GAS talk

[Jason]

Gear Acquisition Syndrome

Talk about your GAS here, guyz

--

In the last couple months...

Acquired:

Fujifim X-E2
XF 23mm f1.4
XF 14mm f2.8
XF 56mm f1.2 (preordered)
Polaroid Land Camera Automatic 100
Fujifilm FP-100c instant film
Fujifilm FP-3000b instant film

I'm gonna make some art... or just sit around and look at my toys.

[M4FFU]

Heh. Love the thread title. I'm now in a position to go for a full-frame. Obvious choices are 6D/5D3 but I'm still thinking whether the D800 is worth the effort of a switch.

[Jason]

:up:

[harper]

Did I talk about getting the most highly-recommended crop-body lens -- the Tamron 17-50 2.8 -- for 21,000 yen? Only ~$215, or 60% off usual retail price? From Amazon? And a free trial of Prime (Japan) which meant I ordered it Saturday afternoon and got it on Sunday?

God, after using mostly primes for two years, having a 17-50 that's always 2.8 is a fucking cheat code :lol:

[M4FFU]

You don't miss 1.8?

[harper]

The Thrifty Fifty has sat on my shelf ever since I got the pancake. Mostly because it's just a little too tight on crop, and huuuuuuuunts on bad lighting.

I might break it out again sometime but 2.8 is good enough for me, especially compared to my other cheaper lenses.

[M4FFU]

Jason - I went to play with a 6D last night in a local shop, and they had the X-E2s in stock. Talk to me about how you're finding it. They look and feel fantastic.

[Jason]

Not much to say other than it's more of what I like from Fuji. The first generation was a bit slow in focusing, the X-E2 basically improves on that, along with other features like wifi and stuff. The thing I like most about the series is the handling, and high quality, relatively light, lenses. Its just something that's light enough, but good enough quality, that I like having with me all the time. Instead of resenting size/weight of a DSLR, or the image quality of something smaller. :up:

It obviousl has it's draw backs. It's still not DSLR fast in most cases. It's not as weather resistant. Even though Fuji has done a good job building the lens lineup, its not nearly as developed as Canon or Nikon SLR lenses.

But, if you tested it out, and you liked it, then there's no reason to not jump in, imo. The only real use issue is that it's more challenging to track moving subjects when focusing.

[Jason]

118

Dammit, uploading from iPad doesn't result in the correct rotation of the image O.o

But anyways, took this yesterday with the X-E2 and 14mm. Edited in camera and with iPad.

[M4FFU]

Well, went back and yeah; I think I'm going to get one. There's a £100 cash back deal on the 35mm at the moment so might get the body and 35 (unless the 23 is really that much better than the 35..) and take it from there.

ISO6400 performance is noticeably better than my 7D - can't quite work out how.

:ETA: infact, just researching, the trade-in values I've been given for some lenses are way low, so will start selling stuff privately and pick up the camera in a few weeks. :up:

[Jason]

Oh, almost forgot, load up on batteries. Mirrorless cameras in general are more along the lines of P&Ss in terms of battery usage, since theres constantly an EVF or LCD in use. I have two Fuji brand batteries, and 2 Power2000 batteries, both are good for at least 300 shots or so.

[M4FFU]

Yeah, figured it wouldn't last all day like the 7D does. I take it you own most of the lenses? Do any stand out?

I'm used to using (35mm equiv) 44mm and 80mm primes. The 80 is going to be taken up by the new 56mm, but as a stanard prime, I'm kinda torn between the 35 and 23. The 35mm is part of a £100 cash back offer at the moment, and with some amazon credit I could get it for 1/3 the price of the 23. I see there's a 10-24 too, coming soon, which would be a nice match for a couple of primes.

Got three days to get the 35mm and qualify for cash back...

[Jason]

Both are good optically. The 35 (along with the 18 and 60) is a first gen Fuji prime, so it's a tad noisier than the 23. The 23 has better manual focus capabilities because of the focus ring design. It has two stops, whereas the 35 endlessly rotates. The 35 is lighter, the 23 is built better. Really, though, it comes down to what focal length you prefer. 35 is 50 equiv, and the 23 is 35 equiv. It's a pretty big difference.

I have:

18-55
55-200
14
23
35
60

I'll likely replace the 60 with the 56 when it comes out.

My favorites are the 14, 23 and 35. All of Fuji's lenses have been pretty damned sharp so far. The 18-55 is probably the weakest, in that its not quite as sharp wide open as the other lenses (including the 55-200), but it's still better than most kit lenses, especially since its a f2.8-4.0.

[Jason]

Oh, there's also that 27mm 2.8 pancake... that'd be pretty close to the focal length you have currently, if you were looking for that. I've never used it, but I've heard it's surprisingly sharp. It's more a street lens than a landscape lens, I think.

[M4FFU]

Thanks. I'm looking at the 35mm as I can get it for a very good price, pairing it up with a 14, but suspect the 23 will be easier for me to use going forward. Got a day or two more for the cashback offer to run out to decide.

Any experience with the 18/2?

[Jason]

Light, one of the faster focusers, sharp in the middle wide open, but a little soft towards the corners. It's a good street photography lens, but not a favorite among landscape shooters (ie, its not bad for landscape, its just not super duper great). It's basically of the same cloth as the 27mm f2.8 from what I understand. I used to have it, but sold it after getting the 18-55mm.

[Kchrpm]

Fuji teasing another new body:
http://www.slashgear.com/fujifilm-x-mount-camera-teased-retro-looks-next-gen-abilities-20313786/

http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/agaw-820x420.png

[Yw-slayer]

I'm definitely going X-T1 in Feb (unless it costs the earth).

[Jason]

I obviously want it. But that'd be dumb. :)

Oh, also, more info:

http://www.fujirumors.com/enjoy-more-x-t1-images-evf-specs-bigger-evf-than-e-m1/

[Yw-slayer]

It's not going to be cheap, even with an assumed discount, but if it's as good as it's hyped to be I may consider selling all my Canon gear. Or at least the 28-300, since I won't need that anymore!

[M4FFU]

I've not gone for the X-E2 yet, and ^^ that is certainly interesting. But, I dunno - I still think I'll regret not going for a FF camera.

[Yw-slayer]

I'll let you know once I start shooting with APS-C again. ;)

[Jason]

It's not going to be cheap, even with an assumed discount, but if it's as good as it's hyped to be I may consider selling all my Canon gear. Or at least the 28-300, since I won't need that anymore!

Depends on what you shoot/how you shoot. But don't you have like the best of the best? Seems it'd be a step down, unless you're looking to save weight.

[Jason]

I've not gone for the X-E2 yet, and ^^ that is certainly interesting. But, I dunno - I still think I'll regret not going for a FF camera.

Then get a FF camera. :P

[M4FFU]

hehe. I think I want my cake and to eat it. I want FF, but I want a small compact body/system.

I did really like the X-E2. Wondering whether the new Fuji will prompt a bit of a price reduction?

[Yw-slayer]

I do have very good stuff. The main aim would be to save some weight and space when travelling with a child (or later, two). Or if we're just faffing around in the park, or even mountain biking. The 5D3 w/grip and 24-70/2.8 was KILLING me when I was biking around NZ, although admittedly I did get some super high-quality (technically, but not artistically) shots with it.

I think realistically I might end up with 2 systems.

XT-1
23/1.4
56/1.2
18-55/2.8-4
28-135 weather-sealed (travel lens)

5D3 w/grip
KEEP: 24-70/2.8 Mk I which lives on it (for kid photos with mad DOF, some action shots)
KEEP: 480EX
KEEP: 200/2.8 (sports, awesome value)
PROBABLY SELL: 24/1.4 Mk I (to fund purchase of the Fuji 23/1.4 as I have taken about 50 shots with it over the last 2+ years and I originally bought this to use with my EOS 20D - so going with the Fuji lens would be full circle)
SELL: 28-300 IS (to fund Fuji gear and to be replaced by the Fuji 28-135 anyway)
SELL (for a pittance): Ancient, scratched 28-105
SELL (again for a pittance): EF-MFT2 or whatever infrared projection thing to aid focusing

The Markins etc. plates I have are all reusable on the Fuji. I could sell my 1Ds3 but... DAT BODY... and I could sell my 20D w/grip, but it's so ancient I might as well keep it and let my daughter play with it if/when she starts getting interested in proper photography with DSLRs. And/or weightlifting.

