• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Official Camera Equipment Megathread

Status
Not open for further replies.

Represent.

Represent(ative) of bad opinions
Not quite?

7D is considered equal to the D300 on the nikon side.

D7000 has a newer sensor/AF system but the AF system is not as "good" as the D300. D300 is a bigger body, more external controls, bugger frame buffer.

D7000 is more like a canon 60D imho.

Really huh? Just read/watched a crapload of reviews. Most say it shoots way past the 60D and takes aim at the 7D. We'll see, 7D was going to be my next camera until I found out the college is mandatory Nikon.
 

mclaren777

Member
My willpower is rapidly collapsing.

ibahOmQd4ZU6Of.jpg


iUwp6tfT2zkHG.jpg
 
Hey guys. I've been wanting to get into a little bit of photography for some time now, but didn't feel ready to plunge into DSLR just yet. Instead, I ordered a RX100 today from Sony Canada, and impressively it shipped out tonight and should be here tomorrow.

Camera: 699$
Spare battery: 48$
Carrying case: 29$
Discount: 12$

Total with shipping and taxes: $928.97

For those interested, Sony will have an external charger available in October for 79$.

I'm a total noob when it comes to photography, and I'd love to start readying up on how to control the camera's settings, and know exactly how those settings will impact the photos. Any good guides?

I'm going on vacation in a week, far up north. The night sky where I'll be is absolutely incredible, and I just realized that I would love to be able to take some pics of the stars. Will that be possible, using this camera? Or is that DSLR territory?

Reviews seem generally very positive, what's GAF's opinion on it? Could I have done better for the amount I spent on a point and shoot?

Edit: I'd also like to know what the best memory card would be for this camera? It supports both Sony's MS Duo format, and SD cards. Which is better? Should I be looking for anything in particular? Speeds, etc? I'd like at least 16GB, but more likely 32 or 64GB.
 

RuGalz

Member
Over 100$ in taxes. Fuck Quebec. Any thoughts on the rest of my post?

Taking pictures of the stars isn't easy even with a DSLR. It also depends on what you mean by 'picture of the stars'. If you are trying to get the brilliant star field pictures, you want to read up on astrophotography; it isn't cheap to do it right but people have gotten decent results with just p&s. If you want to get picture of those circular star trails, you are going to need to do time lapse capture and blend images. In any case, you should bring a tripod with you for night photos.

I'd stick to SD cards since they tend to be cheaper and do yourself a favor and get a class 10 one or better even if you can get by with slower cards.

I think the camera looks incredible from the specs and first impressions. I can't wait to see how it feels in my hand and how the menus and controls work together -- by far my biggest grip about Nex system.
 
Thabks for the info. I'm not necissarily trying to shoot something that i can submit to a publication, but simply to capture every single star visible to the eye? I'll pick up a tripod tomorrow, I'm assuming tripods are standard? I don't need one specifically for my model of camera? Any suggestions on which I should pick up, or is a tripod a tripod and there's no benefit to paying more?

Will a class 10 SD card be able to keep up with the camera's 1080p 28mbps filming? Any particular brands I should pick up? Kingston, Sony, etc? Are they all the same, if labeled a certain class?

Sorry for all the questions, I appreciate all input!
 

RuGalz

Member
Thabks for the info. I'm not necissarily trying to shoot something that i can submit to a publication, but simply to capture every single star visible to the eye? I'll pick up a tripod tomorrow, I'm assuming tripods are standard? I don't need one specifically for my model of camera? Any suggestions on which I should pick up, or is a tripod a tripod and there's no benefit to paying more?

Will a class 10 SD card be able to keep up with the camera's 1080p 28mbps filming? Any particular brands I should pick up? Kingston, Sony, etc? Are they all the same, if labeled a certain class?

Sorry for all the questions, I appreciate all input!

Yea you can get regular star shots pretty easily. This is a good starting guide: http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/QUICK.HTM I'd suggest taking raw + jpg format of pictures if you have any interest in doing more than just point and shoot in the future. You may wish you could go back and enhance the images you took the in past -- this is especially true for images taken in harsh conditions.

