What camera!? - I want to replace an old DSLR
Discussion
Afternoon all.
The long and short of it is that I want a new camera. I have had my current rig, a Pentax K10d now a little after it was launched (2006, I think I got it mid 2007). It's served me rather well, has sparked my love for photography and has certainly been reliable and robust for these past years. However, having seen new cameras and playing with some (even relatively inexpensive new DSLR's, Sony A58 for example) I feel mine is certainly long in the tooth, although the original battery I still use and lasts forever! Dust has gathered inside after all the years of constant use (I could get it cleaned, and probably will for use as a back up camera), it feels mega slow to focus, it's rubbish in low light, takes what seems like years to write an image file (more so on a long exposure shot) and the buttons on the back are beginning to play up. I'm not annoyed with the camera per se, it's done me well but I feel like it's holding me back to take the images I want to create, and this is frustrating, especially with noisy images becoming increasingly more the norm. Also, back focusing seems to be an issue, it's well documented with this model.
I do a lot of automotive photography (static shots, soon to be rig shots etc) and a lot of motorsport photos, which I want to start up selling as an added income.
I do a lot of aircraft photography (I'm local to Conningsby and Scampton)
I enjoy doing landscape photos, slow exposures of clouds/water etc too
I want to do astro-photography, star trails, static star shots (milkyway etc) without too much noise (I see most photographers use fairly high ISO's with a limited amount of noise (I appreciate you can't eliminate noise fully)
So basically out of a new camera I want really good night (iso) performance, quick focusing (although I do practice manual focus) etc.
I'm not a huge fan of these new "live" view finders, I am a bit set in my ways but it wouldn't put me off a camera if the rest of it suits.
I have looked at Canon 7d's and 6d's mainly, although having never had or used a canon or nikon, I am not brand loyal so I am open to both.
Also not sure whether I should go full frame or stay with what I have? I understand full frame I would probably have to spend silly money for good zoom lenses?
Any help would be appreciated, I know there are some very good 'togs on here so I shall look forward to your responses.
-Jim.
The long and short of it is that I want a new camera. I have had my current rig, a Pentax K10d now a little after it was launched (2006, I think I got it mid 2007). It's served me rather well, has sparked my love for photography and has certainly been reliable and robust for these past years. However, having seen new cameras and playing with some (even relatively inexpensive new DSLR's, Sony A58 for example) I feel mine is certainly long in the tooth, although the original battery I still use and lasts forever! Dust has gathered inside after all the years of constant use (I could get it cleaned, and probably will for use as a back up camera), it feels mega slow to focus, it's rubbish in low light, takes what seems like years to write an image file (more so on a long exposure shot) and the buttons on the back are beginning to play up. I'm not annoyed with the camera per se, it's done me well but I feel like it's holding me back to take the images I want to create, and this is frustrating, especially with noisy images becoming increasingly more the norm. Also, back focusing seems to be an issue, it's well documented with this model.
I do a lot of automotive photography (static shots, soon to be rig shots etc) and a lot of motorsport photos, which I want to start up selling as an added income.
I do a lot of aircraft photography (I'm local to Conningsby and Scampton)
I enjoy doing landscape photos, slow exposures of clouds/water etc too
I want to do astro-photography, star trails, static star shots (milkyway etc) without too much noise (I see most photographers use fairly high ISO's with a limited amount of noise (I appreciate you can't eliminate noise fully)
So basically out of a new camera I want really good night (iso) performance, quick focusing (although I do practice manual focus) etc.
I'm not a huge fan of these new "live" view finders, I am a bit set in my ways but it wouldn't put me off a camera if the rest of it suits.
I have looked at Canon 7d's and 6d's mainly, although having never had or used a canon or nikon, I am not brand loyal so I am open to both.
Also not sure whether I should go full frame or stay with what I have? I understand full frame I would probably have to spend silly money for good zoom lenses?
Any help would be appreciated, I know there are some very good 'togs on here so I shall look forward to your responses.
-Jim.
Everything you are wanting to shoot , apart from the astro/stars can eaisly be done with a modern(ish) crop camera.
