The Official Photography Thread - Vol. 3

Mirrorless vs DLSR for mainly street/landscape photography? Maybe some portraits every now and then. I'm just starting out so any info would be appreciated.

As for street photography goes, there's nothing more intimidating to your subject than a big ol' dslr. The biggest advantages of mirrorless over DSLR is size and weight. Another advantage (assuming you're not going Sony full frame) is that the gear is cheaper. A nice 35mm lens cost $600-800 instead of $800-$1500 and similar to many more lenses. Both types of cameras are of course more than capable for your type of shooting and you can always grow and learn the craft with either. It all depends on preference on your part. From a hobbyist's point of view, I highly recommend the Fuji APS-Ci and Olympus 4/3 lineup.


I'm sure this has been asked a million times but I'd like to get into photography as a hobby. I'm going to be traveling quite a bit for the next year or two and would love to take some great shots. Any recommendations for a camera ? Any of the info on the first page outdated ?

Everything on the front page is still useful. What's your budget?


mirrorless or compact system cameras seem to be the future but i think it really comes down to how important one thinks portability/size & lens selection when deciding mirrorless v. dslr, especially to start...micro 4/3rd cameras are both small and have a pretty well built out lens catalog, however the smaller sensor and the matter that should one ever decide to 'upgrade' to a full frame body the lenses would not be compatible, not that it really matters though it is something to consider. i guess cost is also something of a factor, as most mirrorless systems are more expensive than entry level dslrs, but between the second hand market & the deals on the a6000, cost doesn't really seem like that much of a barrier anymore...

personally i think for hobbyists mirrorless cameras make more sense, they are smaller, which enables one to carry it almost everywhere , less intimidating to learn & use than a full size dslr, and they have they flexibility to mount just about every lens that has ever been made for any camera as long as you can find an adapter (most adapters are super cheap). though if you are planning to shoot seriously, not that mirrorless cams aren't capable, but an entry level dslr probably has more support as far as accessories, lenses, etc.

I would definitely have to disagree with the price and support statement. The adoption of mirrorless cameras have grown exponentially over the past few years. More and more professionals are adding a mirrorless to their DSLR arsenal, or ditching the full-frame DSLR altogether. You can get a Fuji X-T1, which is Fuji's flagship for the same prices as a mid-level DSLR and Fuji's entry level cameras cost about the same as any Nikon and Canon's similar offerings.

I'm not sure where the comment about the support for accessories and lenses came about because almost all the accessories for DSLRs are usable on mirrorless systems. There are just about the same similar offerings for lenses as well.

Anyways, these are just my thoughts and not a stab at anyone. Just hoping to shed more light on the NT photog community!
 
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$400-500, give or take a few bucks. I wouldn't mind spending a little extra if the value is there.

You honestly can't go wrong with any recent (within a few years) camera. There are a lot of 4-5 year old cameras that are still extremely capable. One that comes to mind is the D7000. Shoots great stills and videos. It's a mid-range camera. You can get one brand new for $500, used for around $400. Another camera which is a bit newer is the Canon t5I.

If you don't want to go the DSLR route, you can always go mirrorless. Sony NEX and Alpha offerings. Fuji's X-Series -an X-Pro1 fits your budget. Or, even Olympus.
 
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$400-500, give or take a few bucks. I wouldn't mind spending a little extra if the value is there.

If you can get that Sony A6000 for $550 open box like the guy above got, I would definitely get that. Same sensor as a D7000 but better auto focus and probably better ISO. It's really just comes down to lenses by the end of it but if you are doing this for fun, I would get the A6000 as a beginner.
 
A Nikon D80 is still good enough to take photos right? Figured I'd keep it since I'm not doing any major photography.
 
You honestly can't go wrong with any recent (within a few years) camera. There are a lot of 4-5 year old cameras that are still extremely capable. One that comes to mind is the D7000. Shoots great stills and videos. It's a mid-range camera. You can get one brand new for $500, used for around $400. Another camera which is a bit newer is the Canon t5I.

If you don't want to go the DSLR route, you can always go mirrorless. Sony NEX and Alpha offerings. Fuji's X-Series -an X-Pro1 fits your budget. Or, even Olympus.


If you can get that Sony A6000 for $550 open box like the guy above got, I would definitely get that. Same sensor as a D7000 but better auto focus and probably better ISO. It's really just comes down to lenses by the end of it but if you are doing this for fun, I would get the A6000 as a beginner.


Thanks for the info. Now hopefully I can find a good deal on eBay.
 
Honestly if you don't mind a viewfinder and would like a full flip screen, the a5100 is a good model to look at too. it's basically the a6000. I love my a6000. the kit lens isn't the best optically but does the job. When I bought the 50mm I was blown away.
 
As for street photography goes, there's nothing more intimidating to your subject than a big ol' dslr. The biggest advantages of mirrorless over DSLR is size and weight. Another advantage (assuming you're not going Sony full frame) is that the gear is cheaper. A nice 35mm lens cost $600-800 instead of $800-$1500 and similar to many more lenses. Both types of cameras are of course more than capable for your type of shooting and you can always grow and learn the craft with either. It all depends on preference on your part. From a hobbyist's point of view, I highly recommend the Fuji APS-Ci and Olympus 4/3 lineup.
Everything on the front page is still useful. What's your budget?
I would definitely have to disagree with the price and support statement. The adoption of mirrorless cameras have grown exponentially over the past few years. More and more professionals are adding a mirrorless to their DSLR arsenal, or ditching the full-frame DSLR altogether. You can get a Fuji X-T1, which is Fuji's flagship for the same prices as a mid-level DSLR and Fuji's entry level cameras cost about the same as any Nikon and Canon's similar offerings.

