# The camera/photography thread



## JBroida

As a lot of you know, i'm pretty dorky when it comes to cameras and lenses... I also happen to know quite a few of you are too 

I thought it might be nice to have a gear-based thread where we can all talk about what we are shooting on, what we want to be shooting on, and other fun, random photography based stuff. I'll get the ball rolling...

I happen to be a cannon guy... currently shooting on a 5d MkIII and 60D. My current lenses include canon's 24-105 f4 L, 100mm f2.8 macro L, 16-35 f4 IS L, 60mm f2.8 macro, tokina 11-16 f2.8, and sigma 35 f1.4 art. I also have a few led lights, camranger, rode videomic, zoom h2n, and a 4ft x 4ft lightbox.

I'll try to get around to posting a photo of my kit, but in the meantime, here are some photos from recent outings:



























and, of course, the obligatory kid photo...






Alright, you guys are up...


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## brainsausage

I can't add anything on the geek front, but I will say that those are some incredibly beautiful, well framed shots Jon.


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## marc4pt0

I'm a Nikon guy myself. Just a hobbyist trying to find more time.
Gear:
Nikon D7000


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## panda

Wish I could get a sigma foveon sensor in a Nikon body with f1.2 50mm fixed lens


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## tcmx3

Untitled by lmaousrs, on Flickr

only change in gear I can say I care about is at some point I'd like to go ahead and get a new digital camera. It's been some years. I don't like dslrs; I wonder what a second hand A7r goes for these days.

Oh yeah for most of my time shooting I just did film and processed it myself. I guess I just wanted to be Ralph Gibson =/ Oh well, we all have our hangups.


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## Duckfat

That's a nice kit Jon. You've really stepped up your gear in the last few years. My current kit is a 5D3/24-105L/70-200 F4IS/35 F2IS. I've sold off a lot of gear in the last year. Right now in the " less is more" mode. I have had my eye on the new 100-400L.


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## JBroida

Duckfat said:


> That's a nice kit Jon. You've really stepped up your gear in the last few years. My current kit is a 5D3/24-105L/70-200 F4IS/35 F2IS. I've sold off a lot of gear in the last year. Right now in the " less is more" mode. I have had my eye on the new 100-400L.



yeah... the addiction has indeed grown. That 100-400L looks stupid cool. I also really like the sigma art series... adding the 50mm 1.4 art soon... and considering the new 24mm 1.4. Love me some fast primes.


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## tcmx3

While we're talking about lenses...

well I guess you guys saw my macro lenses in the other thread, they are my favorites:






For those wondering the lenses pictured: 
Zeiss ZF 50mm F2.0 Makro-Planar
Vivitar Series 1 90mm f2.5 Macro
Olympus OM 50mm f3.5 Auto-Macro
Olympus OM 90mm f2.0 Auto-Macro
Olympus OM 50mm f2.0 Auto-Macro
Leica 100mm f2.8 APO Macro Elmarit R
Leica 60mm f2.8 Macro Elmarit R
Nikon 55mm f2.8 Micro-Nikkor
Nikon 55mm f3.5 Micro-Nikkor

There have been others though, some of these are gone, some not:





I blew my first paycheck out of college to buy that M2 and ZM50P. Had a great time with it, eventually sold it to get the F3HP and ZM50P though.





This Rolleiflex was a big disappointment. Maybe I should have stuck with the Mamiya 7





I really don't like Nikon, but this lens was fun for a bit:





I mostly just buy 50s, but the 35 biogon was a sweet lens:





DR summicron, didnt keep this one all that long:





And these are what I ultimately settled on:





Also in case you're wondering what my favorite lens is it's none of these. It's the Pentax 6x7 System 105mm f2.4 SMC Takumar. If only the cameras had been tolerable... the lens does things. But because of the camera, this one went through the grinder as well.


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## EdipisReks

I switched from Nikon FX and a multitude of lenses to a Fuji X100t and the 28mm equivalent conversion lens. I actually take my camera with me, now! I am still learning the camera (it's very, very different from a DSLR), but I really like it. I do still use my dad's FM2 (with a classic group of AI-S lenses) on occasion.


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## dmccurtis

I shoot a D700 and X100, with primarily manual focus lenses. I have too many to list them all, but some favourites include my Micro-Nikkor 200mm f/4, Nikkor 105mm f/1.8, Sigma 50mm f/1.4, and Kiron 28mm f/2. 35mm is my focal length of choice though, so most often the 35mm f/2 stays on the body.


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## Duckfat

JBroida said:


> yeah... the addiction has indeed grown. That 100-400L looks stupid cool. I also really like the sigma art series... adding the 50mm 1.4 art soon... and considering the new 24mm 1.4. Love me some fast primes.



If you ever get a chance to shoot the 100-400 the reach is pretty stunning especially on the 1.6X body. I'm right there with you on the primes. The 35 f2IS has really turned the MKIII into a low light gem that is a pleasure to walk around with for me. I don't miss schlepping around with a bag full of gear at all.


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## tcmx3

I know some people are into speed. One day I'd like to get my hands on the Mandler Noctilux but there's yet another case of something you used to not be able to give away costing an arm and a leg. 

Well, until then, I have these:


Untitled by lmaousrs, on Flickr


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## JBroida

not exactly macro, but shot with a macro lens (100 f2.8is L)... sorry for the weird crop... they are for the slider on the front of our website


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## Matus

Well, here is my life story 

As a student I dreamed about F80 but did not have the cash, than came to Germany for PhD. and bought Olympus C5060WZ (compact camera with shape of hand grenade). Then Minolta 7D followed (quirky but cool camera) and my wife bought Minolta & around the same time (and she still has it). But by that time the film bug bit me hard. My dream camera - Mamiya 6 - seemed too expensive so I went for a 4x5" camera - Tachihara 4x5 with few lenses along the road (Grandson N 75/4.5, Fujinon 125/5.6 CMW, Fujinon A 240/9, Osaka 400/8) what of course turned considerably more expensive. But I loved to use it - I even took it to our honeymoon on NewZealand (my wife must really love me to put up with that). Then Rolleiflex T followed (got one in perfect condition for 200) which I loved to bits, but sold it to support the purchase of the holy grail - Mamiya 6 - which I still have. Later I added another 4x5 camera - Toyo VX125 (used, new costs around 5 grand) but barely used it. The it turned out that I am going to be a father so I sold all 4x5" stuff and got Rolleiflex 2.8E and Hasselblad X-pan. Little Nikon V1 takes care of family photos and videos.

For those who made this far - here are some favourite photos of mine - most are several years old:

Rolleiflex T




Olympus XA, New Zealand




Tachihara 4x5, Fujinon 125/5.6, ... now who could that be ... 




Rolleiflex T




Tachihara 4x5, 1 big softbox (*here* is the setup)




Mamiya 6, 150/4.5




Mamiya 6, 50/4




Mamiya 6.75/3.5




Tachihara 4x5, Fujinon 240/9 I have printed 40 of these one by one as postcards.




Ricoh GRD III (stitched pano from our balcony)




Sorry for a long post, but photography is my main obsession so far ...


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## melbournites

Matus ... lovely images and thanks for sharing. Jon your knife images are excellent as usual.

I had a similar progression in terms of photography. Dad had a Olympus OM-1 which I was always fascinated with. Bought a Nikon F100 /FM3a after college and jumped straight to a Toyo Field Camera with Scheinder Rodenstock 75mm / 90 mm / 210mm. Black and white developing and printing + Cibachrome printing etc The contact prints from large format film is just stunning.

Then the kids came and haven't touch the film camera and darkroom since. Now I mainly shoot to document the family. Stuck with Nikons. D200 then D700 and now with D800e. Have a 24mm T/S, 35mm 1.4, 50 1.4, 135mm DC and 105mm micro. Probably dabbling more into the video side of things.

I still have a few boxes of Polaroid P/N 55 which I try to shoot an image around their birthday each year.

Mastering photography has many similar traits to collecting and enjoying kitchen knifes. There is a technical side as well the art side to master. The Japanese and Germans feature heavily in both fields.


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## Matus

Polaroid Type 55 - one of the things I missed with 4x5. Found the price too high at the beginning and once discontinued the price of the remaining stock skyrocketed.

FM3a - there are days I still wish to have one. Large bright viewfinder - something most todays DLSRs are missing (with exception of the few high end models that are simply too large for my taste). I steel hope to get my hands on Contax 645 someday, but it seems like their prices experience continuos rise though.

Jon, those blade photos are cool - in particular the first one.


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## XooMG

I think I'm going to get a camera one day and take some photos.


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## JBroida

some fun shots from dinner tonight... 5d mkiii, 16-35 f4 IS L


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## Bolek

So your allways interested by sharpnes on KKF :justkidding:


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## harlock0083

Jon,

In your first post, is the second shot a crop of the first? Its kinda hazy maybe a polarizing filter would help.


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## JBroida

harlock0083 said:


> Jon,
> 
> In your first post, is the second shot a crop of the first? Its kinda hazy maybe a polarizing filter would help.



wasnt a crop, just a hazy day... i was actually shooting with a CPL filter that day


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## harlock0083

JBroida said:


> wasnt a crop, just a hazy day... i was actually shooting with a CPL filter that day



Gotcha, fyi the bokeh is very pleasing in your photos.


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## JBroida

thanks


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## harlock0083

I mostly have pics of the 2 little ones.


