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The Official Camera Equipment Megathread

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mclaren777

mclaren777

Member
I just ordered a 40mm Pancake and an 85mm 1.8 to go along with my 60D.

Guess who's going to be obsessively checking UPS tracking numbers this week? :)
 
Ü

Übermatik

Member
So I'm looking to get an ND GRAD filter for my excursion next Monday, but I'm not sure where to start/who to buy from. Any GAF suggestions? I hear Lee Filters are good. I'm looking to take landscape photos, mostly sunsets, so I need to preserve the colour and light of the sky.

And while we're at it, can anyone suggest a decent, cheap tripod? Doesn't have to be huge at all, in fact the more portable the better. Hama Star's are quite good, no?
 
R

radios shipping overview

Member
Ubermatik said:
And while we're at it, can anyone suggest a decent, cheap tripod? Doesn't have to be huge at all, in fact the more portable the better. Hama Star's are quite good, no?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, with tripods, good, cheap, and portable don't usually go together, especially if you need to support a DSLR. You definitely get what you pay for. But look at Slik tripods. They're reasonable quality for the money. Also check eBay and your local Craigslist for Tiltall tripods. They're classics.
 
C

CrunchinJelly

formerly cjelly
I just got my first DSLR a week or two ago and was just wondering: Is there any benefit to shooting RAW?

I notice the RAW images are a bit lighter than the JPG's, but not sure if it's worth the extra memory card space.
 
N

NathanMcMahon

Banned
Ubermatik said:
So I'm looking to get an ND GRAD filter for my excursion next Monday, but I'm not sure where to start/who to buy from. Any GAF suggestions? I hear Lee Filters are good. I'm looking to take landscape photos, mostly sunsets, so I need to preserve the colour and light of the sky.

And while we're at it, can anyone suggest a decent, cheap tripod? Doesn't have to be huge at all, in fact the more portable the better. Hama Star's are quite good, no?
Click to expand...

I'm partial to this tripod. It held up during three month long trip to Europe, and id still going strong.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U2T9DY/?tag=neogaf0e-20
 
mclaren777

mclaren777

Member
Ubermatik said:
So I'm looking to get an ND GRAD filter for my excursion next Monday, but I'm not sure where to start/who to buy from. Any GAF suggestions?
Click to expand...

Just bought this combo for my step-dad. He needed it for a landscape photography class he took yesterday. It sounds like he really enjoyed using it.

Cokin Kit & Lens Adapter – Flickr Group

cjelly said:
Is there any benefit to shooting RAW?
Click to expand...

Only if you plan on editing your pictures afterwards.

I used to be JPEG-only, then switched to JPEG+RAW, and now I'm just shooting RAW.

I'd suggest a similar path if you're just starting out.
 
I

Instigator

Banned
mclaren777 said:
Only if you plan on editing your pictures afterwards.

I used to be JPEG-only, then switched to JPEG+RAW, and now I'm just shooting RAW.

I'd suggest a similar path if you're just starting out.
Click to expand...

Funny.

I went from RAW, to RAW+JPEG to JPEG-only (with the occasional RAW+JPEG in hard shots).

I guess it depends on brand, your reason for shooting and the amount of time one has to waste with RAW processing.
 
C

CrunchinJelly

formerly cjelly
I think I'll stick with JPG, then.

Only reason it occurred to me is I shot my first batch as JPG + RAW and I noticed there was a pretty big difference in the brightness of the shots. Really weird.
 
I

Instigator

Banned
cjelly said:
I think I'll stick with JPG, then.

Only reason it occurred to me is I shot my first batch as JPG + RAW and I noticed there was a pretty big difference in the brightness of the shots. Really weird.
Click to expand...

It's normal. RAW files will also appear flat looking (low saturation, not too sharp) without working on them.

You can keep shooting JPEG-RAW for a while and see if you can exceed the JPEGs coming out of your camera when processing RAW files.
 
mclaren777

mclaren777

Member
Instigator said:
I guess it depends on brand, your reason for shooting and the amount of time one has to waste with RAW processing.
Click to expand...

I really enjoy processing so it's not a big issue for me. I'm the kind of guy who will go to sporting event or wedding and take 50+ pictures, then select my favorite 4-10 and edit them to my liking. The rest get converted to JPEGs and I toss the unwanted RAW files.
 
