Astral/H3X
Member
I did not understand any of what this was.
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NeoGAF Camera Equipment Thread | MK II
- Thread starter MRORANGE
- Start date
I did not understand any of what this was.
Did you mean to link to a $1200 dollar bag?, or I guess that's like 70 usd. never mind
I think it looks like a techie laptop bag though.
Anyway,
Cannon camera bag, Tamrac small single body, Amazon basics laptop bag, and a shure hardcase for audio junk. I try to stay light when I can.
Yeah, is a 70 USD, forgot to mention I live in Mexico, the Tamrac looks nice
JadedWriter
Member
I never thought I'd like using a battery grip, but it came in handy during my shoot, same with my flash diffuser so every piece of kit has its uses.
I don't think I ever posted in the old thread, but I just recently got the Sigma ART Series 35mm f/1.4 for Canon and it's amazing. Highly recommended. Sharp, nice colors, great bokeh. It's replace my 24-70mm f/2.8 L for most of my street photography recently. Portraits are great too
JadedWriter
Member
You forgot to add fucking expensive. I'll get the Art 30mm cause it's some what affordable at least though and it's still respectable.
Nah man, I told you! I got it for about $400 second hand. But it's a great lens, I'd gladly have paid retail for it.
I have the Sigma 19 & 60 and the Sony 35. The 35 is my main lens because the focal length works well for me, but I am constantly impressed by the Sigma 60 in how well shots from it turn out.
SillyEskimo
Member
I bought my wife a Nikon D3200 for xmas. It came with 2 lenses and a free bag. It was a little less than $200 thanks to a long line of fuck ups at Best Buy the day before Thanksgiving.
I went ahead and bought her a telephoto lens, macro/wide angle/fisheye lenses, tripod, gear bag, hand strap, 64GB card, extra battery, and a bunch of other crap that I forget right now.
I'll pop in here every once in awhile to see if I can buy her more stuff. Just what she needs, yet another hobby. At least this one is cheap.
I went ahead and bought her a telephoto lens, macro/wide angle/fisheye lenses, tripod, gear bag, hand strap, 64GB card, extra battery, and a bunch of other crap that I forget right now.
I'll pop in here every once in awhile to see if I can buy her more stuff. Just what she needs, yet another hobby. At least this one is cheap.
I have it and it's an amazing value for a frame lens. Don't think anything else can compete for what it offers.
jongkookie
Member
Yeah, I just use the AmazonBasics Camera Backpack to store all my gear and to take to work. But when I'm out shooting, I just use this ugly looking shoulder bag. I'm able to fit my 19-35mm and 28-85mm deep in the bag and up top stores the camera with my 50mm attached to it. That shoulder bag can even store my charger, extra battery, SD cards, lens cleaner pen, and shutter remote. It's a fantastic bag and it being ugly seems like it'd be a great deterrent for the bad people lol.
Anyway, got some "new" gear today. A friend of mine sent me her Opteka 85mm f/1.8 lens. It's a POS everywhere you look since it's not the Rokinon/Samyang version, but she swears by it and said she used it while working on the beat at her old gig as a newspaper photog in Hawaii. I'm gonna see if I can get some test shots tonight or tomorrow... I just came back from a shoot late this afternoon so I'm probably gonna play some KOTOR before taking a look in Lightroom lol.
Understanding Exposure should definitely be required reading, but there's also a lot of value in just going out and shooting. When you're a novice you'll make a ton of mistakes and be able to learn from them in a way that's relatable when you read the book.
I have a Domke FX-5B for walking around with and a Think Tank Urban Approach 15 for travel. The Think Tank can hold 2 mirrorless bodies and a few lenses with room to spare. It also includes a rain cover. Mine got put to the test and it kept everything bone dry.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
Cool OP. Understanding Exposure is a good book. The gear reccomendations are fine. Hell, you can take good enough professional photos for an 8x10 print with a D40 (9 year old entry level DSLR), kit lens, and some light modifiers, if you know what you're doing.
Oatmeal's talking about Final Fantasy 7 Remake secret bosses
Resisting urge to buy a 300D off of eBay right now...
