Camera gear discussions

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

  1. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    On the verge of buying my last camera for a long time. After that I go lens hunting again...

    I am not a cutting edge prosumer "I want the best!" person. I want my camera to be a rugged tool. Only Pentax seems to offer what I want these days.

    So, do you recommend a K50 or K70? If available should I spring for a K5 or K3 (if the price is right)?

    My style is stills-oriented and I really want weather sealing. I need something as rugged as a Nikon F100/F90 and the level of B.S. in the current camera market emphasising megapixels and features over build quality really annoys me.
     
  2. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    @Deep Funk The Fujifilm X-T2 is heavily discounted now that the 3 is out, seems to be in that price range also. It is weather-sealed, and its usability is awesome (fully customisable buttons and quick-menu options), with manual controls for the important things (you can opt for menu-driven control too).

    I don't know the prices of the Pentax glass, but the Fujinon glass is amazing, and there's a full range of glass to consider. Several are labelled R (weather resistant). Even the "kit" lens 18-55mm (~24-70) is OIS (optical image stabilisation) LM (linear motor) R, and is recognised as far greater than typical "kit" quality, and when bundled with the body purchase can be had for $300 in the US with the US warranty ($699 list). Usually the US model is more expensive than the international mode because of the warranty requirements. The LM lenses autofocus very fast.

    Finally, the X-T2 is made in Japan, very high quality, and rugged. Another to consider with the APS-C is the lighter weight gear. I see/hear that commented on a lot with "switchers".

    Not trying to dissuade you from getting the Pentax if your heart's set on it, but maybe you hadn't considered it.
     
  3. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    I have been looking at Fujifilm a lot lately. I detest Fujifilm for not making the XT-10 and XT-20 weather-sealed otherwise I would have bought one of those already. For their introductory market prices it would have been easily doable for even Pentax can do it. I could even be happy with a XT-1 but the added investment in lenses might be too much of an investment for me.

    I already have enough Pentax glass to keep me busy. Fujifilm was so close to making me switch. I cannot do it if they cannot be bothered to make their cameras more durable.
     
  4. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    Keep in mind that weather sealing is just a claim, with no legal guarantee behind it if water did damage your camera. Pentax chose to make that specific claim, that doesn't mean that Pentax necessarily has better weather sealing.

    That said, I agree that DSLR's are still more robust, pound for pound, than mirrorless bodies. I'm not sure how much it matters, though. I've taken a NEX-7 into -25C weather and pretty heavy snow, and my A7r2 has been through a couple rain showers. Both are still perfectly functional. There are some weather conditions that I probably won't subject any camera short of a 1D/D4/D5 to, of course.
     
  5. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I find it very hard to take Sony's claims of weather resistance of my a6500 seriously. I can't see any sign of it it, except that the lens mount is tight. The battery door and the connections cover loot as if they would let it in if I spat on them.

    Seriously, I just don't think straight sometimes. Monsoon is one of the few really photogenic things that happens here.
     
  6. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    On the cheaper FE lenses the mounting ring is indeed an ingress point. The higher end FE lenses have a gasket on the lens mount for that purpose.

    If we're talking about full-on monsoon season then yeah, I wouldn't do that with anything Sony short of the A9 or mk3 A7's. They're still not at the level of a D5 and will break if you leave them sitting in a puddle, but you can safely hose them down.
     
  7. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Have been giving it another go recently. After taking an evening's pics and finding out that the weird lighting made everyone's faces orange, I clicked raws on my next two visits to that venue. Out of the selection of software I have installed, I picked Rawtherapee, because it, at least, looks a little less daunting than the others.

    The results were quite good, with very little tweaking apart from colour temperature. Accurate? No idea. There's another piece of the puzzle I need to get: a grey/white-card set. At least they weren't orange. Based on my guesswork of a neutral grey in the scene, they were probably a bit on the cool side. Better than orange.

    The orange lady, I did a quick blackandwhiting to the series. Better than nothing. I think she preferred them to orange. The other artist I know, who I shot raw, I haven't sent her the picks yet. The jpegs are very orange. She is mid-complexion Indian: I just hope I haven't turned her too grey.
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2019
  8. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    I think Fuji skipped the extra sealing on the "entry level" models because of both size & price. It does require a bit more of each.

    That said, there are quite a few photogs on YT that have said they take their "non-WR" bodies & lenses out in sandy, dusty, and rainy conditions and don't really worry. The most I've heard is that the camera sensor & viewfinder could fog from cold->warm transitions due to condensation on those.

    I didn't know you already had Pentax lenses, and yeah that's the far greater cost than the body. There is a K- to X-mount (Fuji) adapter, but you lose autofocus.

