Haven't Fuji "fixed" AF issue, though you need the newer lenses with linear motor?
edit: seems like you have changed response as when I hit reply.
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The Official Camera Equipment Megathread
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Haven't Fuji "fixed" AF issue, though you need the newer lenses with linear motor?
edit: seems like you have changed response as when I hit reply.
theepicoftyler
Member
I got my new A6000 last night and it's crazy how different an experience it is vs. the NEX-5T. I love it.
By the sounds of this thread it sounds like I'm fortunate that the Sony UI is the only one I've ever known for photography. Still eyeing moving up to full-frame sometime.
By the sounds of this thread it sounds like I'm fortunate that the Sony UI is the only one I've ever known for photography. Still eyeing moving up to full-frame sometime.
milkham
Member
can anyone recommend a waist pack? my use case would be with a double black rapid strap so i'd have a body hanging on each side and i'm looking for something to hold a lens or two, a flash, and various small things like batteries and memory cards. bonus if it could actually store a 70-200 f2.8 without a body attached.
Mostly looking to shoot out of it, not store a ton of gear. I've used a non-photography pack like this before but the lack of internal structure made getting things in and out difficult.
Mostly looking to shoot out of it, not store a ton of gear. I've used a non-photography pack like this before but the lack of internal structure made getting things in and out difficult.
Got 2 (well, they're the same) new (well, they're quite old by now) lenses in the mail. THey're Helios 44-2 58mm lenses. Made back in the day in the USSR, they're one of the most produced lenses in the world. Can't use them just now, still have the adapter for my 5d in order. Paid 30€ for the entire package.
radios shipping overview
Member
I guess I could see how some people wouldn't like the Sony menu style, but every manufacturer's got their own UI system, so that's bound to happen. I found the NEX-7's long, flat menu dumb, but the button customization was fantastic and the camera was intuitive to set up and use quickly. I upgraded to an A7II after a couple of years with no relearning necessary at all. They are speedy, fluid cameras to use, with solid build quality, and I adore the viewfinders.
JadedWriter
Member
Anybody know if this is a good flash for a D7100
Aperlite YH-500N
Aperlite YH-500N
Back to Fuji as primary, trigger pulled. Fuji's lineup in both bodies and lenses just makes more sense for my use cases and for my sensibilities as a photographer. I want ergonomics that are designed by and for photographers and not gadget nerds, pleasing aesthetics since I have to strap the thing to my body, commitment to firmware updates in case I don't want to buy a new body every six months, a comprehensive lens lineup that is consistently high quality and priced appropriately, the ability to get weather sealed gear for when I'm in harsh conditions, and the ability to travel as light as I want to. Fuji's clearly my bro. Sorry, had to try full frame to see what I was missing. Not much.
Out: A7, A7II, Zeiss 55 1.8, Zeiss 35 2.8, various legacy lenses and adapters. Done with Sony FE due to poor handling/ergo, largely bad and overpriced native lens ecosystem (and a few beautiful, expensive lenses, two of which I already own and have little interest in the others like the $1350 16-35 Zeiss or whatever), two poorly regarded native standard zooms, ludicrously expensive Zeiss fast primes that I can't justify buying (other than the 55 which is a must), A7II being as obese as a DSLR, Sony's "release a new body instead" firmware update philosophy, etc. etc. etc. It's great tech, top tier tech, but a bad platform and a terrible value, as things stand. Unless you get really into manual focusing legacy glass and tracking down finds, at least. I had some fun with that, but it's not that practical to be stuck with MF.
Already had: Fuji X-T1 w/ 18-135mm WR OIS as a weather sealed solution while I fooled around pointlessly with Sony's full frame bodies to mixed result and high expense.
Added: 16-55mm f2.8 WR constant aperture pro zoom, 35mm f1.4 standard prime, 27mm pancake, 56mm f1.2 portrait.
All the Fuji lenses are $150-$200 off standard pricing each right now, so got a full kit back together in one shot, and the outgoing Sony gear covers things pretty well. The 35 1.4 could arguably use a gen 2 at this point with the LM tech or some such (not buying the new f2 WR; too slow), but it still takes great photos and it's cheap, so I'm glad to pick one up again. The 56mm 1.2, well, http://i.imgur.com/2LuaPJD.gif .
That should about cover every relevant use case. 35 for general purpose lightweight carry in variable light, 56 for portraiture, pancake for ghetto-X100 conversion street photography, heavy-ass weather sealed constant aperture 16-55 for hardcore adventure travel on a single lens solution, 18-135 for versatility and reach and probably breaking it at Burning Man. I wasn't going to get the 16-55 considering the price and bulk, things I was trying to avoid by ditching Sony, but it's weather sealed and the optics are supposed to be top tier throughout the full focal range, which is what I need for something like climbing Kilimanjaro over the course of a full week: one really good weather resistant lens, no significant compromises, no swapping. Problem solved.
