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 double-double seeking, snow-chasing, short-cutting, vertical feet collector
4523 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2004 : 9:52 PM
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Many of us have cameras, a number of us use them a lot - how about a small corner of CT where we can talk technique, lenses, models, experiences, etc?
thanks, C Wall
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Embrace life! |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1542 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2004 : 10:17 PM
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| I'm all for that. I've been an avid wildlife and outdoor photographer for 20 years. Digital and film. I've recently added underwater photography to the list too. |
Edited by - magnetite on 07/05/2004 10:46 PM |
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New Westminster, BC
Canada
1138 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2004 : 10:30 PM
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I'm into that how do you get the diffrent color effect. Where do you get the lenses. Ect Ect
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"Anything is Possible" |
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alpine seekin, therma loungin, java brewin, licorice whorin, stealth hikin, all weather trail guru
Pt. Coquitlam, B.C.
Canada
1772 Posts |
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N. Vancouver, BC
Canada
393 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2004 : 08:35 AM
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I would love this! I need the help...
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You must be the change you want to see in the world - Gandhi |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
433 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2004 : 4:16 PM
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That would be great! I've been meaning to learn how to use my camera better for all those tricky night shots or the shiney glacier shots and I have no clue what all that ISO, shutter speed, aperature settings are nor how they're supposed to be used... I need help! 
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The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. |
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double-double seeking, snow-chasing, short-cutting, vertical feet collector
4523 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 10:44 AM
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I'm thinking of upgrading my camera after about a year of use.
Currently I have a Canon S400 4-megapixel camera which does an OK job, but I am looking to upgrade: - I'd like a larger lens
- I want manual control of apertures and f-stops
- I would like the ability to bolt-on a polarizing filter and perhaps a few other filters as well
- I would also like to have RAW format pictures
I love my current camera for its small size, versatility and good picture quality, and I want my next camera to be small (as much as possible).
I'm looking at the Canon G Series, the Canon Rebel and the D70.
All told, I would like to spend less than $2,000 for the new camera.
Yes, I read dpreview but I would like to ask for people's experiences here on the list - what do you have, what do you like about your camera and what do you wish you had (or you will have) in your next camera.
cheers ! C Wall |
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Quebec city, QC
Canada
90 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 11:06 AM
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Hey Seewall,
Go have a look at the new BestBuy in Langley. They have a pre-openning sale on Thursday night and I heard that they might have a good deal on the D70. I don't know about the Canons.
David |
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925 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 11:14 AM
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I have a Nikon F80 35mm Nikon, and am dreaming of a D70. The nice thing about the D70 is the interchangable lenses and Nikon optical quality is pretty good.
The cheaper Nikon G AF lenses are a good deal (my 70-300 was less than $200) and if you ever want to get in to film again you're already set up for lenses.
I am a film purist at the moment and would choose film over digital any day - but with a D70 and everything I have read about it, I could probably be persuaded to take up digital again.
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"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her."
-- William Wordsworth |
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925 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 11:16 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by pmagique
Hey Seewall,
Go have a look at the new BestBuy in Langley. They have a pre-openning sale on Thursday night and I heard that they might have a good deal on the D70. I don't know about the Canons.
David
Checks wallet for extra cash .... damn!
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"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her."
-- William Wordsworth |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
433 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 11:34 AM
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I have an olympus C-3000 ZOOM 3.34 megapixels. It's about 4 years old but I'm still quite happy with it. It takes great shots on the automatic settings...but after I've been using it for so many years and so many times I'm starting to feel the need to upgrade to something that can do more. This camera has a manual setting where I can adjust the ISO, Aperature, shutter speed as well as a few other options. I can also take pictures in uncompressed TIFF formats. Only problems are that I could never take a decent low light picture at night. I don't think I can keep the shutter open long enough to absorb enough light. ( of course I don't really know how to do all those manual adjustments... )
Here are some of the failures:
 The glacier is barely visible...didn't know how to make it show the bird in the dark and the glacier in the light well enough.
 The picture is too blurry and unfocused.
 The tent is barely visible. Didn't know how to make it absorb more light, even though there was still tons of light from the stars and the dissapearing sunset.
Other than that daylight pictures and indoor pictures look great just by using the automatic settings. You can see some examples in my trip reports.
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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
386 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 11:36 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by seawallrunner
I'm thinking of upgrading my camera after about a year of use.
Currently I have a Canon S400 4-megapixel camera which does an OK job, but I am looking to upgrade: - I'd like a larger lens
- I want manual control of apertures and f-stops
- I would like the ability to bolt-on a polarizing filter and perhaps a few other filters as well
- I would also like to have RAW format pictures
I love my current camera for its small size, versatility and good picture quality, and I want my next camera to be small (as much as possible).
I'm looking at the Canon G Series, the Canon Rebel and the D70.
All told, I would like to spend less than $2,000 for the new camera.
Yes, I read dpreview but I would like to ask for people's experiences here on the list - what do you have, what do you like about your camera and what do you wish you had (or you will have) in your next camera.
cheers ! C Wall
My vote goes (not surprisingly) for the D70. I'm happy with mine. It will beat any P/S camera any time (when it cannot, it's usually operator's error). Digital Rebel is similar, but the D70 has a better kit lens and some (admittedly, rarely used) features. An intriguing point is that 300D can be turned into 'almost' 10D by a firmware hack - all risk is yours of course.
I think you can get the D70 for about $2K if you shop around. Try this one:
www.cameracanada.com
- saves you the PST. Warranty is not a problem since Nikon has a service centre in Richmond.
Good luck,
Eugene |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
679 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 12:26 PM
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Hi,
I own a Canon 10D and are extremely happy with it. If you don't own any lenses for Canon or Nikon mount. The differences are minimal. I only know the prices in Europe, so .ca might be a bit different, but the Digital Rebel (300D here) is a bit cheaper.
Advantage of Canon is that the market for second hand lenses is bigger..
Bas
/edit And yes, a photography area would be fun.. |
Edited by - ge-an_bas on 07/14/2004 12:27 PM |
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925 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 12:57 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by cdanes
Here are some of the failures:
The glacier is barely visible...didn't know how to make it show the bird in the dark and the glacier in the light well enough.
Low light photos are difficult no matter what. In general you are going to need to find the exposure that is in the middle range of the subjects you are trying to photograph and learn how to use photoshop to enhance the photograph. The flash probably threw this one off.
quote:
The picture is too blurry and unfocused.
... longer exposure, tripod
quote:
The tent is barely visible. Didn't know how to make it absorb more light, even though there was still tons of light from the stars and the dissapearing sunset.
Sounds like your camera has a top out for long exposures. Nothing short of a flash or a long exposure could have improved this one. The flash would not have produced a good picture anyway.
In low light, most autofocus cameras have a hard time.
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"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her."
-- William Wordsworth |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
433 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 1:03 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by SuperTwink
Sounds like your camera has a top out for long exposures. Nothing short of a flash or a long exposure could have improved this one. The flash would not have produced a good picture anyway.
In low light, most autofocus cameras have a hard time.
Is there a way to increase exposure? By playing with the shutter speed and ISO? I really know nothing about this... 
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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. |
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| Terra
Intermediate Member
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Never-Never Land, B.C.
Canada
720 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 1:18 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by cdanes
I have an olympus C-3000 ZOOM 3.34 megapixels.It takes great shots on the automatic settings...but after I've been using it for so many years and so many times I'm starting to feel the need to upgrade to something that can do more. ( of course I don't really know how to do all those manual adjustments... )
Hope you don't mind cdanes, but I'm going to offer you some friendly amateur photography advice. First bit being about upgrading your camera. I know the desire to upgrade to a better quality camera, most of us suffer from that dilemma. However, upgrading will prove insignificant until you learn how to use your manual settings. I only have a lowly Canon A40 2mp camera, but it is a great camera to learn on. I just simply turned the dial to M and began to experiment. Sure I've glanced over books on how to better achieve what, but I'm more the hands on type. That is one of the great things about digitals, you can take as many photos as you like trying to achieve the proper effect. Once you learn how to operate your settings better then you'll be happier with your photo results when you do head out on your next trip.
Here are some of the failures:
The glacier is barely visible...didn't know how to make it show the bird in the dark and the glacier in the light well enough. Not an easy shot for what you claim you were trying to achieve. Having to focus on two different objects, at different depths, in different light, is a real challenge!! Your camera would have to be able to achieve a low aperature to get a larger depth of field/focus (DOF). Even then you would probably require a wide angled lens for best results. Then there is the problem of having the right shutter speed for the amount of light you want or don't want. Ultimately, the photo is not one most of us could have done any better with. Perhaps someone else with more experience could suggest something.
The picture is too blurry and unfocused.
I can only guess you were zooming for this particular shot? My zoom becomes quite blurry after a certain point. Due to the poor results I get with mine I rarely use it. If you weren't zooming then you must have been too shakey when you pressed the shutter. That's where a tripod or some sturdy surface comes in handy. Some people who suffer from shakiness will even set their timer to 2 seconds, so that after they have pushed the shutter they have those 2 seconds to steady there hands for the shot.
The tent is barely visible. Didn't know how to make it absorb more light, even though there was still tons of light from the stars and the dissapearing sunset.
For this photo you would have had to try your ISO setting on 4oo. If it still wasn't light enough for your liking then you would have had to switch to manual. You'd then want to slow your shutter speed down so more light could be absorbed by the camera. Before doing that you'd want to maybe reset your ISO setting to 200, so you wouldn't end up with too much noise (grain if film).
I hope I didn't make this all sound too compicated. It really isn't hard, it's just about taking the time to experiment and having fun with it. You may really surprise yourself with some of your results. I look forward to more of your pics. 
If others can offer input or correct me on anything I suggested, please feel free to jump in.
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Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of someone else.~~Judy Garland~~
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Edited by - Terra on 07/14/2004 9:06 PM |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
433 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 1:55 PM
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Thanks for the advice Terra. I wasn't zooming on the second shot but I may not have steadied the camera enough. I think I did a hands free shot off the table I was sitting on, but it's possible the table wasn't steady enough as I was sitting on it (and had too much wine )
I guess I should read up on all those manual settings and start experimenting a bit.
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If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. |
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double-double seeking, snow-chasing, short-cutting, vertical feet collector
4523 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 2:15 PM
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hi cdanes,
just get out there and shoot. take sunset shots, take city shots, take candle shots... just play.
sometimes I take my camera with me to work, and then I'll shoot pix at lunchtime. I'm close enough to the SeaWall and to Davie/Burrard street to take interesting building shots, people shots or just pictures of flowers.
key is practice. bond with your camera and it will serve you well.
do you have a tripod? that helps a lot too.
try out the different settings in your camera while shooting the same image, then review on the computer how these settings differ from one another. I took a bunch of pictures of Bear mountain on Sunday, while playing with the settings of my camera (from Vivid to Cloudy etc...) then looked at the effects using ACDSee at home.
Every time out is a new lesson for me.
cheers - C Wall |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
386 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 3:28 PM
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While I agree that practice is very important, and digitals make it easy, I still think that a person that doesn't know about 'apertures and ISO speeds' will not get far that way - he will keep making the same mistakes over and over again. I've seen that happening quite often.
Pick a good book (Ansel Adams, 'The Negative' comes to mind), invest some time in studying it, and _then_ practice. Learning from others critiquing your photos is possible, but a systematic approach is better. Photography is complex enough subject to warrant it, despite claims of camera salesmen.
Regards,
Eugene |
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Quebec city, QC
Canada
90 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 3:51 PM
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I agree with EugeneK. Learning about F-stops, ISO, shutter speed, composition, ... is very important and a good book (handbook) is essential. My favorite photography handbook is the National Geographic one.
David |
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double-double seeking, snow-chasing, short-cutting, vertical feet collector
4523 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2004 : 4:25 PM
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Good call Eugene and PMagique about reading books. I didn't mention reading photography textbooks, but I am working my way through a number of books on photography as well as a number of books on Photoshop.
here are a couple of books that I am currently going through:
an online book that is fantastic: 123di (published by 123di.com ) I first learned about this ebook in DPreview.com (a good site about cameras). I tried the demo, liked it, and now I am working my way through the book online
a standard book (with pages and ink  is Tom and Michelle Grimm's Basic Book of Photography (I bought it at Amazon Excellent for beginners and describes the principles of photography in detail. There are also a couple of chapters about digital cameras, what to look for, how to manipulate images online (note - those digital camera chapters are basic)
David Kelty's books about Photoshop for digital pictures are good too (and funny as well).
These books are best enjoyed on a one-chapter-at-a-time basis. I disagree a little with Eugene about learning first, doing later. I would rather learn a little, experiment a little - then learn some more, and experiment more.
cheers ! C Wall |
Edited by - seawallrunner on 07/14/2004 4:31 PM |
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How about a CT area to discuss photography?
