New camera gear . . .

[Couchrocket]

I had been happy with my 4/3 Olympus camera gear... right up until the full frame 35mm sized sensors started appearing. As I saw prints made from them start appearing in various places... I was amazed at the detail available at 12+ mega pixels on a larger sensor. THEN, about a year ago, I downloaded some RAW files from the Canon 1Ds III. It ruined me forever. I can't afford an eight THOUSAND dollar camera body (like "some" people around here! ). Then I downloaded and printed files from the D3X Nikon, and then ... the 5D II canon, and finally the Sony A900.... the A900 had HUGE dynamic range, 24.6 mega pixels, and was about 3K dollars!!! Oh, oh.... that's getting near my "sucker point."

 

 

Last week I took the plunge. Sold all of my Olympus gear, and bought the A900 and a "few good lenses."

 

All I can say is WOW, detail and tonality as I have not seen it since 4x5 film days. Pitiful little screen shot does not do the resolution / detail justice, but the tonality shows pretty well.

 

[Boffin]

I have been trying to avoid this kind of post. My A100 is now looking like it needs a bigger brother...

 

Andy

[beemerman2k]

I have been panting over that Nikon D700. 12MP I know, but full frame and excellent low light, high ISO performance. Now, however, Canon just released the 7D. WOW!!! A thousand dollars less than the Nikon, excellent low light performance, 8 frames/second right out of the box, 18MP, and only $1700. That camera landed right on my "sucker point" :smile:

 

Oh, I've had my Nikon D70s for about 3 years now. Great camera, I've been very happy with it, but its time for something with more of everything. My camera is useless if I have to kick ISO above 640. Noise city! So I have a 30mm 1.8 aperture lens for indoor shots and still I need to raise ISO sometimes to 1600 even, otherwise I just get blurr. I don't like using a flash, and if I am taking pictures of my kids playing or performing (ballet, etc) oftentimes flash is discouraged, and impractical anyhow as they are too far away for it to matter.

[Woodie]

I have to stop clicking on threads like this.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

I have to stop clicking on threads like this.

 

Me too. I'm invested pretty deeply in Nikon stuff now. I'm not much into low light stuff and when I do, I use a tripod and a remote trigger. Not much for action either.

 

I am looking for a fast prime or mild telephoto with macro capabilities. The 60 2.8 looks pretty good for that although I may add the Sigma 1.2 30mm as well.

[Lynn]

I have to stop clicking on threads like this.

 

And I can't show things like this to my husband. Though, to be fair, with his current investment in Pentax lenses and accessories, it would be tough for him to change. Still-no need for me to be the voice of temptation. :>

[too old to care]

Yes, it could be an expensive year. Leica just introduces a full frame M9, 18 meg. Would look good next to my M6, and I can use my old lens. But how do they justify $7K for a camera body. I can find a nice used Ducati for that.

[David]

Very cool, Scott, and a GREAT picture. I'm actually in a cab right now heading from Manhattan to LGA. I came up here on a creative adventure, and can't wait to show you some shots from this morning (all people stuff with a lens you'd enjoy).

 

We need to shoot together some time.

 

I did recently look at upgrading my 1Ds MkII to the MkIII, but wasn't impressed. I still think the glass is the limiting factor these days, so I'm sticking with what I have. Very happy with it.

[Kathy R]

Wow Scott! I'm happy for you and more than a little green with envy. What a fabulous photo.

[Couchrocket]

Very cool, Scott, and a GREAT picture. I'm actually in a cab right now heading from Manhattan to LGA. I came up here on a creative adventure, and can't wait to show you some shots from this morning (all people stuff with a lens you'd enjoy).

 

We need to shoot together some time.

 

I did recently look at upgrading my 1Ds MkII to the MkIII, but wasn't impressed. I still think the glass is the limiting factor these days, so I'm sticking with what I have. Very happy with it.

 

Thanks for the kind comments, all . . . the world of digital imaging is indeed fascinating and there are all kinds of really excellent "horses for courses" available out there this year.

 

David,

 

You're on. I would love to do some shooting with you some time. I was fascinated by the post you made a little while back re the projcet you and your son were working on.

