Pretty great deal on a backpack/camera bag at b&h today http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/dealZone.jsp
I ordered one
I ordered one
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The Official Camera Equipment Megathread
- Thread starter demon
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So I'm about to get a decent amount of extra cash and I'm wondering what would be essential to have as part of my setup. I love doing portraits and want to start taking them on commission sometime soon, so I'm thinking a reflector and an off-camera flash setup? I've never used flashes before though and have no idea where to even start lol. Any advice? I have an a6000.
Hmmn..
I'd say off camera flash and remote trigger.
Something like this:
A6000 has the standard hotshoe so no problem with that.
Then if you have some $$$ get an umbrella or soft box
Then check some youtube vids about flash photography, there are tons of it.
Hmmn..
I'd say off camera flash and remote trigger.
Something like this:
A6000 has the standard hotshoe so no problem with that.
Then if you have some $$$ get an umbrella or soft box
Then check some youtube vids about flash photography, there are tons of it.
Oh wow, much faster response than I expected. Thanks!
What model would you recommend? If you could link some compatible flashes/triggers that are relatively cheap but good that'd be a huge help. Right now I'm looking at this and this. I'm guessing it'd be smart to grab a tripod or two as well while I'm at it.
That flash is not good. Very underpowered.
You need something like this
Yongnuo also sells triggers.
They're very good and cheap based from recommendations of my buddies.
I haven't personally own them as I only own Nikon speedlights.
Perfect! So I'll be able to get everything I need for less than $150 it seems - awesome. Thanks pal.
I use an array of Yongnuo speedlites for my portrait work, they're almost unrivaled at that price point but you have to be careful about them and ensure that you have a good copy. I've encountered some spotty QA from them in the past, the second speedlite I bought from them was DOA but the replacement was flawless. Just be sure to test it when you get it to ensure you don't run into any odd QA issues like that.
Also, be careful that you're purchasing wireless triggers that are compatible with your camera of choice. I've heard of people mistakenly getting the wrong triggers and running into odd compatibility issues.
B&H also sells some pretty solid light stand and umbrella packages for decent prices.
I would try to get really good at using natural light first, you don't need flashes for studio portraits at all.
Google Sue Bryce for reference.
Astral/H3X
Member
So, I'm looking at this HDMI port on my a6000... And I'm just wondering, would I be able to use this as an external viewfinder on my monitor? Like I just plug the HDMI/DVI cable in and it'll show up on my monitor? I think it'd be pretty nice if I could use that to get better focuses when photographing in my room/if I ever set up a studio.
HOMEBOY OVER HERE
Banned
ordered a nikon d610 and 50mm f1.8 afs
excited
I think I made a good choice for video with this camera
I hope I did...
excited
I think I made a good choice for video with this camera
I hope I did...
Nice. Congrats. If you want something a little wider I highly recommend the 35mm f2. It can be had used for like 250 bucks, and its easily my most used lens on my D800.
Anyway, I have to give a massive shootout to B&H.
Last year when I joined the Nikon family I ordered the aforementioned 35mm and a 300mm f4 from B&H. They arrived and worked fine, until I put the 1.4TC on the 300mm it started not working, and then it even stopped working directly mounted on the D800.
So I sent it back to B&H, and they said it worked fine on their cameras, go figure. I tried it on both my d800 and a friends and it didn't work on either. So they agreed to exchange it and they did. Well they sent back an older version of the lens, I didn't really think anything of it and I didn't want to deal with it, had a lot going on not the least of which was a pregnant wife.
Flash forward almost a year and I want to sell the damn thing and I realize its worth less than the lens I paid for. I contact B&H and send them pictures and they agreed to refund me the difference. They clearly didn't have to since I waited so long to raise the issue to them. But they did, that's awesome!
HOMEBOY OVER HERE
Banned
thanks. I actually got the 50mm 1.8 afd
I like having a manual aperture ring and it's faster when shooting video.
probably slowly collect a 35mm and 85mm 1.8-2 afd
I wouldn't worry about it, I've not scratched a single screen on any camera I've had, and I've had several fall off tripods, or tripods fall over, including falling directly onto concrete, or hit the ground when I fell. Several of those were Olympus cameras as well.
