Photography

[Blasphemous]

Candid.... could be, could be taken on holiday.... Nudge Nudge wink wink.... I can't shake off my Monty Python upbringing! I still love it!

Anyway, now to the actual reason for the post... I used to do a bit of photography 20 years ago!!! How 'I' can say I used to do something 20 years ago frightens the life out of me!!!! But anyway, due to a few health issues (some of which my pals on here are aware of), I had to close my business last year. I'm now starting to think about what I 'could' and am 'able' to do with what is left of the rest of my life (I'm in my early 40's). I thought about 'IT' for a while (I used to deliver a fair bit of IT Training), but I think I'm just too old now to get into that properly. I've always been quite creative (which is why I think I did so well in training), and I thought about my old hobby and thought... hmmmm, may be!

So now to my question. I've been looking at various cameras recently and I've narrowed it down to (in my budget), and in no particular order:

1. Sony Alpha A500
2. Nikon D5000
3. Canon 450D

My question, and I've read 'ALL' of the reviews online, is do you guys have any experience of photography and of these cameras, and can you give any advice?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Lincsbodger]

My father was a leading amateur photographer. he used to do weddings and such, and was the first in this town to print colour in the 1960's. in the 35 years he lived at our last family home, the garage never saw a car, it was converted into a darkroom that would have made David Bailey drool.

Ive still got his cameras, two matched, consecutive serial numbers, Yashicmat TLR. He paid £120 EACH for them in 1960 - that was like a months salary in those days.

They take fantastic pictures, you can take a closeup of a cat at six inches, blow it up to A1 size and you can see every hair in razor sharp clarity, but its 120 roll film, its like a week and £12 to get it processed.

 

[lifesagasman]

do you want this as a hobby or a means of earning a living? if the latter you have some real opposition out there

 

[Blasphemous]

Having read your previous post in the 'curry' thread Lincs I find it really rather strange that you should be the first person responding to my post and mentioning your father. You see, my father was also in the RAF during the second World War and he too spent some time in India! So it really struck a cord with me when I saw your post!

Anyway, considering your post, it just goes to show, 'film' is still a very good medium.

 

[Blasphemous]

do you want this as a hobby or a means of earning a living? if the latter you have some real opposition out there

Go on life, I'm interested....

 

[lifesagasman]

only stating the obvious, blas. if you just want a hobby, the best camera you can afford is all you need

 

[Blasphemous]

only stating the obvious, blas. if you just want a hobby, the best camera you can afford is all you need

Yeah I hear ya mate. Sorry! I thought you had some 'inside info' mate. Yep, it's an area that has its 'opposition' but I have to do something with the rest of my life and every area of business will have its 'opposition'. I'm not 'knocking' your comment life, it's a perfectly valid one mate. Thank you.

Anyone got ANY photography experience... ?

 

[lifesagasman]

i would have loved to be a photographer myself, but i'm an amateur. black and white can't be beat. huge subject though.

 

[Blasphemous]

i would have loved to be a photographer myself, but i'm an amateur. black and white can't be beat. huge subject though.

Candid... could be taken on holiday.... Nudge Nud....SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Lincsbodger]

Having read your previous post in the 'curry' thread Lincs I find it really rather strange that you should be the first person responding to my post and mentioning your father. You see, my father was also in the RAF during the second World War and he too spent some time in India! So it really struck a cord with me when I saw your post!

Anyway, considering your post, it just goes to show, 'film' is still a very good medium.

My father was a Warrant Officer Navigator on Wellingtons in 99 squadron '42 to '45, mainly based at Chittagon and Jessore . He dropped supplies to Ord Wingate, raided Imphal and dropped 45 Lb bales of propaganda leaflets over the Chindwin (its unclear if they untied the bundles - can you imagine what 45 lbs of paper dropped from 2000 feet would do to a house?)

