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[tino]

So, I grabbed a NEX-5R with the standard zoom kit lens. I do plan on doing some photography, but this will also get a lot of video use, so I want my first lens purchase to be tailored for that.

Primarily, I plan on filming product shots (think videos where someone demonstrates a cell phone as it lays flat, the camera pointed above it) and interviews with people. Desired output is going to be 1080p Youtube videos.

Is my best bet, then, a prime, probably the wider the better? I'm not too familiar with what kind of lenses work better for video on these "hybrid" cameras. I'm just assuming the extra sharpness and "brightness" of a fixed lens is desirable.

Edit: Assuming I'm right and a prime is what I want, is the 35mm f/1.8 SEL35F18 worth the extra money over the 50mm f/1.8 SEL50F18 for my needs?

Edit 2: Hm, apparently the OSS noise on the 35mm is noticeably louder than the 50mm, according to forum posts. I guess the SEL50F18 it is, then?

50mm is not wide enough to shoot indoor. You need 35mm or wider. Even 35mm is barely wide enough.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Hang on a second, I just read that the Maxxum 7 allows mid-roll film cartridge swaps and reuse them!

I think it would mean that it's extremely flexible when it comes to when you suddenly need to change shooting scenarios, huh?

I guess that's that - I'm going to try to get a Maxxum 7, no ifs and buts. Even though it's like, well, super-expensive...

 

[tino]

Hang on a second, I just read that the Maxxum 7 allows mid-roll film cartridge swaps and reuse them!

I think it would mean that it's extremely flexible when it comes to when you suddenly need to change shooting scenarios, huh?

I guess that's that - I'm going to try to get a Maxxum 7, no ifs and buts. Even though it's like, well, super-expensive...

Meh. If you are in NY I would give you my film tongue puller. You can do it with any body.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Meh. If you are in NY I would give you my film tongue puller. You can do it with any body.

How would you do it safely? Too bad I'm not even in the same country as you.

I'm also considering the 5. The more I read about it, the more I think that it's good enough for me. 335g is also pretty dang light for the body itself, and it takes CR2.

 

[tino]

How would you do it safely? Too bad I'm not even in the same country as you.

I'm also considering the 5.

Say you are in the no.13 frame and you want to change roll. You rewind it back first. Use a marker to mark it becasue you will forget about it immediately. Then when you are ready to resume, you use the tongue puller to pull out the tongue. Shoot it with the cap on back to frame 14 or 15 and continue.

You don't need to do that with an old camera if you have to manually rewind.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Say you are in the no.13 frame and you want to change roll. You rewind it back first. Use a marker to mark it becasue you will forget about it immediately. Then when you are ready to resume, you use the tongue puller to pull out the tongue. Shoot it with the cap on back to frame 14 or 15 and continue.

You don't need to do that with an old camera if you have to manually rewind.

Seeing as I'm more of a convenience shooter guy, I guess I'll have to pass on that. It sounds like something that I will screw up (and I probably will).

Guess you can say that I'm spoiled by digital.

 

[Lumix]

After reading up Minolta cameras and doing some rudimentary research, well...

Let me sort things out... for the "7" series A-mount SLRs...

7000 ('85) - the original A-mount SLR, complete with AF, compatible with almost all A-mount lenses as long as it's not a SSM lens. Tends to have LCD bleed.
7000i ('88) - Predictive focus (AF-C?), much less boxy, expansion cards that expand functionality
7xi ('91) - Viewfinder has an LCD overlay displaying information, eye sensor (they had that in '91?), supports auto-zooming (wat) with supported lenses
700si ('93) - Drops support for expansion cards and auto-zoom
7 ('00) - Seems to have 9 AF points, DMF mode exists (!), stores photographic data for 252 shots (f-number, shutter speed, focal length, ISO, etc...), LCD screen is an actual matrix screen, uses 2 CR123A batteries (what's that?), has a more traditional viewfinder, will support SSM lenses and has ADI flash metering.
70 ('04)

Hmm...

Think I can't go wrong with any of them?

I've noticed that as I go through Minolta AF SLR materials, I've noticed that a lot of things seem to be extremely familiar. Were the minds at Minolta working at...

