into the digital world. I’m considering the purchase of a DSLR camera, either Canon or Nikon. I’ve heard that I should steer clear of the ones from the big box store, as they use cheaper electronics to keep the price point down. Is there any truth to that?
OTOH, I am comfortable with the idea of continuing to soup my negatives, but my negative scanner died. Is there such a thing still being made?
I recently purchased a camera I am very happy with, between the best point and shoot cameras and a full on DSLR… It’s a Sony A6000, and if you look around you can get it close to $500 as opposed to $900.
It has interchangable lenses, and a 4/3 sensor (way bigger than the point and shoot, but smaller than the “full frame” 35mm sensors.
The advantages are cost, and it turns out that this sensor is very good in low light situations, very rarely requiring a flash. It is excellent for taking pictures of trains, since a flash usually makes a hot spot or washes out colors, yet, almost all trains have this dark black undercarriage which gives you pictures of a nice superstructure but absolutely no detail for trucks and things in shadows.
I’m very happy with it and the stock lens. There are models above like the A6500 for a lot more… The camera is pretty compact, and much easier to lug around than a full dslr… there’s also some very cool accessories for it, like a directional stereo mike for making very nice movies. It will also shoot 11 frames per second, so if you want an action shot, you will get the “right one” by shooting in continuous mode. By inference that means it has very fast autofocus.
Greg
Spend the coin to get a “full frame” camera. WYSIWYG! You will never go back.
FWIW, I have a fairly complete collection of film SLR stuff, several lenses, three or four bodies, even a Mamiya 220 twin lens reflex camera that I really love. I also have a full darkroom setup, just nowhere to set it up, which is why I am finally considering digital. While I appreciate the help, I’m not sure I want to give up control of the process. I enjoy fiddling with it.
I really mourn the demise of Kodachrome.
Steve Featherkile said:
FWIW, I enjoy fiddling with it.
You can download digital photos into so many programs and do so much more fiddling than you could ever do in a dark room. But it is another world.
Steve Featherkile said:
While I appreciate the help, I’m not sure I want to give up control of the process. I enjoy fiddling with it.
I really mourn the demise of Kodachrome.
You probably said the same thing when you had to give up carving pictures on your cave walls with stone hammers and chisels…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Spend several hours on https://www.dpreview.com/ A great unbiased site with info on almost every digital camera ever made. I’t’s been over 5 years since I’ve bought one so I am not up on current products. I have an older Cannon Rebel XT which I love. I also have a couple of point and shoots, but I find I use them less since getting a phone with a pretty good camera.
I have a phone with a good lens, but i find myself constrained by it.
Todd Brody said:
Steve Featherkile said:
FWIW, I enjoy fiddling with it.
You can download digital photos into so many programs and do so much more fiddling than you could ever do in a dark room. But it is another world.
Call me a Luddite, but I’ve never been impressed with that stuff.
Ken Brunt said:
Steve Featherkile said:
While I appreciate the help, I’m not sure I want to give up control of the process. I enjoy fiddling with it.
I really mourn the demise of Kodachrome.
You probably said the same thing when you had to give up carving pictures on your cave walls with stone hammers and chisels…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
I never gave up stone carving, Ken, you know that. (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Steve Featherkile said:
I have a phone with a good lens, but i find myself constrained by it.
I meant I use the point-and shoots less. When I want great looking pictures I drag out the DSLR and I am never disappointed in the camera’s performance. My composition, exposure setting and focus skills often disappoint me, but when I get it right…
Ok, so the 2 original questions are…
Are the cameras from the big box stores infested with inferior electronics?
Are negative scanners compatible with Windows 10 available?
Steve Featherkile said:
Ok, so the 2 original questions are…
Are the cameras from the big box stores infested with inferior electronics?
Are negative scanners compatible with Windows 10 available?
Steve,
I’m a simple dumbass Rooster but I will add my thoughts anyway. I really like my Nikon D3000 series as it’s all I need and then some. By the time I figure out the camera and video it will be obsolete anyway. You can get a pretty nice Nikon set up from the big box stores for under $500 and it will shoot video as well. You will want the extra memory card that the box store packages offer along with simple stuff like the bag, etc. The 250 lens that came with my Nikon is more than enough for what I need. Watch the Cannon as some do not do video but they are a very very nice camera as well. Nikon was good enough for NASA and the hubble but I’m not biased at all just what I have learned.
