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Just looking for something that takes decent photos for under $500 if that’s possible. Nothing crazy but I just need something to upgrade off my phone.
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Posted by algorithm
Just looking for something that takes decent photos for under $500 if that’s possible. Nothing crazy but I just need something to upgrade off my phone.
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If you're willing to buy used gear, you can get the Nikon D300s and an 18-70mm F/3.5-4.5G IF-ED lens for under $500. Also pick up a tripod if you're planning to shoot in low light.
What is a rebel? A man who says no. - Albert Camus | |
Posted by Billy
So I have been using a Sony Cybershot T-100 and a Canon S5 IS for about the last two years between the two for my exploring, and I am finally getting to where just having pictures despite quality isn't enough for me! I want pictures that arn't grainy, that I didn't have to take six times to get a good clear one, or that look good on the 2 inch LCD screen, but when I get home I find are blurryish or just plain not that well. I'm tired of point and shoot at 8 mega pixels damn it! So i've decided to take it up a notch. I was wondering if anyone had any pointers, tips, personal stories of trial and error, encouragement, discouragement, anything.
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I can only answer this as a Canon user. I read somewhere in the forum a great quote that said something along the lines of "marrying the camera brand you start with," because it IS too expensive to change. SO, as a Canon user, I started out with a Rebel T5. Sounds shitty, right? Not when you get good lenses. The lenses, regardless of the brand you choose, are more important than the body. I have upgraded a few times since the T5, but before any body upgrades, I invested in good glass. YouTube has a couple of videos that show the top of the line Canon taking pictures with cheap lenses, then it shows their bottom of the line camera taking pictures with professional lenses; the lower end camera with the better glass was WAY BETTER. With lenses, everyone has their own preference. I don't use L-glass lenses because I find them noisy, but some people swear by them. It's just knowing what look you want. And, honestly, invest in a high-end tripod. I can't tell you how much I ADORE my tripod because of it being quick (triggered movement instead of screws), sturdy, and able to be as tall as I am, or as short as getting macro shots in a rotted-out dish shelf. And, the abuse that it gets!? It's important to have a strong one. My first tripod (cheap one) broke as soon as I got to an abandoned house after a 3 mile hike, and the place was REALLY dark. Ruined the whole fucking mood of the place for me. Seriously, a high-end tripod is one of my favorite investments ever. Hopefully this clarifies something...
"The call upon self-discipline will not be long, only till life is done with."
-M. Aurelius | |
Posted by Ghostofthelens
Personally I use three to four cameras when I shoot. My main is a Nikon N-90 (film), Nikon D-100 (digital), and a Diana F+ for some more artistic shots. I sometimes also break out my old N-75, but that one is up for sale so do not use it much.
Also for a good resource, B&H Photography is a good place to look, new and used they have some very good products and equipment. This is who I use, and have for over 4 years now.
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B&H is where the pros go to buy cams and gear.
A Russian named Paul told me that 18 years ago... he was right.
Ask them how many units they have of any new lense or cam in stock, they'll tell you. They have a huge inventory...
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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Posted by blackhawk
B&H is where the pros go to buy cams and gear.
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I've spent thousands at B&H. Mostly weird order stuff like underwater equipment, tiny ND filters, etc.
Here's a lens breakdown I wrote up in some other thread:
- Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 DX Fisheye. Good for APS-C digital, good for parties, not much use for FX or film.
- Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 AF-S. Beauty, love it, take it on ski trips and urbexes and landscape days and hiking trips. Heavy but really accurate and sharp. The first of the holy trinity.
- Nikon 18-55mm f/4-5.6.... I think I threw it out.
- Nikon 20mm f/2.8 AF. Great small lens, great for film and lightweight walking around, though the 14-24 is more fun if I can afford the space, weight and am not worried about bashing the front element (that thing is huge). If I want something light that I can just toss in my bag and forget about, I take the 20mm.
- Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S. Standard lens for weddings and detail shots... The second in the holy trinity. Good for documenting things for normal people to look more at the subject (a ring, flowers, some shoes, a room) without thinking about how it was created. The f/2.8 is sharp and gets out of the way, but it will never be the *reason* someone says "wow" - that's up to the photographer finding the right light.
- Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art. My first non-nikon purchase. Love it, love the DOF, don't actually use it much. Good for fixed video, good for isolated portraits in an urban environment or night portraits cause it's so damn fast.
- Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF. Compact, normal, and *affordable*. Enough said.
- Nikon 85mm f/1.8 AF. Kinda gritty wide open, bad chromatic aberration but stopped down, it's incredibly sharp and accurate. It's a cheap 85mm and serves as the "long" counterpart to my 20mm when I'm in semi-lightweight mode and want to just toss in the bag and forget. The 85mm is solid and trusty.
- Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S. Portrait lens. The third and final of the holy trinity. Weddings, models, birds, specific long-distance uses. Heavy, expensive, sharp, purpose-built.
BFA '16, PADI DM.
Visit the UER Store
Envelopes licked in the name of UER: 119 — Read the 2019 UER Store Update | |
Best affordable long-life camcorder? Asking for future trip.
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Posted by McQueen1043
Best affordable long-life camcorder? Asking for future trip.
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I think everyone's camcorders are in the drawer beside their pagers and webcams.
Haha really, though.
If you want beautiful footage, use a DSLR or mirrorless with good lenses to film.
If you don't care about your footage, buy a nice phone. One less device to carry around and charge, and you'll have nice clean video to document your happenings.
--
Camcorders are big and even though they talk about 4K and all that shit, they suck.
Sony RX100 IV and A7S/A7SII do amazing things with video and actually give you value [and resale value], and the iPhone 8, iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S832 (or whatever Galaxy they're on now) and Google Pixel 2 all produce great video for the fact that they're primarily *phones*, and don't crowd your backpack with clunky cameras, memory cards, batteries and chargers.
BFA '16, PADI DM.
Visit the UER Store
Envelopes licked in the name of UER: 119 — Read the 2019 UER Store Update | |
Been into photography for a while but have really only used my phone (iPhone 7) and am looking for a nice dslr camera for urbex. Also thinking about going to school for photography so definitely would like something that’s an all around beginners camera. Any help would be appreciated!
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Just made the switch, after 8 years, from a Canon XS to a Canon T5
http://www.flickr....rescueme1060/sets/
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Got my hands on a 5D Mark III used for a good price, so recently made that switch.
My camera lineage thusly has been:
1. Canon A520 Powershot
2. Canon Rebel XSi
3. Canon 5D Mark II
4. Canon 5D Mark III
With this new acquisition the Rebel is officially retired from backup duty, with the 5DII taking that spot.
Now to go back to investing in glass...
Abandoned UE - http://www.abandonedue.com
"We live in a twilight world... and there are no friends at dusk." | |
Does anyone have advice on the best camera to buy to capture explorations? Most of my shots are cityscapes and lowlight shots with some portraits. I was thinking about getting the Canon EOS Rebel T6 and a lens with low f stop (like 1.8). I can get the camera for $300 and the lens for around $100 (please tel me if that’s a bad price). Any advice is welcome, please give me and suggestions on cameras and lenses and where I should buy them. Also, I am broke so my budget is pretty weak - the EOS Rebel T6 is already pushing my bounds money wise.
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Posted by goon1
Does anyone have advice on the best camera to buy to capture explorations?
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For a camera, I don't have any real suggestions. As long as it has a decent image quality and good low light performance then it should work. But having a lens with F1.8 would mean getting something like a 50mm which would suck to be your main lens. For 1.8 you could also get Sigma's 18-35 but that would completely blow your budget. If you're just starting then just get something decent and try to find your style. For some people they shoot everything on a tripod and don't like to use wide angles. I never even bring a tripod just to pack light and bring a 18-55 and a 8mm fisheye. Since I don't have a fast lens or use tripods the Sony a6500 works good for me. Hopefully this helps.
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This isn't geared at anyone- just my two cents on why I have what I have now and why its a solid choice for exploring.
I sold my Canon 7D and all of her lenses a couple months ago and switched to just using a Sony RX100... it's a prosumer grade point and shoot geared towards pros to have a capable and small second camera.
It has performed quite well. I use it for everything from exploring to shots around the city I live in.
The biggest thing IMO is that it has a 1" sensor which is a HUGE advantage as opposed to other point and shoots.
It also shoots in RAW, packs a wide enough lens with good enough zoom, and the pictures are REALLY sharp. Menus, settings, and options that are geared to a well versed shooter versus a noob. The size, though not a compact point and shoot, it is a pocket camera and fits nice in the pocket for exploring.
There are different versions/"marks" of the RX100 but I can only comment on the original (which has been in production for almost 7 years now) but all of the versions have the same 20.2mp 1" sensor.
Here's a couple of shots with it.
[last edit 1/2/2019 2:36 AM by Kurt - edited 1 times]
"What is your favorite thing about Belchertown?"
"...the history, man" | |
What about, "What's a good middle-level camera that can use lenses from multiple manufacturers and not just their own? And around the $300 area."
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Posted by JokerSpecter
What about, "What's a good middle-level camera that can use lenses from multiple manufacturers and not just their own? And around the $300 area."
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Nikon D7000 is still a great camera and can be had used in the $300 range. I used Tokina 11-16mm and about 10 other lenses including old film Sigmas, Rokinon, and of course the classic Nikon film lenses. Most post 1978 Nikon F mount lenses (and any clones) will work on just about every Nikon body (FX & 35mm and crop)
"What is your favorite thing about Belchertown?"
"...the history, man" | |
Posted by southshore
Nikon D7000 is still a great camera and can be had used in the $300 range. I used Tokina 11-16mm and about 10 other lenses including old film Sigmas, Rokinon, and of course the classic Nikon film lenses. Most post 1978 Nikon F mount lenses (and any clones) will work on just about every Nikon body (FX & 35mm and crop)
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Oh, wow, okay. Thanks, dude.
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I currently have a Canon Rebel T4i. It's a great beginner camera, but I've been wanting to upgrade to something more advanced for a while. I also have a Nikon D90 (family camera, not just mine), but I much prefer Canon.
