Photography/Videography Discussion

[Mike Rotch]

Hey @Sprite , completely missed this! I am sure you have figured it out by now....620 film is not a million miles away from 120, so there is potentially a hack to be able to use it in the camera body. Have you experimented? Beware the MF bug though

I know not many of us work on our own gear, but this guy is a 🤬 legend. I fixed my sticky counter wheel on the M645 thanks to his video.

here is a random one, but there are ton:

 

[Sprite]

Hey @Sprite , completely missed this! I am sure you have figured it out by now....620 film is not a million miles away from 120, so there is potentially a hack to be able to use it in the camera body. Have you experimented? Beware the MF bug though

I'd found some companies who sell re-spooled 620 rolls and process them too.

I may order in the new year. 👍

 

[Mike Rotch]

I found this series on YT - Time's 100 greatest images. Very thought providing and powerful. Very heavy in places too but well worth watching.

 

[ildd]

Hey guys, I've been kind of in the mood to buy my first lens and wanted to get other's opinion on a few choices. I'm on a crop sensor camera so I'm looking at <50mm ideas. I don't have a very high-aperture lens yet so this is a quick run through of what I'm looking at.
I'm not looking to spend a whole lot of money. I just want something that's pretty versatile and something I can learn new things with. I've been getting pretty keen on a Canon 24mm f2.8 lens, along with a couple other new Canon lens, but also saw these on ebay that really intrigued me.

The only lens I have now are the standard kit lens. The 18-55 and the 75-300. I'm not considering the 55mm 1.8 lens. I'm just not interested in that one despite the value for money.

 

[Turtle]

@ildd I would stay away from Canon FD and FL lenses if I were you. They're good lenses, but they won't work properly without an adapter with corrective glass, and the glass used in such adapters is usually pretty poor.

Lens mounts that can be adapted to Canon Eos without corrective glass are Olympus OM, Pentax K, and Pentax M42, so look for lenses from those systems. There's a couple more that will fit, but those systems are probably your best bet.

If I were you, I'd get the Canon 24mm and one legacy 50mm from one of those systems listed above.

 

[nobuffalo]

Edit:Maybe you should ignore some of this post, for some reason I thought you had a Sony but it appears you have a canon. I know you can adapt Nikon and Pentax lenses to a full frame Canon but I'm not sure about crop sensor cameras.

@ildd Since you're in Houston we should get together sometime and I'll let you try my lenses to give you an idea of what to get. I have the Pentax 28mm f2.8 but I rarely use it as it's just not that special. I have the Pentax 50mm 1.4 which I use very often, great lens! It's compact and takes wonderful photos. I would suggest the 1.4 over the 2.0, if you can find one. In fact there are two on the Offer Up app in the Houston area, just search Pentax. One is on a camera body and the seller says the lens is cracked but it just appears to be the filter that is cracked. Looks as though there is a third 50mm 1.4 on the app but they are all several months old so they could be sold.

I have no experience with the canon lenses, for 24mm I have a Sigma 24mm 2.8 which is also another fantastic one IMO.

Take a look at my most recent post in the gear list to see what lenses I have, all are adaptable to the e-mount system. I have however added a few to my collection that aren't listed (and I noticed my Pentax 1.4 isn't listed) so I need to update it. I love love love the Pentax 50mm 1.4. I also have a Minolta 50mm 1.4 which might actually be a touch better than the Pentax but for some reason I prefer the Pentax.

 

[ildd]

@ildd I would stay away from Canon FD and FL lenses if I were you. They're good lenses, but they won't work properly without an adapter with corrective glass, and the glass used in such adapters is usually pretty poor.

Lens mounts that can be adapted to Canon Eos without corrective glass are Olympus OM, Pentax K, and Pentax M42, so look for lenses from those systems. There's a couple more that will fit, but those systems are probably your best bet.

If I were you, I'd get the Canon 24mm and one legacy 50mm from one of those systems listed above.

Both of the ebay ones say they come with the adapter, but i haven't really looked in to them thoroughly to check if they actually do or not. I just realized the second one, the 28mm 2.8, the brand is Soligor- it got cut off for some reason. But Good to know about the Olympus and Pentax, thanks.

Edit:Maybe you should ignore some of this post, for some reason I thought you had a Sony but it appears you have a canon. I know you can adapt Nikon and Pentax lenses to a full frame Canon but I'm not sure about crop sensor cameras.

