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I've been quiet on this forum for months until your thread :) added you back! canon body with a nikon off-camera, huh? so you're *THAT* type of photog! ;PQuote:
Originally Posted by VTECsauce
hows that piece of L glass treating you? you happy with it? looking into investing in some lenses myself (after i buy my bikey :p)
I'm going to the photography market in Beijing this weekend... never been there before.... I'm hoping to find a flash for my 7D and hopefully a somewhat compact case for it... all my photog bags are huge.Quote:
I've been quiet on this forum for months until your thread :) added you back! canon body with a nikon off-camera, huh? so you're *THAT* type of photog! ;P
hows that piece of L glass treating you? you happy with it? looking into investing in some lenses myself (after i buy my bikey :p)
Maybe we should start a photog thread. :)
Motography!
Josh, you are in for a treat at the Beijing photo market, which is (or used to be) out on the west side at Wukesong near Gongzhufen. Last I was there, a few years ago, it was a vast, sprawling, multifloored warren of tiny retail outlets. Very up to date, though it may be jarring to see the latest models in such a scruffy less-than-professional setting. Prices should be relatively competitive, but don't expect super deals on quality brands. You might end up paying a small premium. Prepare to haggle, but don't expect to get too far. Lots of stuff is gray market, so service is with the vendor, not the manufacturer. Caveat emptor.
But for all the paraphernalia -- bags, filters, cases, and a million other accessories -- it's an amazing place, especially if you don't insist on imported stuff. A lot of bags are now made in China, so you will find prices of half or less of MSRP, just as with helmets and a lot of other motorcycling stuff that's manufactured here. Stuff that fell off the truck, so to speak.
The market is also a treat for collectors. You'll see tons of amazing and beautiful vintage stuff dating back to early in the 20th century. And tons of Chinese collectibles. And probably Russian stuff too, like the Zenit Horizon panorama camera, though bear in mind these require something called "film". Some of the shops are like a museum.
Some Chinese are absolute fanatics about photography, and especially gear.
Don't take much cash with you, as you'll probably come back with empty pockets regardless of how much cash you take.
cheers
I think we've officially thread-jacked.... sorry Vtecsauce! Can an admin move us to our own thread? DONE jape :-)Quote:
Motography!
Wait, how am I supposed to spend too much money on equipment my skills aren't really ready to use unless I bring cash? I don't have a local credit card, and most places don't take cards that don't have a 密码.Quote:
Don't take much cash with you, as you'll probably come back with empty pockets regardless of how much cash you take.
What I'm really waffling on is if I should bring my 7D to test things I might buy for fit... I'm inclined to bring my 350D body to test lenses with, and leave the 7D and any lenses home... I'll just bring a note with filter sizes incase I want any of those, but then I won't be able to test camera bag fit.
Oh, taking a Chinese debit card with actual cash in it would be an even worse idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by CantDecide
Strategy is to go have a look, visit with the stuff. Then come home and take a cold shower and make your decisions with your wife present in the room. For the sake of the marriage....
I've gotten pretty good at "I don't need that right now", at least for photography... I've got enough kit already and I'm self aware enough to know my skill isn't so great that I'll be able to take advantage of new stuff. Plus I just got a bunch of stuff I haven't assimilated yet...
Ekkicore, what camera do you have?
I have a 7D, Canon 18-135 (wish it was longer, faster, and smaller) , Sigma 10-20 (wish it was faster), and a Lensbaby Composer (cool, can't really use it well yet), and of course a bunch of accessories, my favorite of which is a Black Rapid strap. Overall, I wish I was better.
At the market I'm hoping to find a compact flash camera 'cause try as I might, the 7D won't fit in my cargo pants, and a small bag for the 7D.
I'll put a link to my photo portfolio in my sig.
There's been some chat in other threads about small effective cameras. Motokai uses a little Nikon, and does wonders with it. I'm loving the G11, which is the size of an old Rollei or Leica -- definitely not the size of a deck of cards like so many point/shoots today -- but still fits in some of my pockets. Awesome lens. Now superseded by the G12.Quote:
Originally Posted by CantDecide
was only (half) kidding about the expensive temptations.
I got a very nice Tenba messenger bag last year for several hundred RMB.....
cheers
I borrowed a friends G11 to go diving this year... it did a pretty good job, and a diving shell for a G11 costs a fraction of what one for a 7D costs! I might go even cheaper, like sub-$100 for a point and shoot... Something better than my cell phone, but I don't want to get something so good I decide to leave my 7D behind!
