Camera and photography thread

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Randy Cornhole
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Camera and photography thread

Post by Randy Cornhole »

I hope this is the right place for this. The cameras are digital after all. :D

Thought i'd start a new thread as there are a lot of snappers out there.

mabubba wrote -
was wondering what dSLR you are looking at? I am also interested in getting one and was going to wait until I came to Thailand. Might try to look here or in the US first now...
Personally I was looking at the Canon eos 40d body as this has extra weather proofing ie rubber seals on all the compartments which would be good for keeping out sand, dust and moisture.
Its also a lot cheaper than the eos 1 and eos 5 bodies.

As the 40d is no longer current they can be picked up on ebay for under 400 pounds sterling.

As far as lenses go I don't like using flash so would go (ideally) for a low light lens like the canon 24-70 f2.8 L series. eye poppingly expensive but you shoudn't need any other lenses.

If funds ever allowed the 50mm f1.4 L would be a dream come true.

The latest buzz in the camera world is the up comming arrival of the Fuji x100 (an affordable m9?) It seems so and at around 1000 pounds sterling about 5 times cheaper and you get a lens albeit fixed.

As range finders go its pure sex... :naughty: and is setting the camera world alight with anticipation.

Check it out http://www.finepix-x100.com/
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Re: Camera thread

Post by buksida »

About time we had a dedicated snappers thread, good call RC!

I currently shoot with a Nikon D70s which I was thinking of upgrading to the D300s or the new D7000. Have had Nikons for ages and cant fault them so will stick with what I know.

The problem is that in Thailand cameras are a good 25-30% more expensive than say Hong Kong so you could actually fly there, purchase the camera and fly back and still have change!

A D300s body in HK will cost approx 44k: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nikon-D300s-Body- ... 4399f03ac4

The identical unit in Thailand costs 59k ... that's quite a difference: http://bigcamera.co.th/index.php?dispat ... t_id=29926

Something that shoots 6 frames per second would be awesome which is why the sturdy D90 and newer D5000 cameras are out.

As for the glass, well the sky is the limit, a decent 400mm f4 AF-S telephoto can cost more than the camera!

Agree with you though RC, flash sucks so a nice f2.8 (or lower) would rock!
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Re: Camera thread

Post by Randy Cornhole »

Just a thought. There must be a board member that travels regulary to a country that sells cameras cheaper than in Thailand and would be willing to bring one in for you?

They could unpack it and bring it in tax free...!
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Re: Camera thread

Post by mabubba »

Thanks Randy, I thought about opening one, but thought about doing some research first. I have only used compact digital cameras lately. My dad was a photographer and back when I was a kid he bought me a Nikon 35mm camera but I never really got to use it. Now, older and wiser I am back looking at a dSLR.

One of the first questions I have regarding cameras in Thailand is the humidity. Do you think a more rugged bodied camera is essential? The reviews I have read clearly demarcate between plastic and metal bodied cameras. Is it a real issue in practice?

And what about the new hybrid cameras, the 'four thirds' ones I think they are called? Are they something I should consider when stepping up from a compact digital or should I just get to a normal dSLR? I like the idea of starting with a previous generation body to save money too. Another thing I read about new features is image stabilisation being integral to the camera body or the lens, is this something to consider when looking at the previous generation deals? I know new features are added all the time (and you can't wait on the sidelines forever:) ), but are there anyfeatures that are must haves with the newer cameras?
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Re: Camera thread

Post by kendo »

I have just purchased a compact Panasonic Lumis 12 mega pixal with £70.00 off from Argos for £89.00 and an 8 mb card for £14.99 I am really please with this little out fit.
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Re: Camera thread

Post by Spitfire »

There are so many good cameras around now that it is bewildering really. Cannon/Nikon are always decent for manufacturers brand, last one I bought was a Pentax.

I'm not a major expert on this but generally I go for something with the max optical zoom possible (10x or more is good) for the price range you can afford, usually means you get a better quality lens.

Mega pixels are often a marketing red-herring on the cheaper cameras so to speak, as unless you want to blow up images into larger prints then it doesn't make a whole load of difference whether you have 5 or 10 MP, more for pro photographers than your average snapper, 5-8 or so mega pixels are more than enough really.