The 7d or 7dmk2 would be perfect for all that, plenty of 'reach' from 18 or 20mp sensors, decent in moderate low light, great autofocus and canon have the best range of sport and bird lenses (these get VERY expensive).
The astro is another game entirely. You can shoot with a crop (7dmk2 or nikonD7200 etc) and a wide angle lens ( tokina 11-16f2.8) with ok results but..
The best is shooting a good full frame and stitching multiple frames together.
I shoto a little bit of astro..
https://500px.com/RobDickinson
And the best camera to do it with is IMO a canon 6d. The 1dx is a very very little bit better. The sony a7s is also ok. So is the nikon D610/D750/DF. IMO the a7r, the D800/810 etc are not.
(good) Astro is all about insane levels of light gathering, big good high iso sensors and top quality fast lenses.
My typical rig is a 6d, sigma 50mmf1.4 and an gigapan pro ( robotic panoramic head).
The 7d or 7dmk2 would be perfect for all that, plenty of 'reach' from 18 or 20mp sensors, decent in moderate low light, great autofocus and canon have the best range of sport and bird lenses (these get VERY expensive).
The astro is another game entirely. You can shoot with a crop (7dmk2 or nikonD7200 etc) and a wide angle lens ( tokina 11-16f2.8) with ok results but..
The best is shooting a good full frame and stitching multiple frames together.
I shoto a little bit of astro..
https://500px.com/RobDickinson
And the best camera to do it with is IMO a canon 6d. The 1dx is a very very little bit better. The sony a7s is also ok. So is the nikon D610/D750/DF. IMO the a7r, the D800/810 etc are not.
(good) Astro is all about insane levels of light gathering, big good high iso sensors and top quality fast lenses.
My typical rig is a 6d, sigma 50mmf1.4 and an gigapan pro ( robotic panoramic head).
Hi Steve, I understand the cost is going to be high, but I am seeing it as a bit of an investment too, and to hopefully start selling some photos (I can't justify it as just a hobby at the higher prices!).
Thanks Rob for the info, when you say stitch photos together, do you mean take a picture of a certain part of the sky, and moving the camera to take a photo of another area? I presume that's what the gigapan is for? Did you use this method in your images on your 500px site? (I also follow you on Instagram, same user name as here). The Canon 6d is something I have already looked and played with, although very limited at the wex showroom.
It's given me a bit to think about, thanks chaps.
Thanks Rob for the info, when you say stitch photos together, do you mean take a picture of a certain part of the sky, and moving the camera to take a photo of another area? I presume that's what the gigapan is for? Did you use this method in your images on your 500px site? (I also follow you on Instagram, same user name as here). The Canon 6d is something I have already looked and played with, although very limited at the wex showroom.
It's given me a bit to think about, thanks chaps.
JimNotJon said:
Thanks Rob for the info, when you say stitch photos together, do you mean take a picture of a certain part of the sky, and moving the camera to take a photo of another area? I presume that's what the gigapan is for? Did you use this method in your images on your 500px site? (I also follow you on Instagram, same user name as here). The Canon 6d is something I have already looked and played with, although very limited at the wex showroom.
It's given me a bit to think about, thanks chaps.
Yep overlap of 25-30% for each frame then use photoshop, pt gui or whatever to put them together into one photo. My last pano was 12 shots in portrait. I used a manual pano head to shoot that rather than the gigapan ( a novoflex vr slim)It's given me a bit to think about, thanks chaps.
if you're serious about photography budget 3-5x the cost of the body for a couple of decent f/2.8 lenses
Any camera is only as good as the lens you put in front of it
The 7D is an excellent choice , brilliant for everything from Motorsport to portraits , used bodies are around £450-500
Why I'd recommend canon is their huge range of semi pro lenses
24-105mm
70-200mm f/4
300mm f4
400mm f/5.6
Nikon either do consumer crap or pro with nothing affordable in the middle.
Buy the right used lenses and ownership costs can be zero they hold their value so well.
