• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Official Camera Equipment Megathread

Status
Not open for further replies.

Tablo

Member
She's probably best off (if she has an iPhone/android) to just use her smartphone then print to the Fuji mini Instax SP1
 
She's probably best off (if she has an iPhone/android) to just use her smartphone then print to the Fuji mini Instax SP1

I was thinking of that too, but I suppose I'll talk to her more and figure out if she wants something more of an actual camera, or a printer for her phone instead. I can see an appeal to it being almost literally a Polaroid, and that's what she's been asking about lately.
 

Ty4on

Member
Hello,

Any recommendation on which to get, Samsung NX3000 or Sony A5000?

Sony E-Mount has more lenses (check available lenses though, it could be Samsung has those you want and possibly at a lower price), but the A5000 lacks a touchscreen and can't do 30fps at full 1080p.
I have no experience with either, but I know the A5100 (it has a touchscreen) is often recommended for beginners who can do without a viewfinder.
 

Damaged

Member
Possibly an odd question to ask in here but does anyone have any experience running Lightroom on a Surface pro 3? was looking at the i3 or the i5 if I get the keyboard at a later date and was hoping to use its for occasional lightroom work out and about.
 

Groof

Junior Member
So during my short excursion in Edinburgh this weekend, my camera started acting funny. While trying to take pictures, it started lagging and stopped responding. After a quick reboot, I got a message saying simply "System Error."
Thinking the battery had discharged I charged it slightly and it started working again, but only for a short while until the same thing happened. So I swapped out the battery to my 3rd party one from the stock battery, and it worked with no issues for the remainder of the trip.

So, does this mean my stock battery has started to give out? It's a Sony NEX-5R, in case that makes any difference. It would be a bit upsetting if this is the case, since the 3rd party battery I have discharges at a much faster rate.
 
So my GF seems to be getting into the idea of using her old Polaroid, problem is that the film is prohibitively expensive, particularly if she wants to use it a lot. ($25 for 8 sheets o_O)

So here I am wondering, if maybe there's another alternative that she could move to? I'm seeing that Polaroid makes a 12MP digital camera with some much cheaper "Zink" pages, but I'm wondering if maybe there are better options that people know about?

instax mini 90.

those digital polaroids are not good.
 
I need help from PhotoGAF (this is slightly off-topic).

I do all my of my editing (Lightroom and Photoshop CC) on my 2012 MacBook Air. It's done a commendable job, but the latest Adobe CC update has taken its toll. My laptop is struggling.

I have three options:
  • Sell my Air and put the $500 or so toward a MacBook Pro
  • Keep my Air as my couch laptop and spend $1,200 on a desktop system

Any suggestions? I'm deep into the Google ecosystem and don't have to stick with Apple. I'm not married to OSX.
 

RuGalz

Member
I need help from PhotoGAF (this is slightly off-topic).

I do all my of my editing (Lightroom and Photoshop CC) on my 2012 MacBook Air. It's done a commendable job, but the latest Adobe CC update has taken its toll. My laptop is struggling.

I have three options:
  • Sell my Air and put the $500 or so toward a MacBook Pro
  • Keep my Air as my couch laptop and spend $1,200 on a desktop system

Any suggestions? I'm deep into the Google ecosystem and don't have to stick with Apple. I'm not married to OSX.

I don't think latest CC should really be worse than before if you go in and disable GPU acceleration, facial recognition, etc in your case. Why would a desktop system cost 1200? (I guess unless you stick to Mac.) You don't need a very beefy GPU, but good CPU, SSD drive and adequate amount of RAM are more important.
 

Futureman

Member
I don't think latest CC should really be worse than before if you go in and disable GPU acceleration, facial recognition, etc in your case. Why would a desktop system cost 1200? (I guess unless you stick to Mac.) You don't need a very beefy GPU, but good CPU, SSD drive and adequate amount of RAM are more important.

I have an i7 MBP w/ 16 GB of RAM.

I think I read that Lightroom is CPU intensive, but why would disabling GPU acceleration improve performance? I have the GeForce 750M for reference. Switching between Library and Develop is laggy as hell but other than that performance is pretty good, definitely improved with the last update. Still wish I could get rid of that lag though.
 

Ty4on

Member
I have an i7 MBP w/ 16 GB of RAM.

I think I read that Lightroom is CPU intensive, but why would disabling GPU acceleration improve performance? I have the GeForce 750M for reference. Switching between Library and Develop is laggy as hell but other than that performance is pretty good, definitely improved with the last update. Still wish I could get rid of that lag though.
Try turning it off and see if it's any slower. I think for most people the GPU acceleration did nothing to improve performance.
 

RuGalz

Member
I have an i7 MBP w/ 16 GB of RAM.

