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The Official Camera Equipment Megathread

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R

RuGalz

Member
ittoryu said:
Right, it's time for me to get a proper backpack.
I was thinking about this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000YIWR8G/

but any suggestion would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Depends on what you need it for. For me, my primary use was for hiking, which I found dedicated hiking backpacks are more comfortable than a dozen or so camera backpacks I have tried. So the alternative is to get some cases/inserts and put camera gears in there. JFYI in case you already have some other awesome backpacks lying around.
 
I

ittoryu

Member
RuGalz said:
Depends on what you need it for. For me, my primary use was for hiking, which I found dedicated hiking backpacks are more comfortable than a dozen or so camera backpacks I have tried. So the alternative is to get some cases/inserts and put camera gears in there. JFYI in case you already have some other awesome backpacks lying around.
Click to expand...

Thing is, I do have other backpacks (even too many, to be honest), but they are pretty massive compared to this one or really "small" (as in, usual backpacks) and not suitable for camera plus lens.
The only thing that makes me think about that Lowepro is the lack of an explicit tripod support, which would probably mean that I have either to find a way to create it, or to go around with backpack and tripod bag.

Sigh.
 
R

RuGalz

Member
ittoryu said:
Thing is, I do have other backpacks (even too many, to be honest), but they are pretty massive compared to this one or really "small" (as in, usual backpacks) and not suitable for camera plus lens.
The only thing that makes me think about that Lowepro is the lack of an explicit tripod support, which would probably mean that I have either to find a way to create it, or to go around with backpack and tripod bag.
Click to expand...

For carrying tripod, if the backpack doesn't have dedicated strap... http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/carrying-tripod.html -- I like the radio antenna route, LOL. I tried the case route and it's just too cumbersome to have to take it out of the case every time; a separate strap is better imo. I actually use a regular small backpacks when I'm walking around in the city, since even my biggest lens fits in it easily -- a bonus for not needing IS lenses. My tripod folds flat so I can just insert it into the laptop slot. The head is sticking out without it being disassembled but it hasn't been an issue. Sorry not much help here.
 
F

Flo_Evans

Member
ittoryu said:
Right, it's time for me to get a proper backpack.
I was thinking about this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000YIWR8G/

but any suggestion would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I like lowepro stuff (currently have a pro messenger 180 that I love...)

18-2285-IMG1_LRG.jpeg


But for actual hiking/extended carrying a real backpack is better.

http://fstopgear.com/en/product/mountain/loka We got one of these as a demo from a potential client and it is an awesome backpack.
 
F

Flo_Evans

Member
RuGalz said:
That actually looks interesting. How much space is there for non-camera function? I see it has slot for hydration hose but it's hard to tell how much space there is for things like food and water.
Click to expand...

They have different sized camera inserts (can buy them separately and use in your own pack) the one we have is extra large, enough room left over for a jacket, lunch but not much else.
 
C

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
scorcho said:
i asked this in a separate thread last week and will have to dig that out, but so goes here -

what's a good sub $1k body for video shooting? nothing fancy - my organization will occasionally record 3-10 minute long pieces of our staff or elected officials talking about various things. we have a prosumer 1080p camcorder that works well enough on the tripod, but i want to throw a cheapo DSLR as a 2nd camera into the mix with a wide open lens to give us (well, me) more options editing in post.

sound isn't so much an issue since we'll continue to route it into the main camera, but having the flexibility of attaching external recording devices could be a plus.

any good ideas? and thank you all. i <3 you.
Click to expand...

GH2, you can get one now for like 700 bucks. Easily the best video dslr style camera in the price range.
 
S

scorcho

testicles on a cold fall morning
RuGalz and captive - thanks! i remember both recs from the other thread. doing research now as we need to order these before the end of our fiscal year. yeah. it ends in june for some reason.
 
M

Menelaus

Banned
Not sure if you guys are keeping up with the growing 4/3 ecosystem, but I'm seriously considering dumping my entire Canon stable of equipment (full frame body, L lenses) and picking up one of the new Olympus 4/3 bodies.

Reason one: Lugging a 5D and L glass around all day can be tiring, and I've got some joint issues exacerbated by the holding of a camera. The idea of a small mirrorless body is super exciting.

Reason two: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, and I almost NEVER have my full frame body on me. Taking it out to shoot is an ordeal and a half, and keep my glass/flash/accessories on me requires lugging around a backpack. Having a lightweight, ultra portable body seems much more conducive to spontaneous captures.

Reason three: I'm sick of Compact Flash. High capacity SD seems superior for many reasons at this point.

Reason four: Walking around downtown with a small 4/3 body isn't like holding a "Rob me, I'm holding $3000 worth of gear in my hands" sign.

