Sort of......About Cameras (which seem to be essential to posting here).

Hi guys -

Great thread - I am always amazed at the wealth of knowledge here on this forum.

Here is a shot of my current camera - a Nikon D40 (first gen) - courtesy of Ken Rockwell -

D3S_2078-768.jpg


If you want to read some really good, no nonsense information about sensors, aperature, light capture, what megapixels mean to the average shooter etc, you owe it to yourself to check out Ken's web site - www.kenrockwell.com.

I learned from Ken that the most important part of any photographic equipment package is the 8 inches behind the viewfinder.

Expensive equipment does not necessarily mean better pictures - although features are nice to have in many cases.

My old D40 is well over 20,000 images since I bought it, and still going strong.

Thanks for a great thread and read.

best regards -

mqqn
 
omg so much data!!! overload!!!!
i want one that will click the shutter the fastest after i push the botton!!
i am so tired of missing a shot due to lag ... dammmmm lag...

i assume that a dslr that has a low response time will ahve the manual
controls needed to make a good image
and the large senser thingy macbob

so what is best?
what are the camaras that will use the old lenses?
dang i need a drink ...
wait .. no doc said not to tell kidney heals..
cranbery juch .. yuck...
 
Glad you're feeling better now, Dave!!!

Not worth it using old lenses......at least for most things. They won't auto-focus. Put'em up on display.

You just stick with me and buy the same cameras that I buy. Start with the Canon I've got and we'll work you up to the Oly with several lenses.

:D
 
110 Dave said:
omg so much data!!! overload!!!!
i want one that will click the shutter the fastest after i push the botton!!
i am so tired of missing a shot due to lag ... dammmmm lag...

i assume that a dslr that has a low response time will ahve the manual
controls needed to make a good image
and the large senser thingy macbob

so what is best?
what are the camaras that will use the old lenses?
dang i need a drink ...
wait .. no doc said not to tell kidney heals..
cranbery juch .. yuck...
Click to expand...


After a long hiatus, I'm returning to this thread.

Yes! A DSLR will give you response time like you've never experienced before if you've previously only ever been using point-and-shoots. Even shooting with my PEN (a mirrorless system), when I borrow someone's DSLR, the responsiveness, stability, and speed between shots really impresses me (even on entry-level DSLR models). So if that's what's important to you, then a DSLR is indeed a good idea.

In my previous posts on this thread, I’ve listed a few low(er)-cost entry-level options and online resources for learning about photography. I highly recommend FontanaKnowledge’s YouTube channel, it’s fun to watch him explain stuff, and he does it in simple, easy to understand language:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=FontanaKnowledge#g/u

Cheers,

Mag
 
This is mine, CANON is five years old , 6 mega pixels , x 12 optical zoom .
During the last two years I have used smart phone Nokia E72, with 5 mega pixels camera like an EDC .

 
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And we know it takes good pictures, as we've seen many of them here.

:thumbup:
 
this thread has been exciteing for me to read tho
i have limited understanding of the details

i have what i thought was a good bridge camara
but now ready to move to a better one
and i want to be able to take detail shots of my knives with it
and not loose other shots due to dammmm lag pressing the relise

one that is i guess set up through the view finder rather then a screen
might be best or is it ?
 
110 Dave said:
this thread has been exciteing for me to read tho
i have limited understanding of the details

i have what i thought was a good bridge camara
but now ready to move to a better one
and i want to be able to take detail shots of my knives with it
and not loose other shots due to dammmm lag pressing the relise

one that is i guess set up through the view finder rather then a screen
might be best or is it ?
Click to expand...

It's not the viewfinder that makes it "best," no. The viewfinder (whether optical in the case of DSLRs or electronic in the case of some mirrorless systems) is just a way to frame the picture as it will be shot, since the image you see through the viewfinder is coming through the lens exactly as it will be shot. Most mirrorless systems don't have the prism and box that flips up on a DSLR, so you are forced to hold the camera at a distance (i.e., not directly up to your eye) and frame the picture on the view screen. But for some people, that is just fine because the trade-off is that the camera is a LOT smaller.

So no, the viewfinder doesn't improve the quality of the image. However... DSLRs also tend to have bigger sensors, more powerful motors, bigger batteries, etc. That is "better" for photography, but at the cost of weight and size.

Personally, I prefer my mirrorless since it's much smaller and more discrete. YMMV.

- Mag
 
Dave,

Once you get on your feet, go to town, to a camera store, heck even wmart and others, and push the shutter buttons on some good name cameras, ones named here are a start. Then go home and think about it, maybe read on internet about those exact same cameras you handled before making final decision.....but before you buy look for my knife...ha

300
 
Dave, as 300 said, unless you want to blow the pics up to wall-hanging size, you probably don't need a camera with the larger sensor. The smaller sensors are fine for the internet and up to 8x10 and maybe just a little larger IF you did your work as a photographer well.