    Cheers, and I hope you end up with a body that suits you well for years to come!
     
  9. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Probably a K5 or K3. They are underrated but they handle like pro-bodies and Pentax is really bad at marketing.
     
  10. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Okay, so I am getting a Pentax K5 with 18-135mm for almost nothing. Here is my decision-making process in order:
    1. Need an semi-pro or pro DSLR(-like) camera that can take abuse a bad weather even if I generally baby it because weather in the Netherlands can be shitty.
    2. Full-frame is nice, if affordable but crop is just as good for almost everything with the right lenses (my experience).
    3. Damn Fujifilm is good but a skipping weather-sealing and dust protection is a mortal sin. (I had a Nikon F100 with dust issues, fucked up some pictures so never again!)
    4. The camera has to handle well. I detest menu diving, it feels like fumbling in Windows 98/XP before even being able to take a picture.
    5. Invested in Pentax lenses but can switch if the other brand-system has a decent kit-lens included.
    6. Could snap up a K3 but if it breaks I have extra costs (repairs and/or replacement) while a K5 is nearly as good technically but relatively easy to replace.
    7. If I feel like it I can spring for a K1 in a few years (at least 2 or 3) or be happy get a spare K5 and stay happy with that.
    8. Given I am lacking a 40mm I will lurk for a standard Fujifilm X100 for the right price. I do not care that it is a "slow" camera. It is responsive enough and 35mm/40mm is pretty great for walking around. Use your legs.
    So there you have it. Months of obsessing over finding an affordable upgrade that does not torture my wallet in 8 points. I am going to have fun.

    P.S. Any camera that has that top LCD with shutter speed, ISO, aperture and whatnot on it, I will always prefer that over gimping behind the screen. Even my almost obsolete K100 D Super has it.
     
  11. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Picked up the K5 on Friday. Have been testing it ever since.

    Really nicely designed (great manual controls) and the 18-135mm is no slouch in well-lit environments. Just beyond 100mm the shake reduction only works if your shutter speed is above 1/250-ish. (In my teens I used to shoot sports for fun with my F100 and Sigma 28-300 on ISO 3200 B/W film, fencing is difficult to capture. No flash!) The 18-55mm is more responsive and focuses with more ease. (Yes, that kit-lens does not suck).

    One issue, that shake reduction on the K5 is effective but the 5-axis stabilisation that Olympus makes is nearly unbeatable. My EM5 mark one, could take some ridiculous one-handed shots with so much sharpness that I sometimes gasped at the results.

    I still need to make at least a few hundred bad pictures before I completely understand the K5. I shall cringe...
     
  12. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    ICYMI, Peak Design is kickstarting their new travel tripod. Just in case you're in the market. Very nicely designed, of course, but PD pricing.
     
  13. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Any Fuji lovers in here? Our manager recently treated our office with older Fuji X-T1 and 'wow' is the best way to describe this camera.
     
  14. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    That would prolly be me. I have an X100F and an X-T3 with 16mm f1.4 and 50-140mm f2.8.
     
  15. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Lurking for one in the future. Even an XE-1 or XE2 with 27mm will do.

    Still taking test shots with the K5. For an old pro-body it is incredibly compact yet all the buttons and switches feel right (and I have big hands). After a few hours already you get used to changing settings on the fly, 90% of the time you only use the top LCD.
     
  16. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I really love my RX1R II but have a super odd desire for the successor to have a full frame monochrome sensor. 3x the light would be killer and I find this camera rocks at B&W. With AF improvements from more recent cameras plus a true monochrome sensor I think Sony would have a crazy gem of a rangefinder on their hands.
     
  17. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    There are companies that will remove the CFA and antialiasing filters. Also the infrared and UV.

    Then you put screw-on filter(s) for the kind of monochrome you'd like to take.
     
  18. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I don’t want that. I want 3x the light in a full frame sensor. That would be ridiculous.

    Edit: I’m assuming debayering, etc happens on the SW side or there’s some acceleration in an ASIC. Or does most of that happen physically?

    Edit 2: well f**k, I might spend $800 on this.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2019
  19. Syzygy

    Syzygy Friend

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    To get 3x the light you gotta remove the CFA.

    And I've always hated the look of digital with antialiasing filters. I'd rather deal with moire and see a sharp image.
     
  20. Zhanming057

    Zhanming057 Friend

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    I'm probably going to do a CFA mod on my RX1R II after I do my next round of camera upgrades. I had a monochrome A7 1st gen and was very fond of the files it produced. Color filters are mandatory through and you need custom RAW preprocessing or otherwise you lose most of the resolution gain.
     

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