Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Came into some money...legitimate business money...honest, they gave it to me free gratis for having worked there for 15 years...so I am going to buy a DSLR. Have been hankering for one for years...still have my old Nikon 35mm cameras and my Dad's old FM-2 which he had managed to scratch and dent the shutter with some ridiculous zoom lens somehow...or maybe his finger, I dunno...but anyway before I commit to this purchase I hereby solicit your considered opinions on the Nikon D3500.

Would like to get the D7200 but it's a bit beyond my budget.

So I can take better pictures of my cat.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

I like the 4/3 and micro 4/3 cameras better than the full blown SLRs. Not having the mirror makes the camera bodies lighter and more compact. In the past, a real optical view through the lens via the mirror was better, but the digital viewfinders on the new 4/3 cameras are so good now, I think they're better than the SLR view - they work better when it's too dark to see properly; there are optional functions to zoom the viewfinder or provide 'head up' displays. Also it's easier to fit all your existing lenses from older cameras (even film SLRs!) - you don't get autofocus with the old lenses but it's nice to be able to use them: the focal lengths are effectively doubled so become more telephoto when used on the 4/3 cameras.

However, if you're a Nikon fan, I don't think Nikon make a micro 4/3. :sadcheer:

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

So a decade or so back I got this snazzy DSLR and learned how to use it to a little beyond For Dummies level, and in the intervening years, in most general cases I've been taking better pictures with a god damned iPhone.

Telephoto lens is the only reason I think of off the top of my head to have a 'real camera' anymore.

Then there's some very high resolution cameras out there now too. (See post above) Along with some truly high price tags.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

I'm not as well versed in the latest camera tech as I should be but besides dpreview.com being a great site for detailed reviews of different models, my best advice is to go to some of the big box stores that have display models and mess around with them (even bring a random SD card if you have one).

Mostly because these days most brands are pretty equal unless you're spec peaking or shooting for some niche area, but not every brand has the same concept of control positions, menu options, etc. So poking around on different models, even if they aren't the one you were looking at, can give you a feel for the design philosophy or lack of, that makes sense to you.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

I picked up a SONY HX400 recently. Kind of a cool little camera. Compact DSLR with some rather extraordinary capabilities, for a nice price.

To get the same range of images with my Nikon D-90 would cost me a couple grand.
Can't wait for this project at work to wrap up so I have time to go play with it.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Nikon has introduced a full-frame mirrorless "Z series" that look awesome but cost more than I have to splurge.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

So yeah I am now the proud owner of a D3500 with an 18-55mm VR lens and a 70-300 lens...here is a photo of the azaleas using the 18-55 lens, and a photo of a tree using the 70-300mm lens at max zoom. I am using the best quality JPG settings on the camera. 6000 x 4000, and I have not processed them in any way. 14 megs each so I am not inflicting them upon your bandwidth by embedding them in this post.

After the battery is fully charged I may try some RAW format which I have never fooled with.

Camera does have a USB port and a mini HDMI port. Has Bluetooth but no WIFI but I didn't care about that. I offloaded the photos by plugging the card into a card reader I already had.

https://www.skepticforum.com/images/DSC_0001.JPG

https://www.skepticforum.com/images/DSC_0008.JPG

It feels good having an SLR in my hands after many years. I could probably calculate how many rolls of film and processing I could have bought for the same money and still be using the old FM-2 but then I'd have to scan them and clean them up and stuff so...

Also Best Buy had a package deal so I also got a free NIKON camera bag and something involving Shutterfly which I don't know what that is because I haven't Googled it yet.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Oh I don't know what I would do without RAW. I learned partly on slide film, which can be unforgiving especially in the light cast and yet these days I sometimes forget about the general concept of white balance because RAW lets you fix it after the fact. It's also changed how I use strobe lighting. In the past people would get readings and make sure everything was just right, now I basically make a guess, snap a picture as my light meter and adjust from there.

Also enjoy wearing the shutter out for free! It's still a bit mind boggling that I've worn shutters out without spending a fortune in developing or dying young of some sort of cyanide, mercury or other heavy metal poisoning.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

I 3D-printed a micro 4/3 to M42 screw thread adapter. Then used an old cheap Makinon 28mm prime lens from my old 35mm film SLR camera on the adapter to grab these depth-of-field shots in my garden today.

My micro 4/3 camera only uses the center part of the image that the old lens generates - so the focal length is effectively doubled to 56mm, and the poor performance of the lens towards the periphery of the image doesn't matter as it's not used anyway.


Apple blossom
http://ceptimus.co.uk/images/garden2...leBlossom.JPG"

Pear blossom
http://ceptimus.co.uk/images/garden2...earBlossom.JPG

Plum blossom
http://ceptimus.co.uk/images/garden2...lumBlossom.JPG

Tulip in focus
http://ceptimus.co.uk/images/garden2019-04-06/tulip.JPG

Same shot with bluebells(?) in focus
http://ceptimus.co.uk/images/garden2.../bluebells.JPG

Hydrangea leaves
http://ceptimus.co.uk/images/garden2...06/leaves.JPG"

Unknown yellow flower - can anyone tell me what it is? Probably officially a 'weed' as my garden is pretty unkempt.
http://ceptimus.co.uk/images/garden2...llowFlower.JPG

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

I got a nice picture of a spider...

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

:squee:

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Here's a cropped image, not resized, actual pixels, taken using the 70-300mm lens at 300mm zoom. Uncropped image is 4496x3000. I might set the camera to the full resolution of 6000x4000, hmm.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

What the logic behind not setting the camera to full resolution?

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Trying to remember why I changed the setting but I am sure logic did not play a role in that decision.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Roamed around outside taking random shots and generally feeling pleased with myself. Copied them from the camera and noticed they seem to have a vignette. I didn't ask for a vignette! Lo and Behold, I had set the camera to "EFFECTS" and I shot a crappy set of posterized images.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

T3h Moon from the Posterized Moods series.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Cheesy.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

It's a pretty Gouda picture.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Hijacking Pyrrho's thread:

Which do people prefer?

Image processed in my "Instagram filter" program (AKA Luninar 3)
Attachment 10916

...or done with Lightroom using my typical workflow?
Attachment 10915

I'll admit if I spent more time with Lightroom, I'd make some improvements on the picture, but I usually don't. Each picture represents about the same amount of effort on my part.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

The colours in #2 feel more natural. Obviously that's a bad thing, so I go with #1.

Does any of the processing include blur?

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

Nope, the lens is a petzval style, which intentionally creates a swirly blur effect.

Re: Fancying myself something of a photog
 

The flowers seem more distinct in the first one.