Yeah I don't usually bother on my phones but I might be reselling this thing one day. If it's made of glass rather than plastic it should be okay though.
RapidCancel
Member
Can someone recommend me a good shoulder strap? I'm not a fan of neck straps and was thinking about getting the Black Rapid sport. I've been using the Peak Design Capture, but I want something to help me carry my camera whenever I don't have my backpack with me.
I have an XE1 and an XT1 if it matters.
I have an XE1 and an XT1 if it matters.
Quoting myself since I want to get something in the next two week.
GH4 seems well received for video, and more flexible than the black magic I'm assuming.
HOMEBOY OVER HERE
Banned
she here
^Nice congrats!
Little DIY on my drone gimbal mount:
Quick test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDiRb_yzlxY
Its cold as F here!
Little DIY on my drone gimbal mount:
Quick test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDiRb_yzlxY
Its cold as F here!
mrkapawutzis
Member
Pretty great deal on a backpack/camera bag at b&h today http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/dealZone.jsp
I ordered one
Any impressions on the backpack? I bought a similar model and the sternum strap eventually broke.
Haven't really used it yet, seems well built. I do wish the internal padded camera part was a little larger, and it does seem to have allot of superfluous extra straps to snag on crap.
Its too damn cold to do much outside now, hopefully we get some better weather and I can go camping/hiking soon.
Wow didn't know this thread existed!
So I started using my friend Nikon 5300 and I've been getting slightly better everyday. We been looking into getting another camera for around 500 dollars for our photography club.
I was looking into mirrorless cameras since it might be a good idea to get something different. Like A Sony a6000.
Or maybe we should get another DSLR or some more lenses for the cameras we have now. What do you guys think?
So I started using my friend Nikon 5300 and I've been getting slightly better everyday. We been looking into getting another camera for around 500 dollars for our photography club.
I was looking into mirrorless cameras since it might be a good idea to get something different. Like A Sony a6000.
Or maybe we should get another DSLR or some more lenses for the cameras we have now. What do you guys think?
Are you running the club or are you all buying a new camera together for some reason? Unless you've oodles of money sticking to one system is better as you only need one set of lenses.
The D5300 is a great camera, more/better lenses is the sensible choice before upgrading the body. The only logical progression from the D5300 is a D7100 or a D610/D750, and if you can't think of why you would need either of those then you likely don't need them.
The D5300 is a great camera, more/better lenses is the sensible choice before upgrading the body. The only logical progression from the D5300 is a D7100 or a D610/D750, and if you can't think of why you would need either of those then you likely don't need them.
Art Teitlebaum
Member
Good glass > new bodies > new system. See, the 5300 is a great and up-to-date camera that you get to know in-depth to use all the 'hidden' features, then develop your own style of shooting in order to improve your results step by step.
So why bother with a new device and a new learning curve? Shoot, shoot, shoot with the gear you have and buy something new if the device is worn out (then upgrading to a higher class model is of course always an option if eg. build quality and fps speed are relevant).
I know the feeling of that ugly 'gear-acquiring-syndrome' and it doesn't lead to better photography per se but lets you spend quite a lot of money for a debatable improvement of your results (imo!).
New lenses with different focal range or higher apertures might improve your creativity, new bodies or even whole new systems often only satisfy the gadget nerd in your head. ;-)
Yes its a club at the university we have about a bit over 800 dollars to spend. At the moment we've been using other people in the club cameras but for those like me who can't afford one we thought it would be a good idea to get one just for members of the club. It really does become a pain looking for someone who can lend out a camera every time.
Also thanks for the tips Art Teitlebaum. I also wanted to your opinions on accessories. A few of us wanted to get this a gary fong but we don't have a flash to use and those cost 300+ dollars. Do you think that the fong and the flash are worth the investment?
sankt-Antonio
:^)--?-<
Works and looks wonderfully.
Get an umbrella and a stand over a Gary fong. Buy 2-3 yonguo flashes vs one canon/Nikon one.
What lenses are you planning on using with the Sony?
