Thread: Any keen photographers?

Originally posted by Captain_Rightfoot

However there are a couple of big downsides IMHO. When I take colour I want it to be spot on. In digital, that can be a very elusive goal [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]. I also

It used to be, but I certainly don't think that is the case with the current crop of SLRs. There are two extremes - Digital PnS which have huge overcompensation in saturation etc (to give the photos 'pop' for the average punter) and DSLRs which when setup can look really bad. But adjustments in post processing can 'fix' the latter a lot.

For me digital has involved a LOT more post processing. But it has also allowed me more creativity than afforded with film. And that creativity is what I love about photography.

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reckon that it is going to lead to a generation of lost photos. Most photos last as long as the next hard disk crash. I know it doesn't have to be this way, but I know that is how it is for most people.
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Yes this is something one has to keep in mind with digital. As part of going digital I upgraded all my lenses and my PC. I have over 1TB of storage now. On my PC I have replication between two 250GB drives of all my photos (two copies on separate drives, updated every 30mins automatically); plus I have a third external USB drive with copies of them all. I also periodically backup to DVD and CD.

You also have to upgrade your display device (my next move). You simply can't get good colours on cheap monitors.

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I love taking black and white, knowing that it will outlast the child subjects if looked after [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
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You are right. Negs are a great 'shoot and forget' storage medium. If somewhat cumbersome in size - I have three boxes of negs under my bed, vs a single 400GB HDD that I could store all those photos on electronically (another project, I am currently film scanning all my negs).

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I also reckon ecconomically that digital is still quite expensive... simply because to replace my film cameras I'm up for 2-3k (although that isn't really equivalent), and then I have to replace them every 4 years because they become out of date :roll: :roll:
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Yes and no. Theoretically the current batch of 8MP SLRs can match 35mm film for resolution/grain at almost all print sizes. So you won't have to upgrade for that reason. But wear and tear etc probably will force the issue to upgrade - they're not like the old mechanical bodies.

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No to mention expensive battery replacements, the costs of printing, effective storage.....
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Li-ion rechargable batteries last a long time. My first digital camera battery has lasted 3yrs without a problem. They are only $60. I used to eat thru Lithium batts in my film SLR - $25 a set, about one a year. Same cost. Printing has also come down - 30c a copy at BigW, which is the about same as you pay for a roll of 36 shots - and you get to pick which ones you want 8)

PC storage can be a killer if you're not up to speed with PCs - I would dread what I would have paid if I had been buying PCs off the shelf.

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How many of you out there know that the average cheapo cd has a life expectancy of 5 years, and that there is only one dvd on the market that guarentees a 50year archive life? When was the last time you saw a PC with a 5.25 inch floppy drive?
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You are dead right. Don't trust any single media; and keep migrating to new media. I have stuff now on DVD that originally started off on 360kB floppies (mind you, I have no idea why I am keeping my Grade 9 assignments from my old XT, but hey!).

BTW - not arguing with you, I see what you are saying, but I absolutely love digital - it has rekindled my interest in photography a huge amount.

My biggest gripe is the 1.6 crop factor on all but the 10k+ cameras. I miss my super wide angle shots.

Dion, you can still get the super wide angles - you just need to use something wider than before ;-) go all the way to 8mm if you have to!

I'm full digital and loving it - great with a young son to send some happy snaps to the parents in Melbourne (the wife's Canon powershot Pro1 - 8 Mp 'point and shoot' is used for this) and I'm mucking around with a D300 and a little collection of semi-pro lenses, no L glass at the moment. I bought my DSLR second hand, 6 months old and used as a body backup by a professional here - cost was under A$600, new is about A$1300 in Singapore.

Originally posted by EchiDna
Dion, you can still get the super wide angles - you just need to use something wider than before ;-) go all the way to 8mm if you have to!