[Couchrocket]

I still think the glass is the limiting factor these days,

 

You're right... and it cost me a bundle to buy the nice Carl Zeiss lenses for my A900! OUCH... but sharp and should be good up to about 35 MP I think.

[DaveTheAffable]

I have been panting over that Nikon D700. 12MP I know, but full frame and excellent low light, high ISO performance. Now, however, Canon just released the 7D. WOW!!! A thousand dollars less than the Nikon, excellent low light performance, 8 frames/second right out of the box, 18MP, and only $1700. That camera landed right on my "sucker point" :smile:..

 

I've had a D700 now for about 3 months. I'm VERY happy with it, but it isn't the only camera on the block. But, did I say I love my D700?

 

Let me know if you wanna hear any more comments. Scott's Sony is way cool, new 7D is looking pretty good, some are loving the 5D Mk II. Nikons D3x is incredible... and at ~$6500+ it ought to be. There are an incredible number of choices out there right now.

 

But, whatever you have, whatever you buy, GO OUT AND TAKE PICTURES!

[beemerman2k]

Dave, as appealing as that Canon 7D is to me, my next camera is still likely to be that D700 (or by the time I can afford one, the D700s, not that I care about SLR video). I still have lenses from my Nikon film days. If I were to buy the Canon, I'm starting all over again with respect to buying glass.

 

That, and the primary consideration I have is low light performance. While the 7D promises to be very good, I need excellent. Most of my pictures are of my children at birthday parties, gymnastics, ballet, basketball games -- situations where there is fast movement and not a whole lot of light to work with. The 12MP is modest by today's standards, but I don't even use the 6MP on my D70s. Most of my pictures end up on the web, and what doesn't go online gets forgotten about on my computers disk drive. Therefore, I end up shooting in jpeg-small (about 1.3mp on my camera) and then shrinking them down even more. So I don't see myself taking advantage of the 12MP on the D700, let alone the 18MP on the 7D.

 

I realize the Canon's sensor is the APS-C sized variety versus the D700 which is a full 35mm size, but I don't care about such technicalities. I just want excellent low light performance, and for that the Nikon excells because of its sensor size -- among other reasons.

 

The D3x and the upcoming D700x are technically sexy, but I have absolutely no use for them. The last thing I need is more MP and less ISO performance.

 

Oh, so yes, I would love to hear more about your D700!

 

What type of pictures do you like to take? Why did you choose this camera as opposed to a D300 or a different brand altogether? What are the D700's weaknesses?

[Jerry Johnston]

Geez......and I've been debating whether to spend $500 on the new Canon G11 because the technology changes sooooo fast.

[RandyBailey]

I still have a couple Nikon F2A bodies and motor drives. I bought a D90 to play with recently, but cling to my ASA film days.

 

The majority of my work throughout my career was for publication and I soon learned to simplify. The key to great $$$ shots wasn't the price of the box, but the creativity behind it.

 

I recall shooting several magazine covers with a Yashica box camera with only settings for f stop and shutter speed.

 

I'm always fascinated by the race for the new do-dad when the real secret to success is spending shutter time in the field to master the craft and art.

[beemerman2k]

Geez......and I've been debating whether to spend $500 on the new Canon G11 because the technology changes sooooo fast.

 

I think this is a great way to go. I've been eyeing that G11 myself. The only thing an SLR has over it is the ability to change lenses and a larger sensor, which I suppose leads to better performance in challenging situations.

[beemerman2k]

I'm always fascinated by the race for the new do-dad when the real secret to success is spending shutter time in the field to master the craft and art.

 

I am going to create a new thread and post some of my pictures. I'm taking shots in low light with my D70s and a 30mm prime 1.8 aperture lens, and still hurting for more shutter speed to catch the action! To the degree that I don't know how to use my hardware, I will invite suggestions as to what I might be able to do better.

 

One drawback of shooting wide open is the limited depth of field I get. Now, if my focus is even a little bit off, the shot is ruined.

 

Besides, I don't think any digital slr owner would consider my hardware anything that resembles a new do-dad! 6 megapixel camera, $199.00 glass , max supported ISO is 1600. No, definitely not the latest technology out there :smile: But I'm sure you guys will have more than a few suggestions as to how I can use what I have more effectively.