My main camera is this:

canon-powershot-s95-and-sx130-is-announced_1.jpg


It's fast, it's fairly small (much smaller than the DSLRs) it's easy to use as a point and shoot on auto or Program, but you can have full manual control if you want and it uses AA batteries which are handy (use the tough rechargeable Duracells mostly, but in a pinch you can get a couple of AA batteries at any gas station).

Best of all, it's coming to the end of its manufacturing life, so you're gonna see low and lower prices and close-outs.

(I know Dave loves a good deal.)

:D

My new camera (what has been referred to as "mirrorless") has the larger sensor and can swap lenses around (many lenses with the proper adaptors).

olympus-epl1-review-01-top.jpg


It's quite a bit smaller than those big honkin' DSLRs (that lens retracts some) and a lot lighter, too. With it......I can do more things and make pics of a slightly higher quality (that's a theory so far). It is also a bit of a pain in the rear since the controls are a little different and it has a few quirks, but I suspect I'm going to love it like I loved my old 1967 Olympus Pen 35mm. Nostalgia covers for a lot of things.

I recommend the Canon Powershot SX130IS for you if you're looking for a camera that can be easy to use but has some room to grow into more complex photography using manual settings.

I don't know about the Olympus yet......still trying to figure out the new controls.

Oh, yeah.......they'll both be great for taking pics of BUCK knives.

:)
 
Regarding the viewfinder issue: I find that the big flat screens work fine for me.

My old eyes (with glasses) have trouble squinting through most of those tiny rangefinder type viewfinders anyhow.

The big screen ones may be hard to see in bright sunlight, but I find I can usually shade them with my hat so I can see good enough to take the picture.

As to your shutter-pressing concerns......it's probably the speed of focus that's bothering you.

You know, you press halfway, the auto-focus works its magic, then you take the picture.

Most of them work plenty fast for me, but if that's a major issue for you, you should research to find the ones that are acclaimed for being fast focusing (and fast in every way) The newer small Nikons (S9100) are supposed to be speed demons, so they might be right up your alley. (Not AA battery though, and still the small sensor, but great pictures for most normal purposes.) Here's a review.

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_coolpix_s9100_review/
 
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Oh yeah......and to repeat what 300Bucks has repeatedly and wisely advised.

Buy a good tripod while you're at it (Dave probably already has one, but it's good advice for everybody).

;)
 
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BG42EDGE said:
Dave, as 300 said, unless you want to blow the pics up to wall-hanging size, you probably don't need a camera with the larger sensor. The smaller sensors are fine for the internet and up to 8x10 and maybe just a little larger ...
Click to expand...

That's only partly true. It's not just about the sharpness of the image. The large-sensor cameras also render color better/truer, perform better in low light, and offer much more control. I think Dave is saying that he's interested in that, too... that's why he wants a large-sensor camera, if I've understood his comments correctly.

- Mag
 
Actually, he asked "so what is best?"

You must not have a decoder ring.

I'm sure Dave will send you one if you ask.

:D
 
Dave seems mostly concerned about missing shots due to a slow camera.

I think those Bucks start moving around on him after a few tips of the jar.

:D
 
You are welcome, Gary......you deserve much credit for your many interesting pictures here.

Your camera is five years old. That makes me think of something.

These digital cameras are not as tough as our old 35mm rangefinders and SLRs. They don't last as long, so some are unwilling to spend a lot of money for one.

Is your camera still working well? How long do you think it will be in service for you?

Comments from others on this aspect of digital photography would be appreciated, too.
 
I use my camera with these accumulators , four pieces of AA size , and with that charging device.
After four years the first set of accu is dead, on the photo is the next set of accumulators.
And, yes , this camera is not so tough as older models, this is a plastic, but its weight is lower, that is an advantage for outdoor and for hunt.
After four years I started to note that the lenses became a bit turbid.
It still works well, for my purposes,it depends on "how often you use it", if the hunt is successful I will often use this camera.
How long will it have been serving? I don't know exactly , I'm not a specialist , I'm kinda "click and photo is here":)
Our frosts in the winter could destroy this camera faster , I think ,but I try to save this camera in the hard bag with the fat soft walls.
The photo below is done by smart phone Nokia E72, not so bad as EDC and for very fast photo without many preparations, routine with an accu charging , focusing etc.
589078.jpg

BG42EDGE said:
.

You know, you press halfway, the auto-focus works its magic, then you take the picture.

Most of them work plenty fast for me,
Click to expand...
Yes, it is absolutely my type of a camera :)
 
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Thanks, Gary......explain "turbid."

Do you mean the picture quality got worse or the function/movement of the zoom and focus was slower?

Those are good batteries. I use the Duracell NIMH rechargeable batteries most of the time and they do fail to charge after a few years, but they are strong until then.

Nice Alaskan Guide (our people in Alaska are watching you, you know).

Some of them say they can see you from their front porch.

Fascism.jpg


:D :D :D
 
Here's a sample picture from my Olympus Pen EPL-1.

My favorite Buck 105.

013-2.jpg


It was hand-held at about an eighth of a second at F4, so I'm not sure if it shows the ability of the camera......but at least it's a knife picture.

:)
 
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