The camera gear thread

[difalkner]

My current camera is a Lumix DMC-FZ200 with Leica lens and it has been a great camera! I also have the Rode Videomic for doing video.

From the mid 70s my gear was Canon FTb and lots of lenses. In 1982 I added a Mamiya RB67. A friend had a Wista 4x5 that we both used and I have had two darkrooms - processed no telling how many B&W rolls of film and printed up to 16x20 on the Beseler 45 enlarger (also had a Beseler 23C).

My daughter now has my Canon and lenses and one day she'll get the Mamiya. Since the 90s I have used both Sony and Canon point and shoot digital with good success.

David

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by imwjl

I'm still bummed that we lost our Olympus camera we used for snorkeling and resort or nothing major dives. This is probably one of the last photos from that camera. Not the most spectacular photo but I remember the day for recognizing how strong and adventurous my kids became in the ocean and in general.

At this point I'd rent a specialty camera, and we use the newer generation GoPro under water.

Here is a snap shot from that camera

[LeDave]

Originally Posted by Birdbrain

Pentax- The "Acoustic" digital camera. Pleasingly primitive. I love 'em! Lately it's a K-1 with the impeccable 31 Limited, and a K-3 with the splendid DA 50-135. These two unique lenses give the sharpest photos with the best colors of anything I've used. Plus a DA 300, a Sigma EX 12-24, and the DFA 28-105. And an FA 50 Macro. I swear I'm done buying lenses now!

Cheers from another PF member

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by LeDave

Cheers from another PF member

Yesterday it dawned on me that my SLR system has in essence been taken over by two of my kids for a good while now and I'm cool with it. They're generally respectful of it and learning. Kind of like what was my Subaru Outback he he he....

Too bad most of the fall color is gone but I also have the tracking info for my new phone that will really up what a phone does and also the computational photography stuff. I'm sort of over that too. When I worked in a commercial darkroom in high school it was doing same thing I've watched technology do over decades now.

It dawned on me that I have none of the excitement new technology such as a new phone used to bring except for what the camera system will do and better wireless performance.

[_zedagive]

Just got a Nikon Z50 that I'm lovin'. I last used their D5000 and this Z is a major jump up. Photos and videos are excellent and the size makes it easy to pack along when traveling. The 2 lens that came with the kit are also surprisingly very good too.

I use a Canon Pro-100 for printing and use precisioncolors.com for ink refills that bring the cost of prints way down. The OEM ink cartridges are ridiculously expensive.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by _zedagive

Just got a Nikon Z50 that I'm lovin'. I last used their D5000 and this Z is a major jump up. Photos and videos are excellent and the size makes it easy to pack along when traveling. The 2 lens that came with the kit are also surprisingly very good too.

I use a Canon Pro-100 for printing and use precisioncolors.com for ink refills that bring the cost of prints way down. The OEM ink cartridges are ridiculously expensive.

That’s great, I didn’t know Nikon had a mirrorless APSC body. Have fun with it!

[imwjl]

No spectacular images yet, but 6 days in I can say iPhone users who like photography might really appreciate one of the 12s.

My son took 3 generations of phones aimed in a dark hallway and wow is there a difference between devices you already thought had alright cameras. The middle camera goes into a significant range of darkness before flash or computational stuff kicks in.

The wide angle I didn't have before and the greater zoom sort of remind me of when I had higher end film cameras but a Pentax P&S 35 mm zoom that was just really nice within it's class.

I'm not fooling myself that it's in the league of having Canon SLR bodies, L lenses and multiple flash units but it's kind of like the carry simplicity of a small 1950s camera I used back in the day or that Pentax P&S that was very respectable pre-digital.

It's a nice day and I can't be at a computer and work ALL day so I'll bring the phone if I can walk or hike this afternoon.

For those who always wait for version 1.1, the next OS brings more imaging features and it does have 5G network issues Verizon is actively working on. I believe the 5G issues are because the coverage map is increasing almost daily, very active rollout near home. On Monday in Milwaukee, WI the 5G performance rivaled what my cable provider gives me at home.

Screen brightness is a noticeably better outside so in a way that's also making it really fun to not carry old school camera gear. Easier for old farts with glasses to frame a photo.

Maybe the real thrill in it for cameras is thinking back to the 1990s and my job that worked with the prototype and beta testing granddads and grandmas for all this stuff. There was a time on a street corner in San Francisco when we were thrilled our demo to get a photo across the country within two hours worked.

[archerscreek]

Originally Posted by _zedagive

Just got a Nikon Z50 that I'm lovin'. I last used their D5000 and this Z is a major jump up. Photos and videos are excellent and the size makes it easy to pack along when traveling. The 2 lens that came with the kit are also surprisingly very good too.

I use a Canon Pro-100 for printing and use precisioncolors.com for ink refills that bring the cost of prints way down. The OEM ink cartridges are ridiculously expensive.

