What equipment do you use/Recommend?

I have seen several people post that they take as well as read photography. It brought to mind a question that I wanted to see what the group at large would say.

What equipment do you use when you shoot?
Do you prefer film or digital?
(If film, do you develop yourself or send out? If out, to whom?)

Also what is the best on the market?
I know what the experts say with their lab tests. I want to hear from the true users. :>

I shoot with an Olympus E-10, which is a rather old digital camera with good optics and excellent ergonomics. I find that ergonomics are really the selling point to me... if I like shooting with it, it'll get used. Simple as that.

I think equipment choices for non-professionals are really a matter of personal preference. There are tons of cameras out there that will produce great photographs in the right hands, and it's up to you whether any individual camera is the right tool in your hands.

There isn't really a dSLR out there right now, for instance, that won't produce excellent images in the right hands.

I'm a film shooter--still. I have a Canon EOS system with a few bodies, an older 620 and a couple Rebels (which double as my point-and shoot cameras). I also have an old AE-1.

Other cameras: two polaroid one-steps (modified), another polaroid (whose name I'm forgetting) that takes the peel-apart film that is nearly impossible to find, and a plastic toy Holga.

I can develop my own film, but hate the hassel so I usually send it out.

You know its bad when you post a question and forget to answer it yourself. :>

I presently use a Nikon N65 SLR camera, film based. I'm looking at the D50 also by Nikon because my lenses will go between the two bodies with no issues.

I used to take the film to just any old development place (Can we say Walmart film development? *shudder*) but as I looked at the quality some of the cheap places did, I realized I wanted better. I've been taking them to Ritz camera lately. A little more expensive than some places, but definitely high quality.

(I have to go up today and pick up five enlargements I had done for my wall.)

If anyone is shooting digital and wants high quality prints, I suggest Mpix... they do good work.

I dig both film and digital, for different reasons. Black and White shots, for example, always seem to look better on film. But you can't beat digital for the sheer flexibility. Thus, I shoot both.

I have a Canon 20D for digital, and a Canon Elan 7N for film. That way I can interchange lenses between the two bodies.

As for film development, I own an enlarger, so I do enlargements myself from time to time, but to actually develop the negatives, I usually trust a lab.

Nikon Coolpix 8800 (digital). I like the camera, but Nikon discontinued it.

My Olympus Uzi (oh, I forget the number ... something like 2100 UZ) digital camera just died (sob!). It was one of the only ones (at that time) with a 10 to 1 optical zoom lens. It took some pretty darn good pictures, during its Life.

Once I bought that camera (around 2001), my old, beloved Olympus OM-1 (with lenses from 28 mm to 300 mm) never once came out of its bag (though I'll never get rid of it).

Thinking buying a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FC7K (with Leica lens - I think it's 12 to 1 zoom). It seems to get pretty darn sharp pictures, according to independent tests (oh, go to: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/
for great side-by sides of various cameras, including test pictures of the same objects through different cameras under various condition, etc. ... GREAT SITE (and I'm not in any way-shape-form associated with them))

On the other hand, maybe I should just splurge and get some digital SLR (it's late in Life ... what the hell, right?). For me, I loved film, but digital is the way to go for me (review pictures right then and reshoot if necessary; I don't have a dark room except in my computer; put up slide show for folks on tv or computer minutes after you take them, etc. etc. etc.)(not to mention costs of film/developing/delays, etc.).

Though, I was just recalling the old memories around my Yashika 35 (old, (biggish fixed lens, view finder camera of my 20s, that took some pretty darn good pictures).

By the way, there's a special place in heaven (if there is one) for jugglers and folks who do the pin-hole camera thing, right?

Any advice on the Panasonic would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Douglas

"In the end, only kindness matters."

doogiewray--I agree dpreview.com is a wonderful site. Anytime anyone asks me about cameras I either tell them to go there or go there myself.

dpreview is wonderful. i wish there was a better comparable site for film cameras and equipement.

another good site is fred miranda, great for researching lenses.

Greetings all. I just joined and thought I would throw in my two cents worth. Over the years I have used just about everything from half frame to 8x10 (including digital), but right now my primary camera is 6x4.5 SLR, closely followed by 4x5 and then 8x10 (both wooden). I often have a stereo camera on me when I go someplace interesting, but I find that the format I chose depends greatly on the subject matter I anticipate encountering.

