Camera Gear v8 "Buy A Pentax ME" (Don't buy UV filters, do hail satan)

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Dorkroom > Camera Gear v8 "Buy A Pentax ME" (Don't buy UV filters, do hail satan)

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

I'm looking to upgrade from a t1i to either a t3i or a t4i.

Can anyone comment on if the t4i's auto focus is materially superior to the t3i's?

# ¿ Apr 8, 2013 18:12

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:59

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Is $800 good for a used Canon 70D body with a 3rd party battery grip and two batteries?

frogbs fucked around with this message at 08:17 on Feb 20, 2015

# ¿ Feb 20, 2015 05:06

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

BetterLekNextTime posted:

Seems a little high-- a refurbs from Canon and used from KEH show under $600 for the body, and I don't think those accessories would add $250 in value.

I messed up in my original post. It's actually a 70D! I think that makes it a stronger deal, yes?

# ¿ Feb 20, 2015 08:18

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

qirex posted:

I didn't like the Peak Design straps, a few things about them didn't sit well and I felt like they were designed for a bigger camera than my X100. The wrist strap has this huge connector that was always in the way. The slide lite had even bigger connectors and the double adjustment meant there were big loops every time I picked up the camera. I also thought the round Peak connectors looked goofy when I didn't have the strap on.

I have straps by DSPTCH and Simplr.us and I really like them both. Unfortunately they're not interchangeable anymore.

I just got a PD leash for my XT-10 and have to say that I agree. There�s way too much hardware hanging off my camera now just to use this strap. Split ring, to cord dot things, to metal cord interface, to two different strap sections. Wish I�d gone with the dsptch!

Also I got a 3l everyday sling and I wish I�d gone for the 6l I think.

frogbs fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Apr 15, 2020

# ¿ Apr 15, 2020 00:17

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Cross-posting from the Mirrorless thread:

I've had the itch recently to upgrade from my Fuji XT-10 to something that's got a little better low light performance. Should I just try to find a used XT-3 or is it worth the premium to step up to an XT-4?

The other option i've been considering is switching to something that's full frame. I have a mix of Canon Ef lenses and M42 glass around (in addition to a few XF lenses). Looks like I could get a Canon 6D Mark II relatively cheap, but it's hard to tell if that'd be much of upgrade from what I have now.

Any suggestions?

# ¿ Aug 16, 2020 03:18

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Does anyone with a Peak Design 6l V2 messenger bag know if it would comfortably fit a Fuji X100 and a Fuji GW690III (aka Texas Leica)? I want something that can carry both that isn't a backpack, I just want one main compartment to open. Other suggestions welcome as well, I know there are tons of well-respected shoulder photo bags out there, it's a little overwhelming!

# ¿ May 11, 2021 06:23

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Cacator posted:

Someone talk me out of (or validate) buying a Mamiya 6! I want a relatively sturdy and compact 120 camera for travel and this seems like the best option.

The Fuji GF670 is cool and newer and I like that it shoots 6x7 as well as 6x6 but they're so expensive

Unless I�m thinking of the wrong camera, isn�t a Mamiya 6 like 2-3x the price of the Fuji GW670/680/690? I�m pretty sure you can still snag a GW690III for under $1000. That�d be my choice!

# ¿ May 27, 2021 19:05

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Cacator posted:

That's true and I did forget about those, the 690 is pretty affordable but 6x9 doesn't seem very cost effective. A 670 is more expensive (less than the Mamiya) but the bulk is off putting.

Edit: the GF670 is a different camera, a folder that was still being manufactured in the 21st century https://www.keh.com/shop/fuji-medium-format-gf670-80-f-3-5-711792.html

Ohh yeah, I read GF as GW, sorry! Yeah the GF670 is very different, and quite more! Beautiful camera though. I believe they�re the same as the Voigtlander Bessa III, which I think is usually even more money, unfortunately.

# ¿ May 27, 2021 21:08

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

This is kind of out of left-field, but does anyone know of a camera bag manufacturer who makes shoulder camera bags that open AWAY from your body? Something like the Domke F-3x where the main compartment flips in the opposite direction? I realize this might make closing the bag a little awkward, but something like a fidlock/magnetic closure mechanism might make it work. I've looked around a bunch and haven't found anything.

