Calling All So Called Photogrophers

[Gismo]

Ok, i've had my Sony DSC - H2 for a long time now, but find that, even though i liked it initially for it's ease of use by a complete newbie to photography, i've outgrown it's real use.

It takes really good pictures, for me anyway, but, i want something a bit more challenging.

So, knowing that i'm still learning to take photo's properly, can anyone recommend a decent camera for me to upgrade to??
I'm still keen on ease of use, ie the auto button for everything :o but, am willing to learn better technique etc.

Ideally i want to shoot motor sport action shots close ups, knockhill for example.

One thing to consider for me, would i be better sticking with what i've got, and investing in a decent lens etc.

If it's felt i should upgrade cause the one i have is pants, then please recommend if i should look into lenses etc then, what kind, size etc

For example, i have seen this on Acecameras (http://www.acecameras.co.uk/asp/web/recorprod/1/product/12154/cat/1546/ph/cat/keywords//recor/1/SearchFor//PT_ID/1/product.asp)

All suitable advice accepted :rolleyes:

[vintageb3]

Calum is the man to talk to about the Canon stuff....and ColinT shoots with Nikon...so he will have advice there.

As an amateur I like my Canon gear...and will upgrade the back end at some point.

I like my EF lenses and will keep them the rest of my days.

I was told Canon gives a more natural looking image with more nataural colour.

With Nikon I think the colours are more vibrant...but some say less natural.

I do like shots from both manufacturers....

mark

[Gismo]

As an amateur I like my Canon gear...and will upgrade the back end at some point.

I like my EF lenses and will keep them the rest of my days.
So, for a partial novice like myself, is the Canon i listed, EOS 400D a good enough learner camera for me.
Looking at it, i can get 2 lenses as well for £679, not sure the quality of lens, but they are 18mm - 55mm and a 55mm - 200mm.

Will that suit for the type of shots i wanna make, ie, motor racing

[monsta mo mini admin]

Alan - you can't go wrong with the 400D. I use one as my backup for work. It's an amazing peice of kit for someone looking to make the move up from a compact camera. It basically gives you the same level of control as any professional DSLR but with the added advantage of numerous point and shoot programmes aswell (as you find on most compacts) and 10 megapixels which is more than enoughfor any non professional user.

The real advantage of the SLR over a closed lens model is access to the Canon lens range. Go for a good quality super zoom 28-300 or similar and you've got a good all round lens without breaking the bank.

If you get serious about the sports photography then the £1.5K investment in a fast image stabilized telephoto is the thing for you!

Hope this helps and feel free to give me a call if you want to chat.

[Gismo]

Go for a good quality super zoom 28-300 or similar and you've got a good all round lens without breaking the bank.

If you get serious about the sports photography then the £1.5K investment in a fast image stabilized telephoto is the thing for you!
1.5k cough splutters, erm well, maybe not that keen then, scuttles off to check a cheaper 28-300 lens :(

[Gismo]

Only £1650 for a 28-300 lens :eek: but, the cheaper route is the 2 lens route i suggested, i guess you get what you pay for :(

[monsta mo mini admin]

Alan

the two kit lenses that come with the EOS 400D are pretty good optically - the 18-50 in particular. There are very good 28-300 zooms made by Sigma in Canon fit. £2-300 will buy you a good lens. My 18-50 F2.8 is a Sigma lens and pin sharp from corner to corner and is used daily in a professional capacity.

[AndyP & Lenore]

Alan, just wanted to echo everything good said about the Canon 400D. I have the 350D and love it. The 400D has a bigger Megapixel sensor and I think is a tiny wee bit faster at writing to the cards.

The 400D is a great learning camera for novices like you (and I) moving onto SLR photography.

The lens kits your talking about are great also. All the standard canon EF lens mounts will fit a Canon 400D, but they do make a special range of lenses specifically for their digital camera's. The 400D does not have a full size sensor, so has an effective magnification of 1.6X. So Calum's 18-50 will actually be a 28.8 to 80 zoom. (That's my knowledge on the subject, if I'm wrong, someone correct me). However Canon's digital specific lenses take this into account and if it says 18-50 on the tin, that's what you get.

Ultimately I'd agree with you, a two lens route to start with 18-50 ish and maybe a 50 to 300 ish. Something like that.

Just wish i could afford an image stabilisation lens. They are well cool. :)

FYI, the pics in this thread (http://www.newminiscotland.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=12701) were taken with my Canon 350D on a 70 - 300 zoom lens.

Edit: I'm still very much learning the best settings for motorsport photography. As you can see, comparing my pics with Calum's and Mark's.

Hope this helps.

A.;)

[Scottie]

Alan I'm not going to tell you anything about camera's. You've certainly been given some good opinions from people.

What I am going to do is you give you this link

https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm

Speak to these guys they are excellent and will explain and keep your right these guys know their stuff indeed what they don't know is not worth knowing and very helpful trust me on this one.:)

[zimbo]

I'll be following this thread with great interest because I am into photography in a big way as well, bought myself a Fujifilm S6000/6500 while on holiday in Orlando in June to get myself going up a notch but now realise that I should have bought either a Canon like the one your on a bout Alan or a Nikon D80 (I think that was it.)

Was even thinking about going to do a course @ uni or college in photography but then thought well at my age not sure it would be such a good thing coz I'd probably never get a job afterwards anyway...:rolleyes:

[AndyP & Lenore]

Alan I'm not going to tell you anything about camera's. You've certainly been given some good opinions from people.

What I am going to do is you give you this link

https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm

Speak to these guys they are excellent and will explain and keep your right these guys know their stuff indeed what they don't know is not worth knowing and very helpful trust me on this one.:)

Cool link Fi. Good web site.

Used 300mm F4.0 IS Lens for £749. Hmmmmmmmmm....:cool: :cool: :cool:

[Burple]

Was even thinking about going to do a course @ uni or college in photography but then thought well at my age not sure it would be such a good thing coz I'd probably never get a job afterwards anyway...:rolleyes:

If you've got the talent.. you'll get a job! :p:p:p:D

[Gismo]

Thanks for the info folks, the two lens kit i was looking at that is offered from numerous places looks like the 55 - 200 lens is a Sigma.

Noting that i'm being advised to get a ?? - 300mm lens what do folks think to the 55 - 200mm lens, will it suit my needs??

1st stoopid question :o I assume, the 2 lens kit supplies the camera body and you decide which lens to use??

2nd stoopid question, i keep seeing references to battery grip, why do i need one of them

[Gismo]

What I am going to do is you give you this link

https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm (https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm)
Thanks for the link Fi, i've sent them an e-mail asking loads of questions :)
Looking at their site, they don't seem to offer the canon 400D, but, we'll see what they come back with.

On another note, why do i keep finding a Rebel Xti version of the camera, what's the difference????

[Scottie]

Thanks for the link Fi, i've sent them an e-mail asking loads of questions :)
Looking at their site, they don't seem to offer the canon 400D, but, we'll see what they come back with.

On another note, why do i keep finding a Rebel Xti version of the camera, what's the difference????

Alan these guys would be able to get pretty much whatever camera it is you wanted

[vintageb3]

On another note, why do i keep finding a Rebel Xti version of the camera, what's the difference????

US Model of same toy;)

mark

[Gismo]

US Model of same toy;)

mark
Good man :) it may be cheaper, but, i'd rather get from the UK for warranty reasons

[Gismo]

Hey Fi, of all the online folks i e-mailed only the one you posted replied so far today.
His recommendation, Olympus E510, anyone using that model??

[vintageb3]

Good man :) it may be cheaper, but, i'd rather get from the UK for warranty reasons

Canon has worldwide warranty ;)

mark

[Mini Ecosse]

I think the 400D is not a full frame sensor. I use a 20D which does not have a full sensor. This means that you multiply lens size by 1.6.
This makes a 300mm lens the equivilent of a 480mm. Superb for motorsport.

Stephen

[Scottie]

Hey Fi, of all the online folks i e-mailed only the one you posted replied so far today.
His recommendation, Olympus E510, anyone using that model??

well Alan if you explained to him what you wanted and the budget you have then I reckon they will know what they would use. Yes you can spend many ££££ on cameras

you got to remember we are all only giving you our opinion on what we think is best.

[AndyP & Lenore]

I think the 400D is not a full frame sensor. I use a 20D which does not have a full sensor. This means that you multiply lens size by 1.6.
This makes a 300mm lens the equivilent of a 480mm. Superb for motorsport.

Stephen

Yeah! What he said. Which is kinda what I said about 10 posts ago. Great minds think alike.;) :D

[AndyP & Lenore]

Alan, Jessops.com (and their Stores) are doing a special on the EOS 400D just now.


EOS 400D at Jessops (http://www.jessops.com/Store/s35964/1-136-481/Home/Cameras--and--Lenses/Digital-SLRs/Canon/EOS-400D-(Black)-%2b-EFS-18-55mm-Lens/details.aspx)

£379 with a £50 mail-in rebate. And you get a 18-55 EFS lens bundled. You'd still need to buy a zoom lens for the motorsport.

Along with this 75-300 lens from Pixmania (http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/3080/art/canon/ef-75-300-iii-f4-5-6-usm.html) at £189 makes a saving over over a £100 on the price of that package you linked to in your first post.

And add to that, the fact that Jessops tend NOT to be the cheapest out there, you could probably save a bundle more by shopping around.

A.;)

[Gismo]

Thanks to Slawson and Andy for their input.
I kinda understand about the lens scenario, however, would appreciate someone looking at the Olympus Four Thirds Technology (http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/dslr_7045.htm#7053)
Any advice??