The Z50 is on my radar. But I like to shoot a lot of handheld video of wildlife in the woods in low light. So I’m flopping between the Z50 and the Z6 as well as the Sony A7 III. Price is an object, haha. So I’m waiting to see what, if any, deals come out for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Z50 looks like it’ll deliver a lot of bang for the buck, though.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by archerscreek

The Z50 is on my radar. But I like to shoot a lot of handheld video of wildlife in the woods in low light. So I’m flopping between the Z50 and the Z6 as well as the Sony A7 III. Price is an object, haha. So I’m waiting to see what, if any, deals come out for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The Z50 looks like it’ll deliver a lot of bang for the buck, though.

The Fujifilm X-T4 is supposed to be excellent with video with 6 (I think) stops of IBIS, and has some amazing, very fast lenses available. I'd love to be in the full frame mirrorless world but while bodies like the A7 III are a great deal, the lenses are absurdly expensive...at least IMO.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

The Fujifilm X-T4 is supposed to be excellent with video with 6 (I think) stops of IBIS, and has some amazing, very fast lenses available. I'd love to be in the full frame mirrorless world but while bodies like the A7 III are a great deal, the lenses are absurdly expensive...at least IMO.

I agree. I’ve been invested in Sony’s APS-C line for several years now. I’d love to dabble with full frame, but the cost of lenses equivalent to what I currently own would be prohibitively expensive, and way out of ‘dabble’ territory.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

The Fujifilm X-T4 is supposed to be excellent with video with 6 (I think) stops of IBIS, and has some amazing, very fast lenses available. I'd love to be in the full frame mirrorless world but while bodies like the A7 III are a great deal, the lenses are absurdly expensive...at least IMO.

I have an a7iii. My favorite lens for it now is the Sony 50mm, f1.8, that I bought for $550. I have used Nikons for a while too and it's the best lens I have ever used. I have also bought Canon lenses that were all under $400 and a Canon to Sony adapter for about $200 and that works very well too.

I also bought a couple of Samyang prime lenses for very cheap (less than $300 each), and they are not amazing, but very usable.

It's not that bad if you don't get the Sony GM lenses.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by robj144

I have an a7iii. My favorite lens for it now is the Sony 50mm, f1.8, that I bought for $550. I have used Nikons for a while too and it's the best lens I have ever used. I have also bought Canon lenses that were all under $400 and a Canon to Sony adapter for about $200 and that works very well too.

I also bought a couple of Samyang prime lenses for very cheap (less than $300 each), and they are not amazing, but very usable.

It's not that bad if you don't get the Sony GM lenses.

Absolutely, I understand there are cheaper glass options for full-frame, it's a great point. I think the 50mm 1.8 is actually even cheaper now. But apples to apples, the smaller format lens ecosystem is cheaper, and often much cheaper. The off-brand lenses for APS-C are cheaper than they are for full-frame, and I'm much more inclined to use great, fast glass on a smaller sensor than I am manual-focus and slower glass on a full frame setup. For the 50mm 1.8, that's a great lens, but every system has a few great "nifty fifty" options at various price points. On Fujifilm they run from $199 to $650 new. I got my 35mm 1.4 (50mm equivalent) for $300. And when we get into fast zooms at 2.8, that's where the huge differences are, with differences up to $1500 for a single lens.

At the end of the day, I bought my entire Fujifilm kit with a full range of lenses (some new, some used) with what I sold my Canon DSLR and it's glass for used. It makes a difference.

[imwjl]

It's interesting to read about some switching from SLR. I get it but it's not happening with me yet. I thought about it when the new mirrorless stuff was getting going but bought another Canon body at the time. My kids are enjoying all that and for now I'm in the carry less stuff mode. I'm also not making many prints these days.

The blog Halide app put out this week might better explain why I'm also into the phone upgrade. The app sort of makes for interface that's fast like the dials on my SLR body. RAW files show the cameras as far more capable than the build in camera app.

I don't think it was at all about cameras, but the 14.2.1 for iPhone 12 series only seems to have fixed the cellular network issues I had.

https://blog.halide.cam/the-iphone-1...y-267ad4ac94e2

BTW, I had the Lux Halide and Spectre apps with my last phone where I skipped a phone generation and they were still great. I work with Android a lot for IT stuff so don't pursue what Android apps are like these.

[Jeff Scott]

If I were to buy a mirror-less camera with a big screen on the back of it, I'd have to pull out my old focusing cloth to use with it.

I have not made any prints since closing the custom black & white photo lab at the end of '12.

[imwjl]

It's not gear in a conventional sense, but it's time for me to re-do or rethink my Lightroom (Adobe) use. I've squeaked by with with an obsolete version. Thought about writing it all out to an open source product, and thought about which plan to go forward with.