 

[lifesagasman]

[quote="Lincsbodger";p="1591290

My father was a Warrant Officer Navigator on Wellingtons in 99 squadron '42 to '45, mainly based at Chittagon and Jessore . He dropped supplies to Ord Wingate, raided Imphal and dropped 45 Lb bales of propaganda leaflets over the Chindwin (its unclear if they untied the bundles - can you imagine what 45 lbs of paper dropped from 2000 feet would do to a house?)[/quote]

sorry, blas. not related to photography. in the 70s i was posted to St Kilda, a group of rocks west of the Outer Hebrides. It doubled as a Rapier missile tracking station and a Soviet spy-ship surveillance post.
before the days of helicopter transport, we got supplies every 6 weeks, usually by LCTs (a tale in itself), and in between we got 'mail drops' every 2 weeks. these were bags of mail and could only be dropped by light aircraft onto a plateau on the highest rockmass.
the aircrew thought it was highly amusing to do a few dummy runs and throw out big bags of flour, 'to gauge wind drift', allegedly, before they threw out the mail bags.
you soon learned to dodge them after you saw how they exploded all over the shop.
incidentally, the posting consisted of 30 army personnel, 5 star catering-anything you wanted you only had to ask for, and the bar was called the Puff-Inn. we took it in turns to play at barman, and all drinks were 10p.
can i turn back the clock??

 

[robfromfrem1]

Being a Sony user id obviously recomend the Sony alpha A500.
Though to be honest they all stack up pretty well against eachother with little between them, with the exception that the Sony has in camera stabilisation, where the canon and nikon it is built into the lenses. This has the effect of making the lenses more expensive to produce and therefore cost more to buy.
Having said that, my advice would be to go into a shop that has all three and play around with them and see what 'feels right'
The canon is smaller than the sony and nikon, this may be better or feel too small and uncomfortable, hence trying all three out.

There is a forum dedicated to Sony and minolta camera's
www.dynaxdigital.com
Worth checking out for some info


Rob

 

[imamartian]

If it were me... and i intend to buy a decent camera in the near future, i'd read and google lots... Decide what spec you're after, and create a spreadsheet with details from all the models touted as good... and when you've researched and ready to buy, you will have ruled out most of them based on youe requirements and reviews...

One i heard was supposed to be quite good is the Canon EOS 500D... but fill your boots... there's hundreds out there...

good luck

 

[Shutpa]

Ive still got his cameras, two matched, consecutive serial numbers, Yashicmat TLR. He paid £120 EACH for them in 1960 - that was like a months salary in those days.

Hi Lincsbodger,in 1960, £120 represented more than 2 months of my salary and that of my mates who were employed professional photographers. I worked in a photograpghic dealers on a Saturday and one of the perks was that I got to take home and try every new camera that came on the market.
Prior to the introduction of the Yashicamat, every professional photographer worth his salt would have a 35mm Leica, a plate camera, although not always a Hasselblad, and a 6x6 rolleiflex or Rolleicord. When the Yashica came along many of the pros poohood the camera until some discovered just how great it was. Soon the Japanese cameras, Yashica, Asahi Pentax, Canon and so on left the German lagging behind and although the Leicaflex has always held its own other cameras of German origin disappeared.

PS How on earth did your dad get two consecutive serial numbers?

 

[imamartian]

Ive still got his cameras, two matched, consecutive serial numbers, Yashicmat TLR. He paid £120 EACH for them in 1960 - that was like a months salary in those days.

Hi Lincsbodger,in 1960, £120 represented more than 2 months of my salary and that of my mates who were employed professional photographers. I worked in a photograpghic dealers on a Saturday and one of the perks was that I got to take home and try every new camera that came on the market.
Prior to the introduction of the Yashicamat, every professional photographer worth his salt would have a 35mm Leica, a plate camera, although not always a Hasselblad, and a 6x6 rolleiflex or Rolleicord. When the Yashica came along many of the pros poohood the camera until some discovered just how great it was. Soon the Japanese cameras, Yashica, Asahi Pentax, Canon and so on left the German lagging behind and although the Leicaflex has always held its own other cameras of German origin disappeared.

PS How on earth did your dad get two consecutive serial numbers?

a lot of decent cameras these days carry a leica lens...