I also didn't fully realise, until just now, that the A7R is actually slightly smaller than the X-E2. Hmmm.

[Jason]

hehe. I think I want my cake and to eat it. I want FF, but I want a small compact body/system.

I did really like the X-E2. Wondering whether the new Fuji will prompt a bit of a price reduction?

There's the Sony A7/r, but other than the 35mm, the lenses can get a bit big. Also, there's only 3 lenses available now, with two more on the way... Sony has promised 15 total by the end of 2015, though.

[M4FFU]

Yeah, I did briefly read about that, but, that kinda money for a body -- I dunno. Don't get me wrong, it's a great quandry to have :D but yeah. I've a list of wants that can get filled by both the X Fuji range and also going FF Canon. I do yurn for small aperture FF sensor DoF tho', big time. Always going to crave that.

That little X-E2 is so perfect for my use tho'.

[Jason]

For shits and giggles, here's the FF equiv of Fuji's lenses, in terms of focal length and effective depth of field (not actual exposure). Results are rounded to closest "normal" mm length and aperture value.

Fuji-------------FF
14mm f/2.8 = 21mm f/4
18mm f/2.8 = 27mm f/3.2
23mm f/1.4 = 35mm f/2
27mm f/2.8 = 40mm f/4
35mm f/1.4 = 50mm f/2
56mm f/1.2 = 85mm f/1.8
60mm f/2.4 = 90mm f/4

Zooms (more exact numbers)

10-24mm f/4 = 15-36mm f/6.3
16-55mm f/2.8 = 24-82mm f/4
18-55mm f/2.8-4 = 27-82mm f/4-6.3
50-140mm f/2.8 = 75-210 f/4
55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 = 82-300mm f/5-7.1


Italic is scheduled for release in 2014. The 56mm and 10-24mm are due in February-April sometime, the two zooms are due in the second half of the year. So, in terms of wanting tiny depth of field on a Full Frame camera, you'll have to keep those conversion numbers in mind to get the benefit. The A7's 35mm f2.8, for example, has a larger depth of field than Fuji's equivalent, 23mm f/1.4. On the other hand, the A7s 55mm f1.8 has a smaller depth of field than Fuji's equivalent, 35mm f/1.4.

And really that's just touching on two mirrorless systems. There's way more choices if you go DSLR. And you could even look at Sony's NEX line, Samsung's NX, or a variety of Micro Four Thirds. Fact is, though, you're not going to find cheap, full frame, sharp and fast glass, and tiny in the same package, unless you go with a non interchangeable lens camera, and then your only choice would be the Sony RX1, I think.

[Yw-slayer]

That's really useful, bro, thanks.

So, light, cheap, fullframe, sharp, fast glass, tiny. Choose three. :D

Complicating matters, I suppose, is that you could probably use other mfgers lenses (to some extent) with both systems, although I would think that's difficult for Canons (no aperture ring on most or all EOS lenses).

Revised ideal Fuji setup:
35mm f/1.4 = 50mm f/2
56mm f/1.2 = 85mm f/1.8
18-135/3.5-5.6 OIS = for travel and h4rdc0r3111!11!1!1 weathersealing
16-55mm f/2.8 OIS = 24-82mm f/4 (should be MEGAPRO AMIRITE)

[Jason]

Forgot about the 18-135...

At some point, probably in 2015... I'll get the two constant f/2.8 zooms to replace my current ones. But my kit is pretty complete right now (after I receive the 56mm), so I can concentrate funds on other things. :)

[Jason]

I kinda regret buying the X-E2 :P

http://www.fujirumors.com/first-look-fujifilm-x-t1/

[M4FFU]

£1049 UK price. Hmm...
:eta: The AF tracking examples are impressive.

$200 for the X-E2? ;)

[Yw-slayer]

I'll do you a favor. Usd300, bro.

[Jason]

Such a team player :P

[Yw-slayer]

Yeah. That's a 50% increase, dude. You'd be MAD not to take it!!! Let it never be said I never give you cnuts anything...

[Kchrpm]

Not going to get the A6000. Nope. Not going to do it...

http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/11/5402904/sony-alpha-a6000-mirrorless-camera-faster-better-and-smaller

[M4FFU]

179 AF points? Jeeees :O
:eta: and I only ever use one :P

[Jason]

I suspect that sensor will make it into the next generation Fuji bodies (with the X-Trans CFA, and processors, though). :up:

[Yw-slayer]

Hmmm. Interesting. Numbers aren't everything though (re: # of autofocus points). I think the test if whether sport shooters swap from 5D3/1DX/D4 combos to Sony combos. ;)

[M4FFU]

Well, I've umm-ed and arr-ed for weeks and weeks now, and after a serious look at the A7s, I'm going Canon FF. I'd love a XE2, or maybe even a XM1 as a little camera to carry around, but I'll always want that lovely dof and low light gloriousness that such a camera will bring. So, yeah - time to swallow the bill.

Anyone want a 7D or a 15-85? :D

[Yw-slayer]

Well, since you don't have a kid and associated crap to lug around with you then I'd say "Go for it".

BTW, the 24-70 Mk I is a beautiful lens. If you're really concerned about sharpness etc., just try and get a good used copy, and/or microadjust.

[M4FFU]

Going to see how I get on with my 28/50/100 set up with a FF first. If not, with a Mk1, or the Tamron 24-70 looks good.

[Kchrpm]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/14/fujifilm-x-t1-hands-on/

http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/adam/2e582af896ff6bad35892b651ddd2180/Fuji-X-T1-1.jpg

[Jason]

Dat glass.

*fap*

(that 56mm f1.2 is the next lens on my to-buy list, but priority is pretty low right now due to not really shooting people at the moment)

[M4FFU]

16-55mm f/2.8 and 50-140mm f/2.8 lenses

HELLO!

[Yw-slayer]

But remember that with 1.6x you won't get "full" 2.8.

[Jason]

Yeah, it's about f/4 equiv.

Which ironically, is where the A7's "premium" lenses sit.

If you want full frame and fast zooms... well, you're gonna get big/heavy results. Physics 'n all.

[Jason]

See below for equivalents, that I posted a couple pages back. :P


For shits and giggles, here's the FF equiv of Fuji's lenses, in terms of focal length and effective depth of field (not actual exposure). Results are rounded to closest "normal" mm length and aperture value.

Fuji-------------FF
14mm f/2.8 = 21mm f/4
18mm f/2.8 = 27mm f/3.2
23mm f/1.4 = 35mm f/2
27mm f/2.8 = 40mm f/4
35mm f/1.4 = 50mm f/2
56mm f/1.2 = 85mm f/1.8
60mm f/2.4 = 90mm f/4

Zooms (more exact numbers)

10-24mm f/4 = 15-36mm f/6.3
16-55mm f/2.8 = 24-82mm f/4
18-55mm f/2.8-4 = 27-82mm f/4-6.3
50-140mm f/2.8 = 75-210 f/4
55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 = 82-300mm f/5-7.1


Italic is scheduled for release in 2014. The 56mm and 10-24mm are due in February-April sometime, the two zooms are due in the second half of the year. So, in terms of wanting tiny depth of field on a Full Frame camera, you'll have to keep those conversion numbers in mind to get the benefit. The A7's 35mm f2.8, for example, has a larger depth of field than Fuji's equivalent, 23mm f/1.4. On the other hand, the A7s 55mm f1.8 has a smaller depth of field than Fuji's equivalent, 35mm f/1.4.

And really that's just touching on two mirrorless systems. There's way more choices if you go DSLR. And you could even look at Sony's NEX line, Samsung's NX, or a variety of Micro Four Thirds. Fact is, though, you're not going to find cheap, full frame, sharp and fast glass, and tiny in the same package, unless you go with a non interchangeable lens camera, and then your only choice would be the Sony RX1, I think.