Edit: Also, can anyone recommend any other made in-the-US camera bags other than Domke and PortaBrace?

frogbs fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Jun 13, 2021

# ¿ Jun 13, 2021 04:43

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Has anyone here sold a lens to MPB? They offered me a pretty good price, and it seems worth it if they stick to it and there's little hassle.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2021 00:07

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

dupersaurus posted:

Do you guys have any favorite shoulder bags? (Or maybe inserts?) Small SLR, one or two extra lenses. I've got a backpack that I love for general travel, but it sucks pretty hard for hot swapping cameras and lenses. Bonus points for not looking like a camera bag.

I'm a recent convert to Domke bags, specifically the F-3X. You could probably do with something a little smaller like the F-8 or F-10. They are admittedly kind of nerdy looking, but are super-functional. I was recently looking for a bag and made this little page that lets you put in the size of your camera and then recommends bags that will fit. Maybe it's useful for you: https://www.camerabagdatabase.com/

# ¿ Jun 30, 2021 21:34

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

dupersaurus posted:

Oh cool that�s kinda what I was imagining. Do I see a strap on the slide for their clip thing?

That�s a cool site, I�ll check it out. I was eyeing some Domkes on BH, I like the canvas aesthetic.

Nice! They offer a lot of their bags in waxed canvas too, if that's your thing. Look for any marked as 'Ruggedwear'. Domke's marketing and model names are kind of confusing, but the bags are still solid!

# ¿ Jun 30, 2021 22:04

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Casu Marzu posted:

I'm looking for an easy way to carry my X100s while backpacking and while I like the idea of the Peak capture clip, I'm kind of surprised no one else has made a cheap version of it.

Any suggestions for something similar or even a completely different idea I haven't thought of? I'd rather not just loop it around my neck all day if possible.

Edit: I keep finding older articles showing off knockoffs of the peak clip but apparently they're all dead now.

What about a lil' waist pack but around front?

That, or a small camera bag like a Domke F8 (i'm partial to the waxed canvas option): https://tiffen.com/products/domke-f-8-small-shoulder-bag-ruggedwear

# ¿ Jul 27, 2021 20:14

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Similar to Shrieking Mullet a few posts up, I�m in the market for a new camera body.

I have an XT-10 that I�ve used and enjoyed for about 4 years, but it�s starting to show its age. I only have the 16-55 2.8 and the XC 55-230.

I also used to shoot Canon, and have a 50mm 1.8 II in a drawer.

In my price range I�m looking at two options:

1.) Upgrade to an XT-4

2.) Try going back to Canon with a EOS RP

I love the way Fuji�s handle and the color you get straight out of camera, but am sort of interested to try something full frame. Anyone have any thoughts?

# ¿ Dec 21, 2021 02:20

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

harperdc posted:

even an upgrade to an X-T3 / 30 would be a massive change from the first-generation, I would look there as well for bodies. And maybe save a bit and get a prime or two as well.

Yeah, I can get an XT-3 body in 'good' condition for $800. It looks like the biggest difference is the XT-3 doesn't have IBIS, and has a different style fold out screen (which I prefer vs. the XT-4 style). I could put the $700 difference between that and the XT-4 towards a lens (am leaning towards a 56mm 1.2 for portraits, or the 100-400 for bird stuff).

# ¿ Dec 27, 2021 00:41

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

TheFluff posted:

Yeah, if you're not doing video, the X-T4 really isn't much of an improvement over the X-T3. Stabilization is really good for handheld stills too of course, but most of the XF mount lenses that tend to get used in situations where you really want it are already stabilized.

If you want to get really serious about birding, Fuji is probably not the system you want, but speaking as a casual birder and XF 100-400 owner myself, I like that lens a lot. I'm a very casual photographer but part of the reason I bought it was to make it more fun to go outside and look at birds (WFH anti-insanity measure) and it certainly has done that job well. It's maybe a bit on the expensive side for the amount of optics you get, but it's very forgiving and easy to use with the stabilization and fast autofocus. Build quality is really good too; I've dropped it, banged it into things and gotten it pretty thoroughly wet but to no ill effects. Perhaps it's a bit too fun though because I've been pondering getting an 1.4x teleconverter, for those really long shots... It's a good lens for the "f/8 ISO 1600 crew" (as the bird thread calls it) I'd say.