Tripods are standard. For the most part, I'd just pay attention to how much weight it can support, features and its size and weight. For a compact though, I think gorillapod works well if you can find places to attach it to wherever you plan to shoot.

class 10 SD cards can write 10MB/s (or 80mbps, megabyte vs megabit) so it's plenty for 1080p video. I usually stick to more reputable brands like Sandisk and Sony. If something is *too cheap*, it's probably not worth the potential hassle IMO. But I have picked up other cheaper brands in the past and they still work okay. I think you are basically paying for quality control.
 

golem

Member
Reviews seem generally very positive, what's GAF's opinion on it? Could I have done better for the amount I spent on a point and shoot?

I hate to be negative, and that certainly seems to be a fine camera albeit very pricey, but if you're even minimally interested in photography you should just get yourself a mirrorless system at the very least. You'll outgrow your P&S rapidly and probably spend the same amount on a new system in the future.
 

mclaren777

Member
Here's a recent rumor about Canon's upcoming entry-level FF camera...
  • 22mp (same sensor as 5D3)
  • 19 AF Points (same as 7D?)
  • 3" LCD and it's smaller than the 5D2
  • Pop-up flash (on at least one prototype)
  • 4fps continuous burst
  • ISO 100-51200
  • $1999 at launch

If it has the same noise sensitivity as the 5D3, a "silent" shooting mode, and options for setting minimum ISO/shutter speed, I'll surely be getting one.
 

Pepto

Banned
Really huh? Just read/watched a crapload of reviews. Most say it shoots way past the 60D and takes aim at the 7D. We'll see, 7D was going to be my next camera until I found out the college is mandatory Nikon.

Here it costs about the same as the 60D but the 60D can't compete with the D7000 at all.

The D7000 sensor is better than the 7D in every way possible other than pure mpix number. Only thing 7D could have on the D7000 is the video mode.
 

tino

Banned
Here's a recent rumor about Canon's upcoming entry-level FF camera...
  • 22mp (same sensor as 5D3)
  • 19 AF Points (same as 7D?)
  • 3" LCD and it's smaller than the 5D2
  • Pop-up flash (on at least one prototype)
  • 4fps continuous burst
  • ISO 100-51200
  • $1999 at launch

If it has the same noise sensitivity as the 5D3, a "silent" shooting mode, and options for setting minimum ISO/shutter speed, I'll surely be getting one.

If it has the same sensitivity of 5D3, Canon won't sell any 5D3.

Oh btw the stream of D600 rumors has now stop, I am still not convinced this model exist.
 

Flo_Evans

Member
Here it costs about the same as the 60D but the 60D can't compete with the D7000 at all.

The D7000 sensor is better than the 7D in every way possible other than pure mpix number. Only thing 7D could have on the D7000 is the video mode.

7D has a larger body with more direct access buttons, better low light AF, way better video mode, bigger frame buffer, faster frame rate...

It's a step up body feature wise from the D7000. It is older so the sensor is *slightly* more noisy, but in practical terms they perform pretty much the same.

source: I own and use both.
 

centracore

Member
Hey GAF, I should preface this by saying that this is my first camera that isn't a point-and-shoot and although I've tried my best to research everything I still have no clue what I'm doing..

I purchased the Panasonic Lumix GX1 kit with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens a couple weeks back, the only reason I went with the kit over body only is because the place I was dealing with was able to give the kit to me for the same price as body only. At this time I also picked up the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens as it seems to be one of the best reviewed MFT lenses and will help keep down the size of my camera setup (portability was one of the main deciding factors in choosing MFT over DSLR).

Last week I purchased the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 pancake lens off of eBay as it can be had for $160 parted out from kits in Asia, seemed like too good of a deal to pass up. So, from my limited understanding, the 20mm f/1.7 is a 'normal', low light lens and the 14mm f/2.5 is a wide angle, 'normal light' lens.. please correct me if I'm wrong!