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## harlock0083

marc4pt0 said:


> I'm a Nikon guy myself. Just a hobbyist trying to find more time.
> Gear:
> Nikon D7000



I like the grass one the most (all very cool) I'm not really sure why. Probably because the shoreline kinda leads my eyes back to the grass or something like that...


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## Keith Sinclair

Some nice photo's on this thread. Cute kids too.


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## brainsausage

I'm really digging this thread. It's giving me an itch for YET ANOTHER expensive hobby...


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## Mute-on

brainsausage said:


> I'm really digging this thread. It's giving me an itch for YET ANOTHER expensive hobby...



Dude, back away. Believe me, it's another rabbit hole. Once you're in ... Well you know the rest.

Having said that, I love all my (many) cameras ...


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## brainsausage

Mute-on said:


> Dude, back away. Believe me, it's another rabbit hole. Once you're in ... Well you know the rest.
> 
> Having said that, I love all my (many) cameras ...



Yep. One of my oldest and closest friends is a very accomplished photographer, and long before I got into the knife thing she was bemoaning the cost, and geekery of cameras/gear. She's out in Jon's neck of the woods now. Haven't been around that level of photography in many years now... Ever since I got a phone with an ok camera I've been playing with the idea of taking the plunge and investing in a proper rig. After years of becoming accustomed to the look of camera phone pics, this thread really hammers home the drastic difference in character of images shot with an well picked setup, and an eye for the moment.


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## hien

This is also another rabbit hole for me. i have D7000 with several prime lens but my fav is 105mm f2, 50 f1.2, and 60 macro for my food


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## panda

i took a lot more photos when i used black & white film. now the dawn of digital age, i hardly ever take snapshots, let alone thought out artistic ones.


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## JBroida

a couple more for fun:







and one with knives (kind of... and also not the best photo, but it was still tasty):






and one last one from my in-law's kiln (Gesshin Gama):


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## Matus

Panda, then get a analog camera and some film again 

Jon, you make me hungry pretty much constantly


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## Dardeau

I learned to shoot with film, and never made the transition. I think a lot of the not sitting still and fussing with things instincts that made me a cook also made me like darkrooms.

I gave my camera to an ex when we split up years ago and didn't keep up with the advances in digital. The depth of field that higher end digital cameras are capable of is starting to rival what film was capable of. I'm very impressed.


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## harlock0083

Dardeau said:


> I learned to shoot with film, and never made the transition. I think a lot of the not sitting still and fussing with things instincts that made me a cook also made me like darkrooms.
> 
> I gave my camera to an ex when we split up years ago and didn't keep up with the advances in digital. The depth of field that higher end digital cameras are capable of is starting to rival what film was capable of. I'm very impressed.



I thought it's mostly a function of sensor size and aperature. If you were shooting 35mm film and then yeah its ability to do super thin dof with a fast lens is going to out class a lot of cameras except for full frame digital cameras.


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## leiatlarge

Harlock0083 is right that DOF is entirely a function of sensor/film size, aperture, and focal length. Digital vs film makes no difference there. Film does benefit from less chromatic aberrations and being able to resolve down to the grain. That being said, the resolution on 35mm film has finally lost to digital, even shooting ASA50. Large format camera film however is still king of the mountain on quality, resolution, and result. It'll be a few more year before a medium format back can come close resolution-wise. A lot of photography purists will still swear by film and most fine arts photographers will reach for film first.


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## apicius9

Some great shots and info here, thanks. I had that little Olympus XA that was mentioned above, still the perfect little travel camera. I got back into cameras when the micro 4/3 format came out because I was fascinated by the option to connect old lenses to the new technology. Turns out, I went a little overboard and some auctions and estate sales later found myself with 70+ manual lenses... They included 1930s c-mount lenses, 1940/50s Kodaks, several of the later SLR lenses including the Contax Zeiss glass, some Leica R glass etc. Coming to my senses, I sold most of it, especially the c-mounts with a profit, and kept only what I really wanted. Then I lost my job and eventually had to sell some I really wanted to keep, including the Leica 60/2.8 macro and some others. Still miss the Zeiss (Planars) and Leica R glass, they are just hard to beat. And the little Angenieux 25/0.95 was nice... As it is, I am not taking the gear with me as much as I did, even though the M4/3 stuff is more portable than others. That said, What I am missing most is a decent 50ish macro lens, looks like I need to talk to redisburning...

Stefan


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## Matus

Stephan, the Olympus 60/2.8 macro is supposed to be an excellent lens.


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## tcmx3

apicius9 said:


> Some great shots and info here, thanks. I had that little Olympus XA that was mentioned above, still the perfect little travel camera. I got back into cameras when the micro 4/3 format came out because I was fascinated by the option to connect old lenses to the new technology. Turns out, I went a little overboard and some auctions and estate sales later found myself with 70+ manual lenses... They included 1930s c-mount lenses, 1940/50s Kodaks, several of the later SLR lenses including the Contax Zeiss glass, some Leica R glass etc. Coming to my senses, I sold most of it, especially the c-mounts with a profit, and kept only what I really wanted. Then I lost my job and eventually had to sell some I really wanted to keep, including the Leica 60/2.8 macro and some others. Still miss the Zeiss (Planars) and Leica R glass, they are just hard to beat. And the little Angenieux 25/0.95 was nice... As it is, I am not taking the gear with me as much as I did, even though the M4/3 stuff is more portable than others. That said, What I am missing most is a decent 50ish macro lens, looks like I need to talk to redisburning...
> 
> Stefan



If you have questions you feel like I could answer, feel free to PM or ask here. I am not sure I can give you a better answer than anyone else unless you are an unapologetic auto-focus hater like myself.

My short answer is that for 100 dollars I'd recommend the OM 50mm f3.5 Auto-Macro, for more than that the OM 50mm f2.0 Auto-Macro, and I wouldn't buy anything else until I got all the way to the Zeiss 55mm f1.4 Distagon. Which is not technically a macro, I know, but I want one, though I haven't shot enough lately to just sell all the lenses I don't use and buy one. There are some other interesting options but the OM 50/2 is the only 50 I've ever really liked without reservation. The 50 Makro-Planar is close, but it is too large, the corners aren't great and it doesn't have the best color response IMO. It juts sort of does it's own thing and you are not as free to impose upon images taken with it. I like heavy color manipulation (see photo example at end) so the Zeiss stays in the box and the Olympus continues to be about the best 400 dollars Ive ever spent. For a longer macro this is a different discussion and the Leica 100/2.8 APO is my choice there.

I would not use an AF macro if someone gave it to me, unless it was optically very special (ie it aint gonna happen since the only one I've seen that I like is the Leica S 120mm), as I find manually focusing autofocus lenses to be a joke and a half and autofocus at magnification to be, and this is not an exaggeration, worse than useless. Just my experiences with these things.



Untitled by lmaousrs, on Flickr


Untitled by lmaousrs, on Flickr


Untitled by lmaousrs, on Flickr


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## harlock0083

leiatlarge said:


> Harlock0083 is right that DOF is entirely a function of sensor/film size, aperture, and focal length. Digital vs film makes no difference there. Film does benefit from less chromatic aberrations and being able to resolve down to the grain. That being said, the resolution on 35mm film has finally lost to digital, even shooting ASA50. Large format camera film however is still king of the mountain on quality, resolution, and result. It'll be a few more year before a medium format back can come close resolution-wise. A lot of photography purists will still swear by film and most fine arts photographers will reach for film first.



Nothing against film, digital is just easier especially when I don't have to worry about the ISO. I would like to try it someday, but I mostly take pictures of the kids so I need all the help I can get.


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## aboynamedsuita

Not sure if I'd be better to start a new thread but this seems to be a good place to ask...

I'm thinking of getting a camera as my iPhone just isn't cutting it anymore when I see some of the knife pictures on KKF. I don't want to drop a fortune on something that'll be obsolete in a couple years, but at the same time would want to get something decent that I could (for example) add additional lenses to if desired. 

I was thinking of the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 or Nikon D5200 (also saw the D3200 but had mixed feelings). The canon is only 18.0mp compared to the 24.1mp of the Nikon, but since I'm not a photographer I'm not sure it's much of a difference id notice, although the difference is more than the total MP of my iPhone. The Nikon has a better warranty (2 years vs 1) but the canon has a higher ISO (12800 vs 6400), but apparently each can be expanded to 25600.

I was at Costco and saw them for decent prices (the guy in electronics spoke highly of the canon lenses even though he "apparently" has a Nikon), but I would probably purchase from a place that'll let you double the warranty such as bestbuy. I kinda like the canon as it's a bit smaller, costs less and probably is all I'd need. I took these in portrait orientation while at Costco so have no idea why they ended up rotating:






If anyone has some thoughts I'd be glad to hear them, thanks.


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## harlock0083

tjangula said:


> Not sure if I'd be better to start a new thread but this seems to be a good place to ask...
> 
> I'm thinking of getting a camera as my iPhone just isn't cutting it anymore when I see some of the knife pictures on KKF. I don't want to drop a fortune on something that'll be obsolete in a couple years, but at the same time would want to get something decent that I could (for example) add additional lenses to if desired.
> 
> I was thinking of the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 or Nikon D5200 (also saw the D3200 but had mixed feelings). The canon is only 18.0mp compared to the 24.1mp of the Nikon, but since I'm not a photographer I'm not sure it's much of a difference id notice, although the difference is more than the total MP of my iPhone. The Nikon has a better warranty (2 years vs 1) but the canon has a higher ISO (12800 vs 6400), but apparently each can be expanded to 25600.
> 
> I was at Costco and saw them for decent prices (the guy in electronics spoke highly of the canon lenses even though he "apparently" has a Nikon), but I would probably purchase from a place that'll let you double the warranty such as bestbuy. I kinda like the canon as it's a bit smaller, costs less and probably is all I'd need. I took these in portrait orientation while at Costco so have no idea why they ended up rotating:
> View attachment 26726
> 
> 
> View attachment 26727
> 
> 
> If anyone has some thoughts I'd be glad to hear them, thanks.



