How many DSLR users here?

[phaleesy]

Ok, maybe I'm being very childish. Sometimes when I want something very badly, I'd wish and wish for it to become true.

The 5DMk III would be announced in 6 months' time.

[N_Architect]

Ok, maybe I'm being very childish. Sometimes when I want something very badly, I'd wish and wish for it to become true.

Nothing wrong with that, especially now. Xmas is here soon, and this makes all us children excited. You want a 5D Mk III and a 1D Mk IV, I want a 25-yr old tall blond gorgeous local girlfriend and the 1Ds to take her pictures, up and away wants a Lambo to go round in 'safe' speeds , 9V-JKL wants a free pass to unlimited NH F long hauls to ORD , etc.

Xmas is round the corner and we all want our 'fix', don't we?

I'm thinking now a perfect setup might be a 1Dmk4 (x1.3) for moving subjects and a 5DmkIII for general touristy stuff and macro work. A 5D body is so much smaller and easier to carry around when one is on holiday.

Any thoughts and advice?

P.S. Was just thinking how one would have to pay a lot more £££ for a FF 1Ds, when a 5D could do a similar job (e.g. photo of the LHR SKL) for less money. A x1.3 1D would in fact be advantageous if one was photographing animals or sports.

Optimal setup can vary from user to user. As you well know there is no perfect setup.

If one goes on holiday and wishes to carry a FF with him/her, then obviously the 5D is preferable to carrying the 1D, especially if you are ok on the 5D w/o grip. But then it all depends on what glass you want to carry with you.

I originally got involved into this 3 years ago, and got the x1.3 1D Mk II N with the EF 16-35/2.8L. This gave me a zoom lens with a good reach for wides (around 20mm) and for normal perspective shots (around 50mm). Then I needed to cover tele lengths. The 70-200/2.8L or 4L is nearly the best you can use for this. But they're both big and white (so attract attention). The 135/2L is magnificent but slow in focusing. In addition, for portraits, there is no solution as you need to carry with you a 50/1.4 (which becomes a 65mm, kind of short for portraits) or the 85/1.8 or 1.2 which ultimately become kind of long, expensive or too heavy.

Then you think that you prefer to use primes (I mean, not you specifically, phaleesy, but any of us). Once you try the 35/1.4L in your x1.3 1D then you're ready to sell your 'tourist zoom' 16-35/2.8 at an instant. But if you do that, then what will you use for wides? The brilliant but heavy and very expensive 14/2.8L?

Now imagine you have a FF. Say it is a 5D III (yes, Santa still exists for us). The 24 prime would be for wides, the 50 for normal, the 85 for portraits, plus a macro since apparently you like doing macros as well. But then again you have more and more glass to carry around, and still you don't have a solution for tele shots.

Best combo is both bodies with a couple of lenses for each, adding a tripod and a flash if you feel so. That's a lot for tourist excursions.

Question for you:

Assume you have to go to (say) Switzerland for this 'sq frequent flyers do thing' on a long weekend. If I told you that you can take a special camera bag with you, carry-on item, one that can fit one dSLR body (with or w/o grip) and two medium-to-large (say zoom) lenses OR three primes.

Which body would you select to take with you and which lens? (assume that Xmas is here, Santa is still alive, MAN Flyer does not have to go through GMP heading for PUS any more, I've finally got the blond and you the 5D III and 1D Mk IV.)

What would your choice then be?

[up and away]

up and away wants a Lambo to go round in 'safe' speeds

Since I probably couldn't afford the insurance plus fuel plus taxes I'd rather go for a new tele-lens

[9V-JKL]

Nothing wrong with that, especially now. Xmas is here soon, and this makes all us children excited. 9V-JKL wants a free pass to unlimited NH F long hauls to ORD , etc.

LOL! Thank you Santa N_Architect

[haf]

It's funny you bring up the primes. I use these so much more than using zooms. The zoom that gets the most use is the 24-70L 2.8.

The bag of 3 primes I carry is (and would do for Switzerland):

24mm 1.4L - by far my most used lens - and almost always use this one at night. I rarely use a flash these days.
50mm 1.0L - super heavy, but super fun to use...glorious DoF narrowness! Great to show the Canon geeks who have not seen this old bugger. I am of the belief that rare and exotic lenses should NOT be stored in a museum but used!!
85mm 1.8 - lightweight and powerful for what it does.

These are all on my 5D so FF means I don't spend much time shooting things that are far away.

The other combo of 3 lenses I may take (if I want to shoot more landscape/architecture)

24mm 1.4L
24-70mm 2.8L
17-40 4L - this one is great for that super wide angle shot. Clouds look stunning with this lens at 17mm. So do large angular buildings, perspectives, etc.

[phaleesy]

What would your choice then be?

My Blackberry?

It'd either be my 5D or 400D. A wide angle (10-22mm with my 400D, 16-35mm for the 5D) and the 24-70mm. Maybe I'd bring the 400D, kinda like the extended reach when I can't bring my 70-200mm along.

