 Kathy L. Pollick |
What kind of camera do you use? Almost afraid to ask this question, but I have a film minolta maxxum 5000. I have no problems with it, but would like to get a better quality film AND digital camera in the near future. Would like to know what film & digital cameras everyone here uses & if they like them or not. Good features & quality of pictures.
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Kerry L. Walker |
What is it about your current camera that you don't like? What feature that you need is missing? If you can't answer these questions, you don't need a new camera - you just want one. Don't get caught up in the desire to buy more and newer equipment unless there is something you need. To answer your first question: Olympus OM-2n (27 years old and still my favorite) Minolta X-700 (over 20 years old - still a good camera) Pentax 645N (only 4 or 5 years old, the camera I use to shoot weddings, portraits, etc.)
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Irene Troy |
Hi Kathy, First, as usual, Kerry is right on the money. Don’t allow yourself to be sucked into the spiel that salespeople put out about how you need this camera or that accessory in order to consistently produce great images. There is a whole lot of BS being spread around about what you really need in order to create good images and most of it is being spread by those who have the most to gain from your spending your hard earned money. Remember this important adage: equipment does not make the photographer; the photographer makes the equipment. I have a Minolta Maxxum 9 film camera and a Konica-Minolta 7D digital camera. I enjoy both cameras and feel that they more than meet my needs. I have used a Canon Mark III (one of the most expensive 35mm SLR cameras available today) and my results were no better than the results I get from my 7D. I love that camera with all the bells and whistles but, it did not make me a better photographer. (oh well…) If you enjoy your current Minolta and already have lenses and other accessories you carefully consider how much it will cost to switch brands. I considered switching to Canon when I made the digital move, but after careful consideration and using both cameras, I decided to stick with my Minoltas. I happen to love the 7D and have found that it consistently allows me to produce images that I am happy with. I strongly believe that our ability as photographers is not dependent upon equipment but rather on learning and growing in both technique and creativity. As Kerry said, if you cannot say why you want a new camera, or why you are thinking of switching brands, you might need to step back and figure this out before you go forward. Switching brands because you want “what the pros use” will probably leave you disappointed. Switching brands because you like something that another manufacturer offers and you are clear on why you want/need that something will probably make you happier. Good luck!
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Will Turner |
I'll restrict my comments to film SLR cameras. It is true that photo quality, given equivalent film formats is not dependent upon the brand of camera, though the quality and design of lens utilized CAN play a very large role. It is NOT true that all film cameras are built to same level of craftsmanship. Not in the least! Material quality, workmanship, design, can and do vary widely between models and brands. There are many shortcuts a camera maker can take to sell a camera at a certain price level, that include everything from the quality of electronic and mechanical parts, mechanical spacing tolerances, materials, subcontracted materials etc. to the skill labor of the local labor pool in the country chosen to assemble the parts. Camera build quality shows up in two ways: when the camera is used over a long period of time (frequency of repair) and when it is utilized in extreme conditions. Better film SLR cameras last longer, and perform better in extreme weather and temperatures. Most people end up learning about camera build as I did, after getting a few lemons that should never have reached the marketplace. I was curious enough to find out why and learned a good deal about 'price-level marketing' in the process. If you are happy with your camera, then by all means keep it. But if you are planning to purchase something else, take a look at photo.net archives, and especially check out a few of the camera repair forums (both digital and film). They are a good source of information on problem cameras with multiple malfunctions - they will soon self-identify themselves by the number of complaints presented.
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Chauncey R. Huffman |
I have a (film) Minolta Maxxum 7 and a (digital) Nikon D70. I love both cameras. The Maxxum 7 is an amazing film camera. I wanted something that was semi-professional at a good price. I can't find a single thing wrong with it. It has so many features and customizeable options that I can't even keep up. I chose the D70 for the same reasons. At the time I got it, the Minolta 7D wasn't out yet or I may have bought it (to use the same lenses) but I love the D70. It has done everything needed with excellent image quality and great durability/dependability.
