682 replies to this topic

[petesie]

Some pics of my new pic-taker.....I had the choice of Gold, Pink or Black...... ;-)

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[Bumblebee]

i have just dug out the old lumix TZ6 for me up coming trip, was pleased with it last time, but now BB not in town i bet my pics wont be as good with my coach there.

CT™

You'll be fine kiddo, just remember to fill the frame.

[Hoot]

.....have you broke another one...?

Actually the last one did go for a short spin on the dance floor at C&D last November...snapped off a few bits and pieces I'm afraid. Still takes good pics, but I think it's time to re-gift it

But since I've moved into DSLR, I want a compact camera where I can adjust the settings. Boys and their toys...another expensive hobby.

[Bumblebee]

i have just dug out the old lumix TZ6 for me up coming trip, was pleased with it last time, but now BB not in town i bet my pics wont be as good with my coach there.

CT™

You'll be fine kiddo, just remember to fill the frame.

This gent explains it pretty simply.


Fill the Frame of the Photograph -- powered by eHow.com

[pacman]

I get what you mean RX.....I'm upgrading the D90 which is a consumer DSLR to the D300s which brings it into their professional range.....it's a good deal I'm getting on the Nikon as the Canon SX210 actually comes free with it....

I am currently looking at what lens to buy which will suit my use......I currently use the 18-105mm "bundled" lens for my holiday stuff and have started to use my 35mm and 50mm a bit more....anybody any suggestions?

Hi Petesie, I have only just caught this thread but I must say how impressed I am with your latest purchase & how far you have come with your new hobby.

While you are not going to notice any dramatic improvement in the photos taken by the 300S over the D90, you have secured Nikon's top-of-the-line DSLR using the APSC sized sensor. And as you rightly put, a professional quality camera with all the built-in strength the pro Nikons are famous for.

The 300 & its subsequent upgrade, the 300S has been occupying a difficult position for Nikon when compared to the universally loved D90. It is a problem of Nikon's own making - in short they made the D90 too good for most people to justify the extra expense to go to the 300S. It would be a different story if the 'S' had been released as a full-frame sensor.

Now with Photokina looming & most camera guys predicting the release of the D90 upgrade, D90's have been discounted around the world. Nikon has extended their factory rebate offer (again) back home & with the deal being so good, I bought one myself. No one is predicting Nikon will announce some new technological breakthrough & even if they do, the new model won't be as cheap as the D90.

Like you, I have the 18-105 mm zoom fitted as my day-to-day lens & what a nice thing it is. I doubt I will be testing its limits but it is pleasing to know that it is sharp right through the range. And as a 'kit lens', it is as good if not better than anything offered on any make of camera. And those 2 prime lenses you have, they are both excellent & are regarded as true bargains. Nikon were clever to make them so good for the price. I may look at one myself but until I can decide between the 35 or the 50, I have both focal lengths covered now, just not as nicely.

RXpharm is spot-on when he mentioned the low light capability provided by the f1.4 lens. Quality lenses are the one thing that can make a big difference to your photos. But you don't need to invest enormous sums in lightning fast glass, leave that to the pros. You can achieve the same results by adjusting the ISO settings.

But I am sure you know that. Managing (and understanding) ISO is one of the more important things you can do. You have to switch from Automatic to be able to do it though.

As for your question regarding lens choice (I knew there was a reason why I started this post) - consider wide angle over telephoto. Long focal length lenses are considered the macho choice but most of the time, you will be shooting in more confined spaces where a good wide angle will be far more useful.

The real interesting lenses for me are the new breed of wide angle zooms. Back when I was a serious photographer, these were undreamt of, they simply defied the laws of physics as to what was possible. Now they are here, they are affordable & in a couple of cases, they even offer decent lens speed.

I spent time reading the forums on dpreview.com where you can find posts & pictures covering literally every photographic subject known to man. (Though I don't recall one on shooting ladyboys, perhaps you can kick one off... ) The lens that I have boiled it down to & is on my wish list is the Sigma 10-20 mm zoom. It has recently been improved with a new aperture of f3.5 - constant through the zoom range.

There are others that sound good but for quality, speed & great practicality, this Sigma is the duck's nuts. I recommend you take your new camera to the shop & ask to try it on your camera. The angles will seem freaky to start with (a fish-eye lens is 8mm) but once you see the possibilities I have no doubt you will love it. e.g. you can take a photo of a large group from only a few feet away & the perspective you get when you shoot a girl close up with the bar in the background is brilliant.

Unless you have need for a long telephoto, your walk-around kit zoom, your 2 primes & a wide angle zoom are all the lens you are ever likely to need. Oh, nearly forgot, a nice macro can be fun, but only if you are going to use it. And you need a flash too. The SB600 is enough, the SB900 is just more weight.

I look forward to seeing some pictures from your 300S. I will struggle on with mine though I've gotta say I love it. I suggest at the run-out price, the D90 is the best DSLR value available. Over 1 million sold, they can't all be wrong.

[petesie]

Hi Paccers!

Thanks for the well informed input my friend....I already have the SB600 and I'm going out today to nab a Tamron 10-24mm.....my colleague has one and let me use it for a day so I was hooked.....

I would have preferred the Nikkor lens but you're talking about paying 2.5 times the price of the Tamron.....I read both reviews and the Nikkor was rated at 2% better......for once with me common sense played it's role......
;-)

[pacman]

Excellent! I did worry that I was giving you old news. I was taken by the Tamron myself but I struck a curious lack of interest in the 10-24 Tamron with the guy I was dealing with. I think his bias made him unable to recommend it.

I look forward to seeing your results & how you find it. The photo forums do tend to talk up the Sigma but for non-pro work, is anyone going to notice or comment that a pic lacks 0.005% sharpness. They can be so anal about those details.

I liked the extra focal length of the Tamron (24 vs 20) but I weigh that against the fixed aperture of the upgraded Sigma of f3.5 & decided I would be happy with either.

How good a deal can you get on the Tamron? And how does the price compare with the Sigma? If they stock it that is. I might ask you to deliver one to LOS if it is much cheaper than home.

You know I will pay you for it..... one day...

[petesie]

I paid around 260 quid for the lens which is about 100 less than the UK price.....considering we have an availabilty issue over such items here in the Middle East I was happy with that....and I got a Nikon UV filter thrown in...

I also picked up the ML-3 remote commander for 120 which is 215 in good old blighty....will somebody stop me!

[RobiSLO]

I paid around 260 quid for the lens which is about 100 less than the UK price.....considering we have an availabilty issue over such items here in the Middle East I was happy with that....and I got a Nikon UV filter thrown in...

I also picked up the ML-3 remote commander for 120 which is 215 in good old blighty....will somebody stop me!

Nope, we won't... Please do buy as much gadgets as you can and in few months when you’ll find out you don’t need it… we could do you favor and buy this for peanuts. 5555

Just joking , money spent for photo equipment is not thrown away especially for better lens.

BR

[petesie]

I've been checking out reviews of the new Sony NEX-5......Digital Camera mag gave it 90% in their review.......

Anyone any reports on it yet...?

[pacman]

90% for the Sony NEX-5!! Wow!!

That's the highest mark I have ever heard of for this ground breaking camera. I wonder if they accept advertising support from Sony (aka a bribe)?

www.dpreview.com the bible for unbiased reviews, in their combined report of the NEX-3 & 5 give the 3 a 63% rating & the 5 a 65% rating.

It is worth checking out for a second opinion. Here's the link http://www.dpreview....s/SonyNex5Nex3/

I must say that the NEX-5 is a work of art & I could justify it purely on aesthetics if I had the money to waste. As I wrote elsewhere, if Sony whacked a phone on the back, the damn thing would be irresistable.

[petesie]

Excellent site that Paccers....

They certainly gave the little Sony a good going over! It'll never be a catch all but I thought it appeared to display the best in its genre....maybe they were fairly harsh because they never got bribed!

I think the home grown flash fitting was a wrong turn and perhaps the on screen menus are not as intuitive as others....I haven't seen it in the flesh yet but I shall give it a good coat of looking at when it hits these far and distant shores...... ;-)