I had noticed the Jessops prices, but, am now torn between the 2 cameras i've mentioned. Olympus are giving a £100 cash back offer :)

By what the guys that Fi linked to said, the Olympus is a better camera due to the image stabaliser being in the camera body rather than the lens in the Canon, amongst other things of course, which would help me shaking hands :rolleyes:

[Scottie]

Thanks to Slawson and Andy for their input.
I kinda understand about the lens scenario, however, would appreciate someone looking at the Olympus Four Thirds Technology (http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/dslr_7045.htm#7053)
Any advice??

I had noticed the Jessops prices, but, am now torn between the 2 cameras i've mentioned. Olympus are giving a £100 cash back offer :)

By what the guys that Fi linked to said, the Olympus is a better camera due to the image stabaliser being in the camera body rather than the lens in the Canon, amongst other things of course, which would help me shaking hands :rolleyes:

H'mm might get that Olympus wonder what the px would be on our Nikon D70

[Gismo]

H'mm might get that Olympus wonder what the px would be on our Nikon D70
Assuming that was Allan's reply :rolleyes: if not, wondered why you would consider this camera, you being a bit of an expert :)

[AndyP & Lenore]

Assuming that was Allan's reply :rolleyes: if not, wondered why you would consider this camera, you being a bit of an expert :)

Sniggers. Expert. Howels with laughter.:D :D :D

[AndyP & Lenore]

Alan,

Had a look at Olypus's Four Thirds Standard as linked to by you.

If it all works like they say on the site, it looks fantastic. What they described as the problem with standard digital camera lenses and CCD's makes sense. Their fix for this also makes sense.

What I would say though is..... this is their list of problems with standard lenses and standard CCD's in digital cameras:

"The following effects occur when light hits the sensor at high angles.
1) Reflection onto neighbouring pixels
2) Crosstalk between neighbouring pixels
3) Loss of brightness since some of the light cannot be captured by the sensor.
When combined, these problems lead to increased noise and poor results"

I realise I'm absolutely no professional, and if you get down onto one of the pics taken with my camera on a large format print with a magnifying glass at the edge of the pics, you may see these issues. However, I can't see any of the above faults in my pics with the naked eye.

I'll email you a couple of the hi-res versions of the pics I've taken.

Overall, the Olympus looks to be a good body. And I do like the idea of the IS being inside the camera, rather than inside the lens. One thought I did have though. If Canon's Image Stabilization system adds about £500 to £700 to the average cost of a lens, how are Olympus putting the system into a body for less than £500 all in? Just a thought.

Keep it going folks..... good thread.

A.;)

[Gismo]

Hey Andy, thanks for the pictures, the one with the big fish is stunning ;) so, well done to you :)
For what it's worth, there is some image blurring on the outer upper right edge :rolleyes: :D joking :o
I've learned a massive amount about real photography this week just being curious, only the technology side of it, but, am going ahead with the Olympus with the £100 cash back option from Fi's recommended place.

The guys obvious knowledge and patience with my many questions has been superb and well worth the time and effort for him.

I'm not too worried about my expertise at the start with the new camera, cause, at the end of the day a bad picture with the Olympus will be every bit as good as my Sony Cybershot.
Plus, i'm looking forward to capturing Zoooooom on the track next season once i've learned to use it better.

One question to you Andy, are you shooting in RAW mode and if so, what is the size of your images, the ones you e-mailed me are approx 3mb?
Then, what software programme are you using to convert them to Jpeg??

[euan]

This has been really interesting to me. I've been looking at getting a "bridge" camera, between an SLR and a compact, like the new Fuji s8000fd or the Panasonic Lumix FZ18 as when I go on honeymoon next year we'll be on safari so want to get decent shots with a long lens.

Should I reconsider and consider going for a full SLR?

Money is a consideration (of course - wedding's aren't cheap!) but also ease of use, lightness (we are limited to 12KG per person baggage for the light aircraft transfers), decent distance ability and did I menation ease of use? :-)

[Scottie]

Sniggers. Expert. Howels with laughter.:D :D :D

Shut up. no worse than you my boy.:p

At least I point Alan in the direction of experts rather than trying to tell him whats best.:p :D

[Gismo]

Shut up. no worse than you my boy.:p

At least I point Alan in the direction of experts rather than trying to tell him whats best.:p :D
You tell him Fi, thanks to you, camera kit ordered :)

[Scottie]

You tell him Fi, thanks to you, camera kit ordered :)


Alan you should wait until your home take the bike over to collect some great roads if the weather is fine. Better still you both should go over in the car there is a lovely coffee room downstairs it is an old church converted. The palce is well worth a visit they have a massive collection of camera stuff.

[Gismo]

Alan you should wait until your home take the bike over to collect some great roads if the weather is fine. Better still you both should go over in the car there is a lovely coffee room downstairs it is an old church converted. The palce is well worth a visit they have a massive collection of camera stuff.
Cheers Fi, i'll take the camera up with me for some instruction and a coffee

[monsta mo mini admin]

Only the EOS 5D and 1D series are full frame. They start at £1500 and go up to £6K.

