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budgetcamerafun · 7 years

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From the Mail Bag: How to Start Out With Digital Gear in Real Estate Photography

Dear Reader,

I recently received an email from my friend Karl asking for recommendations on digital cameras for starting out in real estate photography. I thought it would be great to transcribe my correspondence with him below, as I wrote a heck of a lot, and anyone considering similar moves might find it interesting. Or, if they’d just like some DSLR food for thought, I hope they can gain a little insight.

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“Hey Peter! First, thanks in advance for taking the time to point me in the right direction. Its is greatly appreciated!

As you may know I work in the content department of a real estate tech company. All day, I see super shitty real estate photos that people pay good money for and publish. As such, I'm getting into real estate photography as a weekend sideline. While I still have an excellent collection of Mamiya medium format cameras I do not have a digital SLR, which seems like it might be useful (ha!).

What I'm looking for is a suggestion on a good, modestly-priced, used SLR. A lot of real estate photography is done on iPhones anyway so I don't need anything that's necessarily aimed at the professional market. I solicited colleagues for reccos but ended up with a bunch of $3000+ suggestions which is just crazy.

Thanks!”

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Hey man!

Good to hear from you, and its awesome you're seeking this as a side-hustle; could prove to be very lucrative, especially with the industry insight you have at your finger tips!

In terms of DSLRs, in my opinion Canon is the best value in terms of system of lenses, solid quality, sharpness, ease-of-upgrade, etc.

For real estate photography, I'm not quite sure where the bar is set in terms of needing a full-frame DSLR or if crop-frame is acceptable. Full-frame refers to cameras with full 35mm sensors (the 5D generations, 1DS/X/C generations, 6D generations). Crop-frames are smaller-sensor DSLRs (1D generations, double-digit generations such as a 30D, Rebels, and the 7D generations).

Full-frame cameras are good for image quality, lower noise (like the digital equivalent of grain, but electronic malarkey instead of pleasant grain), larger images, and inherently sharper images. Crop-frames are good for higher focal lengths (50mm full-frame 35mm is equivalent to around 70mm on a crop), compact size, cheaper cost, more everyone-friendly since they have built in small flash, etc.

A good standard for full-frame would be a 5D or 5D mark II. The 5D typically goes for $300-400 on eBay, the 5D mark II is more like $650-800. They're sturdy but relatively compact, take great images, have good exposure latitude (they capture both highlights and shadows well), have good flash sync (fill flash is often necessary in real estate photography), and since they're full-frame they work well with wide-angle lenses. 20mm is indeed 20mm, not 35ish mm, which is beneficial to capture all of a room or an entire building in one photo.

For crop-frame, depending on megapixels needed (for online ads you don't need as many megapixels as consumerism says you do), a 30/40D is a great smaller DSLR, as is a 7D. I'm not sure of pricing, but 30Ds go for as low as $90 on eBay. You can use all lenses on them, EF or EF-S (EF-S are specifically for crop-frame and limiting as they cannot be used on full-frame). EF-S is good because they're cheaper, though poorer quality and not as good of image quality. Though remember if you use a 50mm EF (full-frame) lens, it will be closer to 70mm. Def read reviews online for all of the lenses you consider, I've barely scratched the surface with my experience. Canon lens variety RULES.

You can find solid, in-expensive Canon zooms and fixed-primes to fit your needs with all of the above. Older metal-mount primes from the early 90's (such as the EF 50mm 1.8 Mark I) and USM zooms from the early-to-late-90's have great glass in them with robust coatings. A great zoom that I use is an EF 28-105 F3.5/4 USM - good clarity and sharpness above F5.6. The EF 50mm 1.8 Mark I is a classic - great coating and tough, so is the EF 35 F2 or 28mm F1.8 USM. Quick note: EF is their autofocus line in-production since 1989 or so.

If you find yourself branching out towards other forms of photography, such as product, portrait, event, etc. it might be wise to invest in full-frame. The 5D is ok in low-light, though the 5D Mark II/II/IV/S/R or 6D are way better. Or, get a solid crop-frame and spend more money on a larger assortment of lenses and upgrade the body later.

I recently bought a 1D Mark II (new in 2005) for $220 with battery/charger which has a slightly-smaller-than-full-frame sensor, as I want to get back into gigs out here and I know it would work well for portraits and event work (great flash interchangeability, looks the part as a pro camera, 8 megapixels is enough for most portrait/event work). The glass I already have also works well with it, albeit 50mm will be more like 60ish mm.

That was a lot of typing! Let me know if you have any more questions, I'm more than happy to answer any/every question! Glad to share my knowledge with you good sir! Best,

Peter

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It was an honor to receive a question and share some knowledge! Some of this is of course opinion, such as my views on EF-S lens build quality, but nevertheless I think I covered stuff well. I could share more about other brands such as Nikon, but being as I’m primarily Canon and have been for a while, I’m much more well-versed in their system.

Thanks so much for reading! As always, feel free to check out my work as well as my website, and by all means send me a message/ask me a question, I’d love to hear from you!

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‘Peter,’ Thank you so much for this! I've asked a few of my recent-art school grad colleagues at work and gotten such a wide range of pretty impractical advice (you know, I'm not a ten thousand-aire or anything...). Anyway, I knew I could count on you for reasonable/thrifty advice. Given my experience in real estate I figured that'd be a good place to start but who knows what comes next.

I'll pick your brain further if anything else comes up, as I'm sure it will. Right now this is plenty of food for thought. Being so into film as I was 15 years ago I've been on one hand resisting digital like I'm some sort of purist or something. On the other hand though, I never really lost my interest in cameras/photography so this is quite exciting for me!”

#budget camera fun #camera advice #insight #photography #learning #camera recommendation #canon #slr #dslr #real estate photography #mail #questions #recommendation #learning photography #camera gear #gear

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budgetcamerafun · 7 years

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Reviewed: Nikon F5

My first photo instruction book from 2001 in the background

A few weeks ago I experienced a brief, sweeping feeling of sentimentality. I recalled memories of standing in a Borders in the Fall of 2001, perusing the magazines on an easy-going Sunday afternoon where I grew up outside of Chicago. As I paged through Popular Photography, Outdoor Photographer, etc. I was newly, thoroughly addicted to photography and wanted to read up on all the techniques. I also wanted to become acquainted with the epic amount of gear one could acquire to improve their skill, as well as keep their addiction fed. One particular professional SLR that always stuck out to me was the latest bomb-proof masterpiece sitting at the top of the hierarchy from Nikon: the F5.

The Nikon F5 had just debuted five years earlier in 1996 and was deep in circulation among professionals and serious enthusiasts. Seeing its bold, muscular body in the pages of magazines on display, whether in the rain capturing a football game or beautifully framed in a studio, made me lust after its epic specifications, renowned viewfinder and surgically-crisp shutter. I dreamed of owning such a fine piece of equipment and all of the amazing shoots it could accompany me on.

Fast-forward to present day and the trigger that shoved me down this quick stretch of memory lane: a bored Sunday evening on eBay. I had been shooting a ton lately, film and digital, and have been on a bulky SLR kick. I sold my Canon 6D to try out the slightly bulkier/heavier 5D Mark II and I picked up a PB-E1 grip for my OG 1989 Canon EOS-1. What better way to fulfill this little equipment addiction, as well as re-introduce myself to Nikon, than to look for a cheap Nikon F4 or F5 on eBay. F6s are out of the question as they’re still well out of my price range.

Sure enough after considering bidding on some cheaper, good condition F5s in the low 200s, I came across a really clean one for sale by my favorite equipment seller on eBay for only $244 shipped. Since I now live in Los Angeles and shipping would be expensive for a 3-4 pound SLR body, I went for it.

5 days later it showed up, I loaded up a roll of excellent nighttime film as quickly as I possibly could, and had a fresh pack of batteries and Nikkor 50mm 1.8 AF lens ready for it. I went out shooting on Hollywood Blvd and the Griffith Park Observatory.

While I haven’t quite gotten that first roll developed yet (my shot roll organization method is absolutely terrible), I have managed to shoot a total of 7 rolls with the F5 in a little over a week - thats a TON for me. Its a lot and its truly dangerous, because buying/developing film still adds up, and any shot that isn’t that great is a direct hit to my wallet. Though I can happily report that I’ve been very satisfied with what I’ve shot so far!

A few days after I shot that first roll I shot 4 rolls walking around shooting street in Venice Beach - I was trying to (and was actually pretty successful at) shooting inconspicuously with the most conspicuous camera ever.

If film companies want consumers to shoot more film they should just loan out Nikon F5s for folks to play with, because holy crap does it make you want to fly through a roll so fast. You’re not only motivated to experience the camera itself, but you’re motivated to get out and try and make some great shots!

This thing is truly a dream to shoot with. You completely forget about the fact that its really heavy, that its very large and menacing. I’m a taller dude so it doesn’t look quite as massive hung around my neck. What you will never forget about, though, is the incredibly fast autofocus, the suuuper intuitive meter and the buttery smooth shutter. One cannot also deny its seamless cycling, tough exterior, super comfortable grip and super bright viewfinder.

I don’t think I’ve dry-fired a camera as much in between un-loading/loading rolls as shooting with the F5. It makes the coolest noises that would please anyone with even just the slightest inclination for intuitive, precision engineering. Advancing to frame 1 on a fresh roll alone is so cool: load the roll, close the back (a solid feeling in itself), press the shutter button, and hear it quickly fire off 3 shots while the rewind lever spins to start the roll.

Another cool attribute that not everyone thinks about: you can shoot more than 24 or 36 frames on a roll! My Canon EOS-1V doesn’t do that; I the F5 stops advancing frames when it feels tension, whereas the 1V definitely goes by what the film canister’s DX coding tells it (if only there were a way to make it blind to DX coding…).

The precision nature of this camera makes it great for street photography in that the shutter isn’t very loud. It’s a very solid-yet-muffled snap that doesn’t arouse suspicion in an open area. I took a couple of snaps right near and sometimes in front of folks and between my stealth body language and the quiet shutter they were none the wiser.

