I'm new-Help! (with equipment)

cowgirl21 · October 16, 2004

Hi! I'm loving this site! I have an okay camera for now: Fujifilm Finepix s3000. I was wondering if it has any lenses or other goodies that can go on it for cool effects.?

I definitely want to upgrade too to a more professional camera. Any suggestions?:dunno

ian408 · October 16, 2004

A quick google shows there are telephoto conversions and wide angle
(fish eye) lenses available.

You can look here.

Regarding another camera. What do you see yourself doing with it?

Ian

wxwax · October 16, 2004

Good question, Ian. And also, how deep are your pockets, cowgirl? Cost is often a determining factor when folks decide to upgrade. You have a nice camera, you'll have lots of fun sharpening your skills on it.

cowgirl21 · October 16, 2004

Good Question. I love taking pics of my daughter and nature. I would love to have a photography business. I guess I would need a camera that would be good for that. I can blow pics up now to 8x10, but not really any farther before it starts looking goofy. I would need one that can go farther than that.

ian408 wrote:

A quick google shows there are telephoto conversions and wide angle
(fish eye) lenses available.

You can look here.

Regarding another camera. What do you see yourself doing with it?

Ian

Steve Cavigliano · October 16, 2004

cowgirl21 wrote:

Good Question. I love taking pics of my daughter and nature. I would love to have a photography business. I guess I would need a camera that would be good for that. I can blow pics up now to 8x10, but not really any farther before it starts looking goofy. I would need one that can go farther than that.

Cowgirl,
While you don't need a "Pro" level camera to get really good results (even at large print sizes), if you are thinking of getting into photography seriously (as in making $ at it), I'd suggest you look at moving up to a Dslr. Even if it has to be an "entry-level" Dslr, like the 300D or D70, for now.

Dslr's give you numerous advantages. Not the least being, you can print very large. Plus you aren't stuck with a fixed focal length lens. The build quality, speed of operation, lack of image noise, ability to capture a shallow depth of field and to shoot under very poor lighting conditions are some of the other Dslr benefits.

They have their drawbacks too. A person would need to spend quite a bit more money on the body and lenses to cover the same focal lengths as a good prosumer (anywhere from 2-4 lenses), they will have to tote more camera and camera stuff with them, they will occassionaly have to clean the camera's sensor (which attracts dust/dirt - the more lens changes made, the more potential cleaning will need to be done), there's no "live preview/histogram" in the LCD (only an "after-the-fact" review capability) and most Dslr images require more post-processing effort than digital camera images (usually, digital cams perform higher levels of image processing in-camera).

IMO, quite a few of a Dslr's drawbacks will help make a person a better photographer. No "live preview" helps make a person better at selecting exposure settings, added lenses with their different focal lengths and speeds give a person much more flexability and getting to be good at post-processing is a real advantage, even if you decide not to sell your work. Oh yeah, and toting all that glass around will give your arms and upper body a good workout

If your are serious about a future "photography business", then picking up a Dslr would be the way to go, IMHO.

Having said that, if you want to go a bit slower (and spend less money), look into a nice "prosumer" camera that offers most of the control/features of a Dslr. Any of the 8mpxl models , or many of the 5mpxl models. If you look in the pics section of the forum, you will see that Andy Williams has sold work he has done with his Sony prosumer. I believe he's also won like 6 or 7 Kodak POTD's with that Sony. So you can get good results from cameras that are less capable than a Dslr. But for consistency, flexability and the best image quality there's no substitute for a nce Dslr and some decent glass.

Sorry, for the long post. I am moving in this direction also, after spending almost 3 years using prosumers. This stuff just came pouring out. I might have subconciously been trying to erase any lingering doubts I still have

Good luck,
Steve

photocat · October 17, 2004

Upgrading
I follow your reasoning Steve... You point out all the goods and bads for me.
I just upgraded from a minolta dimage 7i to a Nikon D70.
The minolta had 5 MP, and I got good shots, very sharp, and good prints.
But it had limits after two years of using it almost daily.

