What camera do you use?

[bentos]

I use a Nikon D40.

I have a 50mm f/1.4 and an 18-200mm.

how bout you what kind of camera do you use and what kind of results do you get out of it?

 

[ukcatfan]

how bout you what kind of camera do you use and what kind of results do you get out of it?

I have a Pentax K-x and K100d. The main lenses I use are a SMC-DAL 18-55mm (Red), SMC-DA 18-55mm, SMC-DA 50-200mm, and a SMC FA 50mm f/1.4.

I think the next part of your question has very little relevance though. Results are 90% photographer and 10% equipment. I have seen people take shots with a p&s that blow away less experienced people with $5K in gear. I think a more relevant question would be if people's cameras are living up to their expectations. For me, yes it is. The K-x is incredible! It does not hurt that it was only around $500 either.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I have two Pentax K10D's and primarily use the DA 18-55mm and the following Sigma's 24-70mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8 and 100-300mm f4. I love the K10, but wished it had better high ISO. Allegedly, Pentax will be announcing one or two new cameras this fall. Depending on that, my plan is either to upgrade and keep the K10's or add a Kx to my kit for the high ISO situations.

 

[SrisonS]

I have a Canon T1i. My main lens is a 18-135mm. I also have the 18-55mm that came with the camera; but it's only a backup now.

I totally agree with everything that ukcatfan has stated. I think that I get pretty good results; but I've seen pictures from the same camera that look like they were taken by a 5 year old. Then again, I think that little kids have a unique perspective to the world, so they could at least get cool angles..... so sorry to the 5 year olds out there.

 

[creativeamanda]

I have a Nikon D60 and I have the 18-55mm kit lens, a 55-200mm lens (which I've lent out), and the 18-200mm VRII. The 18-200mm stays on the camera--I only put the smaller lens on when I plan to do landscape pictures, because it's a lot lighter.

I'm going to sell the 55-200mm and get a 50mm.

I personally get great results with the camera. All the pics in my signature line were taken with it.

 

[zackiedawg]

I have a Sony DSLR-A550, as well as a Sony DSC-TX1 ultracompact...both get use for different purposes. Lenses are: Sony SAL18-250 F3.5-6.3, Minolta 50mm F1.7, Minolta 300mm F4 APO, Tamron 200-500mm F4.5-6.3, Tamron 10-24mm F3.5-4.5, Tamron 90mm F2.8, and Sigma 30mm F1.4.

I get very pleasing results from my cameras. I would be so bold as to predict I could get roughly the same results from equivalent-specced cameras with any other brand name on the front. And that there are likely folks with my camera that get significantly worse, and a fair-bit better, results. As there are with any other brand of camera...based on the skill of the photographer!

 

[Experiment_626]

I use a Nikon D300. I have an 18-135 zoom that was the kit lens from my previous camera (a Nikon D80), a Sigma 10-20, and a Nikkor 50mm f1.8.

As for the results, I do think I get better results from this camera in the sense that it lets me do more of the things I want to do more easily than my previous camera bodies, and it does produce better images overall than the others did. I have owned an N6006 film camera, and a D100 and the D80 prior to this; the D300 is easily my favorite.

That said, I shoot lots of HDR, and while the D300 is the best of all those for that purpose (because it allows me to auto-bracket up to nine exposures), it would be even better if it allowed more customizable control. I'd like to be able to have the camera shoot exposures longer than 30 seconds (because I shoot lots of HDR after nightfall) without having to resort to presetting the remote cable-release timer feature, and I wish I could set the bracketing to vary by two stops rather than just one. I have to shoot by varying by one stop, but I usually process only the exposures that vary by two stops. Therefore, if I shoot nine exposures by auto-bracketing, I have four shots that are wasted. A shutter won't last forever, and I'd prefer not to snap the shutter pointlessly. It seems to me that these are relatively simple software issues, and there's no real reason a user couldn't or shouldn't have this control.