The bulkiness really wasn’t any kind of an annoyance. I was schlepping around for nearly 3 hours and never did my wrist start to hurt, or neck get sore, etc. Perhaps the way I hold my cameras when I’m walking around helps (I like to press the bottom against my chest and hold it with my right hand from below, I like to think that helps with wrist fatigue, stealthiness as well as readiness). Having a body that’s quite comfortable in the hands and doesn’t make me scrunch my grip probably helps a bit too.

The big, bright viewfinder is such a huge plus: it makes framing quick shots super easy, its great for low-light, and can only imagine its absolutely ace for super dark night photography as well.

Speaking of low-light shooting, the mirror balancing system in this camera made it great for such lighting conditions. Its definitely a lot smoother at 1/40th, 1/25th, etc., than any other camera I’ve shot with. I’m confident that the first roll I shot, the roll of Fuji Natura 1600 at the Griffith Observatory, will turn out fairly crisp because of this. Examples to come (fingers crossed I’m not totally wrong).

My only real gripe is visibility of the shutter/aperture settings and the in-focus indicator in the viewfinder: on a bright day they are hard to read. Since I was shooting in sunny Venice it was a little bit of a hindrance. Though I put up with it just fine; all of the benefits of this mechanical piece of art far outweighed this little detail.

Its so cool to go out and shoot with the camera that was top of the line when I first got into photography around 15 years ago. The advent of digital and much lower demand for film equipment has been such a great thing for a budget-minded shooter like me; I can’t say I’m inclined or financially able to pick up a Nikon D4S, but man can I get a decent amount of the same experience by picking up a Nikon F5 and loading up a quality roll of film, such as Kodak Ektar 100 or Fuji Pro 400H. The stuff I lusted after when I was a teenager is so affordable now, and its dangerous! I also kind of feel like this situation is a watered-down version of a middle-aged dude buying an old muscle car or lightly used late-model Corvette.

Thanks very much for reading! Please feel free to follow and read more of my slightly esoteric ramblings, and please also check out more photos I shot with the Nikon F5 on my regularly-updated tumblr.

It had been a looong time since my last review - I’m confident in saying that I’m going to start writing more on here. Stay tuned!

#Nikon #F5 #Nikon F5 #camera #review #SLR #camera review #professional #film camera #film is not dead #analogue #believe in film #90s #35mm #budget camera fun #peter j nelson photography #shooter #photography

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Nikon Nice Touch 4

“I come from da old school, from da school-a-hard-knocks”

This is a common phrase uttered by what seems like the vast majority of middle-aged dads in the greater Chicagoland area. It is on par with other utterances such as “you kids got it so easy dees days,” “back in my day,” “back when we were at hunnert-n-third-n-Western (or some other major southside intersection),” “back when I started out,” and so on. They’re indicating a sense of hard work, experience, and respect for one’s elders. As a kid growing up in the Western suburbs of Chicago in the 90′s I heard these and other related phrases a lot coming out of the mouths of my various uncles, my dad and probably my dad’s friends. Because of their hard work and life experience they didn’t necessarily have or need the nicest car, house or electronics, but what they bought was good enough.

It was this demographic of Chicagoland dad, at moderate-to-middle-to-upper-middle income, that the Nikon Nice Touch 4 was marketed to.

Your average 9-to-5 dad didn’t have time and didn’t want to front the scratch for something more complex or expensive. They were more concerned about buying 2 big boxes of illegal fireworks over the Indiana border, paying their 14% interest mortgage on time, taking the wife and kids to Santa’s Village, and saving up for their yearly late Summer fishing trip to Green Lake, Wisconsin. They worked a long, hard day at either the factory, 400 N. Michigan, or the dealership and didn’t have the time to research a nicer 35 mm shooter. They simply went to the counter at Venture’s, Sear’s or K-Mart’s, talked with the pimply-faced counter attendant, and walked away with what they thought was a good deal (not before including some Kodak Gold with their purchase of 80-or-so dollars). They wanted something simple and straight forward, they knew Nikon was a good name, and Kodak Gold really captured the flash-soaked faces of their kids in little-league attire. Done.

It was this kind of “I don’t care how fancy it is, I just need something simple, easy to use and of decent quality” that Nikon and every other camera company capitalized on in the 90′s.

Nikon went through a slew of updates and changes to their consumer point-and-shoot offerings from the late 80′s all the way until the early 2000′s. Some of these are true diamonds in the rough, such as the inexpensive and surprisingly-popular L35AF, or the more expensive, lomographer-loving, surprisingly sharp, Nice Touch/AF600.

Lite, Nice, One, Fun, all of these various touches were generally simple, get-the-job-done, decent quality cameras that sold really well and might have even outsold Canon, Olympus, Pentax, Minolta, etc. Some of them zoomed, some of them had fixed focusing, some were tiny, some were bulky, but by and large they were pretty modest offerings. There were TONS of them: if someone creates a history of the Nikon point-and-shoot camera poster I swear it will take up an entire living room wall.

This Nice Touch 4 was the perfect buy for this blog! It set me back around $1.12 (after the county took it’s cut) and sure enough as soon as I put 2 AA batteries in it (which was relieving, CR2 and smaller are annoying/expensive), she fired right up!

I decided to test it’s capabilities, function and sharpness with a decent roll of film, in fact a very unconventional choice: Ilford HP5+. I wanted something forgiving, with crisp grain and a modest price tag. I’m generally happy with my choice. My hope was the quality of HP5+ would makeup for any lack of sharpness.

This hope was shattered:

Decent detail in the trees...

If I drop this camera I won’t be too much out of pocket

Lunch is served!

My hat-tip to Lee Friedlander

Sure as shoot (camera pun intended) this thing was indeed easy to shoot with, had a decent size, was fairly quiet and flash cycling didn’t take 3 years (more like 2).

However the sharpness and clarity as you can see is pretty terrible. Your subject also has to be pretty far from the lens to be in focus, and distortion exists all over the edges.

The depth of field is really narrow and elusive (will this object 10 feet away be in focus? Why is the flash coming on in broad daylight?) despite it stating on its exterior that it has a fixed F/4.5 aperture. Well, maybe 4.5 on a good day.

Did I mention the super light materials will snap and break as soon as it’s dropped or get stepped on by a small dog? Ask me how I know.

There are however 2 things that are this camera’s saving grace and make it worth your hard-earned two-tree American dollars (max):

- Nice and wide 29 mm focal length (though maybe that’s just to ensure everything you want in the frame is in the frame)

- crappy quality that’s good for experimental films, no-care snapshots, lomographic shots, etc.

If I were to take some fun Lomochrome film and shoot on a nice, sunny afternoon I bet the pics would look A LOT cooler. Le sigh, I wasted an already-cheap B+W film that could’ve done a better job run through my EOS-1n or soon-to-be-cherished Contax G1.

I should also note that I appreciate this cheap-as-hell-in-every-regard camera’s layout: super simple, turn flash on or off with separate buttons, plastic cover that is not operated by a little motor, I don’t have to use a nickel to get to the batteries, and one pick of the fingernail and the film will be rewound (which seriously takes like 45 seconds).

In regards to it being a great lomo camera: why visit Urban Outfitters and spend an exorbitant amount of cash on something that’s actually crappier in quality, will produce the same crappy effects and runs the same film size (good ol’ 35mm baby!)?

By all means save the coin, visit a local thrift store, find any one of the 90′s Nikon Touches (there will most likely be more than 1 on the shelf), buy a decent roll of Lomo/Fuji Velvia/Kodak Portra, and spend the extra money you would’ve thrown down at Urban on gasoline to get you to a beautiful state park, a foreign city, pleasant beach, or any other beautiful area. Then shoot to your little heart’s content. Your middle-aged Chicagoland dad who’s still keeping the family Crown Vic alive, and still taking your family out to dinner at Friday’s, would be proud of your money-saving decision. He’d probably also be proud of your ability to do more with less and invest more in your creativity.

That’s all for this one, thanks very much for reading! My regularly-updated tumblr page has more shots that I’ve taken with this fantastic little hunk of plastic, more of my work can be found at Peter J. Nelson Photography, and a lot of my photos can be purchased at my Society6 page.

I wonder if a lower serial number will someday fetch $5 more on eBay? =)

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Canon EOS Elan II / EOS 50 / EOS 55

With Nifty Fifty attached, this old Canon is plastic-fantastic!

I should consider renaming this blog to “Budget Canon Fun” as most of my reviews so far have been of Canons. I assure you dear reader that while it is a little due to my love of Canon, it’s mostly just to keep things more budget-friendly on my end due to already being knee-deep in EF lenses.

The Canon EOS Elan II is a huge upgrade over the first Elan, which I did a review of back in one of the worst Chicago Winters ever. Certain issues were fixed (no more sticky shutter syndrome, expanded features, better autofocus, etc.), though it wasn’t as much of a game-changer as the first one. That’s ok though, the old one set up the new one to slam-dunk Canon’s ability to produce a cheaper, well-built serious-amateur-to-pro-level SLR.

Speaking of “cheaper,” Elan IIs go for really cheap on eBay these days, and versions with Canon’s remarkably bad-ass Eye Control Focus go for $10ish more.

In fact, I like this fairly-bulky SLR so much that I’ve owned 3 in the past 2 months: one I bought off my girlfriend but then sold to a buddy, one is a Japan market EOS-55 with ECF, and the other is a cheap $20 shipped find from eBay because I missed the champagne color of the one I sold. Some people throw around money at bars, some at casinos, I throw around money like a fiend on eBay.

The Elan II is a great piece of equipment due to it’s size, Canon button layout, good features, nice-sized viewfinder, battery life and great meter. My buddy who I sold my first one to used it during a wedding that I recently assisted him at. He shot a whole roll of Portra 160 and attached some really nice Canon L glass to it. He remarked that not only was it a breeze to handle and transfer his familiarity of his 5D MkII to, but was also able to create some really excellent images with it. I’m excited to see them myself.

Speaking of creating good images, these are a few shots from one of the rolls I’ve shot with mine so far (maybe not the most interesting subject matter, but nicely exposed!):

From the Northish Shore to beyond South Shore. All completely unedited, and only 1/3 exposure added or taken away from each of them

The 6-zone metering system did a great job, the camera’s simplicity kept me focused on my subjects, the lack of an LCD prevented me from taking my eye away from my surroundings (woo film!), the size/weight was comfortable in my large/skinny hands, the large viewfinder displayed everything clearly... this makes for an all-around great shooter!