The full frame issue only becomes an issue when you get down to the wider angles. As previosly mentioned, you'll need the 18mm to get somewhere near the angle of view on a conventional 24mm. At the end of the day, unless you've used a wide angle at full frame and then gone digital, you'll be none the wiser. All I'll say is CANON have been at the forefront of digital SLR development and you wont get a better camera for the money.

Olymous etc are fine for compact cameras but if you are looking to make the move into SLR territory, then go with a manufacturer that has a comprehensive accessories list (and I know how much you like your accessories;) ). Think about the camera as long term investment. I still use my original EOS 1 15 years on when shooting film but I can still use all my lenes and flash gun on it aswell.

[AndyP & Lenore]

Also.......

As Calum is saying, you should consider an SLR as a long term investment because once you've bought a body with a decent lens maybe bundled with it.... then you buy a zoom lens to get some extra distance shots...... then you buy a mid range lens with a good F stop to get quicker exposures..... and before you know it, you have a pack of lenses, a couple of flashes and other accessories specific to that make of camera. Then you look at Nikon's or Olympus's and realise that to change is financially impractical because of the cost of replacing all that gear.

And, yes, I speak from experience.:o That said, I wouldn't want anyone to think I feel "stuck" with Canon's. Love them. Always had. And I'm glad of that otherwise I would be wondering what to do with all my lenses and kit.;)

A.:D

[Scottie]

Also.......

As Calum is saying, you should consider an SLR as a long term investment because once you've bought a body with a decent lens maybe bundled with it.... then you buy a zoom lens to get some extra distance shots...... then you buy a mid range lens with a good F stop to get quicker exposures..... and before you know it, you have a pack of lenses, a couple of flashes and other accessories specific to that make of camera. Then you look at Nikon's or Olympus's and realise that to change is financially impractical because of the cost of replacing all that gear.

And, yes, I speak from experience.:o That said, I wouldn't want anyone to think I feel "stuck" with Canon's. Love them. Always had. And I'm glad of that otherwise I would be wondering what to do with all my lenses and kit.;)

A.:D

says the man that bought a petrol Freelander.:eek: :D :p :p ;)

[AndyP & Lenore]

says the man that bought a petrol Freelander.:eek: :D :p :p ;)

Fi, I've read what I said and your post and I don't follow what you're saying. I can't even see where there's anything in there to tease me with.

Very confused now.:confused: :confused:

A.:D

[Scottie]

Fi, I've read what I said and your post and I don't follow what you're saying. I can't even see where there's anything in there to tease me with.

Very confused now.:confused: :confused:

A.:D


disnae matter.;)

[sh@z]

It says in her signature she has nothing constructive to say, so I'd not worry about it much ;) ;) ;)

[Scottie]

It says in her signature she has nothing constructive to say, so I'd not worry about it much ;) ;) ;)


<slap>:p ;)

[Gismo]

And, yes, I speak from experience.:o That said, I wouldn't want anyone to think I feel "stuck" with Canon's. Love them. Always had. And I'm glad of that otherwise I would be wondering what to do with all my lenses and kit.;)

A.:D
But surely if you start with one other manufacturer you'd have the same problem by moving to Canon, or am i missing something.

Anyway, i've opted for the Olympus now, so, it'll be Olympus lenses from now on.

[AndyP & Lenore]

But surely if you start with one other manufacturer you'd have the same problem by moving to Canon, or am i missing something.

Anyway, i've opted for the Olympus now, so, it'll be Olympus lenses from now on.

You're spot on Alan. Doesn't matter who you start with, you will always have their branded kit, which won't work with anyone else's.

I think it's even the case that if you buy Sigma or Tamron (both independent lens manufacturers) lenses, you would not be able to "convert" one to the other. May be wrong in that, though. Your guys up at Beauly may be able to advise on that.

At the end of the day that Olympus looks the muts nuts, and great for starting out with anyway. I'm sure you'll love it.

A.

[Sheilz]

Just read the thread. I use the 400D and its a fab camera but if you've bought it from Jessops just hope nothing goes wrong with your new toy. Jessops have shut down loads of their outlets and their customer service is appalling. My sister bought her Canon 400D from them, sent it back for a minor repair and was going to be charged £360 for the pleasure because they said there was so many things wrong with it. They claimed it must have been dropped because of the damage they found. She was not at all happy since it was only one of the wee mirror things inside which had gone all glazed though it didnt affect the quality of the photo and most certainly had not been dropped, its her pride and joy and gets treated with kid gloves. Anyway she got the Trades people involved, got the camera back, sent it to Canon for inspection, they said it was damaged beyond repair - it had indeed been dropped, but not by its owner - and replaced it for free. If it had been up to Jessops she'd have been up sh*t creek. Her camera was a mere four months old.
On the other hand my one has been dropped eek a few times, and gets chucked in and out of the car, more times than not, out of its case, and no probs with it at all.
If you need help with any aspect of your camera there are loads of websites that give tutorials on how to use your model and great place to get independent advice from the most important people - them that use it.
Happy shooting!:D

[Gismo]

Thanks Sheilz and thankfully nope, i didn't buy from Jessops :)

[AndyP & Lenore]

Hey Andy, thanks for the pictures, the one with the big fish is stunning ;) so, well done to you :)
For what it's worth, there is some image blurring on the outer upper right edge :rolleyes: :D joking :o
I've learned a massive amount about real photography this week just being curious, only the technology side of it, but, am going ahead with the Olympus with the £100 cash back option from Fi's recommended place.

The guys obvious knowledge and patience with my many questions has been superb and well worth the time and effort for him.

I'm not too worried about my expertise at the start with the new camera, cause, at the end of the day a bad picture with the Olympus will be every bit as good as my Sony Cybershot.
Plus, i'm looking forward to capturing Zoooooom on the track next season once i've learned to use it better.

One question to you Andy, are you shooting in RAW mode and if so, what is the size of your images, the ones you e-mailed me are approx 3mb?
Then, what software programme are you using to convert them to Jpeg??

Alan, I was just re-reading the thread and realised I had forgotten to reply to your questions..... I know you now have your Olympus on order, so not sure how relevant my answers are but here goes...

The images I sent you were "as shot". No digital trickery or conversion. I shoot in Jpeg in "Large" picture quality 3456 X 2304 pixels. It creates a file size of about 3 to 3.5mb. I don't use RAW because I only have 1 (1GB) compact flash card, so when off on holybags, the RAW file size being almost 3 times JPG, I'd fill a card in not time. Honestly, I need to get a couple of bigger cards, so that I can start playing around with RAW.

Thanks for the comments re the big fish. Being honest, that is probably one of the best photo's I've ever taken in my life. But also being honest, I can't take all the credit for it... the EOS350D is so easy to use, I set the aperture to 8.0, auto focus on AI Servo and just waited until the fish was in the frame and focused the way I wanted it. Bingo!

A.:D

[Gismo]

Andy, ya tight git, i'm getting a 2GB card with the camera, the guy reckons i'll get 400 shots when using RAW mode, that was one of my requests, so, i'll be a we bit miffed if i can't.
But, having seen the quality of your fishy pic, i might start off using the highest non RAW mode :)

[euan]

Any chance of sharing this fishy pic?

[Gismo]

Any chance of sharing this fishy pic?
It would be easier for Andy to host and post :rolleyes: go on Andy, show em your lucky, erm quality fishy shot :D

[AndyP & Lenore]

It would be easier for Andy to host and post :rolleyes: go on Andy, show em your lucky, erm quality fishy shot :D

Aw go on then.....

My fishy photo and some others (http://www.reachercreatures.com/fun_stuff/fishy_florida.htm)

A.;)

[AndyP & Lenore]

As for RAW and Jpeg and card sizes....

I doubt you'll get 400 on a 2gb card. Depends on the file size the Olympus creates. My Canon generates a file size of about 8.8mb in RAW. So on my 1gb card I'd get just over 110 pohto's (as opposed to over 300 in Jpeg). I understood RAW to be uncompressed, so I don't see how an olympus with a bigger ccd can generate a smaller image. Best speak to your guys again.;)

Another reason I've been shooting in Jpeg is that my Canon will give a max burst of 14 consecutive Jpeg shots before if halts to write the data to the card. In RAW I would only get 5 shots.:o

A.:D

[euan]

Aw go on then.....

My fishy photo and some others (http://www.reachercreatures.com/fun_stuff/fishy_florida.htm)

A.;)

That's no fish...it's huge!! :D

Nice pic though!

[zimbo]

Aw go on then.....

My fishy photo and some others (http://www.reachercreatures.com/fun_stuff/fishy_florida.htm)

A.;)

Right I've looked @ these pics again & again and dont see no fish...

I see a couple of burds a bloke some fire works from Sea World and an Orca Whale, BUT no fish :D :p lol

Great pics Andy, some of the photos I took while on holiday in Florida came out brilliantly if I do say so myself... Two in particular that I can think of, one of a dolphin and another of a flamingo :D

[AndyP & Lenore]

Right I've looked @ these pics again & again and dont see no fish...

I see a couple of burds a bloke some fire works from Sea World and an Orca Whale, BUT no fish :D :p lol

Great pics Andy, some of the photos I took while on holiday in Florida came out brilliantly if I do say so myself... Two in particular that I can think of, one of a dolphin and another of a flamingo :D

LOL.

Do share Zimbo.....;)

[zimbo]

Mmmm dunno if I should... :D

Oh ok then, now these were only taken with my FUJIFINEPIX F10 (compact)

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/1701/dscf0132nq5.jpg

and this one

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7911/dscf0212wk1.jpg

I'm quite proud of them anyway :D Not just motor racing or car and bikes pics that try to take. Have tried to take some pics of the moon recently but I just cant seem to get them to come out without being blurry (spelling..) lol See us wanna be photographers... :rolleyes:

[AndyP & Lenore]

Cool Pics Zimbo.

