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I made the switch

Sir Henry and I love photography. Share your photography with us all.
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clovishound
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I made the switch

Post by clovishound » Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:48 pm

As alluded to in a previous post, I have made the switch to mirrorless. I wasn't really looking to upgrade the hand me down entry level Nikon, but the bug got me. I had some money from my leave sell back when I retired last year. I had planned on using as back up until my retirement finalized, then use it to buy a used car, and maybe treat myself to something.

I found that the camera bug bit me again after many decades of not being into the hobby. I went to a nearby Best Buy that has a decent stock of cameras and lenses. I had been looking hard at Nikon's Z5, it's their entry level full frame sensor that is geared to the more serious amateur as opposed to the crop frame sensor models. It doesn't have some of the (to me) annoying features like pre programmed modes (portrait, landscape, sports etc). It also has no pesky on camera flash. Anyway, they made me a good bundle deal and I made an impulse purchase.

It is full of lots of other features like HDR, auto bracket, eye tracking auto focus, remote control via cell phone app, in body image stabilization and much more. The down side is it takes a new lens mount. Without a mirror the camera is made much slimmer, and the rear lens element is almost on top of the sensor.

I got it with the 24-70 F4 normal zoom. This is one of their S series "professional" line of lenses. I made my second serious outing with it today, and it performed well. The only issue I had was the autofocus. I need to try some of the different setting for autofocus and discover what works for me under different circumstances. The other fly in the ointment is that Nikon doesn't have a long tele for the Z mount that is affordable. The new 100-400 F4 would be great, but not at almost 3K. I tried the Pup's 70-300 F mount with an adapter today, and it worked well. I will likely go that route.

Here are a few I took today. Not great, but not too bad.
_DAB1079-2.jpg
_DAB0967.jpg
And just for fun
_DAB1054-2.jpg
Or if you prefer
_DAB1054.jpg
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Sir Henry
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Re: I made the switch

Post by Sir Henry » Fri Mar 04, 2022 10:33 pm

Great shots. I really like the surreal red rose and black and white.
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BrokenolMarine
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Re: I made the switch

Post by BrokenolMarine » Fri Mar 04, 2022 10:37 pm

Man, very nice shots my friend. I'm going to have to break down and buy lenses.
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clovishound
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Re: I made the switch

Post by clovishound » Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:04 am

I got a surprise when I was editing the statue picture. The statue had a texture to it, due to eroded stone and small mildew stains. When I ran the texture slider to minimum the face of the statue took on the look of a real person. It's not something you notice when looking at the final product, and I backed off somewhat on the edit, but the contrast of going from textured to smooth really gave the impression of stone turning to skin. I'm thinking of further editing the single color camellia picture and desaturate the other flowers in the shot. Not sure I'd like it better as this speaks of multiple treasures in a bland world. Wow, I'm getting too artsy. I would never have tried something like this if I hadn't seen a few the Pup did that turned out great.

I believe the wrought iron gate was done by Phillip Simmons. He was a famous local blacksmith. My wife met him some years back and commented to him that she used to go and just look at one of the more notable gate he made. He replied that he often did that himself.
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EasyEd
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Re: I made the switch

Post by EasyEd » Thu Mar 10, 2022 4:47 pm

Hey All,

Very nice images! Color selectivity is fun to play around with and usually looks really good with flowers.

I guess I do have to comment about one thing....
I had been looking hard at Nikon's Z5, it's their entry level full frame sensor that is geared to the more serious amateur as opposed to the crop frame sensor models.
I use an APS-C sensor crop frame camera. I guess that makes me a less serious amateur an to think an X-T4 camera body is about $500 canadian more than a z5 body. Boy did I get taken for a ride. Now I really feel bad about ever using a micro 4/3rds sensor camera with it's even smaller sensor. Clearly these images taken with a micro 4/3rds panasonic g9 I was using 13 14 years ago are inferior right? I'm just trying to make a point here.

https://flic.kr/ps/DKZUW

Yes it turns out I do have an old Flickr account and those are the only images I have ever uploaded there. I may look into using it more.

I don't mean to criticize you at all and I have no doubt that you meant no offense at all but just wanted to point out that maybe it was legitimate to think in terms of stepping up to full frame as moving up the photography gear/expertise ladder some number of years ago but I think today cameras of multiple sensor sizes are so good that really no longer holds true. You can probably find specific sets of circumstances where certain sensors are a better choice but that gap is narrowing all the time. Your Nikon d3400 camera was an still is a very capable camera. I some time ago got over looking down or for that matter up at different brands or sensor sizes. It's a tool and it's really all about how well they and I use it. And when it comes to equipment it's the lenses that matter the most. Always go for the best glass you can afford.

If interested I can post a video utube of an Olympus micro 4/3rds 18 to 20 megapixels and a Canon mark IV IIRC full frame camera 30 megapixels taking images then printed at a meter long on the long side and they the photographer and printer guy could not see a difference.