Currently looking at the Olympus OM-D E-M5. Love the look of the silver model, really evokes the old OM line. A shame Canon never made a digital successor to the AE-1.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1583
mBwu3.png


Two articles that have really started to sway me:
http://www.thephoblographer.com/2012/06/21/op-ed-why-i-sold-everything-for-the-olympus-om-d-e-m5/
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/...ro-43-finally-matures-for-real-by-steve-huff/

Throw a 12mm, 25mm, and 45mm in a bag and you have a nice little 4/3 trinity.
 
J

Jugendstil

Member
Menelaus said:
Currently looking at the Olympus OM-D E-M5. Love the look of the silver model, really evokes the old OM line. A shame Canon never made a digital successor to the AE-1.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1583
mBwu3.png


Two articles that have really started to sway me:
http://www.thephoblographer.com/2012/06/21/op-ed-why-i-sold-everything-for-the-olympus-om-d-e-m5/
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/...ro-43-finally-matures-for-real-by-steve-huff/
Click to expand...

I got my OM-D last week and I am completely in love with it. I mean I knew I wanted it, but the more I use it, the more impressed I become. My reasons were pretty much the same as yours, and I haven't been disappointed.

Steve Huff's posts about it were definitely a deciding factor in my purchase and so far I'm in complete agreement with him. I even found a good deal on the Panasonic Leica 1.4 lens he recommended for it and it just arrived in the mail today. I only managed to test it for a minute, but that lens and body seem like a killer combo.
 
M

Menelaus

Banned
If you have any sample images, I would really love to see them. All the sample's I've seen so far are from no talent chimpers that just take a quick shot of their fireplace or something. I want to see how smushy the DOF on this bad boy can get!
 
C

chaostrophy

Member
Menelaus said:
If you have any sample images, I would really love to see them. All the sample's I've seen so far are from no talent chimpers that just take a quick shot of their fireplace or something. I want to see how smushy the DOF on this bad boy can get!
Click to expand...

The pictures I posted in the photography thread here and here are all from my E-M5 and 14-42 kit lens (I opted for it over the 12-50 because of its compactness). I'm not really into super-thin DoF so my pics don't show that off. But the image quality of the E-M5 is definitely impressive.

I was shooting in harsh light and had started off with -2/3 stop of compensation dialed in because I was worried about blowing highlights...but then after checking a few histograms I realized it was completely unneeded. The meter/sensor combination performs flawlessly.

Also, there's something about the color of the images from the camera that I like. Before getting it I was under the impression that when you shoot RAW the color and tonality is more a product of the RAW processor than the camera. And I had heard good things about Olympus' processing engine so I tried using the software that came with the camera, but it was slow and clunky compared to Adobe ACR that I usually use. But, even in the Adobe software, the colors do have a certain something at the default settings that my Canon lacks. Maybe it's Adobe emulating the Olympus look through profiles or something, I'm not entirely sure, but it is impressive.

The customizability of the controls is another great thing about the E-M5...there are so many buttons and dials that can be used however you want. I set mine to emulate Canon where the front dial controls the priority parameter and the rear dial is EC. The only downside is that the menus to set this up are overwhelming at first.
 
C

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Menelaus said:
If you have any sample images, I would really love to see them. All the sample's I've seen so far are from no talent chimpers that just take a quick shot of their fireplace or something. I want to see how smushy the DOF on this bad boy can get!
Click to expand...

probably pretty good. I'll never understand the "full frame has the best creamiest bokeh because its a bigger sensor" horse shit, creamyness of the bokeh comes from lens design and has little to do with sensor size.

the 25 1.4 is pretty good at it, I want to get the 751.8, mostly cause i like longer focal lengths.
 
M

Menelaus

Banned
My favorite Canon lens is the 135L, so yeah, that 75mm is looking REAL tempting.

Thanks for the test photos. Interesting banding going on here that I've seen in other samples:

4.jpg
Click to expand...

I like to use one of the backside buttons to focus with my Canon, is there any way to move AF to another button on this little guy?
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
captive said:
GH2, you can get one now for like 700 bucks. Easily the best video dslr style camera in the price range.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this shout out - I got the go-ahead on a slightly higher budget, and am looking for a camera, mainly for shooting quality video, but also want something that shoots great still images.

Is that really the best in the price range? What about models above the $700-800 mark?

Edit: The more I'm researching the more it seems like the GH2 is the best in many price ranges? I also came across something about it being "hackable?"
 
G

GamePnoy74

Member
Menelaus said:
Not sure if you guys are keeping up with the growing 4/3 ecosystem, but I'm seriously considering dumping my entire Canon stable of equipment (full frame body, L lenses) and picking up one of the new Olympus 4/3 bodies.

...The idea of a small mirrorless body is super exciting.

...Walking around downtown with a small 4/3 body isn't like holding a "Rob me, I'm holding $3000 worth of gear in my hands" sign.

