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The Official Head-Case Photography Thread.


Knuckledragger

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Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced tripod/ball head? Should be able to take on a d800/d600 and a 15/2.8 or a 35/2 lens (nothing long) and maybe a 50/1.4 but I don't know if I will keep it long. Will be taking it with my to cedar point, mount Zion the Grand Canyon so something sturdy would be better. Also since it will be sitting around outside strapped to my camera bag, resistance to water damage is a must as it will decidedly get soaked. I don't mind spending more money right now if the gear retains its value so I can sell it after the Grand Canyon and mount Zion trips. Thanks :)

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Didn't know I could rent tripods. Well I would like to use one between now and July as I find myself with a little more time on my hands. So rental for that long wouldn't make sense. I tried making a makeshift tripod with a gorillapod and a cooler and some of my textbooks, and while cheap, it wasn't all that convenient or effective. Especially when you are walking to the beach. 

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Gorillapod - cool idea, poor result. 

 

If you want compact at the minimum go for an Ultrapod #2 - still not *really* enough for even a Leica M /Fuji X100 size camera, but totally fine for any pocketable P&S.

 

On the note of how inadequate the ultrapod 2 is:

I have put a Nikon F4 and a 28mm lens on an Ultrapod, but it was far from optimal.... 

I have also put the Leica M3 with a 28mm pancake on the ultrapod2, which was right around my comfort level - note no real lens to speak of!

 

 

6601436917_8e4f1d5a64_n.jpg
 
6601436985_45856db737_n.jpg
 
^^ 2 pictures taken with Leica M3 and 28mm pihole lens. Exposure time was about 1min30sec

 

I am soon getting a 50mm 4x5" camera. Do I loves me some wide angles? Ooh yea. 

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Anybody had much experience with a micro 4/3 set up?

 

I recently picked up an Olympus ep3 for a very good price.  It's early days but so far I'm really impressed with the image quality and operation of the camera.

 

I'm also attracted by the portability of this system if I pick up a good set of primes.

 

Its got me thinking of selling my Nikon DX system.

 

Anybody been down this route?

Edited by The Expanding Man
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I couldn't get used to the heavily menu based controls of m43.  I guess I'm old-school enough to need dials to rapidly change exposure settings.  I shoot 99% of the time in A priority and fiddling with ISO and Aperture are regularly required.  I was also really disappointed with the low-light shooting performance.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the appeal, but it just didn't work for me at all. 

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I've got an E-M5 so I rarely has to go into menu while shooting since it's got plenty of physical buttons and dials.  In my experience while shooting RAW, I found its IQ at similar ISO to be equal to or better than that of Canon 7D, which I've owned in the past, and its AF is also faster and more accurate.  Of course, 7D trounces it when it comes to C-AF, but that's what you'd expect as contrast-detection AF still sucks at C-AF.  Nikon D700, which is what I was using prior to E-M5, demonstrated better IQ as you went up on ISO value as one would expect from a Nikon FX camera.

 

It should be noted that even with all its physical dials and buttons, I still much prefer the physical handling of D700, except for size/weight, and if it weren't for chronic tendinitis, I wouldn't have switched to m43.

Edited by Salt Peanuts
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For those with Nikon bodies who have sent them in for servicing. Does one HAVE to have the yellow warranty paper or just the original proof of purchase? I keep reading different things online.

 

I don't know what Nikon's policy is here, but I know that many states have laws that state only proof of purchase is necessary.  California is one of them.  Maybe Florida is too.

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I thought you were sending the refurb D800 back?

I sent it back and got one from best buy but it didn't come with the yellow card. I went to return/exchange it and they said they would charge me a 15% restocking fee as I didn't say there was something wrong with it. I don't want to lie about it but I don't want to keep a camera that I can't get serviced if needed. Especially when it costs $3000.

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That's why mirrorless APS-C cameras like the Nex 6/7 are so brilliant - you get the small size factor of micro 4/3 with the controls of an SLR, and a ton of lens compatibility too. Of course I still hate not having an optical viewfinder, contrast-detect AF sucks as has been noted, and not having the durability and weathersealing of a pro SLR is a big no-no for what I do.

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Just to clarify my previous post, S-AF (or AF-S on Nikon and On Shot AF on Canon) on E-M5 is faster and more accurate than One Shot AF on Canon 7D (using 35/2, 35L, and 85/1.8 ) and D700 (using 50/1.8G and 105DC).

 

As for continuous AF on E-M5, it's nothing to write home about though there are tricks to make it work better.  7D, as noted earlier, is vastly superior in this area.

 

I would move to Nex system in a heartbeat if/when more fast primes become available and AF speed gets to the level of E-M5.

Edited by Salt Peanuts
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