Although I've been eyeing the Sony a7ii, I'm probably going to end up getting the Canon 80D for two reasons.
1) Price: The Sony a7ii is expensive, AND I'd have to get all new lenses for it
2) Familiarity: The 80D is similar to the T4i, but it's much more advanced
Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
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| What about, "What's a good middle-level camera that can use lenses from multiple manufacturers and not just their own? And around the $300 area." |
| Nikon D7000 is still a great camera and can be had used in the $300 range. I used Tokina 11-16mm and about 10 other lenses including old film Sigmas, Rokinon, and of course the classic Nikon film lenses. Most post 1978 Nikon F mount lenses (and any clones) will work on just about every Nikon body (FX & 35mm and crop) |
I am currently using a Nikon D3400. I got a package deal that included the camera body, kit lens, 50-200mm zoom lens, shutter remote, and shitty camera bag for $600 CAD. I make full use of the extra lens, so it was by no means a waste of extra money to have it included.
The D3000 series is a great entry-level DSLR to learn on. The placement of buttons and switches allows me to do pretty much everything with just one hand on the camera.
That being said, consider what you would be using a camera for. Do you want to take mostly pictures, pic/video, or mostly video? If it's mostly pics, Nikon is best for that. If mostly vids, consider a Canon, or even a mirrorless.
I currently have a Canon Rebel T4i. It's a great beginner camera, but I've been wanting to upgrade to something more advanced for a while. I also have a Nikon D90 (family camera, not just mine), but I much prefer Canon.
Although I've been eyeing the Sony a7ii, I'm probably going to end up getting the Canon 80D for two reasons.
1) Price: The Sony a7ii is expensive, AND I'd have to get all new lenses for it
2) Familiarity: The 80D is similar to the T4i, but it's much more advanced
Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. |
My personal bet would be to stick with a Canon if that's what you already have, since buying lenses sucks. Also, assuming Sony still uses their bullshit memory cards, that sucks too. That being said, if you can find an adapter that allows you to retain reasonable functionality of your lenses between EF and Sony's mount, then you're good.
May or may not have a strong bias towards Nikons and would recommend a D3300 vs a T4i
[last edit 1/22/2019 1:25 AM by Fleeting - edited 1 times]
One day I got a good camera.
https://www.flickr...hotos/fleetsurbex/ | |
Posted by southshore
This isn't geared at anyone- just my two cents on why I have what I have now and why its a solid choice for exploring.
I sold my Canon 7D and all of her lenses a couple months ago and switched to just using a Sony RX100... it's a prosumer grade point and shoot geared towards pros to have a capable and small second camera.
http://electrohub....e95/r/x/rx100b.jpg
It has performed quite well. I use it for everything from exploring to shots around the city I live in.
The biggest thing IMO is that it has a 1" sensor which is a HUGE advantage as opposed to other point and shoots.
It also shoots in RAW, packs a wide enough lens with good enough zoom, and the pictures are REALLY sharp. Menus, settings, and options that are geared to a well versed shooter versus a noob. The size, though not a compact point and shoot, it is a pocket camera and fits nice in the pocket for exploring.
There are different versions/"marks" of the RX100 but I can only comment on the original (which has been in production for almost 7 years now) but all of the versions have the same 20.2mp 1" sensor.
Here's a couple of shots with it.
https://farm2.stat...0_c03dc5ac41_z.jpg
https://farm5.stat...7_3e316ca47f_z.jpg
https://farm5.stat...7_f870f4e59e_z.jpg
https://farm5.stat...5_43e70288ef_z.jpg
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Pretty much everyone should be listening to this, especially beginner/ entry photographers. I've been wanting to pick one up for a while.
How cool as an explorer, not to be lugging all kinds of camera shit around.
Less camera gear opens up your bag to fit more beer!
RIP Blackhawk | |
Posted by southshore
This isn't geared at anyone- just my two cents on why I have what I have now and why its a solid choice for exploring.
I sold my Canon 7D and all of her lenses a couple months ago and switched to just using a Sony RX100... it's a prosumer grade point and shoot geared towards pros to have a capable and small second camera.
http://electrohub....e95/r/x/rx100b.jpg
It has performed quite well. I use it for everything from exploring to shots around the city I live in.
The biggest thing IMO is that it has a 1" sensor which is a HUGE advantage as opposed to other point and shoots.
It also shoots in RAW, packs a wide enough lens with good enough zoom, and the pictures are REALLY sharp. Menus, settings, and options that are geared to a well versed shooter versus a noob. The size, though not a compact point and shoot, it is a pocket camera and fits nice in the pocket for exploring.
There are different versions/"marks" of the RX100 but I can only comment on the original (which has been in production for almost 7 years now) but all of the versions have the same 20.2mp 1" sensor.
Here's a couple of shots with it.
https://farm2.stat...0_c03dc5ac41_z.jpg
https://farm5.stat...7_3e316ca47f_z.jpg
https://farm5.stat...7_f870f4e59e_z.jpg
https://farm5.stat...5_43e70288ef_z.jpg
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Oh, and what version are you using. Looks like there's 6 different ones.
RIP Blackhawk |
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