Anyone into photography? Use an actual camera?

[Melensdad]

I used to shoot a lot of film, developed my own, used a full darkroom set up to print photos.

Shifted to digital a couple decades ago?

Dasha graduated from Notre Dame and I broke out my old Panasonic Lumix GX-1, looked at the digital card and the last time I had used this camera was in 2017 when Melen graduated from Wake Forest. Hmmm. . .

But I've been playing around with actual cameras recently, largely because both Melen & Dasha have been asking about them. Melen wants a nice digital and I have one that, as soon as I can find it, I will gift to her. It looks like an SLR but is, as are most higher end digitals, a mirrorless model. Dasha has been gifted a couple 35mm film cameras because she wanted to play with actual film cameras; but I still have my old workhorse Nikon F2a.

The Lumix GX-1 was the top of the range camera from Panasonic at the time I got it, Leica lens, lots of modes, but fully able to utilize manual controls. I have a couple different lenses for it. But I'm thinking of adding a low light wide aperture lens (anything F-1.8 or larger aperture)

A guy at the fencing club showed up with a new Canon EOS and is trying to learn, showed me his camera and asked some questions, not knowing that I used to know my way around a camera. And "used to" is accurate, because I feel like I've forgotten most of what I knew.

Just curious if anyone here is into actual camera photography?
What do you use?
How?
Why?
All the questions . . . because I'm thinking I may want to keep the Lumix GX-1 handy a lot more often. It is an aging beauty but I still appreciate all it can do.

Here is an old review:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Review

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GX1 is the company's latest addition to its G-series lineup. And although the camera bears the '1' appendage in its model name, it is clear from even a cursory glance that with the GX1, Panasonic has provided the long-awaited spiritual successor to the highly regarded Lumix...

www.dpreview.com

 

[Mark1911]

I am (was, and hope to be again when life slows down) an avid outdoor photographer. I’ve also done half a dozen weddings, several senior photo shoots, and a little live sports (my least favorite).

My primary is a Canon 5D MKIII, and my backup is a Canon 40D. Primary lenses are 24-105L 4.0, 24-70L 2.8, 17-40L 2.8 (this actually shoots quite wide on the full frame sensor on the 5D), and a 70-200L 2.8 (w/2x extender for reaching out).

iPhones are great for quick shots, but if it’s IMPORTANT, I’m getting the Canon…

 

[waybomb]

I did medium format with a Mamiya RB67 Pro
Those big negatives 6cm x 7cm would develop into very nice pix. But then digital came along. I asked about a digital back. At the time, $25,000. So I sold all the lenses. View finders, backs, my brown line lighting, umbrellas, everything. And went digital. Now, I've sold all of that and simply use my phone.

 

[Melensdad]

I did medium format with a Mamiya RB67 Pro
Those big negatives 6cm x 7cm would develop into very nice pix. But then digital came along. I asked about a digital back. At the time, $25,000. So I sold all the lenses. View finders, backs, my brown line lighting, umbrellas, everything. And went digital. Now, I've sold all of that and simply use my phone.

The phones are so damn easy.

And so damn handy.

But I feel like the times are shifting again and actual cameras are making a come back. Some is quality and flexibility. Some may be nostalgia. I am even seeing signs that 35mm film is making a comeback.

We just bought Dasha a fun little Fuji that is both Digital AND Instant Print. Just a point and shoot, but for young people having fun it seems ideal.

instax mini Evo™ | Fujifilm [United States]

The instax mini Evo™ is an instant camera with an analog design for a unique experience. The camera features a combination of 10 lens effects for light control and 10 film effects for rich, nuanced expression, enabling 100 ways of expressions.

www.fujifilm.com

 

[Kevlar]

I’m not a photographer in any way at all, but I do miss the old cameras with film. They captured the moment in all its imperfections, it bugs me now how it seems like a spur of the moment picture is taken 20 times to get the perfect picture, the moment is lost. Not to mention the photoshopping that is done after. And who didn’t like finding a roll of film somewhere and taking it to get developed to see what was even on it! I was just talking awhile ago about how my kids are missing out on the experience of sifting through a box of photos, I know I can still get digital pictures printed, but to go through hundreds and pick which ones just isn’t the same. If I could get a camera with film again I think I’d get it. Just a cheap one though.

 

[Melensdad]

I’m not a photographer in any way at all, but I do miss the old cameras with film. They captured the moment in all its imperfections, it bugs me now how it seems like a spur of the moment picture is taken 20 times to get the perfect picture, the moment is lost. Not to mention the photoshopping that is done after. And who didn’t like finding a roll of film somewhere and taking it to get developed to see what was even on it! I was just talking awhile ago about how my kids are missing out on the experience of sifting through a box of photos, I know I can still get digital pictures printed, but to go through hundreds and pick which ones just isn’t the same. If I could get a camera with film again I think I’d get it. Just a cheap one though.

The used camera market for film cameras is active and thriving. The old Canon Canonet is available on eBay for cheap, it is simple, and is a great camera.

There are some high priced film cameras available, and there are rumors the Canonet will be recreated, albeit it at a high price point.

