Digital SLRs

[Big Fin]

OK, some pretty good photos get posted around here. I am mostly a point and shoot guy with my Canon Power Shot SD950 jobbie.

Many of are using SLRs. I am not that concerned about the camera, though somewhat interested in what you use.

Mostly curious what you are using for lenses - close up, short, and long range stuff. From what I gather, more money will be spent in lenses than on the camera itself.

Anyone willing to provide input?

 

[JoseCuervo]

Mr. Big,

For whatever reasons, in a previous life, I spent quite a bit of time in Japan meeting with most of the various technology companies and viewing manufacturing operations in their imaging operations.

I have spent countless hours/days of my life suffering thru smoke filled meetings with executives, marketing, and engineering staffs from the likes of Canon, Konica, Fujitsu, Minolta (before the Konica combination), Kyocera, Sony, etc.....

Without breaching any confidentiality agreements that I am a party to, I will say that MY digital SLR is a Canon....

As for lenses, the Canon EOS lenses are pretty much the best due to performance, availability, and likely, cost. There is a wide selection of lenses that can meet your needs.

The first thing to consider is "what are your needs" as the quality of the lens is directly related to the cost of the lens. But, if you want to take quality pictures for the Web you don't need the same quality lens if you are taking pictures for enlargement and printing on to framed photographs or wedding portraits.

If you want to include stills into your TV show, you might ask your production guys what resolution/definition they need (or are able to utilise).

The big thing will be when you are planning on taking pictures. If it is at first light and last light of animals a long ways away, you will want a diff lens (one with better light gathering) than if you are taking "hero shots" after the kill with the flash on...

For example, the lens I use to shoot soccer games outside during the day is a much different lens than the one I use to shoot basketball games inside of gyms, or the lens to shoot portraits.

 

[Big Fin]

JC:

That is good to know. So far, I am on the right track with regard to brand. I like the selection of Canon lenses, and my Canon video stuff is the best in their class.

Given I will be doing mostly web stuff, and my editors can work with anything of a point and shoot quality, or better, I will go with really good mid-range stuff. Need to find what will take those really cool 200 yard antelope pics at first light, and the many other scenarios. Trying to keep it to three lenses, if possible.

Thanks for the info.

 

[EliAGrimmett]

I use a Canon XTI with a 50-500mm Sigma lens. It's one of the cheapest lenses you can buy and still get pretty decent quality pics of lopes. Unfortunately, it's limit seems to be around 100-125 yards for good photos of antelope. Anything 150 yards and farther the pictures might come out decently, but they're usually not usable for what we use our pictures for. I'm looking into a 1.4X and 2X TC, but I'll lose auto focus and I'm not sure I'm willing to give it up. We'll see.

Honestly, I've been fooling around with digiscoping some and I think with the right set up you can get some pretty good shots of antelope at 200 yards. They likely won't be worthy of enlarging and printing, but they'll be close up and cool looking!

 

[Delw]

I use a Canon XTI with a 50-500mm Sigma lens. It's one of the cheapest lenses you can buy and still get pretty decent quality pics of lopes. Unfortunately, it's limit seems to be around 100-125 yards for good photos of antelope. Anything 150 yards and farther the pictures might come out decently, but they're usually not usable for what we use our pictures for. I'm looking into a 1.4X and 2X TC, but I'll lose auto focus and I'm not sure I'm willing to give it up. We'll see.

Honestly, I've been fooling around with digiscoping some and I think with the right set up you can get some pretty good shots of antelope at 200 yards. They likely won't be worthy of enlarging and printing, but they'll be close up and cool looking!

+1
Oscar and Jose told me to buy one so I did and love it.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Oscar Who? John

 

[steamingutpile]

I'll put pictures taken with my Nikon F1 SLR 35mm up against any digital camera. Shooting 100 ASA film you'll never get the quality enlargement or color depth like that with a digital. With digitals your restricted to selecting F stops and the camera sets the shutter speed and vice versa. I can control both with a simple couple of clicks for some amazing effects. I can also take multiple pictures on the same frame. Which gave me the coolest picture I've ever taken. It was taken above the Artic circle about a week and a half after the sun returned from its winter rest. Eight exposures on the same negative eight images of the sun as it rose on the horizon to its zenith and its setting on the opposite horizon. Eight images of the sun arcing acrossed the sky on one negative. Try that with a digital.