I mean if it's dirt, and I mean dirt cheap then why not? it's like 12 years old lol
I'd rather put that money towards a Pentax K50 but that's just me.
Squirrel Killer
Member
It really is an old camera, but while the sensors have gotten a lot better in 10 years of course you can still make good pictures with it. For $300, consider the 75-300mm runs ~$100 used and the body and 18-55mm ~$190 used (per a quick Google search.) That would get you the bare body and lenses, your friend might toss in a few miscellaneous accessories (bag, extra battery, filters, etc...) that make it comparable. While the 75-300mm and 18-55 give you a great amount of range, I'd also recommend the 50mm f/1.8 prime ($100-125 new, $50 for the Yongnuo knock-off) for the speed.
Squirrel Killer
Member
The real question, of course, is what do you want to do with the camera? Sure, you can get body X with two "good" primes, but what lengths? 35 and 85? What if their intent is bird watching? Sure, you can get much newer body Y with a kit lens, but how much value do you put on having an IRL buddy that you've build a good relationship with that you can talk shop with and bum gear off of?
Too often it seems this thread's previous incarnation (and I've certainly been guilty of it too) devolves into spec dick waving. Certainly comparing specs is fun, but there's more to the story than numbers.
Glycemic Beg, do you like the guy, do you trust him, would he lend you gear, will he toss in the extra shit you'd spend $100 on, will he tell you not to bother with a UV filter, does he tell you how he got that shot? $300 is not a rip off, and if it gets you some intangibles that eBay user NotAScammer42 wouldn't give you, maybe it's even a deal.
Too often it seems this thread's previous incarnation (and I've certainly been guilty of it too) devolves into spec dick waving. Certainly comparing specs is fun, but there's more to the story than numbers.
Glycemic Beg, do you like the guy, do you trust him, would he lend you gear, will he toss in the extra shit you'd spend $100 on, will he tell you not to bother with a UV filter, does he tell you how he got that shot? $300 is not a rip off, and if it gets you some intangibles that eBay user NotAScammer42 wouldn't give you, maybe it's even a deal.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
I would probably pay $200 for that body and 2 lenses. What does ebay and used seller Amazon say people are buying those items for?
JadedWriter
Member
Oh yeah I forgot you got a really good deal for it. I'm pretty sure even I couldn't turn it down at that price.
TerryLee81
Member
Squirrel Killer
Member
An eBay listing for the exact same kit looks to have a buy it now price for $250, listings for similar items look to be about $100-125 for the body alone, $150-200 for the body and kit lens, and $100 for the 75-300mm. There is a listing for the XTi and kit for $59, but there's 14 bids already and a day and half left for it to go up.
It's almost as if Ken is a bloviating asshole, lol!
His reviews are still fun to read for entertainment though.
Lucky Forward
Member
I've had one for ten years (the Mk I) and I've been happy with it...you can get excellent results if your technique is good. (I've also taken quite a few blurry pictures with it before I learned how to use it properly.) Also, a lot of professional wildlife photographers I'm familiar with have it in their stable of lenses. You mention "out of camera" sharpness, but virtually everything I shoot is sharpened to some degree in Lightroom and it's the end result that matters to me. The push/pull zoom on the Mk I supposedly has a reputation for being a "dust vacuum" but I never had an issue with that. The Mk II is supposed to be even sharper and they went with a rotating zoom. Here are some shots I took with the my 100-400L and 5D MkIII at an airshow in September...click thru for full size.
IMG_3244 by Lucky Forward, on Flickr
IMG_3451 by Lucky Forward, on FlickrOlder camera can work but they are also harder to work with, which can be frustrating when you are just learning. Some people give up just because of the added frustration. There's a balance somewhere which is depended on each individual.
I get stuff like "why can't I see the whole area I'm capturing in my OVF when my iPhone can?" "panorama is so much work, I'd rather use my iPhone" "why can my iPhone do this when my heavy, bulky camera can't?" etc all the time. Granted these are people just wish to take better quality photos with larger cameras as oppose to people who care about technical side of things, but I think that's usually the first step even for people who want to go further into photography.
