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The Official Camera Equipment Megathread

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F

fart

Savant
Wario64 said:
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccckkkk

On the plus side, I can ditch my 50mm 1.8 on Craigslist and get maybe like $90?

I wish this would have come sooner. Got a wedding tomorrow and my nephew's first bday on Sunday that I could have used this for. Ah well.
Click to expand...
yep, the short supply sucks, but that's why i ordered one they day after they were announced :p

there's pretty much always a market for 50/1.8s everywhere. you could also keep it as a portrait if you want (just be careful with that bokeh)

Thanks for pointing me here fart. Continuing my thread from here, I've begun searching cameta's store and have a few questions.

I'm looking primarily at the D40. I got to play around with one and loved the feel and price compared to canon's. I'm a beginner SLR user and am looking to shoot primarily my dog, friends and family, and wildlife. That is where the zoom comes in. Deer, small birds, etc. I'm working as a field biologist right now and not having a camera is KILLING me. I was looking at the 55-200mm VR lens. Cameta has them for around 200. Altogether I was piecing together:

Camera
Zoom Lens

Shipped that set is looking to be $612. The fish eye lens could be fun and was in that kit, same price as one without it. As someone just starting out is this a good way to go?
Click to expand...

that sounds like too much. you should be able to get a D40, 18-55vr (note VR), 55-200vr (note VR) for about 500 after live cashback. ignore that little fisheye converter thing and anything else that cameta wants to throw in that isn't a battery, memory, or a useful looking bag. remember that factory demo at cameta means refurbished, and the 1yr warranty is via cameta; nikon only provides 90 days of warranty.

also d40 stock is starting to get a little constrained, so if you think you might print larger (ie, could use 10MP), don't care about strobist-style flash photography, and won't be shooting too much high ISO, the d60 packages might be just as cheap or cheaper.

bluetsunami: the 5d will give you less DOF (about a stop), not more. if you prefer the 24-xx range on crop, i honestly wouldn't bother. i think your lens options are pretty good here and you're better off just getting a faster lens (don't you use a variable aperture normal zoom right now?). if you do want ultra ultra wide, tokina 11-16?
 
T

Tendo

Member
How does live cashback work on Ebay Fart? I've never used Ebay before. And I searched their Nikons but didnt' find any D40's less than $446 in kits with a bunch of garbage. I didn't even see JUST bodies on there. Strobist style flash photog? Not familiar. Is the iso of the 60 lower than the 40?
 
A

Alfarif

This picture? uhh I can explain really!
Rentahamster said:
Hm? Quick search shows one right here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P3XC3Y/?tag=neogaf0e-20

15 bucks and eligible for free shipping.
Click to expand...

What did you type in to pull that up. I was typing in "photography lights," "umbrella lights," "photography umbrella," and a whole range of other things and the only things I ever pulled up were random "this item is not available" or books. Oh well, my Amazon searching skills pretty much suck, anyway. Thanks a ton, because this is more in line with what I was after.

futureman said:
You want umbrella lights? As in a studio light? Or you mean you just want an umbrella?
Click to expand...

I think I found what I was after, but, yes, I need studio lights. My wife and I are starting the process of putting together something of a "media" business, though we don't know how serious everything is yet. We want to get some prosumer level equipment, so we can make things look as good as we can before taking the expensive plunge of trying to do this full time. I figure grabbing a couple lights, books, and a better camera will help on that journey.
 
Rentahamster

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Alfarif said:
What did you type in to pull that up. I was typing in "photography lights," "umbrella lights," "photography umbrella," and a whole range of other things and the only things I ever pulled up were random "this item is not available" or books. Oh well, my Amazon searching skills pretty much suck, anyway. Thanks a ton, because this is more in line with what I was after.
Click to expand...
Amazon search sucks unless you know how to finesse it. For example, try searching for a decent compact flash reader. I couldn't even pull up the model I was looking for unless I typed in its manufacturing number.

Anyways,

I just searched for "umbrella".

I then narrowed the search by clicking the "electronics" link on the left.

All photo gear falls under "electronics" so this is a quick way to weed everything else out.

To narrow even further, you can make it show you only items sold by Amazon so that you can get free shipping.
 
W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
Shit, I guess I wasn't looking closely but I think I got the 35mm from Ritz when it was out of stock but it wasn't explicit, it just says "ships when received from manufacturer"


Oh well, the hunt continues

Tendo said:
How does live cashback work on Ebay Fart? I've never used Ebay before. And I searched their Nikons but didnt' find any D40's less than $446 in kits with a bunch of garbage. I didn't even see JUST bodies on there. Strobist style flash photog? Not familiar. Is the iso of the 60 lower than the 40?
Click to expand...

