What is your next toy, and why?

[Grumpy_Git]

Nice Nick... what are you bodging it out of ? I bodged one from an EQ1 tabletop mount and pp3 driven motor.

Honestly, the first bodge is from some mdf and an old turntable bearing I've lying around plus a 5rpm ebay motor and some M3 0.5mm pitch rod. (proof of concept)

The upgraded version will be billet aluminium as my boss has offered to crank up his lathe and mill for me, if I go the upgraded route then I'll get a decent stepper motor and controller too. Should come in at under £150 compared to the full price, thats a chuffing bargain!

Nick.

 

[Kiwi Jaz]

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM
for sports, nature etc.... and its an L

This is also what I am lusting after Matt.

Hoping it will be a combined Xmas and Birthday present.

I am in two minds as to whether to go for the IS one or not (seems to be a very popular thread on a lot of forums!) Or even consider the Sigma 70-200 f2.8

Maybe I will go for the non IS f4L but keep my 55-250IS for the times that I need that.

The thing is, I dont want to have to raise my ISO as I submit photos for stock etc.

Enjoy your 70-200L when you get it!

 

[cosmix3]

Hassleblad Digital Camera and Lens. Just Because. Watch this space

Would love one, had the privilege of playing with one on a Model Shoot in May down in Wales, was very, very impressed, tack sharp even in my hands, cost lots though so don't think I will get one on the next 12 months

 

[Xenoxide]

Short term:

Canon EF 70-300mm (On it's way. )
Canon EF 10-22mm
Manfrotto 190XProB + pan head
ThinkTank Retrospective 10

Longer term:

Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8

Long term:

Canon 7D
Canon 70-200mm f2.8

 

[jgs001]

Honestly, the first bodge is from some mdf and an old turntable bearing I've lying around plus a 5rpm ebay motor and some M3 0.5mm pitch rod. (proof of concept)

The upgraded version will be billet aluminium as my boss has offered to crank up his lathe and mill for me, if I go the upgraded route then I'll get a decent stepper motor and controller too. Should come in at under £150 compared to the full price, thats a chuffing bargain!

Nick.

Ah... Barndoor mount... cool... And yes, that's a much better price option too by a very long way. It would be worth thinking about adding a piece of 15mm pipe along the hinged axis or a finder scope to aid in polar aligning.

That's why I went for the second hand eq1 mount and motor drive. Cheap and nasty, but for widefield with just a camera lens... I can get 2 minutes with 50mm and that's a damn sight better than 8 seconds on a static tripod.

 

[Grumpy_Git]

Ah... Barndoor mount... cool... And yes, that's a much better price option too by a very long way. It would be worth thinking about adding a piece of 15mm pipe along the hinged axis or a finder scope to aid in polar aligning.

Barn door style, although I'm aiming for an almost identical look to the astrotrac, just without the fancy fold away option. I've not decided on how to sort the polar scope issue, I'd like a right angled one, with a screw thread so I can mount it to the rotation axis (hacksaw time!)

Nick.

 

[mho]

What are the downsides if shooting for example, hyperactive kids in a studio? Can you shoot untethered, "DSLR" style, multiple shots etc?

Yes you can shoot untethered onto a CF card, only downside is the frame rate of any medium format digital system 1 or 2 at the most per second, hasnt caused me any problems at all. Focus and focus tracking are both fast and accurate.

 

[jgs001]

Barn door style, although I'm aiming for an almost identical look to the astrotrac, just without the fancy fold away option. I've not decided on how to sort the polar scope issue, I'd like a right angled one, with a screw thread so I can mount it to the rotation axis (hacksaw time!)

Nick.

It's worth taking a look in http://scopesnskies.com/AstroBoot ... all sorts of odd astro things, and cheap too... and some none astro things...

 

[trencheel303]

85L - I want that pop and bokeh you get with the 85L that comes from nothing else..

being able to stand 3 miles away from your subject and still blur the background... priceless!

 

[EdinburghGary]

Yes you can shoot untethered onto a CF card, only downside is the frame rate of any medium format digital system 1 or 2 at the most per second, hasnt caused me any problems at all. Focus and focus tracking are both fast and accurate.

How many shots to a 16GB card, and how many card slots? Sorry for all the questions!

G.

 

[Knikki]

Thinking about a Nikon D700 because I have a load of Nikon glass and I find it difficult to get decent bokeh with the digi stuff I have.

Hasselblad SWC/M

Why? because I would just like one

 

[jayeshpp]

Get a D700, it is a brilliant camera.

Nikon 70-200 VR II to replace the Nikon 80-200 AF D!

 

[Impspeed]

Next toy - a Canon 5D MkII.

Why... Because it'll make me a good photographer

 

[Nod]

New 'puter bought and set up, so back to plan A.