Home | Forums | Mark forums read | Search | FAQ | Login

Advanced search
Hot Topics
Buraku hot topic Debito reinvents himself as a Uyoku movie star!
Buraku hot topic Steven Seagal? Who's that?
Buraku hot topic Best Official Japan Souvenirs
Buraku hot topic Multiculturalism on the rise?
Buraku hot topic As if gaijin men didn't have a bad enough reputation...
Buraku hot topic Swapping Tokyo For Greenland
Buraku hot topic
Buraku hot topic Dutch wives for sale
Buraku hot topic Live Action "Akira" Update
Buraku hot topic Iran, DPRK, Nuke em, Like Japan
Change font size
  • fuckedgaijin ‹ General ‹ Tokyo Tech

A change in camera systems (DSLR)

News, shopping tips and discussion of all things tech: electronics, gadgets, cell phones, digital cameras, cars, bikes, rockets, robots, toilets, HDTV, DV, DVD, but NO P2P.
Post a reply
11 posts • Page 1 of 1

A change in camera systems (DSLR)

Postby AlbertSiegel » Fri Dec 01, 2006 12:42 pm

Many things have changed for me. After all those months of lugging aroung all those heavy Canon lenses and bodies around Tokyo and Miami, I decided to change systems. I sold off most of my Canon gear and have jumped to Olympus. While their pro cameras may be low in the megapixel race, I find them to be fine for my work. I work in photojournalism, so high MP is not a big issue.

I love the quality of Olympus. I find their products to be some of the best I have ever seen. The only real issue I have with Olympus is the poor high ISO images. I can live with this as I only use them for newspaper. The build of the Olympus pro system gear is great. I love that I can use their gear in just about any weather condition.... dusty or wet! All for tons less than it would cost on a Canon system. Canon is the only other choice for weather-sealed gear.

As for my personal photography, I started to use Pentax. They have the very best prime I have ever used. That 77mm Limited is a dream. I am looking forward to that Pentax 645 digital when it comes out.

Any of you guys change systems? If so, why? If not, have you thought about it? What stopped you? Why did you choose the system you use now?

Image
If only Bill Gates had a penny for every time Windows crashed......oh wait... he does!!
User avatar
AlbertSiegel
Maezumo
 
Posts: 494
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2003 1:41 pm
Location: Tokyo
  • Website
Top

Postby FG Lurker » Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:01 pm

Congrats on the new system! I know a couple of guys here who love their Olympus stuff.

I chose Canon during the EOS film "era". The choice was between Canon and Nikon, and at that time Canon's focusing system was far, far better (USM). That tipped the scales for me at the time.

These days I have both Canon and Nikon gear, although I use my Canon stuff (a lot) more.


The best autofocus primes I have used under 100mm are:

Canon EF 85mm 1.2 L (original one)
Canon EF 50mm 1.0 L (amazing lens, far better than its reputation)

Over 100mm the best I have used is the Canon EF 200mm 1.8L. It is as good as its reputation and equally difficult to use.

I've also used some Contax MF lenses on EOS bodies and the results can be stunning.

Are you coming back to Osaka sometime?
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
User avatar
FG Lurker
 
Posts: 7854
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:16 pm
Location: On the run
Top

Postby AlbertSiegel » Fri Dec 01, 2006 2:23 pm

I will be in Tokyo in two months. It will be a short stay. I will come one or two more times before the end of next year. So far, I only plan on Tokyo. Lets see where life takes me. I would love to visit Osaka. I will try to fit it in one of my trips.

I do plan to make a long-term move to Tokyo sometime in November or December of next year. I have about a year to plan. I would be able to visit Osaka fore sure then. I would love to go shooing with you. Have any new work to show off?
User avatar
AlbertSiegel
Maezumo
 
Posts: 494
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2003 1:41 pm
Location: Tokyo
  • Website
Top

Postby omae mona » Fri Dec 01, 2006 3:50 pm

FG Lurker wrote:Canon EF 50mm 1.0 L (amazing lens, far better than its reputation)


Canon has a 50mm f/1.0 lens? Is this an old one which has been discontinued? Or do you mean the brand new EF 50mm F1.2L? (but I didn't think it was on sale yet).

AlbertSiegel - congrats on the change. I just wish you had sold me your Canon equipment :-)
User avatar
omae mona
 
Posts: 3184
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2003 12:08 pm
Top

Postby FG Lurker » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:17 pm

omae mona wrote:Canon has a 50mm f/1.0 lens? Is this an old one which has been discontinued? Or do you mean the brand new EF 50mm F1.2L? (but I didn't think it was on sale yet).

Yes, there was a 50/1L, it sold for about 300,000 yen new and apparently Canon lost money on each one even at that price.

None of Canon's EF 50mm lenses have good reputations. The 1L is said to be quite soft wide-open, especially when compared to an 85/1.2L. Although I don't have any sample photos I can post, I did not find the 1L to be particularly soft. I think the reputation probably comes from the razor-thin DOF at f/1.0 more than anything else. Plus there seems to be some variation between individual 50/1L lenses. Images taken with the 1L have similar characteristics (color, contrast) to images taken with an 85/1.2L.

The last 50 that Canon made that had a good reputation was the FD 50mm 1.2L. I'm very interested in new EF 50 1.2L for this reason. The price is also quite attractive, about 150,000yen. The 50/1.2L was scheduled for release at the end of November but it has been delayed until January. Canon isn't saying why.
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
User avatar
FG Lurker
 
Posts: 7854
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:16 pm
Location: On the run
Top

Postby oyajikun » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:08 pm

I know it's not DSLR, but I'm looking to purchase a high range P&S camera before the end of the year. Right now I'm torn between the Ricoh GR, and the new Canon Powershot G7. Have any of you had any experience with either of these cameras?
User avatar
oyajikun
Maezumo
 
Posts: 570
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 9:27 pm
Location: Okinawa
Top

Postby FG Lurker » Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:35 am

oyajikun wrote:I know it's not DSLR, but I'm looking to purchase a high range P&S camera before the end of the year. Right now I'm torn between the Ricoh GR, and the new Canon Powershot G7. Have any of you had any experience with either of these cameras?

Of the two you are considering the Canon is a much better camera.

That said, the two biggest limitations of the vast majority of current p&s digital cameras are:
1) Over ISO400 the image quality is shockingly bad.
2) Most only go as wide as 35mm. This is not wide enough for most indoor use and is also very limiting many times outdoors.

The Canon has acceptable (for a p&s) image quality at ISO400 and you might be able to use ISO800 in a pinch. Forget ISO1600 though, the image quality is so bad that it is useless.

If you don't mind a slightly larger camera then I would suggest this:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix_s6000fd-review/index.shtml

The only downside to Fuji's cameras is that they use xD PictureCard for memory. This is more expensive than SD Card. Otherwise that is a killer camera though, and it even goes as wide as 35mm film equiv of 28mm.
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
User avatar
FG Lurker
 
Posts: 7854
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 6:16 pm
Location: On the run
Top

Postby jingai » Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:27 am

GR is a 28mm fixed lens I believe. Read user testimonials in the Leica/Rangefinder section on Photo.net and check out the pics from Mitch Alland.
User avatar
jingai
Maezumo
 
Posts: 1232
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2002 2:34 pm
Location: Sendai
Top

Postby oyajikun » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:04 am

Thank you for your input Lurker and Jingai. The Fuji is just too big though.

I'm looking for something unobtusive that can take great photos. The more I look at the GR the more I think that this may be the camera for me. I've never really had a use for zoom as all the photos I take tend to be up close and personal.

I know there are loads of complaints about noise over ISO 400, but this is a small sensor camera. I'll step up to SLR eventually

Those Mitch Alland pics are amazing. Thanks!
User avatar
oyajikun
Maezumo
 
Posts: 570
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 9:27 pm
Location: Okinawa
Top

Postby IkemenTommy » Sat Dec 02, 2006 2:24 pm

Oyajikun, if you're thinking of the Powershot series, G7 is good shit because it has the anti-shake. Actually most of the Canons have it now and I recommend having it over ones without. My old camera was the Powershot A40 but the shots were useless unless you had a tripod to mount it on.

I personally have the IXY900is and the DigicIII face recognition for AF is pretty sweet.

Canon really cares about product quality and one of the few cameras still built here in Japan (or at least the final assembly portion...). You pay it in price but it pays off in the long term.
User avatar
IkemenTommy
 
Posts: 5425
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 3:29 am
Top

Postby oyajikun » Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:30 am

Well I got the Ricoh GR in the end.

Here are some photos if you would like to have a look.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/88545034@N00/

I'm still getting my head around some of the settings; Color saturation is really nice.. So far I am very happy with it. It nice and compact and it will pair together nicely with a dSLR, once I get one.
User avatar
oyajikun
Maezumo
 
Posts: 570
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2002 9:27 pm
Location: Okinawa
Top


Post a reply
11 posts • Page 1 of 1

Return to Tokyo Tech

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

  • Board index
  • The team • Delete all board cookies • All times are UTC + 9 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group