Calling All Photographers :D

[DMB2000uk]

So FZ1's lens thread brought a few of us SLR types out into the open commenting on his pics, and that got me wondering how many secret photographers we have amongst our ranks.

So I thought it would be a nice idea to get everyone to sound off and let others know you are here and what kit you are using. I don't intend this to be a thread for bragging about who's got the best gear, so don't feel ashamed to post if you think everyone's got better gear than you (it's how you use it that counts ;) ), and don't feel put off if you have a nice P&S rather than SLR.

And if you feel like elaborating, tell us how long you've been into photography. If there is enough interest, we can have a 'show us your best pics' thread too.

I'll start

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I have a Canon Eos 40D and Canon 17-85mm IS USM.

I'm getting into being a strobist and have a 430EXII flash, 43" westcott umbrella and am getting some wireless flash triggers. If you've got aa flash unit, you're missing out with it being stuck on top of your camera.

Dan

[FZ1]

I have a Canon Rebel Xti and the following lenses/accessories
- Canon EF 18-55mm IS f/3.5 - f5.6 USM lens
- Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens
- Canon 430EX Speedlite Flash
- Canon Wireless Remote Control RC1
- Canon UV-1 58mm Haze Filter
- Canon EW-60C Lens Hood

I have always been somewhat of a photographer but started to get more serious around Feb this year when I bought this camera. My next lens will likely be the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. I need a decent tripod too.

[vbironchef]

So far this is what I use. We all know that it never ends

Canon 30D All lens are Canon
17-40L f-4
70-300mm EF IS F-4-5.6
18-55 EF-S F3.5-5.6
Speedlite 430 EX Flash
Sony Handycam HDR-SR11
and a couple of filters and
spare batteries
Edit: I use Adobe Photoshop CS3 software
My next thing I would like to buy is a nice camera backpack.

[skier]

i actually just got a good camera today =) (i used to have the cheapest walmart camera, cheapest being the key word)

the Canon Power Shot A590 IS (Image Stabilizer), it may be a point & click, but it also features a fully manual mode(aperture w/light sensor, manual focus, ISO from 80-1600) and it's 8MP with 4x optical zoom, and has a half-decent macro mode aswell

[Alathald]

I have a camera phone, does that count?

I really want to get a nice DSLR but I just can't afford it...I figure I'll just steal Dan's when he visits next summer

[hercules71185]

Former Panasonic Lumix FZ18,
now I have the Canon SX10. I had it for a total of 2 weeks before the auto focus screwed up and it's been at Canon since then.

All my pics are at http://www.flickr.com/hercules71185
the rest of them are on my main hard drive on my under construction PC.

I got into it because my gf is hot and figured I might as well be the photographer. After I started I ended up gaining a high interest in learning photoshop.

If anyone wants the broken FZ18 that's now out of warranty and in a few pieces just pm me.

[DMB2000uk]

I have a camera phone, does that count?

I really want to get a nice DSLR but I just can't afford it...I figure I'll just steal Dan's when he visits next summer

I already planned to never let it leave my side while over there, maybe I should carry a tripod too, so I can hit you with it.

Dan

[martini161]

i actually just got a good camera today =) (i used to have the cheapest walmart camera, cheapest being the key word)

the Canon Power Shot A590 IS (Image Stabilizer), it may be a point & click, but it also features a fully manual mode(aperture w/light sensor, manual focus, ISO from 80-1600) and it's 8MP with 4x optical zoom, and has a half-decent macro mode aswell

does it do raw? if not than all that really doesnt matter much...

[DMB2000uk]

Why does all of that not matter if there isn't RAW on it?

Surely being able to tell the camera how you want to take the picture (instead of the camera telling you how it wants to take it) is better than having no control over the pictures, even if you can't as easily correct what you did wrong after in post.

Dan

[hercules71185]

for some reason RAW pics look horrid unless photoshopped.

[DMB2000uk]

That's because they aren't tweaked in camera like jpegs are.

Jpegs will have (among other things) vibrance, saturation, sharpness (etc) tweaked in camera, where as the RAW files are left 'neutral' and you have to choose what you want to do with all of those things.

The advantage of raw is that it uses more bits to store the photograph (so you have more chance at saving blown highlights and too dark areas) and its also non-destructive so saving lots of tweaks on top of each other wont degrade final image quality like doing that to a jpeg would.

Dan

[skier]

i'm not sure if it does, I cant find how to change from jpeg to it, but the function may be there

[hercules71185]

But Raw+jpeg saves as both. I was using that, but it takes so much memory and so much recovery time. a 4gb disk I'd only get 60 pics out of it. I guess if you are doing a photo shoot it would be better to use that though.

[DMB2000uk]

Just ordered a canon 50mm F1.8 (nifty fifty) today, it's on back order though so will hopefully be getting that within the next couple of weeks.

Dan

[FZ1]

That's supposed to be a good lens too.

[skier]

Just ordered a canon 50mm F1.8 (nifty fifty) today, it's on back order though so will hopefully be getting that within the next couple of weeks.

Dan

just today a new media student told me that i can put special lenses(wide angle and the like) on my Canon powershot

[eva2000]

I went from Pentax Optio 230 P&S > Nikon 5700 P&S > Fuji S9600 P&S > Pentax K200D DSLR since May 2008

My DSLR setup

• Pentax K200D Body + O-ME53
• Sigma EF-530 DG Super Flash + Sto-Fen Omni Bouce Diffuser
• Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm F/1.4
• Sigma 24-70mm F/3.5-5.6 UC
• Sigma 105mm EX DG F/2.8 Macro with Hoya Super DMC UV filter 58mm
• Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 EX DC with Hoya Pro1 D DMC UV filter 77mm
• Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 EX DC Macro with Hoya HMC UV filter 72mm
• Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR LD - arrived today
• Tamron AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 - arrived today
• Promaster 1.7x AF Spectrum 7 Tele converter - just ordered on ebay arriving soon

New lens

• Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR LD
• Tamron AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2

These days only shoot RAW and only use JPEG for bios screenshots or not so important photos heh

[DMB2000uk]

*snip*

Sounds like quite a collection there, and shooting RAW is the only way to shoot
It's so much easier to tweak the picture to perfection afterwards (or to an acceptable level if it got messed up).

just today a new media student told me that i can put special lenses(wide angle and the like) on my Canon powershot

Wonder how they are affixed, are there any threads around your existing lens area that they can screw into?

Dan

[eva2000]

*snip*

Sounds like quite a collection there, and shooting RAW is the only way to shoot
It's so much easier to tweak the picture to perfection afterwards (or to an acceptable level if it got messed up).

Dan

Yeah LBA creeping up on me hehe

[martini161]

just thought id let you guys know ill soon be coming into the ranks of the photographers as i just ordered One of these packages

A cannon digital rebel XS, the 18-55mm IS lens that comes with it, a 75-300mm zoom lenes, an extra batterey, an 8gb SD card, a SD-usb adapter and a bag for it all. hopefully itll be here by the end of the week as i am taking the week off!