The bits wot you have to take with you [Archive]

HOCHWALDSPRUDEL

22nd Dec 2004, 22:18

Hi m8!

I bought a RICOH CAPLIO GX a few weeks before. There might be better....and there are better (CANON POWERSHOT G6 e.g.) but this was quiet a good price (270€). And it does a good job, although the picture quality with its 5Mpixel is not overwhelming, but fine.
An advantage is that its wide angle already starts at 28mm, which is not so common with Digital Cams. But therefore the zoom ends at 85mm. On the other hand it has the fastest shutter release in the world, which allows you quick upskirt pics of your female flight attendants!!!!!!.....hehe...I am drifting away a little bit....and it's very compact, meaning that it can be carried very good in your flight kit. But the most advantage is, that it can be set fully manual, because the automatic gives up very fast under more demanding operations....you know what I mean...hehe....and it looks very good...black coloured.
You can buy teles, converter/adapter and an external flash. I bought an 512MB SD flash card....because it is dilivered with a 16MB internal only.....I bought an extra fast...so in the highest jpg resolution mode you can safe 240 pics on it. You can also safe the pics as uncompressed tifs...which is a real advantage, if you want to print the pics in extra big size....
Well...that's it so far.....unfortunately I couldn't test it yet in the aircraft, because I am kinda grounded at the moment.....hopefully again in the air in the new year! Wish me luck!
If you have yet any questions.....just ask!
Greets
oliver

Notso Fantastic

22nd Dec 2004, 22:20

Fuji S5000 or 7000 have excellent reputations as superb cameras and are quite economical. There are some good pictures taken with S5000 at airshows- they are as good as you can get. As for 'immediate' shots- not really very possible with current technology at the price you want to pay- you have to accept the lag.

PPRuNe Pop

23rd Dec 2004, 06:50

Please remember not to advertise cams or link to sites and items.

chiglet

23rd Dec 2004, 10:49

Had both Fuji4900 and Fuji5000. Superb cameras, apart from time lag.Now have a Nikon D70 :ok:
watp,iktch

mrzippo

23rd Dec 2004, 11:44

These two got gear of the year and runner up awards.
1st Canon Powershot S60
2nd Fujifilm F710 (if you can get one, since replaced by the F810)

Or if you want to splash out on an SLR, I could sell you my Nikon D100.

Hope this is of help and good luck.

PPRuNe Towers

26th Dec 2004, 12:09

ummm,

How about turning the whole thing on its head, drawing up what features you need and take it from there. Otherwise you face a barrage of recommendations from within a saturated, visciously competitive market where there is no such thing as the 'best.'

If I was predominantly shooting the subjects you mention my list would go something like this:

Instant start up.

Fast memory architecture for writing to media. 3 seconds is the average in consumer line models - an eternity unless a burst mode is offered as well.

Avoid consumer level wide angle offerings - still too many optical compromises at the 28mm equivalent. Consider only if interiors or up close work are vital to you.

Screw filter ring. Lot's of sky so get easy increase in quality and lens protection with permanent UV and occasional polariser use.

For maximum output quality support of RAW format would be important - everything else (Pictbridge Etc) is a gimmick.

Cheap, easy battery replacement whether dedicated unit or standard cells for cold weather/intensive shooting.

Auto modes offering shutter priority and full manual control. White balance is always an added blessing.

When you've drawn up the things important to you and prioritised them it's time to hit the more geeky digital imaging sites. Strange people will have done the hard slog for you and you'll find it remarkably easy to discount the vast majority of the cameras in your price range.

Please note that in 8+ years of running the site I've never mentioned by name any of the cameras I use. I have used CCD based digital imaging since 1974 and storage was on 1.5 inch magnetic tape. Human nature being what it is we tend to overpraise our buying choices and ignore their foibles. What suits me, how I shoot , the size of my hands, my dominant eye, how often I shoot in the portrait axis is different from every other user.

If a 4 megapixel camera ticks the boxes but a compromised 5 mp or greater is cheaper I go for the 'poorer one. Less than one in a hundred of my shots will go beyond 10X8 and a fractal expansion plug in happily caters for the times you want 20X16 or greater output.