Out: A7, A7II, Zeiss 55 1.8, Zeiss 35 2.8, various legacy lenses and adapters. Done with Sony FE due to poor handling/ergo, largely bad and overpriced native lens ecosystem (and a few beautiful, expensive lenses, two of which I already own and have little interest in the others like the $1350 16-35 Zeiss or whatever), two poorly regarded native standard zooms, ludicrously expensive Zeiss fast primes that I can't justify buying (other than the 55 which is a must), A7II being as obese as a DSLR, Sony's "release a new body instead" firmware update philosophy, etc. etc. etc. It's great tech, top tier tech, but a bad platform and a terrible value, as things stand. Unless you get really into manual focusing legacy glass and tracking down finds, at least. I had some fun with that, but it's not that practical to be stuck with MF.
Already had: Fuji X-T1 w/ 18-135mm WR OIS as a weather sealed solution while I fooled around pointlessly with Sony's full frame bodies to mixed result and high expense.
Added: 16-55mm f2.8 WR constant aperture pro zoom, 35mm f1.4 standard prime, 27mm pancake, 56mm f1.2 portrait.
All the Fuji lenses are $150-$200 off standard pricing each right now, so got a full kit back together in one shot, and the outgoing Sony gear covers things pretty well. The 35 1.4 could arguably use a gen 2 at this point with the LM tech or some such (not buying the new f2 WR; too slow), but it still takes great photos and it's cheap, so I'm glad to pick one up again. The 56mm 1.2, well, http://i.imgur.com/2LuaPJD.gif .
That should about cover every relevant use case. 35 for general purpose lightweight carry in variable light, 56 for portraiture, pancake for ghetto-X100 conversion street photography, heavy-ass weather sealed constant aperture 16-55 for hardcore adventure travel on a single lens solution, 18-135 for versatility and reach and probably breaking it at Burning Man. I wasn't going to get the 16-55 considering the price and bulk, things I was trying to avoid by ditching Sony, but it's weather sealed and the optics are supposed to be top tier throughout the full focal range, which is what I need for something like climbing Kilimanjaro over the course of a full week: one really good weather resistant lens, no significant compromises, no swapping. Problem solved.
Astral/H3X
Member
If Fuji had a Full frame IBIS solution, I would certainly switch over to them.
What lenses are you using to get significant benefit from the IBIS on the A7 platform? Are you adapting legacy glass? Using the LA-EA4 adapter for the much better developed A-mount lineup (which makes things really clunky on the A7)? Using cheap Samyangs or Rokinons? Because *all* the Sony/Zeiss FE zooms are already in-lens stabilized, and there are barely any FE primes available anywhere near the long end where you'd feel the benefit.
Actually, looking at the FE lens list, the only actual first party telephoto lens, the Sony FE 90mm, is already internally stabilized. There's a Zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8 coming out at some point but isn't out yet. So, uhhh, IBIS for stuff like the Zeiss 55 1.8? Rarely ever going to want stabilization on it.
There's still some benefit from IBIS + the lens stabilization combined on those zooms and such, but one or the other is plenty for almost any scenario. The IBIS tech itself is really good, but, what's the point considering the lenses available? I feel like you kind of have to be a legacy lens adapter hound to even consider the IBIS in the A7 series as a key selling point.
Genuinely curious. If you're a MF legacy lens shooter that's totally legit, since there are some fantastic options there throughout 35mm history. Personally I'm holding onto my Contax Zeiss 35-70 f3.4 I picked up despite dropping Sony FE for the time being, since that lens is a work of sorcery, and there are some fantastic legacy telephoto primes out there too, though people know about them now and they can be pricey since they often get picked up by indie filmmakers and reworked into cinema lenses and such.
The IBIS certainly made the A7II line bigger and heavier. Just not really any better in typical use cases.
Astral/H3X
Member
My lenses consist of almost entirely Canon FD lenses, so yeah.
The only new lenses I'm really looking at are Samyang/Rokinon lenses, and those are all manual as well.
I love the design of Fujifilm cameras, but I really want to upgrade to a full frame. Native lens considerations are pretty much moot to me, but if I could get Fujifilm controls with full frame and IBIS, I'd definitely go for it. Sony pretty much wins by default, really.
EDIT: Also I really like night shooting, so that's a pretty big factor for the IBIS, as every little bit helps. I want full frame for the astrophotography benefits though.