@ildd Since you're in Houston we should get together sometime and I'll let you try my lenses to give you an idea of what to get. I have the Pentax 28mm f2.8 but I rarely use it as it's just not that special. I have the Pentax 50mm 1.4 which I use very often, great lens! It's compact and takes wonderful photos. I would suggest the 1.4 over the 2.0, if you can find one. In fact there are two on the Offer Up app in the Houston area, just search Pentax. One is on a camera body and the seller says the lens is cracked but it just appears to be the filter that is cracked. Looks as though there is a third 50mm 1.4 on the app but they are all several months old so they could be sold.

I have no experience with the canon lenses, for 24mm I have a Sigma 24mm 2.8 which is also another fantastic one IMO.

Take a look at my most recent post in the gear list to see what lenses I have, all are adaptable to the e-mount system. I have however added a few to my collection that aren't listed (and I noticed my Pentax 1.4 isn't listed) so I need to update it. I love love love the Pentax 50mm 1.4. I also have a Minolta 50mm 1.4 which might actually be a touch better than the Pentax but for some reason I prefer the Pentax.

Didn't even think about looking at those apps like offerup and letgo, etc. May download them just to check on them. I'm just hesitant to get a 50mm because that's like 80mm on a crop. A lot of the time when I'm taking pictures I'm in the 25-40mm range so that's why I'm thinking about the 28, 24 or 40 lenses.

 

[Azuremen]

Both of the ebay ones say they come with the adapter, but i haven't really looked in to them thoroughly to check if they actually do or not. I just realized the second one, the 28mm 2.8, the brand is Soligor- it got cut off for some reason. But Good to know about the Olympus and Pentax, thanks.

Soligor is pretty meh from what I've seen.

Nikon F Mount can also be used on the Canon EF mount with a simple adapter (no optical element) but Nikon glass tends to cost a bit more because the Nikon crowd still uses it.

With older lenses, the moment you go wider than 28mm is the moment things get larger, slower, and more expensive.

 

[Turtle]

I'm just hesitant to get a 50mm because that's like 80mm on a crop. A lot of the time when I'm taking pictures I'm in the 25-40mm range so that's why I'm thinking about the 28, 24 or 40 lenses.

Since you use wider focal lengths usually, I say you should go with the Canon 24mm. It's not much more expensive than most decent legacy lenses at 24mm or 28mm, and it will probably perform better than any of them as well. Good legacy wide angles get real pricey real fast.

Plus, it'll be equivalent to around 35mm on a full frame camera, which makes for a great walk-around lens.

And if you don't want a 50mm as your only prime because it's too long, one would pair quite well with that 24mm. One lens for general use and another for playing around with depth of field, something you probably don't get to do too much of with your kit lenses. 50mm lenses were the kit lenses before the 18-55 took over that role, so they can be had super cheap. Even including the adapter a 50mm F/2 or F/1.8 will run you $50 or less, you could even get an F/1.4 and come in well under $100.

 

[ildd]

Soligor is pretty meh from what I've seen.

Nikon F Mount can also be used on the Canon EF mount with a simple adapter (no optical element) but Nikon glass tends to cost a bit more because the Nikon crowd still uses it.

With older lenses, the moment you go wider than 28mm is the moment things get larger, slower, and more expensive.

Yea, I was looking at some footage on YouTube and some sample pics and wasn't all that impressed. At least compared to the Canon. I've only recorded like two videos on the canon so that doesn't bother me, but the pictures were just...bleh. Not all that sharp, bad contrast, etc.

 

[ildd]

(Sorry for the double post)

There's a nice little bundle on Amazon for the 24mm lens. For an extra $10 over the cost of the lens, this bundle comes with three filters, a lens hood, a mini-tripod and some cleaning supplies. All this would be useful since they're made for 52mm diameter lenses, which the 18-55 is and I'm pretty sure the 75-300 is as well. So I'm thinking I'll go ahead and get that bundle. Free shipping, too.

 

[Azuremen]

Cosina/Voigtlander just announced 3 new E-Mount lenses

APO-MACRO LANTHAR 65mm f/2 Aspherical
Classic NOKTON 35mm f/1.4
NOKTON 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical

I can't imagine these being particularly cheap, but they are fairly compact options.

Found a picture of the 40/1.2 mounted on an A7, doesn't seem to bad. Also means the 35/1.4 be a bit shorter than the Nokton 40/1.4 mounted.

The 65mm

Really curious to see what the 40/1.2 weighs. A sample image on a French site suggests fairly modern rendering with the aspherical element helping out the edges a lot.

 

[Turtle]

@Azuremen The 65mm is most interesting to me, personally. Seems like it could be really versatile, I can imagine taking it instead of my 50mm F/1.4 and 90mm F/2.8 if I didn't need 1:1 or the extra stop of light. The 40mm is pretty cool, but if I were to get something faster than F/1.4 I'd go all the way and get the Mitakon 50mm F/0.95. I think see some strong onion rings in that bokeh too.

I think I've got my next manual focus lens picked out though.

 

[Azuremen]

@Azuremen The 65mm is most interesting to me, personally. Seems like it could be really versatile, I can imagine taking it instead of my 50mm F/1.4 and 90mm F/2.8 if I didn't need 1:1 or the extra stop of light. The 40mm is pretty cool, but if I were to get something faster than F/1.4 I'd go all the way and get the Mitakon 50mm F/0.95. I think see some strong onion rings in that bokeh too.

I think I've got my next manual focus lens picked out though.

Yeah I think the 65mm would be an excellent portrait and detail lens. Reminds me a bit of how the Takumar 85/1.9 looks on my A7.

The Laowa is fascinating but just too large for my taste. The Voigtlander 10mm and 12mm are probably the way I'd go for ultra wides, but the vignetting is rather serious. Though I could see myself getting it if I started doing real estate and architecture photography for pay.

 

[35mm]

I was coming here to post about the new Voigtländer lenses as well. Hadn't seen the 40/1.2 mounted on the A7 or the sample photo, though. 👍


Sigma's also on a roll. Some very nice lenses just announced. But definitely more SLR oriented.

 

[Turtle]

The Voigtlander 10mm and 12mm are probably the way I'd go for ultra wides, but the vignetting is rather serious. Though I could see myself getting it if I started doing real estate and architecture photography for pay.

The Voigtlander Ultrawides are pretty sweet, I was actually pretty interested in the 15mm until I remembered the Laowa. I like the Voigtander 10-pointed sunstars more though.

 

[Sprite]

My local dealership has just got these in!!!

So beautiful, like new and well looked after (just had new bellows fitted) bit pricey though and I wouldn't know what to do with it.

Bit of street photography ha!

 

[35mm]

Apparently, Four Thirds is no more.

Kind of ironic that the daddy of mirrorless goes belly up at a time when mirrorless is stronger than ever.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

What aspect ratios do you guys prefer shooting in? I prefer shooting in 16:9 since all modern screens are in that ratio so it's easier to make my photos into wallpapers and background, but 3:2 gives you much more room to play with.

 

[Turtle]

@ProjectWHaT 3:2 affords me the most resolution since it's the native ratio for full frame, so that's what I use. I've put my a7 into 16:9 mode once before, which is fun, and in RAW mode it saves everything outside the crop anyway, so if I'm looking to make a potential wallpaper or background I'll do that, but for any other time, 3:2 it is.

For the handful of rolls I used my Bronica S2 for I loved shooting in 1:1 squares. I swear I'll own a Hasselblad someday. I haven't shot my Pentax 6x7 enough to compare it to 1:1 or 3:2 but it definitely feels much more like the latter than the former. I'd like to try an XPan someday with its ~1:3 ratio, though really I could do that with my Pentax too by just heavily cropping.

 

[Azuremen]

What aspect ratios do you guys prefer shooting in? I prefer shooting in 16:9 since all modern screens are in that ratio so it's easier to make my photos into wallpapers and background, but 3:2 gives you much more room to play with.

3:2 because it works for both vertical and horizontal images. Plus I print and my Surface has a 3:2 screen so makes for consistent viewing when showing prints or proofs on my computer.

When I do crop wide, I usually go full cinematic with 2.35:1 or 2.4:1.

 

[F1GTR]

What aspect ratios do you guys prefer shooting in? I prefer shooting in 16:9 since all modern screens are in that ratio so it's easier to make my photos into wallpapers and background, but 3:2 gives you much more room to play with.

5:4 is my go-to ratio since I can print it on standard paper without cropping, and it just looks better for verticals compared to 3:2. I like 1:1 (Rolleiflex) for all round work though.

@Turtle You can get a 65x24mm adapter for your Pentax 67, throw in the 45mm and you basically have an XPan. You'll have to carry a film changing bag with you though since there's no way to rewind shot 35mm back into the canister.

 

[Turtle]

You can get a 65x24mm adapter for your Pentax 67, throw in the 45mm and you basically have an XPan. You'll have to carry a film changing bag with you though since there's no way to rewind shot 35mm back into the canister.

I've seen that, but I think it'd be smarter to just shoot 120 and crop later.

 

[F1GTR]

I've seen that, but I think it'd be smarter to just shoot 120 and crop later.

Huge waste of film though, I'd rather keep the full 6x7 if I'm only going to get 10 shots, especially since you can't really get cheap 120 in colour. Plus the kit has a viewfinder mask which helps dial in your eye for panoramic format. Admittedly I haven't even used the kit in mine (was a freebie when I bought my 67) since I just love shooting 6x7 with the 105mm. Maybe tomorrow

 

[Turtle]

Huge waste of film though, I'd rather keep the full 6x7 if I'm only going to get 10 shots, especially since you can't really get cheap 120 in colour. Plus the kit has a viewfinder mask which helps dial in your eye for panoramic format. Admittedly I haven't even used the kit in mine (was a freebie when I bought my 67) since I just love shooting 6x7 with the 105mm. Maybe tomorrow

True, but I think the flexibility of being able to crop such a huge negative so much is part of the appeal for me.

 

[Azuremen]

Any reason I shouldn't pull the trigger on this cart? @F1GTR, @casey_2005 and anyone else that does light things. Been stalling on buying any kind of off camera lighting setup long enough, and just want something light and simple that I can carry around in the field. Canon controller because I still have a 430EX and figured it would easier to sell locally if I want as there are more Canon users.

 

[F1GTR]

Don't see anything wrong with that set, the Canon controller actually works with Nikon and Fuji cameras as well (I have a similar setup except with 2x YN560IVs/ and 3x IIIs). I'd add a gel kit as well and you'll be good to go. Also get some Sanyo Eneloops or the Amazon equivalent! Also I don't think that the controller can actually control your 430EX, you can only control the 560 III/IV since they have the RF 603 transmitters built in. To trigger the 430 wirelessly you'll need to buy a RF603 for it.

 

[Azuremen]

Don't see anything wrong with that set, the Canon controller actually works with Nikon and Fuji cameras as well (I have a similar setup except with 2x YN560IVs/ and 3x IIIs). I'd add a gel kit as well and you'll be good to go. Also get some Sanyo Eneloops or the Amazon equivalent! Also I don't think that the controller can actually control your 430EX, you can only control the 560 III/IV since they have the RF 603 transmitters built in. To trigger the 430 wirelessly you'll need to buy a RF603 for it.

I'm aware the 430EX doesn't have the RF but was unsure if I'd be able to slave the 430ex to the YN560 IV. Or am I just out of luck and should just sell the 430EX to add in another YN560 IV/III? I'm aware that pretty much any version will work on the Fuji and Sony bodies without ETTL, which is what I want anyhow.

Already have 8 Eneloops (so good) that I use for the 430EX and LED gear for festivals. Will have to get more if I go beyond a couple of flashes.

Edit: added this gel kit in.

 

[nobuffalo]

Any reason I shouldn't pull the trigger on this cart? @F1GTR, @casey_2005 and anyone else that does light things. Been stalling on buying any kind of off camera lighting setup long enough, and just want something light and simple that I can carry around in the field. Canon controller because I still have a 430EX and figured it would easier to sell locally if I want as there are more Canon users.

Only thing I might consider is getting a convertible umbrella to give you the option to use it as a reflective or shoot through, otherwise it looks like a good cheap one light setup.

 

[F1GTR]

You could slave it to trigger optically or you could get a trigger set (RF603II) to trigger it via radio. Of course, if you sell it for another YN560 you can now control the power on both flashes via the controller, but I dunno, you might want to have a TTL flash for those times when you need it for quick street/on camera work - but that's doable with a manual flash anyway.