Another point worth talking about: for being a rudimentary 3-zone AF system from the mid-90′s it certainly focuses fast! I don’t really shoot much motion, and I did shoot the above photos in good light, but it still felt as quick and accurate as my EOS-1N.

Reasons why it may not be the best body for the job: really slow FPS (2.5), E-TTL flash metering (it seems like some people like it, some hate it, it is more updated than A-TTL), film bay door could un-latch easily, all-plastic construction (though metal mount thankfully), and has built-in flash that could become annoying (though I’m really getting picky).

The only bummer about the Elan II that applies to outdated-technology-loving-losers like myself is it cannot be programmed with Canon’s hilariously rad/useful EOS Bacode Reader. That’s right: all of those cool, super-specific custom settings that proud Elan owners paged through in their copy of EOS Barcodes 101, which gave them the sense that they’ve one-upped their Nikon/Pentax/Minolta friends once again, would no longer apply to the new model. No more retrofuture, cyberpunk-like camera programming for the proud Elan enthusiast. Though I suppose being able to get ECF in the Elan IIe makes up for that a little.

The Elan II is a great camera that’s easy to find, cheap to attain, it mounts all Canon EF glass (except EF-S of course), handles well, and worth having a look at next time you’re perusing eBay, or happen upon one in a thrift store.

That’s all for this review, I was a lot more concise and don’t think I rambled as much! My regularly-updated tumblr page has more shots that I’ve taken with my Elan IIs, more of my work can be found at Peter J. Nelson Photography, and a lot of my photos can be purchased at my Society6 page. Thanks a lot for reading!

#budgetcamerafun #camera #review #elan ii #canon eos elan ii #eos #canon #film photography #film camera #35mm #consumer review #camera review #peterjnelsonphoto #90s #amateur camera #pro camera #slr #single lens reflex

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Mini Review: Canon Rebel XSN

Compared to the size of my EOS-1N, it is indeed mini

I recently found and purchased a truly budget camera that is quite suitable for this blog, dear reader!

I’ve already reviewed the Canon Rebel G, but what I’ve got here is something even cheaper with a way better backstory: the Canon EOS Rebel XSN!

So what’s so great about this camera, considering I already reviewed a plastic Rebel? The fact that I picked it up for $8 at a Goodwill in Seattle back in May and was able to capture a ton of nicely exposed photos with it!

I’ll spare you the technical details as they are not much different than the Rebel G review, except one absolutely gigantic difference: the XSN has a manual flash pop-up and not an actual button.

That’s right, let that sink in for a second. In order to use the pop-up flash there’s a small tab you pull up on and it brings up/charges the flash... there isn’t a button and it doesn’t pop up on its own in auto... that’s how cheap it is! This is a good feature however; I like to sometimes shoot in auto (plus I rarely use flash for snaphots/landscapes) so its nice not to have the flash pop-up all the time when it’s half-pressed (which even happens in perfect lighting situations).

But more importantly, the fact that I found this beat-up, old Rebel for $8 after tax while visiting my friend Pat Klacza (there are two links in that name, definitely check them both out) in Seattle, and then proceeded to successfully snap a lot of great shots with it for the rest of my trip is so cool!

Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska - completely unedited on Fuji Velvia 100

As the photo above reveals Seattle was only the first stop on my trip, the other legs were an Alaskan cruise and a visit to the Bay Area.

Should’ve taken a 1/3 or so exposure away, but otherwise the meter did a great job!

I really like the fact that I found a beat-up, nothing-to-write-home-about electronic SLR for $8 while on vacation in an unfamiliar place, bought some batteries for it, put a lens on it, and it performed flawlessly! I certainly took some risks: what if it was dead? Since it lacked a body cap, and my camera cleaning skills are rudimentary at best, what if a bunch of dust got on the rolls I put through it? What if it had a light leak? Well then I’d be only be out a measly 8 bucks, no biggie!

Though since it had none of these afflictions, there’s something to be said about cheap, simple electronic SLRs from the 90′s/early 00′s: they’re a real bargain and real workhorses. If I came across a Pentax K1000, Canon AE-1 or a Nikon FM2 found under similar circumstances, I probably would’ve passed on actually shooting with it. They take a harder-to-find battery, they could have a myriad of shutter issues, the foam could be worn out and leak tons of light, etc. But newer, cheap electronic SLRs have modern enough technology and are engineered at a certain price-point (plus have newer foam and in more thought-out places) to where they’ll reliably churn out great images. Plus if they’re dropped and damaged, another one could be acquired for less than $30 on eBay.

So I guess what I’m getting at, is if someone wants to reliably shoot film for super cheap, either as a beginner or student, to play around with film, etc.: cheap no-frills electronic SLRs have fewer risks, are more common, don’t carry a premium for being old/popular, mount modern lenses and have loads of newer technology that ensures great exposure and flexibility.

Who knows, maybe a camera like my Rebel XSN will be acquired in a fun and memorable situation, and then document some truly fun, memorable and amazing experiences.

Thanks very much for reading! My normal blog is updated regularly, and I’ve got many prints for sale over at my Society6 page (including the photo from Tracy Arm Fjord above).

#camera review #canon #rebel #film photography #analogue photography #eos #review #consumer review #budgetcamerafun #cheap camera #slr #single lens reflex #experiences #seattle #alaska #travel #adventure #risk #tracy arm fjord

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Canon EOS 5D

Check out that huge mirror!

After a long pause I’m back! Life’s been quite busy lately; between a hectic work schedule, lots of travel and finally not being stuck in an evil Chicago Winter, I’ve neglected to post regular updates. But rest assure, I’ve got some great ideas for future reviews!

The Canon EOS 5D is widely regarded as a game changer; it was a chance to get away from the common and wretched APS-C sensor size that the majority of the DSLR market became entrenched in (and still very much is) and for a much more reasonable price than the EOS 1DS. A 50mm lens finally had a 50mm focal point, 28mm was finally considered wide-angle again, and the whole world rejoiced.

The 5D has come down in price a lot since its debut in late Summer of 2005, and now can be had for around $400-450. I know this price tag is far from some of the cameras I’ve reviewed before, but considering it’s performance, ability to still make great/detailed photos, and create photos with the lens’ intended focal length, it’s a real bargain!

My first real chance to get comfortable with my 5D was in my favorite familiar-yet-foreign place to shoot: Los Angeles, California!

While in Los Angeles back in late February for my regular day job, I squeezed in as much time as I possibly could to walk around, see some new areas and shoot a ton of photos. I also had my EOS-1 loaded with Velvia 100 in tow which was truly a pleasurable experience:

The bulky, loud and very fun second shooter

Marching up and down Elysian Park, Schlepping around DTLA in the rain (that’s right, it rained briefly in LA while I was there), walking down the Miracle Mile while a golden SoCal sunset lit the sky, avoiding geese droppings around the water’s edge in MacArthur Park; the 5D made for a great tool to quickly pull up from my chest or out of my bag and shoot the subject matter I like to shoot.

I’m probably the only person who finds light rays piercing through the smog to be beautiful

I really cherished this afternoon light (and the warm weather that came with it) after suffering through the Chicago Winter

Changing ISO, aperture and exposure compensation is a breeze on the 5D for any Canon user or recent convert from Nikon. The dark shadows, bright highlights and rapidly changing lighting was easy to deal with; I rarely had to add or subtract more than a 1/3 stop.

The handling of the 5d is great: it fits my grasp well, feels sturdy, all buttons are super accessible for my Canon-trained hand movements and the weight is nice. It’s definitely lighter and less sturdy than a comparable Nikon, but still feels good and of great quality.

One thing about full-frame DSLRs I didn’t give a whole lot of thought to before I made the plunge was the larger viewfinder/mirror. It truly makes a difference in the shooting experience. Not only is the finder bigger and brighter, but also thanks to the more-true focal length (the 5D has 96% frame coverage, not like a 1D or 5D mkII/mkIII with 100%) you are capturing a wider and more inclusive scene. The larger finder even helps in low-light situations as every little bit of light helps you determine what’s sharp while manual focusing.

The specs on the 5D aren’t that great by modern standards (35 zone metering, 9 AF points, -2 to +2 EV, etc) but that’s not a big deal for a lot of photographers. In good and even low light it does great for it’s age/price, like any modern (as in since 1992) Canon the AF is very good, 12.7 megapixels is plenty and creates some very sharp photos, colors/saturation are great, and man that low ISO 50 option is something I definitely miss on my new 6D. I shot mostly between ISO 100 and 400 and didn’t have any notable issues with noise/clarity… hell even ISO 1000 looked good for a local online article I recently shot.

The detail that the 5D picks up is quite immense as well:

These were shot through a plane window on my way out of Los Angeles, at something like F/10 and ISO 400; I was amazed at how much the 10 year old sensor picked up filtered through dirty plane glass. I was totally blown away while I was zoomed in and burning my retinas out in Lightroom.

I really enjoy the camera’s lack of features/customization/evil menu tabs. There are ways of fine tuning sharpness, contrast, etc. just like all prosumer-to-pro-DSLRs made since 2005, and you can alter color temperatures, but that’s about it. Not having extra options and modes buried in the menu can be a very good thing. Although I will admit that the fun little bells and whistles on my 6D are nice, especially the lens correction software and wifi (in fact they’re quite spoiling).

Now for the inevitable always-debated, hotly-contested, opinion on if it’s worth upgrading to full frame or not: if $350-$450 is your price range for a DSLR (the lower-end being well-used examples) and you already have lenses that accompany full frame (bummer about Pentax, though soon…) then sure. However if you’ve already got a DSLR, especially one that’s much newer than a 5D and has good noise control/low light performance, maybe hold off. Brand new crop and micro 4/3 cameras have pretty immense low-light/high iso performance these days. A lot of folks swear that full frame is necessary to go pro, however there are plenty of pros who shoot crop and are very successful. A lot of people say crop is just fine, but in order to go really wide with focal lengths and achieve the best possible image quality, some argue full frame is necessary. It’s a toss up. I think I’ll take the stance of shoot with what you’ve got and when it breaks/starts to really limit your abilities, then consider going with a full frame DSLR.