JadedWriter
Member
I would love to have that cause I like night shots so bad. I've gotten some good ones through iso cranking but it's not the same.
Meus Renaissance
Member
I'm surprised you didn't go for the 23mm
Turning on delayed shutter and taking many pictures should help with or without IS. I think I was able to get some sharp pictures at 1/6 at ~30mm (eq focal length) handheld without any stabilization. 1/15 at 80mm IIRC.
The Nikon D5200 I used had a setting for it (I never really learned where it resided in the menus, but I always found it on the 6th scroll though them) which flipped the mirror up and took the picture a second later. The mirror probably helped, but I think no shaky finger on the shutter button was the main reason the pictures were so much sharper.
JadedWriter
Member
I've gotten better but my finger is a bit shaky still. I still need to mess around with the mirror up function, it's actually quite easy to find on my 7100.
Astral/H3X
Member
Agh, 1 second shutter times handheld sounds sooooo good. Makes me drool for that A7II.
HOWEVER-- if it's a fairly static scene, you can do a burst, and if you're relatively stable you should be able to align and noise reduce the photos.
HOWEVER-- if it's a fairly static scene, you can do a burst, and if you're relatively stable you should be able to align and noise reduce the photos.
An X-T1 with a 23 1.4 is pretty bulky compared to an X100 series or RX1 series. 35mm equiv is a great go-to travel focal length and all, especially as the only option available to you, but I'm not really losing out on anything important by omitting the 23 prime from this arrangement. The 27mm pancake is in there for vaguely X100-style low profile street shooting, and I have 23mm 2.8 available within the pro zoom, and much better DoF control from both zooms on the tele end and especially with the 35 1.4 and 56 1.2. Not concerned.
Mainly I really like the fundamental concept of the 35mm equivalent focal length fixed lens compact large sensor camera as an elegant travel companion where you don't worry about what lens you have attached and keep it simple and make it work when you want a high quality photo but don't want to bring a System along -- a bright 35mm focal length lens is perhaps the best single prime lens to have when traveling, though I'd argue for something like the Zeiss 35mm F2 in the RX1 as a lot more ideal of a solo prime lens to have than the 23mm f2 in the aps-c X100, since you have way more DoF isolation in the RX1 and therefore versatility with shooting subjects well and not just environments -- but, that being said, I've taken many thousands of satisfying shots with that X100-series 23 f2 lens over the years and have kinda had my fill of shooting with it, so I don't need an X100T. And if I'm going with a 35 equiv, I may as well get it in its own body so that I can hop on a plane with it on a whim in a jacket pocket without a bag of Mirrorless System crap to think about as per its intended design. So we'll see what 2016 holds for the fixed lens 35mm-equivalent camera and hope it's not just the RX1RII and its dumb Leica price or another 23mm F2 Fuji iteration.
Sony invented all sorts of crazy shit recently as far as lens and sensor designs go, mind you, and some of those patents only work with fixed lens camera designs, so I'm sure we'll see fun stuff on the horizon for the X100/RX1 style of camera. Hopefully not exclusively used for smartphone cameras....
I have some ideas as well. And agreed about the updates, have like a currently recommended camera or cameras from each manufacturer.
That would be good.
LyleLanley
Banned
Any recommendations on a water resistant bag/backpack that I can put my camera and a few lenses in?
JadedWriter
Member
Video made me not want to buy camera gear off of ebay.
I bought mine off of eBay a little more than a month ago for $350. It arrived in better condition than the one in the video. I'm still so pleased with my purchase. It's been great having the full frame experience without spending thousands. My upgrade fever is now focused on lenses (where it should be), and just having fun shooting.
Astral/H3X
Member
So, here's a question: I've got this Canon AE1, as well as a bunch of Canon FD lenses for it, but have never actually used a film camera before. But one of my main concerns is primarily to do with film -- I don't know jack shit about it. I don't know where I can get it for a good price, I don't know a good economical method of getting it printed or downloaded or any of that.
I *THINK* I've got how to meter with it and all of that, but I really don't know squat about the film itself. Does anyone have a crash course for someone who is interested in maybe producing some film shots?
I *THINK* I've got how to meter with it and all of that, but I really don't know squat about the film itself. Does anyone have a crash course for someone who is interested in maybe producing some film shots?
Meter with a digital camera to see if it meters correctly (or thereabouts). Most of those cameras either had center weighted or average metering so I'd meter a dull wall.
Economical methods depend on where you live. I'd google around to see if anything was nearby. Online stores like BH still sell film.