I have one of these bags, and I really like it, though I had to mod it to hold my laptop: http://amzn.to/iagbPg. It weight is probably a bit high and the capacity might be a bit low for its size, but it has a ton of compartments and I load it with so much crap its unbelievable. And completely weighted down, it is amazingly comfortable to wear. I know it probably looks a bit poser-ish, but it really is a good bag.
What I'd like is something with quick access to just protect the camera when I don't want to carry anything else.
I'm not sure she will get an auto reminder of new posts yet, because the thread position is changed. PM her with this thread address.Quote:
Originally Posted by CantDecide
no I got it, thanks Jape! :)
right now I have about 10 or 11 vintage and toy film cameras, both medium format and 35mm (TLR, ones with bellows, box cameras.. etc)..
for digital, I have a canon P&S (which recently died on my last trip to Shanghai, damn that city!!) and a canon 450d with 50mm 1.4 and sigma 17-70mm 2.8.
looking to buy some L glass now, as i believe lens quality is more important than the body. plus, i absolutely love the size and feel of my rebel.. the shape and weight fit me perfectly!
soon though, after i get my bike (which looks like it might be the end of april now, yay!!) and save up enough money, I'll upgrade to full frame and have my trusty rebel as my back-up camera.
Jape, it looks like everyone who posted to the messages you moved were auto-subscribed to the new thread. At least, I was! Pretty handy feature actually.Quote:
Originally Posted by jape
I have a bunch of those two, an old Brownie, etc, but I never use them because processing is such a pain. :(Quote:
right now I have about 10 or 11 vintage and toy film cameras, both medium format and 35mm (TLR, ones with bellows, box cameras.. etc)..
Oh, I have that 50mm 1.4, its pretty awesome for the price actually (mine is the plastic bodied one). Mine dropped and broke open on the floor into 3 pieces and I was able to clean it and put it back together... still amazes me. I don't use it much, but its so fast I should use it more, or replace it.
When I bought my 7D I really wanted a 5D instead, but I checked them out in the store, and the 5D is HUGE. My 7D is massive besides the 350D/450D line, and it is dwarfed by the 5D. Also, the 5D's controls and electronics are pretty behind the latest... I didn't like the switch positions, and the AF and image processing are way behind the 7D. Obviously you can take amazing pictures with any camera, and you are right, glass is more important than the body.Quote:
I'll upgrade to full frame and have my trusty rebel as my back-up camera.
Still, most of my photos are in low-light, so full frame would be nice...
Those new hybrids from Sony and Olympus with interchangeable lenses but no flappy mirror are pretty awesome too.
i've got two brownies and an agfa clack! most of my friends think they are super ugly but i love them.. ah the joys of taobao! :)
i love the 50mm as well but unfortunately i never use it anymore because i bought a fake nikon uv filter for it in vietnam and the threads have warped or something and i can't get it off. the filter itself is all wonky and leaves horrible light reflections on my pictures :(
to be honest, i'd rather have a 7d as well but the 21.1 megapixels of the 5D II means I don't have to stitch images together when shooting two-page spreads for art catalogues that typically print at 300ppi (150dpi)..
my 450d can only print 24 x 36cm images at 300ppi, which is fine for full page spreads, but double-pages are troublesome.. :( but if i'm gonna blow money, i'd blow it on the 1Ds :)
btw if you're in town tonight, pop into Siif (in Beiluoguxiang, Gulou area) for a drink, we're throwing a party there (10rmb tsingtao, 20rmb cocktails) and will be hanging out getting drunk all night :) will have my camera with me!!
w00p, fellow shutterbugs.
Chinese "____ malls" are great, and camera malls are no different. Going around oogling at everything from every type of filter ever to huge 800mm f/5.6 lenses. Fun fun fun.
I got my 25-105 F/4 L when I was rocking out with a 400D. It was an alright lens on that body, but not quite wide enough. But; on the 5D2, it's great! Especially with the IS for video work.
Well, I ended up using a Nikon strobe because I wanted to borrow some AA batteries for my strobes, so he bought some...but he bought them using his SB-600 as an expensive carry-case; so me being lazy, I just used his SB-600. I usually don't like Nikon stuff as I personally find the user-interfaces counter-intuitive - but maybe thats from years of shooting Canon.
I imagine the 5D2 will be hard to operate while riding the bike though...so may have to get a decent point and shoot. I also wanna set up a mount for the 5D2, so I can shoot some 1080p video of the roads around here; then my crashes will be in glorious detail. :riding: Eurgh; scratch that: lens alone is probably worth more than my bike. Maybe changing my 400D for a 550D would be a less-crazy idea. The 550D looks like great bang for the buck at the moment, considering its basically the same sensor as the 7D; it's a bargain!
I'm hoping my bike will enable me to get to some more cool locations. Inner-city stuff gets boring. :)
Ya'll should post some of your 'best pics evarrr!!!'
I don't think we will make it tonight, we are pretty wiped out, but I saw you have another event in two weeks right? I'll try and make that one!Quote:
btw if you're in town tonight, pop into Siif (in Beiluoguxiang, Gulou area) for a drink, we're throwing a party there (10rmb tsingtao, 20rmb cocktails) and will be hanging out getting drunk all night :) will have my camera with me!!
I thought about that when I bought my 7D. For video, I totally agree, at least from what I know about it.Quote:
The 550D looks like great bang for the buck at the moment, considering its basically the same sensor as the 7D; it's a bargain!
For still, the 7D has a real prism and a claimed 99% (or was it 100%?) FOV and a HUGE viewfinder. I never thought that would make a big deal to me, but its so awesome I can't stand to use my 350D any more with its tiny, dim view finder. I don't know if I'll ever use another SLR without a solid prism.
On the other hand, by the time I get around to replacing the 7D, cameras might not even have flappy mirrors any more.
I'd never heard of Cisco's FLIP palmsized HD video camera until reading today that Cisco is canning the product despite having paid $590 million for the company a year or so ago. The report I read today said it's retailing for $130 or less, so I had a look. Turns out one accessory is a little tripod with two straps for attaching to handlebars, helmets, etc. The unit, which records 1080 video, whatever that is, is said to be sweet for directly uploads to your laptop, and for directly posting video to youtube, etc.
All of which led me to wonder: Has anyone in this forum used the FLIP as a motography recorder? At $130 it's way cheaper than a GoPro HD or Contour HD. And because it has a monitor and controls, it's possible to review your video while you are still on the road.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4103A-D%2BImL.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41gVTvmPyhL.jpg
Just thinkin' out loud, which has gotten me in trouble before...
cheers
That Cisco Flip is indeed interesting. It would be good to know if the image stabilization works well. A riding buddy brought a GoPro HD from the states & I've got to say that I am quite impressed by it. It takes great pics / video, and has a nice wide angle perspective. Interestingly, the GoPro HD is about the same price in Beijing as it is in the USA Best Buy chain. Don't often see that.
I've also read a few ride reports over on the "other" adv website, and a couple of folks have a really interesting little toy. The Polaroid PoGo Zink instant printer (one review). They use it a lot of different ways, but mostly to give an instant "paper pic" to kids, people, policemen, border guards who want to sit on the bike, etc. It is a great ice-breaker, and commonly melts even the snarliest "official" when they get an instant pic to take home and show the missus how cool they are. The PoGo Zink is available via taobao.
Euph, you have a G11 and I've seen your method of a neck lanyard (which I've tried to replicate). Given I am all thumbs (in heavy gloves), I've been wondering if you've tried a RAM mount with your G11? I know the G11 has image stabilization, but I'm wondering if it is enough for the serious vibrations of a bike? Also, I wonder if the vibrations might do some damage over time? Using the neck lanyard has a built in shock absorber (our bodies) and maybe a hard mount might be a bad idea? I've had a clear UV filter mounted over the lens for at least some protection from bugs & grit, but Murphy's Law says the gravel stones will be perfectly targeted for the lens.
Comments?
I've never gotten a bike mounted camera to produce the results that you get from a chest or head mount. The body does a great job of isolating vibration, and I think we will have to wait for the next generation of helmet cams with IS to get really good results without the shakes. All of the good looking bike mounted video I've seen has utilized very robust mounting systems, the RAM mounts tend to shake quite a bit unless the road is nice and smooth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou
Cheers!
ChinaV
Hey guys, have any of you got an experience with this Casio EX-G1? I'm a Casio fan (having had several watches calculators, another Casio point n' shoot, and the second generation Gz'One phone) and I dished out about Y1150 for it.
Seems like a very sturdy camera http://www.casio.com/news/content/70...-97996227B7D6/
I'm no pro photographer or even avid photographer but I want something better than my phone for pictures. In reviews it seemed to stand up pretty well and for ~$170 it seems like a nice deal. The other Casio camera I had was another point 'n click and I was really happy with it. I let my friend have it when he came to China about two years ago and it ended up having some problem with the lens as it was too delicate for my buddy. Oh also I got the new camera in a Olive drab instead of the black, silver or red versions. The matte, muted green makes it look pretty sweet, IMHO.
