moxfactor

agree with ssal on all parts.  in terms of amateur fun however, having tried Olympus PEN, and having friends who own Panasonic GF1 as well as Sony NEX 5, i must say the NEX 5 is a very fun little camera, that incorporates a lot of software elements (like rolling panorama and in-camera HDR like the TX series) which makes taking photos fun.  the small size will make carrying a lot easier, which mean it's a great travel companion when you want to take a lot of fun snaps at above average quality with some restrictions like speed or noise(NR in most cameras are shabby at best).  and remember this, Chase Jarvis and several other professional photographers sometimes will choose to use "less than professional" systems to do shoots (eg. iPhone - http://fstoppers.com/iphone/ ).  no, it doesn't make those systems pro, and a beginner should not be learning to shoot with these, but it does qualify them as viable mediums in professional digital photography.

of course, i'd also suggest a traditional built camera as a starting point, if they want to actually learn all the elements in photography.  considering that the NEX 5 isn't exactly much cheaper than D3100 or the equivalent basic cameras from Canon or Sony, why not learn with something that can definitely be upgradable indefinitely rather than with some proprietory hybrid throwout in a few years time?  NEX's 18-200 at $5990(sonystyle.hk price) is over HKD $1000 more than any other brand's 18-200 or 28-300 DX lens.  is the slightly cheaper camera worth the more expensive lens (on a mount no one else will touch with a total of only 3 lenses so far?)  if you want a good set of lenses for every day + specific points, why not go with a 18-270 + several cheap pancake primes?  (50mm 1.8, 24mm 2.8, etc...).  that way, it'll all go into a man-purse or a saddlebag without the need for a backpack.

moxfactor

I am pretty much a newbie for pro dslr, is there a prism built into the body of a FF cam like the old slr?  Does it give a split image while doing manual focusing? Can you still use the DX lenses with ...
norman.ho 發表於 2010-9-24 10:36 AM

yes and no, a few of the top of the line cameras use a true pentaprism in their viewfinders, but many of the DSLRs uses cheaper multiple mirrors setup in a similar way(pentamirror) to replace the pentaprism.  see this article for a more detailed idea of the difference
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Real-Deal-About-Pentamirror-and-Pentaprism&id=1656898

DX lenses work with FF cameras, but uses only a cropped portion of the larger FF sensor, which results in a very strongly vingnetted photo.  in some cameras, there are automatic crop modes which crops out the vignette, reducing the total MP of the photo.  it's not recommended to use DX lenses on FF cameras for this reason, unless you just upgraded to FF and the superzoom is too useful as a travel lens.  i tried this in Guilin in April 2010, had both my D300 and D3s, so i threw on a Tamron 18-270 superzoom on my D3s, and the results were mostly borderline satisfactory in terms of photo quality, but for fun shots, it's perfectly fine going down from my already measly 12.1MP on the D3s to 8.4MP due to the DX crop(using the 1.2x crop), or sometime interesting to skip the auto-crop and keep the strange black border...

moxfactor

actually it's not hard at all.  having both FX and DX at 1.5 crop gives me the choice for shooting a good variety of things at the same time.  the stability and photo quality of the D3s for landscape shoots on tripod, for high ISO shoots and easier time shooting nighttime macro like some of the photos i posted a month or so ago due to the excellent natural noise control.  OTOH, the D300 gives me an optimized crop area during well-lit hours when shooting birds and such with my Sigma 150-500 OS, turning it into a 225-750mm lens!  or daytime macro, not needing the 2x teleconverter on my Sigma 150mm macro lens, which allows me to have AF and not squint really hard when shooting stuff below 1cm.  and they're both 12.1MP, with (i think) the same crop ratio, so putting photos together it's almost always 1024x598(off the top of my head, so i'm not 100% certain).  of course, i use only FX lenses, and using mostly primes (24mm, 50mm, 150mm, etc...), i have no problems with the DX crop at all, actually, it's not really a problem with zooms either.  the DX crop is in fact an advantage sometimes when i need the extra distance or when my primes couldn't exactly cover my needed focal range when i can't move that step forward or backward (which is actually quite often in the water villages near Hangzhou).

at the moment, i'm seriously considering selling the D300 and switching to the D7000 for dual SD slots, the extra MP, and 1080p movie mode.  the pricing is great @ just $1k USD, for basically something even better than the D300s (not to mention the long outdated but excellent D90).  that will be my new tripod-baby.  i took a whole load of videos during this last few weeks in and around Hangzhou.  just got back to HK a few hours ago.  hopefully i'll have some stuff to post in the next few days.

