Buying a camera Advice needed

Hi Delta!,
I have Canon Elan7 (Also known as EOS30), and use it with Sigma 70-300mm/f4-5.6. and Sigma 28-90mm/f3.5-5.6. This is Not a Fast Lens ..but can manage with faster films. In your case (Digital camera) you don’t have to worry about it. But look for camera that can shoot multiple frames per sec and Faster lens (like say: 70-300mm/f4 ) or better still 500mm (non tele lens).
Since I own a Canon, I would recommend Canon 🙂 …it can also shoot 3fps (Frames per sec). Which you may want to do while for faster subjects.
Also suggest, you post a query at www.photo.net
Regards
Vignesh Baliga

Hello Delta,

Hope you have made allready your choice.
Now to get some “focused” Military Aviation Photography tips, I can
recomend you to my website link.
Link: http://www.scorpionaviation.com/Specials.htm

Here I had interviews with most of the best aviation photographers around.
With names like Mike Jorgenson, Antoine Roels, E.J. van Koningsveld and many more. Maybe you can gether some information and tips from the interviews. It helped me a lot in chosing settings and the equipment I now use.

Hope I was of any help. 😎
Best Regards, Ramon.

Thank you everyone for the information provided, all info duly passed on to him that wanted the camera advice!

He plumped for the Nikon option with the Sigma 80-400 lens (apparently the 50-500 is discontinued), but the lens sort of jerked in the mechanism when zooming, so he took it back and got the proper Nikon lens (50-500 I think)

He’s now a happy chappy!

All this goes way over my head, I have a little point and click Olympus Camedia which I am perfectly happy with 🙂

The new Olympus camera’s are indeed well worth looking into, as well as the latest offerings by Pentax, Konica Minolta, etc. However, compared to Canon and Nikon, those firms still don’t offer camerabodies in the professional digital league. Also as a consequence of this, the range of lenses to choose from is a bit limited, with hardly any alternatives from 3rd party lens manufacturers.

Olympus is not the only manufacturer offering wide angle lenses. Canon and Nikon offer an extensive range of wide angles, some especially designed for their DSLR’s (like the AF-S DX Nikkor 12-24mm that I own). Also firms like Sigma, Tamron and Tokina have wide angle lenses in their programs especially designed for DSLR’s.

I perhaps should have qualified my wide angle comments as referring to reduced senor size cameras. As Canons professional offerings are Full Frame they can make full use of the existing film based line-up, but they don’t cater particularly well the avid amateur with quality wide angle lens when you have to apply the 1.6 factor.

The Olympus E1 body (shortly to be upgraded) is professional and is weather proofed as are the majority of the Lenses. Even Canons new 5D is not weather proof, and it has already been noted that it needs to be matched to only the top of the line lenses, or the results are disappointing. And on the matter of Lenses there are currently17 offerings from Olympus and 3 from Sigma. As I mentioned Panasonic is due to enter the system next spring and they will I’m sure be offering some lenses as well. Looking at this offering the only thing I can see missing are a few more specialist prime lenses.

It’s such as shame that all this is not widely known, and people still think that choice is limited. It’s possible with just 2 outstanding lenses and a 1.4 tele-converter you can go from the equivalent of 28mm to 560mm. These are not kit quality lenses but water proofed quality F2.8 lenses that don’t cost the earth and are smaller and lighter than anything from anyone else. This link will take you to a lens roadmap. It’s worth a look. http://www.4-3system.com/

Dur the Nikkor range is an excellent range as well, and is my own personal close second choice, but it must be noted that that Nikon has not produced a full frame sensor DSLR, so has produced suitable wide angle lenses. And it is correct to mention other makes as well; it’s just that I sometimes tire of those who think that there are only two companies that can make a DSLR.

To day I got the first indication of price for the E500 2 lens kit, with the 14-54 f2.8 and 40-150 f3.5 all for about £675. If this is correct its outstanding, as the 14-54 is a high grade lens.

Delta before you buy anything, check out the New Olympus E500. This camera is priced in the EOS 350D Nikon D50 range but has the features of the 20D. Not only this, but the Olympus kit lens are far and away the best on the market, and the build quality, is second to none. Just ask the shops how many come back for repair. Also the Olympus is the only manufacturer that can offer wide angle.

The new Olympus camera’s are indeed well worth looking into, as well as the latest offerings by Pentax, Konica Minolta, etc. However, compared to Canon and Nikon, those firms still don’t offer camerabodies in the professional digital league. Also as a consequence of this, the range of lenses to choose from is a bit limited, with hardly any alternatives from 3rd party lens manufacturers.

Olympus is not the only manufacturer offering wide angle lenses. Canon and Nikon offer an extensive range of wide angles, some especially designed for their DSLR’s (like the AF-S DX Nikkor 12-24mm that I own). Also firms like Sigma, Tamron and Tokina have wide angle lenses in their programs especially designed for DSLR’s.

Delta before you buy anything, check out the New Olympus E500. This camera is priced in the EOS 350D Nikon D50 range but has the features of the 20D. Not only this, but the Olympus kit lens are far and away the best on the market, and the build quality, is second to none. Just ask the shops how many come back for repair. Also the Olympus is the only manufacturer that can offer wide angle.

The twin lens kit (14-45mm + 40-150) is outstanding value for money. Also the Olympus DSLR’s are the only cameras with self cleaning sensors. You will note that the focal length of these lenses produces a field of view equivalent to twice the focal length, so a 150 is like 300. Combine this with the 1.4 converter and you have 420 with no loss of quality. Or the single lens kit, and buy the outstanding 50-200 that will give 560 equivalent in combination with the 1.4 converter.

Camera bodies are being upgraded/ replaced every three or 4 years currently, if not more often and it is better to put your money into quality glass than it is to spend on bodies and cheep glass. Also the Olympus lenses are new and designed for digital, and if you do not have the investment in Canon or Nikon lenses then it is worth looking about.

Panasonic is due to release and body next year that will be compatible with the four thirds system, where all bodies and lens built to this standard are completely interchangeable. This will improve the choice you will have going forward and if you look at how Panasonic has revolutionised the camcorder, then you have to assume that they would not invest in a system that does not have a big future. Checkout the following links and visits the various forums. It’s very enlightening, and will help you make your decisions.

http://www.4-3system.com/ This site is a good site for all that is available in the 4/3rds system.

http://www.dpreview.com/ this sight is good for camera reviews and the forums will give an insight into reliability. I urge you to check them out.

http://www.myfourthirds.com/ This sight for images taken by ordinary photographers like you and me that demonstrates the superiority and potential of the system.

I myself got my first Olympus camera an OM1 in 1975, followed by an OM2 in 1980, and an OM4 in 1984, along with 7 lenses and have never had to have any repairs done other than one lens checked out after it was dropped. (cost me £35). This is a record not match by my friends who followed the flow and bought other makes. I’m currently awaiting the new E3 due out next year.

Hope this helps

Random thoughts…( may or may not be useful )

All body systems are good.. Buy any you feel comfortable holding and shooting with..

I have a nikon N80 with 28-300 + 200 AI lens .. Film ..
And a canon 350xt with 400 mm + 17-55 + 50 mm + 55 – 200 + 70- 200 + CF tripod/ballhead and a monopod with arca swiss swiel head ..

I love the results from 400mm.. but, but, its fixed focal lenght to so you have to change lenses in the field which sometimes is a pain. It is for this lens, that I moved over to canon.

Nikon has tons and tons of old manual focus lenses that you can use. Maybe the salesman was trying to tell you about old nikkor lenses and how almost all are compatible. These old manual lenses run real cheap on ebay if you are patient..

The sigma 50-500 has lovely range and output as well. If you are buying that, please buy the new DG lenses. They have new coatings. Search for results on photo.net & photosig.com by lens type to see what this lens is capable of.

If you are buying nikon setup please get the 17-80 kit lens that they sell, not the crappy new 18-55. The sigma gives you about 4 years warranty and nikon has about 5 years on its lenses which are pluses for that system.

On the tripod front, invest in a light monopod with a 17$ cheap swivell head. ( run you about $120, for the whole package )

Hi again, I asked a few questions in a shop today and got the advice that nikons are better to use with sigma lens’s than canons because of the ability to focus and allow other camera settings to be used as standard with a compatable add-on lens, any input on this???, i think a nikon might be the best for me but does anyone know if…… im getting something in the region of a 50-500 sigma add-on for distance, what other wider/closer angle lens i would be better getting with or on the camera/ package. ie. do i get the body only and then seperate lenses or just get a nikon d50? /70? with 18-55?? digital lens ,, is an 18-55 any good???

best package ideas???? nikon D50?? 18/55 mm lens?? sigma 50-500mm??

Re the camera … I can’t really say (I only shoot film, using a rangefinder). I’ve had many cameras and know that the EOS350D is (1) in your price range, and (2) fairly well thought of. I guess the other obvious option is the Nikon D70s.

I’m sure others can give you better advice on what you really need for airborne photos – generally, it’s much better to spend extra on the lens than on the camera body. It’s also better to aim for prime lenses rather than zooms, but you lose out massively on convenience …

Dave

Thanks for that offer, do you think that this is the type of camera that I should be looking at/going for?

If so then yes please, pass my email on, I shall pm you with it.

Thanks for that.

Besides what I have already mentioned, do you have any theories/suggestions based on different price ranges? Or what other people are using?

MTIA

I have a friend with a (get this) spare Canon 350D with associated standard zoom for sale. If you wish, I can pass on your email address. The camera has never been used and is only about 3-4 mths old.

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Dave

Sounds like you allready have a good idea what you want . seems to be along the lines of a 350d canon and the sigma 50-500 , the kit lens on the 350d aint bad good wide angle for your statics and the bigma for close and far shots. dont take s.d cards thou but the compact flash cards are cheapish now days ,