If it's the same as it was before, you just search whatever you want to get on the live.com page and find an auction that's eligible for cashback. It'll tell you if it's eligible before bidding an item. I got a D40 for an awesome price back in November when cashback was at a high of 30% plus a stacked 10% off coupon from Ebay making it 40% off. I think it came out to something like $260 for a kit lens.
 
F

fart

Savant
wario: put a copy on backorder at b&h, one at adorama, and one at amazon

you'll probably get one of them within the month
 
Z

Zaraki_Kenpachi

Member
I guess this is a good place to ask, I was trying to decide between a panasonic lumix FZ-28 and the canon S1XIS. From all the reviews I've seen they have the same image quality pretty much, the only major difference is the canon does 1080p and hdmi out while the Lumix doesn't do hdmi out and only does 720p video. Has anyone had any experience with either? I'm leaning towards the Lumix since that's $280 while the canon is $580 which is almost half the price... Is there any major benefit I'm missing that makes the canon worth $200 more? Thanks again.
 
I

Instigator

Banned
Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
I guess this is a good place to ask, I was trying to decide between a panasonic lumix FZ-28 and the canon S1XIS. From all the reviews I've seen they have the same image quality pretty much, the only major difference is the canon does 1080p and hdmi out while the Lumix doesn't do hdmi out and only does 720p video. Has anyone had any experience with either? I'm leaning towards the Lumix since that's $280 while the canon is $580 which is almost half the price... Is there any major benefit I'm missing that makes the canon worth $200 more? Thanks again.
Click to expand...

FZ-28. No doubt. It's the best super zoom on the market.

Canon appear to have messed up with their rush to catch up with the competition. Their earlier super zoom cameras were better.
 
Z

Zaraki_Kenpachi

Member
Instigator said:
FZ-28. No doubt. It's the best super zoom on the market.

Canon appear to have messed up with their rush to catch up with the competition. Their earlier super zoom cameras were better.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks again for the quick response! :D

Edit: Is there a bag anyone recommends for a superzoom, or is any bag pretty much fine? I saw the official one on amazon for $80 which is ridiculous so I guess I need a third party one.
 
Z

Zeth

Member
just dropping in to say hello!

463090683_eyXtd-M.jpg
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
bought a lumix TX7 to keep on me at all times, for when I don't have my 50D with me. It'll also do decent 720p video which let me sell off my HF100 camcorder which wasn't getting used.

It has an excellent 12x optical zoom, with good 25mm equivalent wide angle, which is better than my 24-105, so I'll see if I use that length enough to justify a wide angle lens on my 50D. Had a sigma 10-20 for a while and never really used it.

Looking forward to always having a camera on me.
 
Z

Zeth

Member
I really want a Lumix. I've never owned a decent compact camera. For me a compact is 5D+50mm with no strap :lol
 
G

giga

Member
Zeth said:
I really want a Lumix. I've never owned a decent compact camera. For me a compact is 5D+50mm with no strap :lol
Click to expand...
What I really want to do is get an old D40/35mm or a Rebel/sigma 30mm combo and call it a day for my "compact" camera. I just can't live with crap ISO performance--especially when I'm in indoors places so much. :/

I know there are alternatives like the Sigma DP2, but it just seems way overpriced for what you get.
 
F

fart

Savant
Rentahamster said:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QU1QVG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I6UVA0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013TRZI2/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Although apparently the Sandisk firewire reader by itself is not in stock (at Amazon itself) anymore.
Click to expand...
thanks, that last one is tempting.

i've come to the conclusion that sigma can't make a good camera to save their life, quite literally. for my compact i'm holding out for the oly m43. i love the concept beyond words. hopefully it won't disappoint (seems unlikely though)
 
N

nitewulf

Member
BlueTsunami said:
I was at a crossroad recently, thinking about that. I've really had my fill of 50mm so which way would I go? Having used my kit lens, I've found I really like the 24-35mm range. I think Low Light and Wide would be my lens of choice (so the 24mm f/1.4).
Click to expand...
I love my 35mm f/1.4L...love, love, love it.
 
G

Grimlock

Member
Looking for a bit of advice: I've been pondering getting a new bag for my gear, and I'm considering a sling bag, since there's been more than one occasion where I've been caught flat-footed with my K-20 in my current bag (a Canon 200EG I got on sale a while back), and of course the shot was gone by the time I fished the camera out. I'm also starting to get paranoid about the fact that my bag doesn't have a rain cover-the flaps over the zippers don't really seem to be worth much in that department. It's also slides about a bit when I'm carrying it (it's sternum strap doesn't help much either), which is getting to be annoying, especially as I typically wear the bag all day when I'm about taking pictures. I admittedly don't like spending money on something that isn't a lens or a camera body, but I think the time's come to bite the bullet and be done with it. I want one that'll hold my camera with my 70-200mm f2.8c mounted on it, so the bag will have to be large, and I'm currently considering these three:

Tamrac Velocity 10 Sling bag.
+It's the cheapest of the three
+It appears to have a mesh back.
-It doesn't have a rain cover, like the other two do
-The one shoulder strap could be problematic over an all-day tromp-about

Kata 3N1-30 Sling/Backpack (this one I'm currently leaning towards)
+It has a versatile strap system (I was thinking I could wear it with the straps crossed over my chest, and just pop off one strap to quickly sling it over when needed.
+Has a rain cover
-No mesh back, so I'll be sweating more under it
-Tripod attachment for the bag is extra (but the other two don't even have an option for tripods, so it's kinda moot)

LowePro Slingshot 350 AW
+Appears to be the largest of the three (ie, I can stuff more stuff into it)
+Has a mesh back and a raincover
-Has only the one shoulder strap
-Is the most expensive of the three.

And I almost forgot, this is what I'd like the bag to be able to carry:

Pentax K20d and two spare batteries for it
Sigma 70-200mm 2.8
Tamron 1.4X teleconverter
Pentax FA 50mm 1.4
Tamron 28-75mm 2.8
Sigma 17-70mm 2.8-4 (not an absolute necessity, but it would be nice to lug it along, as I don't have a true wide-angle lens that I like)
Pentax 540 flash (its about the same size as a Nikon SB800, I think. It isn't an true necessity either, but I'd prefer to have it and not need it than yadda yadda.)
Memory card wallet
4 circular polarizers of various size (I use lens hoods, so stepping rings aren't any good to me)
Rainsleeve for the camera (my lenses aren't weatherproof), bulb blower, filter rings, and spare flash batteries.

I should add that I thought about a harness-type system instead, but I'm not too crazy about trying to carry a 70-200mm lens in a hip pouch or something, as I'm a klutz and could easily bang it against something-the bags would offer more protection from that.

Thanks in advance.
 
F

fart

Savant
i'm not crazy about the sling bags. my shoulder tends to start hurting with a load in them. what about a backpack with a minor harness up front to keep the camera on your chest? reader thom hogan's bag page if you haven't btw
 
Rentahamster

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I recently bought a Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home from Amazon. It's not bad.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W8U3ZC/?tag=neogaf0e-20

(Hmm, it seems Amazon itself is no longer in stock. That means no free shipping.)

http://www.crumplerbags.com/Lite/English/Products/7-Million-Dollar-Home-MD0703A.html


It's a pretty good bag, but not spectacular. You'll find rave reviews about it on the web but I find it to be just above average. Build quality is nice, and it's appearance is not obviously a camera bag. The front velcro flap is really loud so don't use it in a place where you're supposed to be quiet.

I wish there were more pockets. Like, a lot more.

But it's sturdy, can hold a lot of stuff in a relatively small space, and it's stylish so I don't look like a total dork carrying it.

I would consider buying more Crumpler products in the future, but only if they're stocked on Amazon so I don't have to pay tax and I can get free shipping.

B+
 
K

Karma Kramer

Banned
I am actually selling a bunch of stuff and going to look at buying a 5D Mark II... mainly for the video use... anyone here have any general information I should know about, before I seriously consider? I've used it once and have seen my friend's footage of it when he rented it from school... the image quality for both photography and video is just too good to pass up, that I was basically sold...

but any other thoughts on it?
 
F

fart

Savant
i was looking into the crumplers but i've never liked using messenger style bag when i'm not on a bike.

i ended up with a thinktank urban disguise 35. it works well as a long haul bag, but i still prefer going with just a wrap and a sweatshirt when i'm wlaking around

imo the 5d2 makes a for an excellent landscape and studio portrait photographer's camera assuming you can deal with the ergonomics, but if i were to drop a couple thou on a canon kit i'd still go for a 5d1. i haven't worked with video for a long time but it seems like the only thing you get from a 5d2 video-wise is slightly cheaper DOF control at the expense of ergonomics and nasty rolling shutter. if it's not too hard to get DOF control via lens adapters for high-end vid cams i'd get one of those instead for video.
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Grimlock said:
Looking for a bit of advice:
Click to expand...


have you looked at the lowepro fastpacks? I dismissed the slingshots due to only having one strap. but the fastpacks have two straps like a standard backpack, but you can still access them like a slingshot by slipping one arm out of one strap, then sliding the fastpack around to your front.

I bought the fastpack 250 and its plenty for my 50D+24-105, plus 70-200f4IS, 85 1.8, 580EXII and it still has space in the top section for snacks/drink bottle plus memory cards/spare batteries etc.
 
F

Fallout-NL

Member
Right, me and a friend of mine want to get started with some entry level DSLRs. We have narrowed the options down to two cameras, the Nikon D60 and the Canon Eos 1000D. Does anyone here have experience with either one or both of the aforementioned cameras. Which one would you go with?

