The Photography Thread

[Gradius]

I'm on the verge of getting myself a digital camera. I was going to get the Fuji F50fd, it seems pretty decent to me (non expert) but i had read some stuff about grainyness. I'm looking to spend no more than ?200 preferably with a mem card and case. I'd prefer something i can drop in my pocket.

Any recommendations?

[Ginger Tosser]

lol nice title Gradius!

Anyway. Not too sure about compacts. But the grain issue might be when it's used in low light and the auto ISO function. http://www.dpreview.com/ might give you some reviews, problem is people seem to be anal on testing their cameras rather than using them for images.

Alastair, I like the black and white image. Reminds me of Dr Who for some reason

[Alastair]

On a photography forum I use there is a thread that asks what would your dream photography job/assignment be? Well? What would yours be?

For me it's a tricky question to answer, maybe shooting an F1GP weekend at Monaco (because you can get close). I'm sure there's loads of others things and I always dream of being at the right place at the right time to capture a real bit of history happening (even something like a seminal gig by an up and coming band). What I do know is that even though it's earnt me some money now, shooting people getting their hair cut is not it!

Over to you guys.

[Magnakai]

I'm on the verge of getting myself a digital camera. I was going to get the Fuji F50fd, it seems pretty decent to me (non expert) but i had read some stuff about grainyness. I'm looking to spend no more than £200 preferably with a mem card and case. I'd prefer something i can drop in my pocket.

Any recommendations?

I've had the f31fd, the previous version of the F50fd, for about 5 months now. It's a great little camera. Very quick and great quality. If you're looking to shoot a lot of low light (i.e. not with sunlight) then it's a great choice, as it has less noise (grain) at high ISO settings (which means more sensitive to light - which you need in dark situations) than other compact cameras. The thing is, it's 12 megapixel. That's a rather huge number for a compact, and I suspect that it's going to counteract the excellent low noise performance of the F31fd.

In essence, the F50fd is quite likely to be ridiculously grainy because they've tried to squeeze a silly number of pixels onto a tiny sensor. The 6 megapixel f31fd is an excellent camera and I'd recommend one wholeheartedly. I got mine for about £110 at Amazon.

[Gradius]

I would have gone for f31fd if i could find one, they seem have been all snapped up now.

I've gone for the Canon Ixus 70. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Looks pretty good for the price.

[MonkeySteve]

On a photography forum I use there is a thread that asks what would your dream photography job/assignment be? Well? What would yours be?

Hmmm good question. He doesn't climb anymore, but following someone like Joe Simpson whilst he's ascending some glorious peak would be a dream assignment. Landscape photography is probably my favourite, and some of the locales/views that climbers get to witness are just breathtaking. And not the sort of thing that you would be able to snap on a walking holiday in the Alps that's for sure. Of course, I would need to know how to climb myself, so it's extremely hypothetical!

[funkydan]

On a photography forum I use there is a thread that asks what would your dream photography job/assignment be? Well? What would yours be?

I think I would like to be a music festival photographer and at said festival, I would be in press area shooting the bands on stage and they'd be all my faves (Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chili Peppers etc). They would all love my photos and all demand that I become their official photographer and join them on their world tours, and then we'd all have ice cream.

Now that's what I call a sticky situation!!

[Ginger Tosser]

Dream photography job? Probably an assignment to document the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Also they could bung in the isles of Scilly as well.

[Alastair]

GT - Surely you could do that on a holiday over a few years anyway? Obviously getting paid for it would be a different kettle of fish but get up there and do it anyway.

Dan - ice cream eh? That's what I call living!

[funkydan]

Dan - ice cream eh? That's what I call living!

It was homage to an episode of South Park (Flashbacks) when the boys are trapped on a bus which is perched on a cliff edge and they are reminiscing, except that every story they tell seems to end with them having ice cream and saying "Now that's what I call a sticky situation!"

I'd still like to do the festy though. I have a mate who writes for a Music Festival website, and reviews the festival every year, so I might see if he'd like a photographer for next year

[Alastair]

Oh, right, not watched much Southpark recently I must admit. Get onto your mate quick sharp, sounds like an easy way to get free press access to a festival to me and I'd be on a promise with him by now if I were you!

Shot from Hastings Saturday just gone.


13 Second exposure, there's a link to the large version in the text (if you're not down as a friend on Flickr) if you click it so you can see a bit more detail in the smoothed out water.

[MonkeySteve]

I really like the tranquility and colour in that shot Alastair, and the smoothness of the water. Something doesn't sit right though, and I think it's that I don't quite know what to focus on when I look at it - the rock pool, the tide, the rocks in the sea, the horizon...almost like there are too many things of interest fighting for attention. I hope that doesn't sound too harsh (especially from a noob ), it's a really nice photo

[Alastair]

Not too harsh at all Steve, thanks for the feedback. I feel the same in that I wasn't as happy with the shot as I was expecting to be, maybe that's just me though. I think it needs a little less sand and more sky and I did take some like that but wasn't so happy with those ones either.

In other news, this morning I paid for a 30D Got a decent deal second hand private sale that includes a Canon grip, £450 delivered. Should be with me Sat or Monday and I cannot wait! After that it's operation Tamron 17-50 2.8 and I'm done (for a while at least)! Although I now need a new remote as it's a different fitting to the 300D.

If you know anyone that'd be interested in a 300D, 28-80, 80-200, spare battery, some sort of memory card and a cable release let me know as I'll be shifting that lot soon.

[Gareth C]

I like the shot but agree that its hard to find an area of focus. My eye keeps getting drawn out of teh frame on the left of the pool of water and the shot almost feels slanted, even though the horizon seems level.

[Ginger Tosser]

Alastair, nice exposure on the image. Think Gareth has summed up my feelings too.

As for the dream job, I might do it on holiday but to be paid would be much better.