S

sneaky77

Member
cjelly said:
I just got my first DSLR a week or two ago and was just wondering: Is there any benefit to shooting RAW?

I notice the RAW images are a bit lighter than the JPG's, but not sure if it's worth the extra memory card space.
Click to expand...

The RAW file is basically the negative, you transfer it to pc and then make the edits there, the jpg is the file edited already by the camera settings. Shooting in RAW can help you recover details and etc as it saves more of the data and has more range for adjustments.
 
C

captive

Joe Six-Pack: posting for the common man
RAW for me, the only reason i need is that JPG is lossy. If i need a quick jpg its one or two buttons and it have something as good or better than what the in camera engine produced.

cjelly said:
I think I'll stick with JPG, then.

Only reason it occurred to me is I shot my first batch as JPG + RAW and I noticed there was a pretty big difference in the brightness of the shots. Really weird.
Click to expand...

thats because your camera is literally "processing" the jpgs with whatever color settings and modes you have going on in camera, whereas the RAW is literally just the raw data that the sensor saw.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Another benefit of RAW is the amount of info contained can exceed your ability to manipulate it. Meaning, I had shot some vistas up in New Hampshire when I first got my Rebel XT 4 years ago. For some reason I decided to shoot some RAW files during the trip and worked on them (been shooting RAW ever since). Four years later I was able to do advance techniques to some of the files (like single file HDRs, dodging and burning using the large exposure latitude of the files etc). There's also other benefits like the advancement of Noise Reduction algorithms which, working with a base RAW file, can beneficial.

In the end it depends on how you want to deal with your photos. Do you want to tinker or do you want to shoot and post? Also the digital negative comparison is a good one. Also Lightroom or Canons RAW developer (DPP) apply a basic tone curve so they look appealing (basically the same image settings you'd get if you shot the photo as a JPEG).
 
R

reggieandTFE

Member
Great Deal on the Panasonic GX1 if anyone is looking to get into micro 4/3. Sell the kit lens for $100 on ebay and buy the 14mm pancake for $160 on ebay and get either the Panasonic 20mm or the Olympus 45mm (or both) and you'll have a great, high quality set.
 
E

Ember128

Member
Ok guys.

I know someone who *may* be selling a used 800mm F5.6 L because he has too much lens.

I like taking photos of birds.

I'm having a hard time not justifying pursuing this.
 
P

Pepto

Banned
For me photography is 50% taking the photos and 50% editing them. I feel that raw is essential if you plan on doing lots of editing on your photos.
 
S

shantyman

WHO DEY!?
TerryLee81 said:
Bought a used Fuji X100. I'm impressed so far, except for one thing:

Who the hell approved the menu button? Did they test this before they released it?
Click to expand...

Yeah, you should not be going into the menu too often. Not an excuse for the bad design but it mitigates it at least.
 
S

shantyman

WHO DEY!?
Skel1ingt0n said:
Can you guys comment on the build quality of the X100? I've had the X10 for about a week now - and I absolutely love it. It's.... dare I say it... near perfect. A bit bigger of a sensor and a better viewfinder, and I'd wager it would be perfect. Which makes me think the X100 might be right up my alley. But I don't know if I want to back track and go to a fixed lens and worse AF. That, and the X10's build quality is a 9.9/10. It's spectacular; the best feeling camera under a thousand dollars for sure. And I've heard the X100 is actually kind of a step down.
Click to expand...

Other than the menu buttons, sublime.
 
A

AzerPhire

Member
Just picked up a Nex F3 with the 18-55mm lens and was just wondering what other lenses I should consider for day-to-day shooting? Mostly people, some landscapes and objects.
 
D

dmshaposv

Member
Guys is it a good time to buy a used x100?

(Heard some rumors about a X200 although I expect it to be not very cheap anyway. At least x100 price will furthur drop.)

The X-pro is just to expensive, and the x10 doesn't have that slick hybrid viewfinder.
 
R

radios shipping overview

Member
AzerPhire said:
Just picked up a Nex F3 with the 18-55mm lens and was just wondering what other lenses I should consider for day-to-day shooting? Mostly people, some landscapes and objects.
Click to expand...

Check out the E-mount 35mm f/1.8 when it gets announced at Photokina next month. It'll have optical stabilization and will be a good all-around lens when you want something faster than your kit lens.

dmshaposv said:
Guys is it a good time to buy a used x100?

(Heard some rumors about a X200 although I expect it to be not very cheap anyway. At least x100 price will furthur drop.)

The X-pro is just to expensive, and the x10 doesn't have that slick hybrid viewfinder.
Click to expand...

I would still be hesitant about buying a used X100 because of the sticky aperture issue. It'd be hard to tell whether the one you're buying would be susceptible to it. But if you're going to get a used one, wait until after Photokina and whatever announcements it brings. (I sound like a broken record these days.)
 
T

tino

Banned
Rumor X-E1 spec

Here are the first set of specs for the upcoming Fuji X-E1 mirrorless camera:

Same 16MP sensor as in the X-Pro1 (with max ISO of 25,600)
6 fps Light magnesium body
Improved AF speed
Price: bellow $1000
To be released before Christmas
Same video recording capabilities as the X-Pro1
Mic input
EVF only (not hybrid as the X-Pro1)
Two colors: black and silver
Pull 25 ISO to simulate Velvia in JPEG mode
Click to expand...

Oh man, time to dust up all my Nikon stuff and put them on ebay.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
I wonder if the EVF is much better than whats on the hybrid OVF of the XPRO1? If it is it'll definitely go up against the NEX6 nicely.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Speaking of lenses, the Fuji 35/1.4 looks so good. I love its rendering style, very gentle and has a sense of character versus some very corrected lenses modern lenses. Really want to see how they're 56/1.4 looks.
 
T

tino

Banned
Zyzyxxz said:
True, but if the X-E1 is under $1000 then what about the upcoming X200? The X100 was $1200 MSRP no? Curious but if it drops below $800 the X200 would be a steal.
Click to expand...

I think it will be:

X E-1 $999
X200 $1199 (you still get a lens a hybrid viewfinder)
X Pro-2 $1699 (same price)
18-55mm f/2.8-4 $449-499

NEX-6 I guess it will be $899 becuase Sony want to stick it to Fuji.
 
Z

Zyzyxxz

Member
tino said:
I think it will be:

X E-1 $999
X200 $1199 (you still get a lens a hybrid viewfinder)
X Pro-2 $1699 (same price)
18-55mm f/2.8-4 $449-499

NEX-6 I guess it will be $899 becuase Sony want to stick it to Fuji.
Click to expand...

Makes sense considering the viewfinder... man can't wait to see how far X100's drop. Would love one as a backup camera.
 
R

radios shipping overview

Member
X-E1 needs focus peaking, lowpass filter, or a similarly good manual focusing aid. If something like that isn't present in the firmware, that's a dealbreaker for me. Spot magnification doesn't cut it.
 
R

RapidCancel

Member
tino said:
I think it will be:

X E-1 $999
X200 $1199 (you still get a lens a hybrid viewfinder)
X Pro-2 $1699 (same price)
18-55mm f/2.8-4 $449-499

NEX-6 I guess it will be $899 becuase Sony want to stick it to Fuji.
Click to expand...

I hope both the X100 and X-Pro1 drops a lot...I really want an X-Pro1, but prices right now are so high, even used. Been messing around with my gf's X100 and it's making me really want one or the other.
 
R

Roland Garros

Banned
Is there a good resource available to learn about the many different types of lenses? You guys constantly bring up lenses I've never heard of, it's like reading gibberish haha.

Also, is the Canon EFS 55mm - 250mm IS worth it? Anyone had any experience with it?
 
L

Lanbeast

Member
I'm getting married in a little over a month and my fiancee and I want to get a camera that takes higher quality photos than what we're using (mostly our phones). My brother suggested this:

Olympus PEN E-PL1
$259.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035LBRJO/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Just wanted to get some opinions before we pulled the trigger. We want to have it for taking memorable photos of our honeymoon in Jamaica, and to start building a collection of photo album type pictures (around the house, of the dog, of each other, etc). We don't need anything super advanced but I thought this would let me start to experiment if I get the inkling.
 
T

tino

Banned
Lanbeast said:
I'm getting married in a little over a month and my fiancee and I want to get a camera that takes higher quality photos than what we're using (mostly our phones). My brother suggested this:

Olympus PEN E-PL1
$259.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035LBRJO/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Just wanted to get some opinions before we pulled the trigger. We want to have it for taking memorable photos of our honeymoon in Jamaica, and to start building a collection of photo album type pictures (around the house, of the dog, of each other, etc). We don't need anything super advanced but I thought this would let me start to experiment if I get the inkling.
Click to expand...

Panasonic GX1 is having a sell at 400 bux. Look a few posts up. EPL1 is very cheap feeling camera.
 
D

D'ultimate

Member
BlueTsunami said:
Also Lightroom or Canons RAW developer (DPP) apply a basic tone curve so they look appealing (basically the same image settings you'd get if you shot the photo as a JPEG).
Click to expand...

How do you set and apply the basic tone curve? Do you have to set it up first or is it something that is camera specific?
 
A

Art Teitlebaum

Member
I really dig my E-PL1 for the image quality up to 800 ISO especially with the Pana 20mm 1.7, but the operation is quite fiddly and lacks external control for aperture/ speed in A/S/M modes. There is no AF light, so the AF is rather bad in low light conditions. The build is a little flimsy, the display shows its age, but for that price you really get quite a lot bang for the buck.
Generally I recommend the cheaper body and later on better glass if you need it. Of course ymmv. The best is, you try it out in a store if you can live with the sub par controls.
 
Z

zephervack

Member
kr2t0s said:
To be honest I have only used / seen the x100. So I can't really comment on the build quality of 1 vs the other.

That being said if you are happy with your x10 then stick with it. The x100 is great but I don't know at this point if it's a better camera for you. Maybe try to see if you can see one at a store or something?

Also the x100 had another firmware update (1.30 I think?) and it seems like with every update the autofocus gets better and better. The manual focus on it has gotten better as well.

With all the craziness going on - I would definitely wait until photokina to see what shakes out. For all we know the x200 doesn't get announced.
Click to expand...

lol, So now I find there is a new firmware upgrade for the X100, thanks.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
D'ultimate said:
How do you set and apply the basic tone curve? Do you have to set it up first or is it something that is camera specific?
Click to expand...

Its automatically applied in Lightroom as a Medium tone curve. DPP does it automatically too plus it also deals with Canons picture styles which it applies to Raw files if you open them up in DPP. I think you can mess with how the raw developer deals with raw files in camera but you may have to use a first party program to use the full capabilities.
 
W

Wubby

Member
Any interest in leaked Nex-5R specs?

16.1 Mpx APS-C CMOS Exmor sensor
New Bionz imaging engine
ISO 100 up to 25.600
Full HD video recording at 1920×1080/60p AVCHD 2.0 format
PASM shooting and digital zoom support
Phase/Contrast Hybrid AF
99 phase detection AF points
25 contrast AF points
Continuous AF and AF tracking
MF assist
Peaking level/color
Auto Portrait Framing
Self Portrait, Self timer
3 inch tiltable screen (like the one from the NEX-F3)
Touch screen LCD with Touch Shutter
15 picture effects
2x Clear Zoom
over 400 pics per battery charge
takes the optional FDA-EV1S external viewfinder
Stereo mic
Shutter: 30sec up to 1/4.000
Time lag 0.02 sec
WiFi
Remote control via Application support
All the rest is like on the Sony NEX-5n (D-range, Auto HDR and so on)
Click to expand...

via: http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-full-nex-5r-specs-announcement-wednesday-august-29th/


Looking good. Interested in this application support and what sort of extra features this may bring. Thinking of getting a -6. Wife is against it though after how much I spent on my Nex-5 dual lens kit two years ago. I even offered to give her the 5 but she still said no! Have to send in my 5 for repairs I'm afraid though. The light metering has been acting very wonky lately.
 
N

Nuova

Banned
Anybody have any experience with a Sony Alpha 65?

Having a hard time deciding between that or a comparable canon (like a 60D).
 
T

The_Inquisitor

Member
Wubby said:
Any interest in leaked Nex-5R specs?



via: http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-full-nex-5r-specs-announcement-wednesday-august-29th/


Looking good. Interested in this application support and what sort of extra features this may bring. Thinking of getting a -6. Wife is against it though after how much I spent on my Nex-5 dual lens kit two years ago. I even offered to give her the 5 but she still said no! Have to send in my 5 for repairs I'm afraid though. The light metering has been acting very wonky lately.
Click to expand...

6 is going to be 1 grand right? Probably will stick with 5R.
 
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