The cameras being talked about by RC and Buksiare for advanced users and look very impressive, not to mention not cheap, but if you can have one then go for it, quality photos for sure, awesome.

Lots of pro photographers often say it's amazing how good some of the average cameras are now, but to get the most from them you really do have to read the manual properly, which most people don't do.
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Re: Camera thread

Post by Randy Cornhole »

mabubba wrote -
One of the first questions I have regarding cameras in Thailand is the humidity. Do you think a more rugged bodied camera is essential? The reviews I have read clearly demarcate between plastic and metal bodied cameras. Is it a real issue in practice?
To be honest its not really an issue. All cameras are designed these days to work in pretty extreme conditions.
And what about the new hybrid cameras, the 'four thirds' ones I think they are called? Are they something I should consider when stepping up from a compact digital or should I just get to a normal dSLR?
This really depends what sort of photographer you are. Compacts are really good for quick snapping and as they are small they are easily carried and availiable for that special moment.

I still carry my old canon G5 everywhere I go...!!!
Another thing I read about new features is image stabilisation being integral to the camera body or the lens, is this something to consider when looking at the previous generation deals?
Image stabilisation is usually found in the larger zoom lenses on expensive pro cameras and is sometimes found in compacts.
To be honest unless you suffer from parkinsons or have a violent tic I woudn't place it too high your list.

Just as a footnote - You can drag a pretty crappy photo back from the brink using something like photoshop.
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Re: Camera thread

Post by buksida »

Some of the bigger DSLR lenses have image stabilisation - VR or vibration resistance they call it. But I've never really noticed the difference, a steady hand or tripod for long range stuff always does the trick, you could also switch the ISO to manual and notch it up a bit to get faster shutter speeds.

The biggest problem with normal point-and-shoot cameras (and those in phones) is the shutter lag - which of course you dont get with an SLR!
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Re: Camera thread

Post by hhfarang »

I can't afford a dslr at the moment so I try to instead keep a good quality pocket camera on hand plus a good quality all in one super zoom. Right now I have a Canon and a Panasonic, which both seem to work well and take good photos... if the photographer knows what he/she is doing. :D

Years ago I had a photo book that was published by a famous photographer (Ansel Adams maybe?). Anyway, the book basically illustrated that the person behind the camera is more important than the equipment itself as the entire book was full of photos made with a home made shoebox pinhole camera.
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Re: Camera thread

Post by mabubba »

I just bought a Samsung ST60 compact digital camera to keep on me at all times. I had to replace my Panasonic that was nicked when my car was burgled in France on holiday.

I figured it will do for now while I research higher spec ones.

And having any camera is better than no camera :thumb:

And to jazz up the thread a bit I am posting a pic taken with my new camera.

Image
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Re: Camera thread

Post by Farang »

I applied a bit of basic pp-work on the photo. Wonder how it'll come out on the board.
Image

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Re: Camera thread

Post by Randy Cornhole »

Looks almost good enough to eat... :mrgreen:
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Re: Camera thread

Post by hhfarang »

Off topic, but where did the pizza come from. It looks better than most I've seen around here.

Back on topic, both my current cameras are older 6 megapixel ones. As I said the Canon elf pocket camera, my wife's 7 mp Panasonic pocket camera, and my 6 mp Panasonic super zoom (12x optical) seem to take photos that stand up well to close scrutiny, and even if I had the spare cash, I'd be hesitant to replace them with one of the current 10 - 14 mp cameras because of storage space. I have 360 gb of hard drives that are nearly full because of photos now. If you take a lot of photos, where do you store them? I'm thinking of a terabyte external drive just for this purpose... and then I need a second terabyte drive to back up the first one in case it fails! :banghead:
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Re: Camera thread

Post by mabubba »

Farang wrote:I applied a bit of basic pp-work on the photo. Wonder how it'll come out on the board.
Well, now I know.
Hey thanks! I need to get a photo editor and set up some routines for sorting the pictures from this camera. What are you using and what did you do to the photo? It looks much better.
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Re: Camera thread

Post by hhfarang »

Looks like it was "sharpened" and the "contrast raised".
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