It’s my moral imperative to also remind my dear readership that good ol’ film is the original full frame. Don’t forget that many great, advanced film SLRs (example: EOS-1N), nice glass, and quality film can be had for very cheap (well, in relation to new full frame DSLR prices).

In fact… time to end this review before I sell my 6D and spend a lot more quality time with my EOS-1 and surplus Fuji 200 and HP5+!!!

Thanks as always for reading! I’ve got a couple more Canon SLRs lined up for future reviews, we’ll see how esoteric my comparisons/sense of humor can get!

My normal blog where I post most of my work can be found here, as well as on my website. I recently created a Facebook page as well! I also have a bunch of prints for sale on Society6!

#camera review #canon #5d #5d classic #5dc #budgetcamerafun #review #cameras #dslr #full frame #budget #cheap #photography #photographer #EOS #EOS 5D #budget camera fun #peterjnelsonphoto

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Pentax K-5

In the vast market of digital single-lens reflex cameras, there are a few more options than what normally has all of the review sites/blogs filling their posts with hyperbole while they sit at their keyboards shaking like a nervous Chihuahua in anticipation (cough cough 5Ds). The DSLR market is more than just a two-horse race consisting of Canon and Nikon; there are great cameras made by Sony, Olympus and others... but there are some especially great ones made by PENTAX.

While I’m not here to talk about the newest, hottest, and trendiest, I do like to make an effort to discuss somewhat overlooked brands that offer the same specs at a better price than Nikon and Canon on the second/third/fourth/twentieth-hand market. Man do I have a cool camera to discuss this time around, dear reader:

I recently got my mitts on a pristine Pentax K-5 body for super cheap!

Even if I didn’t get this camera for super cheap, it is still quite a bargain brand new for what it offers. People stack it up against the Nikon D7000 and Canon 7D, and it mostly comes out on top except in terms of personal preference, shooting style, lens availability, etc.

The slightly newer K-5 IIs was reviewed by the popular Youtube review channel DigitalRevTV and they really liked it, too!

The K-5 even gives the friggin’ Canon 5D mkII a run for its money, though it isn’t a full frame DSLR like the Canon.

I personally find that based on my shooting style, what I like in a camera, and my budget, the K-5 blows the D7000 and 7D out of the water. It’s built tough, the shutter is really quiet, it has all kinds of cool modes to play with, the focusing and meter are really fast, the 1/8000th shutter speed is on-point with the competition, the high ISO performance is spectacular for the price, and most of the K-mount family mount up to it no problem.

As I’ve mentioned before I really dig cameras that can mount a wide variety of lenses and the K-5 is no exception. Pentax K-mount lenses are just as good as their Nikon/Canon competitors and are often much cheaper. The various nifty-fifty offerings by Pentax, especially the manual focus f/2, go for stupid cheap and are widely regarded as having great clarity and contrast. Even their super cheap zoom lenses are well-loved among Pentax shooters.

Pentax is also a nice household name for me. My photo teacher in high school always shot with Pentax cameras and in my fledgling years as a photo student I was fascinated by the likes of the K1000, ME Super, Spotmatic, etc. I also reviewed a very bizarre, late-80′s calculator-looking model and was pleasantly surprised by its intuitive features, accurate meter and crisp glass.

Enough blabbering about Pentax always being the respected underdog, how does the K-5 shoot?

It’s great to shoot with! The various modes/features and ease-of-use make for a very customize-able shooting experience. Well, it was easy to use for me as I had it figured out in a few minutes; perhaps less technologically-inclined individuals might have a little trouble.

I’ve never played with HDR before, but shooting with the K-5 made my first experience very easy:

It also had all kinds of bells and whistles that my luddite self was not used to, such as a level, movie mode and live view mode so I didn't necessarily have to look through the viewfinder.

My only gripe is that because its a tiny DSLR, its a bit small to grasp and change modes/exposure with my big hands. It’s a tad tedious even. Though, due to its price, solid feel and great specs I’m definitely willing to deal with it and just get used to its size and memorizing the buttons while it is pressed against my face.

As I discussed above, Pentax lenses (er, SMC or Asahi, depending on how old it is or how particular you are about lens classification) are great and can be had for much cheaper than the likes of Nikon and Canon. Due to my weird, camera-hoarding practices I happened to have a manual-focus 50mm f/2, AF 50 f/1.7 and a 35-80 f/4 zoom lying around that were either for sale or collecting dust on a shelf. I was able to mount all of these up without issue and got some great snaps, such as the one above. All of these lenses cost me essentially under $100 as well! So one could theoretically pick up a K-5 or K-5 IIs and a couple of nice lenses for as much as or cheaper than a D7000 or D7100 body-only.

These price tags are far above the original idea behind this blog of finding fun cameras for $20ish bucks or less, but I can’t help but really drive home the point that building up a Pentax system could save one a lot of money over going with Canon or Nikon. It’s crazy that I could ditch my Canon 5D body on eBay right now and all of the proceeds could afford me a K-5 with a couple of lenses! I think the only reasons why I haven’t done this yet are I’ve really come to love my 5D (its what I’m most comfortable shooting with these days) and I don’t want to ditch full frame just yet (I yearned for it for a long time).

I don’t mean to open a can of worms, but the K-5 is a crop-frame (though a really nice one at that) and therefore it lacks the image detail, sharpness, low-light performance, etc of a full-frame. In fact, my only real gripe with Pentax (or Ricoh, the parent company of Pentax and user of the Pentax name) is WHY THE HELL HAVEN’T THEY COME OUT WITH A FULL FRAME DSLR YET?! Albeit in these modern times many folks question whether or not a full frame is really the best bet as crop-frame cameras have really caught up in recent years. Plus, the current top-of-the-line Pentax K3 is quite loved among enthusiasts/pros, but man if Pentax made a full frame it would blow everyone out of the water. They say Pentax will actually debut one by the end of the year, but I don’t think a model/date is set yet. Fingers. freaking. crossed that we find out soon.

I suppose I’m not dissing the K-5 for being a crop-frame, but rather using the K-5 as a sort of “if Pentax can do this with a crop-frame, holy cow will they be able to do great things with a full frame!!!” example.

It is important to share with you, dear reader, that I recently sold the K-5. Since I got it AS-IS and the listing ended on a Saturday morning, I got it for just shy of $140 with a note that it was un-tested and had “sensor spots.” Well since I’m a gambler from time to time, I decided to take a chance... and it paid off! I bought a cheap battery and charger, memory card, mounted a lens, and it worked perfectly (sans a few teeny dust spots on the sensor)! The exterior was in really good condition to boot! I had the camera for less than a week; I played with it enough to develop some fodder for this review then listed it on eBay with a couple lenses. It sold for a nice profit. =)

Though I must admit that since I sold it I've been looking at picking up another one (preferably on the super cheap again, of course) but haven’t found any priced low enough. It was that fun to play with! I actually kind of miss its compact size too: it took up as much space in my bag with 2 lenses as just my Canon 5D body. I could also theoretically ditch my entire Canon system right now and pick up a K-3 and use the lenses I already have. I also have several Pentax film SLRs (a PZ-70, SF10 and P3n) sitting around that I could snap some excellent frames on film with, too.

Thanks very much for reading!

To see photos I’ve snapped with the Pentax K-5, other budgetcamerafun cameras and my daily stable of the Canon 5D/EOS-1, check out my regularly-updated tumblr, Peter J. Nelson Photo.

I also have quite a few prints for sale, including a few from my recent trip to Los Angeles. Check them out on my Society6 account!

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Canon EOS 1

Dear tumblr/blogosphere/internet, it's been a while since the last time I posted! I apologize for the lengthy delay as I've been pretty darn busy with work, photography and life in general. I've also been spending a decent amount of time playing with lots of different cameras (ok, just film SLRs and cheap digital cameras) and not enough time writing about them!

So as a modest little comeback I present to you the CANON EOS 1!

The Canon EOS 1 (also called the "Canon 1," the "EOS-1" etc) was Canon's first modern, fully-professional-oriented, EF-mount film SLR. It was meant to be the next step forward from the Canon New F-1 and Canon T90 which, while were excellent advanced cameras, were FD-mount which was considered obsolete once the EOS/EF system was firmly established. There were also earlier EF cameras such as the Canon EOS 650, however these weren't quite as well spec'd or strengthened for the professional photographer in the late 80s.

The EOS 1 had tougher weather sealing, a slightly-improved single-point BASIS autofocus system and 6-point evaluative metering system. It could also accommodate a wide variety of grips, such as the then-new PB-E1 power driver booster battery grip which could fire vertically, but hilariously did not have a built-in wheel to adjust aperture/shutter. This grip can accommodate a huge battery tray or re-chargeable NiCd battery that weighs almost as much as the camera itself. The interchangeability of grips between the EOS 1, the newer 1n and 1v, and EOS 3 is pretty nice too and seems to be a benefit that's widely overlooked by Canon in developing newer DSLRs.

The camera itself I got for an absolute steal at $60 shipped, from Canada, with a PB-E1 included. That puts this little hard plastic, aluminum-framed tank in the Big Spender realm of the BCF hierarchy. However, cheaper ones can be had for even less on eBay and the newer EOS 1N goes for just a tad more with better weather sealing and better specs.

Like most of the cameras I blabber about on here I absolutely LOVE shooting with the EOS 1. It has great weight yet is relatively compact in my bag, it feels good in the hands, it makes cool late-80s-electronic-SLR noises, and despite having exactly 1 autofocus point its quick to shoot with. Well, a sports photographer would definitely disagree with me on that, but for still objects/landscapes it works great.

Since I love tough cameras that brush-off bad weather and don't miss a beat when they're covered in rain/snow, the 2nd roll I put through it was intentionally shot during Chicago's Great Superbowl Blizzard of 20-oh-15. Here in the heinous Midwestern city by the lake we received several feet of snow within 24 hours on Superbowl Sunday this year (what was that, 3 weeks ago?). This event was the perfect opportunity to not only put this camera through its paces, but also a roll of Fuji Natura 1600! The above iPhone 5c selfie was taken during this historic event.