[Yw-slayer]

Yup.

I am seeing Stan The Man today for a celebration. I suspect he may have an XT-1 with him.

[Jason]

:up:

[Jason]

Also tell him to gift me a 56mm, kthx

[Yw-slayer]

Ah, no, not that type of celebration. The T1 is arriving next week, though, so he'll reserve one for me. It was a kids' birthday party. And no, he didn't have a T1 with him. :(

[Jason]

God, where are his priorities? :rolleyes:

[M4FFU]

Haha! :D

...after all that, I'm picking up a 6D later on today, if I can get to the shop before closing. :up:

[Yw-slayer]

Ordered:

XT-1 with 18-55
23/1.4
VG-XT1 grip
Spare battery

Should be good fun. Will be with me at work tomorrow afternoon.

[Jason]

:up:

[Yw-slayer]

Because nothing says "wannabe arty pic and boke pic with new equipment" like a shot of your daughter's modded rally car.278277

[Jason]

How about a review? :P

[Yw-slayer]

Pay me my hourly rate and I'll write you one. :P

[Jason]

Pffff, you give plenty of opinions out for free.

[Yw-slayer]

Only the ones that aren't worth anything. I'll delegate this task to ang...

[Jason]

:smh: :rolleyes:

[Yw-slayer]

Too busy shooting, bro. :finger:

I will say that AF-C and 8fps is useful for chest-level spray and pray with kids.

[Yw-slayer]

Buys expensive camera

Uses it to shoot baby photos

315

(can't figure out how to rotate it to portrait on the forum)

[Jason]

Oh, that happened to me when I exported the picture to my iPad and uploaded here... Assumed it was an iOS problem, hm. Never any issue to upload after editing a raw in PS, though.

[Yw-slayer]

Yes. Anyway, what sort of pics do you want to see from this camera?

[Jason]

Don't care about pics. Would like to hear what you think of focus, handling, etc :up:

[Yw-slayer]

ARE YOU SAYING MY PICS SUCK? MY STANDPOINT IS ABOVE YOURS

Seriously, though, it's hard as I have limited use of the camera (mainly weekends). What I have found so far is that:

- My opinions mostly mirror those posted on luminous-landscape, although I lean more toward Devlin than Reichmann generally as so far I have not needed to change modes TOO quickly. Having said that, I can see his point even for my purposes (i.e. you may want portrait one second then a group photo the next). In my initial fumbling with the camera I remember there being a way to select and change custom settings pretty quickly, but I don't remember how far that went and I haven't had the time to try and find/test that mode again. I suspect it would also be limited by the manual dials.
- Like Devlin, I find face detect AF on a camera of this quality is awesome (subject to the caveat below). By that, I am referring not only to the sensor, but also focusing speed in single-shot mode, which is pretty damn quick. When you combine the two with 8fps+ continunous JPG even on a (fast) UHS-I card, it means you don't even have to look at the camera, let alone the EVF, and you can spray and pray to a limited extent for action/kid shots.
- However, face-detect only works in S mode, not C (continuous AF) mode, which is a pity.
- On that note, I haven't really gotten on with C mode. That does require you use the camera more like a traditional DSLR, but the latter is faster and less fidgety to select AF points on. If you use C mode with camera-select AF points it gets it right maybe 60-70% of the time. Having said that, for similar reasons, I never use that mode even with my DSLR so arguably this point is moot. The main point to take away is that selecting focus points is OK, but not great. For stuff that requires this as SRS BSNS the 5 still rules. Once the point is locked and focus "acquired", it does seem to fidget/hunt around a bit, particularly with the 23/1.4 as if it can't decide what exactly it is focusing on. In that respect I prefer the 5's default settings which also do a bit of hunting/predicting but not over as wide a range. In my limited experience, I strongly prefer the latter.
- It being smaller, lighter, more compact, more discreet (raising a camera to your eye is an invitation to get a 2yo to ask to "see the picture" before you've even taken it, whereas with this and face detect you don't need to worry at all) than an SLR makes it very useful for most of my purposes. People ask why I use it with the battery grip which makes the camera bigger - I say that the battery grip is invaluable for portrait shots, especially candid ones, and gives you extra reassurance in relation to battery life, which is OK I guess but obviously not anywhere near DSLR levels. It helps that even with all this stuff on, it's still about half the weight of my 5 with grip and 24-70/2.8 anyway, which I actually (and to my detriment) took out for 3 days of mountain biking in NZ - left it home on the 4th and used my HTC One instead!
- The 18-55 seems to have trouble locking/mounting to the body, although I can eventually get it to do so. I'm bringing it to work today and may get someone to see if I'm not just imagining things. It would be a pity if I had to send one, or both, back for now just to get this fixed but it IS a new body and lens so I shouldn't have to put up with this. The 23/1.4 does not have that problem at all. The problem is identified by someone else here: http://www.fujixseries.com/discussion/4492/anybody-elses-18-55-on-xe1-jiggle-in-the-mount/p1

I doubt the above were terribly useful to you, since your uses are different from mine, but I do what I can!

[Jason]

Not at all... I like hearing from recent or current DSLR users, it gives me a better perspective than comparing to my current (compromised) gear :up:

Thanks for the write up!

Edit: If the 23 mounts fine, and the 18-55 doesn't.. its more likely the 18-55 is faulty. I'd test the body with another lens or two before sending anything back though.

[Yw-slayer]

It's not like I have a lot of Fuji lenses lying around, but yeah. I'm 98% sure it's the 18-55. That's fine, I can survive (talk about first world problems) with the 23/1.4, and it's not like Stan is going to do me over for a camera which I just bought off him barely 2 weeks ago...

Now the question is - do I spend money on a Metabones Speed Booster for Nikon mount, or do I just buy good Fuji lenses? GAS and mad bokeh skillz side says the former or both (especially for use with the Nikon 85/1.8), logical side says the latter.

[Jason]

I prefer having autofocus capabilities, personally. :P

[Yw-slayer]

True dat.

[M4FFU]

...in other news, my 6D kicks the crap out of anything I've ever used. My 70-200 has a new lease of life and produces loveliness. Was thinking about keeping the 7D but there's no comparison to me.

[Jason]

YW: FYI

http://www.fujix-forum.com/index.php/topic/19546-fuji-x-t1-light-leak/

Only a problem if you do long exposure using a remote during the day, though.

[Yw-slayer]

Thanks - not too concerned as I'm sure they'll fix it if it is a problem. Anyway I haven't shot anything of the sort, although I would like to get a good 10-stop ND filter.

[Jason]

Yeah, it wouldn't effect me very often. I do a long day time exposure like once a year, myself. But, thankfully its not a problem on the X-E2.

[Kchrpm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XgbUgNiHfXM

[Freude am Fahren]

That's quite impressive.

[Rikadyn]

yea know fall 2012 i owned no camera.

Now I own:

1953 Ikon Ikoflex TLR
1957 Kiev 2a
Nikon F4
Nikon F100
Nikon D600
Nikon L35
Minolta Weathermatic
Sony 5N

[Yw-slayer]

Save me. I just bought a Canon 24-70/2.8 Mk 2 so that the hood can fit on when it is paired with my just-ordered CustomSLR Glide Strap and M-Plate Pro mount. Now I'm seriously thinking about going even more nuts and buying the Sigma 120-300/2.8...

(I am going to sell my 24/1.4, my 24-70/2.8 Mk 1 and most likely my 28-300, BTW, so it's not like I'm going totally insane and/or going to be mad out-of-pocket)

[M4FFU]

24-70! How much?

[Yw-slayer]

What, the new one? Hkd15,300.

[M4FFU]

Your Mk1, doofus ;)

[Yw-slayer]

Oh. You want it? I'm in the UK in late May, but it's not exactly going to be easy to transfer to you as we're only in London for 1 day. ;)

Hmmmm. I've had a look at a UK site and ebay. How does GBP760, inc. the B&W filter on it, sound? Don't be shy about telling me what you think.