But those relatively minor gripes aside, I love my D300. A real upgrade from this camera would cost a lot of money, and there are still capabilities of the D300 I haven't tapped. For example, I've never shot with Live View. I can't see in low light as well as I once did, and sometimes I have problems composing shots for HDR when the light gets low. Also, reading the LCD on top of the camera is difficult at night, even with the backlighting feature turned on (I think a different method of backlighting might help; maybe the same technology used for Timex Indiglo watches would work well). I think my next project will be to see if Live View will help me with both these issues.

Sorry to turn this into a blog post -- once I got started I couldn't stop!

 

[AlbertZeroK]

I use a Nikon D40.

I have a 50mm f/1.4 and an 18-200mm.

how bout you what kind of camera do you use and what kind of results do you get out of it?

I have 3 cameras, Canon 50D with grip, t2i with grip, t2i without grip. Sigma Bigma 50-500mm OS (Optical Stablized), Sigma 50mm f/1.4, Sigma 30mm f/1.4, EFs 17-55 f/2.8, Canon 70-200 IS f/2.8, EFs 10-22mm.

My next two lenses will be the canon 135 f/2 and sigma 85mm f/1.4. I really want the SigMonster 300mm-800mm, but I can buy a small DVC for the price of that lens!

I also have 2 580exII and Quantum Turbo Batteries and a 420ex flash. Plus a couple Alien Bee studio flashes. And a portable background stand. A couple pocket wizard's and a set of 3 Pocket Wizard FlexTT5's and 2 MiniTT1's for remote flashes.

People say it's 10% the equipment and 90% the photographer, I don't believe that. Practice is VERY important, so is experience, but you just can't get good shots without the right glass.

 

[Mosca]

I use a Canon 7D and an Olympus E-P1. I also keep a Canon G9 in the car, and a Nikon P5000 in a desk drawer at work.

I agree to a point, ukcatfan, that it is 90% photographer, with an exception to be made that an experienced photographer can get more out of the advanced features in the more expensive equipment. I think you'd agree with that. Like golfing is 95% the golfer, but Padraig Harrington is a better golfer with whatever he uses than he would be with a set of wood shafted spoons and niblicks. But most of us are going to be happy to break 100 regardless of what we use. (I don't golf, this is just an example.)

My results are variable, because of the general truth of ukcatfan's comment. On a typical day of shooting, I'll get some shots that really please me, some that are pretty good/OK, and many that are either uninteresting or technically flawed.

 

[photo_chick]

My main camera is a Canon 50D. I also use a Rebel XT. I have various film cameras (35mm and others) that I also play with often. Right now my current obsession is a Kodak Brownie that I can't wait to take on my next trip.

As far as what I get out of my cameras... most of the time I'm not happy with what I get. Maybe 1 in every 100 shots with my digital cameras is something I'm satisfied with. But that's not the fault of any of the cameras, that's all on me. I find I'm a lot happier with what I get with film.

Like said before, 90% of what makes the shot is the photographer. You can get great shots with an entry level camera and glass.. you just have to know that equipment and how it behaves really well.

 

[mrcricket]

I have two cameras. A Nikon D90 and a D60. My lenses are 35mm 1.8, 18-105 3.5-5.6, 70-200 f2.8 and 18-200 3.5 - 5.6. I have a few other lenses that I'm looking to sell, but these 4 are my main lenses. I'm looking to buy a wide-angle zoom in the future like a 10 - 24, but I've got to wait since I've spent a lot of money already this year on camera gear.

I've gotten great results from both the D90 and D60, but I much prefer the D90 because of its feature set. I really like to get to know my cameras and the D90 is fairly new to me, so I'm just getting to know it now. But I'm very impressed with the quality of shots it takes. By that, I mean the pixels. But as a famous photographer once said, "I'm more concerned about quality pictures, than quality pixels." Like others have said in this thread great pictures can be taken on just about any camera. It's the shooters talent and eye that make a great shot, NOT the camera. The camera may give you more options and higher quality pixels, but if the shot sucks, it sucks. No matter how technically accurate it is.

