Back to basics

jonbeeza said:
I must admit, I always felt I could have done with more reach, when I have the 35mm stuck on the camera. I know I need to stop that, and work with what I have, when I have the 35mm on.
Click to expand...
I'm an old fart who could only afford one lens of a single focal length for the first four years when I started taking photos. Which probably unintentionally did me some good. I can still go out for a day, or a few hours, with one focal length (any focal length) and come home with a few decent pics. It's something I often do to keep me looking and seeing too.
 
Ed Sutton said:
I'm an old fart who could only afford one lens of a single focal length for the first four years when I started taking photos. Which probably unintentionally did me some good. I can still go out for a day, or a few hours, with one focal length (any focal length) and come home with a few decent pics. It's something I often do to keep me looking and seeing too.
Click to expand...

I've often gone out with my Irix 15mm manual lens attached and that can be quite a challenge, especially for street/candids! :)
 
Ed Sutton said:
I'm an old fart who could only afford one lens of a single focal length for the first four years when I started taking photos. Which probably unintentionally did me some good. I can still go out for a day, or a few hours, with one focal length (any focal length) and come home with a few decent pics. It's something I often do to keep me looking and seeing too.
Click to expand...
I sometimes think the less gear the more pics I take. The way I think it works is if you have say a 50mm your looking for shots for that lens, if you have a bag full of kit while your looking more you are also slightly reluctant to stop and swop lens unless it's a cracking shot, so you actually take less. At least thats how it seems.
 
swanseamale47 said:
I sometimes think the less gear the more pics I take. The way I think it works is if you have say a 50mm your looking for shots for that lens, if you have a bag full of kit while your looking more you are also slightly reluctant to stop and swop lens unless it's a cracking shot, so you actually take less. At least thats how it seems.
Click to expand...

That's why my natural preference is for a walk-about zoom unless I'm after a particular effect. You can just see the shot, frame up (both composition & perspective) and grab it without digging around in the bag. :)
 
ancient_mariner said:
That's why my natural preference is for a walk-about zoom unless I'm after a particular effect. You can just see the shot, frame up (both composition & perspective) and grab it without digging around in the bag. :)
Click to expand...
Funnily enough I bought a wide range zoom before Christmas dirt cheap (old sigma 18-250mm) and I've bunged it on my old 30d as a wander about kit. It doesn't matter if it gets wet or knocked about, or worse nicked, and the quality is plenty good enough for the sort of shots I'll probably get on a wander, it's actually supprisingly good, and a heck of a range.
Ideal for a wander about.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Funnily enough I bought a wide range zoom before Christmas dirt cheap (old sigma 18-250mm) and I've bunged it on my old 30d as a wander about kit. It doesn't matter if it gets wet or knocked about, or worse nicked, and the quality is plenty good enough for the sort of shots I'll probably get on a wander, it's actually supprisingly good, and a heck of a range.
Ideal for a wander about.
Click to expand...

I have one of those in Sony A mount - it does an excellent 'compact camera images from a DSLR' effect. ;)
 
I fell for the mistake of thinking a technically better camera would produce better images,and I've been nothing but disappointed.To the point I've hardly touched a camera for a good while moving onto one of my other hobbies much more ( shooting and Archery) When I do come back to it ,it will be with my basic manual film cameras or a digi point and press.I seem to get better photos with these camera although I honstly think it maybe as I don't expect much.
 
BADGER.BRAD said:
I fell for the mistake of thinking a technically better camera would produce better images,and I've been nothing but disappointed.To the point I've hardly touched a camera for a good while moving onto one of my other hobbies much more ( shooting and Archery) When I do come back to it ,it will be with my basic manual film cameras or a digi point and press.I seem to get better photos with these camera although I honstly think it maybe as I don't expect much.
Click to expand...


There was a time when I got fed up, and was going to put my camera away for a while. But I have no other hobbies to fall back on. I suppose I could spend more time with friends and family. But there again, I am not a people person, and I get bored of people easily.
 
This single lens talk is sort of true.

I spend the vast majority of my time with the A7 and 40/1.2 I can see images well before I take the camera out of the bag usually. We're currently in Wales, waterfalls today and one in particular was pretty tight and needed the 21mm to get the whole scene in. I'll admit I did struggle. I'll probably prefer the 40mm ones I expect.....
 
I am not blaming gear now, but the 35mm lens can seem a little strange on a crop body. I know I should be used to it after all these years, but the field of view can be annoying at times. I don't really want to get into an argument over it, I am just saying, that is how I feel at times. But I still do use it, and I will stick it back on the camera, and see how I can work things, I will try and make more of an effort. :)
 
BADGER.BRAD said:
I fell for the mistake of thinking a technically better camera would produce better images,and I've been nothing but disappointed.To the point I've hardly touched a camera for a good while moving onto one of my other hobbies much more ( shooting and Archery) When I do come back to it ,it will be with my basic manual film cameras or a digi point and press.I seem to get better photos with these camera although I honstly think it maybe as I don't expect much.
Click to expand...
One of the issues with a technically better camera is they tend to show up any weakness in the lens. With really high res cameras like the 5dsr (and others) you really need high quality glass. Sometimes upgrading the camera leaves people wondering why the camera and images are not better, when all the time it's the lens limiting the results.
 
swanseamale47 said:
One of the issues with a technically better camera is they tend to show up any weakness in the lens. With really high res cameras like the 5dsr (and others) you really need high quality glass. Sometimes upgrading the camera leaves people wondering why the camera and images are not better, when all the time it's the lens limiting the results.
Click to expand...

Agreed, The glass makes the biggest difference in my opinion especially if you have a relatively modern camera. I was taking some pics of my dog with a Sony 70-200mm f2.8 on my a7ii and when cataloging them looked at some older pics of my dog I took years before on my A77 with a basic Sony 70-300 F4-5.6 and the difference is night and day and that’s ignoring the focus speed and low light performance.
 
What is the camera you are using jonbezza ? One of the problems I found with using the Sony was that I only took it out when looking for a photo which as already pointed out is not the best approach and I couldn't justify taking the camera with me all the time as many of my other activities would give a high likely hood of it getting smashed or soaked.The one digi camera I do take with me all the time is a a cheap £9 ( including postage) Kodak point and shoot from eBay. It hardley ever comes out of my pocket but if I do see something of interest
it always there. This is the one I get most pleasure from. I don't enjoy the Sony at all and it just feels like an expensive mistake which when I do take it out is always in my head.
 
BADGER.BRAD said:
What is the camera you are using jonbezza ? One of the problems I found with using the Sony was that I only took it out when looking for a photo which as already pointed out is not the best approach and I couldn't justify taking the camera with me all the time as many of my other activities would give a high likely hood of it getting smashed or soaked.The one digi camera I do take with me all the time is a a cheap £9 ( including postage) Kodak point and shoot from eBay. It hardley ever comes out of my pocket but if I do see something of interest
it always there. This is the one I get most pleasure from. I don't enjoy the Sony at all and it just feels like an expensive mistake which when I do take it out is always in my head.
Click to expand...
At the moment I am using the D3300 for fast moving traffic.
 
Just thinking, if I use the 35mm for fast moving traffic, I will have to get pretty close to the road. o_O
 
foggy4ever said:
Try some light trails at dusk if you have a tripod
Click to expand...

I was going to do that a good few years ago, but it felt like everyone was doing it, and it felt a little err, well you know. I tend not to go out of an evening, especially with the camera.
 
Not normally popular when I suggest it but think about Still Life.
You can arrange the objects to give good composition, choose the colours to create harmony or to clash, try different numbers of objects – is 1 best or 2 or 3 etc. Move everything around so that the light is from a different direction, diffuse the light, reflect the light, shade the light. Try different focal lengths at the same, and different, distances. Underexpose, overexpose by different amounts to see the effect. Experiment with different apertures for DoF. Change the ISO to use small apertures at shutter speeds where you can hand hold the camera without shake, check the amount of noise when using high ISO etc.
While doing all that you do not have to worry that the subject is moving, or will disappear.
It really is worthwhile because once you have the subject set up you are no longer worried about getting a good/great picture, it is all about playing and learning.
Like lots of people you may not be keen at first but once you start the details take over and you get engrossed.
English Red.jpg
 
Last edited:
jonbeeza said:
I was going to do that a good few years ago, but it felt like everyone was doing it, and it felt a little err, well you know. I tend not to go out of an evening, especially with the camera.
Click to expand...
If your areas a bit dodgy try getting a few mates to go for a wander with you. if you go mob handed yobs tend to stay clear, yes they might get a camera but they also might get a hiding too, theres easier people to rob than a gang.
 
swanseamale47 said:
If your areas a bit dodgy try getting a few mates to go for a wander with you. if you go mob handed yobs tend to stay clear, yes they might get a camera but they also might get a hiding too, theres easier people to rob than a gang.
Click to expand...

MY area is not dodgy, but it looks so different in the evening. There is a bridge I was thinking of taking some photos from, a few years ago, but when I did go, there were a lot of young lads on bikes, they were having a smoke and larking about. So I never bothered venturing out after dark much now, not unless I am going somewhere for an evening out, or there are a few of us. Where I am is near a lonely canal path, and one minute I am strolling along, then a couple of lads can come dashing past on bikes.

And to think I used to be a young lad dashing about on my bike, many many years ago, although I used to nod and say hello to old folk I met, as I realised I may have startled them as I cycled by.
 
Find a different area then.
I wanted to do a certain sort of light trail shot. I spotted a foot bridge on a good curve of the M25 and eventually worked out how to get to it. I visited during the day and tried the long exposure with an ND filter then went back at night for the light trails. It was half an hour drive from my place but worth it.

If you are struggling in your local area, either change the subject matter or change the area.

On the one-lens thing. I recently got the Canon 40mm pancake and took it out yesterday as my only lens (on full frame). It was free-ing. So small. No thinking about "how much should I zoom" or "how wide should I go". Just put it up to the eye, shoot, see if you like it. I used to wander all day with just a 50mm (on full frame) and just frame up what worked. If the lens is too long, move back or reframe to change the composition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top