I was planning on selling the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens on eBay for $100 or so, then picking up a third lens to round out my MFT collection. Is this a good idea, and if so, what lens would you recommend in addition to my two current primes?
 

VNZ

Member
If it has the same sensitivity of 5D3, Canon won't sell any 5D3.
My guess is that it will incorporate the same sensor (at least cut from the same cmos wafers, possibly with differences in the microlenses or filters). The models can easily be differentiated enough on AF and video capabilities to make the 5D3 still look attractive.
 

Zyzyxxz

Member
Hey GAF, I should preface this by saying that this is my first camera that isn't a point-and-shoot and although I've tried my best to research everything I still have no clue what I'm doing..

I purchased the Panasonic Lumix GX1 kit with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens a couple weeks back, the only reason I went with the kit over body only is because the place I was dealing with was able to give the kit to me for the same price as body only. At this time I also picked up the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens as it seems to be one of the best reviewed MFT lenses and will help keep down the size of my camera setup (portability was one of the main deciding factors in choosing MFT over DSLR).

Last week I purchased the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 pancake lens off of eBay as it can be had for $160 parted out from kits in Asia, seemed like too good of a deal to pass up. So, from my limited understanding, the 20mm f/1.7 is a 'normal', low light lens and the 14mm f/2.5 is a wide angle, 'normal light' lens.. please correct me if I'm wrong!

I was planning on selling the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens on eBay for $100 or so, then picking up a third lens to round out my MFT collection. Is this a good idea, and if so, what lens would you recommend in addition to my two current primes?

If you have money you can get the Pany 12-35 X lens but it's like $1200. Otherwise I think the Olympus 45mm 1.8 is a good reach lens at only $400.
 

Grym

Member
Does anyone have any recommendations for a companion camera...like a 'rugged' point & shoot? It wouldn't be my main camera but I need something for quick snapshots of decent quality. It would likely get most use on vacation snorkeling, canoeing, hiking, etc. I have an old olympus p&s with an underwater housing but want to upgrade and don't feel the need to go the u/w housing route with how often I use it. So of the many rugged p&s cameras on the market these days, does anyone have experience or suggestions?
 
What precautions should I take when shooting in the rain? Obviously I need to be extra careful that the camera doesn't get wet, but does anyone have any tips for this?
DIY solutions, please, because I plan on going out today...
 

mrkgoo

Member
What precautions should I take when shooting in the rain? Obviously I need to be extra careful that the camera doesn't get wet, but does anyone have any tips for this?
DIY solutions, please, because I plan on going out today...

Lots of plastic bags.

Pay extra attention to buttons and those places, as water can seep inside.

Also, be aware of condensation when moving between cold areas and damp warm ones. It can be advisable to seal your gear in a bag so condensation forms on the bag, not the camera (or worse on inner components). Wait a good while before taking it out.
 
What precautions should I take when shooting in the rain? Obviously I need to be extra careful that the camera doesn't get wet, but does anyone have any tips for this?


How much rain?

Keep the camera in a water proof or heavily resistant bag when not in use. If it powers off, remove the battery and go home. After getting the memory card out, put it in a box with a desicent for a while.
 
wow , why is the Rx100 so expensive :| it is an awesome camera for that package

NEX-7-and-RX100.jpg

just ordered an RX100 after playing with one in a store for a while. much as i love my NEX-7 i can't take it everywhere, and while i've never once enjoyed using a digital compact before this looks like the first one i'll actually consider usable. sceptical but we'll see.
 

RuGalz

Member
Does anyone have any recommendations for a companion camera...like a 'rugged' point & shoot? It wouldn't be my main camera but I need something for quick snapshots of decent quality. It would likely get most use on vacation snorkeling, canoeing, hiking, etc. I have an old olympus p&s with an underwater housing but want to upgrade and don't feel the need to go the u/w housing route with how often I use it. So of the many rugged p&s cameras on the market these days, does anyone have experience or suggestions?

