Hot answers tagged body
35
It's not the lens that makes the picture, nor is it the camera body, nor is it I'm afraid the photographer. It's a system of integrated parts that work together that produce an image, no one part can claim all of the credit.
The popular viewpoint that it's the photographer that matters not the gear, doesn't tell the whole story. I agree with the sentiment ...
25
It's a bit of both.
Everything that the camera has to work with comes to it through the lens. If the lens is horribly soft (that is, it gives low-contrast and not very sharp images) when you do everything right, then it doesn't make a lot of difference what camera it's attached to, you're not going to be able to get razor-sharp images with a lot of "pop". ...
20
The mirror has to be a lot bigger for 4x5, particularly at 90 degrees to the axis the mirror flips about. The shutter also gets bigger in the direction it has to move (there's a reason the shutter moves up and down not left to right). This means a slower moving mirror and shutter.
Another consequence of the bigger mirror is the lens mount has to be further ...
19
A great resource for looking at camera bodies and shutter life is the Camera Shutter Life Expectancy Database. For those that have DSLR's, spread the word and submit your #'s!
Different camera bodies have different MTBF ratings. Some more important factors are how the person cared for their camera and the typical environment. Regular dust cleaning, for ...
19
Choose (1) or (2):
(1) If you want this board to tell you that you should buy a new body or lens:
Yes, you should buy a new body and lenses. I think you could greatly improve every aspect of your photography by purchasing a D300 or D700, and a select group of Nikkor f2.8 VR lenses. They will make a world of difference.
(2) If you want to hear the truth:
...
17
This has certainly been done with medium format SLRs that have interchangeable backs (e.g., Leaf and Phase One backs).
For a 35mm camera, the situation isn't nearly so positive. There was once a company that claimed to be working on a digital sensor that would be shaped like a 35mm film cannister with the sensor sticking out roughly like the film tongue. ...
17
Quiet mode slows down the motion of the mirror when it goes up and delays it going back down until the shutter-release is released.
Normally the mirror going up and down is the loudest noise the camera makes. So slowing it down causes a longer shutter-lag but makes less noise. Also, the mirror normally comes back down immediately after a shot is taken so ...
16
It depends where you draw the line. Many "pro" level cameras use full-frame sensors, which are about twice as big in area as the APS-C sensors common in lower (including mid-range) dSLRs. This gives an advantage, because surface area is the best way to get more light, and more light is never bad. So, more expensive cameras will have an image quality ...
15
There are plenty of things that you get by spending more on a camera body. It is up to you to decide which one is important to you:
Sensor: The sensor is the most expensive feature. Bigger sensors cost a lot more and give higher image quality. Depending on the model, you may get superior low-light performance, higher-resolution, higher-dynamic range or a ...
15
The simplest is to compare them side-by-side. This will give you specification differences. Then you have to divided the differences into two groups: Ones that matter to you and ones that do not.
For example, some DSLRs have a sync-port. Some people look for it, some do not. A top shutter-speed of 1/8000 vs 1/4000 does not matter to everyone either.
Some ...
14
Other camera types that I can think of, in terms of digital, would be:
Cell Phone - Destined, I think, to ultimately replace, or at least supplant, the point and shoot. They currently represent what is the most likely camera for a person to be carrying and that is what gives them advantage: the camera you have with you is infinitely better than the one ...
14
Any modern DSLR will be just fine, you don't have to invest too much in the camera body (maybe not get the lowest-end model, but the second-lowest-end model is usually quite nice and will do everything an amateur will need for at least a few years - for Canon this is the 650D/T4i, I don't know the model numbers for other brands).
Also, the "bad" kit lenses ...
12
ac·tu·ate
[ak-choo-eyt]
–verb (used with object), -at·ed, -at·ing.
1. to incite or move to action; impel; motivate: actuated by selfish motives.
2. to put into action; start a process; turn on: to actuate a machine.
You pretty much have it. A shutter "actuation" is the opening and closing of the shutter when a picture is taken. It should ...
12
When comparing film to digital cameras, you need to compare apples to apples. I searched for the EOS 1, EOS 1Ds and EOS 1DsMk3 and found a surprising fact: the EOS 1, when equipped with the battery and motor drive extender (grip) which brings it to about the same physical size as the EOS 1Ds/1DsMk3, becomes almost the same weight and even heavier!
EOS 1: ...