C41, normal color film which gives you brown negatives, is the easiest to find processing for and most of those should give you some basic scans as well. Find a place that can do it cheaply and get some cheap rolls of consumer films like Fujifilm Superia or Kodak Gold (not sure if the latter one is still sold). If you want something more fancy then Kodak Ektar has high color saturation while Kodak Portra has low color saturation for portraits. Fujifim Superia 1600 (if you can find it) is ISO 1600 and good for low light, but remember that it is still daylight balanced (white balance) so indoor shots can have a yellow cast.
Getting someone else to do the processing and scanning is the best bet unless you want to get serious. They're either really expensive, crappy or slowly. The market is a mess with used Nikon Coolscans from 2003 going for hundreds of dollars because they're better than contemporary products.
For shooting film (in case you didn't know this) you can find a million YT videos on how to load your camera. Just make sure the film leader is securely on the takeup spool, the sprocket holes line up and that the film is reasonably flat and cartridge is in place when you close the back. After that make sure that the rewind leaver spins as you wind the film. It might not on the first few frames as there is slack in the cartridge.
It's often scary the first few times so just wind a frame with the back open to make sure you've done it properly. You don't need to waste five frames like on most YT videos demonstrating it though.
When you've closed the back the first full wind is a useless half frame and the second full wind is your first full picture. You know you've reached the end when you feel tension, NOT when the film counter shows 36 or 24. Then push the small rewind button on the bottom and start rewinding it until you hear a click and feel barely any tension.
theepicoftyler
Member
Go to your local Walmart/Walgreens/Whatever and pick up some Fujifilm Superia 200/400. It's cheap and it's pretty good quality for someone just trying to experiment.
Keep a little notepad with you and note the exposure settings to review back when you get your film developed. Try to find a place that actually specializes in developing film if you can, I'm not sure the employees at Walgreens are actually trained to do that formally. If you can find a place to do it locally, that is likely a good place to get information and feedback as well. People who do film really love talking shop and getting other people into that side of the hobby.
My AE-1 Program (a little later model than AE-1) has a center weighted meter, so I always aim at the darker parts of my framed shot to measure the light and then re-frame.
Please take note of this. I thought I'd just figure my AE-1 Program out as I went as I figured I was pretty savvy and immediately broke the entire assembly trying to crank it without hitting the release first. I was able to put it back together after I ordered a tiny $5 screw off of eBay that cost another $5 to ship. A camera repair shop quoted me $75 to repair that.
75$!?
Can't you get one in pretty good condition for that much?
But, yeah. Bring gentle with it is a good advice and maybe take some shots without film in it to "stretch" the springs and make sure it isn't jamming up. My Pentax ME has a faulty shutter, but I know it works in auto (apart from cutting off 5% of the frame) so I just leave it there.
Edit: Completely forgot about metering. Making an exposure in your head is probably the most fun part of it. It will slow you down though. I remember laughing at myself recently because by the time I had made my exposure the sun had moved too far.
Can't you get one in pretty good condition for that much?
But, yeah. Bring gentle with it is a good advice and maybe take some shots without film in it to "stretch" the springs and make sure it isn't jamming up. My Pentax ME has a faulty shutter, but I know it works in auto (apart from cutting off 5% of the frame) so I just leave it there.
Edit: Completely forgot about metering. Making an exposure in your head is probably the most fun part of it. It will slow you down though. I remember laughing at myself recently because by the time I had made my exposure the sun had moved too far.
theepicoftyler
Member
Yeah, I walked out pretty quickly. I had just bought it off of Craigslist for $80. I have no idea what the guy thought he was trying to do. The entire mechanism popped apart on to the ground, but I was able to collect all the parts except the tiny screw. I thought that it would be easy for him to find a screw and put it back together but he wanted to buy the whole part and remove the old one. It was dumb.
Hey guys.
Long story short, my 5D MKII and lenses got wrecked when I had a car accident 3 months ago. I was on foot, car hit me etc etc.
Anyway. I cant sit without a camera any longer, and god knows when I will get any insurance money form the guy who hit me and his company.
So...Whats the best sub $1000 dslr bundle, or camcorder I can get to shoot a few short videos for my film school portfolio.
I WILL get a DSLR again when I get my insurance money, probably 5D MKIII or something else...therefore I was thinking maybe I should get a camcorder and experiment with that for now. Or are camcorder shit and I should just get a Canon REBEL kit?
What do you guys think. Open to recommendations..
Long story short, my 5D MKII and lenses got wrecked when I had a car accident 3 months ago. I was on foot, car hit me etc etc.
Anyway. I cant sit without a camera any longer, and god knows when I will get any insurance money form the guy who hit me and his company.
