. Any recommendations? Thanks!

 

[Lasthope106]

I posted before that I wanted to do landscape pictures and maybe night time. But these are the only camera available in my local store

Which is a good beginner camera?

D5600 with
AF 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR 70-300 mm f/4-6.3GED for 897.99 (I heard Snapbridge sucks)

A5100 with 15-50mm 597.99

T7i with 18-55mm $894

The Nikon and Canon choices are very comparable. While a lot of people love the a5100, I personally wouldn't buy one. It doesn't have a viewfinder and it's way too small for my taste. The a6000 is the lowest model I can safely recommend to people.

If you are set on buying new, go to the store and play with the cameras. Ask for a memory card and take pictures. Ask for help with the menus and basic functionality and see which one you find easier. I personally can't stand Nikon ergonomics even though their image quality is slightly higher than comparable Canons.

As JadedWriter suggested, you can go with the used route and get a better camera for the same amount of money. Just make sure you don't go too old.

Lastly the universal advice for any starting photographer is don't focus so much on the body. Get what you can afford, spend the money, your time and effort researching a lens or set of lenses that allow you to do the photography you want to do.

Learn the basics, and improve on the non-technical aspects like composition, framing, etc. If you keep up with it, you will find limitations with whatever equipment you have. When the number of limitations are too large and you are no longer to effectively take the pictures you envision, that's when you will know you need to upgrade to something better.

 

[KalBalboa]

So we shot a 2 camera interview the other day, A7S + FS7.

I've been editing for 15 years and still can't find myself embracing S-Log 2. I tend to apply the official Sony LUT that only implements a 709 color space while leaving gamma alone because I'm never happy with the contrast I start with out of an official LUT. I tend to find the color over saturated, still, and never really grasped if I should be correcting before or after the LUT application.

Can anyone share their "Ah HA!" moment with working with Log footage and LUTs?

 

[Ty4on]

I posted before that I wanted to do landscape pictures and maybe night time. But these are the only camera available in my local store

Which is a good beginner camera?

D5600 with
AF 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR 70-300 mm f/4-6.3GED for 897.99 (I heard Snapbridge sucks)

A5100 with 15-50mm 597.99

T7i with 18-55mm $894

I'm going to echo a bit of the camera body doesn't matter that much. Pretty much every camera out there will in one way or another act as a good beginner camera. Finding the right camera is more what lenses you want, what features you desire and of course price.

Used or older models can also save you some bucks. Take the Nikon D5600, the only feature it added from the D5500 is snapbridge. If we go further back the only features added to the D5500 from the D5300 (there was no D5400) was a smaller body, a touchscreen and an updated imaging processor (sensor was the same) while they removed the GPS. So unless you need those features don't be afraid of choosing a slightly older camera and using the money you save on some better lenses.

If you want something smaller you could look at the Sony A6000. I know a lot of people on this forum own one and can tell you what it's like. It seems to be around $450 used.

 

[RuGalz]

So I'm thinking of buying a new camera. Right now i have Sony dsc-hx300, and I'm looking to buy a camera around 800€. I use it for my trips around the world, specially while trekking mountains so size is very important - some mountains are over 16000 feet and at that height every gram counts. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Do you need the zoom range? Otherwise, the Sony RX-100 series, Canon G7/G9 series, Panasonic DMC-LX10/LX15 all with 1" sensor are probably your best bet. You will get much better image quality than what you have now in smaller package but loses the extended zoom range.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Do you need the zoom range? Otherwise, the Sony RX-100 series, Canon G7/G9 series, Panasonic DMC-LX10/LX15 all with 1" sensor are probably your best bet. You will get much better image quality than what you have now in smaller package but loses the extended zoom range.

He doesn't really have much of a choice.

- Zoom Capability
- Small Size
- Good Image Quality

You can pick only two.

I would definitely want some serious zoom capability when trekking around in the mountains to capture far away wildlife and such. I think the RX10 Mark III would probably be the best all around camera for those purposes. It's as big as an entry level DSLR and weighs 1 kilogram, but the zoom capability and image quality are insane. 24mm - 600mm equivalent lens with an 2.8 - 4.0 aperture. Good focusing capabilities and decent-ish burst rate with full autofocus/autoexposure (6.3 frames).