The moon is a tricky one. I've no doubt Scottiecoop will be on soon giving us all advice on how to photograph the moon. If not Fiona, I'm sure Allan has an answer.

I suspect it's because you're using a huge zoom lens and when it's out at full, if the ground the tripod is sitting on is not rock steady, you'll get camera shake. Also, I would imagine you'll be needing to hold the shutter open for a few seconds, even on a wide aperture and a ISO of 1000 or so, it's gonna need a second or so to get a good capture. In addition, the bloody moon moves! So if you don't move your camera across the plane of the moon's movement, you'll get blurred images. You'd think the Moon would have the good grace to sit still while we're trying to photy it.:rolleyes: Although the movement may not be enough to cause blurring if the shutter is only open for a second or so. Again, Allan may have advice on that.

A.:D

[Scottie]

myself never taken a photo of the Moon Allan on the other hand has taken several.;) and some amazing aurora borealis pictures all on a film camera.

Although Digital camera is catching up their are still behind the old 35mm film camera. For astrophotography it is still best to use 400asa film for its senstivity plus there is no background noise from the ccd chip. Any professional astrophotographer will tell you this. Yes the digital camera is coming of age and when it gets to around 18 to 20 million pixels it will be as good as any film camera. Astrophotgraphers do however use both cameras but still the best is a completely manual 35mm. I will not however take anything away from the advancement of the digital camera as i do think they are fantastic to use.

You see really the thing is to get the best quality picture of any is still from film but what the digital camera dose it allows you to take a very good picture upload it on your computer use several packages to enhance the picture and share with your friends with in a couple of minutes. IMHO.


I don't know about about anyone else but when I look at a picture I look at the content i.e. a car or a view or in my case more often than not one of my dogs or a moment in time from a holiday and think ain't that a cracking picture not because of the clarity or the depth of colour I'm looking at the picture itself.

[zimbo]

Mmmm might have to dig out my 35mm SLR then and get it going again. :D oh yeah and it has some extra big zoom lenses as well which I almost forgot about!! (sigma)

[AndyP & Lenore]

Yo! BS!

How's your Olympus working out for you?

A.:D

[Sheilz]

These are my two best ever moon shots. The one reflecting over the sea was taken at Lunan without my tripod. I'd a lot of fun and very wet knees from kneeling on the sand when I took it. You can tell I didnt use tripod since when its enlarged you can see movement in the moon. Still love that silky reflection. The other was taken with a sigma 70-300 lens (mediocre lense that most respectable photographers would give a wide berth but within my budget) Cant remember if I used my tripod or roof of the car. Also used remote control to prevent shake.
Photography is my other passion, like my driving, not that great but done with a lot of enthusiasm!

[Sheilz]

Santa brought a telescope to the house this year and I really want to try my hand at astrophotography. My camera's a 400D. Does anyone know what kind of lense I need and also any other equipment. I read about piggy back AP but not sure if that's the best way or if there's something I need to attach the body of my camera to the eyepiece. Also struggling with how to get round the battery life of the camera on really long exposures. If the camera is linked to my laptop for focusing etc would power from it keep the camera going?
Anyone got any ideas?

[AndyP & Lenore]

OOOOOhhhhh. Good question Shielz......

Anyone?


A.:D

[Scottie]

Nice shot of the Moon. You got Mare Imbrim and Oceanus Procellarum and Copernicus showing up on the Moon very well. :cool:

[AndyP & Lenore]

Cool photo's too Shielz. Considering the equipment (no tri pod, hand/car held etc) they are very good.

You can see movement on the full moon image. I've found one problem with the moon is that you need to hold the shutter open so long, the bloody thing moves, so unless you have some sort of laser aligned motorized tracking thingymabob, you'll never get a perfect pic of the moon. unless someone more knowledgeable can correct me.

A.:D

[Sheilz]

Nice shot of the Moon. You got Mare Imbrim and Oceanus Procellarum and Copernicus showing up on the Moon very well. :cool:


Thank you! Looks awesome through the telescope. On Christmas night we took it outside and my mum was really quite awed by the way the moon was bling bling. She'd never seen it like that before, nor Mars.

Its got me hooked. Off to the sales tomorrow for some decent thermals!

[Sheilz]

Cool photo's too Shielz. Considering the equipment (no tri pod, hand/car held etc) they are very good.

You can see movement on the full moon image. I've found one problem with the moon is that you need to hold the shutter open so long, the bloody thing moves, so unless you have some sort of laser aligned motorized tracking thingymabob, you'll never get a perfect pic of the moon. unless someone more knowledgeable can correct me.