These cameras are my Minolta AF 7000 & Minolta AF 9xi.
I still use them for my 35mm film shoots. The Minolta AF 70-210mm f/4 "Beercan" is one of my favorite lenses.

Any of the Maxxum/ Dynax / Alpha 7 series are good cameras, but I would definitely get Maxxum 7 because of its ergonomics and manual controls.
You would need to protect that large LCD back cover, though.

I would avoid the LCD overlay "xi" cameras.
They are solidly built and pretty responsive, but very difficult use in low light.
You will most likely not to able to see the LCD focus points over dimly lit areas of the viewfinder.
They also use those custom cards for settings, but I am afraid of damaging the hinged covers changing them out all the time.


I really want to get the Maxxum 9 to replace both of them.

However, since switched to EF lenses, I might get the Canon EOS3 or 1v instead.

 

[reggieandTFE]

Olympus E-P5 was announced. I think the body has a gorgeous blend of retro and modern design. It has also has the 5-axis IS from the OM-D, a 100 ISO setting and 1/8000s top shutter speed. Unfortunately, the initial pricing is a bit out of whack. $999 for body only is $200 too much and $1449 for the body, new VF4 and the prime 17mm lens is more expensive than an OM-D or a Fuji-X100s.

Some previews.
http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympus-pen-ep5/3
http://blog.mingthein.com/2013/05/10/oiympus-pen-e-p5/


Olympus finally wised up and will start releasing their primes in black.

The 75mm looks gorgeous in black and will hopefully be mine later this year.

 

[East Lake]

However, since switched to EF lenses, I might get the Canon EOS3 or 1v instead.

EOS 3 is great. I use it + the 40mm pancake when I don't feel like shooting medium format.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Hmm... After considering shipping, I think I'm going to buy from KEH instead of trusting eBay.

I have my mind set on the 5. Just need to pick just one lens.

I've got the 50mm f/1.7 (a "nifty fifty", in other words) or the 28-100mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens (I'm a convenience shooter).

Given the same f number and ISO, will the 5 get more light than my MEX-5R?

 

[East Lake]

What do you mean by more light? Maybe reading it wrong but with those two the same the only thing that will let in more light is a longer shutter speed.

 

[tino]

Hmm... After considering shipping, I think I'm going to buy from KEH instead of trusting eBay.

I have my mind set on the 5. Just need to pick just one lens.

I've got the 50mm f/1.7 (a "nifty fifty", in other words) or the 28-100mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens (I'm a convenience shooter).

Given the same f number and ISO, will the 5 get more light than my MEX-5R?

Compare a 50mm 1/7 film lens to a 50mm/1.8 APS digital lens? The sensor is bigger so of course it will "get more light". The low light "performance" is not going to be better on the film camera, but you will get better color, better dynamic range and IMO better looking noice in low light with the film.

 

[captive]

The 75mm looks gorgeous in black and will hopefully be mine later this year.

Silver is better.

Either way get this lens, it's amazingly small and amazingly fantastical.

 

[nick nacc]

Just pulled the trigger for a d7000 (feels good man) now I need some advice on which 50mm should I get? I want to save some money and get a D lense since I got the internal motor and all that. Should I get a Nikkor or an off brand? I'm sure 1.8 is enough I don't know if the jump to 1.4 is worth it. I have a budget of 150 max.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

Just pulled the trigger for a d7000 (feels good man) now I need some advice on which 50mm should I get? I want to save some money and get a D lense since I got the internal motor and all that. Should I get a Nikkor or an off brand? I'm sure 1.8 is enough I don't know if the jump to 1.4 is worth it. I have a budget of 150 max.

Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 D is a great value and a decent lens. It'll act like a short telephoto on the D7000, is that what you want? The 35mm f/1.8 G is only a little more expensive and is a standard lens.

 

[nick nacc]

Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 D is a great value and a decent lens. It'll act like a short telephoto on the D7000, is that what you want? The 35mm f/1.8 G is only a little more expensive and is a standard lens.

Thanks for replying. Yeah I want to use is for 75mm equivalent. So yeah, portraits.

 

[Represent.]

Cant decide on my next lens 85mm 1.8g or a 24-70mm 2.8 .. for portraits.