 

See, when I get that D700, I won't have to worry about skill

[Huzband]

See, when I get that D700, I won't have to worry about skill

 

Oh yes you will!

 

I once had a guy working for me that showed up every day in five hundred dollars worth of clothing & shoes, & he still managed to look homeless. No kidding.

 

Point is, it ain't the gear so much as it is the knowledge. I've seen some truly fantastic shots taken with P&S cameras. I've also seen junk taken with thousands of dollars of equipment.

 

James, I used to be hung up on equipment. But when I took a class from a former pro photog, I learned that I had SO MUCH to learn about the gear I had. I discovered that although the body I have(cameras, not me) is three years outdated, I have no reason to move up untill my knowledge & abilitiy has exceeded such.

 

Sure, get good stuff, but don't go overboard on expenditure.

 

But if you must spend some money, spend it on glass. That's where it's at.

[Jerry Johnston]

The G11 would be easier to carry motorcycling but since you're used to the bulk of SLR I would think you'd go forward to at least a D90 - looked very impressive to me (which doesn't take much).

[DaveTheAffable]

Oh, so yes, I would love to hear more about your D700!

 

What type of pictures do you like to take? Why did you choose this camera as opposed to a D300 or a different brand altogether? What are the D700's weaknesses?

 

High resolution has it's place. Scott is getting some great stuff from his Sony for example. But I LOVE my D700 for low light, dynamic range, colors, sealing.... I could go on. I expect this is a 8 - 10 year camera for me... if not the last. I do a lot of low light stuff. And, Scott printed a ~ 22 x 30 print of one of my little 12mp pictures... and it was OUTSTANDING. Thanks Scott!

 

 

Here are some pics from a recent trip to Indianapolis...

 

NCAA Headquarters and Indianapolis by day....

 

 

And... by night...

 

 

Street candids.....

 

 

 

 

Butterflies.....

 

 

 

 

 

I'm very happy. And I'll be MORE happy when I get the rear main seals on my K1200RS fixed!

[beemerman2k]

Dave, outstanding pictures! I love the shot of the guy drumming up funds for some beer; that's a classic And that night shot is incredible. At what camera settings (ISO, F stop, shutter speed) was that picture taken? Great shot.

 

Consider me the "mac user" of camera buffs. I don't have the time for lessons or mentoring; I just want to get the shot of my family during significant occasions. Most of these events happen indoors, especially around the holiday season. I cannot stand noisy pictures, either. If I could, I'd kick my camera up to ISO 1600 and be done with it, but the pictures look like crap at that setting.

 

OK, here is a picture from my youngest daughters 6th birthday party from June of this summer. Her party was at an indoor play space where light was at a premium. These pictures were taken with my Tamron 18-50 lens with the aperture set at 2.8 for the most light I could gather at the highest ISO setting I can stand (640). For these pictures I am getting about 1/60th of a second for shutter speed. I take the bulk of my pictures in aperture priority mode.

 

 

Fine, she's just lying there. But here's what happens when there's a significant amount of movement:

 

 

I like this picture of little Nathan waving to his mother. But look at his waving hand! Just a blurr. Another note about the picture of Nathan, his face is over exposed and kind of blown out.

 

In these kind of situations, if I want good exposure on my black daughters face, then I have to dial up the exposure compensation to +3 or sometimes a full stop. Then I get the kind of exposure on my daughter face that you see lying in the bubble pit, but Nathans face is overexposed.

 

One annoying thing about my camera is that it doesn't display it's exposure compensation or ISO setting in the view finder. I have so often took pictures of nice, outdoor scenes with ISO set at 800 because I took some shots the night before and forgot to update my settings.

 

Now, here's a typically frustrating shot:

 

 

This is an example of why I long for better hardware. With that D700, I can set ISO to 3200, know that I am going to get good, clear, noise free pictures and be done with it. As of now, I have to devote a significant amount of mind share to what my camera settings are to optimize the quality of the shot. With better hardware, I can set it and forget it.