I just looked up those flash and wow they are really inexpensive compare to the others. Totally adding that to the items that we should get. Also I just notice but the camera was a Nikon D5100 not a D5300.
And as for lenses we currently only have Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G AF Nikkor(costed around $119) is there any other cheap lens you guys would recommend?
Sorry for the late reply.
I am planning on getting these two down the line:
FE 24-70mm f/4
FE 55mm f/1.8
The thing I was planning on doing is get one of the nifty adapters, with the amazing 5 axis IS that A7II is so tempting.
Haven't used the 24-70 but that 55 is nearing OTUS quality.
There's also the upcoming FE 35mm f/1.4. Pretty expensive tho.
Hi guys, I posted this in the photography thread but realize it might be better suited here:
I bought an Olympus DSLR about 6 years ago, when I was clueless. Of course they essentially stopped making them in favour of mirrorless cameras immediately! Still, seeing as 80% of my pics were of birds, that doubling of effective focal length due to the 4/3rds system was incredible, and something I totally lucked into. I loved it. Shot about 30,000 pictures and took it on safari and everything.
Now, though, I want to upgrade because my camera is old, and the autofocus and low-light performance was frankly never acceptable. I don't have a lot of money to spend (rough budget 1,000 dollars, could go a tiny bit higher for serious value) and over the past 6 years if I've learned anything it's that what makes a good picture is the following - the user -> the subject/event -> the lens -> the camera, so that's how I'm approaching this. Also, something without a viewfinder is simply not an option.
So I'm thinking of buying a Nikon D3300, with the 18-55mm kit lens, the 35mm 1.8 prime, and the 70-300mm telephoto (to continue my bird work and for better autofocus than the 55-300mm - I'm sick of shit AF in the wild). I can get all that for just over a grand, and the camera itself is probably only worth about 250 of it, so I feel like the spending ratio between camera and lenses is right. I'm going to miss the UI and feel of my Olympus, and having used a 3000 series Nikon I know they feel cheap by comparison, but I'm really desperate to upgrade and you just don't get enough for your money by moving up a class. I'll be losing out on 150mm of reach at the long end and an amazing Macro on my Olympus, but the advantages feel worth it.
Anyway, my question is (apart from what you think of my plan) - what essential accessories would you say I need in this situation, if any? Filter kits, wireless adaptor, extra battery are included. 64GB Professional standard card is a must, obviously. Have a tripod (rarely used, because I'm always hiking/walking and shooting). Anything else? Any reason to hold out for a better model, or choose Canon or someone else? Can't imagine making many videos. Image quality is my goal.
Also note that I can't afford to spend a thousand dollars on a single lens - just not possible, sadly. That's my whole budget, and that's pushing it. If it wasn't for the rebates on currently I would be settling for the 55-300mm instead of the 70-300mm.
Also, why are the Sonys so popular these days? I see lots of people buzzing about them but don't know why - don't they have digital viewfinders? I can't see that being appealing at all, so I know there must be something I'm missing out on.
I bought an Olympus DSLR about 6 years ago, when I was clueless. Of course they essentially stopped making them in favour of mirrorless cameras immediately! Still, seeing as 80% of my pics were of birds, that doubling of effective focal length due to the 4/3rds system was incredible, and something I totally lucked into. I loved it. Shot about 30,000 pictures and took it on safari and everything.
Now, though, I want to upgrade because my camera is old, and the autofocus and low-light performance was frankly never acceptable. I don't have a lot of money to spend (rough budget 1,000 dollars, could go a tiny bit higher for serious value) and over the past 6 years if I've learned anything it's that what makes a good picture is the following - the user -> the subject/event -> the lens -> the camera, so that's how I'm approaching this. Also, something without a viewfinder is simply not an option.
So I'm thinking of buying a Nikon D3300, with the 18-55mm kit lens, the 35mm 1.8 prime, and the 70-300mm telephoto (to continue my bird work and for better autofocus than the 55-300mm - I'm sick of shit AF in the wild). I can get all that for just over a grand, and the camera itself is probably only worth about 250 of it, so I feel like the spending ratio between camera and lenses is right. I'm going to miss the UI and feel of my Olympus, and having used a 3000 series Nikon I know they feel cheap by comparison, but I'm really desperate to upgrade and you just don't get enough for your money by moving up a class. I'll be losing out on 150mm of reach at the long end and an amazing Macro on my Olympus, but the advantages feel worth it.