Right now we're leaning towards the Nikon, build quality looks a little bit better and its D-lighting feature seems to work pretty well.

An added question: What entry level wide angle lens would work well with the D60 and what would that cost?
 
Z

Zeth

Member
SO pumped for manual video. Probably the wrong thread for this but I have a good friend who is an AMAZING skateboarder. Here's a shot I grabbed last fall. Can't wait to capture this stuff with a 14mm fisheye.

442209143_VSAC8-L.jpg


I'll need to rig a handle and external mic for skating :D
 
K

Karma Kramer

Banned
Zeth, I see you got the 5D Mark II... so far how you been liking it....? I want to get one for the use of music videos primarily... do you think it would be a good buy? I want to get a macro lens and do a bunch of experimenting with that... will the video quality hold up for any sort of lens?
 
Z

Zeth

Member
I love the Mark II. Besides just playing around, I haven't used video for anything worthwhile. I use a lot of primes and with the current firmware that gives me a sliver-depth of field in anything but outdoor sunlight. I'd imagine the video will hold up pretty well, but it depends on what resolution you finish in I guess. At 1080P on your 56" display you might notice some shortcomings but I'd never work at that res. I think the kit 24-105L is going to end up being a great all around lens for shooting video.
 
K

Karma Kramer

Banned
Zeth said:
I love the Mark II. Besides just playing around, I haven't used video for anything worthwhile. I use a lot of primes and with the current firmware that gives me a sliver-depth of field in anything but outdoor sunlight. I'd imagine the video will hold up pretty well, but it depends on what resolution you finish in I guess. At 1080P on your 56" display you might notice some shortcomings but I'd never work at that res. I think the kit 24-105L is going to end up being a great all around lens for shooting video.
Click to expand...

I don't expect to put it on a monitor that large, cause most of my stuff will be released online.

I am really just wondering if I should wait for the next 5D from Canon which might have more features for the video... or if the picture quality is good enough now, that waiting would be kind of pointless other then maybe for some added features.

Do you have any samples of video use?
 
F

fart

Savant
i wouldn't say the nikon 10-24 is entry level at all. it's basically a 12-24 replacement, which was semi-pro. the sigma 10-20 and tokina 12-24 are _the_ entry level wides for APS-C. the 10-20 is the cheapest of the two (and the widest). performance is fairly good in the center of the frame from wide open throughout the zoom range. corners at 10mm go from "meh" wide open to "eh" stopped down. corners near the tele end are respectable, but all of the other options (save the tamron 10-24) have better corners at their tele ends.

i haven't used a tokina 12-24, but i believe it's quite prone to flare, which is a deal breaker for some (it was for me). performance otherwise is very strong. there's a version of this lens that will AF on your d60.

the tokina 11-16/2.8 is a ridiculously strong performer across its (short) zoom range, but it's hard to find in nikon mount, and there's a QC problem at the factory that's caused a disturbingly high defect rate for the last 6 months or so

nikon 12-24s are going for reasonable prices used these days (5-600), but performance is weak(er than the tokina 12-24) at the wide end. performance at the tele end is excellent.

build on the tokinas and sigma are imo better than the nikons. except for the 11-16 and the first version of the tokina 12-24 (the II version will AF), all of them will AF on your D60. keep in mind DOF is gigantic on a 10-12mm lens though, so don't be afraid of MFing it.

wario: it looks like a lot of camera shops are receiving 35/1.8 shipments. all around locally, and if all else fails, a number of people are reporting local stock on nikoncafe: call a remote local shop and have them ship it to you. registration needed to view forums.
 
C

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
~Devil Trigger~ said:
I got this

51mJY-XX8oL._SL500_AA280_.jpg


love it

now im lookin for a new affordable(lol?) zoom lens
Click to expand...
Congrats. The 70-300 is nice, its usually around 400 bucks new but you can find it cheaper, and right now Olympus is offering a 75 dollar rebate on that one and a 150 dollar rebate on the 50-200, but that one is considerably expensive than the 300.
 
Z

Zeth

Member
from a non-videographer standpoint the best way I can describe it is: "yeah I can point it at something, focus and record it, and it will look mind-blowingly incredible when I play it back at 1080p"
 
C

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Did any of you see where the guy who did the latest heineken commercial did it with a GH1? And had nothing but good things to say about using it for video?

Also had a 5dmkII on hand... but only used it for stills.

It was on dvxuser forums but the thread seems to have been deleted.
 
X

Xun

Member
Fallout-NL said:
Eh, about 400 euros I guess, maybe a little over.
Click to expand...
Fair enough.

Also, out of the 2 I'd have to say the Nikon is probably a tad better, although if I had the choice I'd have to go with the Canon (because in my opinion Canon make better lenses).

Also ever considered in getting a older generation of say one of the Canon xxD's?
 
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