The nikon has 6 MP, and interchangeable lenses, so far I have only used the 28-70 lens, cause I can not handhold the 300 mm without shake.

I found out that it really took me two years to get to know my minolta, and I think I am in for another two years of steap learning curve for the Nikon.
I go out and have my manual with me at all times.
I have limits now in the fact that I don't know this camera enough after 3 weeks working with it. I mean, I can do the automate shots, but I am hesitant to leave the automatic mode.

I tried studio portraits this week, with the camera on manual, and I got images, which I thought was great.
I tried to do watershots on the beach last weekend with the camera on manual, and they all came out white or shades of white.

So if you go for a digital SLR, I think you need to consider
that it takes a while to get to know the camera and that it takes some
serious thinking work.

Head in the Clouds · October 17, 2004

I've got the fujifilm finepix s7000. so far it has been excellent.
i know you can get a telephoto and a wide angle (and various filters) for the s7000 and two models down too, so i assume that would be the s3000? they retail for around $AU279 for the telephoto and $AU199 for the wide angle (roughly double it for the US). Thats for the genuine fuji lenses.
ive seen a few non genuine lenses heaps cheaper on ebay - like $AU215 for both lenses and filters, (and in a pretty swish looking case!) but i'm nervous about not getting the genuine article !?!?
apparently the difference the lenses would make is not astronomical as they are just add on lenses - i've just been taking a few steps back and cropping for times where I want a wide angle, and apparently the telephoto wouldn't get me much closer anyway, specially without a tripod .....
the research i did when i chose the s7000 showed that most pros like it, but abviously see it as an amature camera. most reviews said that it was one of the best amature cameras available for the price, probably one step before the real thing (Dslr). see 'steves-digicam.com' for more reviews......
it took me a while to get used to the fiji (going from a straight slr - minolta), so you might like to stay with the same branding??

also the s7000 has up to 12.3 recorded mpxls too (personally not 100% sure what this means, but it seemed to impress the bloke in the photoshop?!)
sorry to rattle on - anyone would think i work for fuji!
good luck

ian408 · October 17, 2004

AussieKate wrote:

it took me a while to get used to the fiji (going from a straight slr - minolta), so you might like to stay with the same branding??
also the s7000 has up to 12.3 recorded mpxls too (personally not 100% sure what this means, but it seemed to impress the bloke in the photoshop?!)

Interesting advice. If you start out with a camera mfg'er that has a selection
from the P&S to dSLR, the features may well work similarly reducing the
learning curve to some degree.

cowgirl21 wrote:

Good Question. I love taking pics of my daughter and nature. I would love to have a photography business. I guess I would need a camera that would be good for that. I can blow pics up now to 8x10, but not really any farther before it starts looking goofy. I would need one that can go farther than that.

If you really want to start a photography business, then understanding
photography is probably a better investment than a dSLR. A good solid
footing in composition and style will give your photos more of a professional
look than a dSLR will. The local photography club or perhaps a Community
College are great places to learn as is continuing to experiment with
different ideas using a digicam.

To give you an idea of cost, a new 1D MkII will set you back maybe $5
grand (rounding) for the body and maybe another $5 grand for lenses.
You can ease that cost by working with the new 20d which is $1,600
with a 15-85 or by looking in the used market. You'll need a good tripod
too. I picked the Canon brands for the example because I am more familiar
with pricing.

Not trying to scare you off--really. But I think there are a lot of very good
photographers out there and anything you do to distinguish your work helps.

Good luck!

Ian

Red Bull · October 20, 2004

it took me a while to get used to the fiji (going from a straight slr - minolta), so you might like to stay with the same branding??

It might be easier to stay with the same brand of camera if that is what you are familiar with. For me, I like to stick with Canon, since that is the type of camera I have always used. It's easier to get used to a new camera of the same brand than to try and get used to a new camera of a different brand.

ajacobs2 · October 21, 2004

Cowgilrl21 -

Choice: You made an excellent starter choice with the Fuji 3000, and you really don't at this stage need a lot of the lenses you think you do if you hone your skills in learning the camera you have and post processing. The usage of Light plus Composition is two of the keys to winning with digital and you can do wonders with selective cropping.

Save up for the DSLR lenses which in some cases might be as cheap as the add-on screw-on point and shoot lenses for specific price point models. Those add-ons won'rt return much of their value down the road.

Brands:So many of these brands really have the same engines and technology under the hood that one digital is the same as the other. It's your pictures that count. After a few decades in this business I always asked to see pictures from students, I rarely asked to admire their camera.Some one suggested learning the skills of the camera is more important than the camera itself. This is True.

After all is said and done camera brands are the same as any other loyalty we establish to protect our decisions. After all, none of us ever made a mistake in buying something. Some like Canon, some Nikon, some Fuji, some Pentax and even some like Minolta (when they eventually get their DSLR out of the thinktank and into someones hands.) Branding is an established part of the buyers cycle and if it wasn't for branding all those cute tshirts, hats, pens, frequent flyer miles arguments, sleepless nights and other memorabilia would go to blazes.

Now back to the 3000. We carried the Fuji line in our store along with Nikon (I was a dealer and we had a decent sized lab. Never got one back, had the least amount of wasted shots and the easiest color correction on any of our Fuji and Gretag equipment. I have (by virtue of the Gods, luck and decent seats) gotten excellent results with the Fujis at weddings, hockey, and Nascar in rain, fog and a couple food fights.

You will do well after learning the basics, the tools will become second nature.

www.aljacobs.com Adobe teaching site opening soon...

Head in the Clouds · October 21, 2004

Nice response!

I was starting to think i'ld made the wrong choice with my Fuji s7000 'cause all the others on this site can get ISO 1600, fstops a lot higher/lower than my camera!
Do you think that really matters? S7000 only has from f2.8 - 8, ISO 200, 400 and 800 ..... i've found its limited me a little when i was trying to get some shots of the freeway from a bridge and wanted the cars to blurr, but couldn't get the apature down far enough? (it was during the day) .....

Anyway, you've renewed my faith that i made the right choice, and i'll just have to go with what the camera has!

(you sounds as though you'll be pretty useful at this site! keep up the posting!

)

cowgirl21 · October 23, 2004

Thanks! I really do want a better camera, but I do need more practice first with my lighting and composition. Thanks so much for your input!
amber

ajacobs2 wrote:

Cowgilrl21 -

Choice: You made an excellent starter choice with the Fuji 3000, and you really don't at this stage need a lot of the lenses you think you do if you hone your skills in learning the camera you have and post processing. The usage of Light plus Composition is two of the keys to winning with digital and you can do wonders with selective cropping.

Save up for the DSLR lenses which in some cases might be as cheap as the add-on screw-on point and shoot lenses for specific price point models. Those add-ons won'rt return much of their value down the road.

Brands:So many of these brands really have the same engines and technology under the hood that one digital is the same as the other. It's your pictures that count. After a few decades in this business I always asked to see pictures from students, I rarely asked to admire their camera.Some one suggested learning the skills of the camera is more important than the camera itself. This is True.

After all is said and done camera brands are the same as any other loyalty we establish to protect our decisions. After all, none of us ever made a mistake in buying something. Some like Canon, some Nikon, some Fuji, some Pentax and even some like Minolta (when they eventually get their DSLR out of the thinktank and into someones hands.) Branding is an established part of the buyers cycle and if it wasn't for branding all those cute tshirts, hats, pens, frequent flyer miles arguments, sleepless nights and other memorabilia would go to blazes.

Now back to the 3000. We carried the Fuji line in our store along with Nikon (I was a dealer and we had a decent sized lab. Never got one back, had the least amount of wasted shots and the easiest color correction on any of our Fuji and Gretag equipment. I have (by virtue of the Gods, luck and decent seats) gotten excellent results with the Fujis at weddings, hockey, and Nascar in rain, fog and a couple food fights.