However, if you go for radical cropping of your subjects you might well want as many pixels to start with as possible - I'd argue that RAW + fractal enlargement covers me but your answer and needs may be entirely different

Please don't buy what other people tell you to buy. Old, superceded models may not be sexy but they've drifted down the price table offering more of your wish list in the price range you've mentioned. Take your time and think it through - it does pay off in spades.

Regards to all,
Rob

RoyHudd

26th Dec 2004, 12:47

New Sony Cybershot is great. 5.1 megapixels, although 7.2 also available. Good for the non-technically minded,......yes, I know, I fly A320's.

El Grifo

26th Dec 2004, 13:23

SLR with interchangable lenses, forget about RAW, JPEG is king.
Anything from the Canon stable as they are field leaders.
EOS 300 or Digital Rebel, as our cousins call it is an excellent starter. Possibly outwith your budget. Megapixels is another bogey word. Anything over 4.5 is great.

Trust me!

Edited for :-

Whilst I remember, because of sensor size, this type of camera has a factor of 1.6 when using standard lenses meaning your 200mm telephoto becomes a 320mm. Now that's magic !!

chiglet

26th Dec 2004, 17:19

El grifo
Have the Nikon D70 :ok: won't go Nikon/Canon, BUT the 1.5x [I think] means that for a [decent] wide angle lens it costs an arm and a leg. [Nikon 19-70mm equates to a 27-105, hardly "cutting edge" ] Sooo a"realistic w/a lens has to be 12mm or so...
watp,iktch

PPRuNe Towers

26th Dec 2004, 17:29

"Possibly" busting the budget?

I've tried to keep the advice generic and respecting the budget. A quick trawl for the EOS through Kelkoo gives the best price of £510 quid and that is just for the body!

Adding a the most commonly offered lens to the equation I find the best deal coming out at £544 GBP but that includes a £100 cashback deal.

Continuing to assume the budget is important I've had a look at an online retailer I've had good service from and looked at an area I particularly favour - factory refurbished cameras. Using five megapixels as a baseline we find this:

Refurbished Olympus C50Z
Combining first rate photo technology with a compact metal body. Incorporating a five megapixel CCD, bright (f2.8) 3x zoom lens and precision metering systems. More ambitious photographers will appreciate the creative freedom enabled by the manually-adjustable features, such as aperture, shutter and white balance. Finally, this model uses the new digital image storage standard xD-Picture Card. _

Price:__£169.00Including VAT at 17.5%

or how about:

Refurbished Sony P10

Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-P10 digital still camera combines excellent image quality with compact design, delivering 5.0 megapixel resolution (effective) with a 3x optical/ 4x digital zoom lens and intelligent features.

These features inlude 3-Area Multi-Point AF (Auto-Focus) and Continuous AF for sharply-focused shots even in low-light or active conditions. 16-Frame Multi-Burst function captures 16 320x240 frames with 3 selectable intervals for convenient motion analysis. You can also take MPEG movies and record voice memos for your photos. The DSC-P10 also features a lightning-fast USB 2.0 interface for high-speed transfer. The DSC-P10 is Memory Stick Pro compatible so you can now get up to 1GB of optional storage.

Price:__£225.00Including VAT at 17.5%

So, hand on heart we're looking at refurbs to get into decent quality 5MP compacts. I chose the first as it only suffers a quarter second shutter lag and the second to show the good and bad side of burst settings on compacts along with the peril of a very expensive memory format.

So - top tips. Look at guaranteed refurbs. Look at cameras from outside the five big names as they occupy some interesting niches.

As to SLR's there's always eBay if you're feeling lucky:uhoh: :uhoh: or, or, umm you'll get a great basic SLR set up if you, gasp(!!) look at traditional film:ok: :ok:

Regards again,
Rob Lloyd

Mooney

26th Dec 2004, 18:26

Hey Rob- How are you doing?

I bought the Canon 300D which suits me perfectly and i'm impressed with the quality. Whilst Kelkoo does a good job it only tens to pick up the body only kits. If you do a search on amazon you'll find you can pick on up with a lens for £596.96. Then you can get £100 rebate from Canon. A pretty decent camera for £496!!

