Rentering Photography after 40 years

[richrf]

Thanks everyone for the additional advice and information. Very much appreciated!

 

[petrochemist]

There are plenty of used cameras that will be quite adequate for your requirements.
If you previously used a SLR then I think an interchangable lens model would probably be best. Even something like my ten+ year old Pentax K100d would be OK!
Personally I'd go with a slightly newer mirrorless model, which would allow use of lenses just like those you used previously as well as new lenses with autofocus....
I would suggest spending less than half your budget on the camera & hold the rest in case you find you want other lenses etc to diversify as you get back into things.

Much of the effective choices will come down to ergonomics. Some people find the small micro four thirds cameras too small for them. I find there small size an advantage that IMO makes up for the smaller sensor - APSC cameras & full frame cameras are also options.

Things have changed a lot since you last played with photography but the basics you learnt in the past will still apply.

 

[richrf]

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for the wonderful suggestions and insights.

I had a chance to visit a camera store yesterday for my first hands-on feel of potential cameras. My first impressions are:

1) I prefer a minimalist approach. All of the cameras I tried out are capable of taking the the type of photos I am looking to create, though some interfere more than others in the shooting process by virtueelmedof the general ergonomics and options. Dials are good! This is something I'll have to figure out.

2) I'm not sure why, but I was really underwhelmed by the kit lenses. They seemed flimsy and just as much a turnoff as the complicated option ergonomics. I'll probably buy only a body and then do some lens research. This shouldn't take long.

Right now, my initial impressions of the A6000 and D5300 are positive. I also really like the Fujifilm T100 look land feel. With consideration of my profile (i.e. minimalist, lenses, budget), if any one had any experiences with these cameras, or competitors, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share them with me. Thanks again!

 

[ac12]

One other thing, there is a saying "getting old sucks."
What this means for me is that I cannot carry the gear load that I did when I was younger. So I have to be more selective about what I pick to carry. And the longer I have to carry it, the lighter the kit has to be. You need to be careful here, because 5 minutes in the camera shop is VERY different than 5 hours in the field or 15 days on vacation.

• Example1, I use the Nikon D7200 + 18-140 at home and where my carry time is less than about 6 hours.
• Example2, On a 2 week vacation I used a much lighter Olympus EM1 + 12-60. And I just got an even lighter kit; EM10 + 14-42.

Similarly with lens selection. My home lenses can be heavier than my travel lens. But even so, I am not getting the HEAVY lenses.

If I only have ONE kit, it has to be the lighter travel kit.
Cuz it sucks when you are so worn out, that you don't want to pick up the camera.

 

[richrf]

I totally understand and empathize with what you are saying. Even when I was young, the combination of flash, lenses, filters, film, etc. was a major impediment to enjoyment. This is one of the ergonomic issues I am thinking about since there are pros and cons to every feature, and I am trying to find that balance. From this point if view, so far, the Fujifilm T100 is the most balanced - except for the money!

 

[Derrel]

You want dials? Fuji has the dials. Canon's G-series PowerShot models (like the older G11 to be specific) also use a dial approach, and have nice ergonomics and feel more-traditional than most compact digicams.

Sony's A6xxx series cameras have a menu-diving reputation, as do other Sony cams. I recall once a camera sales guy who was a member here on TPF, demo'ing the A6000 for me when it was brand new, and he was working the local Ritz camera. he told me it took 16 button-presses to do a simple operation (I think it was changing the ISO from 100 to 400, perhaps).

Kit lenses being flimsy: well, modern, lightweight industrial polycarbonates feel..,well, light, but the material is tough. Still, it's not 40 years ago, and lenses feel flimsy, yet they hold up amazingly well. I have a Nikkor 28-80 AF-D that must be from 1990 (?), and it feels flimsy as heck, yet still works. Fuji's kit lenses have a reputation for feeling more-solid. But most of today's 18-55 kit lenses and 55-200 type kit lenses feel a bit plastic-y. These are however, $109 and $149 lenses...so..

Fuji lenses cost more, feel better, feel more-solid. When you're the fifth or sixth-place seller, you have to try harder, and make an effort to have an advantage over the brand leaders that sell more and have a bigger established user base. Canon,Nikon,Pentax,Olympus...those companies have a bigger installed base than Fuji, and Sony is Pushing Hard, and Panasonic is out there in the small-body+video segment doing well. Fuji has a more-traditionalist camera look and feel and ethos, but their prices are higher, yet their products FEEL and LOOK better than most others.

I think you have to accept that, 40 years forward, MUCH of today's gear "feels" flimsy, but will still actually hold up, and in fact, when dropped or banged, polycarbonates and industrial plastics often do not dent or scratch up much, and the lens or body tends to keep working.

The Nikon D5300 has a super 24-MP sensor, a flippy screen, and the Nikon F lens and accessory system behind it. Small body, light weight, low price, can use F-mout lenses from 1959 to the present, with either full or partial lens functionality. That is the draw: the Nikon system, and Nikkor lenses and Nikon TTL flashes,and superb light and flash metering. Plus high resolution, and VERY wide scene dynamic range, and although not many people talk about it, Nikon's straight out of camera [usually called SOOC] JPEG processing is very good, especially if one USES THE PICTURE STYLES offered. In a blind, multi-user, color print test done in Canada a couple of years ago, Nikon's printed SOOC images were the overall winner, over multiple brands, even beating out Fuji's alleged "beautiful JPEGs".

I dunno....there are a LOT of neat cameras out there today. Some offer intangibles, others offer very definite technical advantages, some offer beautiful camera appearance and handling, and so on. I think good pictures can be made by anything fairly new, even under tricky lighting. But....there are some cameras that will excel, where others will struggle somewhat. Bottom line: buy a camera you LIKE. If you want an expensive or higher-end model, buy it off the used market, and get that expensive model for a lower price.

 

[Designer]

if any one had any experiences with these cameras, or competitors, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share them with me.

Not those, exactly, but I will offer my opinion anyway.

The Nikon D5xxx line will not auto-focus the older (and some will say better) Ai-S lenses because they lack the "screw drive" motor in the camera body that is required to auto focus those older lenses.

I recommend that you find and purchase a clean, well-cared-for used D7xxx model, such as the excellent D7100. Then you can pick up some very good lenses also on the used market.

 

[richrf]

More great info and advice!!

Thanks Derrel for your advice and insights.

I found DPReview's video on the T100. Really well done, and pretty much covers all of features that I noticed, both pros and cons. I'm thinking this might be a fun camera, especially with the different jpeg film emulator modes. This is more or less my sweet spot, since shooting raw is not on the radar right now.



Thanks Designer. I'll look into the 7100 camera and refurbished market. Interestingly, I have not found any really interesting deals yet in the refurbished market that I would chance with. It seems that refurbished may be more competitive, in some cases, than new. I'll be going too a local photography club this week and see if I can uncover a marketplace that can provide good price value.

Thanks again!