Camera gear discussions

Discussion in 'Photography and Cameras' started by Bill-P, Oct 15, 2015.

  1. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Let me check shipping costs, but I'll do my A6000 + Zeiss Touit 32mm/f1.8 lens + kit 16-55mm lens + Sony 55-210mm + 1.7x adapter for $1000 if they're reasonable and you're interested.
     
  2. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    It's plastic, but the upside of that is that you barely notice the weight of it. I don't think it is poor build quality, but as in all things, it is built to the price. You do not get a metal lens mount, and you do not get any weather proofing.

    But, having said that, people have had a6000s for quite a while now, and I haven't seen complaints of them falling apart. So if you love it for being light-weight, don't write it off for being light-weight. I most appreciated my a6000 when I felt the weight of my a6500 in my hand!

    But hey, onwards and upwards. I meant to sell it. A couple of days ago, I had the idea to stick the 16-55 kit lens, which I also don't really use, on it, and throw it in my every-day bag like a compact.

    I guess I'd really recommend the a6000, today, to those who really need to spend the least on a camera in this range. Otherwise, all the other older models, let alone the recently-released ones, are going to give you more.
     
  3. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Nikon D7x00 series if you want the crop sensor. Nikon D700 or D750 if you want to go full frame. These cameras are now affordable and appealing. If you have Nikkor/Nikon lenses you cannot lose with either direction.

    In case you have some older lenses (AF-D and earlier full frame lenses) go D700 or D750 because that camera is pretty compatible with older lens series.

    Do not settle for D5x00 or D3x00 series unless you can use them properly with your existing lenses.

    P.S.

    Should you have a first gen D40 or D50, put on a 35mm on it and keep it for fun walking around.

    P.P.S.

    Before buying my K5 to settle on a DSLR I considered a D700. That generation is affordable now and quite a deal if you don't need video and extra gimmicks.
     
  4. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    That is a really good starter kit for a Sony system. Nice.
     
  5. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Picked this lens up. I traded my Pentax 18-135 for this. I am done with Pentax lenses for a long time...

    [​IMG]

    This lens is quite good. F2.8 to F4.5 over that range is very useful.
     
  6. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I am suffering from GAS. Gear Apathy Syndrome. There is nothing I particularly want at the moment.

    It's terrible. I cannot dream of the thing that I know would light up my world and turn me into a better photographer! (Yes, I know: haha)

    I would like to think about a fastish zoom. Maybe one of the new Tamron e-mount 2.8 zooms. But I have primes for everything I need until I plan a trip, and that might not be for a while now.
     
  7. Eric_C

    Eric_C Friend

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    Just want to echo Thad's comment on plastic != poor build quality.
    Reviews of the new Olympus EM5 Mk 3 have been popping up, and one big change is it's smaller and lighter--because it's got more plastic and less magnesium than the Mk 2. It's still weather sealed, and in fact it's got an IPX rating (the older one doesn't), so it may be even better built than the predecessor.
    FWIW I love cameras to be as small and as light as good ergonomics allow. Hence, I was happy to go from entry level DSLR to mirrorless, but I didn't enjoy my Olympus PEN (EPL-7) for ergonomic reasons. And now, I've ended up with an Oly EM5.
     
  8. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Whilst the rest rely on advertising statements with small-print disclaimers! Hats off to Olympus for this.

    :bow:
     
  9. Impulse

    Impulse Friend

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    It's actually not a new development despite DPR and a few other camera sites claiming otherwise, that was just sloppy writing. I mean, DPR also said the UHS-II slot was new to the mk III when my mk II also had one and made great use out of it (it can shoot RAW+JPEG at ~5fps pretty much indefinitely because of how fast it can write to the card off buffer). To their defense, it's been a good while since the Mk II came out.

    Oly has sneaked away that IPX1 rating in their manuals for a long time... I don't think it's a big deal because that's like the lowest possible rating, I know from first hand experience their bodies can take a lot more abuse but they played it pretty safe with the certification level they chose/paid to be tested at, and it's still meaningless as far as your warranty and water ingress goes...

    Still, it's one step farther than what most other manufacturers will claim, so there's that. I never understood the fetish with metal on bodies or lenses either, metal will sent and show scratches more easily and it'll feel cold in winter... A decent grade of plastic can be plenty tough yet lighter.

    There's plastic and then there's plastic tho, Oly's 9-18 (one of the older lenses in the system to not have received an aesthetic refresh) feels significantly cheaper than say the PanaLeica 25mm. I'm reserving my judgement on the E-M5 III until I've held it, but a plastic top plate doesn't worry me too much if the dial feel is still there and the grip is better (appears to be), after all I'm not holding the camera by the top plate.
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2019
  10. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Thank you for that informative write up. So, good for Olympus, but not that, groundbreakingly good.

