Camera gear discussions

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

  1. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    It is hard to explain in words, but the sensation while looking at Fuji shots is self-explanatory! We had Nikons and one Canon (5D MKII) at our office and neither did what our X-T1 with Fuji's primes does with colours and that mood we fell in love with. It's like comparing vintage R2R DAC to a top measuring but soulless... something else;)
     
  2. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Yup, and so tempting. But those lenses for them, ouch!
     
  3. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    You can replicate that 100% by using color presents in either Photoshop or Lightroom. There's nothing magical here and IMO at modern resolutions ultimately X-trans presents little to no advantage and is probably more costly in terms of spatial resolution than a weak AA filter.

    Straight out of camera the files are quite nice, of course.

    I shot a Pentax 645Z for more than a year before coming to the conclusion that any advantages it had over an A7r mk2 was just in my head and I could achieve the same (or better) output from just shooting the Sony in uncompressed mode. Crop-size MF just isn't that much different from FF unless you're the 1% of 1% of photographers who needs to push the limits of their system. Real 53*40mm MF is a completely different beast.
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2019
  4. Partytime

    Partytime Facebook Friend

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    Anyone shooting film?

    I’m a film junkie. I have darkroom in my garage. Love printing.
     
  5. Partytime

    Partytime Facebook Friend

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    If you want MF get some slide film and an old MF film camera. For price of digital MF you could have camera, tons of film and tons of developing!
     
  6. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Thanks for the info! I might get the 24mm Zeiss since that's closest to a 35mm in full frame.

    Thanks on this. I might do the 24mm since that's closet to a 35mm full frame, hopefully the prices are good when I'm ready.

    Is there even a point of Photoshop or Lightroom? I don't like to do photo edits. I'm more of leave the picture has they come from the lens type of guy.
     
  7. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    @YMO You could set up a notification alert with B&H/Adorama on used 24mm's. You can post a WTB on FredMiranda too, when you're 100% ready to buy. That's pretty much how I shop for used lenses. I would pay $500 max for a really good copy, they've been out for years and the market is pretty stable now.

    Regarding post processing, I've always been more of a post processing guy than someone who's good at being in the moment. That hasn't worked out badly for me - it's easier to move across subject types and get recognition for your work (I regularly take product photos for audio companies to get discounts on equipment) - but there's a balance.

    If you want to become a professional - either in the sense of being paid money for your work or getting commercial use - you will need to process your images. Cameras don't capture the right amount of dynamic range relative to the human eye, so at a bare minimum you'd want to expose low, then brighten the shadows and tone the highlights. The greats all did extensive darkroom work - look at a picture from Bresson or Winogrand, they might not have been darkroom maestros in the way that Ansel Adams was, but they were proficient and didn't hesitate to edit.

    If it's just for fun, it's a philosophical thing and you don't have to know any of it. But I would recommend at least being moderately comfortable with software, just in case a friend asks you to cover an event or you want to save a particularly good but flawed shot.
     
  8. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    Regarding software for people that really don't want to spend time editing, I'd recommend Luminar. Version 4 is coming out November-ish, and you can do some pretty amazing stuff in little time and effort with it.

    That link focuses on new stuff for 4. Also check out the main, current page for existing features.

    I like how they show the settings and the amount of time they spent on each photo.
     
  9. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Very cool, supposedly effective. Will give it a try. Thanks!
     
  10. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    I have Luminar 3, and I've played with it some. The best part is that unless you really tweak the knobs, the AI does a good job of keeping things looking realistic.

    I am looking forward to 4 for the portrait touch-ups, because those can take a lot of effort.
     
  11. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    It'd be good to have some sort of automated action, one magic button to get rid of most junk etc., just to improve large bulks of pics fast. Good AI is important, not every single person is a pro.
     
  12. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    The bottom-of-the-range elderly a6000 is still so much camera for the money. Rather than the a6300, I would (and did, even after the a6400 came out) get the a6500. People seem to love to post that Sony's IBIS is crap: it may not be the best, I don't know, but it helps me a lot!
    You might consider the Sigma 30mm. No OSS, but that did not much bother me on the a6000 (telephoto lenses did though) let alone the a6500. f/1.4 is like turning the lights on when you look through the viewfinder!

    I will admit to occasional AF-C (continuous) focussing issues with this lens. I should get the firmware update (but I don't have a Windows computer) which might fix that. I bought it used, New/current-firm-ware hopefully fixes this.
     
  13. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Hey all,

    I've been using the same digital camera for around 12-14 years (memory is fuzzy). It's an old Nikon DSLR back when digital cameras were really taking off and replacing film. I can still get good images with it, but it's obviously a dinosaur and I'm finally looking to move on.

    Manual controls and interchangeable lenses are a must and I need to stay under $1k.

    Recommendations?
     
  14. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Body or body + lens for $1k?
     
  15. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Preferably both, but if I can get a huge jump in quality by breaking that rule then I'm willing to entertain the idea.
     
  16. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    From the Sony camp... a6000. Or add a hundred to the model number if you want up-to-date, but hey, the old model still works!
     
  17. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Thanks! The price is certainly right. I'm turned off by having to adjust shutter speed, etc. through digital menus, but I'd probably get used to it.

    The Fujifilm X-T30 has my attention at the moment, but it's really pushing me budget-wise.

    The Nikon D7500 is also appealing. It's not the latest and greatest, but I'm very comfortable with Nikon, it has solid image quality, and can use the lenses I already have.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2019
  18. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Aperture and exposure may not be on rings around the lens, as they were in the good old days, or even have dedicated dials on the top of the case, as they are today on what some might call more camera-like modern cameras --- but you do get a dial for one and a wheel for the other, and even the choice to swap them, but you have to delve into the digital menu.

    Actually, menu digging is a Sony feature. Even diehards find it hard to say anything nice about Sony menus. Perhaps... this is not the camera for you.
     
  19. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    I have the Sony A6000 @Skyline. It really is a great camera and gives me all the manual controls I want. I'll have to let you check out mine.
     
  20. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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    Went to my local Best Buy today. After trying out the various Sony bodies, I came to the following:

    The RX Cybershot series while nice in size, it is too light and cramped for my taste. Might be better for a backup camera than anything else. However, it is tempting to get a decent all in one and call it a day like the V. However, the weight and smallness makes it more like a toy than anything else.

    Love the weight and size of the A6000, until you realize that the built quality makes the weight light.

    A6400 is the sweet spot of weight, feel, and size. Tons of menus but if you play around with it long enough, you'll be able to figure it out. AF is a lot faster than the A6000.

    No ZOOM LENS. On the A6400 body was the Sony 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Zoom. It's a great zoom, but it has too much weight for my taste and I just felt like it was bulky as f**k. As @Zhanming057 said before, a Zoom lens was most likely was going to get in my way. He was right.

    I can go for an used body or if there's a sale of the A6400 new I'll get that. Will hunt down the Zeiss 24mm and call it day. However, I might do video here and there so I'll most likely pick up the used Sony 35 which I think is closer to a 50mm due to APS-C.
     

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