The above photos are chronological over the course of the storm: Before, During, and a Few Days After.

A quick word about the film: I was pleasantly surprised that the grain wasn't too bad at ISO 1600 and I was able to shoot at night with a comfortable hand-held shutter speed and decent-sized aperture without a problem! Though I must say its a very expensive film; I was pleasantly relieved that it was worth the price of 3 rolls air-mailed directly from Japan.

How did it fair?

First and foremost, it survived! I was actually a little more concerned about getting water (which could turn into mold) in my 50mm 1.8II "Nifty Fifty" lens than I was the body. The body did act-up at one point; I recount this emotionally stressful moment on my regular tumblr account here, where I essentially explain that it started acting up while I was shooting with a teeny snow hill building up on top of it and had to let it dry before shooting again (water sneaked in through the shutter). This means that while it did withstand the cold and moisture, ultimately the moisture got the best of it... but it didn't kill it! Not bad for $60 (acually around $40 as I have the BP-E1 grip for sale).

I've put 2 other rolls through it and it has proven to be a gas to shoot with. Both of these rolls were Fuji Superia 400 (which is fast becoming my favorite film). If you're used to the way Canon lays out their buttons and switches you will love the EOS 1/1n/1v as it really feels full and confidence-instilling in the hands. The thing fires pretty loudly for a Canon film SLR, but that's definitely a good thing in my book. The meter is also plenty accurate and reads shadows/bright light really well; I only adjust 1/3 stop up or down to compensate for bright light or lack of light.

I must also mention that 100% frame coverage is really nice and an experience that can be a little hard to find at a cheap price these days. 100% coverage means the viewfinder is big and bright, and shooting with one eye looking in the viewfinder and the other open makes for a very enjoyable experience.

It's historical significance is quite appealing to myself and other camera nerds too! It's cool to think that the EOS 1 is where it all started and now we have the top-of-the-line Canon 1DX. The various pro EOS cameras have been lugged all over the Earth and have shot all kinds of subject matter, from wildlife photography to war coverage... and even tossed over the shoulder and into the backseat of a beat-up old Chevy Caprice REPEATEDLY by many a local newspaper photographer (I always imagine local news photographers driving old American land-yachts, I have no idea why).

Regarding how it feels in the hands: this camera is definitely a gateway drug in that now I want to compare/contrast it with the 1N, 1V, 1D, 1DS, etc. People rave about the blissful experience of shooting with a 1-series Canon SLR and I'm really trying my absolute hardest to avoid throwing my hard-earned scratch at more of them when I'm trying to maintain my modest (well, modest to some people) 5D/EOS1/Nikon D200/ Nikon N90S/ Nikon N55/Nikon N60/Holga collection.

Thanks for reading! For more shots I've taken with my EOS 1, check out my regular tumblr and feel free to take look at my website and Society6 page too!

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Canon EOS Elan/EOS 100

I finally finished a roll I had in my Canon EOS Elan that had been sitting there for a good month or so. I picked this up on a whim on eBay for $14 shipped, body only. That puts this staple of Canon camera history at the "HOPE IT WORKS!" tier in the Budget Camera Fun Hierarchy. Of course, adding my 50mm 1.8 lens messes with that price a tad and buying from a seller who stated it was in good condition helps insure its proper function. However similar examples can be found for the same amount, or even cheaper on eBay, as well as in a thrift store. In fact, just 2 weeks ago I saw one in my local Goodwill for just $8. I totally should have picked it up out of principle, as well as it most likely being in better condition than mine.

Mine functions alright, but it's already showing signs of the shutter beginning to die and the film door release button is super delicate, which prompted me to put 50 layers of scotch tape over it (making it really hard to remove just last night when I dropped the roll off at Walgreen's).

After running 2 rolls through it (one developed, one still still at the lab) I can finally give a good review of how it handles and takes photos.

To quickly sum up the Elan: its simple and works great! It's buttons aren't too foreign to the average Canon SLR user, it has a nice size, good meter and o.k. autofocus, feels sturdy for a poly carbonate body, has a nice-sized viewfinder and is very quiet.

In fact, it's quietness is what people really love about it. Count me in as this trait certainly makes it more fun to shoot with. While other autofocus SLRs of its age are really loud and have a very pronounced servo sound, the Elan makes a subtle, muffled chirp. I would even go as far as saying a clean/functioning example with Canon's EF 40mm STM Pancake Lens would be a great budget-minded street/candid shooter (make a note: budget-minded street photography!) due to its size and stealthy qualities. 40 mm might not be quiet wide enough for street photography, but considering the lense's compact size and low price you get what I mean. I'm convincing myself to pick one up as I type this!

Anyway, getting down to brass tacks, it produces great photos:

Shot with my favorite cheap Walgreen's film and lightly edited in Lightroom

While shooting with the Elan, I was a little annoyed with its rudimentary autofocus system, 1/5 stop exposure compensation, AND turning it on/off with its sticky locking wheel (super light pull on the shutter button prompted me to keep it off when I wasn't shooting). It's also common for an issue to occur with Elans where the foam starts to degrade and leak out onto the shutter, eventually compromising it. Mine is starting to suffer from this terrible affliction so I'm not counting on it lasting much longer (I'm sure if you find one nowadays that doesn't have this issue, it probably won't ever occur). Though these things shouldn't count too hard against it as its still a pretty significant piece of equipment for its time.

As this thorough Wikipedia article discusses, this thing is pretty historically significant. It was eons ahead of the EOS 630 and 650 (which also go for really cheap). It was Canon's first serious amateur/semi-pro electronic autofocus SLR (kind of like an early 90's film 30D or 5D) and had some pretty ahead-of-its-time-functions. It was the first Canon SLR with built-in flash, it fired at 3 FPS (faster than most of its competitors, not faster than the N90s however) and one could purchase a very intuitive, ultra-90's bar-code reader to program some custom modes into it. It was the first electronic Canon SLR to cater to a wide demographic of consumers: snap-shooters, enthusiasts, serious enthusiasts, and even professionals all bought them. What's kind of interesting is the autofocus systems in the previous EOS cameras (the 630 and 650) require horizontal lines to lock-on, whereas the Elan simply focuses on whatever is in the middle of the frame (you can focus on vertical lines now! woh!).

Considering this camera was introduced the same year that Edward Furlong was riding around Los Angeles on a dirt bike and hacking ATM machines it's a pretty solid piece of equipment and still holds up. Sure, a newer Rebel has better autofocus, better flash performance, better FPS and a more intuitive meter, but the Elan is definitely a little tougher and has vintage appeal. It's a little bigger and weighs a bit more. It also feels better in my hands than the compact sizing of a Rebel. If the shutter is in good condition, it appears to function fine and the light seals look to be in good condition, it'll help produce some great photos.

It's successors are also great cameras! The EOS Elan II, Elan 7 and even the much-nicer EOS 5 often go for as much as the Elan, sometimes reasonably more, and are significantly more advanced. Between all of them you really can't do too much wrong if you find a working one for cheap.

I'd also like to review cameras in warmer locations, rainier locations, and quite possibly if all goes according to plan, foreign locations.

To see more of my work (or rather, what my camera addiction yields), check out my regularly updated tumblr.

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Nikon D200

The Nikon D200 is one of the best values in used semi-pro DSLRs, ever. That's a pretty lofty statement, but in terms of how much you get for how much they're going for at the moment, it's hard to say otherwise.

I've mentioned the D200 a few times in the past, and figured that in keeping up with shining some light on inexpensive/older DSLRs I'd finally write a thorough review of it.

The Nikon D200 came out in 2005 and was meant to compete with the Canon 30D (hey hey, I reviewed that one last week!), however many folks compared it to the Canon 5D too (hey hey, I mentioned that one last week!) as some of its specs were the same or a little better than the 5D (larger body, similar MPs, faster frame rate, more autofocus points, stronger build, etc.). Whattayaknow, I currently own ALL THREE! The 5D of course was superior in that it was full frame, the world's first non-pro/non-hella-expensive full frame in fact, and used the beautiful Canon EF lens system. As I mentioned the 30D is a great camera, but for folks looking for a tougher body thats weather-sealed, better for action photography and accompanies their Nikon lenses the D200 would be the best candidate. The specs can be found here and good ol' Ken Rockwell has many good things to say about it here.

The first thing that must be discussed is the D200's build quality. This thing is heavy for its size and feels like a brick in the hands. Seriously, if I were ever out shooting and needed something to fend off an aggressor I'd hope to have a D200 in my mitts. Who needs a carry permit when you've got a D200? It's weather sealed to the point of having a proper lever to pop open the card door, rather than un-clicking it like a Canon. I shot with mine New Years Day evening in the snow, in a frigid 15 degrees Fahrenheit and the camera performed flawlessly. I was more concerned about getting moisture in my 35mm f1.8 DX lens than hurting the body by letting small snow hills accumulate on top of it as it sat on the tripod with its shutter open for 20-30 seconds.

In fact, I was able to successfully snap this:

At one point during this shot somebody walked through the frame in the distance; I love long exposures.

Another great characteristic is that you can mount up basically any Nikon F-mount lens to it and you will get full metering. This is what I find to be the genius of Nikon lens compatibility, and why the photo above shows my D200 with an old Series E 50 mm. I inherited Nikon Series E 100 mm, 50 mm and Vivitar zoom lenses from my grandfather and I really like the fact that they work well hooked up to my D200 (manual focus only, of course). Not all newer Nikon SLRs/DSLRs can use older lenses however, or in every mode: consult Ken Rockwell's chart for more information.

The D200 also has improved matrix metering over it's lower-tier consumer DSLR cousins (D40, D50, D70, etc), faster FPS and better autofocus. It destroys the truly extinct D100 and holds up against the D2x as well.

This camera takes great pictures, especially for its age.

I could post many more, as my D200 was my primary camera for the past year.

However, I must be critical and continue with discussing this camera's downsides.

1. This is widely discussed in other reviews of the D200, but it's battery life is deplorable. Dimming the rear screen and using a grip certainly improves it's life, but it still burns through batteries faster than most DSLRs.