Also I was wondering (not exactly photo related) what computers you guys pack. I've got a Lenovo X200 that I think is pretty sturdy as it did live through my recent run in with a taxi. I had it slung over my back in a bag that's built to carry a laptop. I worked a lot with Dell and Lenovo laptops while in IT at a college and the X2xx series are nice and light with nice modular designs that I've found pretty easy to strip down. In my list of other purchases I've just got a WCDMA (cellular internet) and GPRS (yup, just GPS) card that I hope to get to work most places I could use China mobile. I hope this will help with getting online to check information or update folks. I've got to get it installed and then basically I'll need another account with China Mobile with data and GPRS ability. I need to get a more practical bag for it (a backpack I think) for the computer and other equipment in order to pack it properly on a bike. . Other than that I think this will have got my tech equipment for the trip sorted out.
Best Budget Cam now has got to be the Sony NEX-3 or the Samsung NX100. Both are excellent choices. The Sony is smaller than the Samsung by just a little, but the Samsung is cheaper by about 100 bucks. Both cameras do great video, are pocketable in a larger pocket / tank bag and both have APS-C size sensors, good ISO range and interchangeable lenses
I've used the Midland XTC-100 to shoot all my ride videos and what not. great little camera easy slide on off button uses 2 AAA bateries and up to a 32GB Micro SD card.
the pros - which some are listed up top are that its small easy to use no drivers to install. Comes with all the mounting equipment you can think of
the cons - batteries only last 2 hrs, it only shoots in AVI format breaks videos into 2GB 30 min segments, Micro SD sold separately
A non issue was that i needed to add a piece of electrical tape over the Mic, which is still sensitive, to stop the whistle in the videos from the wind
I bought mine from Amazon for $72.00 USD and the Micro SD was $10.00 USD for a 16GB chip.
I'm happy with the camera and plan to get a second one
Hi guys!
So my point&shoot Sony cybershot 14.1MP just died on me, which (I feel) allows me to buy a REAL camera. The problem is that I've been way out of the scene since analog film when I had an old fashioned Pentax...
What to buy? I want my options and would love to be able to switch lenses, but it also has to be affortable... and look good.... and make great pics of course... and not be gianormous...
I saw the new Fuji X10 and love it, love it, love it, but no switching lenses of any kind (it's like a grown up version of a P&S cam)
http://www.dpreview.com/news/1109/11...x10.asp#images
Recommendations????
"Which camera?" is probably as volatile a subject as "which oil" or even "which bike" -- a topic that can destroy friendships. Few of us have used many cameras, and we tend to like the one(s) we have, unless, in rare instances, we don't. I'm like you, started with film in a totally manual Pentax SLR, with a bunch of lenses. That was a long time ago, when there was film.
In recent years I've used DSLRs, chiefly Nikon's pathbreaking D70. But I really tired of carrying body and lenses. Great pix, but so much compromise. Only the very best zooms don't suck, so you carry numerous fixed focal length lenses. This sucks. The SLR itself is big and bulky, which sucks. But with the right combo, great pix.
For several years, I dealt with the klunkiness factor by carrying a little P&S, a Canon Powershot something or other. And though the quality of the images was inferior to the big Nikon, I found myself taking a lot more pix. And finding that the quality of a well-composed snapshot, though inferior against some absolute standard, was often good enough. Not publishable (and I'm a journalist/publisher, so this is an issue), but great for capturing stuff on the fly when it's near impossible to pull out the big gun unless you have it slung around your neck at all times, which sucks.
Gradually, I tired of taking work pix for my magazines, but also thought, is there a smaller camera that could, in a pinch, deliver pix that could be used in my magazines, which, since the are covering various forms of surgery are never going to win photojournalism awards anyway. I took my time, but finally acted when the bag with my little Canon got nicked.
I went for the Canon G11, for a bunch of reasons. It's got a lot of glass -- a very big, relatively fast lens. And though it has great automatic features, particularly exposure and focus, you can also run it in a totally selectable array of semi- and fully manual modes. I'm not talking about scene modes, which can also be handy. I'm talking about standard aperture priority, shutter priority or fully manual, with white balance control, selectable or auto ISO, etc. And even when I'm letting the camera set exposure, it's got a handy compensation dial, so if I know it's over or underexposing in high-contrast situations, I can compensate.
The G11 turns out to be a very good compromise. It's not a small or light camera; it's got a metal body, so it's tough. It fits great in my hands, the controls are mostly very accessible (though I sometimes inadvertently bump the the dial on the back). In motography terms, I can grip the G11 in my clutch hand from the back while riding at speed, with my thumb underneath and fingers curling over the top, clawlike, and operate the shutter with my left index finger. I've made some amazing pix that way (check out our Slabbing to Moganshan thread last fall to see what I'm talking about).
