The Photography Thread

[Daragon]

Can someone explain to me what a system tripod is? I'm only really familiar with full size ones.

Did have a look at Redsnapper, but the cheapest they had was the same price as the Giotto one which carries a 5 year warranty as opposed to a 3 year one.

[Ginger Tosser]

Maybe it's something like the (more expensive) manfrotto ones, where you buy the base and the head separately

[Brad]

Red snapper have 2 setups on offer at ?58 at the moment.

[Anpanman]

Maybe it's something like the (more expensive) manfrotto ones, where you buy the base and the head separately

Correct, Gitzo sell theirs separately and have a configurator on their site, think Manfrotto do too.

Expensive yes but like in many things you get what you pay for.

http://configurator.gitzo.com/gitzoConfiguratorWS/default.html

[MartyG]

Nice, I'm pondering about a new lens (or possibly a second hand one). I've been thinking of getting some primes and 2 which stand out are the Canon EF 135mm f/2 L and the EF 200 f/2 L both around the ?600 mark (2nd hand for the 135, new for the 200) which as I've not got a lot of spare cash has got me thinking about trading in things. I've got an old Eos 5D which I really should have shifted a while back (plus grip) so hoping to get around ?350-400 plus I'm looking to trade in my EF 1.4 II extender - which to be honest I've never really liked.

Some nice choices there, but the L glass doesn't hang around for long 2nd hand. ?350-400 seems sensible for the 5D, they seem to be selling at the dealers from ?499 to ?600 depending on condition. All depends if you'll use that focal length a lot. My most used lens is my 17-70mm Sigma.

Maybe it's something like the (more expensive) manfrotto ones, where you buy the base and the head separately

Yup that's pretty much it, it'll give the option of changing the tripod head and base. The Giotto linked looks fine though.

Oh, and the 35mm, no it didn't turn up in the mail :/

[Ginger Tosser]

Some nice choices there, but the L glass doesn't hang around for long 2nd hand.

True, they sold the 135mm before I had got there!

?350-400 seems sensible for the 5D

Ended up getting ?315 for it, which I'm not overly happy with - but eBay sales are between ?350 - 400, so based on the lower end it's probably about the same after the auction fees. I did get ?150 for the EF1.4ex which is about right. So ended up owing ?160 for the new lens. Unfortunately it's out of stock, but they'll mail it to me in a week or so.

Quite happy with the choice, it's one more off my wanted list.

[Ginger Tosser]

oops double post

(using a very slow 3g connection tonight!)

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Hi guys

Looking for a bit of camera advice.

I am looking to upgrade from a Canon PowerShot SX210 IS to a digital SLR. I have a maximum of ?550 to spend (including one lens kit) and am looking for suggestions/feedback from people who own cameras in this price range.

The Canon is excellent as a small camera to easily carry around and is capable of really nice shots with the right lightning. However, its photos can lack vibrancy and although I have managed to get it setup to take competent low-light/night shots, the results are still not what I'd like them to be.

I'd ideally like a good all-round camera that fairly easy to work with and has enough tactile controls to make adjustments without having to navigate a myriad of menu screens. I presume that any DSLR in this price range will offer a noticeable improvement in image quality over my current camera?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[MartyG]

How much do you know about using an SLR? They're quite a bit different in terms of handling, although as a last resort you can stick them on auto (but that kind of defeats the point); to get the most out of them you're going to want to read up the basic handling and modes they can operate in.

Any SLR will give an improvement over your compact, although the kit lenses, usually 18-55mm (~3x zoom), are not going to give you the same zoom range without an additional longer lens (like a 55-200mm). For your price range you'll get the latest entry level kits no problem; you're looking at the Nikon D3200, Canon EOS 1100D, Pentax K-r and Sony Alpha SLT-A37 - all of them will give you great photos.

You might also be tempted to look at the Compact System Camera ranges (or CSCs) from Pentax, Sony, Panasonic Lumix and Olympus. They tend to be smaller and lighter, though many have smaller sensors than those in the DSLR systems.

[On The Edge of Insanity]

No SLR experience, but I'm always fiddling with the limited options on my compact and am keen to learn more, so am happy to read up on how to set them up, what different settings do, etc. That's one of the reasons I'm looking to upgrade as I've kind of reached the limit of what my compact is capable of.

I'll look into those entry level ones you've mentioned. I was looking at some CSCs, but decided that size isn't really a huge issue for me, so I'd rather go with a DSLR. I'm still happy to use the Canon compact for most situations where I'd want to take a pocketable camera.

Thanks

[EvilBoris]

My first SLR was a Canon 450d a few years ago and I've only upgraded once. For a while I was using a Canon G11, which was a top end compact with manual controls.
I still miss on occasion the zoom range that a compact will offer.

I'd just grab a 1100d or something similar, ultimately the DSLR will give you am image quality improvement over your old camera and the all have the manual controls that you will of missed out on.

Failing that maybe something inbetween like the new Canon G15 would give you a good taste of the flexibility if a DSLR but without sacrificing some of the features you may of taken for granted on your compact.

[MartyG]

So good you said it twice

There are some bridge cameras arriving now that offer 40x zoom - something you could in no way contemplate without a huge wallet on an SLR.

[EvilBoris]

Holy crap!

[Ginger Tosser]

Whilst, not being entirely photography related, just a heads up as the Vulcan XH558 is on a bit a tour tomorrow - it's around the middle of the country so might not appeal to all.

http://mxm.mxmfb.com/rsps/wlnk/c/1216/r/212774/e/417

[Yakumo]

Today, I took my son to the Aquarium in Shimonoseki. I only had my phone with me at the time but it did manage to take some pretty good shots.









Yakumo