"Do you know what blood looks like in a black and white video?
Shadows.
Shadows. That's exactly what it looks like." Lake Marie John Prine
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I've been printing color all day today. One thing I'll say is that I have a lot more flexibility with color than I've ever had before. I'm doing all my printing on the silver rag paper. Rich air-dried look. I have a lot to play with and compare: the new things from the A640, and a years worth of shots from the Canon Rebel and the 20D. The one obvious difference between the point & shoot and the SLR is the sensor size and the resulting greater amount of noise at higher ISO that you get with the A640 type of camera. There are one or two small sensor cameras with less noise at higher ISO, but they are missing other features that I like. There is also at least one P/S with a larger sensor on the way from Samsung.
I still vote for the turn / swivel LCD screen for composing. It gives a 100% view, which is more than I can say for some of the dSLRs. I've had very little clipping (chopping off highlights); and it is okay at ASA 400 if run through Noise Ninja. (I made noise profiles for the A640 which work a lot better than auto-profiling).
All that being said, I need two cameras. One for daylight walking around (A640) and one for low-light, or more static stuff.
But the SLR is necessary as the second camera for low-light, or more static stuff. At that point you just go nuts because in the Canon line there are so many choices it can make your head spin. If money was no object (which it is) than I'd spring for the 5D with a couple of prime EF lenses.
But money is still a consideration - and given the rate at which I go through cameras - I think for now I'll just stay on the sidelines and work with the A640 until I find out that the 6D is out and the price of the 5D has been cut in half - or something like that or buy EF Canon lenses for use with say the 400D - and know that when I do spring for the full-frame, I'll already have the lenses.
7 comments:
Craig. I think I have to look at the Lumix again. There was something I didn't like about the specs, but now I don't remember what.
Small sensor on the FZ50K = more noise esp. at 400 and greater. I already have that "feature" with the A640.
Also - way more zoom than I need.
I think the dSLR is the only current solution because of the larger sensor and faster lenses (the problem being good night shooting and multiple focal lenses).
Dave,
Ever tried Fuji FX30? It has very good ISO 400 & decent ISO 800.
Check out online sample reviews on it, affordable & small.
I'm going to wait until I can afford the 5D. Let's see if they come out with the 6D by Christmas.
I still think that film is best for b&w. I'm going to hang on to my Leica stuff - because the time will come when I feel like shooting b&w film again, and I won't have to go and redeem anything to get back my M3 :)
Dave,
I'm going to take a serious look at the Canon 400D (XTi) in a few months - everything I read about it looks really good - my main concern is that it may be just a tad too *small* - I don't have big hands at all, but the 350D/XT handgrip (right side) seemed just too small to be comfortable.
The 400D seems like a lot of bang for the buck, and you could put the money saved over a 5D into some 1st-rate lenses. On the other hand, it may not be robust enough for a pro user like yourself. On the other, other hand, you could buy 2 400D bodies, 1st rate lenses, and still be ahead $$$-wise.
Meanwhile, I have to crow about Canon's sensors - even the little ones. I just sold prints of two photos I took with my little A620 - one was 12x15 and one 12x18. Printed on my Canon i9900 inkjet on Ilford Galerie Pearl, they really look good. They are now hanging in the reception room of a dentist in Annapolis ;-)
Steve - let me know what you think size-wise and viewfinder-wise (is that wise?) with the 400D.
I'm all over the place in terms of cameras right now.
I sort of wish I hadn't sold my 20D. I go overboard sometimes - strike that - often. But I'm doing fine as far as sales go and that's also not so good as it gives me a bit of money to play with.
I want the bigger sensor and some fast lenses for certain types of work. The choices are: 20D, 350D, 30D, 400D, 5D. And 5D just seem like too much money right now.
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