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[radios shipping overview]

I really could have used that 35mm f/1.8 a year ago, when I was wishing I had access to an affordable prime with USM for my D40. (And not that heavy-as-a-brick Sigma that unbalanced the camera.) It even gets me a little excited now, after I've moved exclusively to film and don't plan on getting another DSLR until I go full-frame. It's gonna be a sweet little lens.

 

[vatstep]

Also worth bearing in mind is depth of field. DoF is tiny when working at macro levels, and the 60mm will give you more DoF for the same apeture compared to the 100mm. The flipside of this is if you're doing eg flower macros, the 100mm will flatten perspective more, so it'll isolate the subject from the background more, as there is less background in the picture.

This is something that I definitely factored in, just forgot to mention it in my post. I've looked at tons of images taken with both lenses, and I'm okay with the slightly greater depth of field that'll come along with the 60mm. I ended up going with it, mainly for the portability factor.

 

[giga]

judging by the MTF graphs, it will blow it away. my order's in, and a tokina 116 on the way. either this sticking to APS-C thing is going to turn out wonderfully or somebody's going to get a really good deal on a nikon DX kit in the next year..

comparing mtf graphs is absolutely useless. the sigma 30 is an absolute beast in speed and wide open sharpness--so there's a large ball game to overcome here. if the af-s 50mm is anything to judge by, af speed won't be any better.

 

[RubxQub]

So if I got this lens:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...51&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11039113

Would it pretty much be the best lens I could get for macro shots and anything else I'd need at that focal length?

I've already got two decent lenses (18-70mmF4-5.6 and a 75-200mmF4-5.6) that allow me to do some wide angle, some telephoto and some macro, but the stops are a bit high.

I'm pretty much looking for a great lens without a zoom and this seems ideal at 35mm and 1.4 aperture.

 

[giga]

So if I got this lens:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...51&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11039113

Would it pretty much be the best lens I could get for macro shots and anything else I'd need at that focal length?

I've already got two decent lenses (18-70mmF4-5.6 and a 75-200mmF4-5.6) that allow me to do some wide angle, some telephoto and some macro, but the stops are a bit high.

I'm pretty much looking for a great lens without a zoom and this seems ideal at 35mm and 1.4 aperture.

no that's not a macro lens, more of a walkaround.

 

[RubxQub]

no that's not a macro lens, more of a walkaround.

Macro lenses are specifically labelled "macro" then I take it?

I see they have 50mm and 100mm 2.8F styles available. If you had to have one of those two, I imagine the 50mm macro would provide the most detail?

I really dig the idea of close in detailed shots.

 

[Rentahamster]

I really could have used that 35mm f/1.8 a year ago, when I was wishing I had access to an affordable prime with USM for my D40. (And not that heavy-as-a-brick Sigma that unbalanced the camera.) It even gets me a little excited now, after I've moved exclusively to film and don't plan on getting another DSLR until I go full-frame. It's gonna be a sweet little lens.

Yeah, I feel you. While interesting, I'm overall a bit 'meh' regarding this announcement due to having already transitioned to full frame.

I'll wait till the reviews are in and if it's significantly better than the Sigma, I'll pick it up to use as part of my D40 travel kit.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Macro lenses are specifically labelled "macro" then I take it?

Yep and even then, make sure to see if its 1:1 Scale or 1:2. Some companies list 1:2 scale as "Macro".

Also, the lens you've linked too, if your willing to spend that much on a lens, check out what Zeiss has to offer. Zeiss lenses are basically the crème de la crème of lenses (up there with Leica).

The great thing about the Sony DSLR you have is that Zeiss has been making native lenses for that mount. Not sure if they are Manual or Auto focus though (probably manual).

 

[fart]

comparing mtf graphs is absolutely useless. the sigma 30 is an absolute beast in speed and wide open sharpness

center sharpness is high wide open, but the corners are not great and never get much better (see photozone or photodo tests if you don't believe manufacturer MTF -- these tests were consistent with the copy i owned). also the elephant in the room: high defect rates.