Nice, thank you for the info on the 100-400. My use case is similar, I just want to take better photos of the birds hanging around the backyard. I'm going to go check out the bird thread immediately.

The other way i've been thinking of going is adapting an old Sigma 400mm 5.6 to Fuji. It's manual focus unless I get an active adapter. Results are mixed, but it's so cheap by comparison that maybe it'll scratch the itch? https://www.ebay.com/itm/224719255479?hash=item34524fb7b7:g:dz4AAOSwf~dhpxIm

# ¿ Dec 27, 2021 22:31

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

TheFluff posted:

I wouldn't recommend going the adapter route. A great bird photographer can probably get good results even with old glass, and maybe even with manual focus, but it's really really hard. The main reason the 100-400 is fun to use for me is that even I, an idiot, can get decent bird shots in good conditions, and it's pretty good at teaching me what I need to do differently in less than good conditions. Before I got the 100-400 I kinda went through the same thought process as you did, because it's a loving expensive lens even used, and I tried birding with the 50-230. I got a few shots I liked but it really doesn't have enough reach. Then I also tried old 400mm f/6.3 with an M42 screw mount - it's from the 80's, inherited from my dad - and I tried that on an X-T20 with an adapter for a while. Manual focus and manual aperture only. Image quality was very eh, it could be sharp sometimes but getting the focus right was very hard even with focus peaking and it had pretty horrible chromatic aberration issues. More importantly though I'm nowhere near good enough to get results out of a thing like that, and getting 95% trash for my efforts just took a lot of fun out of the experience. That Sigma is probably a lot better than my old Soligor, but it's still not stabilized and that does make a pretty big difference IME.

If you're not sure about dropping the cash on the 100-400 I'd say just go out and try with the 50-230. For backyard birding it's sometimes just long enough, especially if you let it be known that you're willing to pay hard cash in advance for modeling jobs (peanuts is a pretty widely accepted currency, especially among corvids). Few if any bird decent photographers are above bribery.

I�ve had the XC 55-230 for a few years, and it�s actually served me surprisingly well! I just find myself not being able to get quite close enough. I did find a place that will rent the 100-400 and 56 1.2 for $30/day each, so I might try them both with my XT-10 and see how I like them. A used XT-3 might be in my future too. $800 isn�t bad, right?

Also, here�s about as close as I�ve been able to get with the XC 55-230:

# ¿ Dec 28, 2021 03:46

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

My coworker told me about their Nikon P1000 which has a built in zoom that's 24mm-3000mm! I was super-skeptical, but all the photos i've seen are...good? https://www.flickr.com/photos/summersting/albums/72157701661054454

For just fun backyard bird stuff it might be a better value for me than the Fuji 100-400. Hmm...

wolfs posted:

All this Fujifilm talk:
Is there any X mount glass that�s faster and cheaper than the 16mm f2.8 used? I�m using a high shutter count XPro 1 with the 16mm f2.8

it looks like my options are the Fuji 35mm f1.4 or the 56mm f1.2 - unless Tokina or Viltrox or someone make an AF capable 1.something I�m missing

The weather-sealed 'Fujicrons' are f/2 rand can be had relatively cheap, in addition to the 16mm I think there's a 23mm, 50mm and 90mm.

# ¿ Dec 28, 2021 19:00

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:

do people still shop at KEH? their prices look great, just checking that they haven't been bought out by private equity or something that's gonna make it unreliable

I think they did get bought a few years ago by someone?

Have you tried MPB? That�s where I�ve been getting used stuff recently. Prices seem to be lower than KEH, at least for the stuff I�ve been buying (Fuji lenses).

# ¿ Apr 21, 2022 22:12

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

bobmarleysghost posted:

Don't use the shutter advance for that, it can damage the mechanism iirc.
Instead the official way to close the shutter is to change the aperture.

Oh interesting, I always cover the lens and then crank the film lever. Will go back to just using the shutter dial. Thank you!

