Panasonic and Leica

Garyi

I have a Nikon D70, it can now be had with the versatile 18-70 mm lens for in the region of £760.

I had not had an SLR for years and so I thought I might be a bit daunted by a camera that has full auto to full manual wth everything in between, but I have taken to it well and it is easy to use and allows you to try a lot of wacky stuff that is more difficult on a less versatile camera.

The Nikon platform seems to be an excelent choice in terms of availibility of lenses and other accesories, and I am please with the results so far.

I think that if you are in the market at around £1K you must take the plunge and go for a true dslr. I would feel restricted with such an exspensive camera being stuck with only one lens.

The above praise for the D70 can probably also be given to the Canon 300D, I chose the Nikon because their advertising got me first.

Simon

Gary

The E1 from Olympus would be a good candidate for you - see the 35mm and Digital Camera thread - I have put some reference information that may help you

You would find it an easy transition from the E10 - familiar layout but better performance.

If you have any friends or relations that are students you might be able to get it at the student discount price - which is very good

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I have a Nikon D70, it can now be had with the versatile 18-70 mm lens for in the region of £760.

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actually available for £650 now!

Julian

Gary i think you would be mad not to have a serious look at Digital SLR's for that money.
I dont dispute the Panasonic looks a lush camera, but the flexibility of SLR's has to be considered. I bought a Canon EOS 10D and i think its the dogs testicles... Even an amateur like me can get suprisingly good results... You can even get image stabilising lenses for them.. but then if you dont want the hassle of an upgrade path then the Nait 5i stylee panasonic is probably ok

Guys sorry I didn't realise that this is not SLR and therefore is not going to be considered.

Did anyone see the new epson digital done up like a trad film camera?

You even have to 'wind' on the film for the next shot:

http://www.epsonrd1.co.uk/index.html

It got a bit slated in digital camera magazine for not great photography, but great looking camera none the less, kind of Olive Range.

Please could someone explain what is the difference between a camera that's an SLR and one that err... isn't??

Cheers,

JR

Evening Jon!

the most noticable difference is that you can detach and change the lenses on a SLR...

cheers

Hawk

Hawk,

OK thanks!

BTW you have an email!

Cheers,

JR

When you look through the viewfinder of an SLR you look through the lens. When you take the picture a mirror flips up to allow the light to pass through to the shutter. This is why the viewfinder blacks out. Just below D-SLRs are the pseudo ones which look like SLRs but don't actually show you in real time what the lens is seeing.

Or something.

Cheers

Aaah...that confirms what someone was telling me at work today, though I thought he was just taking the piss..

Thanks, Harry.

JR

SLRs allow you to see straight through the lens, but I find the zooming is the main factor for me, on normal digi cameras the zoom goes in steps and is slow, on an SLR because of the design of the lens its a lot smoother and quicker.

Some cameras look just like an SLR but when you look in the eye piece its a bloody mini digital image! It so slow.

However not all SLRs have removable lenses, such as my E10 and apparently this Panasonic, its that what I wish for my next camera as I can then upgrade it when the desire kicks in.

Gary

I understand that the Epson to which you refer is a rangefinder camera. This is not an SLR but it does have interchangable lenses.

With a rangefinder you are not looking through the lens when you look through the view finder. I have no experiance with rangefinders so I do not understand how you are meant to focus. I gather there are one or two range finder users on the forum who will no doubt fill in the gaps.

Simon

Simon

When you look through a Rangefinder, you see two pictures.

You move a small rotating lever until the two pictures merge into one. Then you have a very sharp focus.

It is very quick and easy to do.

Regards

Mick

Guys,

Thanks for the info.

Cheers,

JR

Mick

Thanks for the explanation, but could you explain how the built in view finder displays different fields of view with different lenses. Or do you also cange the viewfinder?

Simon

The Epson R-D1 is basically my film camera (a Bessa R2 rangefinder) with the 6MP APS sized sensor from (IIRC) the D70 and an M lens mount. In other words its a digital rangefinder that can be used with Leica lenses. And Bessas, old Canon's, Zorkis, Jupiters, etc. Literally 1000s of high quality lenses of all shapes and sizes and at all prices.

So you can stick anything from a $10 Russian lens, to a $200 modern Bessa lens to a full-hit Summicron/Elmarit and it will eat the D70 + 18-70mm for breakfast.

The downside is that the small volume production runs mean it's absurdly expensive -- about $3000 in the US I think and likely the same in £ over here. I think I'd much rather have the film version for $600 and 2 or 3 high quality lenses.

(The other problem is that 1.5x focal length multiplier makes the traditional wide-angle rangefider lens options somewhat).

As to your original question Gary I think you should stick with e-10. It's a good camera and you are still learning the ropes so it's better to concentrate on getting better and worry about what to buy later (when you'll now more what you want anyway).

And one thing I can guarantee, if you stump up £700 on a D70 it will not improve your photography one single bit.

"how the built in view finder displays different fields of view with different lenses"

The viewfinder has frame lines on it for 35, 50 and 90 mm lenses so you compose your picture inside the lines for your current lens. There are external finders that mount on top of the body if you use lenses are wider than 35mm or longer than 90mm.

Matthew

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Originally posted by matthewr:
And one thing I can guarantee, if you stump up £700 on a D70 it will not improve your photography one single bit.

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Surely that can be said of all cameras, not just a D70 ?

Yes.