Are you interested in the 24/1.4 Mk 1 as well? Say GBP700, again including the B&W filter on it? Again, don't be shy.

What about the 28-300? :lol:

They all include boxes, the soft case, hood, etc. I'll have to look for them but I'm 99% sure I can find them.

I'm keeping the 200/2.8, though, unless you make me a deal I can't refuse. Then again, I may have difficulties bringing that much camera gear over in the first place. :lol:

[IMOA]

RX100III announced. Changes to a 24-70 f1.8-28 lens with integrated ND filter and adds a popup EVF. I think my well beaten up RX100 is going to be replaced once I get back to japan.

[Yw-slayer]

Wow, that's impressive if I ever heard of it.

In other news, I'm just going to rent the Sigma 120-300 while in the UK. Possibly also the Canon 400/2.8 IS. I thought about renting the 200-400 f/4 IS but that thing is insane, insanely expensive, and won't give me that sweet f/2.8 bokeh that I crave. Plus, with the 400/2.8 IS I will something that neither the Sigma, my beloved 200/2.8, nor the 200-400 f/4 IS can match. Let's see.

[Yw-slayer]

OK, here are some pics. The lens looks slightly dusty because it's left on the camera on the dining room table (for quick access to child-friendly photos) but it's in perfect working condition.

The hood has some very slight markings, which you can see in the pic, but it works great.

The pic with the B&W filter on shows a bit of dust on it - a bit of a clean and it'll be good as news, I just didn't bother to clean it as it's now 2am here.

You can see that the front and rear elements are fine. The rest is great too, as is the focusing is great, no issues whatsoever.

GBP730 and it's yours. That price includes the box and the soft cover.564565566567568569570

Do you want shots of the 24/1.4 and the 28-300?

Here's a sample of what it can do, just cropped to remove a bit of background, and resized to 2560 in order to be able to upload to the forum. I can let you have the 8MB JPG if you want at full size crop. Pretty much no other processing other than LR standard. Not a great photo, technically or artistically, but the detail is obvious. I've also never microadjusted, and I'm sure that if I had I'd probably get more keepers than I normally do.

571

[ettsn]

Any of you guys shoot film? Thinking of thinning the herd a little, and would rather make one of you guys a deal than just plop them on eBay. Got several Mamiya, Hasselblad, Contax-Zeiss and Leica I'm thinking of moving on.

[Jason]

Ettsn:

Shoot me a price list?

I've been wanting to get a medium format film camera, though I'm not sure if *now* is the right time, depends on the price list ;)

[ettsn]

Okay, let me take stock of what I've got. :)

[Kchrpm]

Going to Las Vegas for the first time for a family wedding at the beginning of June, $140 (flat rate for all repairs) to have Sony take apart and clean my HX20 P&S. As Jason knows, I like to procrastinate and waver as much as possible when it comes to buying a camera, but this is going to force me to actually make a decision.

Options:
- Use only my cellphone to take Vegas and wedding pictures, despite it's bad low light and flash.
- Use the HX20 as-is when needed, accept that there will be visible dark spots on the pictures that I can ignore, crop or fail at fixing
- Send out camera to get fixed for $, hope it gets back in time
- Buy a used ~HX20 for >$
- Get a similar new camera, like the HX50, for $$
- Get a much better IQ, much shorter range, similar body upgrade like an RX100 or mirrorless camera w/power zoom for $$$
- Get a much better IQ, slightly shorter range, larger body upgrade like an RX10 or mirrorless camera w/long zoom for $$$$

[Kchrpm]

HX50 on sale at Best Buy for $330 w/8 GB card, small camera case, and a coupon that will let me get enough reward points to get a $20 gift certificates.

Edit: And the a5000 is $450 w/16 GB card, $25 in gift certs. Dammit, man, decisions!

Edit 2: Hmmm, and the a5000 would be over the threshold where I could get 0% financing for 12 months...

[Kchrpm]

After more and more wavering, ended up pulling the trigger on the HX50. It's the best camera out there for the things I already do, and I just couldn't get past that.

[Kchrpm]

I was NOT expecting this. Sony is going to release another of their lens-cameras, but this time it will be a lens mount camera! Not happy with your phone's camera? Just clip this APS-C sized sensor w/pop up flash on it!

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-first-pictures-of-the-ilce-qx1-e-mount-camera/

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj524/picrumors/picrumors001/SmartShot-ILCE-QX1_14_zpsa7ccef19.jpg

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj524/picrumors/picrumors001/image3_zpsa1f737a7.jpg

http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj524/picrumors/picrumors001/image1_zps5ebaeac4.jpg

[Rikadyn]

I'd only get it for the novelty. Be better of getting a normal e-mount body

[Kchrpm]

I want to know how stupidly it will be priced before I consider it further. It may be the most compact APS-C solution, as well, that might be enough to put it at the top of my weird list.

[Rikadyn]

Dunno about that mate looks thicker than a nex body

[Kchrpm]

Yeah, I'm not sure about thickness, but in the other dimensions it's smaller. We'll see. It's a weird thing.

[Rikadyn]

The sensor body looks about the size of the Sony 35mm f/1.8, with the pancake 16-50mm PZ probably be about the same thickness as my NEX 5N with the 35mm. the rest of the NEX 5N is smaller than my Sony Z1 (I have more Sony than I realised)

[Yw-slayer]

Or use an APS-C mirrorless camera and take your phone along too, then you get to use both...?

[Jason]

The ergonomics of shooting with a big fat lens slapped onto a cell phone just makes me laugh...

[Kchrpm]

Or use an APS-C mirrorless camera and take your phone along too, then you get to use both...?
Well that has always been an option, I'm fascinated by this new option. Not saying it's better for anyone, including myself, but I find it fascinating and am not ashamed to admit that I do like some tech just because it's new and different even if it isn't "better."

It's not like this is a need we're talking about, any camera I get is a frivolous toy to me.

[Yw-slayer]

FISH NEED BICYCLES, BRO

[M4FFU]

Need wide angle zoom. My 28 prime is restrictive. 17-40 is bang for buck, but anyone played with the 16-35 IS? Looks like a winner from what I've read.

[Rikadyn]

I have the Nikon 16-35 VR f/4

[M4FFU]

Ever felt like F4 wasn't enough?

[Rikadyn]

Not particularly, mostly if I was someplace super dark trying to get a shot, but then I can always adjust ISO and Exposure comp to correct for it.

[XHawkeye]

What's in the camera bag of an F1 photographer

Wanna see what's in my #F1 camera bag?: http://shotkit.com/darren-heath/

[Rikadyn]

Yeah, I'm not sure about thickness, but in the other dimensions it's smaller. We'll see. It's a weird thing.

Sony NEX-5N w/ FDA EV1S and 35mm f/1.8 and Sony Z1

860

[Rikadyn]

So...last night I was looking at lenses, and considered buying a D800...and it sounded reasonable to me...

[Yw-slayer]

It is. Get one.

[Rikadyn]

wanna spot me 1600 usd till august?

[Yw-slayer]

No.

[Freude am Fahren]

just get a D750 :)

[Rikadyn]

I've held the D750, it's a little small, but didn't feel bad, but i can get a D800 used for like 1700 when the 750 is new so not much used market yet :P

[Freude am Fahren]

Is the 810 out? I bet that helps the D800 used market.

[Rikadyn]

yea the 810 is out, i'm fine being back a generation. the 750 is smaller than my 600, which is the same size as a 7000, so gives you an idea

[Rikadyn]

I should get a 24-70 and 2nd body. Then I could have the 24-70 and 80-200 always mounted. I do not know when or why I started to think like this but I'm not sure I enjoy it...

[Freude am Fahren]

I get like that often. And then I try to remind myself of the ratio of how often I use them/how much they cost/how much i make. And then I try to justify it by thinking about making money doing weddings or whatever, and so on and so forth, until sanity wins out. ...so far. Video is what's really making my want a new body though.

As a hobby it's hard to justify more than what I have now: D300, 28-300VR, 50/1.8, 30/1.4, 10.5/2.8 fish. Actually I still have the 18-70 kit lens from the D70 and 100-300/4 from Sigma, but since getting the 28-300, I don't use either, ever.