    The trouble with having got caught up in one brand after something like a decade away from "real" cameras, is that I honestly don't know much about the others. Perhaps, if I had taken the OM1n out of the cupboard, and fondled it a bit, I wouldn't have bought Sony!
     
  11. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    When I was still into film one of my favourite cameras was the Nikon F90X. It felt kind of plastic-ish but once you handled it a few times you knew it was tough plastic (or whatever that material was). It was heavy yet so easy to control once you memorised a few things with your hands and eyes.

    The worst part about the use of plastics and rubbers is the decay after a period of use (or abuse in tough conditions) and the camera needs a service. My old Nikon F100 became very sticky and that was not a cheap camera to service.

    My current Pentax K5 is coated in durable plastic composites and some rubbery grippy parts. There are videos on how tough that camera is. Compared to its peers made by Nikon and Canon it might not look impressive, rather plain but it is a tool that can deal with harsh conditions.
     
  12. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    In practical terms the longevity of rubber and plastics isn't particularly relevant in the age of electronics. Most consumer bodies are only rated to last about 200k clicks, a bit less for intro level models, and you can easily put that much on a body if you shoot it enthusiastically for 5-6 years. In about 4 years I put 110k on a NEX-7 (and really banged it around) and it developed a bunch of small problems. I figured that Sony's servicing cost (this was before Sony Pro, but I could negotiate while I was in HK with the local Sony retailer) is about exactly as much as what I'd sell the camera for, so I sent it in for a full service then sold it.

    With mirrorless there are simultaneously more and less things to break. No mirror box but OLED EVF's will fade, and you can wear out the card slot and such. No point in being too sentimental about it but also no point in calling for better materials. Companies have the life cycle of their gear figured out pretty well and they'll only build the chassis to be as robust as the internals. That's not a bad thing per se, it just means that you're not paying for quality that you won't get to use. It's a bit sad for me when I see Leica's bronze-clad digital bodies, they are vastly overengineered and yet Leica will only stock replacement shutters and sensors for 7-8 years, so there's little chance they'll live for more than a decade.

    Pentax is known to be a bit more robust dollar-for-dollar and Sony a bit less. But OTOH with Sony you get the cutting edge tech and Pentax is usually stuck with last cycle's sensors and AF performance. Just depends on what you need - though I feel that Pentax lacks the super tele's that would sell robustness of bodies.
     
  13. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    I recently found my end-game lens for the next few years. It is the Sigma 17-70 F2.8-F4.5 and it is quick and sharp. Tele lenses have their place but I am not interested in tele lenses. 70mm a.k.a. 105mm in full frame is enough for me. Legs can do what a tele cannot: walk.
     
  14. billbishere

    billbishere Facebook Friend

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    I recently got a 18mm f2.8 and 35mm f 1.4 Samyang primes - they are great lens for the money. Next on my list is a 135mm or 100MM. Then something macro. One of my end game lens is the sigma 105 1.4... it's a tank but, I would love it. The 135 and the 105 are about the same price so I am not sure which one I will end up with.

    I shoot Sony A7II
     
  15. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    I need to try one of these Samyangs on my Fuji. I kind of forget about those.
     
  16. billbishere

    billbishere Facebook Friend

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    They are legit and on the Sony offer the best value in some of the sizes. I did need to buy the dock to be able to make micro adjustments to get them tack sharp with the auto focus. The 35mm 1.4 focus point was off by quite a bit. The 18mm wasn't as bad but, it also needed a bit of adjustment to make it perfect.

    The micro adjusting is pretty common thing for 3rd party lens though in my experience. I started off shooting Canon T2i, and I have a Tamron 45mm lens for it. Needed to also buy the dock to make those adjustments to make it tack sharp on the autofocus.
     
  17. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    I use a Samyang 35mm f/1.2 on my X-T3. Very good image quality, especially wide open.
     
  18. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    This was incredibly interesting, if only of small practical value for me personally. But I do wanna check out the Kipon Ibelux f0.85.

     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2020
  19. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Before the quarantine finally ended in NL I went to Amsterdam. Just my Pentax K5 i with the Sigma 17-70mm. I am not changing that system. It is seriously good. (Only Fujifilm can tempt me to switch systems, I am done with the Canon/Nikon mark-ups (even though I know the old pre-AF glass is glorious).

    Then it hit me, as much as I love a good DSLR-system (I love viewfinders, cannot help it) I miss my old mirrorless system cameras. A compact-ish camera with a good sensor and a good lens are so rewarding.

    Damn I miss that Panasonic 20mm F1.7. It made my Olympus EPL-1 feel quick. It made my EM5 i almost handle like a dream camera. Fits in a coat pocket or small bag, performs like a big camera in everyday conditions.

    My next photography purchase will be something compact-ish, at least M4/3 with a killer lens. That Panasonic 20mm F1.7...
     
  20. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I moved to the RX1R II a few years back. It's so small it goes with my everywhere.
     

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