I think I read that Lightroom is CPU intensive, but why would disabling GPU acceleration improve performance? I have the GeForce 750M for reference. Switching between Library and Develop is laggy as hell but other than that performance is pretty good, definitely improved with the last update. Still wish I could get rid of that lag though.

GPU acceleration actually creates latency. The support is really not that great in LR right now. The part that it helps a is interactive editing and if you have high resolution screen. You can read all about it here: http://www.lightroomqueen.com/whats-new-lightroom-cc-6-0/ I turned it off because I can't stand the latency.
 
I turned off hardware acceleration; we'll see how it goes!

Squeezing an extra six months out of my laptop would be a year would be a big help on the budget.
 
Heya, I'm seeking to replace my point-and-shoot in a very compressed timeframe, help / advice appreciated.

In 2010, before the first of four long road trips, I bought a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX5. It has been a trooper but the combination of out-of-date specs and a smudge that appears on every picture means it is time to get another. Looking around, the HX series are now waaaay too big in terms of form factor for what I want. I'd really like to find the closest to a spiritual successor to this camera, if possible. Unfortunately I can't take too long -- need it by Friday so we're talking 2-day delivery via Amazon.

What I like about the HX5:
1) really compact form
2) built-in lens cover
3) decent (but not great) zoom (10x +)
4) panorama mode
5) shoots video
6) decent picture (20ish megapixels)

Cost-wise anything under $300 - $400 would be grand. Bonus points if it is compatible with the existing battery (Lithium Ion NP-BG1 G Type) / memory card (Memory Stick PRO Duo Magic Gate Mark 2).

Edit: I'm gravitating towards the Sony DSCWX220/B (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M9AB81O/?tag=neogaf0e-20). I know it isn't a great camera, but it checks the boxes and is cheap (< $200). Thoughts?

Edit 2: I bought the DSC-WX220. At $170 it wasn't much of a risk, worst case I'll let my kids have it.
 
That Leica Q looks very nice, FF with a fixed 28mm 1.7 lens and an EVF.

But I guess it will cost 5k+, will make the RX1 look like a bargain.
 

alterno69

Banned
Following up on my story about buying a Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VRII for 1k, after having shot with it a couple of casual sessions and several baseball games, holy shit.

This lens is fantastic, i have alwayd prefered prime lenses and until now the Sigma 35mm was my favorite lens for most of my work but not now, this lens should be a no brainer for anyone doing social stuff.

I've also used it quite a bit for video, even shooting handheld with it. I can't think of anything negative to say about this amazing piece of equipment.
 

Ty4on

Member
I've also used it quite a bit for video, even shooting handheld with it. I can't think of anything negative to say about this amazing piece of equipment.

There's probably a reason why all the pros have a 70-200 f2.8 :p

Even old models like Canon's 80-200 f2.8 L (EF mount, 1989) still fetches north of 500 dollars.
 

TxdoHawk

Member
I want to drop ~$300 on a used mirrorless camera, mainly for product shots, so I'd be 100% okay going for something with a fixed lens. Smaller is better, but I want at least servicable bokeh and image quality that's worth not just using a phone camera, so I'm mainly looking for something with an APS-C sensor. Something with a screen that flips out and records half-decent video suitable for Youtube would be a plus, but not mandatory.

Right now I'm looking at the mid-end of the older NEX line (probably a 5N or a 5R) and a first-gen RX100. Anything else I should consider?
 
Damn, I want it. But I will never be able to afford it!

Compared to a M, I think the price is actually pretty reasonable with the 28mm 1.7 lens.


Edit: It even has image stabilization. Would prefer 35mm, but 28 is also ok :)
 

Ty4on

Member
Back-side illumination on a FF sensor is pretty nuts though.

Thought so too. Especially when we had just seen the first APS-C sensor with it.

Translating marketing jargon:
In Super 35mm mode, the camera collects a wealth of information from approximately 1.8x as many pixels as 4K by using full pixel readout without pixel binning and oversamples the information to produce 4K movies with minimal moire and &#8216;jaggies'.

In full-frame mode, the &#945;7RII utilizes the full width of the 35mm sensor for 4K recording, allowing users to utilize the expanded expressive power of the sensor. It is the world's first digital camera to offer this in-camera full-frame format 4K recording capacity1.
It can record 4k internally, but only without pixel binning when you use the APS-C crop. Looks like the A7S II (if it is on its way) will also be able to record 4k internally.
 

Radec

Member
Oh shit.. Sony going all out too today.


42.4MP
BSI Sensor (No low-pass filter)
5-Axis IS
102,400 Max ISO
Phase Detect AF
4K
$3,200

Jesus.. they just made a beast FF camera.
 

Flo_Evans

Member
atdNFAu.jpg


About to do something potentially stupid...
 