Do you prefer DSLRs? The Sony a6000 is probably what I would get right now. As far as the 2 you're asking about the Nikon is the better body. I really doubt iso 25600 is even usable. I think they're both apsc sensors but the canon apsc is slightly smaller (I have no idea why). The more important thing is what do you want to do with your camera and also check out the lenses you'll need to go with it. The kit lenses are meh.


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## JBroida

have you considered the sony a7 mkii? If i were buying a new system from scratch, that would be it for me.


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## harlock0083

JBroida said:


> have you considered the sony a7 mkii? If i were buying a new system from scratch, that would be it for me.



Its like 4 to 5 times the price if the a6000! Its an awesome camera just not sure if full frame is worth it over that much more for full frame glory. The lenses are filling out nicely though for sony.


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## JBroida

lol... i totally didnt even think about the price. Here was my thought process... the camera body isnt that expensive compared to the bulk of whats out there, has a great sensor, some of the best image stabilization out there, is extremely portable, and, with adapters, can work with any lens you want (with 5 axis IS on ALL lenses). But, yeah, i can see now how much more it is than the other options he was looking at.

Personally, i've been a canon guy for a while, and i like my lens options and the user interface. But nikon has canon beat with sensors (via sony), and has some pretty amazing lenses too. But all of the bodies are rather large. I think smaller bodies tend to get used more.

For what its worth, my camera bag, which travels everywhere with me, is about 40lbs of crap on my back at any given time. It weighs more than my son.


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## Matus

Sony A7II is a nice camera indeed - there are some really great lenses for it and it can (with adapter) be perfect for Leica-M mount lenses. But choosing a camera is more than sensor size or MP count. One should primarily concentrate on the purpose of the camera.

Just an example. As much I would love a to have a full frame mirror-less camera (the color fidelity, DOF options, usable with wide range of lenses, etc.), the best option for me at the moment would be Olympus E-M5II or E-M1. Why? Apart from excellent IQ it would allow me together with 12-40/2.8 and 40-150/2.8 have high performance camera for travel with 24 to 300 (FF equivalent) focal length covered without breaking my back (total weight under 2kg).

Jon, it would have taken my full 4x5" setup to make it to 40 lb  Seems like you gen indecisive when it comes what camera to use


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## JBroida

Matus said:


> Sony A7II is a nice camera indeed - there are some really great lenses for it and it can (with adapter) be perfect for Leica-M mount lenses. But choosing a camera is more than sensor size or MP count. One should primarily concentrate on the purpose of the camera.
> 
> Just an example. As much I would love a to have a full frame mirror-less camera (the color fidelity, DOF options, usable with wide range of lenses, etc.), the best option for me at the moment would be Olympus E-M5II or E-M1. Why? Apart from excellent IQ it would allow me together with 12-40/2.8 and 40-150/2.8 have high performance camera for travel with 24 to 300 (FF equivalent) focal length covered without breaking my back (total weight under 2kg).
> 
> Jon, it would have taken my full 4x5" setup to make it to 40 lb  Seems like you gen indecisive when it comes what camera to use



yeah... just a bit... 2 camera bodies, 6 lenses, tripod, led lighting, shotgun mic, extra batteries, chargers, filters, filter wrenches, laptop, h2n, camranger, headphones, and so on. I'm ready for pretty much anything at any time.


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## Matus

JBroida said:


> ... I'm ready for pretty much anything at any time.



We would not expect any less, Jon


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## aboynamedsuita

Thanks for the tips everyone, looks like I should do a but more research first regarding mirrorless vs dslr and what I see myself doing with it long term. That sony A7ii looks nice but is probably more than I could truly appreciate in a camera, the extra $ could buy some knives or something.


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## JBroida

tjangula said:


> Thanks for the tips everyone, looks like I should do a but more research first regarding mirrorless vs dslr and what I see myself doing with it long term. That sony A7ii looks nice but is probably more than I could truly appreciate in a camera, the extra $ could buy some knives or something.



it may be more than you need, but here is something to consider...

My first serious dslr was a canon t1i. I had it with the 18-55 kit lens, and i think it cost me about $600 total. Then, i added a canon 60mm 2.8 macro. Later, i added a sigma 30mm 1.4. After that, i upgraded to a canon 60d. I added a canon 24-105 f4 L. Then, later, upgraded my 30mm 1.4 to the sigma 35mm 1.4 art. Following that, I added a canon 5d mkIII, along with even more lenses (including a 100mm L Macro and 16-35 f4 IS L, among others), lighting, tripods, etc. I could be getting as good, if not slightly better image quality right now from something like the sony a7 mkII, and have a lot less bulk to carry. 

If its too much, you can always look at older models, like the original a7 or a used 6d or something. But, on the other hand, i'm very thankful for my learning process along the way. Just know that buying like i did doesnt save money (but the learning process is great).


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## JBroida

FYI.... just came across this:
http://www.canonrumors.com/2015/03/deal-canon-eos-7d-body-kits-from-749/


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## aboynamedsuita

Thanks Jon, I could totally see this could become another expensive hobby like knives, I'll have to tread lightly.


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## melbournites

There are really no bad cameras among all the major brands in the slr or mirrorless. It is what feels good in your hands and how much you want to spend.

I would focus on one very good "bright" lens(maximum aperture less than 2). In the nikon the 50 1.4 or 1.8 for full frame or 35 1.8 in the dx range. With the Sony a6000 I have the 24mm 1.8. That will give you the biggest improvement compared to the iPhone. If you want to shoot close ups of knife just throw on a close up filter. Move back or move forward to give a different view point with your one lens. 

Then concentrate on mastering the gear and improving your craft. Like knife sharpening ... Muscle memory = the camera becomes the extension of your hand and your eye visualizes the image before you take it. Then expand your gear as you develop your style or the task is limited by the lack of gear. 

Most camera kits also came with a basic zoom lens which will get you by in most situations.


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## Timthebeaver

melbournites said:


> There are really no bad cameras among all the major brands in the slr or mirrorless. It is what feels good in your hands and how much you want to spend.
> 
> Then concentrate on mastering the gear and improving your craft.



This guy gets it.


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## JBroida

for sure


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## Matus

Jon made a valid point few posts back. I would only add. If you can not afford your 'dream' camera today, than start with an previous generation (new or used) camera body in a system you plan to get into and rather invest the money you have in one or 2 good lenses since they will not loose on value or quality. It was also pointed out very correctly that there are no bad system cameras on the market anymore. If one is undecided on what to choose (the options are really plentiful) than for the mirror-less options it is IMO worthwhile to check out the reviews from Steve Huff. I found his *comparison* of Olympus OM-D E-M1, Fuji XT-1 and Sony A7s rather interesting.


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## Timthebeaver

While i do still enjoy using my SLR, I'm having a lot of fun with my Sony RX100 Mk III. A great little camera which satisfies the maxim "the best camera is the one you have with you". Almost always in my pocket.


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## tcmx3

Best advice I can give is to buy system agnostic lenses.

That makes mirrorless bodies the best choices IMO. When I want a new body, I can switch brands with impunity. I have a Canon now, if I wanted to go to Sony it would be trivial (the cost of an OM, R and F adapter). 

I can say with certainty there is not a camera maker today whose lens lineups can compare with a carefully selected blend.


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## harlock0083

Its kinda tough losing auto focus when using adapted lenses


----------



## Matus

harlock0083 said:


> Its kinda tough losing auto focus when using adapted lenses



There are many great MF lenses out there that you can use on a digital body today and with the latest generation of EVFs focusing should not be much of issue either. What remains less than optimal is the size - you put large lenses with not-that-small adapter on a compact camera body. But it is just one more choice one can make (and there are small lenses one can use like the rangefinder M-mount lenses)


----------



## JBroida

focusing with focus peaking is often faster than auto focus anyways


----------



## harlock0083

Matus said:


> There are many great MF lenses out there that you can use on a digital body today and with the latest generation of EVFs focusing should not be much of issue either. What remains less than optimal is the size - you put large lenses with not-that-small adapter on a compact camera body. But it is just one more choice one can make (and there are small lenses one can use like the rangefinder M-mount lenses)



I have an 80-200 canon fd coming in. I'm pretty sure it'll dwarf my camera in size and probably heavier to boot. Heck, this lens I just got feels as heavy as my camera!







Now its a 100mm f/3.5 on m4/3. (I took your recommendation redisburning). 






Lens was 70 bucks add another 13 for the adapter, I got a macro lens for under 100. There's like 2 other macro lens for m4/3 and they're a lot more than what I paid for here.


----------



## Matus

I just took a delivery of Olympus E-M5II, 12-40/2.8, 40-150/2.8 + 1.4x teleconverter. Man that thing is awesome. Feels so solid. Camera is even smaller than I expected. I am now waiting eagerly for the battery to charge up 

But I guess I will have to free some funds to make at least partial financial recovery and will probably sell a few knives (and cameras) that I do not use often enough (the Billipp will NOT be on sale).


----------



## harlock0083

Matus said:


> I just took a delivery of Olympus E-M5II, 12-40/2.8, 40-150/2.8 + 1.4x teleconverter. Man that thing is awesome. Feels so solid. Camera is even smaller than I expected. I am now waiting eagerly for the battery to charge up
> 
> But I guess I will have to free some funds to make at least partial financial recovery and will probably sell a few knives (and cameras) that I do not use often enough (the Billipp will NOT be on sale).



The 5 axis IS is amaze balls. Also, those are impressive zooms you got there. I went cheaper and got a speedbooster clone + canon fd lens. Oh and grats on your new gear!


----------



## Matus

Thanks. I have to admit that it will probably take me quite a while util I will to learn to use it properly (the cameras got quite a bit more complicated since the days of my Rolleiflex 2.8E). Also - the 40-150 is quite large - I guess I may _need_ a new camera bag to carry it properly (my current one from courierware.com is very lightweight and practical, but offers very little protection). I will probably get some fixed focus lenses too - the 17/1.8 and possibly the macro 60/2.8 and maybe even some of the f/0.95 from Voigtlaender, but that will have to wait as I definitely went over budget here 

But we are off to Denmark in a few days and, hopefully, Norway for 3 weeks in June, so I hope to get some nice photos to help to justify the purchase.


----------



## harlock0083

Matus said:


> Thanks. I have to admit that it will probably take me quite a while util I will to learn to use it properly (the cameras got quite a bit more complicated since the days of my Rolleiflex 2.8E). Also - the 40-150 is quite large - I guess I may _need_ a new camera bag to carry it properly (my current one from courierware.com is very lightweight and practical, but offers very little protection). I will probably get some fixed focus lenses too - the 17/1.8 and possibly the macro 60/2.8 and maybe even some of the f/0.95 from Voigtlaender, but that will have to wait as I definitely went over budget here
> 
> But we are off to Denmark in a few days and, hopefully, Norway for 3 weeks in June, so I hope to get some nice photos to help to justify the purchase.



Well its quite a bit smaller than a equivalent 80-300 f/2.8 . I'm not a fan of the Olympus menu system, but once you get it setup the way you want it should be fine. If you have a small tripod, take that along for the 40MP high res shot its gimmicky, but for still shots it works quite well.


----------



## harlock0083

Ordered a Chinese knockoff of the Metabones speedbooster a few weeks ago and it arrived after TWO WEEKS (I guess those pidgeons finally found my house...). Anyway here's some shots wide open on the Canon 50mm f/1.4 (nFD mount). 
















It took me awhile to get use to, even now it's pretty tough to get things in focus wide open, and that's with focus peaking (I get the felling that if I had better in body IS I could have done better, or I should have whipped out the tripod). Honestly, I didn't think the DOF would be an issue on m4/3. The bokeh is decent, but you do get football shaped bokeh balls near the edge of the frame. I've read that shots are pretty sharp wide open for lenses under 2.8, but don't really see it to be honest (stopping down does makes it sharper and easier to focus!). Overall I really like this adapter. Also playing with old lenses can be fun.


----------



## Keith Sinclair




----------



## harlock0083

keithsaltydog said:


>



Nice pics! Is that cat protecting your ice tea?  Also, I think that cat ate some of the cow from this pond...


----------



## apicius9

Cool stuff. I have been spending more time on photo forums than here recently. Got bitten by the bug again, and decided to 'restructure' my photo equipment. Selling a bunch of handles helped with that, even though most of the money will fall into the big black hole. But I now own a Panasonic GX7 which is another mirrorless camera similar to Matus' Olympus EM5-II. Almost went for that Oly, but I just get along better with the Panasonic menu, and this one seemed the most comfortable for using adapted lenses. And I have larger hands, these small Olympus bodies are just too tiny for me as my 'main' cameras. That said, I will keep an eye on the next couple of generations of the EM1, the Olympus m4/3 'flag ship'; that is still a nice size and the great image stabilizing system would really help with the old lenses. Also added a couple of m4/3 lenses plus a few cheaper manual ones. The Macro I finally went for is the Vivitar/Komine 55/2.8 that I got for a good price and it seems to be really nice. Now I gotta sell off a few of the less-used lenses. Oh, and find the time to take pictures 

As a general note: Almost all camera equipment I bought in the past 10 years or so was bought used. I am usually at least 1 generation behind on the camera body and all my lenses are used also. If you look around in photography forums with BST sections, you often can find great deals, and people in these forums usually take care of their gear - same as here with knives. In dozens of dealings I only had one fluke so far, and that was my own fault - it was on Ebay and I did not look closely enough at the pictures (old lens had fungus). For me, the main reasons to upgrade are 1) noticeable advances in low light usability, and 2) advances in user convenience (like easier use of adapted lenses in this case). My other camera body is a Panasonic GH2 from 2011 (I think). I will probably spend the rest of my life working on my skills to get to the point where this camera would not be enough anymore. I think that in 99% the limitation is behind the camera... 

Stefan


----------



## tcmx3

any body will work.

look at what I own wrt lenses; my only body is a 40d.

ok already posted that one so here are a bunch of images where I dicked around with color in photoshop (my favorite part about shooting digital)



Untitled by P M, on Flickr



Untitled by P M, on Flickr



Untitled by P M, on Flickr



Untitled by P M, on Flickr



Untitled by P M, on Flickr

and Ill cap it off with what is probably my favorite image that Ive ever done:


Untitled by P M, on Flickr


----------



## tcmx3

ps one of these is a 5d mk II and one is a nikon lens (the others are all olympus on a 40d). 

kudos to anyone who can guess which two they are.


----------



## harlock0083

apicius9 said:


> Cool stuff. I have been spending more time on photo forums than here recently. Got bitten by the bug again, and decided to 'restructure' my photo equipment. Selling a bunch of handles helped with that, even though most of the money will fall into the big black hole. But I now own a Panasonic GX7 which is another mirrorless camera similar to Matus' Olympus EM5-II. Almost went for that Oly, but I just get along better with the Panasonic menu, and this one seemed the most comfortable for using adapted lenses. And I have larger hands, these small Olympus bodies are just too tiny for me as my 'main' cameras. That said, I will keep an eye on the next couple of generations of the EM1, the Olympus m4/3 'flag ship'; that is still a nice size and the great image stabilizing system would really help with the old lenses. Also added a couple of m4/3 lenses plus a few cheaper manual ones. The Macro I finally went for is the Vivitar/Komine 55/2.8 that I got for a good price and it seems to be really nice. Now I gotta sell off a few of the less-used lenses. Oh, and find the time to take pictures
> 
> As a general note: Almost all camera equipment I bought in the past 10 years or so was bought used. I am usually at least 1 generation behind on the camera body and all my lenses are used also. If you look around in photography forums with BST sections, you often can find great deals, and people in these forums usually take care of their gear - same as here with knives. In dozens of dealings I only had one fluke so far, and that was my own fault - it was on Ebay and I did not look closely enough at the pictures (old lens had fungus). For me, the main reasons to upgrade are 1) noticeable advances in low light usability, and 2) advances in user convenience (like easier use of adapted lenses in this case). My other camera body is a Panasonic GH2 from 2011 (I think). I will probably spend the rest of my life working on my skills to get to the point where this camera would not be enough anymore. I think that in 99% the limitation is behind the camera...
> 
> Stefan



Hey we have the same camera. OLympus menus really do suck. Main reason I went with gx7 instead of em5


----------



## apicius9

Took the camera and the Leica Summicron for a walk, some pupus, and a few beers after work today. Wanted to catch the 'golden hour' but then almost missed it because I got talking to people on the neighboring table. Funny thing, the guy was using the GH2 (which I also have), shooting an interview with a mediocre kit lens. I offered him my 20mm lens for the interview and we had a great time after that. Turned out these guys were into shooting pilot and promo videos and photos for local talent and wanted to recruit me - probably because of the lenses I own, because they couldn't know a thing about my talent. I was skeptical, but when the really cute waitress turned out to be a model and was intersted in some shoots, somehow my skepticism disappeared  Well, I think there was a lot of hot air, but we'll see. Helping out with a few video or stills shoots of local musicians and models could be fun. Anyway, here are a few pics I took - the last one one of the only 'golden hour' shots I got in from my bar table...

Oops, phone battery almost gone, pics to follow shortly.

Stefan


----------



## harlock0083

Is the exif data still there? I'd have to cheat lol. I've thought about getting the Sony a7r II because of the full frame hype... Sigh I'm level 7 susceptible.


----------



## harlock0083

apicius9 said:


> Took the camera and the Leica Summicron for a walk, some pupus, and a few beers after work today. Wanted to catch the 'golden hour' but then almost missed it because I got talking to people on the neighboring table. Funny thing, the guy was using the GH2 (which I also have), shooting an interview with a mediocre kit lens. I offered him my 20mm lens for the interview and we had a great time after that. Turned out these guys were into shooting pilot and promo videos and photos for local talent and wanted to recruit me - probably because of the lenses I own, because they couldn't know a thing about my talent. I was skeptical, but when the really cute waitress turned out to be a model and was intersted in some shoots, somehow my skepticism disappeared  Well, I think there was a lot of hot air, but we'll see. Helping out with a few video or stills shoots of local musicians and models could be fun. Anyway, here are a few pics I took - the last one one of the only 'golden hour' shots I got in from my bar table...
> 
> Oops, phone battery almost gone, pics to follow shortly.
> 
> Stefan



Native m43 lenses? I rented the panaleica 42.5 f 1.2. If I wasn't thinking about the Sony mirrorless cameras I would save up for that.