 

"But that's not the way of the photo masters" So what. My audience is not the general public, my audience is me and my family. If I'm happy with the shot, that's all that matters to me. So in lieu of lessons or workshops, I'll just throw hardware at the problem :smile:

 

Not all is lost, here are some pictures that came out OK:

 

 

And I like this one of Emma and her gang of outlaws (although it could be much sharper. Hey, what do you want from cheap glass?! :smile:):

 

 

I recently bought a Nikon 30mm prime 1.8 lens. It's definitely better in low light than my Tamron 2.8, but I still need MORE!

 

OK, I love this stuff, but I realize that I do have some serious constraints to overcome if I ever want to consider myself to be a photographer:

 

- better understanding of how the camera works

- more money

- more time

- more practice

- a D700 :smile:

- better glass

- an "eye" like many of you have to create compelling compositions. I like my pictures because I like the subject matter (my family), but aside from that, my pictures are pretty boring. No one would take a second look at my work. Oh well, at least I know how to ride a motorcycle (so far!).

[beemerman2k]

Another very important point I forgot to mention: when taking pictures of children playing, you don't have time to check the camera settings. You have a split second to get the shot and if you miss it, or blow it because of camera settings, it's gone forever. So I make it a practice to show up early, take some test shots, preset my camera, and then shoot the event. Sometimes I get good shots and sometimes I don't. But children aren't going to stop what they're doing so you can dial in the proper camera settings.

[Huzband]

 

Not all is lost, here are some pictures that came out OK:

 

 

 

Actually, I see problems with that one. Your daughter is in a good position, & I like her expression. However, girl #2 standing, head is cut off. Girl #3, half her face is cut off. Not a good shot.

 

As for Nathan, not all is lost here. Yours;

 

 

Mine, with cropping & tweaking of brightness.

 

 

Now for the girls posse. Yours;

 

 

Mine, with the same treatment as above.

 

 

Nothing fancy, just a quick run through Microsoft Picture Manager.

 

I get you with how tough it is to get even a few good shots of kids. Heck, try it with a dog. Anyhow, keep shootin'. Lots. Numbers are on your side. If your camera allows for rapid fire, use it. And use the zoom at the same time. It'll take practice, & most shots will end up being deleted. But you'll cull out a few gems, & maybe even a really special shot. And that's what makes it all worth while.

 

I've been playing with this whilst watching Bama start to hang one on the Hogs. Me thinks it's time to focus on my priorities.

[beemerman2k]

Danny, if I get a clear shot, even if it only has part of my daughters head in it, I'm happy :smile: OK, I jest a bit. A bit.

 

Nice work, though. I haven't even ventured into any post processing yet. I guess I fear that I'll get sucked into spending countless hours trying to reach photographic nirvana where the basic issue is learning how to take decent pictures in the first place. But what you did was quite minimal and it made those pictures look much nicer.

 

Well, I do have a lot to learn, that's for sure. I'm going to make it a habit of posting more pictures to get some critical reviews. I expect I'll learn quite a bit from that experience.

[Huzband]

Don't worry too much about post processing. Like I said, all I did was in Microsoft Picture Manager. Pretty simple stuff. I have Photoshop CS2, but much as I've tried, I still have no idea how to use it. My feeling is, if it needs ten minutes of work in Photoshop, it wasn't much of a photo to begin with.

 

Careful though about asking for critique on your shots. I hang out here from time to time, & it gets pretty subjective. But it can also be a good place to learn. I feel that photography is art. One mans masterpiece is another mans garage sale. Learn, yes, but never doubt yourself.

[DaveTheAffable]

Dave, outstanding pictures! I love the shot of the guy drumming up funds for some beer; that's a classic And that night shot is incredible. At what camera settings (ISO, F stop, shutter speed) was that picture taken? Great shot.

 

 

NCAA at Night.... 17-35mm 2.8 lens shot @ 35mm, f5.6, iso 800, 1 sec.

 

Well the D700 makes a huge difference, but it doesn't guarantee anything.

 

This one... 70-200/iso6400/2.8/125 Pretty darned acceptabble for a dark jazz club, HANDHELD. Yes...they were moving, But this is a good shot of maybe 4 or 5 I took.