[Yw-slayer]

I have a 28-300 and a 24/1.4 that I haven't mounted in well over a year. I've made up my mind to sell them, but it'll probably have to wait until November as I'm pretty busy at the moment.

[Rikadyn]

With me in Kyoto all I have is my D600 w 16-35 f/4, and 50 f/1.8. Looking to grab a new but used 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR while I'm here to just give me range. I have a 80-200mm f/2.8 at home which I was gonna bring but got worried about carry on weight which wasn't checked

[Yw-slayer]

Pity. Carry on weight can easily be circumvented by wearing a vest and putting a lens in it, or just even in your jacket or combat pocket.

[Rikadyn]

Combat pocket?

Eh, i'm not sad about leaving it, it's fucking heavy and a push-pull lens. walking anyplace with it in my bag would be murder on my back.

[Yw-slayer]

You have combat trousers and pockets in those, right?

Anyway, yeah, it would be big, heavy, and push-pull being 2.8 and an older (I assume) lens design.

Not so sure about this weight-saving business though. Fine, you don't want to carry TOO much weight, but I just look at it as a free workout.

[Rikadyn]

it's like 1.8kg for that lens alone. anyway, I'm really wondering how much reach I need, I'd kinda like to play with a 85 f/1.8 as well

[Freude am Fahren]

New bag: Dakine Mission Photo

http://www.dakine.com/Uploads/Product/m/8150802-HOD-MISSIONPHOTO25L-HOOD.jpg
http://www.dakine.com/p/backpacks-and-gear/technical-backpacks/photography/mission-photo-25l-14s
(Actual color)

My Tenba bag is simply enormous. Good for when you need everything, or using for photo and a bunch of other stuff. But sometimes I need something smaller (and lighter), like for the races when I'm carrying it around all day, or when traveling light. It's comfortable, if a bit smaller than I thought based on pictures, but I'm okay with that.

In pictures on the website, it appears deeper, and the top portion bigger: my D300 with the vertical grip does fit in the main bag, but makes it bulge height wise. Can't get the zipper closed on the top portion with the D300 (no grip) and 28-300VR, but I think it would close with a smaller lens.

I'll be taking it to Austin next week, so I'll get a good idea of how effective and comfortable it is then.

[M4FFU]

17-40 has found it's way into my possession today. Saw a good deal on a mint 2nd hand one, and...yeah. Imma go wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide :D

eta: I do use the 28mm a lot, but wanted a little flexibility at the uwa end. 28 will probably be sold in the new year, along with the 100mm which I've not used in an age.

[Rikadyn]

I'm debating picking up a MF SLR

[Kchrpm]

I almost picked up an a6000 during all the seasonal sales, but I decided to focus more on doing stuff (and things) and not just taking pictures of what I'm already doing. Gotta get more appreciative of the moment for just the moment.

[Yw-slayer]

I've been loaned a pre-production (but probably near-final) Fuji 16-55mm/2.8 for my upcoming trip to Hanoi. It's almost a given I'll buy it anyway, but why not check it out first.

One of the good things about it is that it takes 77mm filters, which I can pull right off my old Canon 24-70 Mk 1 and/or the 24/1.4.

However, it is HUGE. With it and the grip on my X-T1 it's not THAT much smaller than my 5D3 with the 24-70 Mk 2.

I have decided that for my next camera I "must" buy an EOS-1 level camera for full-frame use. That way it's no effing around when I want to go full-on DSLR, particularly as ALL lower-end Canons (and indeed even the Fuji) just have too many stupid knobs and dials to fall off or get knocked out of position. Anyone who says "just check the settings before you take a picture" clearly hasn't ever had the "pleasure" of taking photos of fidgety kids who don't always look at the camera. Having said that, most of the time I can put up with the knobs and dials on the Fuji due to its awesome lenses, relatively smaller size, and lighter weight.

I just installed the new firmware a few days ago and haven't had a chance to test out the AF-C focusing, which I found very disappointing initially. However, I'll see see how it goes, particularly now that I have the 16-55.

[Jason]

Look forward to your review. It's likely not a lens for me, since the purpose of me going to the XF system was to save weight, but it looks like a promising lens. :up:

[Yw-slayer]

The 16-50 review outstanding, but I can say that I found the sample to be so good that I now have one of my own in my hands. I'll probably keep the 18-55 around just in case I need a backup and/or get an X-A2 for fun.

However, I had a major first-world problem earlier today. I am going to Taipei with my child. We are going to the zoo. There are loads of hippos there. The only teles I have now which would allow me to get good pics of them are the Canon 200/2.8L and my ancient and not sharp 28-300L. I decided to buy the Fuji 18-135 as it was cheaper than the Canon 70-200/2.8 IS Mk2 and would allow me to take the Fuji along as a travel camera (which I always intended). However, my contacts at Fuji are on holiday and the street price was too high, so I got the Canon instead.

Now I feel poor and need to think about what I am going to take on holiday:

1. 5D3 w/70-200 and 24-70?

2. 5D3 w/70-200 and Fuji with 16-50?

I'm more inclined to 1. After all, why mess with 2 systems if I don't have to. The tripod is already out of the question, but that's OK as Taipei is a pretty ugly city anyway. In fact, I might even forego the 24-70 and just rely on my wife's X100 (which we got free from a friend), which is generally used by me, and her Panasonic waterproof camera.

[Rikadyn]

70-200 and compact would be my choice, then again my NEX-5n is my compact so...

[Yw-slayer]

Yeah, I think I've settled on 70-200, and I'll appropriate the X100, leaving the Panasonic for my wife.

[Rikadyn]

i really wish I had brought my 80-200 f/2.8 with me to japan, until i think about carrying it :P

[Rikadyn]

so this month has been a bad case of toy aquisition

http://i.imgur.com/Fvyyy0A.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/utX6Rcp.jpg

[Jason]

How do you like the Instax printer?

[Rikadyn]

It's neat definitely. Set up is a bit wonky but i think that is more my phones problem than the printer. Images look nice but ya know they aren't super DPI, however if you run the intelligent filter in the app it does make a difference. It's the same really as an Instax camera, except it was a bit cheaper than buying one which is odd :P

[Rikadyn]

http://i.imgur.com/FHHoQ9h.jpg?1

this is everything I have with me in Kyoto.(not sure if we had a what's in your bag thread)

[Rikadyn]

I want a Hasselblad 500 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Yw-slayer]

Hasselblad - now selling cameras remodelled for noveau riche Russians and mainland Chinese!

[Rikadyn]

yea but the one i want is from the 80s

[Yw-slayer]

I know.

[Rikadyn]

new ones are just bedazzled sonys.

[Yw-slayer]

Indeed.

[Rikadyn]

Someone here might know, is there any reason to avoid 500ELX/ELMs?

[Yw-slayer]

Talked to my Fuji friend today. Some very interesting stuff is coming out (much) later this year AND early next year which Jason will probably get a massive boner over.

[Rikadyn]

reintroducing Neopan 400?

[Yw-slayer]

No.

[Rikadyn]

; ;

[Jason]

Talked to my Fuji friend today. Some very interesting stuff is coming out (much) later this year AND early next year which Jason will probably get a massive boner over.

Continuing production of FP-3000b?

[Yw-slayer]

He doesn't talk to me about that stuff.

[Rikadyn]

Well inform him film is what the people want.

[Yw-slayer]

If by "the people" you mean an American teaching JET in rural Japan and a hipster photographer living in DC, ok.

[Rikadyn]

who's teaching JET in rural japan?

[Yw-slayer]

Aren't you doing that? Or whatever, I'll phrase it as "some American doing stuff in Japan" if that makes you feel better about their discontinuing films due to a lack of demand.

[Rikadyn]

I'm a exchange student at Ritsumeikan University, in Kyoto. Never considered a city of 1.4mil rural, but...

[Jason]

Hipster?! God dammit.

[Yw-slayer]

OK, American exchange student living in Kyoto, got it.

