Photography related discussions

[CraigV]

Also have a 6x4.5 format Fuji GS645S...love it to death, but again I haven't shot film for a long time. Would love a Digital hand holdable medium format camera though...

That Fuji is a really nice camera with a great lens. And yeah, a MF digital would be sweet, but very cost prohibitive

As fun as it might be to flex your photography muscles, maybe leave the advanced terms out of this thread so the beginners don't feel overwhelmed. I ran into this at school, as I was leaps and bounds ahead of everyone in the class. I couldn't ask my questions out loud, as it would confuse the class even more.
SheepStar

I was just trying to gage where people were at in the hobby. Maybe between the two of us, we could be the A’s to peoples Q’s

 

[njedpx3]

Thanks for starting thread

Mike C.

Thanks for starting thread. You, Sheep, and CraigV seem willing to share your knowledge. I am a real beginner when it comes to cameras, but I think I would like to learn more. I at least want to follow this thread and learn from the experience and knowledge of the Audioholic members. Right now, all I have is a very, very basic camera, Sony DSC-H9.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge - Mike, Sheep, CarigV and others.


Forest Man

 

[CraigV]

A good way to learn would be to have people post pictures that didn’t turn out the way they wanted, describe how they want the picture to look, and we can advise them on how to set their camera, or other methods to achieve the desired results.

 

[Rickster71]

I'm just starting out; just got my business cards back that say: Playboy Freelance Photographer.
What camera should I get?
Is this considered a thread hi-jack, even if I use the word 'camera' in it?

 

[jamie2112]

I'm just starting out; just got my business cards back that say: Playboy Freelance Photographer.
What camera should I get?
Is this considered a thread hi-jack, even if I use the word 'camera' in it?

Not that there is anything wrong with that..............

 

[CraigV]

I'm just starting out; just got my business cards back that say: Playboy Freelance Photographer.
What camera should I get?
Is this considered a thread hi-jack, even if I use the word 'camera' in it?

Hmm…a wide angle lens? Macro? Tilt-shift?
Actually, you should concentrate on the software which will allow you to give the models the flawless skin and look the magazine is famous for.

 

[CaliHwyPatrol]

As fun as it might be to flex your photography muscles, maybe leave the advanced terms out of this thread so the beginners don't feel overwhelmed. I ran into this at school, as I was leaps and bounds ahead of everyone in the class. I couldn't ask my questions out loud, as it would confuse the class even more.

SheepStar

I'd prefer they used advanced terms, since if I don't know it, I have an excuse to look it up specifically.

 

[GirgleMirt]

I'm just starting out; just got my business cards back that say: Playboy Freelance Photographer.
What camera should I get?
Is this considered a thread hi-jack, even if I use the word 'camera' in it?

Budget? If you're really going to shoot people indoor, you'll greatly benefit from good lighting, and if you choose to go dslr could go with primes, as you won't really require the flexibility of zooms. "wide angle lens? Macro? Tilt-shift?" are all pretty much useless for photoshoots... Or maybe it was a joke. Wide angle because you're shooting [insert name here]'s mother. Macro, errr, you might make your model feel a bit uncomfortable using your macro there... Tilt-shift, again, unless you're trying to shoot your model laying down trying to shoot up her skirt, a tilt shift is pretty much useless, unless you want to do fake macro or other sort special effects...

But then again, I'm guessing you'd really do more casual shooting, so really, you can get whatever you want. A P&S is fine for a beginner. No reason to waste thousands of dollars on gear you won't be able to pull the most of, and in the end might just end up gathering dust somewhere. Get something modest at first, something small is practical because it's much easier to carry everywhere vs a dslr with lenses, see if you like photography. If you really like it, then upgrade your 200-300 camera, trust me, 200-300$ really isn't much vs what you'll probably spend if you really get into it...

Once you know a bit how to shoot (learned the basics) and know your shooting habits, then you'll know what you find lacking in your camera and you'll know exactly what to go for in your upgrade. Do you usually shoot wide? Do you shoot in dark condition and need fast glass? Do you want more range and need a telephoto? Do you really want maximum quality and and take your time setting up your shots? Then primes would be for you...

 

[Sheep]

Girgle, I think he was joking.

On different note, you can Scratch the Manfrotto 190XPROB and ball head off my "to get" list.

SheepStar

 

[CraigV]

Budget? If you're really going to shoot people indoor, you'll greatly benefit from good lighting, and if you choose to go dslr could go with primes, as you won't really require the flexibility of zooms. "wide angle lens? Macro? Tilt-shift?" are all pretty much useless for photoshoots... Or maybe it was a joke. Wide angle because you're shooting [insert name here]'s mother. Macro, errr, you might make your model feel a bit uncomfortable using your macro there... Tilt-shift, again, unless you're trying to shoot your model laying down trying to shoot up her skirt, a tilt shift is pretty much useless, unless you want to do fake macro or other sort special effects...

Well, duh…just like his post was a joke

 

[mike c]

charging station at the bottom


extra digital hygrometer


lens caps off


contents


103 Litre Dry Box to keep humidity around 45-55%

 

[CraigV]

charging station at the bottom


extra digital hygrometer


lens caps off


contents


103 Litre Dry Box to keep humidity around 45-55%

I thought the idea was to show off pictures taken with the equipment, not of the equipment

That’s a nice setup. My stuff is all inside a back pack made for photo gear – padded & ready to take with me.