I mostly use black and white negative film, but do use E-6 films from time to time. I develop and print the black and white film in my bathroom/darkroom and have the local photo shop develop the E-6 film. I rarely use digital cameras so I can't really recommend someplace good to have your work printed, but when I do use one, I print 4x6 at home on a Canon dye sublimation printer, or for larger prints I use Shutterfly.

My choice of film has much to do with the process of creating - I enjoy the hand craft required in developing and printing my own work. The darkroom is more rewarding to me than sitting at a computer because it gives me a personal connection with what I am doing and everything that I print has my hand in it. Feel free to call me a Luddite if you will, it won't hurt my feelings, but there is something very rewarding about holding a print that I made with my hands that I've never found picking up something came out of a computer.

At any rate, I don't want to come across as anti-digital - I just wanted to try to answer your question fully. I look forward to browsing your collections, and as soon as they solve the problem with my membership I will have all of my photography books listed and you can browse my collection as well if the mood strikes you.

- Randy

I have:
Canon Elan7
Canon EF 28-80 f/3.5-5.6
Tamron AF 70-300 F/4-5.6 LD Macro 1:2

Mostly, right now, I'm doing my developing through Snapfish. It's cheap, and since I rarely do anything with my pics but put them in my albums or in a $0.25 frame from Ikea, the quality is "good enough". B&W I take to Central Camera (in Chicago).

I'm going to be getting a digital soon. Either a 20D or 30D canon.

So, I just ordered myself a Holga over the weekend and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. Anyone else work with toy cameras? This'll be my first experience :-)

Recently made the switch to digital & use an Olympus E300. Have some old manual bodies (an OM1n and an OM3) and a ton of straight lenses that are tried and true and unfortunately get very litle use. Am still experimenting with using my old Zuiko lenses on the new body (have adapter...stop down metering only and manual focus).

My photography urge comes and goes and right now it's gone. It shall return though. : )

Digital:
Nikon D2X with multiple lenses for serious work
Canon point-and-shoot for snapshots

Film:
Nikon FE with various lenses and attachments
Mamiya RB67 medium format with various lenses

I usually shoot with my Canon 20D (the "Twanky"), with a whole list of lenses; my favorites being the 16-25L f/2.8, the 50 f/1.4 (the "Fiddy"), the 70-200L f/2.8, and the 85 f/1.8 (the "One-Great"). I prefer digital, and wouldn't touch film for professional jobs, but film is certainly fun and can look better in many circumstances.

Keep an eye out for the Nikon D80. it has a 2.5 LCD, and uses the same 10 mpx CCD from the D200. Definitely a huge step up from the D70

oh i myself will be buying the Pentax K100D. it looks like the best you can get for under $1000

I now use a Konica-Minolta Dynax 7D, sadly Minolta are no longer in the camera business but it's a great camera. I also carry around a Panasonic LX1, which despite some sniffy reviews I absolutely love using.

So, I just ordered myself a Holga over the weekend and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. Anyone else work with toy cameras? This'll be my first experience :-)

I have a Holga, but I find that there are certain subjects that work well with the results it produces and certain subjects that don't. They are not really all that different than any other camera, with the exception of the results, which vary from camera to camera. The build quality seems to be getting better, so if you want all the odd light leaks and such, you might want to 'abuse' it a bit. I would suggest using it for a little while before making modifications so that you know what you want to change. They are really a nice way to get into medium format despite the cheap feel.

- Randy

If you want to prevent those light leaks the Holga is famous for, use plenty of gaffer tape. I tape the whole damn camera and I still get them.

I think I'll wait and see what my first few Holga rolls look like to see whether I'm pro or anti light leaks. I'm right now hoping for a few, since often they give some nice ethereal effects. And if they ruin the images, I can tape later and play around with what works and what doesn't. Should be an experience.

If you don't at least tape the seams, you'll get more than a few.

Canon F-1
Epson R-D1

Well, after my earlier babbling here (message #8), I ended up buying the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 digital camera.