moxfactor

Norman,

i'm not a pro either, i'm just a very enthusiastic amateur hoping to turn pro.  there's a lot of advertising propaganda out there trying to steer people into branding, hopefully i can at least help out here by explaining exactly why certain brands are different, but that difference should not matter to most consumers who are just looking to take a good photograph.  owning a Hasselblad or Leica does not mean they can automatically take great photos.

ssal,

consider http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/rotation360-backpack.aspx
and add on one of the ThinkTank camera straps so it hang on the neck as well as buckles onto the shoulder harnesses.  it makes a lot less strain for the neck.  myself, i'm considering not using a backpack at all now, instead putting all the weight onto a harness and belt system, which would allow me to switch between primes quickly and free up my back for a beefier water+rations+towel+accessories pack.  i've tried a few vests and they almost all suck, the pockets are more catered to tiny things like cards and stuff, great for sport photographers, but i want space to put small lenses like the 24mm f2.8 primes, or a spare flash unit, etc...

about the size of the D3/D3s series, i agree on the weight, it's definitely quite hefty, but i like the weight because it counterbalances the "big 3" lens(14-24/24-70/70-200 f2.8) quite well, and the weight helps steady shots.  my stance allows me to rest the left bottom of the camera against my left shoulder with my left arm basically tight against my chest holding the lens barrel, and my right hand is for altering settings and pressing the shutter.  it's extremely steady and hard for people to bump into me, and since most of the weight of the FF camera rests on my shoulder, it's not really tiring at all when shooting, but then... i'm one for handheld shooting with my D3s + Bigmos(Sigma 150-500mm), so maybe i'm not the one to talk to about equipment weight.  ^_^

moxfactor

lol, make a decent amount, then move to China...  seriously, hiring someone with the hours of a minute maid/babysitter to travel with you and roll(not even carry?) your bags...  1200-1500RMB give or take + expenses, double if you want someone able to say a few sentences in english, US minimum wage for semi-fluent univ. grad.  and i think i'm already being generous.  as you can probably tell, i have also given this caddy idea some thought....

that's why i like to handle a FX and a DX, rather than 2 FXes, because it allows me to have a wide accompaniment of focal lengths and 2 different strengths.  i wanted to wait for the NEX's video system, but since it wasn't announced in Photokina, it's probably still a long ways away, but the D7000 is just around the corner and i have 3 trips coming up in Nov, Dec, and Jan, with Jan's trip being a wicked 10 day japan trip i'm still designing the itinerary as we speak, and i would love to have 2 separate 1080p video-capable machines there to capture the snowy landscape (D7000 and my Sony XR350 vidcam).  having the DX (more compact but still mag-alloy body not plastic) with the Tamron 18-270 on allows me to have a preview camera that i barely notice clipped to my backpack's shoulderstrap or inside a fleece jacket's XL pockets.  I usually also have a DC, but it just can't replace a DSLR in terms of versatility.

moxfactor

oh?  strange.  for top of the line stuff in HK, for example my D3s was the original set price of $38800HKD (almost exactly $5000USD), i'm quite sure US base price is $5200.  this shop has pretty much mostly the fairline pricing in Hong Kong, if you want to check the prices.  for lenses and P&S (DCs), the price difference is also what attracts many people to come buy cameras in HK...

http://www.dcfever.com/shop/index.php

and i go to their retail shops to test out several lenses until i pick the one i want to buy, bringing my own camera so i know the settings and can compare...  service is really good, which is why i almost never buy stuff online.  of course, there are a lot of bad stores in Hong Kong, and some rip off places, but if you know where to go, AFAIK HK has some of the best official prices in the world, where even japanese come to HK to buy japanese cameras~ lol...

moxfactor

of course, i wouldn't expect anyone to fly half way around the world specifically just to buy a few pieces of equipment, but it's a good deal if it's already a destination or on extended layover.  i'm trying to sell my relatively new D300 right now, most likely locally, and possibly the Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro as well since both have upgrades coming up that i'm interested in.  DSLRs are such "necessary accessories" these days in Hong Kong it's amazing if you don't bump into someone carrying on every 3-5 minutes.  i'm mildly irritated by the lemming behaviour, but then it does mean the 2nd hand market is quite booming, which makes upgrading much easier for those of us who actually have any patience to take this skill beyond a mere passing fad like the Krispy Kreme franchise's rise and fall in Hong Kong.

moxfactor

just a quick reply today.  my comp went into the shop today as it seems to have some problems with the graphics card/driver i couldn't solve, and it was giving Adobe Bridge as well as all my games problems with freezing and crashes, while playing video is perfectly fine.  so it might be a few days before i can do some edits and post photos as i also have to get ready for Canon Photo Marathon here in HK (Oct 3).

about Huang Shan, I might head there during my december trip as it's only a 2-3hr drive from Hangzhou