----------



## apicius9

I have the native 20/1.7, 75/1.9, and the 45/1.8 in the mail plus the 14-140 and the 14-45 Panasonic zooms. The 35-100/2.8 would be nice but is out of my price range. 

Ok, here are some pics from today. I hope they are sharp, I forgot my glasses  All straight from the camera (only resized), 3x with the 50mm Summicron, and the wider one with the 20mm native lens. The last one has the light I was waiting for, but I was too involved in talks to get up for more shots 

Stefan


----------



## tcmx3

harlock0083 said:


> Is the exif data still there? I'd have to cheat lol. I've thought about getting the Sony a7r II because of the full frame hype... Sigh I'm level 7 susceptible.



the sony a7rii is well worth the money.

full frame makes a big difference. personally, I can see the difference at larger web sizes. also, the sony has hugely increased dynamic range (which results in being able to handle more stops of light without blowing out highlights or getting noise in the shadow). but between two aps-c bodies? not so much. most of the stuff on cameras is irrelevant IMO. video is useful, stabilization is useful, that's about it?

but... do you have the lenses to take advantage of it? do you have the right monitor/printer? are you going to put time and effort into post-processing? really the best thing about FF IMO is how lenses look on it. you lose a lot of character when you take off the outer zones. it's easy to make a sharp lens for a small camera; it's much harder to make a personable one. conversely for full frame 35mm there are *tons* like Leica Summilux ASPH, Zeiss 25/2 distagon, Olympus OM 90/2, etc.


----------



## designdog

There are two problems with Sony. Actually, three.

1. Very limited lens selection, particularly fast primes

2. Sony compresses raw files in camera and no way to override it

3. One year from now, or maybe 6 months, all bodies will be obsoleted with new models


----------



## harlock0083

redisburning said:


> the sony a7rii is well worth the money.
> 
> full frame makes a big difference. personally, I can see the difference at larger web sizes. also, the sony has hugely increased dynamic range (which results in being able to handle more stops of light without blowing out highlights or getting noise in the shadow). but between two aps-c bodies? not so much. most of the stuff on cameras is irrelevant IMO. video is useful, stabilization is useful, that's about it?
> 
> but... do you have the lenses to take advantage of it? do you have the right monitor/printer? are you going to put time and effort into post-processing? really the best thing about FF IMO is how lenses look on it. you lose a lot of character when you take off the outer zones. it's easy to make a sharp lens for a small camera; it's much harder to make a personable one. conversely for full frame 35mm there are *tons* like Leica Summilux ASPH, Zeiss 25/2 distagon, Olympus OM 90/2, etc.




High ISO performance is still lacking a bit on m43 that's one of my gripes (3200 is okay with some work, anything past that is mush). If I get the A7r II, there'd be 2 lenses I would "need/want" the Zeiss Batis 55mm f1.8 and the 85mm f1.8 and then later add some wide angle zoom. I hate to do it, but I'll probably be selling off my m43 lenses (all 3 of them.. and a couple gyutos) to recoup some of the cost of the damn body. Realistically though I'd probably be just using the Helios 58mm f2 or the Canon nFD 50mm f1.4 (heck even a Fuji 55mm f1.8) on the sony until I can afford the native lenses. Monitor I'm set as far as printer, I generally send off to mpix for printing (the wife uses sam's club).

designdog
There are two problems with Sony. Actually, three.

1. Very limited lens selection, particularly fast primes

Agreed, but there's really only two that I would want the Zeiss Batis 55 and 85 @ 1.8 which is decently fast (they're no Noct-Nikkor or the Canon 85 red ring fast, but they're also quite a bit more expensive) also you can adapt the Canon EF lenses onto the sony mounts. The autofocus is a crapshoot though. 

2. Sony compresses raw files in camera and no way to override it

From dpreview interview with Kimio Maki

*One of our main criticisms of the a7-series has been raw compression. Is the raw processing of the a7R II the same as previous cameras?
*

KM: Right now it is the same, yes. Were still working on it. In the future we may change the software but thats not completed yet. We have consumers who require 14-bit etc., and were considering [how to deal with it]. 

which is a good sign I suppose, but *may change* isn't a good guarantee. Still I'm not sure if that's a negative for me. 

3. One year from now, or maybe 6 months, all bodies will be obsoleted with new models

I generally wait for the next generation to be released for tech stuff that's how I save money! Not quite a negative, but hopefully Sony support can be more like Fuji's in terms of firmware updates.


----------



## Keith Sinclair

Few from Alaska Trip






















Latter part of trip stopped on a small island Janice and I hiked to a place called Eagle Point we were the only people there these Eagles were diving out of the trees down to the water grabbing fish.





















Engine room of Catalyst


----------



## marc4pt0

Bald eagles know they're cool.


----------



## apicius9

Nice pics, Keith, should have looked at them last Sunday  

Stefan


----------



## Matus

Keith, some really cool photos. That must have been amazing vacation.


----------



## Keith Sinclair

Yes Matus it was a great trip 10 days a lot of hiking and Kayaking. Catalyst was built in Seattle Washington in 1932 out of Oak. We rarely saw any other boats entire trip.

I worked fishing boats in my younger years. 24 hours a day you had to sleep through all the noise. Now I sleep best on a boat with a thumping engine like a heartbeat sleep like a baby.


----------



## harlock0083

Tried my hand at HDR photography. Sometimes I liked the heavily overprocessed look.


----------



## harlock0083

More HDR photos.


----------



## designdog

My main kit, and I have gone through Leicas, Canon, Sony, etc., is Nikon D810 with Nikon 24, 58, 85 1.4G primes and the 70-200 2.8G IS zoom. Also have the Zeiss 2/100 Makroplanar.

I also enjoy the Fuji X100T with the "50mm" conversion lens. Great for travel, spontaneous needs.

I use Lightroom and Photoshop - been with PS since before Adobe bought it. VSCO presets are nice too, along with Topaz plugins.

I would be happy to answer any questions on any of this equipment, or processing in general. Been at it a long time...


----------



## MadDurrr

harlock0083 said:


> Tried my hand at HDR photography. Sometimes I liked the heavily overprocessed look.



Could almost pass as a painting or drawing of some sort. Very cool!


----------



## apicius9

Just playing around over lunch

Stefan


----------



## harlock0083

designdog said:


> My main kit, and I have gone through Leicas, Canon, Sony, etc., is Nikon D810 with Nikon 24, 58, 85 1.4G primes and the 70-200 2.8G IS zoom. Also have the Zeiss 2/100 Makroplanar.
> 
> I also enjoy the Fuji X100T with the "50mm" conversion lens. Great for travel, spontaneous needs.
> 
> I use Lightroom and Photoshop - been with PS since before Adobe bought it. VSCO presets are nice too, along with Topaz plugins.
> 
> I would be happy to answer any questions on any of this equipment, or processing in general. Been at it a long time...



Yea, I took a peak at your exif data on the pictures of the knives you were selling. They're very nice pics! Do you mostly shoot available light or do you use flash and mods? I'm starting to learn Lightroom and photoshop using the creative live sub.


----------



## harlock0083

apicius9 said:


> Just playing around over lunch
> 
> Stefan



Stefan, which lens did you use for that?


----------



## JBroida

some more recent shots:


----------



## EdipisReks

Those are great, Jon!


----------



## JBroida

one more because BBQ


----------



## daveb

All that pic needs is something wet, cold and delicious...


----------



## apicius9

harlock0083 said:


> Stefan, which lens did you use for that?



M4/3 Oly 45/1.8 wide open. Stopped briefly at the harbor today for a few quick snapshots with the same lens. 

Stefan


----------



## Keith Sinclair

Hokulea off waikiki. She is on a word cruise now.






Best beach Cat off waikiki. Rainbow over Diamond Head.

Always loved sailing, had a Hobie 16. Would sail that craft beyond it's structural limits beyond the wind line off Diamond Head.


----------



## mille162

some recent shots from our groups travels (www.theParadiseChallenge.com). All on my travel Canon 7D

Bali, Udon Forest





South Africa lion reserve





Bali sunset





Stepping 15' to the left and grabbing a BTS shot





Bali spider, playing with a 100mm for the first time


----------



## heldentenor

That is terrifying.


----------



## harlock0083

That spider pic is creeping me out.


----------



## HHH Knives

Hey guys. Im looking for some help and advise on purchasing my next camera. I have been using a Canon for the last 10 years... First a 30D and now a Rebel T3i Loved the 30D and when it died I was advised that the Rebel was a upgrade and I would love it. That is not necessarily the case. although it is a upgrade in many ways. The images it gave me were different. Hard to put in words for me as I don't know alot about cameras and there processors and stuff. Best thing I can come up with is that the 30d took richer pictures. and the T3i takes very crispy images. lol. 

I take still photos ONLY. So added video features are wasted on me. 

What Canon body would you recommend as my next camera? Im tempted to go back to the 30D Yet if there is a better option I figured I would ask you guys .. 