In proper light and if I carefully control the exposure, I can get shallow depth of field, with just a narrow band in focus and foreground and background unfocused, but the results are not as predictable as with a DSLR. Finally, I find myself using the rangefinder quite a bit, rather than framing with the video display. Yet there are often instances where the display is a lifesaver; the display flips out and can rotate through a wide range, so you can use it to look around corners, over people's heads or between people's legs!
In January Canon launched the G12, which is a relatively minor update, with more video modes and stereo sound, but not a lot of changes from the G11. The change from G10 to G11 was much bigger, and had a really big breakthrough: Canon reduced the number of pixels, finally abandoning the disingenuous and unrelenting race for bigger pixel counts, as if this had anything to do with resolution and sharpness; the G10 had 14 megapixels, while the G11 has only 10, and the improvements in quality were substantial!
So it's a compromise, but a good one. Since you are nearly 180cm, I'm guessing your hands are not small, so a bigger camera will be easier and less delicate to handle.
My brother uses one of the Sony NEX cameras, which have interchangeable lenses but only a video screen (and maybe a rangefinder) for framing; the camera body is as small as a P&S because it doesn't have the big mirror assembly of an SLR. So that's also a compromise, as there are many situations where it's nearly impossible to frame pix with a display.
If you'd like to play around with my G11 or my D70, do let me know.
cheers!
Thank you so much for this reply! You're great, you know that!
I def want to play with your G11! Back home I also have a chunky analog Nikon lying around somewhere and I hardly ever used it because I had to carry too much around. What I loved about my old Pentax was that it was a great size, easy in use, half auto/full manual and the looks of course. The Nikon just made it too complicated for me (mind: I like it simple and this Nikon came with half digital setting things that I couldn't possibly find the patience to decipher)
What I like about this Fuji X10 is that it's small (so it'll fit in my "handbag"), it seems easy to use, it has the viewfinder we love, a good lens as far as I can tell and it looks good (the X100 looks even better, but besides the bigger sensor not much better than the X10 although bigger and twice the price). Then again, it might be too small, esp on the bike with gloves on...
But it has manual, and how I loved to fiddle with that!
Secretely I almost already have my heart set on the Fuji X10, but I have to make sure I guess.... Maybe I'll fall in love with your G11!
I'll just quickly throw in a good word for the Panasonic LX5. Though that X10 looks like a great camera, i love wide lenses. The LX5 has a 24mm equivalent at its widest, which is the widest of any of the cameras mentioned in this thread. For taking pictures of architecture it just great, you get much more in the picture; and on the road you can get shots like this.
https://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1p...689.jpg?psid=1
It's also got full manual control and all that, plus i love those sliders on the lens to quickly change picture format and focus settings. Welcome to try it out also!
The Panasonic looks great, but according to the specs I found, your lens is acutally eq. 35 and so is the Fuji
panasonic specs http://www.dpreview.com/news/1007/10...onicdmclx5.asp
fuji specs http://www.dpreview.com/news/1109/11...x10.asp#images
Or did I get confused?
The Panasonic zoom is twice that of the Fuji but the Fuji's sensor is almost twice that of the Panasonic.... Isn't the sensor important with digi cams?
I'm all conflicted now, cuz the Panasonic is also cheaper and it has all these scene modes (although I've never really used those on my P&S cam...)
I guess I'll have to hold them in my hands. Compared I think both cams are equaly good, having different (tho not too diff) pro's and cons
MissRose, as noted in my lengthy post, do not confuse high pixel count with quality of sensor. It's largely a marketing gimmick, and, in fact, the more pixels the companies try to cram onto their sensors, the more likely quality is to degrade. You want 10m good pixels, not 14m shoddy ones. (Check out this blog to learn more...)
Yes, you need to get the cameras into your hands, and also upload your pix onto a computer with a very good display, in order to understand their strengths. Take your time.
http://i.imgur.com/laSB3.jpg
Whatever camera you buy, please invest in a good protective case from to always house it from day1. My Panasonic DMC-TZ15 was reduced to a point, hope and shoot because I destroyed the LCD screen. It still shoots ok, but I have no idea what settings I'm using.
You did indeed. The panasonic has 24mm equivalent at its widest, the fuji, canon and nikon all have 28mm equiv. And as euphonious noted, number of pixels is not important. It's the physical size of the sensor that makes a big difference; cramming loads of pixels into a tiny sensor just adds noise and wastes space on your card. The LX5 has 10mp and i even think it's too much.Quote:
Originally Posted by MissRose