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Post by Barrington on Mar 18, 2016 17:45:45 GMT
A Panasonic LF1 which is a slip of a camera.  And a Nikon d5500 came with 18-140mm lens  |
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Post by Slinger on May 3, 2016 22:42:31 GMT
eBay has been kind to me today...at least that's what I've been trying to convince the missus of.  I've just picked up the following - Canon EOS 450D (V.G.) / Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 USM (Near mint) / Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM (Unused, open box) for a few pennies under two hundred quid for the lot. My Dad was a keen amateur photographer and I've always promised myself a "proper" camera. My wife is buying me a new camera bag, and some bits and bobs like UV filters and spare batteries etc. as an anniversary present. I wonder how I should explain that to her. From a distance will probably be my preferred solution.  |
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Post by pre65 on May 4, 2016 9:49:52 GMT
Welcome to the fold of Canon users. 
Only thing I will say, is that both those lens are ideal in 35mm terms, but when you factor in the 1.6 "correction factor" for the digital sensor then the 28mm setting is not wide angle, more like the old 50mm standard lens of 35mm days.
I bought a EOS40d body myself, and chose an 17-85 which is more general purpose and has the added advantage of is (image stabilisation) which is VERY useful when shooting hand held.
Anyway, just start using it and enjoy. Get used to ALL the different settings, practice makes perfect.
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Post by Slinger on May 4, 2016 10:56:52 GMT
Cheers for the welcome. At least it's stopped me buying guitars...for the moment.  I've just bookmarked the 196 page PDF manual for the camera. I was a little surprised when I saw that all 196 pages are in English.  Re the lenses, obviously I wanted a "basic" lens and the 28-80 was at a far better price point than something like a 17-55 or even a 17-85 which would probably have been my first choice(s). That coupled with the fact it was a Canon lens and USM to boot pretty much sealed it. The 75-300? Also USM and to quote the seller's description " It hasn't been used but the box was opened." for £50.00 + £5.99 p&p there was no way I could pass it up. I bought it within 10 minutes of it being listed in fact. I exchanged a few messages with the seller last night (new seller, couldn't figure out how to accept my money) and he seems genuine so I live in hope that this actually is a genuine bargain. [EDIT] The guy that is selling me the 28-80mm had a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II for sale, so I've just bought that too. I think I need to wear boxing gloves at the keyboard for a week or two now. |
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Post by stanleyb on Aug 7, 2016 10:27:01 GMT
I already have enough cameras, but... I could not resist a bargain on eBay. I have been quite impressed with the Panasonic Lumix GX-8 from the reviews and comments on the net. But at around £550 for just the body it is not something to rush out and buy just for the fun of owning one. Even 2nd hand the sellers want £450 plus for a used one. But I saw one with a shutter count of just over 250. That's as good as new. And at £350 posted it was more than I could have expected. If I don't like it I can put it back on ebay and still make a profit. Looking forward to playing about with it over the holidays. I bought a pre-owned 14-45mm zoom as well. I just have to stay away from browsing eBay for a while before I spend the holiday money...
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 7, 2016 11:00:29 GMT
Seems like a huge bargain, Stan.
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ynwan
Rank: Trio
Posts: 185 
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Post by ynwan on Aug 8, 2016 21:19:35 GMT
A close friend has a large collection of Canon cameras of all vintages. Personally, I just use my iPhone.
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Post by speedysteve on Aug 9, 2016 18:23:46 GMT
We have a Cannon 20d. We use our phones a lot:)
Daughter who vlogs regularly uses a nice big lens with a little camera attached to it made by Sony...
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Post by stanleyb on Aug 9, 2016 18:29:14 GMT
I got two of the best phone cameras (Nokia 808 and 1020) that I have used to take some brilliant pictures. But out of focus background is not easy to achieve with either of them, or just about any mobile phone camera for that matter. Then there is the issue that their zoom range is just 3x.
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Post by stanleyb on Aug 12, 2016 10:05:01 GMT
I am afraid that I have been a naughty boy again  . I like the GX8 so much that I went and bought the matching water and splash proof 12-60mm zoom lens. That means that I won't be needing the 14-45mm zoom any more, so that can go on ebay. Five years ago I misplaced my Panasonic flashgun, which was at that time their top of the range one. I went out and bought the 2nd best one in their range, but I was never fully satisfied with it. It has far fewer of the high tech specialist functions than its bigger brother, but it never let me down during general use. Now that I got the GX8, I plan to give my older Panasonic camera to a family friend. So I started looking for the original box, software, leads, etc. And guess what: I found the flashgun that I had misplaced in the process! The weird thing is that the bigger gun has a couple of specialist functions that can be used with the GX8 in ways that were probably not part of the original thinking of the designers of the flash. But the smaller flash is easier to carry and uses fewer batteries, making it ideal for general use. I don't know which one to sell, if any. |
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 12, 2016 11:02:46 GMT
What sort of features does a modern flashgun have, Stan?