Thanks
Randy


----------



## buttermilk

I'd suggest progressing to more recent bodies from that family. The 50d and 60d prices are not significantly higher than the 40d, and either are at least a marginal improvement over the 40d. That said, the prices for a 40d on KEH are almost nothing for a digital body. The pro family isn't going to offer a worthwhile improvement/price ratio for your uses. Anything from a 40d, 50d, and up seems like great choices for you.


----------



## HHH Knives

Thanks much for the reply. I have spent the better part of the day looking and reading. What is KEH?


----------



## buttermilk

Yeah, days definitely happen like that before these decisions. KEH is a remaining cornerstone dealer of new and used camera equipment. Their used stuff is great and each piece is very modestly (i.e. Even a bargain rating is in solidly useable shape) rated. I've bought from them for years and have never had an issue with their used gear.


----------



## goatgolfer

marc4pt0 said:


> I'm a Nikon guy myself. Just a hobbyist trying to find more time.
> Gear:
> Nikon D7000



If anyone knows Marc I am trying to reach him about these pics. His PM is full and shouting isn't working. GoatGolfer.


----------



## JBroida

nothing too fancy, but just happened to be some cool shots:


----------



## toddnmd

Nice thread. Does anyone here use a 4/3 mirrorless camera? I'm strongly considering one for reduced size/weight and being less conspicuous while traveling.


----------



## marc4pt0

Pm cleared, sorry about that


----------



## mille162

toddnmd said:


> Nice thread. Does anyone here use a 4/3 mirrorless camera? I'm strongly considering one for reduced size/weight and being less conspicuous while traveling.



I have a Canon S95 and S110 that are my go-to, never-without cameras. Can shoot in RAW, tons of manual adjustments and the size allows them to be carried in my pants pocket wherever I go. I also really like the low light options and I can capture great shots at dinner without the flash going off and annoying the rest of the restaurant.

If you hit Canon's website and signup for their store alerts, they have refurb and open box special all the time for over 50% off list. Don't worry about buying the latest model, go for the deal and get 2 and keep one in your travel bag/car so you're never without it.


----------



## Matus

A few from our trip to Norway in June. Olympus E-M5II with 12-40/2.8 and 40-150/2.8

It was probably our coldest summer vacation ever (apart from being the most expensive one)


----------



## JBroida

no clue how these will load on here, but still:


----------



## mark76

Great pictures, Matus! Yeah, that it would be an expensive holiday was predictable  (and the cold was somewhat likely). But definitely a beautiful one!

Also great pictures, Jon! How did you create those panorama pics?


----------



## Matus

Thanks Mark, it was actually colder than expected - according to local people it was the coldest spring in Norway since 100 years (or so). Not to answer your question to Jon, but the two panoramas I have posted above were made with Lightroom 6 and I can only say that I am more than happy how Lightroom handed it. The photo of the Geiranger Fjord was put together with 4 or 6 exposures (40 Mpix after cropping the edges).

Jon - did you use polarising filter with those panoramas? The variation in the sky brightness would suggest that.


----------



## JBroida

Matus... I should have used the filter, but I fixed it in post instead. Used photoshop for the panoramas.


----------



## Matus

A few from a Leipzig ZOO (Olympus E-M5II with 40-150/2.8 - that lens rocks!). Follow the links if you are detail hungry 

All of these are ISO 1000 - 3200


----------



## Keith Sinclair

Cool Reptile pics


----------



## Artichoke

Jon - where were those pics taken?

Mateus - nice pics of Norway! I spent five weeks there in 1975 when I was 14 years old. I hope to go back, maybe next summer.


----------



## JBroida

@artichoke in bass lake, near yosemite


----------



## mark76

JBroida said:


> Used photoshop for the panoramas.



You just took the pics and then stitched them together using Photoshop?


----------



## JBroida

yeah


----------



## mark76

My recent holiday pics. Which do you like best?


----------



## Matus

Mark, I think I like the last one most - the many different shades of blue/cyan with the tree silhouettes in front look really nice.


----------



## harlock0083

Mark76, I like the second one the most.


----------



## WildBoar

2nd one for me. The 3rd and 4th are nice, but ultimately a bit commonplace. The 2nd one is much more interesting and has a powerful feel due to the rock in the foreground. It might benefit from a little PP, but as an image I think it's a winner.


----------



## Keith Sinclair

Mark nice pictures I like the second one the best. Clouds in the sky give it a turbulent feel. The large rock in foreground grabs your attention first. Group of trees behind it. Road draws you into background to forest, mountain peaks and interesting sky.

Where did you take these pictures?


----------



## mark76

Thanks guys! One of them will be framed on a wall. I took the pics in Austria, Vorarlberg.


----------



## harlock0083

I finally bought into the Sony A7R II hype and sold off my m43 gear which I'll miss. Here's some last shots I took with panny GX7 (total number of pictures taken before I sold it 11,281):


----------



## mark76

Cute! And very nice pictures!


----------



## mille162

Harlock0083 so funny you posted that, I was in Bestbuy today looking at it and playing with it with one of Sony's reps. I'm looking for a smaller and more travel friendly replacement for my Canon 5kmdIII. A friend is using the A7 for video and when I checked out the specs, it loooks like a good DSLR replacement. I think the A7SII might be a better option for me, although the dual focus of the A7RII is very appealing. 

Please post your thoughts on it after you've played with it a bit. I feel like I've spend 20+ hours on DPreview reading the owner and expert reviews trying to decide if I'm going to switch over. It's def. a trade-off in controls and feel (personal experience) as well as focus ability (based on reviews, esp if I use the metabones adapter to keep using my Canon glass), but there are some really cool features in it I like (4k video, compact housing, auto panoramic, dual focus sensor, better low light shooting). Have you set-up the live preview on your phone/tablet? This is a cool feature so the model or client can look at what I've shot without me having to constantly stop shooting and show them the preview screen and toggle through the last 20 pics; curious as to how well it works in the real world and the distance it'll still work.

-Ron


----------



## harlock0083

mille162 said:


> Harlock0083 so funny you posted that, I was in Bestbuy today looking at it and playing with it with one of Sony's reps. I'm looking for a smaller and more travel friendly replacement for my Canon 5kmdIII. A friend is using the A7 for video and when I checked out the specs, it loooks like a good DSLR replacement. I think the A7SII might be a better option for me, although the dual focus of the A7RII is very appealing.
> 
> Please post your thoughts on it after you've played with it a bit. I feel like I've spend 20+ hours on DPreview reading the owner and expert reviews trying to decide if I'm going to switch over. It's def. a trade-off in controls and feel (personal experience) as well as focus ability (based on reviews, esp if I use the metabones adapter to keep using my Canon glass), but there are some really cool features in it I like (4k video, compact housing, auto panoramic, dual focus sensor, better low light shooting). Have you set-up the live preview on your phone/tablet? This is a cool feature so the model or client can look at what I've shot without me having to constantly stop shooting and show them the preview screen and toggle through the last 20 pics; curious as to how well it works in the real world and the distance it'll still work.
> 
> -Ron



I was actually thinking about the Nikon 810 (due to the lower price), but decided to stay mirrorless in the end. 

Here's my feeling for the A7R II so far:
Focusing is accurate and quick in good light. In poor lighting conditions its pretty meh.
Eye focus feature is pretty cool.
Focus peaking is good, but I've had out of focus shots using it.
AWB is alright most of the time (use custom WB in indoor lighting, I ended up with very warm colors and orangish skin tones)
If you're going to use the uncompressed RAW get a fast SD card! (They're ~80mb uncompressed and 40 compressed)
High iso is a lot better than my GX7 (given since is full frame vs m43). DR is very good.
42mega pixels is good, shooting technique needs to better to minimize camera shake. (even with 5 axis stabilzation).
Camera doesn't feel very responsive at times.
Battery life does suck.
Camera is heavy, but balances my MF lenses better. 

I don't have a metabones adapter or canon glass, but this site maintains a list of for canon glass compatibility.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1379624

Thats it for now.


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## mille162

Harlock0083 thanks for the info! What you're stating is pretty much what I've been reading and in line with my (albeit) brief experience in the store with the A7RII in my hands. Unfortunately, the Sony mirrorless just isn't there yet to replace my DSLR set-up...which is really disappointing because there's a small and basic underwater housing available for it (not much bigger than the camera body itself) for ~$300 and the housing for my 5dMk3 comes out to $2500ish and takes up a ton of space in my luggage. Was really hoping to have an all-in-one solution for travel photography needs that I'd also be able to do underwater shots with. Now it looks like the mk5d3 above water, and a Canon GX and canon case for below water...actually, now that the A7 II models are out, maybe I can just pick up a used A7I on the cheap and the same underwater case and just deal with the horrible battery life (it's 20% less underwater due to water temps affecting battery life) and camera shake.


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## alterwisser

I'm curious about any tips, links etc to take great pics of knives. I've played around mostly with architecture, landscapes and stuff. Very little with people, or closeups...

I'm using a Nikon D7000...


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## Matus

alterwisser said:


> I'm curious about any tips, links etc to take great pics of knives. I've played around mostly with architecture, landscapes and stuff. Very little with people, or closeups...
> 
> I'm using a Nikon D7000...



If I were you I would look for some books on studio & table-top photography. Even though one can get creative with natural light, for more cool stuff 1 or 2 remote controlled flashes and some reflectors and/or softboxes would definitely help (do not get too large ones - they will be getting in the way, something like 20" should be just fine) and have fun!