Buy the memory off e-bay- I got 1GB Ultra Scandisk 2 for around £40.

Best wishes.

El Grifo

26th Dec 2004, 19:07

Rob, your research is impressive, but with the spec of the optical zooms (ignore Digital Zoom) the cameras you mentioned are not really up to aircraft or motorsport photography, if action shots are the game.

There must now be some of the older Digital Slr's on the second hand market at reasonable prices and six month guarantees. I know loads of guys who are on their third upgrade by now, simply trading in the older model after six months or so, when a superior model becomes available.

Being that it is a work tool, smug bastard here went straight from film to Canon 1Ds as I hate playing the upgrade game. It actually paid for itself on the first few jobs. It has now been superceded by the 1Ds Mk2 which is actually in excess of my clients requirements, so no tears there.

If a new Slr is outwith the budget, call around the Photo biggies for S/H I say.

PPRuNe Towers

26th Dec 2004, 19:22

Sticking with the client's brief mate;) ;)

(For those who don't know Grif is a working pro photographer in a particularly demanding area.)

I'd be very interested in what prices folks can find warranted digital SLR body and useful lens coverage at.

As an enthusiast working to the specified budget I'd go traditional film SLR with a couple of decent quality lenses. Images per buck being the key in this price band.

Regards
Rob

PS Mooney - you did well on that branded memory but it is a lottery out there - write speeds vary hugely amongst generic suppliers.

PPS A lightning run around the second hand sites that came up on a quick and dirty search showed them trying to cling to the 400 mark for Canon.

El Grifo

26th Dec 2004, 21:52

Nice one Robbo,

That's the problem with us "pros". Never known to pay attention to minor details like Client brief.

As for deadlines, we just love that whooshing sound they make as they go rushing by.

Nice research !

:ok: :cool: :ok:

bluetail

1st Jan 2005, 14:04

I have found that the Fuji5000 is a superb camera, I paid about £200 for mine about 9 months ago, it gives superb quality is very easy to use, but its drawback is lagtime, saying that once you get the knack it can be coped with. Also, allways have a spare set of batteries handy, you get very little warning that the installed ones are about to quit. I still use mine all the time.

If you can splash out (£800) treat yourself to a Canon EOS10D Digital SLR, quite simply 6MEG Pixels, no lag, and a very nice piece of kit, brilliant for shooting moving aircraft. I have Canon wet cameras and all the lenses I have for those are compatible.

I also found it best to read user reports from the net, I got some great feedback when I was looking to upgrade to my Canon,

Good hunting

eal401

28th Jul 2005, 10:51

Just acquired a new digital camera (Panasonic FZ-5) and I am planning to give it a run out taking some aircraft photos. I am planning to go to the Yorkshire Airshow next month, but was going to go to MAN to get a bit of practice on slower moving objects beforehand!

The camera has various settings from fully auto to fully manual. I just wanted some advice on how best to take good pictures of moving aircraft, shutter speeds, aperture settings etc. I don't have a tripod, but the camera has image stabilising software which is quite effective.

Which is best to do, track the aircraft and take the picture or wait for it to come into shot?

Assume I am a total newbie, as I have only really done "point and shoot" before!

AlanM

28th Jul 2005, 11:29

Track one if not all of the aircraft for best results!

Don't foeget that there will be a shutter lag in ANY camera - especially digital.

The rest is just luck/experience!

**DELETED PIC AS IT LOOKS CRAP SMALL**

eal401

28th Jul 2005, 11:46

Crikey, if I get anything near that I'll be chuffed!!

shortandsmelly

28th Jul 2005, 11:50

Alan - that one was pure luck!!!:} Nice one...

treadigraph

28th Jul 2005, 12:14

Don't go for very fast shutter speeds if shooting prop driven aircraft - stationery props look a bit odd! Off hand think I use 1/250th...

jumpseater

28th Jul 2005, 12:28

Read the manual. I'd Play with it on Auto to start with to get the feel of it. Read the manual. To get shots like Alans you will need a lens of 300mm or more to fill the frame, so if you've got a short zoom of 18-55 or something like that don't be dissapointed with your initial results. Try shooting trains to start with, they move in a linear plane and are quite fast. You're not wasting film so you can afford to do this sort of stuff to get to know it. itll teach you anticipation and framing of a fast moving object. Cars are good on the motorway too. for props and helis' use about 125th of a second shutter speed, faster than that and you risk 'stopping the blades'. Read the manual. Oh and did I mention?, read the manual:ok:

Conan the Librarian

28th Jul 2005, 13:39

If you shoot jpg, then consider a touch of exposure compensation. About half a stop for starters... But better that that, shoot RAW if you can and fix it all afterwards in Photoshop or similar.