 

[Rentahamster]

also the elephant in the room: high defect rates.

Oh hell yeah. Don't I know it.

I doubt I'll buy third party lenses ever again - unless it fills a niche Nikon or Canon don't have. Like the Sigma 30mm did.

 

[BlueTsunami]

The defect rates is one thing and the blame game is the other one you may have to deal with. I've read horror stories where the photographer is trying to get the lens in for repair and Sigma will throw up the "Its probably your body, talk to Canon/Nikon" argument. Its too bad, seeing how great IQ can come from Sigma lenses, you just have to roll a dice on it.

 

[snacknuts]

My D40 got delivered today and it occurred me to that, apart from the box it came in, I don't have anything to keep it in. Does anyone want to recommend a modestly priced case?

 

[radios shipping overview]

The great thing about the Sony DSLR you have is that Zeiss has been making native lenses for that mount. Not sure if they are Manual or Auto focus though (probably manual).

Yeah, all the current Zeiss SLR/RF lenses are manual focus. They're sharp as hell, with lovely 3D-ish rendition and DOF separation. My only problem with them is how big the wide-angle versions tend to be.

 

[vatstep]

My D40 got delivered today and it occurred me to that, apart from the box it came in, I don't have anything to keep it in. Does anyone want to recommend a modestly priced case?

I have two bags that have done the trick. One is a Lowepro TLZ, which is a pretty small top-loading bag and can be found for $25 or so. I have the TLZ15 which can fit my Rebel with any of my current lenses attached; there's also the TLZ25, which is a bit deeper for lenses 250mm and up. The other is a Tamrac Explorer for when I want to carry pretty much all of my gear. It's a really well-built bag, and pretty affordable; I found mine online for $40.

 

[Ashhong]

just ordered the canon sd880 for about 245. any opinions? looked like a good camera. anybody happen to see it cheaper anywhere?

 

[fart]

I have two bags that have done the trick. One is a Lowepro TLZ, which is a pretty small top-loading bag and can be found for $25 or so. I have the TLZ15 which can fit my Rebel with any of my current lenses attached; there's also the TLZ25, which is a bit deeper for lenses 250mm and up. The other is a Tamrac Explorer for when I want to carry pretty much all of my gear. It's a really well-built bag, and pretty affordable; I found mine online for $40.

the TLZ mini fits the D40 + kit lens exactly and is just about the smallest bag that will

 

[Forsete]

Macro lenses are specifically labelled "macro" then I take it?

I see they have 50mm and 100mm 2.8F styles available. If you had to have one of those two, I imagine the 50mm macro would provide the most detail?

I really dig the idea of close in detailed shots.

For macro I would recommend the Tamron SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro.

One other thing I can recommend just for the fun of it is that you get close-up lenses that you screw onto your existing lenses. The lens works just like a filter only it allows you to get much much closer than you otherwise would.

Here I have screwed on three close-up lenses onto the 90mm Tamron.

Note, it will mess with the image quality.

Here is a test where I screwed the lenses on a regular Sony 50mm f.14 prime lens.

This is how close I got to the thread roll without any close-up lens attached.

Here is with the +2 close-up lens attached

And here is with three close-up lenses attached, +1, +2 and +4.

I use these. http://www.hama.de/portal/searchSel...81/action*2563/searchMode*1/bySearch*close+55

 

[giga]

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos5Dmarkii/

 

[demon]

Well I've spent the past week thinking about either replacing my F31fd or supplementing it with a DSLR, and at the moment I'm kind of leaning towards a dslr. Some questions though, some of which have probably already been asked but whatever.

Camera size and weight are kind of an issue to me, so what are the smallest good DSLRs?

Which have image stabilization?

Which are the best at dynamic range?

I like low-light/night photography. What are the best cheaper DSLRs for that?

 

[Dkong]

Camera size and weight are kind of an issue to me, so what are the smallest good DSLRs?

Nikon d40x is first on my mind here, but the annoyance for the serious user is that you have to change ISO etc via the menu instead of quickly via controls on the body.

Which have image stabilization?