You will do well after learning the basics, the tools will become second nature.

www.aljacobs.com Adobe teaching site opening soon...

gubbs · October 23, 2004

AussieKate wrote:

Nice response!
I was starting to think i'ld made the wrong choice with my Fuji s7000 'cause all the others on this site can get ISO 1600, fstops a lot higher/lower than my camera!
Do you think that really matters? S7000 only has from f2.8 - 8, ISO 200, 400 and 800 ..... i've found its limited me a little when i was trying to get some shots of the freeway from a bridge and wanted the cars to blurr, but couldn't get the apature down far enough? (it was during the day) .....

Anyway, you've renewed my faith that i made the right choice, and i'll just have to go with what the camera has!

(you sounds as though you'll be pretty useful at this site! keep up the posting! )

Don't worry about your camera, If you look at all Damon's (damonff) china pictures they are all done on a Sony 828, Sid (wxwax) was until recently using a G3 and took some fantastic stuff, I think someone already metioned Andy and his 828.
P&S's do have more limits, the fun bit is working round them and taking pictures that suit the camera. I think you actually learn faster because you're challenged more.

I think the most important thing to do, regardless of the camera is to take, and look at, loads of pictures. Try to work out why you like and dislike them and remember what you've learnt when you look through the viewfinder.

wxwax · October 23, 2004

gubbs wrote:

Don't worry about your camera, If you look at all Damon's (damonff) china pictures they are all done on a Sony 828, Sid (wxwax) was until recently using a G3 and took some fantastic stuff, I think someone already metioned Andy and his 828.
P&S's do have more limits, the fun bit is working round them and taking pictures that suit the camera. I think you actually learn faster because you're challenged more.

I think the most important thing to do, regardless of the camera is to take, and look at, loads of pictures. Try to work out why you like and dislike them and remember what you've learnt when you look through the viewfinder.

Excellent post, Gubbs. Dead on, I reckon.

pathfinder · October 24, 2004

AussieKate wrote:

Nice response!
I was starting to think i'ld made the wrong choice with my Fuji s7000 'cause all the others on this site can get ISO 1600, fstops a lot higher/lower than my camera!
Do you think that really matters? S7000 only has from f2.8 - 8, ISO 200, 400 and 800 ..... i've found its limited me a little when i was trying to get some shots of the freeway from a bridge and wanted the cars to blurr, but couldn't get the apature down far enough? (it was during the day) .....

Anyway, you've renewed my faith that i made the right choice, and i'll just have to go with what the camera has!

(you sounds as though you'll be pretty useful at this site! keep up the posting! )

AusieKate - Photographers take pictures - cameras are just black boxes to hold film or digital sensors for photographers. I have taken some of my best pictures with a 3.2 Mpxl Nikon CoolPix 995 and a 5 Mpxl Canon G5. I do not think these are inferior to either of my Digital SLRs at all. There are many occasions when I chose to take my 995 or my G5 instead. I did a thread awhile back just to demonstrate the ability of the G5 or the 995 to take excellent pictures. The real trick is to pay attention to lighting and to buy and use a good tripod.

Lots of would be photographers spend all kind of money on new lenses and do not own a good tripod. A good tripod opens all kind of trick even for a good P&S camera. And a good tripod should be good for the rest of your life.

This was shot with a CoolPix 995 - a camera that is now at least two years and two or three generations past, but ....

And this was shot with a Canon G5

And this was shot with a Cano EOS 1DMkll - a fully pro level DSLR - can you tell the G5 and the 1DMkll images apart if I had not labelled them?

And this was shot with a Canon G5...

I assure that I have a whole lot of pictures shot with a 1DMkll that are not as good as these I have linked here, so I know that good cameras are not the answer - good photographers are. Lighting, tripods, think about what you want the image to display to the viewer.

Your Fuji s7000 will make great shots for you if you just do your part. That is what is neat about dgrin - it really is not a site about cameras, but a site about images and their creation.

I'm new-Help! (with equipment)

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