Shoot, shoot, shoot. The law of averages should send you home with a few keepers.

Look at your EXIF information and learn from it after the event.

Above all, enjoy yourself.

Conan

eal401

28th Jul 2005, 13:42

Thanks for the tips guys.

Now...where's that manual......

:p

PPRuNe Pop

28th Jul 2005, 16:18

BUT......................remember to post pics at 640x480 please.

PPRuNe Pop

29th Jul 2005, 19:26

There seems to be a problem with one or two people who think that they should show their pictures at the largest size that suits them.

The problem we have with that is that a large picture will expand that page - and the dialogue - to an extreme that means you have scroll back and forth to see the pictures and the words. That frankly is a drag.

'Man on the Fence' has it down to a fine art and his pics are brilliantly displayed without expanding the page. 'Duxford Eagles' does the same.

This is a pic given to me by one of the Herc guys at Lyneham. The size is actually 768 x 512. It is marginally oversize but re-sizing to 750 x 500 fits the page.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/captainavi8tor/Herc3.jpg

This another with a size of 640x333

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/captainavi8tor/HarvardT6.jpg

This can be adjusted up to 700 x 500 and all that is required.

If you want some advice on how to present your pics I suggest you contact either of the two gents I mentioned above. I hope I am sure that they will not mind giving you a tip or two. Go over to Aircraft History and Nostalgia for their contact details.

visibility3miles

29th Jul 2005, 21:18

Stunning photo PPRuNePop!

Try asking over at www.photo.net

With a digital camera, there is a delay between pressing the button and the camera taking the photo, so press the button part way to get the range (presumably the sky or any distant object will do) before the action that you want to capture occurs.

Many digital cameras have a multi-photo mode, so that may be best.

I'm also in the "where's the manual" mode of digital photgraphy.

P.S., photo.net asks a limit of 800 x 600 pixels max for the photos posted there, to avoid choking their computer servers.

Conan the Librarian

29th Jul 2005, 22:35

If you have lag, you have a piont and shoot. It is a travesty, but the manufacturers are after an easy "snapshot " market. I have spent a fortune finding by experience, that a salesman lies.

I now sit with a Nikon D70 DSLR and for the first time, get what I want.

Conan

treadigraph

29th Jul 2005, 23:26

For resizing and colour correction help, feel free to drop me a PM as well and aleviate my drab day time existance!

captain cumulonimbus

16th Oct 2005, 22:14

Hi all,

Am looking to get a relatively good digital camera for spotting,not TOO expensive but good with a decent zoom.What can you chaps recommend?

Thanks!

Conan the Librarian

16th Oct 2005, 22:42

All depends what you want and what you expect. Try this.

http://www.dpreview.com/

Conan

flash8

17th Oct 2005, 16:59

You could do far far worse than a Panasonic LUMIX FZ5 or other in the FZ series (FZ2, 10,20?)

The 5-Megapixel FZ5 has an optically stabilised fast (f2.8-3.3) optical 12X (420mm SLR equivalent) Zoom SUPERB for getting shots when you are some distance away.

The optical stabilisation feature is superb when shooting at the 420mm end... always gives you great SHARP shots

Autofocus is near SLR quality and the camera is ULTRA compact.

It isn't expensive either - around $350 in the states, not sure about elsewhere.

dpreview rated it as excellent, as does every other site.

I would go as far to say this camera is almost impossible to beat unless you have a few thousand bucks to spend on a DSLR and lens (and that would be at least 3 maybe much more in size and bulk).

I have been VERY happy with mine...

Hope this helps.

PS. The 12X Zoom really gets those babys close!

EIDW Spotter

4th Apr 2006, 12:24

Im Planning this year to update the current binoculars I currently use to note down registration etc, what would people advise? Make model

Any assistance appreciated.

HEATHROW DIRECTOR

4th Apr 2006, 13:40

How much are you prepared to spend? Binoculars are like cameras, hi-fi, TV, motor cars, etc. Pay small cash and you get junk. All my life I have preferred powerful glasses - I started with Krauss 16x50 in 1961 and they lasted me until the mid-90s and travelled around the world several times. I then replaced them with Zeiss 15x60 and they too have travelled the world. Quite simply, they are superb. I use bins for bird-watching, aircraft spotting and general observation and would never accept anything smaller for general use. My wife and I also have Opticron 10x50 for close-in bird and butterfly watching, but they are not in the same league as my Zeiss. You can get 12x Opticrons and this might be a good option. We also have Minolta 10x25 mini-binoculars, which are outstanding but not really suitable for long-distance work. Lastly we also use telescopes for birding and aircraft spotting - I have a 40x Optolyth and my wife has a 60x Svarowski. Do remember thast ideally the object glass should be at least 4x the magnification for best light transmission. Eg 10x50 would be fine but 20x40 would be rubbish.
If you can afford it, go for Zeiss or Leica. If you can't go for Opticron..

ABZSpotter

5th Apr 2006, 14:14

As LHR Director says, it depends on how much you want to spend. I recently bought a pair of Canon 18x50 binoculars with Image Stabilisation (IS). They are not cheap, but they are fantastic, especially when trying to get that awkward one at a distance or at an angle. They dramatically reduce the shake that you can get when holding binos for a time

Depending on where you purchase, the price varies between about £600-1100. They use two AA batteries and are a bit battery hungry if you use the IS all the time. However, even without the IS on, the binoculars are very good. I wouldn't go on a spotting trip without them now.

It's worth doing an internet search to check out the other models as well which may be more suitable to you.

However, I still have my Nikon mini-zoom binos for use when I am flying anywhere, as using big binos may not be acceptable at some airport terminals around the world.

superspotter

5th Apr 2006, 15:37

Have to agree with ABZ here the Canon IS 18X50's are pretty good, had mine for about two years now and have kept Duracell in business!! The only downside to them are the fact they are as unwieldy and about as heavy as a house brick but the optics are pretty good however I have hankered after a pair of Swarovski 10X40 EL binoculars for ages and I was playing with a pair today and I MUST buy a pair!! They are simply superb, as good as Leica and a little cheaper at £899 :sad: Question is, do I part exchange my Canons or keep both of them?? what a dilemma............

skiddyiom

5th Apr 2006, 16:00

That is a LOT of money to splash out for a pair of Binoculars! I'll stick to my old Hilkinson Pancratic 'pole! 38yrs old and still going strong! Besides, I spend enough on camera equipment without the added expense!

Still, it would be nice to get a decent pair one day - need a lottery win at that sort of price though! :}

skiddy

Mogget

5th Apr 2006, 16:33

The equipment that I have my own eyes on at the moment is the Panasonic NVGS500B MiniDV camcorder, and that optical image stabilisation is the most important aspect. It must be considerably better than the Steady Shot feature of my current Sony DCR-TRV230E.

Raymond Ginardon

28th Sep 2006, 16:59

Ladies/Gents,

Apologies for perhaps a slightly 'off topic' intrusion into your forum, but I rather get the impression that there may be those amongst you who are very well versed in photography (indeed I receive many superb photos from your general direction and am grateful for them).

My question is this: I am searching for a compact (as small as possible due to 'fitting' limitations), digital camera that has (or has the option for) a wireless remote control to activate the shutter. My quest has been met by "uh?" type stares at most of the camera shops - wondered if anyone might have some info or be able to point me in a sensible direction?