So far, I love it ... it takes much better pictures than my old Olympus Uzi (may it Rest In Pieces) and it's in a much smaller package. The Leica lens (12x zoom) is pretty sharp and it has several fun bells and whistles.

The only shortcomings that I have noticed is a very slight color fringing when you really blow up some pictures (though such enlargement is way beyond any that I would ever do in real life).

The one thing that makes me wonder "now WHY did they ever do THAT?" is that there are no filter threads on the lens. To offset this imponderable, I leave the provided short adapter tube for the sun-blocking hood thang, which does have threads, on the camera at all times. It adds a couple inches to the stored size of the camera, but, oh well, it does the trick.

That aside, I'm very happy with the camera having taken about 1000 pictures so far (with a few that made me think "Huh! That's not too bad now, is it?").

Douglas

"In the end, only kindness matters.

I used to shoot film (Velvia slides... ah...) because I liked the control I had with a manual SLR, and I liked the crispness of the resulting images.

However, I've switched entirely to digital now that the technology has caught up. The first reason is that it costs me nothing (after the initial start-up) -- photo developing is not cheap when you're un(der)employed! Then there's the storage factor -- both in terms of being able to store (and delete) 300+ pictures on a single flash disc, and in not having to manage and protect boxes and boxes of slides and prints. (I do need to get around to backing up pictures on CDs, though, and making prints of the ones that I'd like to have in the unlikely event that all jpg technology dies one day.) The control over the final images is also nice. (I use Photoshop.)

But what makes this all possible is my camera. Until I got it, I was severely disappointed with all the digitals out there - poor framing, lack of crispness and focus, that annoying "lag" between pushing the button and taking the picture...

My dearly beloved camera is a Pentax *istD. It takes my old Pentax lenses, has a wonderfully large viewport, it's an SLR so I can frame things properly, it fits well in my hand, and the controls are both intuitive and easy to use. In short, I love it. I carry it with me just about everywhere. :)

Once you cross the digital divide, I'd suggest you turn your attention to dpreview.com forums, where you'll get all sorts of input on all sorts of equipment, techniques. Plus lots of other stuff.

Once you cross the digital divide, I'd suggest you turn your attention to dpreview.com forums, where you'll get all sorts of input on all sorts of equipment, techniques. Plus lots of other stuff.

My favorite camera these days is my Olympus XA, a pocket-sized 35mm rangefinder film camera. I also have a giant Nikon F SLR with an assortment of lenses, which does double duty as a camera and a sledgehammer (and neck-wrecker). I have a bunch of others, but those are the ones I use, for film.

For digital, I love my Panasonic Lumix FZ3, precursor to yours, ranaverde. Low-res, but I don't print large, so I don't care, and I love getting hundreds of pix on a chip. The 12x zoom kicks ass. Here's a tip: if you want filter threads, you have to buy an add-on thingie that fits on your lens hood lugs. Can't remember where I got mine -- somewhere in Japan -- but a browse through google or the dpreview forums will put you onto it.

Fnart-

Oooohhhh! I forgot all about my Olympus XA. I had one for years and used it 90% of the time. Pocket-sized, rugged and gave me great pictures.

Alas, mine finally bit the dust (still have all the pieces in a box; couldn't bear to throw them out ... hoping, some night, some elf would come while I was sleeping and put it all back together for me).

I haven't read back through all the other posts, but your Lumix is the precursor to my Lumix FZ7 (not sure if "ranaverde" wrote about it, too) and I solved my filter problem by using the provided extension tube for the sun-shade attachment.

I love the Lumix and it takes much better pictures than my old beloved Olympus Uzi (which took its share of Ooohs and Aaahs pictures).

Douglas

"In the end, only kindness matters."

Visit thrift stores; XA's turn up. Mine was $2.99. Works perfectly.

Yes, I read the wrong name; you were the one I was answering, not ranaverde. I'm afraid I have a bad case of "Lumix envy" for the new SLR they've put out, which is gorgeous, but too much money. If I ever do buy a DSLR, it will probably be a Nikon, just for the perverse thrill of fitting my old F non-AI lenses to it (apparently possible with a slight modification).

And it's 'Fnarf' with two effs, not 'Fnart' which sounds a bit smelly. Not that 'Fnarf' is anything to brag about.