From my own experience, I've discovered that my daughter sometimes takes way better photos than me in the same situation with her little point and shoot, not because her camera is better, but because she sees the shot differently and more interestingly than her old dad. I've been blown away several times by her sheer talent, that I am trying to encourage her to develop. She just has the knack of taking great pics. And she's doing it with a little Canon point and shoot.

 

[Golf4food]

Pentax K-7
18-55 WR
50-200 WR
35mm Ltd Macro

Love it.

 

[DVC Jen]

Canon 5DM2, Canon 30D and also the Canon Xti (although it officially belongs to my daughter now).

The 30D is ok. I loved it until I got the 5DM2... I love love love love love this camera. I use it professionally and personally.

The lens I use 75% of the time is the Canon 24 - 105L and I really like this lens as well. Fantastic walk-around lens. I also have the Canon 70-200L and recently got a lens baby (lots of fun).

I have the Sigma 10-20 but can't use it on the 5DM2 because it is meant for a cropped frame camera. I also love this lens, but rarely use it anymore.

I really want the Canon 105 macro but with a hubby working towards his doctorate, a daughter in college and another heading there in a year.. I have no idea when that will become a reality. Probably right around the time Canon comes out with something newer, faster, better.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

The cameras I use (roughly in order of frequency) are a Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 7D, Canon D10, Canon 1D Mark II, and Canon G9. The lenses I use are a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS, Canon 24-105mm f/4 IS, Canon 17-40mm f/4, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS, Canon 85mm f/1.2, Canon 135mm f/2, Canon 15mm fisheye, Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro, Canon 50mm f/1.8, and Canon 24mm T/S f/3.5 II. I'm almost always disappointed with the results I get, but the problem is with my shooting rather than my equipment.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I have an Olympus E30 and my primary lenses are Olympus 18-54 f/2.8, 50-200 f/2.8 and Sigma 25mm f/1.8.

I love it and am happy with the images I'm getting but there's still a lot I have to learn about it.

As for the photographer vs equipment issue, I don't know about the percentages but I do believe that good images come in large part from the photographer. Last summer we were at an out of state baseball tournament and there was a photographer there with a pro level camera and one of those honkin' mega zooms that cost around $5K essentially taking the same pictures of our team that I was with my Olympus E510 and 18-180 f/3.5.

When the pictures were all said and done, I was astounded: people on our team preferred mine. Why? I don't know what this guy's background was but his pictures were sloppy. Heads, feet and equipment were "amputated", faces were contorted and eyes closed, photos seemed "rushed" - there was no love there. Mine rarely had amputated anything, I waited patiently for good angles and I was able to capture "nice" images of our boys, as I'd been doing for quite some time. That experience helped me become confident in my own photography.

A lot of what good images are about has to do with knowledge, practice and experience. Obviously, good equipment helps, but it's certainly not everything.

 

[DebºoºS]

[FONT=&quot]At WDW I shoot w/ Nikon D200,[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Nikkor 18-200mm[/FONT][FONT=&quot] VR,[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Sigma 30mm 1.4 and either the [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nikkor 50mm 1.4 or a [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nikkor 50mm 1.2mm.
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When not traveling I like playing around with film cameras and lenses.
2 Nikon FEs, Nikon FA & FM. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]lenses are 1 Nikkor 1.8, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nikkor 20mm 2.8, [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nikkor 135mm 2.8[/FONT][FONT=&quot], Nikkor 35-105mm 3.5-4.5, Sigma macro 80-200mm,Tokina 28mm 2.8 and a Celestron spotting scope for space. I've been playing around with an old Pentax, Olympus and a Brownie too. I have a bunch of small Coolpix digital cameras that fun too.
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I'm really happy with the D200. It's challenging enough for me right now.
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