Kind regards,

Ray :-)

chiglet

28th Sep 2006, 18:57

Hi Ray,
What type of shot do you want? "Full" cockpit, LHS Panel, RHS Panel? With or without FDC? Do you have access to the Flight Deck? Why a "remote" shutter release?
Let's be honest...YOU go towards the FD with a "Remote Activated Device".. I hope you like Hospital/Prison food :ok:
Most a/c manufacturers have cockpit photos on their websites
watp,iktch

Raymond Ginardon

29th Sep 2006, 08:54

Chiglet,

Thanks for the reply. I'm flying the thing, so I think I'll avoid the prison sentence ;)

I'm after (predominantly) 'looking back' shots through the canopy - so I need something wide angle to get as much of the ac in as I can. I am after, I suppose, the equivalent to a (35mm format) sub 20mm focal length - I don't know what that would be with one of these compact digitals.

I need wireless remote so I can trigger the shutter from the rear cockpit if required and from the front under unusual conditions.

Thanks again,

Ray

Runaway Gun

29th Sep 2006, 11:13

Yo Ray,

You shoulda just emailed me with this request for info....

Cheers, RG

Raymond Ginardon

29th Sep 2006, 14:40

RG,
Soz - I thought you only dealt with 'big ones'!!
Will get in touch.. (no one here seems to know anyway ;-))
Ray :-)

hobie

29th Sep 2006, 16:37

no one here seems to know anyway

It's the "remote control" aspect that poses the challenge :cool: .....

you might consider posting over on the computer forum ..... I know there are some excellent Digital Camera guys operating there .....

here's the link ....http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=2&f=46

Raymond Ginardon

29th Sep 2006, 17:50

hobie,

Thanks for the link - I was asking in the wrong place I think (have also been reminded about a person who is well up on these things!).

Yes, I feel you are spot on about the 'remote' problem.

So long....

R

class a

21st Nov 2006, 16:16

Looking to buy a spotting scope upto around a £150 does anyone have any recommendations ??

Curious Pax

22nd Nov 2006, 00:22

A lot less than your budget, but I have been very happy with the Summit 20x50 Spotting Scope I got a couple of years back. Very light, and pretty small which is good if you are somewhere that is a bit sensitive about people peering at aircraft. Cost about 50 quid. Better not post a link to the site I got it from because of the advertising rules, but PM me if you want to know. Suffice to say that it was a camera shop in Yorkshire, and I was impressed that I ordered it online on a Tuesday afternoon, and received it in the mail in The Netherlands 2 days later.

HEATHROW DIRECTOR

23rd Nov 2006, 09:44

Just keep in mind..... you get what you pay for and it depends on how seriously you treat the subject. Our birding telescopes (also used for aircraft spotting) are in the £1k bracket and they're fairly good. Also keep in mind that the object lens should ideally be 4x the magnification to permit the best light throughout. 20x50 might work in broad daylight but when the light goes you might be struggling. 10x50, 15x60, 20x80, etc would all be OK.

hobie

23rd Nov 2006, 18:56

HD ..... what would you suggest for Airline identification at FL 350 and Mach 0.8 (ish) on a clear day? ...... I have 8 x 50 and 20 x 50 bino's and found to be 'not fit for purpose' ......

Never tried a spotting scope but it sounds like it might do the job ......

HEATHROW DIRECTOR

24th Nov 2006, 08:36

Hobie.. I'm surpirsed your 20x50s are not up to the job. My Zeiss 15x60 bins allow me to clearly see airline marks of contrailing aircraft, providing they're not 100 miles away! For garden spotting my wife and I usually use Opticron 10x50s and the only airlines we can't identify are those we either haven't seen before or are not familiar with the paint scheme. Using a telescope for overflights is a skilled job as it would almost certainly have to be handheld. I know plenty of spotters who can do it, but I can't!

hobie

24th Nov 2006, 14:55

I'm surprised your 20x50s are not up to the job

I'll try again in a more controlled experiment and see what I can see .....

It might just be me ..... :eek:

eurostar builder

24th Nov 2006, 20:22

I got a Bushnal with a 30x45 zoom eyepiece, lots of practice
and it comes easy to pick up over flights, very hardly use binos

littlepilot

22nd Jan 2007, 14:02

Hey folks,
I'm after buying a decent camera but i'm not sure which, I have been looking in particular for a Canon EOS-300D and my budget is around £250.
I know also that Canon have discontinued making 300Ds and therefore they're hard to get. Does anyone know of any others similar or better for the same price?