A.:D

The telescope has a motor on it for tracking the stars. Its got a really sturdy tripod, a heavy brute of a thing to be accurate, and the bittie on its back for attaching the camera. By using the remote it should remove movement. Just need to find out how to attach the motor and set my location. Wish I'd paid more attention in geography now!
Once I've stopped blubbing at the bailey's am going to try my hand at getting it up and running properly. :eek::D

[Scottie]

Santa brought a telescope to the house this year and I really want to try my hand at astrophotography. My camera's a 400D. Does anyone know what kind of lense I need and also any other equipment. I read about piggy back AP but not sure if that's the best way or if there's something I need to attach the body of my camera to the eyepiece. Also struggling with how to get round the battery life of the camera on really long exposures. If the camera is linked to my laptop for focusing etc would power from it keep the camera going?
Anyone got any ideas?


Hi Sheilz

If you want to piggy back your camera then any lense will do depending on what finnish you want to your pictures i.e wide field giving you much of the sky at one time or if you want to focus on a particular object or constellation then a telephoto would be the best.

Should you want to put your camera onto the back of a telescope then you will need one adapter ring for the cannon and a T-Mount these should cost no more than about 30 to 35 pounds. This will allow you to project what you see through the telescope to your pictures either with a plossel inserted
or A-Focal which is using the T-Mount without a plossel.

The only down side to eletronic cameras is as you correctly mention the battery life, the battery should last long enough to do most long exposures it will only really become a problem in extreme cold this is when the battery power will be reduced to about half life.

I am not to sure if you would be able to preview live pictures via a computer i think this can only be done using dedicated ccd's.

I will put a picture up of what you need which can be bought from telescope planet 08707 606690.

What type of telescope have you got.?

[Sheilz]

Hi Fiona,

Its a Skywatcher reflector 130 diameter 650 focal length (SKP13065EQ2).
Much appreciated. Thank you

[Scottie]

Hi Fiona,

Its a Skywatcher reflector 130 diameter 650 focal length (SKP13065EQ2).
Much appreciated. Thank you


Ok so it is fitted with a R.A Motor Drive.

Should be easy to set up. Before you use the motorized part you need to set the scope up. Using 57 degrees North (I am sure this is roughly correct for Aberdeen)


When you mount your telescope on to the tripod there should be a locating point on the tripod so you know the telescope is in the right position use this to point North along with a compass and then set the accession of your telescope at 57 degrees. Make sure through your finder scope and your telescope you have Polaris lined up in the centre then when you use the camera you can work it with the R.A motor and track the stars successfully. A good magazine is BBC Sky at Night.

[Scottie]

here is the bit you need
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/scottiecoop/Mount.jpg

[Sheilz]

Thanks Fiona. We will have some good fun trying this out.:D:D:D

[Scottie]

Thanks Fiona. We will have some good fun trying this out.:D:D:D


try

www.rothervalleyoptics.com

they do a DVD for beginners guide equatorial mounted telescopes. Ian Littlewood who runs this company knows his stuff.

[Scottie]

Shielz,

Allan is going to look through his Silver Cases tomorrow he thinks he may have a t 2 mount for you I will let you know.

[Sheilz]

Shielz,

Allan is going to look through his Silver Cases tomorrow he thinks he may have a t 2 mount for you I will let you know.


Thanks, that's brilliant. :D:D:D

[AndyP & Lenore]

Posted this on the page previous, but I think you've missed it BS.....:rolleyes:


Yo! BS!

How's your Olympus working out for you?

A.:D

[Gismo]

Yo! BS!

How's your Olympus working out for you?

A.:D
Oops, missed a few posts during my transfer from offshore to onshore, not really had a chance to use it, i wanted a memory card that could hold 1,000 piccies and the place i bought the camera from didn't have any in stock, then, i went to baku, so, nowt happening until i get home next week :)

Which reminds, i must get in touch with Olympus regarding my £100 cash back option :mad:

[euan]

BS - are you going for a SDHC card? I'm struggling to find a decent supplier for them at a good price. I'm after a Sandisk I think as I've had a few Ultra II's in my Ixus and been pleased with them, but as the new camera takes SDHC I thought I might try them for a change, particularly as it takes RAW images I want the write speed to be as fast as possible.

[Gismo]

BS - are you going for a SDHC card?
Hmm, i'm sure it was a Compact Flash II card, 8GB, cost about 75 quid, way more than you can get them off eBay etc, but, cause the guy i dealt with was very good i decided to get the card from him.
From what i can rmember the write speed is very fast :)

[euan]

Ah ok. I've been warned off ebay for these cards as a lot on there are fake as there is no easy way to tell what you've got is actually what you paid for.

Think I'll aim for a 4GB, that's about 1000 photo's on the highest resolution, though will be a few less when I'm taking them on RAW - if I can find the setting!