Guys and girls what have been your impressions with this camera? I was told its a solid all around camera. Ill mainly be using it for family get togethers/vacations,photo shoots with 1/6 scale figures and probably some video here and there. I like the smallness of it and can get one for a good price. Thanks

Sony DSC-RX100M II http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DM8R866/?tag=neogaf0e-20

It's a great camera! Easy to use and lots of manual controls if you want them.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Badass new sensor from Sony all around.

I'd probably pick up a RX10ii if the thing had weather sealing. That's what it's lacking to be an all-in one versatile travel solution. There aren't many great mirrorless options in that regard, really just the X-T1 or the Olympus M43 bodies, so I ended up with an X-T1 w/ 18-135 3.5-5.6 WR for Burning Man and other extreme conditions, with the A7ii sticking around as my main kit for now (though who knows if I'll continue to bother, since Fuji handling is a lot better in almost every way). I am reallllly not a jack of all trades kit-type zoom shooter though, and already feel yucky intending to use the 18-135 3.5-5.6, but the 16-55 2.8 WR doesn't have OIS and is super pricey.
 
Badass new sensor from Sony all around.

I'd probably pick up a RX10ii if the thing had weather sealing. That's what it's lacking to be an all-in one versatile travel solution. There aren't many great mirrorless options in that regard, really just the X-T1 or the Olympus M43 bodies, so I ended up with an X-T1 w/ 18-135 3.5-5.6 WR for Burning Man and other extreme conditions, with the A7ii sticking around as my main kit for now (though who knows if I'll continue to bother, since Fuji handling is a lot better in almost every way). I am reallllly not a jack of all trades kit-type zoom shooter though, and already feel yucky intending to use the 18-135 3.5-5.6, but the 16-55 2.8 WR doesn't have OIS and is super pricey.

Isn't the RX10 II water and dust proof? According to dpreview, it is, but don't know if that means full weather sealing. Can't find the info on Sony's site atm.

Edit: Found it, Sony calls it "dust/moisture-resistance"
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Isn't the RX10 II water and dust proof? According to dpreview, it is, but don't know if that means full weather sealing. Can't find the info on Sony's site atm.

Edit: Found it, Sony calls it "dust/moisture-resistance"

Ah yeah, I see. I searched the bullet points and ctrl+fed "weather," but they're just saying it has dust and moisture resistance.

Apparently the RX10 mark 1 was initially stated to be weather resistant, too, but by no means properly so and Sony stopped considering it to be an official feature after initially stating such, once hands-on testing was done, from what searching around told me earlier.

The previous scenario doesn't inspire the most confidence, and the X-T1 is pro level sealed and around the same price with the 18-135 kit (which is roughly equivalent in focal range to the RX10ii, not as bright throughout the range but with APS-C high iso and DoF benefits). I will keep an eye on hands-on impressions of the RX10ii then; if the new sensor tech pays off it could be worthwhile. This is for a dedicated extreme conditions setup, though, so the level of sealing will matter a lot.
 

Flo_Evans

Member
So I am guessing now it's a good time to get the a7ii now that the a7rii is out? Or did that make enough changes to get the newest?

The a7ii is still fairly new. The original a7r should have good deals but I think that one doesn't have the in body stabilization of the ii cameras. Still it's a amazing sensor, looks like they are going for around $1200 used... That is a lot of camera for the money.
 

MRORANGE

Member
Holy shit at the A7rII.

Hopefully it forces Nikon and Canon to step up their game. I feel like both have been stuck with incremental upgrade cycle with their cameras for the last 5 years now.
 
Why are Leica lenses (for the M) so small compared to for example Sony FE lenses? The sensor size in both cameras is the same. I always thought physics prohibits making them smaller, but it seems if you don't have to worry about the price you can make them smaller?
 
Why are Leica lenses (for the M) so small compared to for example Sony FE lenses? The sensor size in both cameras is the same. I always thought physics prohibits making them smaller, but it seems if you don't have to worry about the price you can make them smaller?
All M lenses are manual focus, which means there's no need add space for a focus motor. At the same focal length and aperture most manual focus lenses have comparable sizes. For example, the Leica the 50mm f/2 APO Summicron is about the same size as a Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2.
 
All M lenses are manual focus, which means there's no need add space for a focus motor. At the same focal length and aperture most manual focus lenses have comparable sizes. For example, the Leica the 50mm f/2 APO Summicron is about the same size as a Zeiss Loxia 50mm f/2.

Thanks, forgot about the AF motor. Seems to make a huge difference.
 
Thanks, forgot about the AF motor. Seems to make a huge difference.

There are also other factors that have an impact on the size of a lenses such as the flange focal distance (Leica M is a rangefinder and mirrorless like E mount Sony cameras) and the number of elements in the lens itself, but honestly I'm not technically savvy enough to be able to explain those correctly :p
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom