Main Menu

Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 06:41:53 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Cameras

Started by chocky909, November 19, 2011, 01:42:38 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Santa's Boyfriend

I'm planning to buy a 3D camera this month, does anyone have any recommendations?  It'd be good to get one that could shoot in RAW but I'm assuming such a thing doesn't exist, and anyway I'm not made of money.

falafel

Hmm. Well,there's a 3D lens for the Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Neomod

Quote from: Ignatius_S on December 12, 2011, 11:54:04 PM
I'm rather a Sony man, so perhaps a bit biased but they're normally solid.

If you can stretch about fifty quid more, then the Sony HDR-CX130 is worth considering - also, there's the Sony HDR-CX115 and would give you a fair bang for your buck. They're not too new, but not too old - and to be honest when new kit comes out, you're paying a premium to have the latest - both cost a fair bit more when they came out. Both have manual focus, but nothing too advanced.

I take it you don't need a mic input?

Yeah, external mic input, need I would.

DSLR wise I had a Nikon D40 and it was lovely to use. The lens went wrong within a year which was a shame and surprise. Warranty covered it though and I had no problems til the ex got custody when we split. As I still have a couple of lenses for it I think I will get another one 2nd hand off eBay for £140 ish.

Aren't Olympus in trouble now with the Japanese authorities?

Lfbarfe

I've just bought a manufacturer refurbished Canon EOS1000D with 18-55mm and 75-300mm lenses for £279.99 from Canon's own outlet on eBay. I suspect the lenses aren't the image stablised versions, but I used similar sized optics on 35mm without any trouble. Use a shutter speed equal to or greater than the focal length was always the rule of thumb.

Will report back on how it goes. I think I'll keep the Fuji for backup, though.

Nuclear Optimism

I'm not very experienced with cameras but circumstances dictate I may need to become reasonably acquainted with one in the near future. I'm going to buy one of those fuck-off SLR dealies. Guy in the shop steered me towards a Nikon D5100 (He says it is almost as good as a super super expensive one, without being quite so super super expensive), and I said I'd go home and think about it. I really liked the look and feel of it. Is there anything about this brand or model that screams "NO YOU TIT THIS IS A RUBBISH IDEA"?

I've heard of Nikon so they're a "proper" company, right?

Lfbarfe

It gets a good review here - http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5100 - but beware of what chaps in shops tell you. The other day I was in my local Jessops, looking at an Olympus E-PL1. I asked what the 35mm equivalent focal lengths were for the 14-42mm lens. The assistant said "Oh, they're the same". I said "No, because a 14mm lens for a 35mm camera would be a fish-eye. What's the crop ratio for this format?" He looked at me like I was from outer space. I checked when I got home and it turns out it's a 2x crop on Micro Four-Thirds, so it was equivalent to a 28-84mm lens.

Anyway, if you want a basic DSLR, capable of both manual control and full auto, with two zoom lenses likely to cover all situations, this is what I've just bought - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-EOS-1000D-Rebel-XS-10-1-MP-18-55mm-75-300-mm-Lenses-Refurbished-/270933528872 - As far as I can tell, there's no such thing as a bad D-SLR. Some's better than others.

Nuclear Optimism

Quote from: Lfbarfe on March 30, 2012, 02:13:21 AM
but beware of what chaps in shops tell you.

But he had kind eyes.

Thanks for the info.

mobias

Nikon, Canon, Sony, plus some others. You won't go far wrong with any of them. Both Nikon and Sony are known for bringing some of their more high end tech into their mid range cameras, certainly when it comes to censor quality,  so there's some deals to be had out there.

CaledonianGonzo

I did a lot of reasearch on this last year when it seemed like the two best entry level DSLRs were the Canon 550D and the Nikon D3100.  The Nikon worked out about £150 cheaper, so that's what I went with.  Things may have changed a little since then as it was about 8 months ago.

I think the D5100's a bit more expensive for relatively little increase in tech on the D3100.

I have a Nikon D7000, but that's probably overkill for a first camera. Nikon naming is really confusing. Here's a recent post from SA:

QuoteThe basic idea is this:

First of all, the sensor is almost meaningless in terms of how "pro" or "amateur" the camera is meant to be (and that includes price point). Usually the more expensive cameras have somewhat better sensors, but it's not a rule and the upgrade cycles are all different.

D3x00 are the entry level cameras, they have the fewest features, have no in camera focus motor, weakest AF system, and make you dive into the menus to change a lot of settings.

D5x00 are the mid-level amateur cameras. They are a bit of a step above in terms of features, and usually are a step above in the sensor as well. They still don't have an in camera AF motor. This line also has the tiltable LCD screen.

D7x00 is a bit harder to define since there's only been one of them. It could go 2 ways basically. Either it's the advanced amateur camera (replacing the high numbered Dxx cameras, which I'll get to in a bit), or it's the pro DX camera (replacing the Dxxx cameras). Right now it has some pro features, but not all the ones the D300 has. Basically, the body is better sealed against weather than the cheaper cameras, has a very powerful AF system, and usually shares a sensor with the latest D5x00 camera. Currently the D7000 kind of fits in between the D90 and D300. For instance, it can meter old manual lenses, unlike the D90, but its AF and weather sealing aren't quite up to the D300. It also has a rather small buffer for continuous shooting.

The Dxx line used to be the entry level (low numbers, up to D60), and the advanced amateur (D70-D90). The entry level cameras tended to have sensors that lagged the advanced amateur cameras by one generation.

The Dxxx line is the semi-pro line, and is in DIRE (!!!!!) need of upgrading (so the NikonRumors guys can post test charts). It's currently split between FX (high numbers like D700 and D800) and DX (D100-D300). Nikon users are in a bit of a tizzy because everyone except high end DX users have been getting sweet new toys for a while now. The D300s (small upgrade to the D300) still has a 4 year old sensor in it, after all.

Depending on where the D7x00 line goes, the new semi-pro DX body could either be called the D400 or the D7100. At this point it would probably have a new sensor, maybe the same 24MP one rumored to go into the D3200, and it would be a bit bigger and heavier (and sturdier) than the D7000, have a bigger buffer and shoot at higher FPS. It would probably inherit the AF system from the D800 and D4 as well.

Now, it's possible that the D400 turns out to be a cheaper FX camera. That could imply that Nikon won't make a more "professional" DX body anymore, which means DX shooters have to decide between using a D7000, D300 or D800 in crop mode, all of which are compromises in some way, unless the D7100 does add some features to the D7000 after all, which wouldn't help the confusion.

I really hope that helped rather than making you even more confused, feel free to ask questions about it.

EDIT: Oh, and the reason the D5100 and D7000 share a sensor is because each of the product lines is upgraded completely separately. Pretty much every camera released just uses whatever the state of the art sensor is at the time, with the exception of the entry level camera (except it looks like this time the D3200 is getting a state of the art sensor after all).

Even more info if you feel like it: some people are now suggesting that Nikon will be bumping up the price point of all its DSLRs a bit, and make mirrorless the entry level interchangeable lens system. For those keeping track, that would basically mean that the D3200 becomes the D5100 successor, the D5200, whenever it comes out, the D90 successor (officially the D7000 is not the D90 successor), and the D7100 the D300 successor. That might explain the crazy 24MP sensor that's supposed to be in the D3200.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: Neomod on January 12, 2012, 01:30:41 PM
Yeah, external mic input, need I would....

Sorry, probably a bit late now but if you need that, then (going on memory) it's a bit of higher price point.

Quote from: CaledonianGonzo on March 30, 2012, 09:16:43 AM
I did a lot of reasearch on this last year when it seemed like the two best entry level DSLRs were the Canon 550D and the Nikon D3100.  The Nikon worked out about £150 cheaper, so that's what I went with.  Things may have changed a little since then as it was about 8 months ago.

I think the D5100's a bit more expensive for relatively little increase in tech on the D3100.

These days, the1100D is more comparable to the D3100 – but in any case, the step up to the D5100 is pretty small. The articulated display is nice and it's better for video, but if that doesn't appeal, saving some pennies never hurts!

mobias

I really seriously want a Sony Nex-7. Having spoken to other professional photographers who own one and reading all the bumf online about it it sounds truly amazing. The D-SLR is dead methinks.

Nuclear Optimism

Well, I went ahead and got the D5100. It's the bollocks so far.

If only I knew how to take good photies!

Lfbarfe

Have you bought it to take pictures of anything specific? Whatever, set it to program mode, take pictures of every-fucking-thing, then go through them all and see which ones work and which ones don't. Then try to work out why. The golden section is always worth bearing in mind, compositionally.

Lfbarfe

I've just ordered a Sigma 10-20mm zoom for my Canon. That's equivalent to 16-32mm on 35mm. Nice and wide. Can't wait for it to arrive.

wasp_f15ting

I REALLY really regret selling my Nikon D90 :(

All these "cheap" full frame cameras are taking the piss a bit.. even the D600 is £1700 which they say is affordable but I am sure the D700 was the same price.

I am tempted by the RX100.. but at the moment that price is just a bit too much. I am hoping a Canon 5D Mk1 or Nikon DX pops up on the bay with minimal click counts..

mobias

Anyone here thinking of getting a new camera I fully recommend either a Sony NEX 5N or if you've got the money a NEX 7. Similar image quality to a good to high end APS-C DSLR but a lot more fun to use  and all in a body the size of phone. With a wide range of adaptors available you can now fit pretty much any lens out there to them.

The future of photography is modular cameras like these I reckon.

Though if I won the lottery I'd get one of these babies http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sony-cybershot-dsc-rx1 £2500 for a fixed lens camera though.

Lfbarfe

I looked at the Olympus E-PL1 when I was in the market for my DSLR, and while it looked like a bargain, it seemed less so when I realised I'd need flash and a proper viewfinder, both of which would have had to be bought extra. The Lumix G series appealed too, but the Canon came up cheaper than both, so I went that way.

Anyway, I'm getting to grips with the 10-20mm. It seems that using it in autofocus mode can be a bit hit and miss, and that my best results come from keeping it at f8 and keeping the manual focus on infinity. That way, everything from a couple of feet in front of me seems to be in focus.

Anyway, I took this one at 14mm.



With my existing 18-55mm lens, I'd have had trouble getting this all in. Before now, I've tried using a longer lens from across the harbour, but then the steel fence I leaned against to take this was in the way. There was some distortion on the original, but I dealt with it in GIMP. So, yeah, I'm enjoying my reckless and bastard expensive purchase, and starting to think it wasn't mid-life crisis fuckery. Even my wife, who looked at me like I'd gone mad when I told her how much it had cost, has said that she can now see the reason why I bought it. It's really going to earn its keep when I'm doing theatre and cinema interiors. Naturally, I bought it from Amazon, clicking through from the CaB banner. 


Quote from: Lfbarfe on September 30, 2012, 10:36:07 PM
my best results come from keeping it at f8 and keeping the manual focus on infinity.

Look into calculating the hyperfocal distance.

There are online calculators, and I have a couple iOS apps. You punch in the ranges and f stop, and it tells you the distance to focus on to get the widest depth of field.

Wilbur

Right my venerable Olympus Mpu4 has finally died after about 8 years and having been round the world with me. Anybody used one of these ?    
Canon PowerShot A3400IS. They seem like a good buy. Confusingly the Olympus equivalent seems to be a VR3400 but apparently the shutter speed is slow (as was my old Olympus). Any advice for a simple cheapish fairly robust point and click much appreciated. Ta.

Noodle Lizard

I've got a Canon 650D (T4i) on recommendation of someone here and it's incredible.  I almost feel like I'm cheating by having bought it complete with an STM lens, external microphone and case all for under £1000 because the quality really is pro-standard.

I've heard the lower-end models in that series have similar quality, just a few less features (articulated screen, touch-screen, autofocus while filming etc.) so go for one of them if you can afford to spend a couple hundred quid.  It'll be things like the T2i (550D) and so on.

Lfbarfe

Quote from: Steve Lampkins on October 01, 2012, 09:15:38 AM
Look into calculating the hyperfocal distance.

There are online calculators, and I have a couple iOS apps. You punch in the ranges and f stop, and it tells you the distance to focus on to get the widest depth of field.

Yes, I've read up on that after the first few pics turned out variable. However, with a 10mm lens at f8, infinity starts at around 3 feet anyway.

Nuclear Optimism

I got a 10-24mm lens recently, and I'd like to second how fucking brilliant a wide angle is. Not just for exteriors; I took a picture of my room and it looked bloody huge. Handy trick if I ever put the place on the market.

If I ever want to upgrade from by Nilon D5100, what would be best? Obviously I'd prefer another Nikon so I can keep using my existing lenses.

Lfbarfe

Quote from: Wilbur on October 01, 2012, 09:25:30 AM
Any advice for a simple cheapish fairly robust point and click much appreciated. Ta.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 gets good reviews on the image quality front, and can be picked up for around £60.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Nuclear Optimism on October 01, 2012, 09:40:57 PM
I got a 10-24mm lens recently, and I'd like to second how flipping brilliant a wide angle is. Not just for exteriors; I took a picture of my room and it looked bloody huge.
I've been looking at getting a camera recently, and this is one of my main concerns. It was my understanding that a 50mm lens (35mm on an aps-c) has an equal viewing angle to that human eye, but earlier on I had a go with a Canon 600d using an 18mm lens and the angle was really narrow.

It is confusing.

Lfbarfe

Are you sure the 600D didn't have an 18-55mm lens set to the 55mm end? On an APS-C camera, an 18mm lens should be equivalent to a 28mm on a film SLR, giving a horizontal angle of view around 65 degrees. A 10mm on an APS-C is equivalent to 16mm on a standard SLR, and the angle of view is about 100 degrees.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I thought I'd zoomed out all the way, but it had one of those security tags on the lens, so it may have got stuck halfway. I'll have to try one in another shop. I'll certainly be wanting to shoot indoors from time to time.

Lfbarfe

The 10-20mm has justified its existence on its first outing. Normally, I have to go some way back in the circle to get a decent view of the proscenium arch, and I end up with a load of seats in the foreground. With the new lens, I can be at the front of the circle and get this:



Meanwhile, this would have had to be a stitched-together panorama job.



So yeah, thrilled with it.

Neomod

Someone mentioned a while back in a video thread I think about a Canon DSLR that also did video. It was around the £350 mark but I can't remember what it was.

I've finally lost faith with Nikon as I've had two now that I've had problems with.

#59
The Canon 1100d shoots 720hd, that's currently £313 on Amazon. £287.49 at Argos

The restrictions are mono sound and no jack to put an external mic.