 

[300 H and H]

We have a Zeiss Conta flex B 35mm SLR with ALL the accessories. From the early 60's. It has a built-in light meter mechanically coupled to
the aperture opening so you get a perfect pic without all the fuss. Camera shop guys told me to enjoy it for as long as it works, because there is no one alive today in these parts who could ever fix it if it stops working.
Occasionally I get it out and cock it and snap the shutter to keep it from getting sticky. Also check the light meter.
I used this for 10 year or so after it was given to me by my late Uncle.
Our kids were photographed with it extensively along with my parents and extended family.
Maybe it is time to get it out and find some film?

 

[EastTexFrank]

At one time in my life I was heavily invested in 35mm photography. I loved it but time moves on and I got out of the habit. My equipment sat in a closet for over 30 years until I dug it all out and gave it to a charity auction. There was a Canon A1 with assorted lenses, macro bellows and lens, filters and lotsa stuff.

While my 35mm stuff was languishing in the closet, I decided that I should get into digital photography and bought an "entry level" Canon Sureshot Sx30. Well, it's not quite entry level but close, good camera though. I'm glad that I didn't invest too much in it as I've hardly used it after the initial "getting to know you" stage. Phone cameras got to the point where they were so good that there was no need to a carry any additional luggage around to take the kind of photos that I take these days.

I'm old and nostalgic and I do miss the days when you actually spent time setting up a shot, getting the right angle, waiting for the right light etc., instead of taking snapshots. I still don't, or very seldom, take selfies.

 

[Smilingreen]

Back in the early 80's, I bought my first "prosumer" SLR camera. It was a Minolta. Can't remember the model number anymore, I just remember saving up for each lens and accessory I bought, subscribed to all of the camera mags, did a lot of wildlife pics, weddings, family get togetherness, etc. I took photography courses at the local college and did my own dark room developing and prints. I played around with all kinds of film, developing techniques, lighting, etc. Then I got divorced in the late 90's and had to sell everything (which wasn't worth much by then) to pay off the worthless lawyer.

Around 2000, I started looking at DSLR's and got smitten by the Sony's and their relationship with Zeiss lenses. Can't remember what my first Sony model Number was, I just remember the non-attachable lens that swiveled up and down was ridiculously larger than the camera body. It took great pictures in the early 2000's, but it stored them on little blue Sony Proprietary chips.

Then I bought another Sony, a R1 with fixed, non-attachable lenses with Zeiss optics. I still got it somewhere in a bag. I believe the CCD was a 12MP. I used it heavily until 2013 when I bought my current DSLR, a Nikon D7000. It is sitting on the side of my desk, next to it's bag full of lenses and makes quite a conversation piece, about the great pictures I used to take with it.

Now, I just take pictures with my 4 year old Iphone 12 Pro Plus, with the cracked screen. My vision sucks in old age and I rely too much on the autofocus feature in it. With a couple of different macro apps, I can do some decent macro pics. Most of it is of the fine print of stuff I am trying to read, but my arms are not long enough to extend it out that far so I can focus through my damn progressive lenses of these new glasses.

 

[jpr62902]

Canon makes some pretty good cameras that can do both point-and-shoot as well as full manual. I started with an S90 back in 2010 and upgraded a couple of years ago to a G7 X MkIII. Both have been great cameras for SCUBA, which adds a whole new layer of complication to photography. Both cameras are durable, too - they've survived lots of airtravel and dozens of dive trips.

 

[Smilingreen]

Well, did a little digging and found my first Sony digital. It was a F505. 2.1 MP

Found some pics of my newer R1

The R1 was a little strange, as the lens was fixed, but you could buy a tele adapter that attached to the end of the fixed lens. It bumped up the Fstop by several digits, so it was definitely for outdoor use only.

 

[Melensdad]

Well just for the fun of it, and mostly because I'm and idiot, I went on fleaBay and found a fixed focal length Lumix lens for my camera with an aperture of F1.7, my other lenses are much slower, one with an F3.5, the other is a telephoto with an F4. So the F1.7 will let in significantly more light, allowing for much easier indoor photography of action shots, perhaps good enough for fencing action shots?

 

[Melensdad]

And the new lens showed up in my mailbox today.

Going to try to get some action shots at the fencing club on Monday, just to see if we have enough light to shoot without a flash.

 

[Melensdad]

Playing around the the F1.7 and comparing it to the F4.0.

Set for priority aperture to keep the aperture wide open, the F1.7 will shoot 1/30 to 1/60 of a second shutter speed, without a flash while the standard lens, with an F4.0 aperture . . . same room, same focus point, same lighting, is at a slow 1/6th of a second shutter and requires a tripod.

 

[Mark1911]

Playing around the the F1.7 and comparing it to the F4.0.

Set for priority aperture to keep the aperture wide open, the F1.7 will shoot 1/30 to 1/60 of a second shutter speed, without a flash while the standard lens, with an F4.0 aperture . . . same room, same focus point, same lighting, is at a slow 1/6th of a second shutter and requires a tripod.