I'm not sure where the comment about the support for accessories and lenses came about because almost all the accessories for DSLRs are usable on mirrorless systems. There are just about the same similar offerings for lenses as well.

Anyways, these are just my thoughts and not a stab at anyone. Just hoping to shed more light on the NT photog community!


I think the knock on mirror-less cameras, is that they haven't really caught on here in the states like they have around the rest of the world. Me personally, I would be more then happy to rock with one if and only if there was a wider variety of lenses. Many of them are on par and in some cases exceed their DSLR counterparts, in terms of specs, portability, etc.......why they haven't caught on as much here, is beyond me.

On another note, all I have posted to this point is street scene, landscape stuff......figured I would post some portraits of family. My father and neice are cancer and brain tumor survivors respectively, so I figured I would share these since they hold a great deal of sentimental value.

Family by iammikerios, on Flickr

Family by iammikerios, on Flickr
 
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I would definitely have to disagree with the price and support statement. The adoption of mirrorless cameras have grown exponentially over the past few years. More and more professionals are adding a mirrorless to their DSLR arsenal, or ditching the full-frame DSLR altogether. You can get a Fuji X-T1, which is Fuji's flagship for the same prices as a mid-level DSLR and Fuji's entry level cameras cost about the same as any Nikon and Canon's similar offerings.

I'm not sure where the comment about the support for accessories and lenses came about because almost all the accessories for DSLRs are usable on mirrorless systems. There are just about the same similar offerings for lenses as well.

Anyways, these are just my thoughts and not a stab at anyone. Just hoping to shed more light on the NT photog community!

maybe it is particular to where i stay, but i don't really ever see many options for mirrorless cameras in local stores? i didn't mean that accessories weren't available, just that it seems that there are more choices for accessories/lenses for canon & nikon, which is something worth considering when buying a system...there are clear benefits to mirrorless cameras; they are indeed very capable of pro work, from what i have read there are likely many people who have or are considering switching to mirrorless, but at least in the states, it is still well behind the canon & nikon cameras partially because those ecosystems are built out & well established.

honestly, as you stated, whatever camera made in past few years is likely going to make really, really good photos; i did not mean to imply that one couldn't shoot seriously with mirrorless cameras, obviously that isn't the case as there are folk out here killing it with iphones...but canon & nikon seem to be like standard equipment

more from the past weekend:

bang! by me_myself_n_eye, on Flickr

free checking by me_myself_n_eye, on Flickr

do it for the gram by me_myself_n_eye, on Flickr

...we're legal by me_myself_n_eye, on Flickr

crushing it by me_myself_n_eye, on Flickr
 
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700


Recent product shot.
 
tokes99 tokes99 I think it depends on the store (bog box). I've been to some best buys that sold no more than a t5i/d5300 level body and the 55-200 and 18-300 lenses. A best buy 12 miles away has every sony alpha, olympus/panny, fuji, and samsung mirrorless system along with available lenses and accessories.
 
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Yep. My BestBuy sucks. One 8 miles away had just upgraded to everything. Depends on the market. Do an in store search for higher end items like an L lens. If they have it they prob have everything else.
 
I use the Sony A7 and I love it! In the beginning I could see how accidentally pressing buttons and changing the settings could be a issue, like one time I mistakenly changed the white balance and all my shots for a event turned out cold with a bluish tent, but that was fixable. But now it's flawless to me and I'm glad to have one. I'm at work now but you can view my IG for sample pics: username MENVCE [instagram.com/menvce]. Also, shout out to @Mr Fongstarr for posting about the Hundreds Panorama and the people of NT who made a feature. I was blessed to have been selected last week! Keep up the good work everyone
 
^^^^^Oh nice. Solid photo. Crazy how many NTers got up on there. Where's that abandoned mall that everyone is shooting at? LA?

Rebel 8 just did their look book there. Pretty cool spot:

rebel8-2015-spring-delivery-2-lookbook-2.jpg
rebel8-2015-spring-delivery-2-lookbook-71.jpg
rebel8-2015-spring-delivery-2-lookbook-3.jpg






Also anyone ever heard of Rotolight? It's pretty much LED lights but great for portrait shooting. Doesn't seem that expensive too.

http://www.rotolight.com/


 
I use the Sony A7 and I love it! In the beginning I could see how accidentally pressing buttons and changing the settings could be a issue, like one time I mistakenly changed the white balance and all my shots for a event turned out cold with a bluish tent, but that was fixable. But now it's flawless to me and I'm glad to have one. I'm at work now but you can view my IG for sample pics: username MENVCE [instagram.com/menvce]. Also, shout out to @Mr Fongstarr for posting about the Hundreds Panorama and the people of NT who made a feature. I was blessed to have been selected last week! Keep up the good work everyone
Dope IG Man. I followed you JayLenard_
 
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