Anyway, my question is (apart from what you think of my plan) - what essential accessories would you say I need in this situation, if any? Filter kits, wireless adaptor, extra battery are included. 64GB Professional standard card is a must, obviously. Have a tripod (rarely used, because I'm always hiking/walking and shooting). Anything else? Any reason to hold out for a better model, or choose Canon or someone else? Can't imagine making many videos. Image quality is my goal.
Also note that I can't afford to spend a thousand dollars on a single lens - just not possible, sadly. That's my whole budget, and that's pushing it. If it wasn't for the rebates on currently I would be settling for the 55-300mm instead of the 70-300mm.
Also, why are the Sonys so popular these days? I see lots of people buzzing about them but don't know why - don't they have digital viewfinders? I can't see that being appealing at all, so I know there must be something I'm missing out on.
Small form factor, high megapixel and more affordable full frame for people that like that sort of thing.
I have a Fuji Mirrorless with the evf and I have no issues using it, I think as technology goes digital viewfinders are improving ten fold. I had a Canon 50D a few yrs ago but wanted a smaller easier to carry camera.
Do yourself a favor and see about getting 5-series instead of 3-series for better AF imo even if that means cutting out the 35mm for the time being. The other alternative, if weather sealing is useful to you, is Pentax K-50. B&H is running some deals on it now (but unfortunately the 2 lens weather sealed kit is 50-200 on the long end). It doesn't feel as cheap and to me Fuji/Oly/Pentax menu logic are a little bit more similar. It has better OVF and twin dials. The down sides are AF won't be as fast as Nikon and AF will be noisier since it's screw driven for consumer level lenses. There's 55-300mm lens (SMC version can be had for 250ish HD (weather sealed) version is 3-400).
EVF shows you almost what you will be getting with regards to exposure, DoF before you even take the shot. And that's convenient.
Sure it's not as crystal clear as optical vf but I'd take that convenience anyday than OVF on DSRLs.
Oh, okay. Form factor doesn't bother me hugely as I'm not going to be carrying a huge full-frame around anyway, and I take a bag anywhere I'm going to be shooting.
Thanks for the advice. However what I think I'd rather do is get the D3300 now to take advantage of all the rebates (currently coming to $430 on about $1430 worth of goods), then deal with the poorer AF for the moment and then in 6 months time when I've earned more money (and should have an extra $1,000 to spare at least) I'll pick up a D7100 used with another lens.
This way I still get all the rebates (which you have to buy new to get) and I'm only really paying 250 for the camera itself (if you say that half of the $500 price is the kit lens, which I want) and thus not losing too much when I upgrade. If I pay extra for a 5300 or 5500 it'll be a bigger expense now that I can't manage or a lens sacrifice, and then a bigger loss when or if I want to upgrade to the dual-dial 7000 series (and dual dials are what I want, long-term). For the next 6 months I'd rather have the 35mm than better moving AF. That much is for sure.
The Pentax is an interesting looking camera. I'm going to pull up reviews on it now. Weather-sealed with two dials is always cool at that price, and it's certainly a looker.
Thanks, though, you've focused my mind in general.
Ah, that does sound convenient. Okay, I can see the appeal of that now.
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Man, though, photography, gaming, golf, travel... why are (my) hobbies so damn expensive
If I only took photos as a hobby I'd probably be shooting full-frame with a stable of lenses by now.
The kit is just the D3300 body, 18-55mm VRII lens, wireless adaptor and extra battery for $480 or thereabouts, all new. It would be another $300 for the smallish upgrade to the 5300 - not worth it, imo. As part of the 'bundle' I can get the 70-300mm VR + filter kit for about $390, ($230 off). That takes me to around $900. Add the 35mm and a card and I'm at $1080, just over my budget but able to do everything I'd like to and with upgrade flexibility in the future, and getting a ton of money back in instant rebates. I don't see any other way to get all of the things I want at this budget.