No need for the 1D for the Swiss Do. SQTalkers are rather sedentary creatures. I don't anticipate much fast moving action.

[nickbot]

SLR w/50 f/1.4 lens compared to GF1 w/40 (equivalent) f/1.7 lens

May I ask how you're finding the GF1 jhm? I ask because the more I look at it, the more it features on my wish list Still expensive though

[jhm]

May I ask how you're finding the GF1 jhm? I ask because the more I look at it, the more it features on my wish list Still expensive though

It's a lot of fun and I love it! It goes everywhere with me unlike the bulky SLR. And the GF1 is a camera with "proper" controls, has RAW output etc. I don't find the 40mm (equivalent) pancake lens restrictive - it's nice and fast but the depth of field can be a problem at times. I don't regret buying the GF1 at all.

However, I read that the Olympus EP-1 may be upgraded soon so you may want to wait and see what that's like first. It's main problem at the moment seems to be the autofocus so if they fix that, it may be better than the GF1 (assuming you don't need a built-in flash).

[wsssaero]

Olympus has the EP-2 now.

[nickbot]

Many thanks jhm May I ask how exactly you find the depth of field to be a problem? I'm presuming you mean it's too "deep" as it were, i.e. you can't pick subjects out in focus and blur others? Do you have any example shots ?

It's a lot of fun and I love it! It goes everywhere with me unlike the bulky SLR. And the GF1 is a camera with "proper" controls, has RAW output etc. I don't find the 40mm (equivalent) pancake lens restrictive - it's nice and fast but the depth of field can be a problem at times. I don't regret buying the GF1 at all.

However, I read that the Olympus EP-1 may be upgraded soon so you may want to wait and see what that's like first. It's main problem at the moment seems to be the autofocus so if they fix that, it may be better than the GF1 (assuming you don't need a built-in flash).

Yes, I also heard about the new EP-1 (actually from Kyo(+) the other day) - whilst I like the styling and tend to avoid flash as a rule, I think I'd prefer to have that flexibility. Perhaps because the gadget funds are at an all time low I'll take a step back and see how prices are moderated with 4/3rds maturity, post-Christmas pricing and competition from the new model,...but I hate to wait!

[phaleesy]

Many thanks jhm May I ask how exactly you find the depth of field to be a problem? I'm presuming you mean it's too "deep" as it were, i.e. you can't pick subjects out in focus and blur others? Do you have any example shots ?

I'm speaking for myself. The 1.4 aperture does tend to blur objects out a bit too much. I'm not a fan of bokeh. Yes, I've been told that sharpness is bourgeois and bokeh is the in-thing these days but I personally feel that bokeh works in some compositions but certainly not all.

jhm likes his food pictures pin-prick sharp. Taking the pictures at this aperture does not work for him at all. I've played around with the lens and the sweet spot seems to be about F9-11 in a relatively well-lit restaurant. But we're talking only about food pictures at a distance of about 10-30 cm. I personally think my little Ixus produces much sharper pictures in situations like these.

I think the F1.4 would be all right if you're focusing at infinity or if your subjects are at a distance.

The depth of field should not be a problem at all anyway, since you can choose which F number you wish to shoot at, so I don't know what jhm is talking about!

[N_Architect]

Yes, I also heard about the new EP-1 (actually from Kyo(+) the other day) - whilst I like the styling and tend to avoid flash as a rule, I think I'd prefer to have that flexibility. Perhaps because the gadget funds are at an all time low I'll take a step back and see how prices are moderated with 4/3rds maturity, post-Christmas pricing and competition from the new model,...but I hate to wait!

I was navigating myself through dpreview's pages the other day and found the article on the new Ricoh concept. Very interesting indeed, but I doubt it will have commercial success.

In any case, I have great respect for the Ricoh compact camera products, as I own the GX100 and have found it to be the ultimate travel and wide angle companion...

[nickbot]

Thanks phaleesy and N Architect Had my grubby paws on the GF-1 in a camera shop today and was please with the weight/feel of it. It's very expensive though,...certainly more than the Nikon D-5000 that was also on my wishlist - IIRC it retaled at £630ish with the zoom lens, and an additional £260ish for the pancake lens.

Whilst the zoom would offer flexibility, it makes the camera less portable/pocketable than a compact of course (a distinct downside for me of the whole DSLR caper, as nickbot plus manbag doesn't really go ), so I think the pancake lens would have to be on my shopping list - perhaps there are body+pancake kits out there? In some ways I'm intentionally not looking because it's a bit beyond my current budget

Would love to see some shots still jhm!

[N_Architect]

Guys, I'm seriously thinking of switching camp...



I doubt it will happen soon, though, due to technical difficulties, but I gradually begin to think it's only a matter of time really.

[andySYD]

Guys, I'm seriously thinking of switching camp...



I doubt it will happen soon, though, due to technical difficulties, but I gradually begin to think it's only a matter of time really.

I am on the same boat with you man, but I am considering getting a second hand ** to play around with first before investing too much on it...