Photography General - Sperging about taking pictures and shit

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Congrats on the purchase. Excited to hear your complaints and critiques of the camera menus and submenus. Have you looked into any photo editing software yet?
 
Null said:
i hate photography so much and i haven't even bought a camera. the horrible business practices, inconsistent advice, fake competition between subsumed brands, the horrific youtuber influencer reviews - truly a shockingly awful field
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Its not that the advice is inconsistent, its just that there are many ways to achieve the same or similar image and each way has its own compromises.
And packing as many features into as small a camera as possible is something that brands stopped trying to do since even before mirrorless. They'd much rather you buy a separate camera for videos and photos and accessories like flashes and grips than actually put out a single camera that can do it all.

Anyway, considering your hard limit on the size, the Lx100II is good specs-wise and you'll learn to work around its weaknesses as you understand more.
I don't know if the LX takes filters but polarizers don't really alter the image quality. All they do is alter the light to give some desired effects (ie reduce reflections from glass / water and slightly increase vibrancy of some colors / scenes.

ND filters are basically sunglasses and they reduce the amount of light coming coming into the camera so you can use wider apertures / longer shutter speeds without overexposure. If you don't plan to do lot of long exposure photography, you won't need them. Good quality filters are also expensive so just read / watch up on the concept of exposure first before buying more stuff; its easy to jump down the accessory rabbithole in this hobby.

Consider an exposure (as suggested by the camera) of 1/200th of second at f5.6 at ISO 200. To halve the exposure, you would need to a) decrease the ISO to 100, b) narrow down the aperture (also known as stopping down) to f11 or up the shutter speed to 1/400th of a second. Or you can get a 1-stop ND filter and it will halve the exposure without changing any settings, because again, its basically like a pair of sunglasses. Practically speaking, NDs will only be useful if you do photography where it won't be possible to reduce exposure by lowering ISO, increasing shutter speed or narrowing the aperture.
They'll be useful in video if you're recording in very bright environments though but even then I recommend finding your sensor's limits first before getting an ND since they come in various strengths like 2-stop, 4-stop, 6-stop etc.
Polarizers might be helpful for taking photos through museum-glass though; I'm not sure about the science behind it so I won't comment too much on it.
 
Administrator Flotsam said:
I don't know if the LX takes filters
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On page 78 of the manual, DC-LX100M2 has a 43mm filter diameter.
I'd recommend Tiffen, Hoya, and B+W (in order of cheapest to most expensive) brands for filters. Usually you can get used/like new B+W filters cheap on ebay. $20 will get you a cheap circular polarizer to try out. You can also buy step up filter rings to adapt larger filters to your 43mm lens thread. Ideally you want filters with brass rings so they don't get stuck in the filter thread or bend. It's usually recommended to buy a UV filter of some sort to keep your lens clean and free of dust and to protect the lens coating from scratches.
 
Oh dang you already got one. Whatever you get will be fine, I just hope you didn't spend anywhere near $2,000 bucks. That is way too much for a first outing. Hopefully you didn't spend over $1,000...

Administrator Flotsam said:
They'd much rather you buy a separate camera for videos and photo
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For what it is worth, so would I. I'm a big advocate for specialized devices as opposed to all-in-one. I would rather do one thing very very well than do four things that are just okay. But I also find that buying a DSLR for video only is... well, I guess people like burning money.
 
IrishGuy088 said:
For what it is worth, so would I. I'm a big advocate for specialized devices as opposed to all-in-one. I would rather do one thing very very well than do four things that are just okay. But I also find that buying a DSLR for video only is... well, I guess people like burning money.
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If it makes sense from a technical limitations standpoint, I'd also prefer that. But the problem is that camera manufacturers are just cutting otherwise implementable features in their attempt to upsell. Take built-flashes for instance. The Nikon D700, D600, D610, D800, D810 and D750 all had it. But when the series reached its pinnacle with the D850, they cut it out. The D700 and 800 series were always pro cameras yet they saw a reason to cut an important feature. Same with Canon, Nikon and Sony neglecting their APS-C lenses and bodies. And since everyone going mirrorless, flashes have started to disappear from many entry-level cameras as well lest they reduce their CIPA battery rating.

They need to realize that people have phones which can take acceptable photos and videos already. If someone's spending money for a dedicated camera, it better have everything needed to make them feel like its a step up in every way. The sensors on even 1-inch sensor cameras are also massive compared to phone camera sensors yet every manufacturer finds some way to mess up every model they release. And using a DSLR or mirrorless for video makes sense since they need the processing power anyway and having video from such large sensors and good optics is just good value vs getting a dedicated video cameras. I don't think including video changes the cost that much because even cameras with limited video options (eg Pentax DSLRs) are still similarly priced to those that have much better video options.

But regarding segmentation of basic features, take Nikon's current mirrorless range:

-Z30 (20mp APSC): tilt and swivel LCD, no viewfiner, no in-body image stabilization (IBIS, which all midrange and higher end phones have), neglected set of APSC lenses, single memory card slot, no flash
-Z50 (20mp APSC): no IBIS, neglected set of APSC lenses, single memory card slot, has flash, one-way tilting LCD
-Z5 (24mp FF): 2 card slots, has IBIS, no flash, slower continuous burst rate than the Z30 and Z50, one way tilting-LCD
-Z6 series (FF, 24mp, for all 3 of them): Z5 with faster AF, higher burst rate, slightly better sensor and better video, still no flash, more expensive
-Z7 series (FF, 45MP, 2models): A D850 with IBIS and better video and slightly worse AF, still no flash, one way tilting-LCDm, costs more
-Z8 (FF, 45MP): a cut down Z9 or a sped-up Z7, has IBIS, no flash, better AF, higher burst rate, very expensive
-Z9 (FF, 45MP): a flagship with a battery grip but no flash, still a non-video optimized LCD, astronomically expensive

The Z6 series has the best video specs (for the price, the Z8 and Z9 are too crazy to consider) but doesn't have a a flippy screen, the Z30 is aimed at content creators but doesn't have IBIS or an EVF in case they want to use it for non-vlogging purposes even though the sensor is good for it, the Z7 would have been an ultimate stills camera but it doesn't have a flash, the Z50 and 30 still use the old but good 20mp sensor from the D500 which was announced in 2016 and have limited set of small lenses that take advantage of their smaller sensor.

-I don't even know the differences between the Sony a6000 series cameras; they're supposed to have good specs and processing power yet Sony also has a dedicated vlog line with the same APSC sensors, and only one of them have IBIS
-All of Canon's APSC lenses are slow as fuck yet don't reflect that in their cost
-Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and Sony gimp their lower-end products by not giving them enough buttons / dials / direct physical controls
 
Administrator Flotsam said:
no flash
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You know, they sell these magical devices called "Hot Shoe Flashes" now.
I am a little sad that something like the Godox mini flash isn't actually Nikon(or any) TTL and you have to do it the old way. As a matter of fact I don't think there's really any of the mini flashes that do TTL.

But I can understand camera makers not wanting to shove the necessary parts into their smaller bodies.

And you can always go "Retro" and get real controls.(Zfc and Zf)
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And yes I'm absolutely considering swapping my D750+Zfc for the Zf and calling it a day.
 
I saw a "hot shoe flash" in the bagged small electronic accessories section of a thrift store the other week and I was a bit tempted but I didn't feel like rolling the dice on whether or not the bulb is burnt out (no refunds on that kind of electronics).

I have an older Nikon that does have the built-in flash anyway but something a little bigger would be nice however I don't really take enough night portrait shots for it to really be worth spending camera store prices on even a used one.
 
I do fear that one day they will release a DSLR without a hot shoe, however unlikely that outcome may actually be.
 
davids877 said:
You know, they sell these magical devices called "Hot Shoe Flashes" now.
I am a little sad that something like the Godox mini flash isn't actually Nikon(or any) TTL and you have to do it the old way. As a matter of fact I don't think there's really any of the mini flashes that do TTL.

But I can understand camera makers not wanting to shove the necessary parts into their smaller bodies.

And you can always go "Retro" and get real controls.(Zfc and Zf)
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And yes I'm absolutely considering swapping my D750+Zfc for the Zf and calling it a day.
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Got to borrow my friend's ZF about a month ago for a day. It took a little getting used to since I usually use a Sony A7III so the controls were different. Overall, it was a pretty good experience although I would highly recommend getting a hand grip as trying to hold onto the flat side makes my hand a little sore. The hand grip got rid of that issue no problem.

Also I hadn't used a Nikon digital in a while and was pleasantly surprised with their RAW files the colors were quite pleasing without the need for too much tweaking in LR.
 
In order to feel better about myself, I'm gonna go ahead and blame reading through this thread for triggering my Gear Acquisition Syndrome, which I'd been pretty good at tempering so far. As a result, the number of cameras I own has tripled
:stress:

I checked out my local marketplace the other day and found a near mint Olympus XZ-2 compact and a good condition Canon EOS 1000D DSLR for bargain bin prices. In the end I couldn't resist snapping them up. I also ordered an Olympus VF-3 EVF from eBay to pair with the XZ-2.

I got into photography in recent years and jumped from a smartphone straight to a mirrorless, so I'm looking forward to trying to shoot on a DSLR of any kind. The compact I bought because my E-M10 II, as dearly as I love it, did at times feel slightly cumbersome slung over my shoulder on my latest trip abroad. I don't so much care about looking like a tourist, but it not being truly pocketable was a bit bothersome at times, mainly inside busy locations like restaurants and cafés.

This weekend has been busy, but I want to try and set aside some time next week for a small photo excursion of some kind. May report back if I end up making it out there.
 
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davids877 said:
You know, they sell these magical devices called "Hot Shoe Flashes" now.
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The first party ones are crazy overpriced and third party ones can be sketchy. Until recently all of them used AA batteries so that added an additional thing to buy and keep charged. Built-in flashes are also useful for wirelessly triggering a remote external flash so it'd be a great thing to have if you wanted to use off-camera flash. Without it you'll either need a second external flash or a remote trigger, both of which need to be bought and kept charged as well. That'd be ok if you're working in a studio taking portraits but if you want to photograph flowers and bugs or anything else outdoors, it adds a whole lot of bulk to a walk-around setup.
davids877 said:
And yes I'm absolutely considering swapping my D750+Zfc for the Zf and calling it a day.
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Haven't used one but retro cameras with their small grips sound like cool ideas until you need to attach a lens that weighs more than the camera. I can't imagine holding something 150mm+ with such a small grip. Happy upgrade though, it'll be nice having IBIS on your D750's lenses.
 
Okay I feel like I opened Pandora's box last time because I picked up a Canon PowerShot G10 and an Olympus E-PL2 today from my marketplace for next to nothing, relatively speaking. Both in excellent condition. It's not that I regret the expenditures, but my head is starting to spin thinking about all the outings I'll have to make in order to get a good number of shots in with each device :story: Not a bad problem to have, per se!

As tribute, here is a picture of an orange rat I caught rummaging around my kitchen taken on the EOS 1000D and touched up in Snapseed.

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As an aside, in over five years of this hobby, this is the first time I've gone beyond applying premade filters (primarily through IG) to my photos. As such I welcome any technical advice!
 
Got a camera. Took a picture. It was out of focus.

I am enjoying it a lot but it is very much a toy. The knobs and dials and buttons are all very satisfying but it's definitely a toy.
 
Null said:
Got a camera. Took a picture. It was out of focus.

I am enjoying it a lot but it is very much a toy. The knobs and dials and buttons are all very satisfying but it's definitely a toy.
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In your line of required personal paranoia you're likely not going to be able to use it as a tool, so yes, it's a toy. Take pictures, enjoy them with friends and family. Share them with others once you're on a different continent/planet and they won't dox you. Be glad you no longer have to wait a week for them to come back to realize they're blurry.
 
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