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## tward369

I recently joined the forum and found this great thread. Great work guys! I currently have a Nikon D600 and 35mm f1.4g lens. Here are a few photos shot with that:
















This is from back when I had a D5100 and 35mm 1.8g lens (This was a crop of a slow shutter Panorama)






This is from when I had a D40 and a 18-55mm lens






Cheers,

Tommy


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## Mucho Bocho

I know nothing about the technicalities of photography, but I can sure pick out good pictures when I see them. 

Is that first shot a rice field? I feel like I'm standing in the pond. Beautiful.


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## tward369

Mucho Bocho said:


> I know nothing about the technicalities of photography, but I can sure pick out good pictures when I see them.
> 
> Is that first shot a rice field? I feel like I'm standing in the pond. Beautiful.



Thanks! The first shot is in the rice paddies of Saluang Nai- a tiny village in the mountains by Chiang Mai, Thailand. Half of my family is Thai and lives there. You'll notice that some of the paddies are dry and some are wet- this occurs because the farmers cycle the water through the paddies. It's a beautiful place.


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## mark76

Very nice pics, Tward!


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## Keith Sinclair

Nice shots Tommy what city is that?


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## tward369

keithsaltydog said:


> Nice shots Tommy what city is that?



Thanks! The city in black and white is NYC, taken across the Hudson river from the Jersey City waterfront.


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## harlock0083

No one's posted in awhile so here's some pictures of my kids:

The younger one not playing nice at the library:


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## JBroida

i've got some fun pictures from not too long ago... thanks for reviving the thread... got some fun new gear over the last few months... canon 16-35 f4 IS L, camranger, new tripod, etc.


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## harlock0083

John, have you considered upgrading your body when the 5d mark IV comes out?


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## JBroida

I've actually been thinking of switching to a Sony a7ii or something like that


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## harlock0083

JBroida said:


> I've actually been thinking of switching to a Sony a7ii or something like that



Go all the way and get the a7r II! Actually, it works better with AF for adapted lenses unless you go manual only.


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## JBroida

thats what i've been considering


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## harlock0083

If you like Canon colors though, its tough to change really. You get better DR on sony sensors but Canon imo has better colors. I really like the skin tones on Canon.


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## Cheeks1989

Beautiful photos!


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## panda

Sigmas(foveon) have the best color, almost film-like.


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## Matus

panda said:


> Sigmas(foveon) have the best color, almost film-like.



For the film-like look I really like .... film  

Sorry, I had to, foveon sensors really deliver lovely colors 

Mamiyia 6, Provia 100 (most probably):


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## harlock0083

panda said:


> Sigmas(foveon) have the best color, almost film-like.



They do produce really good colors in good light, but the low light performance is kinda meh (atleast from the samples i've seen
).


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## Lucretia

Just got a Sony a6000 yesterday (couldn't justify the 7ii for my use.) I like the small size and light weight. The documentation that comes with it is drek--there's a 400-page "help guide" you can download that looks like it will make life easier. (The so-called instruction manual that comes with it doesn't even define the gazillion icons on the display.)

I think it will take some nice pictures with practice.


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## marc4pt0

I think it already is taking some nice pictures


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## MAS4T0

We recently got a Canon 700D and a couple of lenses. 

I've never used a proper camera before and it's taking quite a lot of time to get used to all the setting (I'm currently only adjusting the shutter speed and ISO).


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## harlock0083

Mas, your iso is pretty high. Do you have a tripod?


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## MAS4T0

Hi Harlock,

The tripod arrived today, so I can start using a longer exposure time! 

I must admit that I'm surprised at how much it struggles in low light compared to a point and click, but it's most likely something I'm doing wrong.


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## harlock0083

MAS4T0 said:


> Hi Harlock,
> 
> The tripod arrived today, so I can start using a longer exposure time!
> 
> I must admit that I'm surprised at how much it struggles in low light compared to a point and click, but it's most likely something I'm doing wrong.



Like focusing? Does your point and click have a foucs asist light on?


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## MAS4T0

harlock0083 said:


> Like focusing? Does your point and click have a foucs asist light on?



I was meaning that comparatively it seems to show a lot more grain at the same ISO level. I would have thought it would be the opposite as the aperture is far larger.


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## JBroida

there's a lot of processing that point and shoot cameras do to photos, so they seem nicer from afar, but a DSLR will have more room to play and make pictures even nicer, cleaner, etc. It just requires more knowledge, skill, and practice, and isnt as easy.


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## harlock0083

MAS4T0 said:


> I was meaning that comparatively it seems to show a lot more grain at the same ISO level. I would have thought it would be the opposite as the aperture is far larger.



What point and shoot did you have? Most of them will have 1" sensors which is a lot smaller than an apsc sensor in the 700d. Also there's probably some strong noise reduction in the jpgs. With a new camera there's going to be a lot to learn and lenses to buy! Gotta feed the gear acquisition syndrome (GAS).


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## Matus

Yeah, the modern cameras really put our ability to lear under a test. My OMD-EM5II has huge amount of things one can set-up. So I got a book about the camera (as the user manual does not explain much) - the book has 500 pages ...


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## MAS4T0

harlock0083 said:


> What point and shoot did you have? Most of them will have 1" sensors which is a lot smaller than an apsc sensor in the 700d. Also there's probably some strong noise reduction in the jpgs. With a new camera there's going to be a lot to learn and lenses to buy! Gotta feed the gear acquisition syndrome (GAS).



I honestly don't know!

I think that the problem could be that while the sensor is bigger, the individual pixels are smaller, as it's so much higher resolution. 

After having played for a while, I think that I'll probably have to the leave photography to my wife from now on as I don't have the time to learn to do it properly and I'm finding that focussing or looking at the screen when the lens is auto-focussing gives me weird headaches.


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## JBroida

bringing this thread back up again 'cause i got a couple of shots today i was super happy with (there were actually quite a few more, but these two are straight off of the camera with ZERO editing)... #maui #vacation


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## Elfen23

Beautiful, Jon!!


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## Matus

Nice once Jon. We are heading to Lago Maggiore for a prolonged weekend, so I hope to have some time for photography (I need some leverage for not being able to get to my workshop for a whole week)


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## mark76

Wow, those are incredibly beautiful Jon!


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## Mucho Bocho

Good shots for sure. What are you raising a hippie son Jon? When was that last time that boy got a hair cut? LOL


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## harlock0083

Nice pics Jon! Did you shoot at f8?


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## JBroida

harlock0083 said:


> Nice pics Jon! Did you shoot at f8?



way higher than that... more like f22


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## mille162

From a recent St. Barths trip, model is Hollie Hoosline, was just a cool shot while shooting product for a sponsor company that makes silicon mermaid tails. Shell Beach was so cool, no sand, but small 1mm long pink and white shells instead.


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## mille162

same trip but using the 7D in an ikelite housing instead of the 5D. Looks peaceful and simple but getting my depth and position right in the current, while avoiding all the other jellyfish around me took a good 10+ min to set-up at around 15' depth.






Currently looking for a 5D waterproof housing if any of you guys are in local photo clubs and find someone looking to get rid of one.


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## harlock0083

mille162 said:


> same trip but using the 7D in an ikelite housing instead of the 5D. Looks peaceful and simple but getting my depth and position right in the current, while avoiding all the other jellyfish around me took a good 10+ min to set-up at around 15' depth.
> 
> Currently looking for a 5D waterproof housing if any of you guys are in local photo clubs and find someone looking to get rid of one.



I admire your patience and bravery.  Nice pic, I like how the jellyfish is lit.


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## Matus

Those are exccellent photographs mille


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## youkinorn

Never knew this thread existed. I shoot around quite a bit. Mostly on a Mamiya 645 medium format and a fuji x100 lately. A few shots (not too recent, though...have a bunch of film I need to get processed):


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## Duckfat

Lucretia said:


> Just got a Sony a6000 yesterday (couldn't justify the 7ii for my use.) I like the small size and light weight. The documentation that comes with it is drek--there's a 400-page "help guide" you can download that looks like it will make life easier. (The so-called instruction manual that comes with it doesn't even define the gazillion icons on the display.)
> 
> I think it will take some nice pictures with practice.




It doesn't look like you need much practice! What lens are you using? I sold off my 5D3 earlier this year. It was just a nuisance traveling with it. I'm using the 35 1.8 OSS. IQ is well below a DSLR but I love the form factor. The biggest draw back for me with the 35mm on a cropper is the FL.


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## harlock0083

[video=youtube;Gv34CdeTUW0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv34CdeTUW0[/video]

My confession, I went full frame for the bokeh.


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## tcmx3

long lens landscape




my current money pit




my grandparent's hilarious little rescue


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## harlock0083

youkinorn, that picture of the animal (the one before the window shot, I have no idea what that is) is freaking me out for some reason..


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## harlock0083

So google made their Nik Collection free (you can use it with lightroom). So I got around to processing with it.


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## Zweber12

Maybe not the right thread, though the easiest way to reach the photographers of this board with a question: how do you take your coil shots (set up wise) and with which setting (lens, F, etc). I am looking for a standardized workflow to document my collection, this is the missing piece..


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## Matus

For a quick choil shot I hold the knife with my left hand by the handle, use a light color cutting board as a 'background' and allow the tip to touch the board for support. I would be facing window so I would be getting a rather diffuse light from the other side as where the choil is facing what gives me more contrast. between the choil and the background.