 

[Finalshot]

Modern Dslrs are better than film. . .

I'll put pictures taken with my Nikon F1 SLR 35mm up against any digital camera.

Okay, but maybe you might want to be more specific, todays top end dslr's do everything a film camera can but better in most cases. Faster and more accurate in every way. Sensors today are better then film the main difference is the final look and that can be managed very simply in post production.

Shooting 100 ASA film you'll never get the quality enlargement or color depth like that with a digital. With digitals your restricted to selecting F stops and the camera sets the shutter speed and vice versa. I can control both with a simple couple of clicks for some amazing effects.

It can all be done the same way with modern Dslr's . . .


Which gave me the coolest picture I've ever taken. It was taken above the Artic circle about a week and a half after the sun returned from its winter rest. Eight exposures on the same negative eight images of the sun as it rose on the horizon to its zenith and its setting on the opposite horizon. Eight images of the sun arcing acrossed the sky on one negative. Try that with a digital.

Multiple images on one one, kinda like this?

 

[JoseCuervo]

I'll put pictures taken with my Nikon F1 SLR 35mm up against any digital camera. Shooting 100 ASA film you'll never get the quality enlargement or color depth like that with a digital. .

Wow....... what a time warp to 1973.......

 

[Oak]

Sorry, I don't know much about SLR's. But if I were in the market, I don't think I'd look farther than Canon or Nikon. You can't go wrong with either brand, as long as you do a bit of research before buying.

Don't be afraid to spend some money on lenses, as they will make the biggest difference in photo quality, IMO.

 

[1_pointer]

I'd love some info on what the numbers mean on the lenses. Is there a way to figure would the magnification X's from the mm listings for different lenses? We have a Nikon D80 with the 18-70mm (I think that's right) lens that came with it, but would like to get a larger one for more up close pics of critters/kids.

 

[Finalshot]

50mm = 1x, or 1 power, or "normal" (we see at about 50mm . . .), therefore, 500mm = 10x. . . The sensor on the camera adds to the complexity a bit. . . the d80 has a sensor half the size of 35mm so it captures half the area as 35mm film. The "zoom" or "crop" factor is used for digital bodies when mated to a lens. The d80 has a 1.5x crop factor so a 70mm lens acts more like a 100mm but only because it captures half the area. The subject, say a deer head, will be the same size on a d80 as it will be on a d3 (full frame or 35mm) the difference is that with the d3 there will be a lot more "dead" space around the deer, but again, the deer will be the same size if you use the same lens on both bodes. . .

How heck have you been 1 pointer? been a while since we conversed. . . did you draw any tags?

 

[1_pointer]

FS- Thanks for the hints on the lenses. My wife loves to see/photograph critters, just not while I'm shooting them! So, from your info, I'd guess a 500mm lens to be just a shade over 10X in the D80? What'd be your suggestion as to a lens for taking some critter pictures?

Been doing good. I have not been putting in for a whole lot the past couple of years, due to my dad being sick/dying and $$, therefore I haven't drawn much. I have been lucky that a good friend has drawn some tags that I've tagged along on, so it's not been too bad. That and I have a 2yo now, so we keep pretty busy chasing him around. How's things up your way? There's still a pic of yours of a strutting sharptail hanging in our office.

 

[Moosie]

50mm = 1x, or 1 power, or "normal" (we see at about 50mm . . .), therefore, 500mm = 10x. . . The sensor on the camera adds to the complexity a bit. . . the d80 has a sensor half the size of 35mm so it captures half the area as 35mm film. The "zoom" or "crop" factor is used for digital bodies when mated to a lens. The d80 has a 1.5x crop factor so a 70mm lens acts more like a 100mm but only because it captures half the area. The subject, say a deer head, will be the same size on a d80 as it will be on a d3 (full frame or 35mm) the difference is that with the d3 there will be a lot more "dead" space around the deer, but again, the deer will be the same size if you use the same lens on both bodes. . .

How heck have you been 1 pointer? been a while since we conversed. . . did you draw any tags?

You lost me at 50....

I use those cardboard camera's. You need to get really close but the price is right and they weigh less...

I also have the Cannon Rebel EOS or something liek that. It's a 8mp. For what I do it's great. I like the fact that the batteries work with the little Cannon camcorders I have too.