This is true. But have you priced an f2.8 or faster 8mm 8O Also looks a bit funny [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

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I'm full digital and loving it - great with a young son to send some happy snaps to the parents in Melbourne (the wife's Canon powershot Pro1 - 8 Mp 'point and shoot' is used for this) and I'm mucking around with a D300 and a little collection of semi-pro lenses, no L glass at the moment. I bought my DSLR second hand, 6 months old and used as a body backup by a professional here - cost was under A$600, new is about A$1300 in Singapore.[/b][/quote]

I love my L glass. The quality is just amazing. 8)

Originally posted by DionM+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DionM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-EchiDna
Dion, you can still get the super wide angles - you just need to use something wider than before ;-) go all the way to 8mm if you have to!

This is true. But have you priced an f2.8 or faster 8mm 8O Also looks a bit funny [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

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I'm full digital and loving it - great with a young son to send some happy snaps to the parents in Melbourne (the wife's Canon powershot Pro1 - 8 Mp 'point and shoot' is used for this) and I'm mucking around with a D300 and a little collection of semi-pro lenses, no L glass at the moment. I bought my DSLR second hand, 6 months old and used as a body backup by a professional here - cost was under A$600, new is about A$1300 in Singapore.[/b][/quote]

I love my L glass. The quality is just amazing. 8)[/b][/quote]

ah... well the 8mm 2.8 is something special 8O I would never consider buying such a lens new! less than half new price here in the secondhand market.

L Glass... *sigh* do you have all primes or a mixed bag?

my dream lens back when I had a EOS50E was the 35-350L - now I think I'd prefer 17-35L, 50mm 1.8, 70mm, 200mm 2.8 and a "bigma" with a couple of tele convertors for bird photography... but then again by the time I can afford all of that little collection, I'll have had to sell everything I own or spend all of my inheritance to get em!

Originally posted by EchiDna

L Glass... *sigh* do you have all primes or a mixed bag?

I have the 17-40L and 70-200 f2.8L. I also have the 100 f2.8 and 50 f1.8 and am looking at the 300 f4L IS. So a mixed bag.

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my dream lens back when I had a EOS50E was the 35-350L - now I think I'd prefer 17-35L, 50mm 1.8, 70mm, 200mm 2.8 and a "bigma" with a couple of tele convertors for bird photography... but then again by the time I can afford all of that little collection, I'll have had to sell everything I own or spend all of my inheritance to get em![/b][/quote]

I do like the 35-350L but its a bit slow. The Bigma is also a bit impractical, I've looked at it but I think the 300f4L and a 1.4x TC is a better solution, has IS and better optics.

Dion,

Good work.. you're clearly very enthusiastic about it.

I respest where you are [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

Only point I would make is that I know liion batteries are supposed to last forever, but I can't get more than a year out of the one in my video camera before it dies, and it's $70 for a no-name brand one (they seem to last as long as the panasonic ones) [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

As to retention strategies, you've clearly thought muchly about it. Good work [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] My point is that hardly anyone but the most enthusiastic amateurs do. Hell, Cannon sell printers that you plug into the camera, print your shot and delete it off the camera. In 5 years it's gone [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

Originally posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Only point I would make is that I know liion batteries are supposed to last forever, but I can't get more than a year out of the one in my video camera before it dies, and it's $70 for a no-name brand one (they seem to last as long as the panasonic ones) [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

That's bizzare. What type of charger are you using (Li-ion need a dedicated charger)? I use the dedicated Canon charger for mine (both my 20D and my 3.5year old Powershot G2 which uses the same batteries) and never have a problem; even with my $10 cheapies from Hong Kong!

Originally posted by Captain_Rightfoot


As to retention strategies, you've clearly thought muchly about it. Good work [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] My point is that hardly anyone but the most enthusiastic amateurs do. Hell, Cannon sell printers that you plug into the camera, print your shot and delete it off the camera. In 5 years it's gone [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]

Sadly I think a generation of lost photos will prove to be true,

I can drag out photos I took 30years ago or even ones my father took 50 years ago.

I wonder will we be able to easily view a CD/DVD of today in 30-50 years after all who could easily look at something on a 5-1/4 floppy today and they are only ~20years old.

Having said that I've just got into digital and where I would have conserved film I happy to fire off a couple of hundred digi's


Bushie