Again I hope no offense is taken but a number of people here do photography and should not feel their equipment is inferior whatever it is. Now GAS well that's different an something many of us suffer from.

Just to show how some of this thinking carries over into today - I know two wedding photographers who would have no problem setting aside their big Nikon canon full frame cameras for something smaller but they don't as they believe their customers think a real photographer always has a big honkin camera hanging round their neck. You can't shoot weddings with something that looks like a toy.

Anyway I've gone on about this enough - it's just that I don't understand why people hang on to myths from the past and it is not just in the realm of photography.

-Ed-
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dave77
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Re: I made the switch

Post by dave77 » Fri Mar 11, 2022 3:39 pm

Here's a very good video explaining the difference between full frame and smaller sensor cameras. He likes and uses small sensor cameras too but says you have to realize that the crop factor doesn't just apply to focal length, it also applies to aperture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi_CkZ0sGAw

Another good video by him talks about how camera manufacturers are going away from DSRL cameras to mirrorless cameras. He also mentions that camera sales are way down because high end phone cameras are becoming so good that a lot of people don't see the need for a stand alone camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ7Mv39iQNc
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EasyEd
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Re: I made the switch

Post by EasyEd » Sat Mar 12, 2022 4:45 pm

Hey All,

Both of those are good videos. I never really thought about all the math but it works. Now about Canon destroying full frame DSLRs - they are not alone - Sony Nikon an likely others I don't know about. Fuji has decided - for now - to forego full frame instead focusing on APS-C and medium format. However Fuji could easily get into the FF fray. Fuji has been in the camera film business since 1936. They know FF very well. They are working to place their medium format at high end full frame camera prices. Will it work in the market - we shall see. I would luv to justify a medium format Fuji - need to go buy another lottery ticket. đź‘Ť Or two or ten... :|

Anyway he pointed out in the first video that you can get great images out of all three sensor sizes. Changing sensor size is not an upgrade or downgrade in cameras. It depends on your needs relative to what you want. I think of an upgrade usually in terms of lens characteristics and/or control over the in camera based photographic process not sensor size. The sensor size argument is a red herring IMO.

The other way to look at full frame is the ability of the sensor to cover the area of the lens - that is the four corners of the sensor touch the edge of the lens field of view. So in any system (micro 4/3rds APS-C medium) if the previous holds true that system is full frame. So if you adapt a medium format lens to a 35mm camera then that 35mm camera body is a crop body camera.

Lots to this kind of discussion.

-Ed-
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daytime dave
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Re: I made the switch

Post by daytime dave » Sun Mar 13, 2022 12:35 pm

Ed, a very good lesson in photography that I have just learned today. Your Flickr account was pretty good for the photographs shown.

clovidhound, my favorite photograph with your new camera is the gate. I like it's composition, planned or not, where the edge of the gate is just open a bit and the line of the gate rises a bit left to right. Congratulations on your new camera.

One of the features I like best about Flickr is where it shows the equipment and settings used by the photographer. I have been very impressed by work that came from cameras that I would not have thought would have produced such results.
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clovishound
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Re: I made the switch

Post by clovishound » Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:41 am

Easy Ed, Let me explain about my comment. It may have been poorly stated. Most of the crop sensor cameras I've seen lately are geared toward more entry level photographers. That is not about the quality of their images, but more about the way the controls are laid out and what types of modes are available. My daughter's crop frame camera has things like sports modes, portrait mode etc. There is nothing wrong with those modes. It does, however have modes such as aperture preferred and shutter preferred and full manual. A lot of serious amateurs and professionals don't like the camera loaded up with these settings they will never use. A lot of serious amateurs like and use those modes and produce wonderful images.

My daughter takes better pictures with here entry level camera than I do with one the manufacturer markets toward a more experienced photographer. I get some of my terminology from the manufacturer's marketing, and professional equipment reviewers. In the end, it is about the image and the person behind the lens than about the equipment. I have always felt that way.

BTW, I am finding that there is not that much difference in image quality between her 24 MP crop frame and my 24 MP full sized sensor camera, under most conditions. Mine shines a little more in low light an deep shadow.

No condescension intended towards those that use crops sensor cameras, or cameras geared toward any particular group of photographer. We all have different likes, and dislikes, and budgets. And sometimes the more expensive camera is not a good fit for a particular individual. I get that.
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EasyEd
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Re: I made the switch

Post by EasyEd » Mon Mar 14, 2022 6:59 pm

Hey All,

Clovis no worries - I never believed you meant it the negative way some could take it. I have certainly been guilty of some outstanding gaffs over the years myself. Irrespective of that I hope there was some good information posted from the links an comments others made. The most important thing is to find gear that suits you and spurs your desire to keep learning an desire to keep shooting. The only way to get good is to keep shooting. I wish my daughter would get out more with the Nikon d5100 I bought her years ago. Course I also wish she would keep playing her fiddle. She toured with a group across the US an back a few years ago. Anyway that Nikon z looks to be a really fine camera - keep shooting an posting.

-Ed-
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