Also I just put a roll of Velvia through my GW690III and man, it's so fun to just look at the film in the light. I'll be super sad if they actually stop making Velvia (or any 120 or larger slide film for that matter).

# ¿ Nov 2, 2022 06:57

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

xzzy posted:

There's no such thing as enough range for wildlife. That same feeling of "not quite enough reach" you get at 300mm will hit you at 500mm. Or 800mm. And then you start worrying about maximum aperture. It's part of the territory and if you really want to go down that road you better come to grips with how much you want to spend on it.

If you do want to do wildlife, that puts you solidly in mirrorless territory. Older DSLR's are fine, photographers have done amazing work with them for decades. But the subject/eye tracking on modern mirrorless cameras is legitimately amazing and if you're looking for a new body you really ought to lean in that direction.

Unfortunately you aren't getting there with $1000. If buying new, the cheapest combo I can think off off the top of my head would be a Canon R7 and the 800mm f/11. And that's still over $2k. Even a 10+ year old supertele will consume most of your budget.

Comedy option Nikon P1000 with 3000mm zoom. https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-p1000.html

Honestly, for backyard birding i've seen this produce surprisingly good results. Obviously not remotely going to compare to an R7 and the 800mm, but for hobbyist fun stuff it might work.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2022 19:05

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:

Bag it up if you're going to store it with other things. Probably not worth getting cleaned, but that's just a guess.

cool little camera, i don't remember those

What's the guidance on camera/ lens storage? I've been keeping all my cameras and lenses, of various vintages, in one big (dry) dresser drawer. Is it actually better to leave everything out so it can breathe and get some light?

# ¿ Dec 12, 2022 07:13

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

dupersaurus posted:

What do we think about Ken Rockwell reviews? The guy's got a bit of boomer brain about him, but is it good data? I've not seen another site with everything documented so thoroughly.

He's sucked forever, and this coming from someone who read 'Steve's Digicams' in 1999. I can't believe his website is still getting traffic.

# ¿ Mar 20, 2023 06:03

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

mobby_6kl posted:

take that back Chris and Jordan are great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLikDUacsC8

The amazon links didn't really bother me that much, the actual text reviews did go down the drain quite a bit. Still this is pretty said, it was by far the best resource I've come across.

Holy poo poo, I�ve watched their videos so many times, but not really connected them with the site, whose forums were always one of the first results when researching some random old analog camera I came across. Can�t believe Amazon wouldn�t release the site to someone else to keep it online. IIRC, Dpreview has been around since like 1999, that�s a lot of history and context lost.

Also, Amazon should have shut down k rocks site instead

frogbs fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Mar 22, 2023

# ¿ Mar 22, 2023 03:20

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

I want to upgrade from my Fuji Xt-10. I tried an XH2 in a store and really loved the larger grip, but can't afford $2000 right now. The XT3 ticks most of the boxes for me at half the cost used, except the grip out of the box isn't great. How comparable is the XT3 with the MHG-XT3 grip to the feel of the XH2? Anyone here in the thread tried it, and the XH2?

# ¿ Apr 9, 2023 01:10

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

MJP posted:

I've got a Rebel T3 with some mighty lousy noise issues even at ISO 800. I primarily shoot landscapes, city skylines, and buildings. I'd like to go full-frame and be able to spend as minimal time in Lightroom as possible. 4k is a plus, tilting or articulated screen is a must. If my budget's $1500 for a kit or body + decent wide-angle zoom lens (everything secondhand/used) and I'm torn between a Nikon Z6, Panasonic S5, and Sony A7III, which should I go for? Anything would be an upgrade at this point, so I'm basically concerned with cost of entry for lens ecosystems. I'd assume Sony or Pana would be the better choice there since they've had more third party lenses for longer.

I know you want full frame, but consensus is that Fuji has the best out of camera jpgs. I rarely feel the need to jump into Lightroom that often anymore, the built in film simulations do a great job in most cases.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2023 22:00

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Lights posted:

Speaking of filters, besides ND and polarizer/CPL filters, are there any other kinds that do something that you couldn't just do in a couple clicks in post-processing?

Infrared filters!