 

 

 

 

If you like, PM me and we can have a more detailed dialog.

 

 

[beemerman2k]

Wow!

 

I'm guessing your lens has vibration reduction built in as well? Is it that Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF VR Zoom-Nikkor lens that I find myself oogling over?

 

Still, my camera does not support IS0 6400, and I wouldn't want to use it if it did! Your picture is cleaner at that ISO than my camera would be at ISO 800. Clearly, regardless of the lens you put on my D70s, there's no way I could have taken this shot.

 

As far as lens go, I haven't wanted to invest in glass before I settle on a good camera body I like. At this point, since I bought my D70 as a learners camera, I haven't been sold on either the Canon or Nikon or Sony or Sigma or.. camp. So I figured I'd first see who produces the kind of hardware that matters most to me, then dive into that platform by buying a good camera body and good glass. Once I invest in good glass, I'm stuck with that manufacturer. My D70, while nice, has not been enough to sell me on Nikon.

 

Dave's pictures certainly sell me, though. Excellent low light performance is my number one criteria. Not until the 5D and now the 7D has Canon put out a camera that impresses me as much -- and that I can afford -- with it's low light performance.

[Trinity]

I recall shooting several magazine covers with a Yashica box camera with only settings for f stop and shutter speed.

 

Oh geez, that one got to me...while I don't shoot with it, I still have my Yashica MAT-124 that I used for my highschool yearbook.

 

Like many technologies, digital seems to be a double edged sword...it's much easier (and CHEAPER) to get feedback on what works and what doesn't...it's also easier to shoot and post a mass quantity of "non-quality" pics vs. picking and choosing what you're going to print and ONLY posting that....

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Actually, that is all you need (Yashica box camera) to make good pictures. It promotes understanding of things like depth of focus and exposure and metering.

 

I actually have been using some of my old film lenses on my D90 and D40 bodies which means full manmal everything from focus to exposure. Some early issues with framing as these are designed to cover a larger area but exposure is never an issue, or hardly, and focus is just a matter of taking a bit more time or pre-focus and letting depth of field help out a bit.

 

Speaking of which, something to keep in mind. A really fast lenses greatest feature is that you can stop down a bit for depth of field and still get decent exposure. An f1.2 at F4 will give far better results than will a f3.5 wide open. Using a monopod will allow shooting at 1/30 or even 1/15 second and still give acceptable results. If action is anticipated, even a small flash will really tighten things up in re movement and a good one, with a bounce head won't hurt the action much. Kids get used to that stuff in a hurry.

 

In terms of post processing, even a fairly simple program like Picassa will offer fill light correction which can save a bunch of shots.

[DaveTheAffable]

I recall shooting several magazine covers with a Yashica box camera with only settings for f stop and shutter speed.

 

Oh geez, that one got to me...while I don't shoot with it, I still have my Yashica MAT-124 that I used for my highschool yearbook.

 

Like many technologies, digital seems to be a double edged sword...it's much easier (and CHEAPER) to get feedback on what works and what doesn't...it's also easier to shoot and post a mass quantity of "non-quality" pics vs. picking and choosing what you're going to print and ONLY posting that....

 

Agreed... having a "New" camera doesn't make you a photographer, any more than a "New" bike makes you a "Better rider". We wouldn't excuse "sloppy" riding just because a person can buy a new bike, and we certainly don't tell a rider he shouldn't buy a RT1200 because, "In the old days I learned to ride on a R60, and only by learning how to ride on an R60 will you ever be a good rider".

 

What we hope for, is that those who have gone before us will help us understand the old, the new, and what it takes to perform well no matter the equipment in our hands, or under our butt.

 

My dad started me printing B&W photos in our garage at the age of 7 (44 years ago). Argus C-35 range finder camera, Rolleiflex SL66, and a Graflex 4x5 Press camera with 4x5 plates, as well as a 120/220 roll back. Those were great cameras. So is my D700.

[beemerman2k]

When I was in Los Angeles last month I came upon a particularly challenging photo shoot. My nephew who just graduated from Santa Monica High School is an avid skateboarder. Every Sunday night he participates in an event at a local skateboarding shop in West LA where he and countless others perform stunts inside the shop.

