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UER Forum > UE Photography > The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread (Viewed 383719 times)
Sand 


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Everything interesting is always behind a fence.

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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 720 on 6/14/2016 2:29 PM >
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Is this also the thread to ask what lens to get for a camera, or is there a better place for that? I have a Nikon D5100 and have two primes right now (50 and 35mm), but I am looking to get more and have some questions and thought there isn't a better group of people to ask than the UE community!




flySparro 


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And therein, as the bard would tell us, lies the rub.

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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 721 on 6/14/2016 2:35 PM >
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Posted by Sand
Is this also the thread to ask what lens to get for a camera, or is there a better place for that? I have a Nikon D5100 and have two primes right now (50 and 35mm), but I am looking to get more and have some questions and thought there isn't a better group of people to ask than the UE community!


Go ahead - I don't imagine anyone will complain - it's still camera related!




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Sand 


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Everything interesting is always behind a fence.

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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 722 on 6/16/2016 8:54 PM >
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Well then

I'm looking on Amazon right now at some non-primes for pet photography and wildlife stuff. I have 35mm and 50mm primes, but I need some auto-zooming (or manual, but non0prime lenses for pets and wildlife).

There's a few options...I'm just not sure what to choose, and why there are so many options. What exactly are the downfalls of the auto zooms that cover more distance range, are they just less sharp than a lens that has a shorter range?

For in the tiny apartment...

For the price of that last lens, maybe I should find some cheaper (or a cheaper) macro lens/wide angle lens that would be better or better paired with these others? That's where I'm left wondering what is the best to get.
Then I'm not sure what to get for the wildlife/farther shots. I was thinking of grabbing this:

Edit - Now the price is back up to $396.95. I am kicking myself - I didn't understand the average cost of this lens, and Amazon clearly made a mistake somewhere. I even have my price tracking addon that still shows the cost dip - it's never been that low directly from Amazon. GRR! I'll keep an eye on it.

There are a bunch of other ones too, but this sort of is a starting point for me and what I'm wondering about.




sys104 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 723 on 7/31/2016 10:00 AM >
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Hi,

i have a D7100 cannot decide between the Sigma 17-50 OS HSM and the Sigma 17-70 OS Contemporary.

Any suggestions?




Sandy106 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 724 on 8/29/2016 4:27 PM >
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Does anyone have any experience with the Olympus TG-4? I'm looking for a relatively cheap camera that's ruggedized since I have a reputation for breaking expensive things.




sm0kescreen 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 725 on 9/22/2016 12:38 AM >
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Does anyone have any suggestions about a good, inexpensive camera for a beginner/amateur (both in photography and urban exploring) with good stabilization?

Preferably something costing less than/around $200-$300 and with the ability to take good/decent-quality low-light photos.

Having stabilization is a must-have, though, I have tremors that make taking photos hard on anything without good stabilization. And maybe something shock-proof/able to handle falls without breaking? I have a tendency to drop things. This isn't a must-have, though, I can just wear a wrist strap/neck strap.




DescentOnARope 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 726 on 9/22/2016 7:32 AM >
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Posted by sm0kescreen
Does anyone have any suggestions about a good, inexpensive camera for a beginner/amateur (both in photography and urban exploring) with good stabilization?

Preferably something costing less than/around $200-$300 and with the ability to take good/decent-quality low-light photos.

Having stabilization is a must-have, though, I have tremors that make taking photos hard on anything without good stabilization. And maybe something shock-proof/able to handle falls without breaking? I have a tendency to drop things. This isn't a must-have, though, I can just wear a wrist strap/neck strap.


I don't know of anything that cheap (for a decent entry-level DSLR you're looking at around $400-$500 on the low end), but for urbex photography I would say a tripod is almost a necessity. Some cameras are better than others in low light, but that only goes so far. Most low-light shots are taken using long exposures on a tripod.




Pongo 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 727 on 9/23/2016 6:17 PM >
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Posted by sm0kescreen
Does anyone have any suggestions about a good, inexpensive camera for a beginner/amateur (both in photography and urban exploring) with good stabilization?

Preferably something costing less than/around $200-$300 and with the ability to take good/decent-quality low-light photos.

Having stabilization is a must-have, though, I have tremors that make taking photos hard on anything without good stabilization. And maybe something shock-proof/able to handle falls without breaking? I have a tendency to drop things. This isn't a must-have, though, I can just wear a wrist strap/neck strap.