2. Low-light performance is very much of it's day... outdated and not that great (though better than other cameras of its day, probably worse than the Canon 30D however)

3. A lot of settings and modes can be changed via knobs and levers on its exterior, however there's still a lot of stuff buried in the menus (this is a matter of opinion, and my opinion tends to be more luddite than techie)

4. The built in flash performance is deplorable. Though, I don't use flash very much and if I do (such as for portraiture) I use a speedlight.

5. It uses an older CCD sensor rather than a more modern CMOS sensor (part of the reason for its low light performance, however some say in the world of APS-C/APS-H/crop size sensors CCD is better... personally I barely see the difference)

At the end of the day these are all pretty minor though, because the D200 is a real workhorse and a total bargain for what it offers.

I originally picked mine up with a very low shutter count, body only with battery and charger for around $220. That puts this one at the "PUT ON THE RITZ" level of the BCF Hierarchy. That's a lot for this blog, I know, but for the same reasons as the Canon 30D its a steal. The D200 is a great backup, great intro DSLR, good for folks starting out in paid gigs, etc.

Instead of sealing this thing in a bag you can shoot with it in the rain (disclaimer: its weatherproofness might not hold up) and snow, you can accidentally drop it and take comfort in it most likely surviving, and because of this it holds up over the years. The rubber doesn't separate as easily as other cameras, its more scratch/dent/crack resistant, the mirror doesn't shoot off like with some 5Ds and the mainboard doesn't fry as often as some 5Ds (why do I own a 5D...).

I debate selling my D200 all the time. I'll have it listed for a few days on eBay, then some random thought will pop into my head like "you know what camera feels great to shoot with? the D200" and I take it down. I could get rid of it as I own several SLRs/DSLRs at the moment that also take great photos. I buy/sell cameras pretty frequently, especially when I find a deal. This blog has become a major justification for doing this! However once I critically weigh the positives/negatives I usually end up hanging onto the D200 for a little while longer. I've sold a D1, a D1x, D100s, D50s, Canon 30Ds and 20Ds, and the D200 has stuck around through all of it. While these have all been to play with and then sell for a small profit, the D200 is something special that's been hard to upgrade from. Maybe it'll just hang out in my camera bag as a backup for the rest of its life.

Thanks very much for reading! More photos taken with my D200 can be found on my website, as well as my regular, more-frequently-updated tumblr and on my Society6. Stay tuned for a new review next week when I discuss the trials and tribulations of shooting with the pre-cursor to the Canon Rebel!

#budgetcamerafun #budget #camera review #good deal #bargain #nikon #d200 #nikon d200 #peterjnelson #peterjnelsonphoto #review #analyze #digital slr #dslr #DSLR #cheap dslr #semi-pro

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Canon 30D

I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to review a budget-minded Canon DSLR, so behold:

The Canon 30D!

The 30D is one of Canon’s all-time best crop-frame semi-pro DSLRs in my book. It has great autofocus, white balance, controls, low-light performance (for a camera of its age, modern ones definitely far super cede it), exposure compensation, in-camera processing and shutter range. While it only has 8.2 megapixels, that is all most folks need. If you’ve got good glass in front of the sensor and have a good understanding of light and composition you’ll make excellent photos.

Not to take a deep breath and brutally toot my own tuba, but I was able to produce these with mine about a month ago:

Shot with a Canon EF 50mm 1.8 lens, these have a fair bit of post-processing, but still the colors and sharpness are great!

The construction is also pretty solid: its no Nikon but it’s definitely got some weight and toughness to it. To use the BCF toughness scenario, I’m fairly confident in saying it could withstand a 2 foot drop. Though, any lens attached would certainly bust and the screen would almost certainly crack.

I stated its positive characteristics above, but I must emphasize its autofocus a little further. For not being a Canon EOS 3 with friggin’ Eye Controlled Focus its pretty fast and intuitive. Canon always does this best and when I first tried out a 30D that I bought and flipped about a year ago it almost made me sell all of my Nikon equipment. In my experience it focuses really well in low light and the tiniest movements will make it quickly re-focus.

It has a place in BCF because it really is a bargain for its features versus price. I picked mine up (now for sale) for way too much at $160, but there are always cheaper options and the very similar, slightly-older Canon 20D goes for even cheaper.

Regarding its place in the BCF Hierarchy, it’s well into “PUT ON THE RITZ!” territory.

Reading this, you, dear reader, might now push yourself away from your keyboard, knock over your nearby mug of coffee, curse my name and yell: “WHAT THE FLIP, I thought this blog was all about budget and shooting great photos for the least amount of money?!?!”

While that is a valid point, I must present the fact that in the digital SLR realm this camera is indeed a bargain for the features it offers, and if you’re looking at long-term goals (saving money on film development, breaking into paid freelance work, etc) this camera can save you tons of money and time. It may be a crop frame and only have 8.2 megapixels, but I bet nobody would care if you were a second/primary shooter at a wedding, especially with the optional Canon BG-E2 grip installed. It would take excellent photos that could hang with those of more expensive cameras.

Man, I bought my 30D to temporarily play around with and then flip, but now I kind of want to keep it…

But I suppose that means I should mention its DOWNSIDES.

Well since it has the classic/modern Canon SLR layout, that’s not an issue.

It’s a tad small for my hands but that’s not a mark against it, but rather one against my long, goofy, Giant-House-Spider-looking hands.

I’m having a little trouble finding some downsides…

Oh! Here’s one! The shutter button accumulates dirt/oil/sweat and jams which is kind of annoying. But if you’re careful and ok with potentially damaging your camera, this method can solve that (I successfully did this myself but please ATTEMPT AT YOUR OWN RISK).

I guess some other downsides are its crop frame, 8.2 MP is enough but in some cases not enough, its not as weather sealed, etc. Though these aren’t really downsides as Canon designed this camera to meet a specific price-point and offered similar yet much beefier cameras to offer these characteristics. The cameras that came after it: the 40D, 50D, 60D, 70D etc. are all great options too and some have video capability!

So really on the whole its a great camera! I have to either start finding crappier cameras or being more critical, otherwise I’ll never give you, dear reader, a bad review.

Thanks for reading! I’ll hopefully have more time and focus to start churning out reviews more often (I flip a lot of cameras so I’ve always got material). I also promise not to make as many teasers; they might entice the reader (however many of you are out there) but they can be tough to follow through on (I’m still working on my EOS 3 vs. Canon Owl review).

If you’d like to check out more photos I shot with my 30D, I’ve got quite a few photos up on my regular blog and even have a few for sale on my Society6 page.

#budgetcamerafun #peterjnelson #peternelsonphotography #camera review #canon #30d #canon 30d #eos #ef lens #semi pro #dslr #review #peterjnelsonphoto #budget #cheap dslr #affordable #photography #aps-c

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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THROWBACK THURSDAY! Nikon Edition

Back a long time ago in February of 2014 I came across a Nikon D1 body with battery and charger for $50 in a Savers and absolutely had to purchase it. It turned out to be in not-perfectly-functioning condition, though was clean and I was able to squeeze a couple of nice shots out of it.

MAKING THIS POST BCF’S FIRST THROW BACK THURSDAY! HUZZAH!

I discussed my brief trials and tribulations with the D1 in what was possibly the pre-cursor… the epic prequel… the true origin of what would become Budget Camera Fun in this post on my other tumblr.

I do not go into a whole lot of detail about the D1, but my immense feelings of stokedness can certainly be perceived in the words I used to describe the epic, early-aughts digital cement mixer.

I had fun with it despite it frequently malfunctioning and learned that 3ish megapixels is actually not that bad and can create decent photos when you’ve got nice glass in front of the sensor. I later sold the D1 for parts on the electronic bay and bought a D1X in excellent condition, which I then sold again.

Since making the switch to Canon (well, for the most part) I think I might try to find an original 4ish MP Canon 1D and review it on here. it can be hard to find decent examples for cheap on ebay, however if I come into a little extra money in the coming months I’ll certainly consider picking one up, thoroughly playing with it and posting about it, and then re-selling it to recoup my cost.

Or, I could find another Nikon D1 for cheap and do that as I believe Series E lenses mount up to them no problem.

Thanks as always for reading, stay tuned for future posts including my first DSLR post, and a great camera that millions of people in the US currently have and can take some excellent photos with!

#budgetcamerafun #budget camera #nikon #d1 #canon #1d #camera review #dslr #budget #thrifting #thrift store find #thriftstore #throwbackthursday #tbt

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Pentax SF1

A new record has been set! The time it took from discovering this camera in a Goodwill, to running a roll through it, then picking up the developed photos from Walgreens and writing a review took a little over 24 hours!

Last night after work I went out on an epic thrift run not unlike the one where the official Budget Camera Fun advertisement version 1.0 was shot. I visited 4 Goodwills and one Savers in the northern suburbs of Chicago in a little over 4 hours, including a brief dinner stop. While out I came across a couple of excellent deals, such as a bizarre Ping putter and a very clean and functional Canon AE-1 w/FD 50mm 1.8 lens. It was at my last stop where I discovered a Pentax SF1 35mm SLR and immediately knew I had come across an excellent BCF review opportunity.

The SF1 was in a camera bag with 2 lenses, a couple of batteries (one new in the packaging), assorted filters and instruction manual. The good folks at Goodwill were asking only $18.50 + tax, which even if the body wasn't working is still an amazing deal. The lenses were SMC Pentax-F autofocus lenses which can fetch a nice piece of scratch on eBay. I examined the various components carefully and gladly exchanged green money for all of it. If the camera worked, I'd review it on here and then flip it and the included lenses. If not, I'd flip the lenses and still make a nice profit.

I installed the included new battery, and it worked!

Since I got my paws on the SF1 for just under $20, it shall reside at the "Risky" level in the Budget Camera Fun Hierarchy. It was risky, however the added goodies made this an easy buy and the fact that it works only makes the deal so much sweeter.

After a little cleaning with a light cloth and some lens cleaner the glass was looking nice. When I fired it up I was surprised at how easy and enjoyable it was to operate!

I should note, this thing had me confused when I first held it in my hands. The buttons were very foreign and arranged in a very foreign fashion. I was used to the standard layouts of Canon and Nikon, as well as old K-mount Pentax cameras, but never this thing.