Using eBay or similar sites isn't an option as I'm flying into the USA for 2 days, and it must be delivered during those two days with no possibility for argument / dispute / late delivery etc. Thus I have to use a good website and pay for guaranteed date delivery with UPS etc.
EDIT: Also, what kind of weather does 'weather-sealed' refer to? I shot with my E-620 in Hurricane Irene (when it was a strong Cat 3, long before it hit the US), with winds so harsh they stung like crazy and blew me off my feet multiple times, and it was no worse for wear afterwards. (The lens WAS weather sealed, though.) So what kind of weather can a weather sealed camera withstand?
You can shoot in rain for good amount of time without protecting the camera. Sand storm too but you would want to protect the front of the lens from scratching. The sealing also helps to block out moisture from entering in humid condition. People have dropped their camera in water by accident and it lived (when retrieved quickly).
You need both the camera body and lens to be sealed to withstand these conditions. I typically give mine a good rinse under the faucet when it's covered in dust/sand after a full day out.
Here's one of the videos that sort of went viral...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo61t5fH6Qw
Here's a cute commercial I guess...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtF4z7uKYoY
cablenathan
Member
Just wondering what you think of the XE1? Im very tempted to buy a refurb from the Fujifilm site for a decent enough price in the UK. I'm looking for a smaller camera to take travelling with me instead of a DSLR. I know this is very different, but I'm interested in street style photography as well as night shots...do you think the XE1 is suitable for this? Thanks for any replies in advance!
For fuck's sake...
New "Lenny Kravitz" special edition "Correspondent" Leica M-P.
Now... I really like my M240 a lot. And I don't have an issue with the price of the Lenny Edition ($24,500) because I'm totally not the intended market for it, so whatever.
But the faux patina takes "pretentious" to a new level in the world of Leica. Talk about 2nd hand embarrassment.
http://petapixel.com/2015/02/24/this-leica-m-p-correspondent-edition-was-designed-by-lenny-kravitz/
New "Lenny Kravitz" special edition "Correspondent" Leica M-P.
Now... I really like my M240 a lot. And I don't have an issue with the price of the Lenny Edition ($24,500) because I'm totally not the intended market for it, so whatever.
But the faux patina takes "pretentious" to a new level in the world of Leica. Talk about 2nd hand embarrassment.
http://petapixel.com/2015/02/24/this-leica-m-p-correspondent-edition-was-designed-by-lenny-kravitz/
Meus Renaissance
Member
So I'm going to get a pro video camcorder soon through a connection I found. Not getting a DSLR anymore for video.
Anyway,
I sold my Fuji x100 a while ago and mentioned it here.
Now that I I'll have a video camera, I would still like to have a photo camera.as well, and would like a Leica.
If I want to spend $1-2k, Which Leica would I be able.to get, and what would you recommend?.
Anyway,
I sold my Fuji x100 a while ago and mentioned it here.
Now that I I'll have a video camera, I would still like to have a photo camera.as well, and would like a Leica.
If I want to spend $1-2k, Which Leica would I be able.to get, and what would you recommend?.
I wanted to say Leica T, but holy shit at those lens prices. The camera body itself is 1850 which I can kinda understand with that pretty aluminium body and badge, but their 18-56 f3.5-5.6 is 1750 and that's the cheapest lens for it.
I'm no expert on Leica, but I would honestly go with an older 35mm film Leica (M3 double stroke, M5) or Fuji X100 if I wanted good looks and digital. Their compacts seem to either be Panasonics in a Leica shell or too expensive (and kinda crap). You might be able to get an M8 and a lens for less than 2k, but if you want a wide lens the crop factor makes that a little harder.
To me the X100 is more of a Leica than any of the compacts under 2k with the big sensor, fixed lens and optical viewfinder.
Hmm, I see.
I was honestly satisfied with my Fuji, but thought I would get a DSLR which could do both photo and video for my video production.
But now that I am getting a pro camcorder, I regret selling the x100. I guess I should just go rebuy that. Since Leica is so pricey.
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