View attachment 178700View attachment 178701View attachment 178702

Nice - 1/30 is about as slow as I trust my ability to hold steady. what ISO are you set at?

 

[Melensdad]

160 for that reading. It was set on one of the auto modes just to see what would happen.

I ordered a lens cap keeper so I don't lose the cap. Elastic strap with a stick on button to attach to the lens cap. I keep them on all my lens caps with each lens. Not all caps fit all lenses, I think it was $5.99 for 6 pack of keepers so now I have extras.

 

[Melensdad]

F1.7 is just the ticket. Set the camera to auto adjust for "Sports" mode. Shutter speed was bumped up to 250/th of a second. ISO varied, but generally was between ISO500 and ISO1000. Some shots were a little dark, but I think that is the lighting in the fencing club. Other shots were perfectly bright, so I think that also is the lighting in the club.

Just a few action shots from tonight.

 

[Melensdad]

So my camera is a Micro-Four/Thirds system rather than a full frame. My lens is a fixed focal length 25mm 6 element aspherical F1.7. That is roughly the equivalent to a 50mm lens on a full frame camera.

It has a little too much magnification for shooting from the side of the strip to catch action on the strip because I'm too close to the action. Basically if I stand near the wall on strip 1, which puts me about 9 or 10 feet away from the side of the strip, I can catch good action on Strip 1. If I stand near the END of the strips in the middle of the room, I can catch angled action on Strips 2 and 3. If I stand on Strip 2 I get poked in the ear while shooting action on Strip 3. And I need to shoot Strip 4 from the end of the strip or from inside the dressing room because there is simply not enough space off the side of that strip.

After buying it I was second guessing the focal length, thinking I should have gotten something “longer” than a 25mm (50mm for a 35mm film camera or a "full frame" digital sensor) but now that I have it I’m actually pretty darn happy with it. A ‘shorter’ focal length, maybe a 20mm would be ‘better’ for indoor events but not by enough to make me regret this, but really glad it is not a ‘longer’ lens!

Looking at some of the photos I can actually see the blades curved during actions, the blades are a little blurry at that tips, but they can clearly be seen. Bodies, even arms, during action shots are crisp and in focus. Floor cord wires, which tend to whip around a lot, as they are on tension pulleys, are visible and not as crisp as the blades, which I found surprising. I figured the blades would be more of a "blur" and didn't realize the floor cords moved as much as they do.

The LAST photo in my prior post clearly shows the curve of the attacker's blade, as it is deflected by the defender. The defender's blade tip, which is traveling downward at high speed, is clearly blurred, but still discernible as it whips downward during the action. Pretty happy with that. No way I could catch that on an iPhone, even with the fact that it has a higher pixel count.

The SECOND TO THE LAST photo is also interesting. The tip of the attacker is clearly visible making off-target contact on the white portion of the defender's mask. The silver/grey fabric portion of the mask, less than a 1/2" below the point of impact is valid "target" area. The WHITE light on the scoring box is illuminated to indicate an "off target" touch, so the attacker does not score. The defender's blade, coming up to parry, clearly is a blur and the defensive action was clearly too late to even be close to becoming effective.

 

[Klein1014]

I used to shoot a lot of film, developed my own, used a full darkroom set up to print photos.

Shifted to digital a couple decades ago?

Dasha graduated from Notre Dame and I broke out my old Panasonic Lumix GX-1, looked at the digital card and the last time I had used this camera was in 2017 when Melen graduated from Wake Forest. Hmmm. . .

But I've been playing around with actual cameras recently, largely because both Melen & Dasha have been asking about them. Melen wants a nice digital and I have one that, as soon as I can find it, I will gift to her. It looks like an SLR but is, as are most higher end digitals, a mirrorless model. Dasha has been gifted a couple 35mm film cameras because she wanted to play with actual film cameras; but I still have my old workhorse Nikon F2a.

The Lumix GX-1 was the top of the range camera from Panasonic at the time I got it, Leica lens, lots of modes, but fully able to utilize manual controls. I have a couple different lenses for it. But I'm thinking of adding a low light wide aperture lens (anything F-1.8 or larger aperture)

A guy at the fencing club showed up with a new Canon EOS and is trying to learn, showed me his camera and asked some questions, not knowing that I used to know my way around a camera. And "used to" is accurate, because I feel like I've forgotten most of what I knew.

Just curious if anyone here is into actual camera photography?
What do you use?
How?
Why?
All the questions . . . because I'm thinking I may want to keep the Lumix GX-1 handy a lot more often. It is an aging beauty but I still appreciate all it can do.

Here is an old review:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Review

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GX1 is the company's latest addition to its G-series lineup. And although the camera bears the '1' appendage in its model name, it is clear from even a cursory glance that with the GX1, Panasonic has provided the long-awaited spiritual successor to the highly regarded Lumix...

www.dpreview.com

My first career was commercial photographer in NY. I went to the NY Institute of Photography. I used to make my own chemicals from scratch. I sed 35 MM 4 by 5 filed cameras. Then I would selenium tone my prints. They last for decades