[Rikadyn]

Speaking of Fuji, I'm thinking of swapping my Sony NEX-5n for a Fuji X-series

[overpowered]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wM_5nROeaw

[Yw-slayer]

Way too long. Fucking hipster.

[overpowered]

He repeats himself way too much but there's actually a lot of interesting stuff in there.

[Rikadyn]

I still prefer film.

speaking of which:

http://i.imgur.com/1lJ5Xu4.jpg

Bought that.

[overpowered]

I used RB67's in school. The mirror was freaky loud. Other than that, it was a nice camera.

I don't know if they made it quieter with the RZ67. I never got to hear one.

[Rikadyn]

I think it's quieter than my Sony's shutter

[Jason]

Speaking of Fuji, I'm thinking of swapping my Sony NEX-5n for a Fuji X-series

Keith will be so sad.

[Kchrpm]

Not really :)

[Jason]

I see the sadness in your dead eyes, Keith.

[Kchrpm]

Two years on from my HX50V, and its latest replacements use the same size sensor, same focal length and same aperture speed. The body has gotten smaller, they've added selfie-flip LCDs, and the high-end model comes with a pop-up EVF.

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/digital-cameras/compact-digital-cameras/1403074/sony-cybershot-hx90-hx90v-review-hands-on

[Yw-slayer]

So your HX50V was...

... SAY IT.

[Kchrpm]

A replacement for an HX20V that wasn't much worse but had dust on the sensor.

[Jason]

Nothing wrong with using the same size sensor and focal length, hopefully, over generations, they improve the quality of said sensor, and lens, though.

[Kchrpm]

Sony continues the trend of adding new, higher content model to their RX lines at a higher price than the previous models. Some of the specs on these two are ridiculous, though.

http://blog.sony.com/press/sonys-rx100-iv-and-rx10-ii-cameras-bring-professional-imaging-experience-to-acclaimed-cyber-shot-rx-series/

960 fps at 1080P. Everything else seems like the expectation for a $1000 point & shoot (it's weird typing that out), but 960 fps in a consumer camera that slips in your pocket is wild to me.

[Kchrpm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-g5wKNYGk4


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epkr4SSLQH0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDI-hE_5GQw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oZPQbW0Sc4


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03gZqAR9SDQ

[Jason]

Why am I not surprised you were up late looking at this stuff? :lol:

[Kchrpm]

I don't know, did I tell you that I was so depressed yesterday that I went to sleep when I got home, woke up after midnight and couldn't go back to sleep until 3 am?

[Freude am Fahren]

that's cool, is it really that many fps? or is it interpolating or something? Must be huge files for anything more than a couple seconds long.

[Kchrpm]

So it turns out that, after 240 fps, it's recording at 1080p but the actual resolution is only 800x270. But the frames per second are accurate, and are a result of the sensor and the processing bits (technical term) being separated on the stacked sensor, and DRAM being added to the processing bits.

[Jason]

So what you're saying is, you pre-ordered?

[Yw-slayer]

I got sent Fuji FW4.0 on Sunday, for internal use only. Now it's out generally, but I do look forward to seeing how well it works as it's a public holiday tomorrow.

[overpowered]

http://petapixel.com/2015/07/20/10-of-the-most-interesting-lenses-in-the-history-of-photography/

[Rikadyn]

So I've ran into the weirdest problem my whole time in Japan, the want of a 2nd body :|

[Jason]

That could be taken a variety of ways. :up:

[Rikadyn]

That could be taken a variety of ways. :up:

Actually...Hmmm...dammit why didn't I think of that before ya know only having 10 days left here :P

[M4FFU]

Getting a dog on the weekend, so looking at a 24-70 lens. I’ve a 28 and 50 but think I’ll need some flexibility trying to get pictures of him.

Looking at the Canon 24-70 ii and it’s £1400 price tag, I’m not so sure I could justify that. Are the Mk1s still worth looking at? Anyone using the Tamron version with the VC? Seems to be ~£600 in price, which is far more palatable.

[Yw-slayer]

Yes, I would stick with the Canon 24-70 Mk1 over the Mk2 if you can find the former at a good price.

The Mk2 is an amazing lens. It is sharper, focuses faster, etc. and is definitely better, but unless you really have GAS and/or are swimming in cash, there's no good reason to spend the extra GBP500+(?) for it over a 24-70 Mk1 in VGC.

[M4FFU]

Mk1s £750 from MPB. That new Tamron with it's vast warranty is cheaper still. Never owned a 3rd party lens before...

:eta: Not that she knows about it yet, but picked up a RX100 II for the missus :up:

[Yw-slayer]

The Tamron is probably fine as long as you can update the firmware to work with newer bodies. I was seriously impressed with the Sigma Sport 120-300.

[M4FFU]

Gone for the Tamron. £100 cash back swayed me. :up:

[Yw-slayer]

Good deal mate. :up:

[Kchrpm]

Took pictures for my friends' wedding with my P&S, but between the abundant natural light, little need for zoom and super wide depth of field, the majority of the ones the bride's mother took with her S5/Note 4/whatever it was looked nearly identical.

I should have used this as an excuse to buy some overkill.

[Kchrpm]

http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr3-sony-a6xxxa7xxxx-has-a-new-backlit-sensor-and-rgbw-pixel-array/

The new high-end Sony APS-C mirrorless should be announced soon with a backlit sensor and RGBW pixel array, for maximum low-light awesomeness hopefully. No word on if it will get the crazy framerate stuff that the RXs just got.

[overpowered]

:twitch:

https://light.co/

[Kchrpm]

I know, right? I saw it earlier today. I just...like...I mean I know there are those 360 stitching cameras, and...but...

It's gotta be a joke product, right?

[Jason]

Not a joke, probably, but also probably not a super successful product. The concept isn't anything new, as you noted there are other applications where multiple images are captured and combined in a single unit...

But who knows... if the quality is that of a mirrorless or dslr, and it is that small, then maybe they're on to something. I'll definitely be watching for reviews. It's always interesting when someone attempts something new(ish), especially since photography as a whole doesn't really change much other than "better sensors".

[Random]

http://www.canonpricewatch.com/blog/2015/10/adorama-t5-18-55-75-300-pixma-pro-100-for-349-ar/

edit: nevermind. Bait-and-switch. Price has been jacked up to $950

[Yw-slayer]

Jason, what about "better AF"? I suppose you could argue that that's related to the sensor.

My mate read that the bokeh in that camera is created by Gaussian blur. I guess one could do it that way...

[Jason]

Jason, what about "better AF"? I suppose you could argue that that's related to the sensor.

My mate read that the bokeh in that camera is created by Gaussian blur. I guess one could do it that way...

Yeah, its basically all sensors, that's about it. So it's cool someone's trying *something* different. Doesn't mean it's a good product necessarily. Same goes for the Lytro folks, they tried/are trying something different. It's a tough industry to innovate in.

[Yw-slayer]

Trying to convince my wife to move away from her orange Panasonic waterproof camera. Thinking G9X as at least that's small enough to be out in her handbag. Don't need selfie screen as its mainly for her to take pics of the kids, and it SHOULD produce better photos and video than her Lumia 950 (which I think is actually better than the Panasonic, although thr Panasonic did survove a trip to the shallow bottom of a Hanoi lake last year). We can just use our phones for selfies after all, or just rely on my mad skillz.

The alternative is to wait for the g7x ii if selfies are more important than I think, but given the (admittedly very slight) added size I suspect it might be left at home most of the time

[Mr Wonder]

I've been weighing up the Canon G9X vs G7X since my S95 got killed in december after a place in NYC did a shitty job reassembling it following a sensor clean.

I have just ordered the G7X purely because of the lens. It's much, much faster, is a bit wider and a lot longer. The size of the G9X is a sweet temptation (it's identical to the S95, which is perfect for a pocketable camera) but I decided that it might not be enough of an upgrade from the S95. Plus I looked through all my old photos and a lot of them (~20% were taken at the full 105mm equivalent).