I currently have an 18-200 and 35mm

 

[Crazy-J]

Cant decide on my next lens 85mm 1.8g or a 24-70mm 2.8 .. for portraits.

I currently have an 18-200 and 35mm

85mm 1.8g all the way, imo. I have a 24-70 2.8, and while I like it, I think the 85mm is better for portraits.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

Cant decide on my next lens 85mm 1.8g or a 24-70mm 2.8 .. for portraits.

I currently have an 18-200 and 35mm

Set your 18-200 at 85 and see how you like the framing you get at the distances you'll be using it. Repeat for 24-70.

Spoiler

85mm would be my pick.

Which 24-70mm f/2.8? I enjoyed the Nikkor one I rented but I wouldn't want to own one for the times I'd actually want it stuck on my camera due to the size and weight.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Just for kicks, I've decided to try out various DSLRs that were on demo this evening. Ended up spending over half an hour just to have fun with these demo DSLRs!

• Some forgettable Nikon DSLR - AF is too dang slow to be useful even while using the viewfinder. Skipped in a heartbeat.
• Canon EOS 100D/Rebel SL1 - The DSLR is very small, and AF works pretty well. The catch is that I can't see the entire viewfinder because I wear glasses and it seems like that the camera's eye relief is too short for me to use the SLR comfortably. Oh well.
• Sony Alpha 58 - Compared to the OVF above, the EVF was a nice change of pace, if only because now I can actually see in the first place. I can see the pixels, though, because it's not 1024x768, but 800x600. It's also not as bright as the LCD on my NEX-5R... and the LCD panel on the 58 is horrible when it comes to pixel-level detail. I hate seeing checkerboard patterns on screens. Controls are a disaster for me, though. Some buttons are very awkward to press, and I hate having only one dial.

They seem to have comparable AF speed to my NEX-5R. I think I'm spoiled by my NEX-5R.

Do you think I'll have problems with the optical viewfinder on film SLRs?

 

[tino]

Just for kicks, I've decided to try out various DSLRs that were on demo this evening. Ended up spending over half an hour just to have fun with these demo DSLRs!

• Some forgettable Nikon DSLR - AF is too dang slow to be useful even while using the viewfinder. Skipped in a heartbeat.
• Canon EOS 100D/Rebel SL1 - The DSLR is very small, and AF works pretty well. The catch is that I can't see the entire viewfinder because I wear glasses and it seems like that the camera's eye relief is too short for me to use the SLR comfortably. Oh well.
• Sony Alpha 58 - Compared to the OVF above, the EVF was a nice change of pace, if only because now I can actually see in the first place. I can see the pixels, though, because it's not 1024x768, but 800x600. It's also not as bright as the LCD on my NEX-5R... and the LCD panel on the 58 is horrible when it comes to pixel-level detail. I hate seeing checkerboard patterns on screens. Controls are a disaster for me, though. Some buttons are very awkward to press, and I hate having only one dial.

They seem to have comparable AF speed to my NEX-5R. I think I'm spoiled by my NEX-5R.

Do you think I'll have problems with the optical viewfinder on film SLRs?

See the problem is the OVF you tried were all tiny ass pentamirror viewfinder. The Maxxum 5 has a FF viewfinder but its also pentamirror not pentaprism.

Why the hell do you prefer LCD over viewfinder. Its very hard to shoot with only a LCD in day light. Some time I shoot with both my XE-1 and NEX-3. Shoot N3 in day light feels like shooting blind.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

See the problem is the OVF you tried were all tiny ass pentamirror viewfinder. The Maxxum 5 has a FF viewfinder but its also pentamirror not pentaprism.

Why the hell do you prefer LCD over viewfinder. Its very hard to shoot with only a LCD in day light. Some time I shoot with both my XE-1 and NEX-3. Shoot N3 in day light feels like shooting blind.

Hehe, shooting blind, huh? I guess I got all used to it seeing as I have to deal with it when all I had were smartphone cameras. Especially those before polarizers and had dim screens. I can see with my NEX-5R anyway in day light from my own experience, as long as I don't mind it blasting through the battery.