Thanks.. Josh

TopBunk

22nd Jan 2007, 15:08

I'm sure that you will get some reviews here, but like lots of things posted on this and other boards, they are often well wishing but amateur and often wrong.

Why don't you visit somewhere like http://www.dpreview.com/ for more comprehensive reviews, or take a look at one of the magazines in your local stationers?

Kestrel_909

22nd Jan 2007, 16:56

I have a 300D to sell shortly, and have been watching ebay taking note of how much they sell for. You should easily get one for £250, but bear in mind you'll spend around the same amount again on a telephoto lens. The kit lens that may or may not come with it, is very handy, but at 18-55mm, useless for anything at a distance.

littlepilot

22nd Jan 2007, 17:27

The AvgasDinosaur

28th May 2007, 17:15

I am rapidly approaching DSLR decision time too, but my brand choice is probably already made. I've been a Canon man for years A-1 T90 EOS-30. But why oh why does each itteration of the Digital EOS family have to be smaller than the last. How do you hold a 30D or 400D with a half decent length lens on it.
Any ideas when the 40D is due for release.
Comments appreciated from you folk who are already doing it. "Grip firmly with both hands, tuck your elbows in to your ribs as hard as possible" doesn't appear to fit any more.I am considering purchasing the Sigma AF50-500 F4-6.3 APO EX DG HSM to go on my Canon EOS 30 (non digital) with a view to future proofing for when I go digital. Does anyone know if this combination will work?
Also should I get a Sigma or Canon convertor to perform best.
Any advice appreciated.
Be lucky
Dave
P.S. I know about light and have secured some 1600ASA fuji film.

wiccan

28th May 2007, 20:09

EASY,
Change to Nikon..I've got a D70, mate has a D70s, the Boss has a D200 and cheapskate has a D50......verdict
Spot on :ok:
bb

Gonzo

28th May 2007, 21:32

I echo wiccan. If you're going to get a new lens at the same time, then you might as well change to Nikon. No other SLR feels as 'right' in the hand. Well balanced and just the right amount of 'heftiness'.

I'm about to upgrade from my D70 to a D80.

paulc

29th May 2007, 10:42

Try and get a 2nd hand 20D - nice and chunky - I have no probs using the 100-400 lens on this (does get heavy after a time) or if you want a bigger 'body' then add the battery grip to a D400 or D30.

HEATHROW DIRECTOR

30th May 2007, 07:05

I went digital with a fairly simple Fuji zoom camera and was so impressed that I decided to upgrade my old Canon EOS650, which I'd had for years, and bought an EOS20D to use my old lenses. It was possibly the worst decision in my entire life and I'm sadly disappointed with the quality of the pics I take, even though I have some new Canon "L" lenses. If I had my time over I'd switch to Nikon... but others might have different views.

FlyingNikonian

30th May 2007, 11:00

I think I don't have say out loud which brand I would advocate!;)
My username sort of gives it away, doesn't it!?:}

Anyway, regarding the Canon 20D, there has been a lot of mixed emotions amongst photographers. A friend of mine, who is a well respected aviation photog, can't wait for his 20D to die on him! He won't switch brand though. Just get a better Canon body.

Back in the analog days, I was a Minolta-man.
My choice to go with Nikon, once I had decided I was going digital, was mainly due to the ergonomics of the Nikon DSLR's.
Back then the D70 was all the rage, and they were hard to come by. I had to wait 6 weeks for mine, but it was worth it!
Even the tiny-winy D40 is a nice little cam to work with!

Today I use an old and beat-up D1X, and the newer D2X. I still have my good ol' D70 about and still use it from time to time.

When it comes to glass, I've found that Sigmas EX glass are in most cases as good as Nikon's pro-glass. Sigma EX's are almost half the price too, so no need to be brand-struck! (Although i must say that the new Nikon 70-300 VR is a bl**dy good piece of glass, in case you don't want to spend too much money on glass.)
Whatever you do though,...get good glass! Because if you don't,...it just doesn't matter what body you're using.
Cr*p glass = cr*p quality pics.:(