Pentax Wg2 or Canon D10 or D20 would be my top picks.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
If it has the same sensitivity of 5D3, Canon won't sell any 5D3.

Oh btw the stream of D600 rumors has now stop, I am still not convinced this model exist.

Talking in theoreticals, Nikon is definitely in a much better position to release a entry level FF. It seems like Nikon can just release a smaller MP sensor FF offering with a simpler AF system and it would be enough where Canon really needs to strip away way more features from the 5D3 to get their entry level camera. Still can't believe the 5D3 is $3500.
 

tino

Banned
^ Canon went greedy when they planned the 5d3. They do have a much better mirrorless plan than Nikon.




The Olympus EM5 sensor is made by Sony? I didn't know that. Wasn't this camera designed before the scandal?

I guess somebody and make an "all according to keikaku" image marco for Sony now.
 

mrkgoo

Member
Impressions needed. Badly.

Of Canon's new pancake? I gave some last page.

I can't give too much, though, seeing as I haven't been able to really get out with it, and probably won't be able to for any decent amount of shooting (this goes for photography in general).
 

Hammer24

Banned
Of Canon's new pancake? I gave some last page.

I can't give too much, though, seeing as I haven't been able to really get out with it, and probably won't be able to for any decent amount of shooting (this goes for photography in general).

I´m mainly interested in its use for video, how the stm performs.
 

darkwing

Member
just ordered an RX100 after playing with one in a store for a while. much as i love my NEX-7 i can't take it everywhere, and while i've never once enjoyed using a digital compact before this looks like the first one i'll actually consider usable. sceptical but we'll see.

nice, please post your impressions, sometimes I get tried of carrying my DSLR around
 
Hello,

I need some recommendations on how i can take steady overhead shots of objects on a table/flat surface. Basically I'm wondering if there is a tripod that will allow me to point straight downward at a flat surface to take photos.
 
What's the consensus about buying used DSLR's? I'm wanting to upgrade my D40 to something a bit newer, but I can't afford what I really want (D7000). Having the autofocus motor inside the body would be nice as well since I'd be able to use some older nikon lenses instead of having to get AF-S ones.

I've found some D90's around the $500 range and some D300's around the $700 range.

Thoughts? Recommendations?
 

Flo_Evans

Member
What's the consensus about buying used DSLR's? I'm wanting to upgrade my D40 to something a bit newer, but I can't afford what I really want (D7000). Having the autofocus motor inside the body would be nice as well since I'd be able to use some older nikon lenses instead of having to get AF-S ones.

I've found some D90's around the $500 range and some D300's around the $700 range.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

I'd rather have a D300 than a D90.

The D90's AF is just bad. Viewfinder is a piece of crap. Video mode a joke. The D300 is a "pro" DX body.
 

tino

Banned
What's the consensus about buying used DSLR's? I'm wanting to upgrade my D40 to something a bit newer, but I can't afford what I really want (D7000). Having the autofocus motor inside the body would be nice as well since I'd be able to use some older nikon lenses instead of having to get AF-S ones.

I've found some D90's around the $500 range and some D300's around the $700 range.

Thoughts? Recommendations?


I would get the D300. You can also get an used D2x. The sensor is very similar.
 
I'd rather have a D300 than a D90.

The D90's AF is just bad. Viewfinder is a piece of crap. Video mode a joke. The D300 is a "pro" DX body.

What's so bad about the D90's AF?

I would get the D300. You can also get an used D2x. The sensor is very similar.

D2x seems a bit too big for me, espcially if I'm going to be lugging it around during vacation this winter.

Is the D300 that much better? I think anything would be an upgrade to my 3 point AF lol. Where's some good places to look for used stuff? I'm mostly looking at some local forums, craigslist, ebay and keh.com
 

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
Got my Lumix GF3 today. It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be. Pretty awesome though.

I have a question about memory cards. Do brands matter at all? Can I just get any SDHC card given that they have the same write speed?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom