In these days, when digital cameras are becoming more realistic in price and everyone can have their own website, I wonder if we could not start a members photographic circle.
Those of us who have gone into this in depth could advise others on how to go on and what equipment to buy. Lets have your thoughts on this.
Photography & Websites
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troywinters
Re:Photography & Websites
a few concise ( what me concise that will be the day ) bits
if you carry a camera in a saddle bag it might get nicked with or without your bike, damaged in an accident or forgotten about. also it could be seconds later to reach to snap that passing moment.
however if you sling it round ones neck it still might get broken but also could have problems with humidity if under an outer garment due to sweat build up. but quick to hand. but to reduce swing on movement should shorten straps. weight also tells.
A lightweight model should be ok all day but a pro slr model weighing 1kg with decent lens does get a bit of a pain in the neck.
A wide to short tele zoom is most useful for most pics, I have a long tele ( 300mm ) but never really use it on the go.
The simpler and less fancy a model probably the better it will stand upto the occasional rain shower. note batteries tend to run down quicker in the cold, in fact the runtime difference between a warm and an icy day can be 4X .
Film obviously gives better pics and if you want one publishing in any professional mag then they's rather have film than digital. Digital gives you extra capacity without having to remember extra rolls of films if you buy a larger memory card first off. just have to factor in paying 10p a print and burning the images to CD rather than relying on a computer's hardrive to last eons.
Filters, I use a standard UV filter on most my lenses makes cleaning them easier and a bit of extra scratch protection but under certain lighting i.e into sun silhouettes the extra glass can give increased flare.
if you carry a camera in a saddle bag it might get nicked with or without your bike, damaged in an accident or forgotten about. also it could be seconds later to reach to snap that passing moment.
however if you sling it round ones neck it still might get broken but also could have problems with humidity if under an outer garment due to sweat build up. but quick to hand. but to reduce swing on movement should shorten straps. weight also tells.
A lightweight model should be ok all day but a pro slr model weighing 1kg with decent lens does get a bit of a pain in the neck.
A wide to short tele zoom is most useful for most pics, I have a long tele ( 300mm ) but never really use it on the go.
The simpler and less fancy a model probably the better it will stand upto the occasional rain shower. note batteries tend to run down quicker in the cold, in fact the runtime difference between a warm and an icy day can be 4X .
Film obviously gives better pics and if you want one publishing in any professional mag then they's rather have film than digital. Digital gives you extra capacity without having to remember extra rolls of films if you buy a larger memory card first off. just have to factor in paying 10p a print and burning the images to CD rather than relying on a computer's hardrive to last eons.
Filters, I use a standard UV filter on most my lenses makes cleaning them easier and a bit of extra scratch protection but under certain lighting i.e into sun silhouettes the extra glass can give increased flare.
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Marc
Re:Photography & Websites
troy
Todays digital cameras are used in advertising and they dont need to be hugely expensive either. The Fuji 602 Pro recently superseded was going for as lttle as £299 recently and has produced many an ad picture!
Marc S Taylor
Todays digital cameras are used in advertising and they dont need to be hugely expensive either. The Fuji 602 Pro recently superseded was going for as lttle as £299 recently and has produced many an ad picture!
Marc S Taylor
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tee-ell
Re:Photography & Websites
HAVE JUST BOUGHT A NEW NIKON COOLPIX 5MEGA PIXEL POCKET SIZE DIGITAL CAMERA FOR UNDER £200. WILL TAKE THE BEST PICS I WILL EVER NEED AND GIVE GOOD RESULTS UP TO A3 SIZE PRINTS. UNLESS YOU ARE A REAL ANORAK, THE DAYS OF LUGGING A HEAVY SLR AROUND ARE DEAD AND BURIED FOR 99% OF PHOTO TAKERS. PS THE NIKON WEIGHS 180 GRAMS
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nicedays
Re:Photography & Websites
Have a look at www.nicedays.co.uk/photography.htm It suggest's how to carry your camera and where to buy equipment... The whole site is adventure photography based. I've done much of the rider testing myself and have ironed out some storage problems with digital equipment.
Regards
Chris
Regards
Chris
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Alan Lord
Re:Photography & Websites
Sometimes when I view forum sites I get concerned over some of the advice and language used. It is as if the contributor is saying "my way is the only way" when the contributor often lacks the experience to give the advice.
Such is the case with this thread. tee-all states that any who use an SLR or DSLR are anoraks. Since leaving the profession of photography I only carry a compact, now a digital but prior to 2003 a film camera. I can assure you however that many is the time I wished I had an SLR with me for the croping. manual focusing and depth control I can get without resorting to time wasting menus.