It turned up last night and its a great looking little thing. I've not really run it through it's paces yet but there is a car show this weekend... :)

The extra size shouldn't be a massive problem. If it is I'll swap it for the G9X. (And the inevitable G1X III - Carrying the DSLR plus lenses is getting to be a pain in the arse.)

[Kchrpm]

Related: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2016/02/17/canon-launches-improved-g7x-ii-and-40x-optical-zoom-sx720-hs-powershot-came

Canon launches improved G7X II and 40x optical zoom SX720 HS PowerShot cameras

First impressions (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/canon-g7x-ii/canon-g7x-iiA.HTM)

https://www.imaging-resource.com/?ACT=44&fid=17&d=5623&f=hr_g7x_markii_3qflash_cl.jpg

[Mr Wonder]

Well... That's pretty annoying.

Hooray for distance selling regulations! I think the G7X may go back. The downward tilting screen alone will be more than worth it.

[Yw-slayer]

Yeah, bad (or maybe good) timing on that. I'd send the G7X back, because why not. I'm going to wait for the G7X II to come out here and then take the wife to go have a look and feel of that side-by-side with the G9X. That said, I suspect she'll probably go with the G9X as it's very slightly smaller, just like the S-Series cameras that you mentioned.

Availability in May 2016 ruins my plans to get it for her as an anniversary present, although I suppose it could be purchased as a birthday present.

[Jason]

I have just ordered the G7X


Related: Canon launches improved G7X II


Well... That's pretty annoying.

:lol:

[Yw-slayer]

There are also the 3 new Nikon DL cameras, but given that they're slightly larger and heavier than the G7xII, I think the G7xII/G9x will do just fine for the missus.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/nikon-dl18-50/nikon-dl18-50A.HTM

She also got a chance to compare a friend's G7x to the orange Panasonic and seemed fine with it. So I'll wait for that.

[Mr Wonder]

G7X Returned'd!!!!!1

Refunded in full, including shipping both ways, thanks to generous consumer protection laws.

I got some decent photos from the car show but there were a few issues that cropped up.
Firstly I'm not sure I really like the form factor. It's quite chunky and fairly heavy. This coupled with my lack of experience with a flippy screen made it a bit unwieldy in some situations. The auto focus really struggled at times, some shots I just couldn't get as the whole focus then recompose thing becomes problematic on larger sensors at big apertures. In fairness the lighting at indoor car shows is notoriously bad and this was was particularly horrific. I think this is updated for the G7X MKii, it was certainly much better on the G9X I tried in B&H in December.
Also, and this may be my imagination, I found myself needing to use very high ISOs with smallish apertures just to get the correct depth of field. While this didn't impact picture quality thanks to the large sensor I didn't feel I was gaining much from the S95 which could be shot at f2.0 for basically everything. The DoF was rarely a problem due to the small sensor.

In short... Well I'm not really sure. The G1X Mark iii hasn't materialised which puts my G9X/G1Xiii combo on hold. Though the G7X Mark ii looks to solve some of the problems I had it is slightly larger than the original and I remain unconvinced by the form factor.

[Yw-slayer]

I'd probably get the G7X2 and return it if you don't like it. :lol:

[Mr Wonder]

That is the current plan. It means no non SLR pictures until May though.
I may crack and try the G9X :D

[Yw-slayer]

Try after you buy!

[overpowered]

https://www.facebook.com/photo/download/?fbid=10153381329434401

[Yw-slayer]

You mean, "for publicity".

[overpowered]

https://media.giphy.com/media/l2JJu55Y2LSvkbBqo/giphy.gif

[Yw-slayer]

That's very interesting. 85mm is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most "pleasing" of the lot.

[Sad, little man]

Well, I got the Tamron 24-70 2.8. It completely dwarfs my Canon Rebel. It's a lens with a camera attached. It does seem to take very nice photos though. I love being able to zoom in and out without having the fstop change on me. It's so freeing to be able to zoom in and not worry about messing with my settings again.

However, while it's noticeably better in low light than my 3.5-5.6 kit lens, it still doesn't quite get me where I need to be... So I ordered a Canon 50mm 1.4. I got the sickness. :eek:

I think I'm going to hold off on getting a full frame camera for now. While the newest cameras have crazy high ISOs, they don't actually seem to be usable at anything above about 3200.

Also, op, have to say I disagree with that graphic. You don't see a similar graphic with a bunch of musical equipment with the caption that it's appalling that they are expected to play for free. Sorry, but when you choose a trade that has artistic but very little utilitarian value, as far as I'm concerned, you trade any expectations of a good income stream for the ability to do something you're actually passionate about. It's foolish to spend that kind of money on photography stuff with the sole purpose of making money from it.

Most people are not good enough or lucky enough to make lots of money doing artistic things, because artistic work is simply not valued as highly as work that has a utilitarian purpose. Accept it.

[overpowered]

Also, op, have to say I disagree with that graphic. You don't see a similar graphic with a bunch of musical equipment with the caption that it's appalling that they are expected to play for free.I stopped trying to get paid for photography in 1983.

I see graphics/meme stuff like that from my musician friends on FB on a regular basis.

[KillerB]

I got myself a Fuji X100T for Christmas... figured it was a good investment with trips coming up, and I didn't want to schlep the DSLR around.

[Sad, little man]

My new favorite camera button is the depth of field preview button, because I love making the aperture go "pew pew."

[Sad, little man]

Ooooooh, I just dropped $700 on a prime lens... A goddamn prime lens. And it's as big as some zoom lenses. I got the sickness... Real bad.

[Kchrpm]

And that is why people start to charge, because the GAS gets expensive! ;)

[Yw-slayer]

But it's cheaper if you pay for it a bit at a time.

[Kchrpm]

I must have missed it before, but I wasn't aware any musicians played for free. It also doesn't mean that they, or any other type of artist, assumes/demands that they will be able to make a living solely based on their art. If I were to ask my friends for gas money when I drive them to the airport, that doesn't mean I'm going to become a full-time Uber driver.

[M4FFU]

SLM - you need ff. Brings a new meaning to depth of field.

Also; I'm at the point of selling everything I've got. Due to dog/motorbike my 'hobby' photography time now consists of taking occasional pictures of the dog. Seems a weird thing to have £2.5k of kit for that. Phone/small p&s will be the order of the day from now on me thinks.

[Yw-slayer]

It's like having kids. You'll generally only take photos of them, and not much else.

[M4FFU]

Just seem to be doing other things than purposefully taking pictures of things. Seems a waste having all that money set aside in kit than is gathering dust.

A small compact lens/system, me thinks, is the Bubbles future. Even if ff 1.4 apertures are addictive.

[Kchrpm]

Solution: Sony RX1

[Jason]

Mirrorless is a good middle ground for a lot of people :up:

[M4FFU]

Yeah, I think so. I remember when I was looking at getting my 6D both you, Jason, and YW were taking good things about the Fuji X stuff. I think I need to go back there. And yes, Keith - even the later Sony offerings. My Canon kit is an effort to take around with me. Much, as at the time, I said that wouldn't be a problem. Rather a 'lesser' picture than none at all.

I'll start putting a shopping list together, and get my current kit sold.

[Jason]

That's kinda what lead me to switch from a 7D and a variety of lenses, to a mirrorless kit... the hassle in bringing something huge meant the DSLR stayed at home, and I wasn't shooting as much. Now I basically slap a 35mm or 50mm lens on the X-E2 when going out and about. Or even if I'm taking a huge trip, I can take a handful of lenses and still be lighter than some DSLR+single lens combos. Obviously everyone's needs and priorities are different... some people have a great desire for huge sensor, or huge resolution, or pro level auto focusing... none of which the Fuji system has. For me, it's finding a 'sweet spot' between ultimate image quality, and ultimate portability. And then of those systems in the sweet spot, which control scheme fits my preferences (basically whether you like analog feeling dials, or if you prefer buttons, fancy features, and menus).

[Sad, little man]

I generally feel pretty inadequate in life, so it's nice to be able to compensate with a really big camera and lens. So, I'll keep my 6D.