...Currently looking at the Olympus OM-D E-M5.[/IMG]
Click to expand...

I love my E-M5 =)

f38NQ.jpg


Two weekends ago my mother-in-law wanted me to take pics at her birthday party and I initially used my Nikon D7000...but after hearing a bunch of 'oooh! professional photographer!' passing comments I quickly dumped it back into my car and just used my E-M5 for the rest of the day. The small form factor made taking pics a lot less intrusive and intimidating, and could take a lot of candid pics of the crowd much better...

...and thank God no more 'pro-tog' comments =)

Menelaus said:
If you have any sample images, I would really love to see them.
Click to expand...

I posted some pics I took at E3 here and here...seemed a lot of GAFfers took a liking to this one:

Olympus OM-E EM-5 with Panasonic-Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4: 25mm, 1/80 sec, f/1.4, ISO 500, no flash
h6e9u.jpg



The only glaring issue I have with it right now is with Olympus themselves...the E-M5's battery life is decent for the most part but I wish I had a spare on hand during the times it died on me...it's extremely tough to find extra batteries right now, hopefully Olympus can ramp up production on it soon.
 
X

XMonkey

lacks enthusiasm.
Current rumors are Canon could be announcing their mirrorless camera next month. I'd wait to see if that happens before jumping on the OM-D.
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ByXvQ_Io0g

That video...shows footage from the GH2 using 24p mode, which gives it that film look. I'm just amazed how good that camera shoots video.

I definitely think I'm going with the GH2 - thanks for pointing it out. I'm sure most of you know about it by now, but I thought that video was really great. Fuck, I'm excited now. Ever since selling my Olympus E1 I told myself I would get another one some day.
 
J

Jugendstil

Member
So the Panasonic-Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 is a nice lens, definitely. I'm not the most detail-oriented photographer, but I am noticing a difference in the bokeh compared to my 1.4 Nikor lenses. It's a little more... flat? Less creamy? Adjectives fail me. I think I notice because I do a lot of abstract photography and I really like play with shallow DoF to make things even weirder looking, otherwise it'd fly over my head or I wouldn't care at all. It's not bad, just different and I was surprised that I noticed it so quickly.

Here are my two favorites from fooling with the lens this afternoon:

Olympus OM-E EM-5 with Panasonic-Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4: 25mm, 1/60 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1600, no flash
cfDod.jpg


1/60 sec, f/4, ISO 1600, no flash
pKnCF.jpg
 
C

chaostrophy

Member
Menelaus said:
My favorite Canon lens is the 135L, so yeah, that 75mm is looking REAL tempting.

Thanks for the test photos. Interesting banding going on here that I've seen in other samples:



I like to use one of the backside buttons to focus with my Canon, is there any way to move AF to another button on this little guy?
Click to expand...

Yep. Single, Continuous, and Manual focus can each be set individually to one of 3 Modes. In autofocus, Mode 1 activates autofocus and locks exposure with a half-press of the shutter, mode 2 autofocuses only and mode 3 locks exposure only, and leaves focusing to whichever button you've set as AEL/AFL.

edit: This article from the fantastic Online Photographer blog sums up well what I've been thinking for a while about photography that's reliant on shallow DoF.
 
Z

Zyzyxxz

Member
XMonkey said:
Current rumors are Canon could be announcing their mirrorless camera next month. I'd wait to see if that happens before jumping on the OM-D.
Click to expand...

Yup I'm holding out to see what they will do. If the body is the same size as the OM-D but uses the EF mount that I'm sold.

I wouldn't mind large lenses but the appeal of a small body means alot to me with the option to use larger lenses when I don't mind the size.

That 40mm 2.8 pancake that was just announced would make perfect sense to go with the body but only if it's going to be an EF mount.

My biggest fear is they screw up like Sony did with the NEX system in which you couldn't use the A-mount lenses properly without an adapter that made the camera hideously huge.
 
X

XMonkey

lacks enthusiasm.
Ya I'm really hoping for an EF mount (or at least an easy way to get to it). FD adapter would be nice too as I've got some good lenses for my AE-1P I could use.
 
J

Jugendstil

Member
chaostrophy said:
article from the fantastic Online Photographer blog sums up well what I've been thinking for a while about photography that's reliant on shallow DoF.
Click to expand...

I definitely think shallow DoF is something that can become a crutch in photography, but its also something that can be used in combination with other techniques to achieve something really unique and beautiful. Saul Leiter is my favorite photographer and he uses it in a way I find totally unique:

saulleiter_04.jpg


tumblr_m1ilb5IAFA1qzo0d2o2_500.png


Of course its only one aspect of his work - he leverages a variety of techniques and his sense of composition is perfect (in my opinion at least) and he was doing this 70+ years ago. I think shallow DoF is something that's easy to get attached to as a novice photographer because it provides instant gratification of looking "cool" but it's like any other technique or tool – you have to use it appropriately.
 