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Kathy L. Pollick |
Thanks for the responses. Kerry, I'm not unhappy with my camera & no I don't NEED a new one. I'm just thinking "IF" I get a new one, I want one that has all the features I "may" need once I get better at photography. Heck, with my knowledge of cameras as is, I could use a point & shoot...lol. Or better yet a disposable. Then I wouldn't have to mess with anything!! BUT, as I learn more about using the camera, I'm sure there will be things I WISH my camera had, that doesn't. I've read by many that this is a good "starter" camera. I just want to do my homework NOW, so if I go to purchase something in the near future, I'll at least have asked around, did some research & have a better idea of what I might be needing. Aside from the initial price of the camera 18 yrs ago, we have no other $$ in it. ($1000) And I only have 2 lenses. So before I invest anymore money, I want to be sure this is the camera I'm going to be using for years to come & not decide to switch brands a couple years down the road. PLUS, I don't have a digital camera. I hope to get one in the next year & as they are somewhat expensive, I want to get one, again, that I will be happy with & it does all the things I want it to do. I know brands of cameras are strictly "preferences" of people. All major popular brands do basically the same thing and are for the most part, good cameras. It will be simply a preference as to which brand I select. I just want to know my options when I make a selection.
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Kerry L. Walker |
You are smart to scope out the choices available before you sink any more money into a new camera. Just make sure you need something before you buy it. For instance, if you had a P&S which didn't allow you to limit the DOF and you wanted to shoot flowers, bugs, etc, you would NEED an SLR that would allow you to do this. I will give you an example of what I mean about the difference between cameras. My Olympus has only AP and manual modes. My Pentax 645N has P mode (don't use it) and SP mode (don't use it either). So both of these additions are wasted on me. I only shoot in AP of M modes. (I know, I should be comparing the Pentax to the Mamiya TLR it replaced but that is another story.) However, the one thing my Pentax has that my Olympus doesn't have (other than autofocus, which I don't always use) is a spotmeter. If I buy a new 35mm SLR, I will be wanting one with a spotmeter. For now, I can mamage without it. All the custom functions available on the newer cameras would be wasted on me. I am so accustomed to doing everything manually that I probably woundn't use them.
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George Anderson |
"I want to be sure this is the camera I'm going to be using for years to come" This may be a bit optimistic when applied to digital SLR cameras, at least for the moment. I have seen many complaints of dead or malfunctioning DSLRs on cameras only a year or two old, regardless of brand. What's discouraging is that not all problems seem to be restricted to firmware or sensors. You'd think items such as circuit boards, moisture ingress, and AF mechanisms would have been troubleshooted by now. The p&s digitals are even worse.
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Kerry L. Walker |
Most digitals (excluding the pro models I would assume) are made to be disposable since most people upgrade pretty often.
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George Anderson |
"Most digitals (excluding the pro models I would assume) are made to be disposable since most people upgrade pretty often." That's an excuse, I suppose. The problem with that argument, Kerry, is that 1) Some of these disposable DSLR cameras, 'pro' or not, are costing hundreds of dollars; 2)it doesn't help that you can upgrade when the darn thing dies on you without warning when on vacation or in the middle of a photo session; and finally 3) the camera manufacturers have no reason to increase the quality of manufacture as long as the majority of consumers are willing to purchase yet another DSLR with more features, but the same short lifetime. Many digital owners may be newer enthusiasts, well-accustomed to other expensive electronic devices that have a very short life. But I still maintain there is a value to owning a camera that is reliable and dependable for many years. Certainly, at the least we should expect things such as autofocus mechanisms, LCD displays, and flexboards to work as flawlessly as the 35mm AF cameras of 8-10 years ago!
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Kerry L. Walker |
George, I agree with you. It is not an excuse, just a fact. The consumer will accept cheaply built cameras so that is what they sell. The pros won't so they put better build quality into the pro models. Thirty years ago American car makers buit their cars that way - built in obsolescence. Along came the Japanese car makers who built theirs to last. Now, Toyota is the world's largest car maker and the American car makers are hurting.
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Andrew Laverghetta |
Ok, I think I'm just going to answer the question myself. Canon EOS Rebel GII (35mm) Future plans:
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Chris Jacko |
Sorry, but quickly going back to the debate about quality; Recently a Canon AE-1 Program film SLR came into my possession. Now, to understand this point fully, this camera was made in 1981. Twenty-four years on I have acquired it and, other than the appearance of an old camera that has been used a lot, which it has, it is perfect. The light meter in this camera is more accurate than my 6 month old digital camera and the fact that it is all still in perfect condition after 24 years shows how things were built to last back then. I must say this is mostly due to the difference between metal and plastic, considering most of your digital cameras are plastic bodies. Because of this I seriously suggest spending that little bit extra on a camera that is metal. Even the most careful photographer will drop their camera a few times (side note: I managed to do this 15 minutes after unpacking the shipping box that my Canon came in!) My cameras: I have been extremely disappointed with the A200 and wished I had waited before buying digital, though we live and we learn.
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