Also nicedays you have a good website but it seems to say that your way and your choice of cameras are the only ones. I don't think so.
Having spent 25 years in photography and obtained some of the highest qualifications the profession can give, my advice is forget the camera, learn to see your pictures first. Cameras can only record the image in front of the lens and most cameras do that satisfactory. Camera gimmicks, zoom lenses and loads of unnecessary features do not improve photography.
Such is the case with this thread. tee-all states that any who use an SLR or DSLR are anoraks. Since leaving the profession of photography I only carry a compact, now a digital but prior to 2003 a film camera. I can assure you however that many is the time I wished I had an SLR with me for the croping. manual focusing and depth control I can get without resorting to time wasting menus.
Also nicedays you have a good website but it seems to say that your way and your choice of cameras are the only ones. I don't think so.
Having spent 25 years in photography and obtained some of the highest qualifications the profession can give, my advice is forget the camera, learn to see your pictures first. Cameras can only record the image in front of the lens and most cameras do that satisfactory. Camera gimmicks, zoom lenses and loads of unnecessary features do not improve photography.
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nicedays
Re:Photography & Websites
Alan. I have also a Mamiya RB67, Nikonos IV-A, Almost a complete F2AS system, Lieca IIIF, Nikon 35Ti, 2 Yashikas... To name but a few. The Mami is a bit of a brute around the neck on a mountain bike.. It does come out with me from time to time. But is not practical for my kind of thing. Thanks for the compliment about the website... It came 6th in the National websites comp for industry and commerce? I had hoped to win? Regards
Chris
Chris
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tee-ell
Re:Photography & Websites
sorry folkss - didn't mean to shout, can't look at the screen and the keypad at the same time, just couldn't be bothered to change it.
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Timmy
Re:Photography & Websites
Folks. Nice thread - useful for me!
I like to take photographs when biking (touring and mountain biking) as my bike has, for the last 5+ years, given me the excuse to visit some beautiful parts of UK/world.
I have a pocket digital camera (minolta dimage 200/300(?)). It is fairly lite.
Following the example of a friend, when mountain biking I carry it strapped onto the shoulder strap of my camelback, just below my left shoulder. I fix it there with the velcro belt strap of my lowpro camera pouch (very nice item!). I use the neck strap of the pouch to "back up" the velcro, by fixing that to the carrying handle of my camelback.
In this position the camera is tight to my body yet out of the way. I can access it reasonably quickly. I believe that being on my shoulder is fairly safe from damage as were I to land on the camera in this position I might conceivabley break my collarbone. Given this consequence trashing my camera would not seem like such a big deal. Furthermore the camera (particularly the padded pouch) may actually cushion my landing.
As another plus, the camera pouch has a pocket on the front just large enough for my fone. By having that on my shoulder I can easily hear it when on the trail (if i want to!!).
Of course, this is not the ONLY way to carry your camera, just one that works for me.
My biggest gripe is that the dimage F200/300(?) takes ages (5+ seconds) to be ready to shoot from turning it on. I'd like to rectify this, though this problem may need ~200GBP thrown at it!
Tim
I like to take photographs when biking (touring and mountain biking) as my bike has, for the last 5+ years, given me the excuse to visit some beautiful parts of UK/world.
I have a pocket digital camera (minolta dimage 200/300(?)). It is fairly lite.
Following the example of a friend, when mountain biking I carry it strapped onto the shoulder strap of my camelback, just below my left shoulder. I fix it there with the velcro belt strap of my lowpro camera pouch (very nice item!). I use the neck strap of the pouch to "back up" the velcro, by fixing that to the carrying handle of my camelback.
In this position the camera is tight to my body yet out of the way. I can access it reasonably quickly. I believe that being on my shoulder is fairly safe from damage as were I to land on the camera in this position I might conceivabley break my collarbone. Given this consequence trashing my camera would not seem like such a big deal. Furthermore the camera (particularly the padded pouch) may actually cushion my landing.
As another plus, the camera pouch has a pocket on the front just large enough for my fone. By having that on my shoulder I can easily hear it when on the trail (if i want to!!).
Of course, this is not the ONLY way to carry your camera, just one that works for me.
My biggest gripe is that the dimage F200/300(?) takes ages (5+ seconds) to be ready to shoot from turning it on. I'd like to rectify this, though this problem may need ~200GBP thrown at it!
Tim