Sorry about that "tee!" (though I AM now curious about the Fnarf handle).

Do you (or anybody else out there) know if Olympus makes a DSLR that takes the old Zuiko lenses (I still have my trusty OM-1 with lenses from 35 mm to 300 mm, not to mention the adaptor to hook the camera to my old 8" cadioptric telescope).

Douglas

"In the end, only kindness matters."

doogiewray -

I have the Olympus Evolt 300 and with an adapter it will take my old Zuiko lenses. One caveat though - it's stop down metering only!! And obviously it will be manual focus as well.

I was in the same boat - my OM3 didn't want to give up it's rightful place and neither did my collection of lenses which must be similar to yours. But now I find myself just bringing both bodies and shooting transparencies and digital. It's weird, but it works and once when there was a herd of elk at the ranch I put the 180mm on the digital and it worked. Klugey, but it worked. The beauty is that you can just keep shooting until you get one on the screen that you like.

I am still primarily analog. I had a nice and compact Canon digital, but it died on me last year and I haven't replaced it. I use 35mm, MF and LF cameras, though I've slowed down on the LF and the developing over the past few years. I use the Leica R Series, a Mamiya 7 (my main camera these days), and a Deardorff 8x10. I use Leica Focomat V35 and Durst 1000 enlargers, though I tend to print digitally these days. I imagine I'll get a digital SLR before long. My daughter has a Canon XTi which is really quite good and I'm starting to covet it.

Nikon D70s here. Like it, but came from a Konica TC (film) which I really loved for its size. I was actually shocked when I bought the Nikon. Spent a few years in between with Canon Elphs, first film, then digital. That's what turned me into a digital fan. I will probably buy another Nikon body at some point (heard about a d40x and a new sensor coming down the pike) just to get the smaller sizes. My standard lens is a 17-55 (love), next 60 micro (love) and a 55-200 (okay). Next will be the 70-200 VR. I even got some of my old Konica lens to work. Whooda thunk? Working on getting my daughter interested. Sent her to a photo school with my TC where she learned a few darkroom skills, etc. Bought her a Nikon S7c which takes some mighty fine shots.

i really love my Sony DSC-F28. it must be 4 years old now, a bit long in the tooth for a digital camera. has way more resolution than i use, 95% of my images end up on Flickr.
i have been considering a pocket camera. must have: optical viewfinder, exposure control, faster lag time than my Sony. would like to have IS and faster ISO than 800.
suggestions?

Hello.

I just got a Nikon D80 SLR digital camera, with a 18-135 lens, though I can't remember how that translates to 35mm. I can't compare it to other high-end digital cameras because its my first digital camera, but it is good, some say the best, and I did a lot of research before I got it.

The defining thing that made me choose it was that it is the required camera for all photography students at the Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology (where I hope to begin classes in October).

Also, Nikon has made their digital SLR cameras with the same lens connecting latch thing as they used with there film cameras, which I think is a really good idea, and means that you won't have to buy all your lenses new.

I've been doing film photography for over 3 years, developing my film myself. And its just such a hassle. Maybe a half of a roll of 24 will turn out okay, and there are so many things that can go wrong in every step, from focusing, to how dark/light it is, to flash, to developing the negatives, to printing it. And the equipment is so expensive and takes up space, and I really wanted to start working with color.

I first tried taking color film, sending it out to get digitized, and then editing it on the computer, thinking that this would give me better quality than digital. But they turned out grainy and really low-res, so I started shopping for a digital camera.

Hi all!

I'm a film user, mainly because I enjoy using the negative for alternative photographic processes - it just wouldn't be the same for me if I did it from Photoshop. ;)

I own several film cameras, but the main ones I use are a Mamiya 645 1000S (with several lenses) and for 35mm, I use a Pentax MZ-S system. Love them both!

I shoot infrared film, and for that I use a fully manual camera to avoid fogging the film: a Rollei 35mm.

I develop all my own B&W film and make my own enlargements in my home darkroom. When I shoot color, it's usually in slide form (E6) so I send it out to a local lab.

I like to hand color my B&W prints, and I do bromoil printmaking, Polaroid lifts, and recently took a workshoip on lith printing.

Yeah, I'm a geek! ;) It's ok to say it!