All you do is move the levers on the left-side forwards or backwards to select which setting, then toggle left or right with the lever behind the shutter button. Voila! An awkward video of what this all looks like with an angry punk soundtrack can be viewed here. It's a tad tedious to change things while firing the shutter from the face, however quite easy and even fun otherwise.

I have to talk about the styling for a second: holy crap Pentax worked really hard at making a 35mm SLR look incredibly 80's futuristic. The camera came out in 1987 and you can't blame Pentax for gunning for innovation and styling, as all of the major camera companies were deeply entrenched in war with each other throughout the 70's and 80's. Technology and innovation were moving fast and they had to do everything possible to keep units moving. The SF1 totally looks like a prop out of another futuristic-looking, science fiction thing of 1987, Robocop.

The SF1 has some good features, in fact its the first electronic film SLR to have built-in auto flash. You can also shoot in 2 different Program modes: one for portraits and nearby subject-matter, the other for things further away. Though not super innovative by modern standards, this had to be pretty significant back in the day. It's also one of the first auto focus SLRs, only being preceded by the Pentax ME F which had a massive, battery-operated auto focus lens strapped to it. That's right, the lens itself had BATTERIES IN IT.

Besides these noteworthy traits the specs and features are pretty par for the course in terms of what else was being released at the time. When I tested a roll in it this afternoon, I only shot in the second, more distance-friendly program mode and I'm pretty happy with the results:

Straight outta the can using Fuji 200 from Walgreens

Pretty great, right? I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the photos the SF1 produced! The film is of good quality but the lens, meter and auto focus made for some nice and crisp prints.

I don't really have any gripes about the camera, it fulfills its role nicely. I would say it even goes a little above-and-beyond with its auto focus and metering system. While most of the stuff I was focusing on was right in the middle, it honed in quickly and determined an excellent exposure for every shot.

Shooting with it as I mentioned above is really fun. It is enjoyable to shoot with something that has 80's-neo-futuristic-technology written all over it. The motor drive is a deplorable 1.8 frames per second, but that's not a concern as I generally do not shoot action shots. The autofocus is quite loud, and keeping up with the sci-fi references, the shutter sounds like a Taim and Bak MS-4 twin blaster cannon on an AT-ST.

I'm sorry to say, but I don't think I have any BCF Top Tips this time around. I pretty much covered what I wanted to say when I reviewed the Fuji Finepix Z20fd, which is always check and consider ALL of the contents of the bag when out thrifting. Again, if the body wasn't working but the lenses were still in good condition, then that's some solid, flippable product you've got there (jesus that sounds corny... kind of sounds like this dude).

If you come across one of these for cheap by all means buy it! If it comes with a lens or 2 all the better; the whole thing can be viewed as a wise little investment. Pentax SF bodies go for cheap on eBay. They can be bought for a little and then then re-sold to recoup your original investment. If you'd like to experience something different than Nikon and Canon and are in the market for a solid, well-built electronic film SLR, the Pentax SF series is hard to beat. They use an exotic and kind-of-pricey 2CR5 battery though it can be found in any Walgreens, Best Buy, Target, etc.

I'm pretty astonished I was able to purchase a camera, shoot a roll with it, have that roll developed, upload the photos, and then write a review about the camera in a little over 24 hours! That might not happen every time, but when a similar opportunity presents itself in the future I'll be giddy as a schoolboy ready to type.

Thanks very much for reading! More photos taken with this camera, as well as my other work, can be found at my other tumblr and on my website.

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Canon Rebel G

Finally, dear reader, I have burned through a roll of film with a CANON REBEL FILM BODY, had it processed, and can now submit a thorough report on it. It's proving to take a bit of time to load a roll into the breach, go take some decent shots, drop the roll off at a lab, pick it up, and continue on with a review; I was hoping to have this review last week but unfortunately time didn't allow.

It is absolutely pertinent that I first talk about the Canon Rebel Gs cultural and HISTORICAL significance, and why I would like to wager that it will be the great hand-me-down-SLR for at least the next 20 years.

The 35mm Canon rebel film body is one of the great mid-90s-to-early-aughts beginner electronic SLRs. Notable cameras of this variety from other manufacturers include the Pentax ZX-M, Nikon N55, and several others. Just like the Nikon range at the time, there was a decent price change in the consumer SLR index of the early aughts depending on which modes/functions you wanted. Want 1/3 stop exposure compensation instead of 1/2? Fancy a max shutter speed of 1/4000th? You would've had to pony up for such luxury. This sort of market activity (or, tomfoolery) exists today, however instead you pay more for more megapixels, higher ISO, larger LCDs, etc (though higher shutter speeds and bigger apertures are still price modifiers for sure).

The Canon rebel satisfied the consumer/enthusiast/photo student level of photography that has always been a great market for camera companies, and did so well. Everyone else did too, but Canon's historical upper hand of being slightly cheaper than Nikon, utilizing the EF lens system and having great autofocus kept units moving.

Why, back in my day (which really wasn't that long ago) I used to see Rebels, N55s, N65s, etc. for sale in Best Buy and Wal-Mart for as much as $250! The last time I saw a film SLR for sale as new in a big-box store was probably my freshman year of college, and they had some level of Rebel with lens for around $120 or so.

My first electronic film SLR was a Nikon N55 (which I'll try to get my paws on and review!). It did a great job despite its consumer-level LACK of features and adjustability. I used to covet the N75 and N80; if only pimply, 15-year-old me knew that someday I'd be playing with N95s, a whole smorgasbord of digital SLRs and even a Canon EOS 3 with friggin' Eye Controlled Focus! I used to see sooo many ads in photo magazines as a still-wet-behind-the-ears photo student in high school about who had what, how crisp one particular camera was, how user friendly another was, etc. Wolf Camera used to have some great deals online and in-store such as Canon Rebel film outfits with a bag, cleaning kit, and something like a Sigma 50-200 zoom lens. They still offer similar setups, though in digital. I can remember still being able to buy darkroom chemicals in-store, buying Ilford photo paper with an included roll of HP5+, and having all kinds of options on how to get my rolls developed. Man, I'm getting a little sentimental writing this... I should continue on with the camera itself before I start shedding a tear or two!

Saturation turned up slightly in Lightroom to give colors a more striking look

The Rebel G was Canon's lowest-end consumer SLR in the late 90s.

No major surprise here, the Canon Rebel G takes great photos! I shot this roll with Lomo 100 and it turned out great. This is the first time I had purchased/used anything Lomo in a while and I'm satisfied with this film's results. I had the negatives processed at Walgreens however; for quality's sake I could've used a better lab. With plenty of light and my trusty EF 50mm 1.8 (or, "nifty fifty") I was able to put some great ones in the can. This camera would not be a waste of any nice film either, it will accurately record stunning images onto Fuji Velvia, Kodak Portra (160 and 400), Fuji Superia, Ilford Delta 100, etc.

Straight outta the can

The Rebel G is light, quiet, easy to figure out, compact, has a decent-sized viewfinder and the autofocus is really good, especially for its level and price-point.

My only gripes: it's REALLY compact which makes for some tedious and awkward hand movements to adjust the exposure with the camera pressed up to my face. Also to note is exposure compensation only comes in 1/2 stop, it's probably pretty brittle and would surely bust apart if dropped more than 2 feet, and it only has a max shutter speed of 1/2000th.

Though again considering its price-point and place in the consumer electronic film SLR hierarchy its down-sides really ought not be considered. Any more options/adjustability would fit the Rebel XS and then go higher up the chain. Ken Rockwell summarizes the technical aspects very well and has nothing but nice things to say.

I got my Rebel G for exactly $FREE. I bought some old photo equipment off of a friend and flipped almost all of it on eBay, but had just this little Rebel G left over. It has a slight crack in the flash, and they're not exactly fetching fat-stacks on the Electronic Bay, so after it sitting around and collecting dust for a while I decided to use it for BCF and then include it with my other donations.

If we look at current price trends, a nice functioning example could be had for anywhere between $15-20 online, placing this little beauty in both the "Hope it Works!" and "Risky" levels in the Budget Camera Fun Hierarchy.

If you are looking for a great camera to have fun with, not care too much about, learn film photography with, etc. snatch one up if you find a nicely priced, functioning one on eBay. If you were to come across one at a thrift store, garage sale, rummage sale, estate sale, or receive one as a hand-me-down from a friend or family member, by all means buy/accept it and have fun! It's a refreshing experience to shoot with a low-end Canon Rebel, much like the Infinity Stylus in one of my previous reviews. It's light, has great metering and autofocus, and allows one to concentrate more on their subject matter than their finer exposure details.

This thing will certainly not stand up to the elements however, and make sure it has some padding when toting it around.

As I mentioned way above, I think the Canon Rebel (not just the G, but all film Rebels) is already/will become the next great hand-me-down-SLR for at least the next 20 years. If you include digital Rebels that would extend the time frame even further. It's up there with the Canon AE-1, Nikon EM, coveted Pentax K1000, Minolta SRT-101, etc. People my age will pass their rebels down to their kids, other family members and friends, and even donate them so they appear for cheap on thrift store shelves. As long as film is still produced, there will still be photo students, art-inclined individuals, Luddites (like myself), photographers looking for a cheap/easy backup/toy, and many other types of people out there who would be well-served by a Canon Rebel and get a lot of joy and creative development out of it. For pennies, too.

Thanks very much for reading! Stay tuned for a review of much more recent (but still kind of old) Canon SLR, as well as many more affordable cameras that deserve a good word written about them. I'm pretty excited for some upcoming material, ideas, and as always, ESOTERIC JOKES!

More photos taken with this camera, as well as my other work, can be found at my other tumblr and on my website.

#budgetcamerafun #budget camera fun #canon rebel g #canon #rebel #petegans #lomo 100 #camera review #review #photo review #cameras #film photography #35mm #consumer level #camera test #peterjnelson

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Vivitar ViviCam T139

Boy oh boy do I have a some material for you this week, dear reader.

This Vivitar ViviCam T139 came across my radar because I decided to look up the more modern version of the camera I’m holding in the official Budget Camera Fun advertisement version 1.0.What I discovered on eBay was a huge assortment of ViviCams, many of which are going for super cheap!