[Gismo]

I get about 1,000 on RAW setting, would get loads more on the next highest setting

[Sheilz]

I get about 1,000 on RAW setting, would get loads more on the next highest setting

Which editing programme do you use? I find APE too complicated and the EOS pro stuff just as bad. The ordinary editing stuff is ok - Zoombrowser, Microsoft and Picasso. Just wish I could get my head round the more complicated programmes:confused:

[Gismo]

Which editing programme do you use? I find APE too complicated and the EOS pro stuff just as bad. The ordinary editing stuff is ok - Zoombrowser, Microsoft and Picasso. Just wish I could get my head round the more complicated programmes:confused:
I use Paint Shop Pro 10, but, i have to open the RAW file with Olympus software first and then convert it to Jpeg, bit of a pain as it also reduces the file size from around 10MB to approx 4MB

[Sheilz]

I use Paint Shop Pro 10, but, i have to open the RAW file with Olympus software first and then convert it to Jpeg, bit of a pain as it also reduces the file size from around 10MB to approx 4MB

You're kind of defeating the purpose of using RAW in the first place! RAW gives you a flat image for editing purposes. I think you'd be best to edit in RAW and then convert to JPEG. The editing of a JPEG image is limited by comparison. If you think about it, you'd be as well just shooting in JPEG from the outset! This is my understanding of it anyway and I may be wrong, though I do think I'm right! Have I :confused: you? (LOL welcome to SOAP!)

[Sheilz]

I use Paint Shop Pro 10, but, i have to open the RAW file with Olympus software first and then convert it to Jpeg, bit of a pain as it also reduces the file size from around 10MB to approx 4MB


Sorry, should have asked if you have a bundled programme for working with RAW images provided with your camera? Canon have one included with theirs but its double dutch to me so I always shoot in JPEG. I've only got PSE 4 and struggle with the basics of that though I think it does have the facility to work with RAW. One of these days/weeeks/months I'll bite the bullet and get to grips with it.

[Gismo]

You're kind of defeating the purpose of using RAW in the first place! RAW gives you a flat image for editing purposes. I think you'd be best to edit in RAW and then convert to JPEG. The editing of a JPEG image is limited by comparison. If you think about it, you'd be as well just shooting in JPEG from the outset! This is my understanding of it anyway and I may be wrong, though I do think I'm right! Have I :confused: you? (LOL welcome to SOAP!)
You're quite right Sheilz, but, i don't shoot in RAW and then immediately convert to Jpeg, i edit the image with the supplied Olympus software and then convert to Jpeg :)


Sorry, should have asked if you have a bundled programme for working with RAW images provided with your camera? Canon have one included with theirs but its double dutch to me so I always shoot in JPEG. I've only got PSE 4 and struggle with the basics of that though I think it does have the facility to work with RAW. One of these days/weeeks/months I'll bite the bullet and get to grips with it.
Yes, as answered in a previous post :rolleyes: sheesh wimmin, read the posts :D

[Gismo]

Which reminds, i must get in touch with Olympus regarding my £100 cash back option :mad:
All sorted, one e-mail and one subsequent phone call, seemingly their servers would not allow e-mails to go to my address, so, they were patiently waiting for me to phone :)

[Sheilz]

All sorted, one e-mail and one subsequent phone call, seemingly their servers would not allow e-mails to go to my address, so, they were patiently waiting for me to phone :)



Nice one! I got £500 worth of vouchers with mine. Yipee! thought I, but alas when I checked the valid to date they expired three weeks after I got the camera. As if a body could go out and spend a few grand just after buying the camera:eek: I just felt as if I'd been swik-ed:D:D:D:D

[Gismo]

One thing i'm struggling with, is, darkish shots, with the camera in just auto mode and i'm taking a piccie to use on eBay, meaning it don't have to be that good a shot, the piccie remains dark.
Is it that teh camera is so good that i really need to set it up for even that kind of shot ??

[AndyP & Lenore]

One thing i'm struggling with, is, darkish shots, with the camera in just auto mode and i'm taking a piccie to use on eBay, meaning it don't have to be that good a shot, the piccie remains dark.
Is it that teh camera is so good that i really need to set it up for even that kind of shot ??

Stupid question here..... if it's in full auto mode, is the flash not popping up on it's own?

A.

[Gismo]

Stupid question here..... if it's in full auto mode, is the flash not popping up on it's own?

A.
Yes, but the image still remains dark, i still need a lot of practice :rolleyes:

[AndyP & Lenore]

Yes, but the image still remains dark, i still need a lot of practice :rolleyes:

Everyone does Alan, but email me a pic you've taken that you're questioning and I'll have a look-see to see what I can see, if you know what I mean.

[Gismo]

Everyone does Alan, but email me a pic you've taken that you're questioning and I'll have a look-see to see what I can see, if you know what I mean.
Sent it to you :) ps, wanna buy it, oops, sorry, went off topic :)

[AndyP & Lenore]

Sent it to you :) ps, wanna buy it, oops, sorry, went off topic :)

Dinnae start.:rolleyes:

Email sent.;)