Photography

[Lincsbodger]

PS How on earth did your dad get two consecutive serial numbers?

I dont know. He had a friend, a polish guy who had a camera shop on the main street, He got them there. He was also the guy dad did weddings for. theres also two posh lightmeters (even tho the cameras had light meters built in) and there adapters for glass plate negativess, colour filters, close up lenses, effects lenses, remote cables, and stuff i cant work out what its for. My mother sold all the darkroom stuff when he died.

The darkroom featured heavily in my childhood, because i figured out how to develop and print black and white roll film by the time i was 12. When he started doing colour, I was mad on electronics and amateur radio at the time, we built all sorts of electronics, like colour bath temperature controls and we even built a sound activated flash trigger, and got some fantastic photos of bottles full of water in mid explosion after being hit with a hammer!!

 

[Shutpa]

a lot of decent cameras these days carry a leica lens...

I know! It would have to be decent before it could carry a Leitz lens.

 

[Shutpa]

theres also two posh lightmeters (even tho the cameras had light meters built in)

Were they Sangamo Weston or Westonmasters? My memory is going.

 

[Lincsbodger]

theres also two posh lightmeters (even tho the cameras had light meters built in)

Were they Sangamo Weston or Westonmasters? My memory is going.

Yes thats them, just needed a memory jog

 

[imamartian]

a lot of decent cameras these days carry a leica lens...

I know! It would have to be decent before it could carry a Leitz lens.

?

 

[Shutpa]

a lot of decent cameras these days carry a leica lens...

I know! It would have to be decent before it could carry a Leitz lens.

?

You would hardly expect to find a Leitz lens in a box brownie!

 

[Blasphemous]

Thanks to all so far.

I've tried (in my hand), all of the cameras I've mentioned. I also had a look at the Canon 500D on Saturday. The advantage the 500D has is HD Video and I think it has a couple of extra megapixels on the others (15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor). It doesn't have a 'break out' screen though.

I liked the feel of the Sony. It is a very 'thick' camera at the grip. Its AF seemed to lock on very quickly. The Canon 500D struggled to AF at every test I gave it! The young lad in Jessops was inclined toward the Canons... apparently he had a canon so you'd expect him to say that I suppose. He wasn't a great deal of help to be honest. He never stopped yawning all the time I stood there! Highly professional!!!

I'm starting to also look at the Sony A550 as well. That has a better resolution screen and a couple of extra megapixels over the A500.

I'm as lost as a penguin in the desert!

 

[Lincsbodger]

As far as i can remember this is exactly what the cameras look like :

and this is the lighmeters

 

[imamartian]

Thanks to all so far.

I've tried (in my hand), all of the cameras I've mentioned. I also had a look at the Canon 500D on Saturday. The advantage the 500D has is HD Video and I think it has a couple of extra megapixels on the others (15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor). It doesn't have a 'break out' screen though.

I liked the feel of the Sony. It is a very 'thick' camera at the grip. Its AF seemed to lock on very quickly. The Canon 500D struggled to AF at every test I gave it! The young lad in Jessops was inclined toward the Canons... apparently he had a canon so you'd expect him to say that I suppose. He wasn't a great deal of help to be honest. He never stopped yawning all the time I stood there! Highly professional!!!

I'm starting to also look at the Sony A550 as well. That has a better resolution screen and a couple of extra megapixels over the A500.

I'm as lost as a penguin in the desert!

Blas.. seriously, do the spreadsheet thing... you'll soon rule out things... and before you know it you'll make a choice

 

[Shutpa]

Lincsbodger, your posted images bring back memories. I remember the Westonmaster had a piece of plastic (an invercone?) that fitted over the meter glass when using incident light. Those were the days my friend.

 

[Lincsbodger]

Lincsbodger, your posted images bring back memories. I remember the Westonmaster had a piece of plastic (an invercone?) that fitted over the meter glass when using incident light. Those were the days my friend.

Ah so thats what its for...................

 

[wreckedit]

My next camera will have remote operation on it for those candid shots. Especially for wild life. Really. All modern digital cameras are good fun to use and you don't need one to show off with. Take a look at forums even ITV5's Gadget Show. Learn how to handle photo software well. Having a camera at the right time is important to me. The last one I bought was an Olympus in a boot sale for £12 and I wouldn't be without it.

 

[Lincsbodger]

Theres several top of the range Hassleblads abandoned on the Moons surface, by various apollo astronauts, some of them have only had half a dozen rolls of film through them.

Free, all you have to do is collect .

 

[ladylola]

I'm a member of a photographic forum and many of it's members have 20 years or so of practice.
Ask there which is the best camera to but and you'll probably end up with a whole bucket full of different answers.
The forum is largely dedicated to those of us that still use old glass, on both digital and film, and the title gives it away how we like to use them
http://forum.manualfocus.org/index.php
There are many older lenses out there that can be used and picked up for a fraction of the cost of new lenses, Flektogons, Rokkors, Takumars and all the tamron adaptall lenses. The Canon will fit them all but the nikon won't fit an M42 screw mount lense and focus to infinity with a glassless adapter. That said there are some cracking old nikkors out there. I'm using a pentax which takes obviously K mount lenses but will also take M42 and nikons without any problem. However, unlike the canon or nikon there isn't a full frame body to upgrade to.
I also still use film, if you're not using more than a film a week then it is a cost effective solution to buying an expensive digital.
I've just re read this post and realised that I've probably not helped that much but I'm sure you're big enough to make up your own mind.

 

[robfromfrem1]

Seriously though, id be more inclined to go with what feels right when you try them out. I regularly meet up with a group of photographers and we all use different gear from My Sony A900 to nikon D90's, canon 400D, 5D mkII and nikon D300 and D700.

There is very little to choose from when looking at the mid range DSLR's, and the biggest decision for most people is brand association. Which is why canon is always recomended above any other brand.
I still use my film camera from time to time, but you just cant beat digital.


Good luck with a tough decision.