 

[thesoapster]

Picked up the Canon Extender III 2x teleconverter, put that behind my 70-200mm, and got this (plus a few others) yesterday evening:

 

[Waldo Lydecker]

Holy smoke! The successor of the Fuji X-T2, the X-T2s is apparently equiped with IBIS. This is huge!

http://www.fujirumors.com/fujifilm-x-t2s-will-ibis-body-image-stabilization/

 

[Rentahamster]

That's pretty funny considering their previous statements about IBIS.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

That's pretty funny considering their previous statements about IBIS.

Angry Photographer seems to think it's going to be a digital solution mainly for video where it just crops or uses different parts of the sensor in accordance with any movement to reduce visible shake.

If it's just for video, then I really don't give a damn, but I'm holding out hope that his guess is wildly wrong.

 

[Rentahamster]

Angry Photographer seems to think it's going to be a digital solution mainly for video where it just crops or uses different parts of the sensor in accordance with any movement to reduce visible shake.

If it's just for video, then I really don't give a damn, but I'm holding out hope that his guess is wildly wrong.

IIRC they said that X-mount is too small for IBIS to be practical, so we'll see. Maybe they were just being coy.

 

[RuGalz]

They will just have to correct the additional vignetting in the image pipeline. Nobody's going to care about noisier borders considering that MILC already have worse vignetting than DSLR what's another half stop... Or just use slightly smaller area on the sensor for the final image. IBIS doesn't require that much movement.

I would definitely want some serious zoom capability when trekking around in the mountains to capture far away wildlife and such. I think the RX10 Mark III would probably be the best all around camera for those purposes. It's as big as an entry level DSLR and weighs 1 kilogram, but the zoom capability and image quality are insane. 24mm - 600mm equivalent lens with an 2.8 - 4.0 aperture. Good focusing capabilities and decent-ish burst rate with full autofocus/autoexposure (6.3 frames).

Not everyone's into shooting wild life and he should know what range he uses by now. If I were trekking at that kind of altitude I'll only bring Ricoh GR.

 

[TerryLee81]

Or move the sensor a bit and you will get a slightly cropped image, no big deal, still plenty of resolution.

 

[Sir Doom]

Snapbridge ain't shit so just get the model before that and save some money or find a refurb D7100 or 7200. I personally wouldn't go for a A5100.

The Nikon and Canon choices are very comparable. While a lot of people love the a5100, I personally wouldn't buy one. It doesn't have a viewfinder and it's way too small for my taste. The a6000 is the lowest model I can safely recommend to people.

If you are set on buying new, go to the store and play with the cameras. Ask for a memory card and take pictures. Ask for help with the menus and basic functionality and see which one you find easier. I personally can't stand Nikon ergonomics even though their image quality is slightly higher than comparable Canons.

As JadedWriter suggested, you can go with the used route and get a better camera for the same amount of money. Just make sure you don't go too old.

Lastly the universal advice for any starting photographer is don't focus so much on the body. Get what you can afford, spend the money, your time and effort researching a lens or set of lenses that allow you to do the photography you want to do.

Learn the basics, and improve on the non-technical aspects like composition, framing, etc. If you keep up with it, you will find limitations with whatever equipment you have. When the number of limitations are too large and you are no longer to effectively take the pictures you envision, that's when you will know you need to upgrade to something better.

I'm going to echo a bit of the camera body doesn't matter that much. Pretty much every camera out there will in one way or another act as a good beginner camera. Finding the right camera is more what lenses you want, what features you desire and of course price.

Used or older models can also save you some bucks. Take the Nikon D5600, the only feature it added from the D5500 is snapbridge. If we go further back the only features added to the D5500 from the D5300 (there was no D5400) was a smaller body, a touchscreen and an updated imaging processor (sensor was the same) while they removed the GPS. So unless you need those features don't be afraid of choosing a slightly older camera and using the money you save on some better lenses.

