General Photography Chat

[wrab]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

What do you guys think of the Canon G11? I am on the fence about a DSLR due to the size, and the kind of photography I do (which is mainly street/random), and the advantages of the size of a camera I can pocket are important to me.

Also have a look at the Micro-Four-Thirds offerings from Panasonic (Lumix G Series) & Olympus (Digital PEN Series), which are small interchangeable-lens cameras with larger-than-compact Four-Thirds sensors; and Sony's NEX series (even larger APS-C sensor). These cameras use electronic viewfinders rather than a flip-mirror system, so their bodies are smaller than a DSLR's. Lens selection is still limited, although you can adapt-mount many legacy lenses on the Panny & Olympus bodies (but not on the Sony).

Leica's diminutive X1 also uses an APS-C sensor, but has a fixed lens and costs beaucoup $$$ over the above. A step up would be Leica's M9 rangefinder - it has a full-frame sensor and is compact & quiet. Perfect for discreet street photography, but at just under $7,000 without glass, who can afford one?

[Doady]

Anyone have experience with plastic mount lenses? I am planning to get a camera with two kit lenses, but one of them has a plastic mount. Are plastic mounts okay?

[Witty Nickname]

Metal for the win. All my lenses have metal mounts.

[bulliver]

I started with two kit lenses with plastic mounts. Don't recall any issues, but I upgraded them after only a year or so.

[Doady]

Originally Posted by bulliver

I started with two kit lenses with plastic mounts. Don't recall any issues, but I upgraded them after only a year or so.

I don't upgrade equipment very much (I've been using the same camera for 7 years) so I want my lenses to last. If I buy new lenses, it will be for different ranges, not to replace old lenses. So, I'll probably stick to metal mount lenses just to be sure.

I'll get the one lens kit instead and sell the lens right away to get a metal mount lens. The camera is Olympus E-PL1, with 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, which I'll sell and replace with 14-150mm F4.0-5.6.

I'll keep my current 7 year old fixed lens camera for macros (until I get a macro lens) and street shooting, because of the silent shutter. The interchangeable lens cameras have very noisy shutters - not very good for taking pictures of strangers at close range...

[bulliver]

Yeah, if you're looking for long term just go metal then. I hear you with the loud shutter too. I've started shooting more street and the D90 is pretty damn loud, hence why I typically hang on busy street corners with lots of loud traffic. The D40's electronic shutter is much quieter, and with a prime attached it is quite unobtrusive..

[flar]

My plastic mount lenses took a beating and never failed. I've only used Nikon, but I can say without hesitation that even their low end is excellent quality.


I also think, for your carefully-composed style Doady, that if you go with Nikon you could look at some of their older lenses in used condition. You can pick up some awesome quality equipment for fairly low prices. The downside is manual focus and manual exposure, but I think your style might be able to deal with that.

[mr.John]

Originally Posted by bulliver

Yeah, if you're looking for long term just go metal then. I hear you with the loud shutter too. I've started shooting more street and the D90 is pretty damn loud, hence why I typically hang on busy street corners with lots of loud traffic. The D40's electronic shutter is much quieter, and with a prime attached it is quite unobtrusive..

HAHA I guess the D90 isn't much of an improvement over the D80, you can hear that pig 10 feet away when I snap a shot ...so much for being discrete (I won't even get into the metering which borders on farcical on the D80)

[Doady]

I was doing this presentation in class earlier this year and this photographer from the local newspaper was taking photos with his Nikon D300, and the shutter sound just sliced through the whole room (capacity: 100+ people) throughout the presentations. I have never used an SLR before so it was quite shocking compared to my experience with near-silent compacts. Even my classmates remarked on the noise...

I tested the Micro Four Thirds the other day and it just as loud as the D300 even though there is no mirror. So disappointing. Reportedly, the only recent interchangeable lens cameras with near-silent shutters are the Olympus E-1 and the Leica M8 and M9...

I think the near-silent operation is a big advantage of cameras like Canon G12 and Nikon P7000 that is often overlooked...

Originally Posted by flar

I also think, for your carefully-composed style Doady, that if you go with Nikon you could look at some of their older lenses in used condition. You can pick up some awesome quality equipment for fairly low prices. The downside is manual focus and manual exposure, but I think your style might be able to deal with that.

Manual focus and exposure is okay with me but also want something compact. The SLRs and the lenses are a bit too big and heavy for me.

The thing with the mirrorless cameras is that the distance between the sensor and the lens flange is so short that they could use any manual focus lens as you have right adapter...

BTW, apparently the camera I want can be bought body-only, and there is $200 discount if I buy the body-only with the lens I wanted, so I will probably just do that. $650 lens plus $420 body minus $200 seems like a good deal.

[i_am_hydrogen]

A 24mm tilt-shift lens showed up on my doorstep today. I took it in and have been caring for it ever since.

[The Chemist]

Just picked this up today:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/EOS_7D/eos_7d_2.jpg

Canon EOS 7D with EF-S 15-85mm lens.

[Ayreonaut]

Jealous! Can't wait to see some shots.

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by The Chemist

Just picked this up today:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/EOS_7D/eos_7d_2.jpg

Canon EOS 7D with EF-S 15-85mm lens.

Congrats, that's a great camera.

[Doady]

Originally Posted by The Chemist

Just picked this up today:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/digital/EOS_7D/eos_7d_2.jpg

Canon EOS 7D with EF-S 15-85mm lens.

Wow that looks like a great camera. It seems similar to 5D.

Myself I have decided against buying a new camera. I already kind of gave up on photography to be honest, too many bad photos. High-end camera like 7D would be a waste for my ability. I'll just stick to point-and-shoot. I haven't taken any photos since July anyways...

[The Chemist]

Originally Posted by Doady

Wow that looks like a great camera. It seems similar to 5D.

It's about the same size as a 5D Mk. II, but it costs about $1000 less. From what I've seen, the only thing the 7D lacks compared to the 5D Mk. II is the full-frame sensor and the resulting improvement in image quality that brings, especially at high ISO (although you need top end glass in order to take advantage of that sensor properly).

However, I feel the 7D more than makes up for its smaller APS-C size sensor with much faster burst speed and newer, more advanced autofocus system.

[SomeFormOFhuman]

The 7D's a perfect camera to play with. Been using it since December 17 09'... You should try the full burst mode, hold down the shutter and hear it firing 8 frames per second. The speed and sound of that thing, like a machine gun going off.

Yes, I agree that the 7D is a really awesome camera in all fields. All it needs is a Full Frame sensor. But that'll be 5D MK III? Hmm..... Rumours.

Come to think of it, from what I use it so far, the ISO performance is actually really good, considering the fact that it is coming from APS-C sensor. I shot various stuff at ISO 12800 in almost pitch black situations and it still focuses well - and quick. That of course, also depends on the lens you use which in turn affects the quality, and sharpness of focus.

[LSyd]

yeah the D90's loud, but of the hundreds (if not thousands) of street shots i've taken, no one's ever been freaked out by the noise at close range. at least not to the point of confronting me.

-

[diskojoe]

i remember one time i was in nola. i snuck up on this guy taking a girls picture in an alley. lots of other people had been taking pictures of them using point and clicks which didnt seem to faze him at all. but as soon as he heard my shutter snap he jolted around real quick. ruined my picture of him.

but that was the only time it seems to bother anyone.

of course he didnt say anything to me. i think it just kinda shocked him cause his had just went off before mine.

[diskojoe]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

A 24mm tilt-shift lens showed up on my doorstep today. I took it in and have been caring for it ever since.

awww, its so cute. what are you going to name it?

[Doady]

I wish I had thousands of dollars to burn so I could get a Leica M9. Now that is a quiet and discreet-looking camera... if it was 1/3 of the price it would be my camera of choice no question.