M

Menelaus

Banned
So you guys that have a 4/3 system, did any of you come from larger bodies? If so, do you have any regrets or find any particular shortcomings with the 4/3 ecosystem?
 
C

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Menelaus said:
So you guys that have a 4/3 system, did any of you come from larger bodies? If so, do you have any regrets or find any particular shortcomings with the 4/3 ecosystem?
Click to expand...

depends completely on what your trying to do, so i would imagine others answers will be different. My trail went like this, e510 -> E30 -> e5, then i used just my EP2 for everything. Autofocus is slow. But I didnt need AF, was just doing portraits and landscape work. And its pretty great for both considering the size factor. I can easily take, and have taken those 12mp images upt to 40"-60" but most normal people wanting portraits dont want even half that large, so for that and going to the web why carry around a huge full frame camera with 20-30mp when all your doing is going to the web?

Now, I wanted to print even larger than that so I switched to medium format film. Which, I oldy find to be the same weight or less as when I had my E5 and lenses.
 
Z

Zyzyxxz

Member
Menelaus said:
So you guys that have a 4/3 system, did any of you come from larger bodies? If so, do you have any regrets or find any particular shortcomings with the 4/3 ecosystem?
Click to expand...

went from a D90 to GF2 and shooting above 800 ISO sucks now but then again I don't have a fast prime lens like I did with the D90 as well so I can't compare really. Still saving for the 20mm 1.7.

Size wise I never feel bad for taking the camera out and I can easily bring it to work with me when I need to use a camera in the kitchen.
 
F

FStop7

Banned
chaostrophy said:
Yep. Single, Continuous, and Manual focus can each be set individually to one of 3 Modes. In autofocus, Mode 1 activates autofocus and locks exposure with a half-press of the shutter, mode 2 autofocuses only and mode 3 locks exposure only, and leaves focusing to whichever button you've set as AEL/AFL.

edit: This article from the fantastic Online Photographer blog sums up well what I've been thinking for a while about photography that's reliant on shallow DoF.
Click to expand...

I think the article makes a fair point but HDR is far more abused (and looks far more vile when abused).
 
F

Flo_Evans

Member
ugh I could use a D800 today!

Taking product shots of shoes, need to print at 4ft. x 4ft. for a trade show booth! 16MP has me sending art at about 150dpi...
 
A

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
this or the Fuji?
Click to expand...

The OM-D has a better lens selection, better autofocus, better manual focus and cheaper.

The X-Pro1 (I'm guessing this is what you're talking about) has better IQ and ISO sensitivity.
 
F

Flo_Evans

Member
mclaren777 said:
Panorama/Brenizer?
Click to expand...

Hmm I guess I could do that. I'm not sure what the final destination is, 150dpi is probably enough. Most booth print venders don't print at very high res from what I have seen.

The graphic designer just asked if I had any higher res, I said sure, gimme $3000 and I will get it sorted out. :p

I was originally shooting them for a website so higher res than my cameras 16mp didn't even cross my mind.
 
C

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
Rentahamster said:
My D800E came in on Monday...only used it once so far because I was playing Diablo 3 instead lol.
Click to expand...
i'll take it off your hands, since you're too busy...

Flo_Evans said:
Hmm I guess I could do that. I'm not sure what the final destination is, 150dpi is probably enough. Most booth print venders don't print at very high res from what I have seen.

The graphic designer just asked if I had any higher res, I said sure, gimme $3000 and I will get it sorted out. :p

I was originally shooting them for a website so higher res than my cameras 16mp didn't even cross my mind.
Click to expand...
you could also just uprez it with perfect resize/genuine fractals., gotta remember viewing distances, I would assume since its a banner its either going to be ten feet in the air or in the very back of the booth?
 
E

equap

Banned
Antiwhippy said:
The OM-D has a better lens selection, better autofocus, better manual focus and cheaper.

The X-Pro1 (I'm guessing this is what you're talking about) has better IQ and ISO sensitivity.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Is there an adapter for Canon EF lens to go on the OM-D? I have a 24mm f/1.4 II that I don't want to sell, I love this lens.
 
F

Flo_Evans

Member
captive said:
i'll take it off your hands, since you're too busy...


you could also just uprez it with perfect resize/genuine fractals., gotta remember viewing distances, I would assume since its a banner its either going to be ten feet in the air or in the very back of the booth?
Click to expand...

Probably. I'm not overly concerned, will try and talk to the printer tomorrow and see how it is being used. Someone else is designing it, I was just taking photos.

Would be kind of fun to try stitching it, I might do it for the hell of it. But then I couldn't say I need a D800 :p

I could also rent a medium format camera... Would also be fun :)
 
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