Probably has something about sticking with what I know, but... I guess I really prefer seeing things as-is, and the LCD on my NEX-5R does the job - and doesn't strain my eyes.

Hmm, what's the difference between pentamirror and pentaprism viewfinders?

 

[tino]

Hehe, shooting blind, huh? I guess I got all used to it seeing as I have to deal with it when all I had were smartphone cameras. Especially those before polarizers and had dim screens. I can see with my NEX-5R anyway in day light from my own experience, as long as I don't mind it blasting through the battery.

Probably has something about sticking with what I know, but... I guess I really prefer seeing things as-is, and the LCD on my NEX-5R does the job - and doesn't strain my eyes.

Hmm, what's the difference between pentamirror and pentaprism viewfinders?

It doesn't strain your eyes if you have a good OVF

FF viewfinders > APS viewfinders
Pentaprism > Pentamirror (mid/low end bodies) > EVF > EVF with lag > LCD

There may be exceptions but this is the order of the food chain for viewfinders.

Only FF viewfinders are good enough for manual focus IMO. Trying to focus with an F/4 lens on an APS SLR is no fun. If your camera only have a LCD, I recommend getting a LCD shade.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

Canon EOS 100D/Rebel SL1 - The DSLR is very small, and AF works pretty well. The catch is that I can't see the entire viewfinder because I wear glasses and it seems like that the camera's eye relief is too short for me to use the SLR comfortably. Oh well.
[...]
Do you think I'll have problems with the optical viewfinder on film SLRs?

With respect to the bolded, do you mean the diopter adjustment doesn't allow for enough change to accommodate your terrible vision? If not: there's a diopter! If so, I believe external diopters are a thing to allow greater adjustment.

Are both eyes the same prescription? Try the better eye if you have one.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

It doesn't strain your eyes if you have a good OVF

FF viewfinders > APS viewfinders
Pentaprism > Pentamirror (mid/low end bodies) > EVF > EVF with lag > LCD

There may be exceptions but this is the order of the food chain for viewfinders.

Only FF viewfinders are good enough for manual focus IMO. Trying to focus with an F/4 lens on an APS SLR is no fun. If your camera only have a LCD, I recommend getting a LCD shade.

I guess you're used to your OVF.

Sometimes I think it's in the eye of the beholder, but... to be honest, I think most cameras come with a poor LCD. That might tint things a bit... Having an LCD that is 921K-dot and having an RGB pixel layout is very nice when you think about it.

For manual focus, even though I have only an LCD at my disposal, MF assist and peaking work wonders when you are attempting to MF and it does work most of the time for me. Sometimes I can get away without peaking as well.

I guess it comes to where you start in the first place. Being in the digital era for the most part probably made me think differently when it comes to things like this.

With respect to the bolded, do you mean the diopter adjustment doesn't allow for enough change to accommodate your terrible vision? If not: there's a diopter! If so, I believe external diopters are a thing to allow greater adjustment.

Are both eyes the same prescription? Try the better eye if you have one.

They are the same prescription. Adjusting the dioptre works wonder on whether I'm able to actually focus on the viewfinder frame, but it doesn't help anything on seeing the entire viewfinder frame. The edges of my perception gets blocked by the frame around the viewfinder itself on the system (not the black area around the VF)

 

[tino]

Don't knock it until you try it.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

Don't knock it until you try it.

Who knows? Maybe when I get the 5, I'll sing a different tune.

Or maybe both are equally good and suitable for different situations.

Sometimes I want to start paying for a A58 anyway, but I guess I better hold on for now, at least until I get enough money to pay for the 5 and a 50mm/1.7 and start shooting film.

*looks at his shopping cart*

Drop the 28-100mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens or not... Ughhhhh.

 

[Litflynt912]

So I ordered a Nikon J1 for a quick trip to hawaii next week since it was $200 for the kit(I'm a nex user) and wanted to hear GAF's thoughts?
It's CMOS is quite smaller than a normal mirrorless and am hoping that the faster shutter settings compensate.

I plan on purchasing an eos M next month since I'm hearing canon is going to "re-release" the m series and market it better with a larger array of lenses.

Anyone have experience with the current M?

