Photography Lens lesson...

[Yaworski]

They said things like the sensor not being on the same plane as film.

As I understand it, lenses for digital are shaped slightly different than lenses for film and if you use your film lenses you can wind up with some aberrations.

I may be wrong, I'm still using my Hawkeye instamatic with flashcubes.

 

[dstegjas]

I'm glad to see how many of us enjoy photography. As others, I started taking photo back in the late 70's while in high school. Enjoyed it as a hobby for several years after that. When the digital era came in I switched everything of and got serious about it again. As a part-time income I got into wedding photography. That helped me buy higher end cameras and lenses. Now that I'm retired it's back to being a hobby for me. Nature and wildlife are my favorites but if it looks interesting to me. I'll take a picture of it. I have terabytes of pictures I've taken over the years. Once I switched to digital I changed everything over to canon equipment. All my lenses are the "L" series lenses. My cameras are the 1D series and the 5D series. I really do need to upgrade them, but I'm good for now.

The last picture was taken up at Torch lake in Michigan. The picture of the Northern Lights isn't that great. However what was interesting to me was that the Big Dipper was also captured in the shot.

 

[GHollan]

I I watched eagles feed on midshipmen that come to spawn in the oyster beds on Hood Canal today. I made a couple quick edits and hope to cull the thousands of images I took down to a manageable number this weekend.

 

[Larryburford]

I love cameras and photography too. I have always used Canon but always wanted a Nikon too. I am planning on getting a new canon digital in the next year. I still have my Canon AE-1 Program 35mm I got in high school, and it still works.

 

[blume357]

Larryburford, I hate to say it but I think Cannon has reached or even possibly surpassed Nikon in professional grade photo equipment.

I think it is obvious that the change to digital photography has been a revolution. You used to set f stops and shutter speed, for most of us using a meter, but then just had to kind of hope that what developed was good. Now we can see if what the camera has decided is best is actually working. I've pretty much relied on the auto setting on these latest Nikons and I know there is so much more that can be done... the dern options in the menus just boggles my brain. When I bought this one a couple years ago from my friend he gave me a book written by some guy on the camera and I did read it... I need to find it and start over and I'm seriously thinking about finding and taking a class.

Oh, just for kicks... below is a picture of the Camera my father used in Korea back on 1950 followed by a picture of him taken with it.

 

[ibboatin28]

Photography taught me there is no free ride. Like on lenses what you gain somewhere you lose elsewhere…

 

[blume357]

While I was working on ordering this Nikon lens for some totally ridiculous reason I ordered a 500mm fixed lens from Amazon... it was something like $98... it did come with instructions and they pretty much said there was a learning curve to get it to work on a digital camera.... I tried for maybe 30 minutes, could see just fine through the view finder but never could get the camera to take a picture... or one that was actually a picture... After setting the camera to manual mode I tried adjusting the ISO on the camera and the f stops on the lens but it was all useless.... I'm sure I could have figured it out eventually but was too much work. Just like with tools, you get what you pay for. Oh, I returned that piece of junk lens....

 

[wproct]

For years after my wife was taking amazing pictures, I was using my phone. Still am. I have one of the new IPhone 16PRO models and I will say that the camera is amazing. The simple fact that the tiny camera can take such great pictures is amazing. I have heard many photographers say that for video- even though they have 4K capable DSLR they still go to the phone because it just works. For stills however, online quality is perfect for the phone. But if you want to print larger, or do some real work on your shot in post, nothing beats a real camera.

I look at it like my old models vs my new models. The new models work just as good and have an added safety feature- but nothing beats the feel of an old model.

The 16 PRO is exactly what I would like for us to have next.

 

[wproct]

Actually I first developed an interest in cameras about the time I got married, back in 1964. Mainly in 35mm and 8mm movie. My wife considered them to be just toys except when I would take family get together photos. Then many years later when we had grandchildren my interest kind of waned and she got really into it with her own equipment. And now everybody packs a cellphone capable of getting great shots and we don't travel as much as we used to and rely mostly on pictures others take and share. My wife's main interest now is pictures of sunrises and sunsets, she never tires of them and every single day there is something different about them.