Nikon and Canon sell certain lenses that have stabilization, Sony sells camera bodies that support it. I don't know about other brands.

 

[demon]

How does the D40x compare to the D60?

Also, does anyone know if Circuit City has the D40/40x/60 and at a nice reduced price?

 

[giga]

Best price for a d40x: http://www.adorama.com/INKD40XR.html?sid=1234568627138492

D60 is basically the same--don't bother.

If you're going for low light night photog, without resorting to an external flash, you need fast glass and good iso performance. I'd assume your budget isn't in the 1000+ range?

 

[nitewulf]

if you're used to PnS low light photos, any dslr with a decent prime lens will blow you away.

 

[demon]

No, definitely not in the $1000 range.

I don't need something magnificent, just significantly better than my pocket camera.

 

[giga]

Any dslr will be better than your pocket, so just go with the d40x for $275.

for lens get the 18-55 VR for $125 to start, and the 35mm 1.8 for $200 in March when it comes out.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0902/09021301nikon35mmsamples.asp

 

[Wario64]

How does the D40x compare to the D60?

Also, does anyone know if Circuit City has the D40/40x/60 and at a nice reduced price?

Last I checked, Circuit City had the D40 for about $350ish. The link above at adorama is a refurbished D40 if you care about used or new.


Kinda wished I waited on getting the 50mm 1.8 a month ago. I could have used the 35mm 1.8, especially since it can autofocus on the D40 too. Oh well

 

[nitewulf]

oh, ++ recommendation on adorama refurbished stuff, i bought 2 canon refurbished lenses from them...impeccable quality at a much cheaper price.

 

[Quazar]

deal dead

 

[demon]

another question- are there cameras that let you take continuous shots at different EV settings? that would make it really easy to do HDR work, which I've been dicking around with a bit on my F31fd.

 

[giga]

http://hdr-photography.com/aeb.html

don't mind the stupid shit like canon 60D/70D in there btw.

 

[BlueTsunami]

another question- are there cameras that let you take continuous shots at different EV settings? that would make it really easy to do HDR work, which I've been dicking around with a bit on my F31fd.

Make sure to check if the Camera your buying has a "Exposure Bracketing" feature. The lower level Prosumer cameras will usually shoot 3 stops of different exposure when bracketing.

 

[demon]

so the Nikon D40x/60 don't do bracketing? hmm..

 

[BlueTsunami]

so the Nikon D40x/60 don't do bracketing? hmm..

I just looked it up and I guess it doesn't. That's pretty wack, even my Rebel XT has Exposure Bracketing.

 

[fart]

3 shots of bracketing isn't enough for a reasonable HDR, so imo auto bracketing is pretty useless until you get to the five+ shot firmwares. regardless, auto-bracketing is only useful if you're trying to do handheld HDR, which will inevitably an exercise in frustration. this is not really something to worry about: bracket manually on a good tripod.

 

[demon]

3 shots of bracketing isn't enough for a reasonable HDR, so imo auto bracketing is pretty useless until you get to the five+ shot firmwares. regardless, auto-bracketing is only useful if you're trying to do handheld HDR, which will inevitably an exercise in frustration. this is not really something to worry about: bracket manually on a good tripod.

Yeah but I imagine auto bracketing is a lot faster than doing it manually, which can be advantageous if you're shooting a scene with movement.

 

[fart]

if there's more than a modicum of movement you can't do an HDR unless you manually remove the movement when you composite regardless of whether your camera brackets again since any chance in object location in the scene will show up as softness/ghosting

 

[Dazzla]

Has anyone here got any experience with the Panasonic LX3? I've got a D90 and although I love it, it's not ideal to take everywhere.

I've read a tonne of reviews but I wouldn't mind some GAFers opinions.

 

[fart]

i had an lx3 for a month. lens decentering seems to be pretty common, and it makes the auto-corrected distortion much worse. otherwise it was pretty awesome, just pricey.

 

[giga]

Yeah but I imagine auto bracketing is a lot faster than doing it manually, which can be advantageous if you're shooting a scene with movement.

solution: stop doing cliché HDRs. arghhh.