I'm about that compact interchangeable lens life

 

[RuGalz]

I'm about that compact interchangeable lens life

Despite a lot of nay sayers cuz of small sensor, they are perfectly fine for vacation photos and photos taken under good conditions. I use my Q a lot for those occasions which has even smaller sensor, and I'm more than happy with the results. Sometimes I even bring it with me so I can just leave 100mm macro lens on my DSLR full time. Or if I need telephoto but don't have the lens with me I just put my regular prime on it and have instant telephoto capability due to 5.5x crop. Taking photos in raw allows you to make up for the small sensor a bit in PP. There are limits with small sensor but it works.

 

[tino]

So I ordered a Nikon J1 for a quick trip to hawaii next week since it was $200 for the kit(I'm a nex user) and wanted to hear GAF's thoughts?
It's CMOS is quite smaller than a normal mirrorless and am hoping that the faster shutter settings compensate.

I plan on purchasing an eos M next month since I'm hearing canon is going to "re-release" the m series and market it better with a larger array of lenses.

Anyone have experience with the current M?

I'm about that compact interchangeable lens life

You are NEX user why don't you use NEX next week? It only AF slightly faster than NEX.

 

[Art Teitlebaum]

Anyone have experience with the current M?

I'm about that compact interchangeable lens life

I tried it once at a barbecue party at work. AF was sluggish and I didn't like the controls at all. The results were fine though. Maybe it is quite OKish for a reduced bargain price, but its handling is nowhere near an OM-D / PEN E-PL5 or Nex 5/6/7 imo.

 

[Litflynt912]

You are NEX user why don't you use NEX next week? It only AF slightly faster than NEX.

Our nex3 went kaput. Since its last minute and there is an eBay seller that has a lot of them for $217, I figured why not.
I will be purchasing a new nex-7 if I decide not to go with the eos m (thanks for that review btw..)

For $217 shipped, the j1 was the same price as a point and shoot, It's a throwaway.

 

[Art Teitlebaum]

For $217 shipped, the j1 was the same price as a point and shoot, It's a throwaway.

That's a fantastic price for a neat little camera. The manual settings are buried deep within the menu maze, but the automatic modes and the really good AF are very pleasant to use. The lack of a viewfinder is quite sad, but for this price you are doing nothing wrong here, I guess.

 

[Litflynt912]

That's a fantastic price for a neat little camera. The manual settings are buried deep within the menu maze, but the automatic modes and the really good AF are very pleasant to use. The lack of a viewfinder is quite sad, but for this price you are doing nothing wrong here, I guess.

Yea that's what I thought too. I heard a firmware update improves the shutter settings as well, so hoping this makes due for our trip.

For those interested, there are 4 left for sale, I can remove the link if its not allowed

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-J1-10-1MP-Digital-Camera-White-Kit-w-10-30mm-VR-Lens-USA-WARRANTY-/140969011273?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item20d2686849

 

[tino]

Our nex3 went kaput. Since its last minute and there is an eBay seller that has a lot of them for $217, I figured why not.
I will be purchasing a new nex-7 if I decide not to go with the eos m (thanks for that review btw..)

For $217 shipped, the j1 was the same price as a point and shoot, It's a throwaway.

Well if you want cheapest price for decent IQ, then I can't argue with you.

Don't get the EOS M, second generation will have hybrid AF.

 

[Pagusas]

Our nex3 went kaput. Since its last minute and there is an eBay seller that has a lot of them for $217, I figured why not.
I will be purchasing a new nex-7 if I decide not to go with the eos m (thanks for that review btw..)

For $217 shipped, the j1 was the same price as a point and shoot, It's a throwaway.

thats an insane price, do you trust it? If your open to it would you be willing to PM me a link to that auction?

 

[Magni]

I'm thinking of buying an UWA for my Pentax K-r (going to Chile to study for five months later this year, will be doing a lot of travel I hope). Currently my eyes are on the Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6. Ideally the wider the better, since I already have a 17-70mm as my main lens.

Does anyone have any experience with it or another UWA (zoom or prime) for Pentax that I should be looking at? I'm trying to stay under $600 if possible.