12
Those cameras are only limited by the fact that they lack a reflex mirror to form an image through an optical viewfinder. By the same token, DSLRs are limited by the fact they need a reflex mirror in the optical path.
What does that mean?
In terms of image quality, nothing. There are currently mirrorless cameras using the same sensors as DSLR. Even those ...
11
You are actually getting it wrong! It is the lenses which you would probably have with you for years maybe even decades. The body you will keep upgrading. My suggestion would be getting a decent enough body and invest on Lenses.
If you are starting getting a mid level camera with the kit lens. And for a start get the 50mm prime. The kit lens is good enough ...
10
Using the filename to get shutter count might be inaccurate because of previously stored photos.
You can try using utilities like http://www.mydigitallife.info/2010/10/20/download-eosinfo-to-check-shutter-count-for-canon-dslr/ to get the real shutter count
10
B&H sell a Nikon F6 35mm film camera for $2,449.00, it weighs 975g
B&H sell a Nikon D700 full frame DSLR for $2,699.95, it weighs 995g
10
There are two problems with the picture (or three, depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the image as a whole).
First, the light is too soft for the kind of definition you are describing. Soft light is generally flattering, but it's flattering precisely because it minimises the difference between highlight and shadow. In this case, you want to ...
9
Between those cameras - the sensor. The D5100 and the D7000 have the newest sensor that is just amazing in its low noise, high DR.
After that, the D7000 has an in body focus body (can use older lenses) and a 100% viewfinder. The D7000 is also at least partially weather sealed. There are numerous other differences, but those are a few key ones.
If ...
9
It's the photographer that makes the picture, not the camera, lens or lighting equipment.
The reason for the advice to invest in lenses is that for most cases the cheap DSLR bodies are good enough and you simply won't use the features of the more advanced bodies - while you will see the difference with the better lens.
My advice is to find the factor ...
9
That marks the location of the sensor (or the film plane on a film camera). You won't often have any commerce with it, but it is the "start point" when talking about focus distance. If a lens says on its spec sheet that its closest focus point is, say, 45cm, it means 45cm from that plane. (Because of the viewfinder and prism housing, it's not practical to ...
8
I'm not aware of any specific claims for immersion, rain or dust resistance made for any SLRs. I've not read every warranty, but if there was even one that covered water damage I'd be surprised.
Weather sealing is typically a combination of high-tolerance, tight-fitting joints and gaskets. "Better" sealing essentially consists of more sealing in more ...
8
In my experience the shutter tends to fail gradually, i.e. it becomes unreliable shooting at high speeds, the first and second curtains can get out of sync, giving you inaccurate shutter speeds. It can fail completely in one go, but you usually get some warning. The shutter is very light and delicate so it's unlikely to do any damage when it goes! And yes ...
8
A Word About Shutter Ratings
Shutter actuation counts are computed in a similar way to hard drive "mean time before failure" ratings. It is impossible, practically speaking, to physically test a hard drive under normal usage until it physically dies enough times to actually get statistically useful results. If a company tried to, they would spend some 11 ...
8
Different camera shutters are rated for different numbers of actuations as you state so that should influence how many is too many.
Also actuations will roughly correlate with how well used the camera is, so that might indicate wear or the mount / body / battery. Battery wear is probably most significant.
Having owned SLRs that have had shutters fail from ...
8
Let's tackle your questions separately:
Film Camera
The short answer is 'no.' There is no marketed utility that I'm aware of which would give you complete control over a film camera (even a relatively modern one). Now I can imagine a it would be possible (and even potentially relatively easy) to put together a DIY solution as long as the camera is recent ...
8
I think you're right: I'd say it's a combination of aesthetics (black is perceived as more professional) and reflection considerations (less distracting in reflected surfaces, subjects' eyes, etc.)
The fact that some DSLRs do come in colours (like the Pentax K-r in white and red) would seem to support the view that body colour makes no difference to picture ...
8
I think black is primarily chosen to be discrete, and because that's what people expect. Whilst some people like to be different, most want their camera to look like a camera. On the first point, a shiny camera would be a liability for nature photography, as light reflecting off it could scare away animals. People tend to use camo coverings over Canon's ...
8
Apart from the factors which you mention, some of which pertain at least in part to the software and not to the hardware, it's also a matter of how the bodies are physically manufactured. For instance they can be weather sealed, they can be more or less robustly built, they can be made of "cheap plastic" or of magnesium alloy.
In addition, any given model is ...
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