first D-SLR
Posted by: Phil Sparks on 12 April 2006
Got a few OM bodies (4, 4ti, couple of 1s) and a bag full of olympus primes that I still love for their quality, intuitiveness (sp??), small size etc. however I've found myself using the wife's small digi compact more often recently. I love the way you can try things out and see the result immediately, also it's great for grabbing lots of snaps of the kids then just seeing which ones works. However the shutter delay is infuriating, the lack of control bugs me and the quality is really pretty average.
Therefore I've been thinking of getting an entry level digi SLR. This won't really be a replacement for the OM stuff but will be good for kids parties, family days out etc, where I'd like to get better results than the P&S but would like the ability to shoot 100 shots and just keep the best 4 or 5 rather than burn £30 on 3 rolls of film and processing.
Handled the Eos 350 D and thought it felt cheap. The D50 and Oly E500 felt better. The E500 looks a good deal at £600 for a kit with 2 lenses but I get the sense that buying into the 4/3 system could be limiting in the future. The D50 gets great reviews and with the 18-70 lens is only £500 or so. One recommendation I had was to go for the 17-200VR lens which will cover all eventualities and is great optically too - can be had for c.£800 with the D50. I've never really used long lenses much (my Oly 200m has bee used a handful of times whereas the 21mm and 24mm get a much more regular outing) - however maybe I don't use often simply because I can't be bothered to carry round - and if it was always on the camera it would get used more often.
I'm not too price sensitive but I think spending more on the lens and less on the body is the right way to go at the moment.
Any thoughts?
Phil
Posted on: 19 May 2006 by garyi
As for the metering. Well I am getting quite handy at that from eye if I may say so, I can usually hit around the right aperture/shutter first time, but of course the beauty of digital is you check your shot (Always use the histogram) and if its not good bin it and try again. For macro there is not usually a big hurry any how.
You need to consider everything though, whitebalance, iso, aperture and shutter and the flash will not work in TLL mode either. (Not that I like using flash anyhow)
Posted on: 19 May 2006 by Rico
Garyi
Hey, congratulations in joining the ranks of the sleep-impoverished!
best I explore the NEF experience, then. In the windoze world, Pixmantec Rawshooter seems popular. I think there's a nikon plugin for potatoshop as well.
will keep eyes skimmed for a micro-nikkor. as you say, no rushes in that kind of shooting.
cheers
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by Milan
quote:
Also I'm not sure I quite understand how it deals with flash, particularly fill-in, the i-TTL system generally gets great press, but on some of my shots seemed to swamp the image.
thanks for the advice
Phil
Phil,
I believe that you can set the power of the flash to prevent the burn out. Otherwise you are at the mercy of your photo editing skills.
Milan
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by garyi
Short range shots say 4 feet or less seem to take a hit on flash.
Remember the best software on earth cannot save a 'burnt' image, but it can usually do something with an underexposed one.
In general I use a 35mm or 50mm prime in doors now with a ISO of around 400, it can be a tadge noisy but very usable shots, and so much more natural than flash.
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by garyi:
As for the metering. Well I am getting quite handy at that from eye if I may say so, I can usually hit around the right aperture/shutter first time, but of course the beauty of digital is you check your shot (Always use the histogram) and if its not good bin it and try again.
Can you use exposure bracketing? Takes three or more shots at various exposures - one of them likely to be good.
cheers, Martin
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by Roy T
garyi, any chance of making use of bounce flash if you flash head can turn or fitting a diffuser on the flash head for those close in shots if it can't? Both are simple to use and imho the results are often better better than lazering your subjects with the full power of your flash.
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by garyi
I am using the flash on the camera at the mo so that is right out. If I invest in a speedflash then yes this might be possible. But on a D50 non AF lenses do not meter, period.
But yes Bracketing is doable, only I find that there is not enough between them to make it worth while. Perhaps a look through the manual will allow something different.
Its worth pointing out though that on the bracketing, it only takes one shot, everything else is done in the digital domain, which can be quite well handled from aperture so perhaps a waste of good camera space on the camera.
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by Derek Wright
Tape a small piece of tissue over the flash head, it will soften and reduce the light. The small on camera flashes provide a too concentrated beam of light from a point source.