I'm with descent in that a tripod is a must...especially considering all the low light sitchiations we find ourselves in. Do yourself a favor and keep the iso fixed at 100 and just shoot smart. (with a tripod) Tough part is that a lot of tripods are heavy as heck and not the most portable. I've been using this guy, not the lightest on the market, but the price is GREAT, build quality high, and it collapses down to 12.5". I like keeping everything including water, first aid kit, batteries, lights, food, tripod, camera... etc in one small day bag so this was the way to go without breaking the bank.

https://www.amazon...page?ie=UTF8&psc=1


As far as intro level cameras as concerned, I use the Canon M10 and LOVE it. Getting back to the size criteria I have, this thing with the stock (extremely flexible) lens is tiny!! You're looking at around $500, which I understand is more than you wanted to drop but this will serve you well for years. I'm a thrifty type of guy but when it comes to gear I don't think it's worth cheaping out on. If budget is a big issue, the M3 is the older model, it's ALMOST as good, and I bet you can find a good deal on a used one.




Piecat 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 728 on 9/26/2016 9:38 PM >
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You'll definitely want a DSLR... Bigger sensor = more light = a better time in low light settings. Also they have more features (like shooting in RAW,
remote shutter, great lens selection). Also, you'll be able to easily control aperture/shutter/ISO among other things in manual mode. Most point and shoots don't have a good manual mode.

The t5i is what I started with, great camera. With the t6 out, I'm sure you could find one used for pretty cheap. Otherwise the t5, t3i, and t3 are pretty good and buying one used would make sense. It doesn't have to be a great camera, but it should at least be DSLR if you plan on getting good at photography.

Don't worry, you'll probably sell/upgrade your camera a few times as you get better and your needs increase, but until then, any DSLR you get your hands on should work.

You don't need a tripod, but you do need a tripod. I'd buy one for cheap. Once you get the hang of things, I say you shouldn't need one. Get creative with shooting. Brace yourself against a wall, rest your arm on a chair, set the camera down on a ledge.

Something you'll find is that the best camera can still take shit shots, and shitty cameras can take great shots. Having the best gear will not make you automatically good. It's something you just have to practice. Practice practice practice. Start with auto and use the values it uses as a guide line.

Photoshop is also a must. Adobe's Photoshop and Lightroom are very powerful tools. I'd suggest you get good at them. If you don't know how to do something, there's plenty of Google tutorials and youtube videos out there. You just gotta look!

I prefer Canons, but that's just me. I like their selection of lenses and accessories. Many people like Nikon as well. Just as long as its a DSLR.




middayowl 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 729 on 9/27/2016 5:13 AM >
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Posted by Sand
Well then

I'm looking on Amazon right now at some non-primes for pet photography and wildlife stuff. I have 35mm and 50mm primes, but I need some auto-zooming (or manual, but non0prime lenses for pets and wildlife).

There's a few options...I'm just not sure what to choose, and why there are so many options. What exactly are the downfalls of the auto zooms that cover more distance range, are they just less sharp than a lens that has a shorter range?

For in the tiny apartment...




The problem is that a zoom lens is not always going to produce good bokeh for portraits, especially with the f-stop like that and close distance from subject to background. You'd want one with at least f/2.8, imo. And generally they're just not as good, all around. Less sharpness, less colour, slower focus, slower glass, etc etc etc. Zoom lenses generally are not made for professionals, and especially not for portraiture. They're just not the same quality by any means.

35mm is really as short as I would go for portraits, and only if I realllllly had to. The ideal focal length is 85mm-135mm, altho 50mm is pretty classic too. Obviously you can't use that in a small apartment. Anything shorter than 35mm can get some unattractive distortion for portraits (at least in humans). I have the 11-20mm Tokina for my D7200 and whilst it can technically take photos of people, there is huge distortion at the shorter end, and still some at the higher end. Almost a fish-eye-ish look up close. I only use it now for landscapes and interiors -- unless I want something close up that I don't mind the distortion. It's got a sort of cool style to it... but for professional portraits I would never. I'd rather find a new location for the photos than shoot a portrait with anything below a 50mm.

I'm no pro, but I know most pros say do NOT use a zoom lens for portraits, period. I've assisted a bunch of photographers and none of them would dare. Use a prime + your feet, not the zoom lens. I understand you have a space issue but the 16mm is not going to be pleasing for portraits. Also, I don't know why anyone would buy the 18-55mm? Doesn't the D5100 come with a kit 18-140? Or something similar? Did you sell the kit lens?

I wish I had the link that compares what the extra same model looks like using different lenses all the way from wide-angle to telephoto. Wait... http://gizmodo.com...y-your-pretty-face.