If you want something smaller you could look at the Sony A6000. I know a lot of people on this forum own one and can tell you what it's like. It seems to be around $450 used.

Thanks for the advice and will go with the used route

 

[JadedWriter]

I must say I'm enjoying my XT2. It's great for street photography. Once you pop the right settings in you can pretty much just focus on the photography and only alter something when starts looking super off. Doing street portraits with the 35mm F2 is a bit...Close but with the burst rate on this thing I can pretty much just snap and dash, it's quite fun to use. I'd be confused if I wasn't so used to my dslr. It really gives you a good grasp of the basics. Me 2 years ago probably wouldn't be able to alternate the cameras this well.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

The X-T2 was definitely super easy to pick up. Coming from using Canon and Sony previously, I was able to figure the thing out for the most part within minutes. The only part that required a bit of testing to understand was the different AF-C customization options and which focusing areas each one played best with.

 

[kendrid]

I posted before that I wanted to do landscape pictures and maybe night time. But these are the only camera available in my local store

Which is a good beginner camera?

D5600 with
AF 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR 70-300 mm f/4-6.3GED for 897.99 (I heard Snapbridge sucks)

A5100 with 15-50mm 597.99

T7i with 18-55mm $894

If you go nikon try to get the 70-300 in the AF-P model. That lens focuses insanely fast and in motion tracking is also great. I use it on a D5500.

I would go 7100/7200 if you don't mind the weight. I wanted to keep the weight down. Not having two dials is annoying but the touchscreen acts as a dial, just slower.

FYI: If you buy older than the D5500 the AF-P lenes will not work. I went with the D5500 over the D5300 because of the weight and size. The GPS in the D5300 is cool but not really needed.

 

[Ty4on]

FYI: If you buy older than the D5500 the AF-P lenes will not work. I went with the D5500 over the D5300 because of the weight and size. The GPS in the D5300 is cool but not really needed.

Wow, I did not know that. Apparently a firmware update fixes it for some, but still. Pretty sure Canon STM works with any EF camera.
I wonder how much Nikon are kicking themselves for just cobbling features onto the F-mount.

 

[JadedWriter]

If you go nikon try to get the 70-300 in the AF-P model. That lens focuses insanely fast and in motion tracking is also great. I use it on a D5500.

I would go 7100/7200 if you don't mind the weight. I wanted to keep the weight down. Not having two dials is annoying but the touchscreen acts as a dial, just slower.

FYI: If you buy older than the D5500 the AF-P lenes will not work. I went with the D5500 over the D5300 because of the weight and size. The GPS in the D5300 is cool but not really needed.

The 7100 is such a good starter camera. Once you get used to twin dials you pretty much can't go back...well you can but it just feels so wrong.

 

[kendrid]

The 7100 is such a good starter camera. Once you get used to twin dials you pretty much can't go back...well you can but it just feels so wrong.

I used to own a D7000. I do miss the dual dials.

With the D5500 I have a system down where I can make it act like dual dials. In M mode the default for the dial is shutter speed. If I want to change aperture I switch it to aperture mode, set the aperture, then switch back to M . It is annoying but I've become good at it and I can do it faster than using the touchscreen.

 

[JadedWriter]

I used to own a D7000. I do miss the dual dials.

With the D5500 I have a system down where I can make it act like dual dials. In M mode the default for the dial is shutter speed. If I want to change aperture I switch it to aperture mode, set the aperture, then switch back to M . It is annoying but I've become good at it and I can do it faster than using the touchscreen.

Dual dials is just so much more intuitive. Took me a bit to get used to how Fuji does it but I'm getting better with it. You have a system so that's fine. Not everyone needs the extra bulk and a vertical grip.

 

[Nilaul]

I've got a small dilemma. Which camera should I buy?

The Canon M10 or the Sony ILCE5000L (A5000) ?

 

[JadedWriter]

I've got a small dilemma. Which camera should I buy?

The Canon M10 or the Sony ILCE5000L (A5000) ?

I'm almost willing to tell you neither and to get a Fuji XT10 instead.