But anyway, all of this talk about better DoF with full frame... Isn't it just simply a product of the fact that with full frame you have to be closer to your subject at a given focal length to achieve the same perspective? And being closer to your subject results in more bokeh. That's all it really boils down to, right?

[Kchrpm]

No, not at all. TLDR: it's a combination of effective aperture and the ratio of the distance between you and the subject and you and the background.

Bokeh comes from things being out of focus enough for the light bouncing off of them to be in larger shapes, rather than just points/pixels. Faster apertures (f/1 is faster than f/2), avoiding the science behind it, means the "sweet spot" for things appearing in focus is smaller. It also means that things will be more out of focus at the same distance.

Actual aperture, though, like focal distance, is dependent on the size of your sensor. I don't know the math or equations behind it, so I'll give you some generic examples.

Let's say you're taking a picture of something that is 10 feet away from you, with the background 20 feet away from you.

Take a camera with an f/x lens, and when you have the subject in focus, the background might only be slightly out of focus but you can still read large print.

Now put on an f/(x/2) lens of the same effective focal length, when you have the subject in focus, the background could be blurry enough that you see print but can't read it.

Move so that you're 2 feet from the subject but 7 feet from the background.

Focus on the subject with the f/x lens, and now the background could be as blurry as it was with the f/(x/2) before.

Focus with the f/(x/2) from that distance, and the background could be totally unrecognizable, a complete blur of the predominant colors.

Edit: completely boned the original explanation

[Jason]

I generally feel pretty inadequate in life, so it's nice to be able to compensate with a really big camera and lens. So, I'll keep my 6D.

Yup, some people have different priorities than others, there's no universal correct choice. I certainly wouldn't tell a great many photographer friends to get a crop-mirrorless, because it wouldn't suit their needs. Bubbles, however, sounds like someone who could benefit from a system that's lighter, yet still decent quality.


But anyway, all of this talk about better DoF with full frame... Isn't it just simply a product of the fact that with full frame you have to be closer to your subject at a given focal length to achieve the same perspective? And being closer to your subject results in more bokeh. That's all it really boils down to, right?

https://photographylife.com/sensor-size-perspective-and-depth-of-field

[Kchrpm]

The benefit with depth of field from full-frame is because the effective aperture is different, just like the effective focal length.

Again, I don't remember the math, but for example a lens marked as f/2.0 on a tiny sensor is more like f/9.0 in actual performance when compared to full frame lenses. So an APS-C f/1.4 lens will have a larger depth of field than a full frame f/1.4 lens.

[M4FFU]

That's kinda what lead me to switch from a 7D and a variety of lenses, to a mirrorless kit... the hassle in bringing something huge meant the DSLR stayed at home, and I wasn't shooting as much. Now I basically slap a 35mm or 50mm lens on the X-E2 when going out and about. Or even if I'm taking a huge trip, I can take a handful of lenses and still be lighter than some DSLR+single lens combos. Obviously everyone's needs and priorities are different... some people have a great desire for huge sensor, or huge resolution, or pro level auto focusing... none of which the Fuji system has. For me, it's finding a 'sweet spot' between ultimate image quality, and ultimate portability. And then of those systems in the sweet spot, which control scheme fits my preferences (basically whether you like analog feeling dials, or if you prefer buttons, fancy features, and menus).

I was that person, unashamedly, who craved huge sensor, af before I'd even pressed the button. All that stuff. MOAR kit.

Which, for the last 2 years, has largely remained unused - and thus pointless. It's a vague hobby, I don't print things, and barely externally publish stuff. A 6D with a 24.70 2.8 is huge. When out with my (8 stone) dog, I can't use the camera and keep him in check. So, much like you, my priorities have changed. I want something decent, than I can have some form of manual control, but I'd rather be taking many 90% good pictures, than 0 100% pictures.

I'd like a system with a few different lenses, but that are (ff system relative) lighter, cheaper, and easier to live with and use. A very quick search has landed me on the Panasonic GX80 and the many 4/3 lenses out there. I'm not ignoring the Fuji system, but the M4/3 does seem to be a bit cheaper to get into and autofocus speeds - my main concern a few years ago - seem to be less of a concern now.

Whilst I sell all my kit, I've got a RX100 Mk1 to use. There's also the (now cheaper) A6000 that interests, but, again - the lens line-up isn't that of the M4/3 stuff.

ETA: https://www.parkcameras.com/p/P016419K/compact-system-cameras/panasonic/lumix-dmc-gx80-mirrorless-compact-system-camera

[Jason]

I couldn't care less what system you get haha. A lot of people are very happy with Micro 4/3 :up:

[Freude am Fahren]

So I bought a thing.

http://www.freudeamfoto.com/gtx/d500.jpg

Yeet!

I'd been lusting over a D750 for a while now, and was getting ready to pull the trigger when I started seeing more about the D500. Glad I waited. FX is about all the 750 has over the 500. Even then it's not that much of a selling point for me. I'll miss an onboard flash, but I still have my D300 for random get togethers where I might need it and don't want to carry a speedlight. Kind of odd they left it off, but holy crap the veiwfinder is huge.

This will be my first DSLR with video as well (it has 4K, which I may never use though), so I'll be getting use to that, which should be fun. I just wish it had real AF in video like the new Canons. Focusing will really need to be manual.

Speaking of focusing, I did some low light testing indoors. It goes up to some insane ISO in the "HI" modes that's really only good for spy photography and maybe some journalism. ISO 6400 is completely usable, I've found so far. But it can focus with fast lenses in near darkness even without an AF assist light.

Also 10fps is pretty cool. Sounds like a machine gun. :D

[Yw-slayer]

I couldn't care less what system you get haha. A lot of people are very happy with Micro 4/3 :up:

Pretty much.

[Mr Wonder]

Canon G9X purchased!

A short break in the highlands of Scotland confirmed the whole "the best camera is the one you have with you" thing to be founded on solid ground. A lot of missed opportunities, £30 canon cashback, and not really being convinced by the G7Xs form factor made me bite the bullet. A quick test at a Goodwood breakfast club confirms this is the right path for the foreseeable future. I should have done it last year, the image quality is such a giant leap from the S95. I'm still getting to grips with the touch screen but I really like how the camera handles in general.

[Kchrpm]

Related: Canon releases G9X II (https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAFUAAAAJGI2NDM2YTZlLTc0NWEtNGE5MC1iMj Y0LTJmYzdiODYwNTVjYQ.jpg)

[Jason]

:lol:

[Mr Wonder]

:lol:
You had me for about 2 seconds! Not helped by Jason being top of the newest page...

[Yw-slayer]

Classic. :lol:

[Sad, little man]

All I want is a lens that is tack sharp at 1.4 and focuses accurately and instantly on a rapidly moving subject. Is that too much to ask?

[overpowered]

1000mm f/4.5 going up on auction:

http://bokeh.digitalrev.com/article/gigantic-1000mm-nasa-lens-up-for-sale

[Yw-slayer]

Now that the 1DX II is out, I am hoping for prices of secondhand 1DXs to drop. But no such luck.

[Sad, little man]

Yeah, I've noticed that doesn't tend to happen the way you'd want it to or think it would.

I think it boils down to this... A good camera is a good camera, and the technological advances between models are never really huge enough to affect the value of the old model that significantly.

In short, you and everyone else has been waiting for the price of the 1DXs to drop once the new one came out, so it doesn't.

[Jason]

All I want is a lens that is tack sharp at 1.4 and focuses accurately and instantly on a rapidly moving subject. Is that too much to ask?

Couple things of note... unfortunately phase detection auto focus has issues with large apertures/small depth of field. This is partially why a lot of DSLRs allow for micro adjustment settings in camera. Getting tack sharp/accurate focus at f1.4 requires two things... a lens that is sharp wide open (uncommon, and expensive generally), and a camera that has a combination of both phase detection and contrast detection (mirrorless, or live view on a DSLR).

[M4FFU]

All my kit is getting purchased by an online used dealer, picked up next week.

As Wonder says; no point having all the kit if you never take it out of the house. :up:

[Rikadyn]

um so...hassie releasing a med. format mirrorless