The simple problem is the crop sensor we have. I shot with my boss' D3 and that full-frame sensor is just a whole new world. The 50mm lens suddenly opens up. But for most of us hobbyists/amateurs, we don't have an extra $8000 lying around for an FX camera. That is the only way to get good portrait photos in a confined space. I do street portraits and second shoot/assist with some wedding photography and that can be quite difficult for the same reasons you have with pets at your place. Too small a space and a cropped sensor camera. And will not use anything shorter than my 50mm for portraits, unless it's dire straits. It sucks but that's basically a limitation of a cropped sensor camera, it's 1.5x the focal length listed on the lens -- but with all the distortion too lol. You must have the space to move back from your subject.

Now, for urbex and interiors, I see no problems with my 11-20mm f/2.8. It has some pretty noticeable distortion that Lightroom can't fix at all, and it's not very sharp around the edges, especially when shooting wide open. I've also used the Nikon 12-24mm and that was fun too. Both are solid wide-angle lenses for DX. I used my boss' 17-35mm at 17mm on the D3 and it looked about equal to 11mm on my D7200.

As for wildlife... yikes. What kind of wildlife? Birds? A birding lens has to be much longer and faster. They're really expensive. I always wanted to get into it but it's just WAY too much money.

The main problem with the 55-300mm is that the autofocus is slow and manual focus sucks. That could be bad for wildlife. It's considered the very basic/beginnger of lenses for wildlife. If you're really serious about wildlife photography, it would be better to invest more money in a better lens (ie. the 70-300mm FX, or something even better). Bokeh is wonderful though. I decided to splash on the Tamron 18-270mm instead because of it's ridiculous range and thought it would be a perfect all-round lens for travel photography. Quite frankly, I don't like it much. It seems... I'm not sure. Focus isn't great and VR (or their version of it) sucks, and sharpness is really lacking. I bought it for a cruise to make sure I could get photos of shore, but I can't imagine using it again. It's not very good, but it could be my copy. Haven't tried it on wildlife. I don't recall it being as bad when I rented one for red carpet shots. On that holiday I actually ended up using the Tokina 11-20mm at least 75% of the time. You could try checking out Tokina or Sigma's lines too, maybe find a deal for a comparable lens to the 55-300mm.

Now, I'm not a pro. These are just my observations and research. YMMV cos sometimes lenses can be a personal thing, especially depending on your style/budget.




cameraobscura 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 730 on 1/31/2017 5:57 PM >
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Canon user here. I've been thinking about going full frame but I love my flip screen for framing shots that are out of the norm. (Think extreme worms eye or birds eye) I currently use 70D for most of my photography. Any recommendations?




Dee Ashley 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 731 on 2/1/2017 3:54 AM >
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Posted by cameraobscura
Canon user here. I've been thinking about going full frame but I love my flip screen for framing shots that are out of the norm. (Think extreme worms eye or birds eye) I currently use 70D for most of my photography. Any recommendations?


I feel you on the articulating screen thing. That was one of my biggest hesitations about switching cameras. I'm amazed all cameras don't have that option! My T4i had the flip/swivel screen, and I've switched to Sony since then. At least my A7rII has a tilt screen, which is more than most of the full frame DSLR Nikons and Canons out there.


The final selling point for me on the Sony mirrorless system was the ability to adapt my Canon lenses to my new Sony easily. Even my third party EF-S lenses and all their EXIF/options can function as fully as a native Sony lens. My primes work especially seamlessly. My two Tamrons, both zoom lenses, sometimes focus a little slower, but I'm impressed they can auto focus at all, tbh. Being able to use my old lenses and also, the A7rii's performance in low light conditions, are what make this camera really shine. I've been shooting with the A7rii for over a year now, and have no regrets.
Everyone has their opinion on the "best," camera. As long as you go with a quality brand name, like Canon, Nikon, or Sony, you won't be disappointed.




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Lachy 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 732 on 2/23/2017 7:02 AM >
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I'm looking to buy a used "professional level" camera that can be used mostly for stills but able to take some good quality video. I am looking for a full-frame body that will cost around $1000 used for the body only. The four choices I have come to are Canon 5d mark iii, Canon 6d, and the Sony A7r and A7ii. Can anyone help me narrow down this list, as I know everyone has their own opinion about what is best in a camera.




btraut 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 733 on 3/17/2017 10:27 PM >
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Posted by Lachy
I'm looking to buy a used "professional level" camera that can be used mostly for stills but able to take some good quality video. I am looking for a full-frame body that will cost around $1000 used for the body only. The four choices I have come to are Canon 5d mark iii, Canon 6d, and the Sony A7r and A7ii. Can anyone help me narrow down this list, as I know everyone has their own opinion about what is best in a camera.