I use my EM5II with 12-40 lens at 40 mm focal length (gentle telephoto) and around f/5.6 or f/8.0 F-stop to get a little bit more depth of field to get the whole choil in focus (if I do not manage to get the camera and choil parallel or if the choil is curved). It may help the AF to focus on the choil to tilt the knife to one side and then turn the photo in post processing (Lightroom 6 in my case).





If I want to make a more controlled choil shot (or photograph more than one knife at a time) I would put the knife blade-up on a cutting board (some knives with octagonal WA handles do not need any support, most however do - I use whatever I have at hand in the kitchen) and use the wall (tiles) as light color background.





In general I would boost local contrast in PP to make the choil stand out against the background.

This may not be the best way to photograph choils, but it works. What I also try to avoid is a direct light on the choil (in particular in combination with dark background) - depending how it is shaped and whether it is polished the choil may have a large variation in reflectance what may distort the final image of it. My second photo above is an example how reflection on a choil makes it hard to get an idea about its shape.


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## Zweber12

Hi Matus, thanks for this info; this is indeed very useful! In addition, I think i will be looking for some sort of clamp to hold the knife in a fixed position so I can control the distance between coil & lens better. As well as having my hands free to operate the remote shutter. I like your last picture though, the reflection on the right knife does show how the finish is done, as the reflection highlights this towards the coil.


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## XooMG

I agree having a way to clamp the knife makes it much easier to get reasonable results.

Having light on the choil makes for easier focusing, but I like to keep only a little light directly on the choil so the shadows can dominate.






I don't take too many choil shots though so I'm no expert.


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## Matus

XooMG, that is a great choil shot.


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## Matus

A few photographs from a spa in little place called Korytnica in Slovakia. This area was known for its mineral water springs since 16th century and the spa had its golden times between WWI and WWII. It is located directly under the Low Tatra mountain in a narrow valley with lots of ground water and not too much sun. The spa was declining slowly during the 2nd half of 20th century and was finally closed in 2003. There are restoration attempts ongoing - the mineral water springs have been restored and the commercial production of mineral water (called of course 'Korytnica') allowed to open first pension. But there are around 12 buildings over an area of several hectares that are basically a ghost town.


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## MAS4T0

That place looks amazing Matus, it's such a shame it fell into disrepair and had been abandoned.

Is it due to lack of work or is there another factor?


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## Matus

There are many spa locations in Slovakia (we have the second highest density of mineral ans thermal springs in the world) and somehow this location was not in favour and was not properly maintained and at some point it wad too late. Once communism fell in 1989 it was privatized and that basically was the end (many large state companies ended up that way).


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## Keith Sinclair

Looks like it was nice at one time like the banks of windows.


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## harlock0083

Vacation pics (Saint Joseph, MI):


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## S-Line

Guess I would post some of my oldies, haven't had the time to go shooting besides work recently. Here's a few.



















































Then ofc I got a bunch when I use to do models... but then i'm not sure if I can post those here. :angel2:


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## Matus

Those are some great photograps, I like the B&W plane formation best.


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## mille162

Shooting in Kauai this week for Splash Magazine, waves are a bit rough, lol

These are unedited raw's, so please no judgement...was shooting more glamour look, then this happened:




https://www.dropbox.com/s/qnj19gll9xkbb7g/SplashBTS1.jpg?dl=0

Like a trooper, she sat up and we got this:




https://www.dropbox.com/s/owjq2q9lbf6qkka/splashBTS3.jpg?dl=0


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## Mucho Bocho

The first shot is outstanding, bordering Art. The water looks alive and about to consume her, yet she smirks with a wee bit of woe. WOW


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## JBroida




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## JBroida




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## Matus

Nice Jon


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## mille162

Not photographs, but instead a behind the scenes video of me and my partner taking photographs from our last destination model trip. Content was shot for glamour publications (international issues of playboy, maxim, etc), I thought it came out exceptionally well. Except for the underwater clips (shot with canon S95 in canon housing) and drone shots (DJI 4k drone), it was shot with a Sony A7rII: https://youtu.be/5HwVdRbotXE

I've been shooting almost exclusively with a Canon 5d mk2/3 and after seeing the video work and some of the stills of the Sony, I'm standing on the railing of the deck and pretty ready to jump ship. Doing what can be argued as "professional" photography, I often run into issues of work permits or restricted areas. Even just on vacation, I've been approached by officials for using this camera in certain locations. When shooting on a remote beach, the 5D with a good lens and an off camera light is without a doubt "professional". The A7 series is much smaller and lighter (and easier to pack and travel with), and with a prime like the nifty-fifty passes as a consumer PAS and can be used places where the 5D gives me problems. As a bonus, I can use a metabones adapter and use all the Canon glass I already have. Anyone else make the switch from a DSLR to a mirrorless?


On a side note, this trip was such a success, we're going to be hosting a photography workshop focusing on underwater image capture and lighting techniques December 2017 at the same location. Can't wait to combine the glamour stuff I've been doing with underwater scenes and the freedom to use more unique floating poses!


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## jessf

What are those wood things for in Jon's last photo? Looks like you could bend blades.


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## JBroida

jessf said:


> What are those wood things for in Jon's last photo? Looks like you could bend blades.



that is exactly what they are for... repairing bending/warping


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## mark76

I love those pics of Japanese knife makers!


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## inzite

wonderful shots jon!



L1*****0 by Ricky Cheong Photography, on Flickr


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## tgfencer

Nice photos Jon, making me excited to go to Japan next spring. Visiting in-laws family in Shimoda so I probably wont get much time to explore the rest of the country or stop in on some smiths, but hoping to hit a few knife shops in Tokyo at least.


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## JBroida

tgfencer said:


> Nice photos Jon, making me excited to go to Japan next spring. Visiting in-laws family in Shimoda so I probably wont get much time to explore the rest of the country or stop in on some smiths, but hoping to hit a few knife shops in Tokyo at least.



shimoda is home to the first US consulate... cool place... very beautiful. They have crazy beaches there... steep sand hills leading directly into the water... people do sand surfing there (or at least they did last time i was there)


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## tgfencer

Yeah, I've heard its lovely. I've slowly started to put away a special fund for all the eating I plan on doing while I'm there...that is if your restock of jnats and my search for a 270 gyuto doesn't steal in and drain it.


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## inzite

DSC01554 by Ricky Cheong Photography, on Flickr


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## Karnstein

Got a new tripod recently (Berlebach mini)






Shot with an Tamron 14-150 lense on a Olympus E-M10 II body. Zoomed all the way in, which given the crop factor on the camera translates to 300mm full frame equivalent focal length. Pretty much just auto-corrections from DXO optics 11, the only thing I did was changing the Color rendering style from "camera default" to "generic kodak kodacrome 64".


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## inzite

INZT6614 by Ricky Cheong Photography, on Flickr


----------



## Matus

I have just received a kamisori and a few stones from Watanabe (who completely refinished it and make the rattan wrapped and lacquered handle for it). Now I need to find the courage to use it


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## aboynamedsuita

Nice nakayama and kamisori Matus! Very kind of Shinichi to make a handle too. I saw these when I ordered my jnats but decided against since they're right handed, not sure I'd want to toy around as a lefty at the risk of slicing my face open


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## AzHP

New to the forum, nice to see other camera enthusiasts here. I mostly photograph cosplay, for people not familiar it's people who dress up as characters they like, typically from video games or anime. I used to be pretty active but I haven't been going to as many conventions, and now that my money is being sunk into knives it's hard to buy more lenses. I normally shoot with a Canon 6D and 24-70mm f/2.8 L II. Here's one of my favorite shots I've taken, costume is from Final Fantasy X-2 https://www.facebook.com/AzhpPhotog...5219247939671/705164906278434/?type=3&theater


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## harlock0083

mille162 said:


> Not photographs, but instead a behind the scenes video of me and my partner taking photographs from our last destination model trip. Content was shot for glamour publications (international issues of playboy, maxim, etc), I thought it came out exceptionally well. Except for the underwater clips (shot with canon S95 in canon housing) and drone shots (DJI 4k drone), it was shot with a Sony A7rII: https://youtu.be/5HwVdRbotXE
> 
> I've been shooting almost exclusively with a Canon 5d mk2/3 and after seeing the video work and some of the stills of the Sony, I'm standing on the railing of the deck and pretty ready to jump ship. Doing what can be argued as "professional" photography, I often run into issues of work permits or restricted areas. Even just on vacation, I've been approached by officials for using this camera in certain locations. When shooting on a remote beach, the 5D with a good lens and an off camera light is without a doubt "professional". The A7 series is much smaller and lighter (and easier to pack and travel with), and with a prime like the nifty-fifty passes as a consumer PAS and can be used places where the 5D gives me problems. As a bonus, I can use a metabones adapter and use all the Canon glass I already have. Anyone else make the switch from a DSLR to a mirrorless?
> 
> 
> On a side note, this trip was such a success, we're going to be hosting a photography workshop focusing on underwater image capture and lighting techniques December 2017 at the same location. Can't wait to combine the glamour stuff I've been doing with underwater scenes and the freedom to use more unique floating poses!



Have you tried the metabones adapter? I haven't been impressed with any of the smart adapters. For video might be ok doing manual focus.


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## Matus

AzHP, that is a very nice photograph.


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## Keith Sinclair

AzHP thanks for like the facebook shot of girl eating ice cream.


----------