I get stuff like "why can't I see the whole area I'm capturing in my OVF when my iPhone can?" "panorama is so much work, I'd rather use my iPhone" "why can my iPhone do this when my heavy, bulky camera can't?" etc all the time. Granted these are people just wish to take better quality photos with larger cameras as oppose to people who care about technical side of things, but I think that's usually the first step even for people who want to go further into photography.
Squirrel Killer
Member
I had an early Olympus digital P&S that was an absolute nightmare to work, it would be a candidate for DigitalRev's "Pro Photographer, Cheap Camera" series (it's no Barbie doll cam, but close.) But if this comment was in reference to the XTi, it's off base. The XTi's UI is fine.
JadedWriter
Member
Sounds like I shouldn't listen too heavily to Mr. Rockwell.
interactivemonodrama
Banned
Can someone tell me what kind of camera does filthy frank use for his new videos?
A lot of things seem fine for people already know how to work it isn't the same to people who have yet to learn it. UI is just part of the work flow. Newer cameras are more than that. Granted Canon's entry level line hasn't evolved that much until the more recent iterations so I'm just talking generally.
This is what that means.
$$$$$$$$$
http://www.red.com/store/scarlet
Understand that your mind is currently blown, then understand that these things are absolute dreams when it comes to quality.
This is my first time being in a photography thread.
As of now, all I have is a D7000, which is a great camera, even after being released 5 years ago.
I don't take photos much as of now, but all I have are some older prime lenses from the early 90s and late 80s, and compared to modern lenses, they are not that good. This is just me realizing that I need some better lenses to take advantage of what this camera is capable of.
For those who are clueless to photography, a lens can make or break a camera in its entirety.
Growing up using my father's old lenses, when my friend let me use his $250 new lens (with auto focus!), it felt like cheating, and it was much sharper.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
He's fine. To beginners, his material is pretty relevant. For intermediate and advanced users, not so much.
It works for him, though, and whatever system works best for you is the one that works best for you.
Nah, he's an okay resource but like anything look to other reviewers etc, to help you decide. He's just a small and vocal cog in the wheel.
lrt75914
Member
I've been going through my dad's gear, trying to find a suitable lens for some wide field astro photography. So far his Sigma 105 mm macro lens is the sharpest of the bunch, although the edge performance is a bit lacking. The field illumination is quite good but there are still some egg shaped stars in the corner of the frame. Another problem that I have with the lens is that the 105mm focal length, in combination with the APS-C Chip of my dad's Sony Alpha 77 Mark II, results in a rather small field of view.
Can anyone recommend a lens that offers a wide field of view while remaining relatively sharp all the way to the edge of the frame? Price should be around 1000 €.
Can anyone recommend a lens that offers a wide field of view while remaining relatively sharp all the way to the edge of the frame? Price should be around 1000 €.
You don't need to use book for something simple like that, doing an hour reading online would get you enough knowledge about all these basic concepts.
I don't really "work" on photography. I just shoot for fun, I started earlier in 2015 and some of my stuff can be seen at https://500px.com/luciszhang
ElectricKaibutsu
Member
Thanks for the advice from the previous thread, John Blade! I think I will end up just picking up a camera in the US.
Risible
Member
So, curious about opinions on the Canon 70D with the 18-135mm STM lens from experienced DSLR users in here.
Good for taking pictures? Good for taking video? I'm looking to do both, so I want a camera that's versatile, easy to use, and high quality for right around the range that this camera costs.
Good for taking pictures? Good for taking video? I'm looking to do both, so I want a camera that's versatile, easy to use, and high quality for right around the range that this camera costs.
StopMakingSense
Member
He's okay when you are first starting out, in terms of understanding the various capabilities and language of cameras and lenses. Just keep in mind he reviews solely for his use cases, and that he's a fairly middling photographer.
Once you get a batter handle on things, the less relevant a lot of his writing becomes.
Good looking stuff!