 

[Flyboy*61]

As I understand it, lenses for digital are shaped slightly different than lenses for film and if you use your film lenses you can wind up with some aberrations.

I may be wrong, I'm still using my Hawkeye instamatic with flashcubes.

You pay money for good stuff, and it just lasts and lasts!

 

[Flyboy*61]

I have a good friend who shoots with an Olympus digital. I'm not sure of the model, but he gets beautiful images.

Generally, it's not the arrow, but the Indian! Very few manufacturers make "bad" lenses, at least for long, and many "kit, Prosumer, less espen$ive" lenses are magnificent. Perhaps not as rugged as the deservedly legendary "pro" lenses, but more affordable, at least for me, as well as amazingly capable; i.e.,The brand I am most familiar with: Nikon 50 mm f/1.8, 18-55 VR or non VR models, 17-80, 70-300 f/ 4.5-5.6...both AF S and AF P models. (Avoid the cheaper non-VR models.) The list goes on and on, not just for Nikon, but for all major manufacturers. Sooo...Avoid on-line "pros" who say you MUST have this or that len$, or that "Pro" level camera or objective is a must have. Do your research, buy good, less-expen$ive (not cheap) and if you find a real need for more expensive equipment, sell what you have or use it as a trade in.

 

[blume357]

One of the issues with taking pictures I have suspected for a while now is camera shake when you trip the shutter, even if you have a fast shutter speed and are real steady I wonder if there is a slight blur to the picture... two items lead me to this thought.... one is there is a setting on most of these cameras for a 2second delay with the shutter release ..... the only reason I can come up with this is when you have the camera on a tripod and don't want pushing the shutter realize button to cause even the slightest movement... remember in the old film cameras there was often a way to put a cable on to realize the shutter? tThe other reason for thinking this is actually my experience in shooting pistols over the years and even after getting pretty good realizing that finger placement on the trigger and how you squeeze the trigger makes a world of difference. .......
Now with these new VR (Vibration Control) lens that seems to be part of the solution to this.

I remember watching a woman take pictures years ago and every time she tripped the shutter she pushed so hard on the button that the camera moved...... she took terrible pictures.

 

[Randyzzz]

VR can help up to a point- you still have to be steady and squeeze the shutter. Just like shooting.

 

[Randyzzz]

Just a heads up to anyone looking at Nikon lenses. They build a 24-120 lens with VR. This is a great range for all-around photography. But- there are several versions. The earlier version where the letters "VR" are painted red has very poor image quality. The later version where the VR letters are painted gold is one of their best. If you are looking on say, EBay you will find the red lettered lens for very cheap- don't fall for it. Get the gold VR.

 

[flyer898]

As an amatuer photographer who likes to create professional quality images in distant (from roads) locations, I have come to appreciate the Micro-4/3ds format. My Olympus cameras and lenses perform very well at about half the weight and bulk of a full-frame set-up.

 

[Jeepnik]

One of the issues with taking pictures I have suspected for a while now is camera shake when you trip the shutter, even if you have a fast shutter speed and are real steady I wonder if there is a slight blur to the picture... two items lead me to this thought.... one is there is a setting on most of these cameras for a 2second delay with the shutter release ..... the only reason I can come up with this is when you have the camera on a tripod and don't want pushing the shutter realize button to cause even the slightest movement... remember in the old film cameras there was often a way to put a cable on to realize the shutter? tThe other reason for thinking this is actually my experience in shooting pistols over the years and even after getting pretty good realizing that finger placement on the trigger and how you squeeze the trigger makes a world of difference. .......
Now with these new VR (Vibration Control) lens that seems to be part of the solution to this.

I remember watching a woman take pictures years ago and every time she tripped the shutter she pushed so hard on the button that the camera moved...... she took terrible pictures.

There were cable releases and there is the Bulb setting on some. The Bulb setting let you use a squeeze bulb to hold the shutter open for long exposures. Today my Canon has a wifi widget that allows you to control the camera and a phone app that gives even more utility.
This was a long exposure early in the morning done using the phone app.

 

[blume357]

GHollan back at post #11 on page one mentioned several items and now I'm thinking about investing in them... The speed shooter harness looks like it might just be the way to go with a monopod.