 

Now, these pictures were taken indoors where there wasn't much light, and the movements were very fast. They skate across the floor and then jump 4 steps while performing a stunt in the air. Here are pictures of my nephew doing his stunts:

 

 

Look at this kid: doing stunts on his skateboard while listening to his iPod. Youth! Nothin' like it.

 

 

Yikes!

 

 

These were the best of the lot. I had to crank ISO up to 1600 to get these shots, and I used my 30mm 1.8 aperture prime, set at 1.8 to shoot these pictures.

 

This was by far the toughest session I ever had with my camera. In a situation like this, you really do long for some nice equipment, like that D700 and some great glass! Could my camera have done better under these conditions with this lens? Maybe, but I have no idea what I could have done to make it happen. Aperture wide open, ISO cranked all the way up, slowest shutter speed I could live with, I'm out of ideas after that. Hardware has to count for something folks!

 

My brother is a Sony guy. I could see him getting one of those A900 units himself. And since he lives right on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica, his front window faces the beach and the endless horizon. Makes for great shots, such as the one below taken from his deck:

 

 

Sweet, ain't it?

 

Oh, and as usual, there was no post processing applied to these pictures :smile:

[vizhip]

Nice pics... and nice view...

 

Last time I was out taking pics, I was getting mad at my camera because it just didn't want to click... after 5 minutes I realized that I still had the lens cap on...

 

My Mavica is so old, it still uses floppy disks... but then... the camera I had before that still used film... and the one before that I kept having to buy those single flash bulbs... one per shot... and before that I had one that I still wish I owned... a box camera...

 

so... no where near a professional or as good as you folks do on this forum... I just take shots to remember... I use the forum and other locations for great pictures to set in the background of my computer... )))

 

Regards -

-Bob

[longjohn]

When I was in Los Angeles last month I came upon a particularly challenging photo shoot. My nephew who just graduated from Santa Monica High School is an avid skateboarder. Every Sunday night he participates in an event at a local skateboarding shop in West LA where he and countless others perform stunts inside the shop.

 

Now, these pictures were taken indoors where there wasn't much light, and the movements were very fast. They skate across the floor and then jump 4 steps while performing a stunt in the air. Here are pictures of my nephew doing his stunts:

 

Look at this kid: doing stunts on his skateboard while listening to his iPod. Youth! Nothin' like it.

 

Yikes!

 

These were the best of the lot. I had to crank ISO up to 1600 to get these shots, and I used my 30mm 1.8 aperture prime, set at 1.8 to shoot these pictures.

 

This was by far the toughest session I ever had with my camera. In a situation like this, you really do long for some nice equipment, like that D700 and some great glass! Could my camera have done better under these conditions with this lens? Maybe, but I have no idea what I could have done to make it happen. Aperture wide open, ISO cranked all the way up, slowest shutter speed I could live with, I'm out of ideas after that. Hardware has to count for something folks!

 

My brother is a Sony guy. I could see him getting one of those A900 units himself. And since he lives right on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica, his front window faces the beach and the endless horizon. Makes for great shots, such as the one below taken from his deck:

 

Sweet, ain't it?

 

Oh, and as usual, there was no post processing applied to these pictures :smile:

 

One option for you would be to buy a used Canon 5D which are very affordable right now, and some fast glass to go with it, like a 50mm 1.2, or 35mm 1.4 or even the 85mm 1.2. If I had kids I would have to have the latter, no matter what I had to sacrifice. The sharpness, color, and background separation will blow you away. Also, some of the noise reduction software programs available are very good. The 5D will also shoot at iso 3200 very nicely.

[Mark K]

Geez......and I've been debating whether to spend $500 on the new Canon G11 because the technology changes sooooo fast.

 

 

Yea........I'm still using an OM-1 (and loving it). Anybody even know what that is?

[David]

That was MY first real camera. Got $1,100 in graduation money and spent it all on an OM-1 and lenses. I really loved that camera.

[AnRSguy]

I still have two of them but can't be seen with them because I work for the competition now.