# ¿ Apr 11, 2023 01:24

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Lights posted:

Woah, wait, I thought the IR filters are built onto the sensors of the camera, and have to be removed for to mod a camera for IR photography? Is there a filter that shifts IR up into visible or something without doing that?

Removing the IR filter over the sensor will drastically increase the IR spectrum available, but you can get away with putting an IR filter over most unmodified cameras as long as you're ok with really long exposure times. If you point a tv remote at your camera and you can see a little light when you press the button, then you've got some IR spectrum to work with.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2023 04:53

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

gschmidl posted:

You can do some fun stuff with an IR filter, but you need to do a bunch of post-processing like channel swapping. I'm not quite there yet, I think.

Yeah, color IR can get pretty tricky, which is why I stick to black and white!

frogbs fucked around with this message at 17:00 on Apr 11, 2023

# ¿ Apr 11, 2023 16:54

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

MJP posted:

Can I get some opinions on which sling bag to go for? I love slings, being able to have a bag on my left shoulder helps keep an old right neck disc injury out of painful spots. I like the ability to slide the bag around to belly-ish level, unzip it, and withdraw a camera with lens attached ready to go along with two other lenses and flash, and I'd also want to be able to lash or carry a tripod/monopod. Big pluses if it can hold a bottle of water externally and has a pocket for smaller bulk stuff - ebook reader, snack, etc. It seems like a few slings can convert into backpacks, which wouldn't be a bad option but isn't necessary.

Seems like there's a lot of bags that do some of everything but fall short in reviews regarding internal protection, padding, complexity, etc.

How big is your camera and lenses? My go to recommendation is the Peak Design 6L Sling. They make a larger 10l version too, but that�s approaching messenger bag size.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2023 20:54

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

xzzy posted:

24-55: https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/rf24-50mm-f4-5-6-3-is-stm?color=Black&type=New

Cheap 24-105: https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/rf24-105mm-f4-7-1-is-stm?color=Black&type=New

L 24-105: https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/rf24-105mm-f4-l-is-usm?color=Black&type=New

And yeah you definitely don't want your kids to be having far shits.

Also, definitely check out Canon's refurbished site: https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/lenses/refurbished-lenses

They have the Cheap 24-105 for $159 right now, which is basically free in Photography Dollars: https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/refurbished-rf24-105mm-f4-7-1-is-stm

# ¿ Jul 4, 2023 23:39

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

Used Photo Pro from Robert�s Camera has also been solid for me, with prices usually slightly below KEH and MPB https://usedphotopro.com

# ¿ Oct 21, 2023 16:26

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

FBS posted:

Hey that's my PnS!

I took some neat lunar eclipse photos with it back before I owned any real camera gear.

Like, that�s the actual one you donated to Goodwill, or just the same model you had?

# ¿ Dec 29, 2023 01:13

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

JAY ZERO SUM GAME posted:

keh/mpb/calumet. keh especially, at least last i looked, had large format stuff.

someone posted some random camera shop in indiana or something a while back that look legit too

ebay has few protections for both seller and buyer these days. i wouldn't gently caress with it.

https://usedphotopro.com is great too.

Adorama has a great used section also: https://www.adorama.com/Used

For large format, you might try Blue Moon camera, although they're priced pretty high generally: https://bluemooncamera.com

Vermont Center for Photography's PhotoThrift store also lists a lot of great used gear at what I would call below market prices. If you're not local check their instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photothriftvcp/?hl=en

# ¿ Jan 12, 2024 21:03

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 17:59

frogbs: May 5, 2004; Well well well

huhu posted:

Can anyone recommend a place to purchase a converted P&S digital camera to infrared? I don't have strong opinions on the brand. I feel like there has to be some random guy running a business selling them and his little shop just lists his most recent conversions.

Kolari has some already converted used cameras: https://kolarivision.com/product-tag/used-infrared-and-full-spectrum-cameras

There�s also the Kolari Pocket, which might be right up your alley: https://kolarivision.com/product/kolari-pocket-full-spectrum-converted-point-shoot-camera-with-infrared-filter-options/

# ¿ Mar 24, 2024 22:00

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > The Dorkroom > Camera Gear v8 "Buy A Pentax ME" (Don't buy UV filters, do hail satan)