I've shot with a 6D for the past couple years and I love it. In my experience, the ability to shoot in low light has been far more dependent on the lens than the body, but the 6D does pretty well at high ISO.

The one thing that both the 6D and 5DMIII struggle with is dynamic range. If you're in a dark place during the day, which I think most of us often are, you end up having to use bracketing and HDR to fix the shots with windows or open spots. I read that the 5DMVI finally catches Canon up to Sony on this front, but it's not a cheap body.

One other consideration - I went out on a local shoot recently and got the 6D wet. The buttons all went haywire until I dried it out thoroughly. Now I feel like I have to baby it. All 5Ds have much better weather protection.

I have no experience with the Sonys, but everything I read about them scares me away. They shoot amazing photos, they have a ton of modern features, and they're smaller/lighter than the pro Canon line, but the battery life is worthless and the software is painfully slow. Given those downsides, I feel like I'd miss too many shots.

All that said, the four models you listed are all fine choices. I've always felt like my camera is far more capable than my own abilities, and that would be true of any of those.



[last edit 3/17/2017 10:30 PM by btraut - edited 3 times]

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stealthwraith 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 734 on 3/21/2017 12:39 PM >
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I'm looking to get a good camera. I've used 2 small canon powershos for years and also my iPhone. Lately it's mostly my iPhone bc of speed so I'm looking for a decent carrying bag too. Doesn't have to be a backpack I currently use a messenger bag to explore - looks less obvious. But back to the camera - the one I have is a great camera most of the time but it doesn't handle really low light well which is obviously a problem. I like canon and wouldn't mind getting one of their dslrs; does anyone have a canon they really recommend? Anyone have any ideas for improving low lights images on the scene rather than editing the lighting after the fact?




Stealth: adj. designed in accordance with technology that makes detection difficult. Wraith: n. A wisp or faint trace of something
natesidwesturbex 

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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 735 on 6/17/2017 11:47 PM >
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What do you guys think of the Nikon d7100?




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brain-vomit 


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dammit.

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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 736 on 7/17/2017 2:25 PM >
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Currently looking to buy a new camera after having to bury the last one, and am debating between the Canon 7D mark II and the Canon 6D.

Since the 6D is an entry-level FF, it's definitely very tempting considering how that digests low light, but not all my lenses are EF yet plus the 7D mark II is great for speed and I also do alot of sport/concert/event photography. Would love to hear UER's opinion on both bodies




Lachy 


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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 737 on 9/23/2017 9:03 PM >
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Posted by natesidwesturbex
What do you guys think of the Nikon d7100?


for $450 used, I think that it is my best purchase decision ever




blackhawk 

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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 738 on 9/23/2017 9:28 PM >
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Posted by brain-vomit
Currently looking to buy a new camera after having to bury the last one, and am debating between the Canon 7D mark II and the Canon 6D.

Since the 6D is an entry-level FF, it's definitely very tempting considering how that digests low light, but not all my lenses are EF yet plus the 7D mark II is great for speed and I also do alot of sport/concert/event photography. Would love to hear UER's opinion on both bodies


Consider a used pro cam. Shooting with them is a joy, more stable shooting platform with excellent hand grips, and huge batteries. These are all weather work horses.
Easier to shoot with and just plain fun.

If you do go used, buy from a reputable source that offers no questions asked returns like B&H Photo (verify their current used return policy).
B&H was always a pleasure to work with from start to finish, orders ship the same day.
Send it to Canon for a full check up and calibration as soon as you get it.

Review the cam specs carefully; pro cams generally have larger and brighter viewfinders with better displays and controls. Better build quality and weather sealing. Longer rated longevity.

https://www.bhphot...AQYASABEgKcIPD_BwE




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Re: The Official "What camera to buy?" Thread
< Reply # 739 on 9/27/2017 4:14 PM >
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I just bought a new camera at a moving sale. The family literally had a Uhaul in the driveway with stuff they were taking with them, and had several plastic tables on the lawn with stuff they WEREN'T taking. My mom got an electric weed whacker for $10, and I found a Nikon 1 J1 Zoom kit, complete in box, new. Got it for $50, no haggle. Worth over $200 online.

Been running around taking a ton of pics with it, and I so far I'm loving it. Took me a while to get used to zooming manually, but now I love it. Lots of features, full manual control, and okay battery life...although I WILL be looking for another rechargeable pack. No idea how old this one is.

I recommend it as a stepping stone to a full professional grade camera. good resolution, active image stabilization, too many features to list, different lenses you can buy for it. And relatively cheap.




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