My exact thoughts were “well if they’re going for really cheap, and they have modern ergo, rear screens and a decent amount of megapixels, then a clean example would fit BCF well!

So I bid on what looked to be a modern generation and won it for $20 shipped, placing this digital point-and-shoot pocket camera at the “Risky” level in the Budget Camera Fun Hierarchy.

Fun fact about Vivitar (not a brand you see a whole lot these days): apparently they still make a 35mm film SLR!

I received the Vivicam very quickly (good marks appropriately given to the seller) and boy oh boy, what a camera it is!

First, I ought to go over the positives as I’m the type who like to promote something’s positive aspects more than its negatives.

Hm… well… it’s small! It also zooms decently, it makes a cute little jingle when it turns on/off and its light! It also has a selfie screen which allowed me to snap this:

Portrait of a Goon: the J. Peter Nelson Story

That’s right! New Years Day 2011! I did not bother to set the time/date stamp, so apologies for this seeming to be a little old, these pics were actually snapped last week in the year of our lord 2014. Plus, New Years day 2011 was a day of recovery I’d rather not think about (think: free Manhattans, Champagne, and an injured Achilles Tendon!).

I also snapped this!

Ok, maybe picture quality isn’t all that great. This thing boasts 12.1 MP, which is more than my Canon 30D or old Nikon D200, D1x, D1, D100, D40 (do you see the trend here? I love cheap/reliable old DSLRs and sell/buy them all the time) which all take and took great shots. However this ViviCam… well I suppose it’s time to talk about its downsides.

While uploading the photos from this little t.v. remote, my reaction to the picture quality was: “Really?” The above pic is the only one that came out decently.

It boasts having decent zoom, dual screens, etc… however to sum this camera up: it’s really just a camera that was pulled from a late-2000s (or, late “aughts”) cellular flip-phone and put in a p+s shell. Regarding the clarity of the selfie screen, it looks JUST LIKE like reverse screen on one of these. The picture quality, white balance, buffer, etc are DEPLORABLE. I actually froze it saving a short AVI movie to the 1 GB SD card (hey that’s a plus, it takes an SD card which is our current and most common method of saving photographic data!) and had to pull the battery, re-insert it, and fire it back up.

When I refer to it as “light” I’m not fooling around, this thing is paper-light. If dropped from a height of more than 2 feet this thing would almost certainly disintegrate. Though if the case is in-tact, it’s innards are actually pretty accessible with a small screwdriver; I bet one could pull the camera from a dinosaur phone and solder it right in.

Navigating through and changing the settings is a real task. User-friendliness was definitely not on Vivitar's mind when they were designing this camera. I imagine a toddler could learn and become fluent in COBOL faster than learning how to change this thing's settings.

The various covers for the battery, SD card and USB port are seriously from an early Droid phone too; they’re just black plastic flaps that loosely clip into place and do not keep water or dust out.

So this camera is pegged at risky in the BCF Hierarchy. Was it risky? Yes. Was it a waste of money? Absolutely… though it did give me ample fodder for a review so maybe I only wasted $18 instead of the invested $20.

I must point out though, if somebody’s in the market for something cheap and only going to be taking selfies/party pics/etc, and doesn’t want to risk buying used, heck why not pick one up? Even the newest models go for significantly less than similar offerings from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, etc. They also come in the cheapest packaging possible which translates to a lower cost to the consumer.

For my money however I would indeed buy used, such as an older Finepix like the one in my previous review.

In light of this: BCF Top Tip #4: Consider buying gently used before buying new. As mentioned in my previous review technology from a few years ago still holds up! Plus it’s slightly more environmentally friendly! Buying used also supports small business, keeps America’s hard-working postage/shipping industry employed, and you save a lot of money (one of the main points of this blog).

The ViviCam T139 did not get good marks from me, so what do I intend to do with it? Donate it of course!

I’ve decided to donate this camera (as well as several other functioning cameras) to the friendly folks in the picture above, United Church of Rogers Park. No matter what your beliefs are, or if you don't have any beliefs, one can’t deny the people at this church are very friendly, charitable and accepting. “United Church of Rogers Park seeks, by thinking globally and acting locally, to make known God’s love for persons of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, physical and mental abilities and economic classes.” They open up their rooms to events, community meals, provide space for after-school programs (which is crucial in the city of Chicago), etc. Plus the ladies in their thrift store are just soo incredibly friendly. I’m not pawning the ViviCam off on them; if they could use it for their own promotion or get 5-10 or more bucks for it, then that’s great.

Farewell to you too, my friend.

But wait, what about that gigantic ham radio of a digital camera in the official Budget Camera Fun advertisement version 1.0? Well, I need to get my hands on some 99% Isopropyl Alcohol and set aside a half-hour to try and make it turn on. Hopefully I’ll have that done soon. If it works I can thoroughly and scientifically review it and report back.

Thanks very much for reading!

#budgetcamerafun #budget camera fun #camera reivew #vivicam #vivitar #digital camera #point and shoot #review #consumer advice #pocket camera

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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HOLD THE PHONE: A DSLR Review?

That's right dear readers, I decided to go back to a DSLR (going to sell the EOS 3) and boy have I had fun with it in the past 24 hours of ownership!

My extreme case of Impulse Buy got the best of me, though the EOS 3 is now for sale since I got some rolls out of it and I'll be able to turn a small profit.

That means I'll be doing a review of my new DSLR, a Canon 30D, very soon. So many teasers on this thing in such a short amount of time!

I still want to run a roll through a Rebel first though (I have 2 Rebel bodies sitting around), so I'll take one of them out shooting soon and shall return with a thorough write-up!

Thanks for reading!

#budgetcamerafun #camera review #canon 30d #30d #eos #ef lens #nifty fifty #canon #dslr #slr #nerd #too much time on my hands

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budgetcamerafun · 9 years

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Reviewed: Fujifilm Finepix Z20 FD

Finally, a review of a camera I purchased right out of the bag section at Savers Thrift Store. I really lucked out with this one! Included in the bag was a crappy, early digital camcorder with no cords and a small green case. Here's the beauty of it: the Fuji was inside the green case, and I don't think the employees at Savers knew that because the bag altogether was $5.

That puts this little pocket digital camera right at the ceiling of "Why Not?" in the Budget Camera Fun Pricing Hierarchy (BCFPH). I tried to sell the digital camcorder as-is for $8 at a flea market a couple of weeks ago, which would have put me $3 in the black AND made this camera essentially free, but there were no takers. The teeny green case included a 2 GB memory card (full of pre-teenage girl shopping selfies!), battery and charger, too!

BCF Top Tip #3: When perusing bags/boxes of merchandise at thrift stores, estate sales, rummage sales, garage sales, etc be sure to pay attention to all of the contents! I once came across a Canon AE-1 w/lens at a rummage sale in a carrying case for $5; when I dug deeper into the case there were 2 more lenses!

This Fuji is a decent little pocket point-and-shoot digital camera. It has a 10 MP sensor, takes video, has decent zoom, fairly broad ISO sensitivity and shutter speeds, as well as a lot of modes (including Program, which is handy for folks who like a little more control over exposure). The specifics can be found here and a nicely detailed, professional review can be found here.

So why am I reviewing it when I just posted a link to a nice, thorough, credible review? Because that's based on how it was when it debuted in 2008, let me offer to you, dear reader, how it stacks up nowadays!

I've handled a lot of flimsy, chintzy, cheap cameras in my day, however this one feels strong! It feels like it could withstand a light drop or two, and the sliding front cover (great, cheap was to protect the lens) feels solid and confident. In fact, it feels 10-times better than an old higher-end Olympus p+s film camera like the one I discussed in my first review. Like older p+s cameras, sliding the front cover turns it on which I definitely prefer over a tiny button that you have to hold like many of the p+s digital cameras that Canon, Sony, Nikon, etc produce.

Having 10 megapixels to fill up still yields good pictures in this day and age; the photos still look great for a cheap pocket camera and don't have to be nearly as large or crisp as a DSLR's images.

I've dedicated this camera as my digital fun-saver. It's great for snapshots, eBay, family photos, parties, etc. The camera was created to fulfill that role and I'd say its still doing it just fine. In fact, if you're looking for something to fulfill the same roles, these puppies fetch a tiny sum of money on the electronic bay.

There are downsides to it for sure, but they're largely irrelevant due to it's purpose, price-point, and current price. The flash performance is deplorable, but who cares?

To prove it's worth as a nice little snap-shooter, allow me to show you a couple of quick pics I took today on my lunch break:

All the technology in the world can't prevent me from taking the inevitable finger-in-the-top-corner photo.

It feels weird to upload a pic without even the teeniest amount of post-processing.

As you can see, contrast, saturation and detail are just fine right out of the chip. shooting into the light or back lighting certainly kills detail, but all pocket cameras do that.

Another nice characteristic of shooting with only 10 megapixels is a smaller file size! If you're working with an older computer, especially one that starts up with one of the greatest Brian Eno songs ever written, you would certainly appreciate this.

A photo made with this camera or something similar would be great to play with in a photo editing app too, like Mextures or VSCO.

The Fujifilm Finepix Z20FD (say that 5 times fast, I dare you) is a great little shooter. One could be dug out of the bins at a local thrift store or won on eBay for very cheap. It's not the only one however. There are lots of comparable cameras, either of the same age or newer, that do a great job being reliable pocket cameras. Do some research, read some well-done, solid advice websites, and have fun! If you come across one in a thrift store for 5 whole bucks and it works, pat yourself on the back and laugh in the face of everyone who paid full price not too long ago for the same thing.

Thanks very much for reading! As I blabbered about in my previous post I've got an EPIC COMPARISON TEST planned, however that will take a bit of time before I can start writing it (mainly due to having to finish and mail out the rolls for processing). In the meantime I'll get some things together and I think I'll run an expired roll of 200 speed WALGREENS film through the legendary Canon Rebel 35mm SLR next!

Stay tuned!

#budgetcamerafun #fuji #fujifilm #z20fd #pocket camera #point and shoot #cheap #camera review #budget #fun #consumer advice #cheap camera

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