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by Rico
iGary, I saw something a while back on flickr, the guy had built a DIY diffuser to og over the flash head on his D50 out of an old slide box (white translucent plastic) by cutting out the correct shape. Pop up the flash, put the diffuser in place, presto - un (fricken)laser-ed flash photos.
an SB600 is on my radar - it'll be some time away, though.
Posted on: 20 May 2006 by Rico
I've still not un-jumbled the bracketing aspect on the D70. After the Canon G5 (hold button, it takes three shots with the exposure or focus bracketing to the change you've specified (eg -.5, +.5 stops, or metres)... I'd set auto bracket on the D70 and get only one shot. Hmmm. Oh, right - I have to either use "continuous mode" or press button three times - I then see the camera changing the exposure (according to spec) as I shoot. I must read that bit in the manual too!
Posted on: 21 May 2006 by garyi
On a d50 once you have set the bracketing it takes one shot, but three images are created. As I say its software based not from the lens.
Posted on: 21 May 2006 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by garyi:
On a d50 once you have set the bracketing it takes one shot, but three images are created. As I say its software based not from the lens.
On my Canon P&S, it takes three separate pics, with three different exposure times.
I also have to configure how much vairation there should be between the shots, from +/- 0.3 EV to +/- 2.0 EV.
If the D50 is doing it "in firmware", then it seems like a pointless exercise. Simply shoot in RAW mode, then additional dynamic range is stored.
cheers, Martin
Posted on: 21 May 2006 by garyi
Yup.
Posted on: 21 May 2006 by garyi
However I might be completely wrong because now I am not so sure haha, I'll check tomorrow.
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by arf005
Hey guys,
just bought a D70s, from Jessops, with kit 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF ED DX lens, they chucked in a 1GB SanDisk UltraII CF memory card for free (worth £90) very nice of them indeed.....I was going to go for the new Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM as well but they didn't have on in stock....web's a bit cheaper for it anyhoo so one to save for in future...
This is my birthday pressie though so I can't play with it until I come back from off-shore next week......
Taking the manual with me though for some bedtime reading!
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by arf005:
I was going to go for the new Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM as well but they didn't have on in stock....web's a bit cheaper for it anyhoo so one to save for in future...
I've got one of those in Pentax fit and it's an excellent bit of kit. It's (at least) as good as the manufacturers own equivalents but a lot cheaper.
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by arf005
Hi Steve,
I think that's the lens you took the pics in and around your area with, in one of my previous threads, so yeah, it's on my list for the wider angles. Then just a telephoto (100-400 if I'm lucky, but maybe something shorter, and cheaper!!) and a macro.....so, plenty to save for then......
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by garyi
Where tele is concerned don't cheap it because some the autofocus on such a long lens is appaulingly slow and if it gets caught searching you can kiss you shot good bye.
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by arf005
I was thinking around £700 for that one garyi....so it might be the last one I buy!
About £300 for the macro, 100mm or thereabouts....
....and same again (cost) for the 10-20mm, so plenty of saving to do...
....and we've got a stereo to buy!! Ho Hum....
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by Earwicker
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by garyi
Hey earwicker thats a bit left field of this thread.
Posted on: 22 May 2006 by garyi
Ali, I think I might get the 60mm af macro by Nikon. They look wuite good and should come into your budget.
I don't have 700 quid for a zoom doh!
Posted on: 23 May 2006 by arf005
quote:
Originally posted by garyi:
Hey earwicker thats a bit left field of this thread.
Think he meant to post that one in the Da Da Vinci code thread.....
Posted on: 23 May 2006 by arf005
quote:
Originally posted by garyi:
Ali, I think I might get the 60mm af macro by Nikon. They look wuite good and should come into your budget.
I don't have 700 quid for a zoom doh!
Not sure if you believe in reviews garyi, same goes for hi-fi - some do some don't, but Digital Camera magazine have just reviewed six 100mm (or thereabouts) macros price ranging from £339 (Sigma) to £780 (Nikon) and the Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 macro 1:1 Di at £369 was the editor's choice....I've just checked Warehouse Express and they are selling the same lens for £280...is that still in budget.....???
In fact Nikon's 60mm f2.8 D micro (if this is the one you are thinking of) is selling for £354 on-line.....
Maybe worth a look.....
As for the tele zoom.......think I'd rather have a CDX2/202/200 and N805S's, wouldn't you!!
Zoom lens sometime next year me thinks....
Cheers,
Ali
Posted on: 23 May 2006 by Steve G