So...Whats the best sub $1000 dslr bundle, or camcorder I can get to shoot a few short videos for my film school portfolio.
I WILL get a DSLR again when I get my insurance money, probably 5D MKIII or something else...therefore I was thinking maybe I should get a camcorder and experiment with that for now. Or are camcorder shit and I should just get a Canon REBEL kit?
What do you guys think. Open to recommendations..
Risible
Member
You can pick up a Canon SL1 new on eBay for around $350, I just bought a second one this week so my son can have his own. The kit lens is STM for filming. My son uses it for lots of film projects.
http://www.dpreview.com/products/canon/slrs/canon_eos100d
Leica's in a weird spot now because they just released a new medium format S body that's still 37 megapixels - same resolution as its predecessors. So now how do they raise the resolution of their 35mm full frame sensor cameras like the Q/M/SL without compromising sales of the S? But they have to raise the resolution in the next generation M body.
Either way, that 50mm APO-Summicron lens just blew my mind. I only shot it on the new Monochrom, but I asked the associate at the Leica store to send me a couple of DNGs taken with the APO mounted on both the current M and the SL.
Either way, that 50mm APO-Summicron lens just blew my mind. I only shot it on the new Monochrom, but I asked the associate at the Leica store to send me a couple of DNGs taken with the APO mounted on both the current M and the SL.
JadedWriter
Member
Anybody here know if the 1.4 30mm sigma art lens is good for portraits?
Astral/H3X
Member
A 30mm? Hmmm on one hand, it's 1.4, which should give some bokeh to it, but on APSC that's just a "regular" lens... You'd do well to go for something with more reach, like a 50mm.
Actually, I think it might make a better "portrait" on full frame, just because then you can go for one of those crazy dramatic wide angle ones, but that's probably not what you're thinking of.
JadedWriter
Member
I already have the 1.8 50mm Nikon lens. Was just wondering if there was better glass than that for portraits. I was also thinking about the sigma 2.8 17-50mm lens as well.
Astral/H3X
Member
For portraits, the go to recommendation would be a short telephoto, with as wide open a aperture as you can get. For APSC I think it'd be anywhere between 50-75mm, and really it's up to you what you'd prefer.
You'll find more info on what focal length looks like what in Full frame terms, so keep that in mind and you should be able to pick a good criteria to start looking for from there.
Personally I've got my eyes on an 85mm when I get an a7, so that'd be around a 55mm.
JadedWriter
Member
Only apsc 85mm I can think of is the 3.5 85mm micro lens that Nikon makes. It looks pretty good actually just heavy as fuck I think. So I guess 50mm is a good handheld focal length then. Granted I did want the 1.4 for low light situations like inside rooms and such.
Astral/H3X
Member
Oh yeah, 85mm on APSC would be like a 130mm, which is the "long" end of portrait lenses. A7 is full frame.
Also you can use full frame lenses on APSC, but keep in mind the sharpness won't look as good as on a full frame, and they are of course going to be heavier/larger.
JadedWriter
Member
Should I just get a full frame 50?
Yes, 50 1.8 primes are amazing and probably the best lens for money you will probably ever buy.
So we are going to create a new thread, It would be a good idea to get an idea on what people want from the new thread, personally I would like to see:
- recommendations for cameras by brand and beginner/intermediate/best-all-round
- advice on photography in general, such as settings and lenses..
- recommended websites.
captive has already contacted me on things that should be it, which I think is very good to have in the OP:
Astral/H3X
Member
Why are you asking?
The only reason to get a full frame lens is either A.) the lens specifications that you are looking for aren't widely available on APSC (85mm etc), or B) you're looking to go for a full frame camera.
A lens that covers full frame will be larger, more expensive, and actually less sharp than an APSC lens. Think of it this way: a lens designed for 24MP full frame, will have a lower PPI than a lens designed to cover 24MP on APSC. Because of that, when you crop out all the "extra" lens, you actually end up with a 16MP lens, if you only count what you're using.
Now, a full frame lens does NOT behave differently from an APSC lens in terms of focal length, if given the same sensor. A 50mm full frame lens on an APSC sensor looks exactly like a 50mm APSC lens on an APSC sensor. That difference is caused purely by the sensor itself. (Now, an APSC lens on a full frame camera can expect at LEAST a bunch of vignetting).
So keep this stuff in mind.
EDIT:
Can I request a little blurb about Samyang lenses? I feel they are basically in their own market that is definitely worth mentioning IMO. I was at a loss for any lenses that really "fit my market" until I found them -- inexpensive, but high quality lenses that are fully manual, instead of relying on possibly broken or degraded vintage lenses.
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