I also looked at the Sigma 8-16, but honestly for that wide of an angle and without a filter, I'd rather just get a cheap Samyang/Rokinon fish eye down the road.

 

[Litflynt912]

thats an insane price, do you trust it? If your open to it would you be willing to PM me a link to that auction?

I posted the live link in my post above yours...it is a really good price...
I priced checked the J1 today and BB had it for $399 and Target had it for $449.

I trust it only because I went through the feedback and paypal protection kicks in.
really can't go wrong for that price.

 

[Litflynt912]

Well if you want cheapest price for decent IQ, then I can't argue with you.

Don't get the EOS M, second generation will have hybrid AF.

yea, I was on the fence because I didn't want to shell out ~$400-$500 for the eos m when I knew they were revamping the M system.
Honestly, if this J1 holds me over (I think it will) then I will patiently wait for the 2nd gen EOS M to be introduced.
Hopefully they don't get crazy with that $800 entry price point again.

 

[Pagusas]

I posted the live link in my post above yours...it is a really good price...
I priced checked the J1 today and BB had it for $399 and Target had it for $449.

I trust it only because I went through the feedback and paypal protection kicks in.
really can't go wrong for that price.

Thank you!

 

[tino]

yea, I was on the fence because I didn't want to shell out ~$400-$500 for the eos m when I knew they were revamping the M system.
Honestly, if this J1 holds me over (I think it will) then I will patiently wait for the 2nd gen EOS M to be introduced.
Hopefully they don't get crazy with that $800 entry price point again.

They might. Remember the J1 list price? Fuji should have a NEX5 fighter coming out in a few months.

 

[RuGalz]

I'm thinking of buying an UWA for my Pentax K-r (going to Chile to study for five months later this year, will be doing a lot of travel I hope). Currently my eyes are on the Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6. Ideally the wider the better, since I already have a 17-70mm as my main lens.

Does anyone have any experience with it or another UWA (zoom or prime) for Pentax that I should be looking at? I'm trying to stay under $600 if possible.

I also looked at the Sigma 8-16, but honestly for that wide of an angle and without a filter, I'd rather just get a cheap Samyang/Rokinon fish eye down the road.

Sigma 10-20 is good. I personally prefer the 15 Ltd which I own because the flare resistance is amazing, very little distortion, and it's so small I have it in my pocket all the time. However I think the Sigma is slightly sharper stopped down at extreme corners.

 

[TheKaeptain]

Okay...

http://nofilmschool.com/2013/05/raw-video-canon-5d-mark-iii-24fps/?utm_campaign

I'm drunk as shit but this sounds impressive.

 

[Cute Dragon Here]

A friend is offering a Nikon N60/F60 to me without lens. Should I take it?

 

[Rocket Scientist]

I don't know which picturestyle to choose for video =|

 

[Mr. Pointy]

Question, how are Polaroid micro four/thirds in terms of photo quality? I'm thinking of getting the iM1836 when it comes out?

 

[Forsete]

I don't know which picturestyle to choose for video =|

They say to choose the flattest profile possible. IF you want to color grade the video later.

EOSHD might have reviewed your camera and talked about the profiles, also check their forums or just search dpreview.
http://www.eoshd.com/

What camera is it?

 

[Rocket Scientist]

They say to choose the flattest profile possible. IF you want to color grade the video later.

EOSHD might have reviewed your camera and talked about the profiles, also check their forums or just search dpreview.
http://www.eoshd.com/

What camera is it?

600D, but so far I've been too lazy to do any grading so I'll probably do standard lol, ugh. I really like the increased dynamic range of some of styles though (which from what I understand is the reason why people choose cinestyle, marvel and flaat?) and thought I'd finally try some out.

 

[IceCold]

Hey GAF, can you recommend me a camera in the range of 300$-350$? I have a friend that's looking for a good camera in that price range.

 

[TxdoHawk]

Hey GAF, can you recommend me a camera in the range of 300$-350$? I have a friend that's looking for a good camera in that price range.

What kind of camera does he want? How much experience does he have with cameras? He could probably get a NEX-C3 used for that price, but if he wants something to hunker down and learn on, a normal-size DSLR from one of the major brands would probably be more comfortable to work with. This is just my highly biased opinion, though.