For myself, the exposure triangle didn't 'click' until I read Understanding Exposure. But that's not all it is... He goes into lighting techniques... composition... And he even says that one of the best things you can do is just go out and shoot and shoot and shoot. So he agrees with you on one thing, at least.
Edit: OP has no love for the 7D mkII? Probably my next purchase (since I can't do micro-focus adjustment on my shitty Rebel, good glass is almost useless).
JadedWriter
Member
Ok, sounds like I've probably advanced beyond him then. I'm not advanced or anything but I do have a decent grasp on stuff...until RuGalz or Captive breaks out the photography science of course.
That's being pretty generous. ;b
I got a Canon 700D for Christmas (including 18-55mm and 55-250mm STM lenses). It's my first ever DSLR, and I'm happy with it...last year I was looking at some higher end cameras but they're out of my budget range. This camera is a lot of fun to play with as a beginner.
I think I'll be sticking with the kit lenses for now, but I do eventually want to move beyond them...I'm particularly looking out for a nice wide angle lens to do some astrophotography with (they seem to be in the ballpark of AU$400-$500).
I think I'll be sticking with the kit lenses for now, but I do eventually want to move beyond them...I'm particularly looking out for a nice wide angle lens to do some astrophotography with (they seem to be in the ballpark of AU$400-$500).
Some people like to read books vs online. Give it a rest, the book is fine. There's also plenty of website resources to look at as well.
I cant take anyone serious that thinks 8 bit jpegs are better than 14 bit raws and that sending clients compressed low resolution jpegs is acceptable because "they'll never know the difference." Its wrong on a scientific level, and its wrong on a moral level.
JadedWriter
Member
How in the hell does one send Raw files anyway? I like sending clients high res stuff, but holy fuck I have no idea how to conveniently send the stuff. With my current thing I'm compressing about 100 raws into a zip and uploading it to my google drive and sharing the link, but uploading a 2gb+ zip file takes god damn forever and it's eating into my storage space severely on there cause I'm not paying 10 bucks a month for 100 gbs of storage. Why is a tiff file so god damn huge anyway?
First chance you get get yourself some sort of 1.8 or faster prime lens. You'll definitely notice a sharpness difference and the kit lens are pretty much just day time lenses as far as my usage goes and even then I just keep my prime lens on. I only really swap it out if I need a wider focal length.
VisceralBowl
Member
I’d say you should only have the files online for a small window of time. Give the clients a week or so to retrieve the files (and send them a reminder or two) and then remove them from the online repository. If they want them at a future date you could just reupload them or figure something out.
You probably should look into a better online delivery method. Drive’s 15-30GB for free accounts isn’t that great. If you want to use Google then Google Apps for Work has $10/mo for 1TB (and unlimited if you happen to have employees and pay more).
Not sure what kind of clients you're dealing with.
You probably should look into a better online delivery method. Drive’s 15-30GB for free accounts isn’t that great. If you want to use Google then Google Apps for Work has $10/mo for 1TB (and unlimited if you happen to have employees and pay more).
Not sure what kind of clients you're dealing with.
JadedWriter
Member
As of right now it's just annoying model types that don't know to bring a flash drive so they can get their damn files, granted I take a lot of damn pictures. Drive is just 15gbs and most of my storage is being used to house manga.
Canon has the 10-18mm which is a very affordable ultrawide zoom. For astro it's probably way too slow and I'd recommend the Samyang 12mm f2. The Samyang has many names (Bower, Rokinon...), but common for all is manual focus and manual aperture with no image stabilization. On a tripod at night that's no big deal (and you'll need to manually focus on stars), but it might be a bit impractical in normal use. Canon also doesn't support AF confirm on fully manual lenses, but if you really want it you can buy a small chip for that. All the chip will do is fool the camera into thinking you're using a Canon lens and give you AF confirm (beep and/or dot in the viewfinder when you nail focus, you can try it out with the lens in MF).
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
By that metric, yeah, you don't "need" the book. However, the book is a very handy and convenient resource, with relevant info all in one place. It's also not that expensive.
I've met many a human who couldn't tell. Unless they're a commercial client, most people are probably going to use it for web and mobile purposes most of the time anyway.