It’s mind numbing Steve!
As for Win 10 …well it’s a bastard period that many do not understand like we see on the forums all the time IMO …price out computers that run Win 7 and you will see the demand for them buy the price compared to 10? I really miss Win 2000 pro …now that was a stable system and funny as the state of PA knows this as they still use it to run their Emission testing machines (funny) but true! Along with ALPS printers that you have to purchase though the state!!
I have both win 10 and 7 but nothing seems to play nice with 10 without work.
Short rant and done
Once again whatever you decide on you will be overwhelmed.
Let us know what you decide and we want PICS or it didn’t happen!!
Epson V600
The Epson is a lot for the money, and does transparency and reflective (transparency for film). It also comes with plastic holders for 35 mm slides, etc.
It will do up to 48 bit color and up to 6400 x 9500 dpi… you can easily make a huge file at max resolution… but that is what you want if you are archiving pictures, or editing and cropping.
Been a great deal for some time, the next step up is quite a lot more money.
The software provided is easy to use, and has 3 different levels, and easy to use level, a more capable and more complex level and a professional level.
Greg
Steve… Just my 2 cents… I purchased a refurbished Nikon D5500 a couple of years ago and am very happy with it… I do a lot of available, low light shooting at 6400 ISO and full max jpgs at 6000 X 4000. Crop the images as necessary and the results are great.
I do shoot the higher RAW resolution but not very often…
Might look into the Nikon D5600 as it’s one step up from the D5500… Not full frame, but not nearly as expensive either… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Quality is equal or superior to the Mamiya 220 twin lens or the film Hasselblad… Much more manageable than the 35 mm film cameras… However, there is a bit of a “learning curve” and the “dark room” is now using Photo Shop on the computer with all the lights on… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Greg Elmassian said:
The Epson is a lot for the money, and does transparency and reflective (transparency for film). It also comes with plastic holders for 35 mm slides, etc.
It will do up to 48 bit color and up to 6400 x 9500 dpi… you can easily make a huge file at max resolution… but that is what you want if you are archiving pictures, or editing and cropping.
Been a great deal for some time, the next step up is quite a lot more money.
The software provided is easy to use, and has 3 different levels, and easy to use level, a more capable and more complex level and a professional level.
Greg
Greg, will it do 2X2 negs? I have a lot of those, too.
Yea, Photo Shop can do all kinds of things you used to do in a darkroom, and even some things you would be hard pressed to do in a darkroom.
If the camera is the same make and model, I don’t see how (or why) the assembly line would do a cheep part run for store A, and a quality part run for store B. If the model numbers are different, then it could be possible.
I hear the same argument about Dell computers, ie; they are made with lower quality parts. My Dell laptop provided me with reliable service for many years, so many years that the OS was obsolete long before the thing went TU. My employer provided laptops have all been Dells. If they are full of junk parts, then the junk works well enough for what I need. Why would a camera be different, especially if it comes with some kind of warranty or protection plan. If it fails, it gets fixed/replaced. And if it does the job you want, then its good enough. Admittedly a consumer quality (and priced) camera will not be the same as a professional quality (and priced) camera.
I bought a Fugi Film S5000 camera Back in 02 or 03. It was not top of the line when I bought it, and its now technically obsolete, since it won’t play nice with winders tin. But it still does the job I need it to. If the camera fits your needs, then that is what counts. Not what someone who isn’t you tells you you need because they say so.
David Maynard said:
Yea, Photo Shop can do all kinds of things …
In the world of art I live and work in, digital cameras and Photo Shop turned everyone into a regular Ansel Adams (except with oversaturated color…boo, hiss). Now it’s almost impossible to make a living as a photographic artist. Good thing I’m a painter ?!
David, the difference is cameras made in Japan by superb technicians, and those made in China, or Vietnam, by makeesee, makeedo. The Japanese ones go to camera stores, and the others go to Costco or Best buy. So I’ve been told.
Yeah, I s’pose Photoshop can do geewhiz stuff, but i take great pleasure in working in the darkroom. I take pleasure in being a Luddite.