With regard to selling your photos, do you have media accreditation as its a condition of entry to most motorsport venues that no commercial photography is allowed.
If you start putting your images up for sale you'll soon be getting a letter
Any camera is only as good as the lens you put in front of it
The 7D is an excellent choice , brilliant for everything from Motorsport to portraits , used bodies are around £450-500
Why I'd recommend canon is their huge range of semi pro lenses
24-105mm
70-200mm f/4
300mm f4
400mm f/5.6
Nikon either do consumer crap or pro with nothing affordable in the middle.
Buy the right used lenses and ownership costs can be zero they hold their value so well.
With regard to selling your photos, do you have media accreditation as its a condition of entry to most motorsport venues that no commercial photography is allowed.
If you start putting your images up for sale you'll soon be getting a letter
Edited by wack on Wednesday 4th March 20:42
Read the back of the ticket, just advertising them for sale contravenes the entry regulations.
I know somebody that was refused a season ticket because he'd put them up for sale
Plus it's a waste of time, there's no money in it , just look on the photography forums for the amount of Motorsport pictures posted online for free.
Unless you've got the only picture of an F1 car disintegrating in a fireball while the driver is getting a BJ from a movie star they're worthless.
If you want to make money from photography it's weddings,portraits and hiding in bushes with 800mm lenses for a picture of an actresses (.)(.)
I know somebody that was refused a season ticket because he'd put them up for sale
Plus it's a waste of time, there's no money in it , just look on the photography forums for the amount of Motorsport pictures posted online for free.
Unless you've got the only picture of an F1 car disintegrating in a fireball while the driver is getting a BJ from a movie star they're worthless.
If you want to make money from photography it's weddings,portraits and hiding in bushes with 800mm lenses for a picture of an actresses (.)(.)
I've heard a lot of good things about the low-light performance on the later Pentax K5-II (or IIs, I get confused at which is 'better'), lots of deals around on those and the K-S1 as it's about to be superseded by the K-S2 if it hasn't already. Also a Pentax FF is supposed to be out around October / November on this year. That would allow you to retain any lenses you already have on the K10d.
wack said:
Read the back of the ticket, just advertising them for sale contravenes the entry regulations.
I know somebody that was refused a season ticket because he'd put them up for sale
Plus it's a waste of time, there's no money in it , just look on the photography forums for the amount of Motorsport pictures posted online for free.
Unless you've got the only picture of an F1 car disintegrating in a fireball while the driver is getting a BJ from a movie star they're worthless.
If you want to make money from photography it's weddings,portraits and hiding in bushes with 800mm lenses for a picture of an actresses (.)(.)
I have permission to be the sole photographer for a race circuit local to myself to take and sell images on the day and for any subsequent event they put on. Thanks for the advice though I know somebody that was refused a season ticket because he'd put them up for sale
Plus it's a waste of time, there's no money in it , just look on the photography forums for the amount of Motorsport pictures posted online for free.
Unless you've got the only picture of an F1 car disintegrating in a fireball while the driver is getting a BJ from a movie star they're worthless.
If you want to make money from photography it's weddings,portraits and hiding in bushes with 800mm lenses for a picture of an actresses (.)(.)
JimNotJon said:
I have permission to be the sole photographer for a race circuit local to myself to take and sell images on the day and for any subsequent event they put on. Thanks for the advice though
You have the sole rights but you are not yet set up to sell anything (according to your original post)?Why the wait?
JimNotJon said:
takes what seems like years to write an image file (more so on a long exposure shot)
Is this possibly down to having high-ISO noise reduction enabled, hence it's running the same exposure after your shot for comparison purposes?I'm kind of in a similar position to you, albeit with a newer Kx, but I don't have any actual faults like your buttons, back-focusing and so on, so I'm convincing myself to do more, practice more and see if it's me. But I'm interested to know why you discounted having another Pentax, or at least it seemed that way, as you talked about not being choosy between Canon and Nikon. It's coming back to another thread that was on here and is widely discussed on a Pentax forum that I frequent, although that was mainly centred on how Pentax attract new users.
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