From my memory of the cheap old ones I have had, the only extra function was an ability to eat batteries at an alarming rate!
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Post by stanleyb on Aug 12, 2016 11:41:51 GMT
The original manufacturer specs of the top of the range flashguns can be numerous. Mine can zoom in and out automatically with the zoom lens. You can use it in burst mode to get several pictures in quick successions. You can also use the bigger one in two different auto TTL modes. One is fill in flash, and the other one is slow synch flash.
On my bigger gun I can use it at synch speeds of 1/8000sec, which matches the GX8 mechanical shutter speed as well as being within range of the electronic shutter speed (which won't give me any shutter blind problems I hope).
And more spectacular is the ability to control the GX8 via a phone and get a life picture feed on the phone! The flash gun is then also controlled by the phone or iPad if set in auto mode. Amazing! I can see more camera manufacturers fitting this option to their more expensive cameras and flashguns. For wildlife and unattended photography it would be a big step forward.
I haven't tried it yet, but I intend to as soon as the bees and wasps start flying around my garden. I am hoping to get some high speed flash pics of them in flight...
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 12, 2016 13:18:16 GMT
Interesting, thanks for that info Stan.
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Post by kettlechips on Aug 23, 2016 13:01:10 GMT
I use my phone. I don't take "Art" photos, I simply use it to record notes etc. For instance if I see a poster for a gig, or need to note down a taxi phone number I just take a picture of it. Likewise if I'm working on a car or on an electronics project then I use the camera to take "notes" it's quicker and more reliable than writing stuff down. I regularly cull the pictures once I've done with them.
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Post by pinkie on Aug 23, 2016 13:47:14 GMT
The big camera is a D7100 with a couple of Tamron zoom lenses.
Mostly I don't take pictures, and when I do use a phone. But Sue got into photography a couple of years ago, has been doing some courses, "needed" a proper camera, and needed help with the "technical stuff" and so I am taking the odd piccie too.
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Post by stanleyb on Aug 23, 2016 14:26:35 GMT
I sent one of my cameras, plus all its bits and pieces, off to a family friend in a third world country this morning. The new owner earns less in a month than I would get for the camera on eBay. He has been saving up for years in fact just so he could one day buy a semi-pro camera. I can't wait to see what sort of pictures he'll be taking with it.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 23, 2016 14:32:03 GMT
Nice gesture, Stan. I have an old camera not worth selling but still a good digital camera. Can't give the damned things away! It's a Minolta Z5 - the last model before they stopped making cameras.  |
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Post by stanleyb on Aug 23, 2016 14:40:46 GMT
I shall find out if there are more people like this guy who would be over the moon to own a decent camera. I sent old laptops etc abroad for use by students who just could not afford a laptop of their own. These things fetch peanuts on eBay, but are priceless to some very deserving folks.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2016 14:58:54 GMT
For day to day shots I use a Nikon D3x with a Nikkor 24-70 1:2.8G ED lens a good solid well balanced unit that does what it says on the tin, bought the body used last year for a very respectable price, new glass a couple of months ago again for a respectable price.  And for the more professional images on the website like this  We use one of these Phase One cameras  |
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Post by pinkie on Aug 26, 2016 7:16:54 GMT
I see there are some nice looking compacts on this thread that are obviously rated. I don't follow cameras. Can anyone recommend a camera for my wife at work. She has recently started as an estate agent working for a local agency on a commission based contract (french tax laws...). She is taking pictures with the D7100 which are far better than those taken by colleagues with compacts, but ideally she would like a handbag sized unit It does not need a very large pixel count I wouldnt have thought since all output is for website images Good low noise performance in low light is probably the key As is a decent wide angle lens (to the point where they start to be visibly fish eye - that would be about 26 mm for me in good old 35mm real money so 18mm compact? A good lens Good image sensor with natural colour Video would be a bonus but not essential. At the moment the agency doesnt use video - although a competitor does (laughably - they use the same director as the Keystone cops) Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated, although, this being the fairer sex she will no doubt ignore us and choose the pink one in the nice box  Hey - what's happened to the "doh" smiley - and far far far more importantly - what's happened to the "cool" one? |
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. I like the GX8 so much that I went and bought the matching water and splash proof 12-60mm zoom lens. That means that I won't be needing the 14-45mm zoom any more, so that can go on ebay. 