 

[DTS]

A little slow in getting in on this, but here is my gear:

NIKON D70S
NIKON COOLPIX S700
NIKON 70-300MM
NIKON 18-70MM
SIGMA 50-500MM
NIKON SB800 FLASH
MONFROTTO 3021 PRO TRIPOD W/ 3025 HEAD
MONFROTTO 681B MONOPOD W/ 3229 HEAD
NIKONIAN PRO STRAP
LOWEPRO STEALTH REPORTER D400 AW BAG
RADIO SHACK PRO 97 SCANNER

Plus another scanner, a Tamrac bag and about 2 others, a photo vest {very handy, especially for airshows, they will search a bag, but never my vest [only mention for speed, not contraband, well maybe a bottle of h20!] you can cram a bunch of stuff in a pair of cargo shorts/fishing shirt/vest.}

 

[Sheep]

Mike, have I told you that you live a life of complete excess?

Oh wait... I have.

SheepStar

 

[Alex2507]

Hey Sheep,

I have to put the photography lesson on the back burner for a bit but I will try to impose on you sometime in the future. I didn't want you to think I was anything less than enthusiastic. Mike is like my hero when it comes to cool gadgetry. I wouldn't know where to begin with his toys.

-Alex

 

[MidnightSensi]

I just bought a Canon D5 with a 24-115mm zoom lens.

I'm not a big photographer, but I wanted something with quality for some things I'm doing at work. Even as a novice its made for some amazing pictures. I bought a DVD to learn the basics. I still carry the manual with me while I work with it, but, its certainly gotten easier.

I need to buy a light and something to diffuse the light. Any recommendations?

I mostly do boat interior and engineering shots. So lots of wide angles, and not always the best lighting. Also not a lot of room for a large light.

 

[CraigV]

I just bought a Canon D5 with a 24-115mm zoom lens.

I'm not a big photographer, but I wanted something with quality for some things I'm doing at work. Even as a novice its made for some amazing pictures. I bought a DVD to learn the basics. I still carry the manual with me while I work with it, but, its certainly gotten easier.

I need to buy a light and something to diffuse the light. Any recommendations?

I mostly do boat interior and engineering shots. So lots of wide angles, and not always the best lighting. Also not a lot of room for a large light.

Take a look at these pages:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_n_0?rh=n:172282,k:continuous+lighting+kit,n:!493964,n:502394&bbn=493964&keywords=continuous+lighting+kit&ie=UTF8&qid=1258143512&rnid=493964

Most of it may be too big, but you may be able to find some for smaller spaces. Try to find something that will diffuse the light to give it a more pleasing effect. As you are using digital, you can balance to the lights output (white-balance) and color temperature. You also have the advantage of seeing exactly where the shadows are going to fall, unlike using a flash.

 

[audioholic212]

better glass = better images.

In that vein, what's your take on this:

Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G

Also, what do anybody here think of Ken Rockwell?

www.kenrockwell.com

I hear he is a little biased towards Nikons. Should a newbie like me heed this advice or not? If I were reading his review (for the first time), I feel like he knows what he is talking about. But, after reading some posts in dpreview.com, I don't know anymore.

Oh btw, I have a Nikon D70 and I think the lens mentioned above. Also, I have an SB-600 flash with the Sto-Fen diffuser.

 

[CraigV]

In that vein, what's your take on this:

Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G

Also, what do anybody here think of Ken Rockwell?

www.kenrockwell.com

I hear he is a little biased towards Nikons. Should a newbie like me heed this advice or not? If I were reading his review (for the first time), I feel like he knows what he is talking about. But, after reading some posts in dpreview.com, I don't know anymore.

Oh btw, I have a Nikon D70 and I think the lens mentioned above. Also, I have an SB-600 flash with the omni-gen diffuser.

A fixed focal length lens will yield the best results. The number of elements & their grouping matters, as well as the coatings on the lens. More zoom range usually means some degradation in sharpness, but it’s not very practical (or $ wise) to carry around a slew of lenses, and changing them often can allow dust to enter the body & get on the CCD. A wide to medium zoom & a medium to long zoom are all most people need. A 50mm 1.8 (or there about) can be had for cheap for most cameras, and they make a nice sharp lens for portraits.

 

[mike c]

I thought the idea was to show off pictures taken with the equipment, not of the equipment

That’s a nice setup. My stuff is all inside a back pack made for photo gear – padded & ready to take with me.

if the thread gets more gear posts, i'll split it oh, everybody knows i'm a picture whore, i get off by looking at gear pics.

Mike, have I told you that you live a life of complete excess?

Oh wait... I have.

SheepStar

that drybox is a necessity! ... for all that excessive gears

i just realized i'm OC with regards to each of my hobbies ... it's buy buy buy for me, my mind makes up things i "need"

seriously though, during the day (when my ACU is off), humidity rises near to 80%. i'm guessing humidity is around 30% over there in NA (most places) so it's pretty safe for your gears against fungus.