 

[BlueTsunami]

The only reason why I'd personally go to HDR is if I'm shooting landscapes mid-day. Its handy but you then begin to gravitate towards more accommodating, moody lighting.

 

[giga]

The only reason why I'd personally go to HDR is if I'm shooting landscapes mid-day. Its handy but you then begin to gravitate towards more accommodating, moody lighting.

or CPL.

 

[demon]

solution: stop doing cliché HDRs. arghhh.

no u

i had an lx3 for a month. lens decentering seems to be pretty common, and it makes the auto-corrected distortion much worse. otherwise it was pretty awesome, just pricey.

What exactly is lens decentering? I thought I've read a good deal on this camera and I've never seen anything about it. Still considering the LX3 because of how nice it seems despite its relative portability.

As for being pricey I think it's 399 on amazon right now. Not bad for a high-end P&S. And one of the bigger criticisms I see lobbed at it is its lack of decent zoom, but I find myself rarely using lots of zoom anyways.

 

[Rentahamster]

I've done HDRs on the D40 just fine. Use a tripod and just adjust your shutter speed manually. Just make sure you don't move the camera too much.

 

[fart]

or CPL.

there's a difference between "cliche hdr" and hdr referring to all layering techniques that composite from multiple bracketed shots. a GND can be simulated using the latter without the very non-trivial cost of a large GND. of course this is not so true with CPLs, but on the other hand, they're zomg expensive

the lx3 i had would have cost about 370. it's expensive because it's only marginally better than a 150$ p&s sensor-wise, but the faster digital board in it makes it cost like 2.5x as much. also the lens distortion means raw is worthless -- i consistently got better ooc jpegs than ACR processed. i did like the ooc b&ws though. grainy like film, beautiful up to iso 800

lens decentering occurs when a lens element is out of position + tolerance in its optical plane. it's important for the lx3 because the camera uses a hardcoded formula to correct for the ample lens distortions. if your lens is out of tolerances, this formula will incompletely correct your lens distortion and then you'll be pissed that exactly one edge of your frame is always blurry and distorted

 

[BlueTsunami]

My problem with a Gradient filter is that it can darken the areas where you don't want it to darken (those sliders that allow you to adjust a plate filter is pretty snazzy though). I've found Burning/Dodging an image in Photoshop that uses two exposure (one correctly exposed for the landscape and one for the sky) is nice and effective if worse comes to worse. Takes a little time and mouse grease though.

 

[demon]

Another question- I forgot that a while ago my dad gave me some used SLR camera with a lens attached to it. The camera is a Nikon N60, and of more interest to me is the lens attached to it:

Is this a lens I could use on a digital camera, like say if I got a Nikon D40x or D60? Or maybe one of the Digital Rebels? I've tried looking stuff up online about it but I can't tell what it would work with.

 

[Grimlock]

You could, but you won't be able to auto-focus. The Nikon D40/60 were built without autofocusing motors in the camera body, so the lens has to have an autofocusing motor in it, or the lens will be manual-focus only.

 

[demon]

I may just do that then, and wait until I can afford a lens (particularly one with image stabilization). I have my pocket cam for auto focus shots anyway.

only issue I have with getting a Nikon is I want a camera with built-in image stabilization, not one that requires the lens have it....


Does this look like a good deal for a D60? It doesn't have a refurbished quality rating like others listed on the site (E, E+, E- etc).
http://www.adorama.com/INKD60R.html?searchinfo=d60 body&item_no=1

 

[fart]

yah, it's a good deal

 

[demon]

You could, but you won't be able to auto-focus. The Nikon D40/60 were built without autofocusing motors in the camera body, so the lens has to have an autofocusing motor in it, or the lens will be manual-focus only.

I found a link to the exact lens, I think.
http://www.findlens.info/lenses/185/Sigma_28_105mm_f3.8_5.6_UC_III_ASPHERICAL_IF.aspx
It says it has auto focus. Does that mean there's an auto-focus motor in it that would work with the nikdon dlsrs?