Thoughts and questions

[mad reilly]

Well it's been a few months now since I got my shooter (my nickname for my AE-

1P). Needless to say, I love the thing. I zaped through 20+ rolls of film (I

work two jobs so that's quite a feat for me). I took bad pics and I 've got

some pretty good ones. I think having the AE feature has helped me learn how

to take photos manually (I hope that statement makes sense). I tried to first

guess what my eye sees for light level and set all the stuff (Apature and

shutter speed) and then I set the camera to AE and take the same (or close to

it) picture to compair the results. I've also been reading alot of books and

of course alot of web sites about photography. Which brings me to my question.

So far, besides film, I've only purchased the camera body and a 50mm f/1.8

lens. I want to step it up to the next level and buy a flash, some more

lenses, and a few other accesories (I would really like to get the motor

drive, my little guy moves really fast). My question is, should I stick

with "older equipment" or try using somthing that's at least Y2K complient? I

was thinking about a T90 body at some point. I was even considering going for

the EOS route. (but then I'd leaving my friends in this forum :( ) Long and

short I don't want to waste any money. Otherwise, I'm having a blast!! I've

been trying to go outside on my lunch and snap a few shots (shusshhhhh don't

tell my boss). Thanks everyone.<div></div>

[wildwoodgallery]

Hi,

 

I would stay with FD. Get more cameras and lenses. Cheap now. If you go digital later still keep your FD system. I have an original F1 & AE-1P. Very nice cameras. I love the F1.

 

Here's a couple pictures with my AE-1P & 50mm f1.8. Film Gold 200.

 

Rick<div></div>

[wildwoodgallery]

with AE-1P with 50mm f1.8.

 

Rick

[gnashings]

Why would you leave the FD world? Get a Canon F1, or a New F1 if you feel the need for more of a system - and you will have a robust camera that you can beat oxen to death with.

As far as the T90 - if you go with a technoboat like that - go EOS, go new. Frankly, I don't really see the point though.

One thing I thing bares repeating: if you have a limited budget, spend on glass first, everything else next, and then bodies last.

[doug_nelson3]

Some of the very best lenses are quite reasonable on auctions these days. The FDn 35 f2 and 100mm f2 are top performers and go for less than $150 (I saw a 35 f2 go for $47). Google Gary Reese, Canon FD lens tests for some test results on samples of FD lenses. In wides, I prefer the 28 f 2.8 SC over the FDn version, as my sample ($25 on the auction site) has very little barrel distortion. If you are a wide-angle fan, or want to play with wides, any 24mm will do, but you might want the 24 f2 eventually. The 85 f1.8 is a favorite in this discussion group, wonderful for flowers, portraits and even for isolating parts of a landscape. You are wise to get to know the 50mm first. Don't fall into the trap some of us do, however. More stuff won't make you a better photog. Three basic lenses (wide, "normal" and tele) do most of what I like to do.

[mad reilly]

Guys - Thank you for all the good advice. I defo for now want to stay in the FD world. I gadget freek though. So when I was reading what the EOS modles do I started drooling. I also have to answer to my wife. She's wondering why I would spend my money on old technology. My next trip to B&H I am going to grab a wide and a telephoto. BTW got to shoot 3 rolls today 1 with my "point & shoot" and two with the AE-1p - I love my AE-1P! I keep the P&S in the car

[John Crowe]

I'd go to the Nikon world where you could invest in manual focus lenses that are just as good as FD lenses and just as affordable. In a few years you could use the Nikon lenses on a Canon EOS DSLR with an adapter or on a Nikon DSLR. While there is no camera in the Nikon line-up like the T-90 there are lots like the AE-1P. The Nikon F4 would be most similar to the T-90 and even though it is an autofocus body it would work fine with the Nikon manual focus lenses.

 

 

Sorry if this is heresy but I used Canon FD for 20 years before switching recently to Nikon lenses for my EOS film and digital cameras.

[gale]

All good advice...to which I will add that you can do what my wife and I do and keep your bank account empty by buying all the clean FD stuff you can find on E Bay like we are sick with some crazy addiction to which there is no cure.

 

This way it takes hours of discussion and debating to decide what camera we take today.

 

We have camera bag(s) full of:

 

2 FTB bodies (one black and one chrome)

1 F-1N AE

3 AE-1's (two chrome and one black)

2 AE-1 Programs (one black and one chrome)

1 AT-1

1 A-1

2 28mm FD F/ 2.8's

1 24mmFD F/ 2

6 FD 50 f/1.8

2 50 FD f/1.4's

1 28 FL

1 FL 135

1 FL 50 Macro

1 FL bellows

gobs of FD/FL extentions tubes and reverse rings

2 Vivitar Series 1 28-90's F/2.8

2 Canon FD 70-210 F/4

 

Plus the stuff we have on the shelf that doens't get used anymore

 

Dave<div></div>

[kris_h]

I agree with buying the glass before buying a second body. I used my A1 with my 50 1.8 for many MANY years until I started getting more glass. Now I'm working on upgrading my glass to faster glass and I'm loving the results! I compared a photo with my 300 f/4L and a new digital S3IS, the digital stunk. The FD stuff was 100 times sharper and the color was much better even with cheap fuji supria 200 speed film!

 

When you go to B&H try out a bunch of lenses and see what you like. The 85 1.8 is one of my current favorites, very sharp, very nice bokeh, very good all around, a lens that proves you don't need an L. Depends on what type of photos you like to take as to what lenses you may like. If you like macro the 100 f/4 with an extention tube is great, for distance stuff the 200 2.8, and 300 4L are great. For wide angle theres a ton of choice with the FD system. Personally I prefer the 17 f/4 over the 20, the 20 seemed flat and the 17 much more 3D. The 28 2.8 is cheap, but I prefer the 35 f/2 for photo quality. I just bought the 24 f/2 and a 100 f/2, because I returned the zooms I bought. I just can't get into zooms. The quailty is OK, not as good as primes, but I like to get into my photos and physically move around. Plus the zooms are heavy.

 

Another thing to try is different films. For cheap you can shoot tons of rolls the fuji supria is good, Fuji Velvia (slide) is great as is the fuji Provia 400 slide, for b&W it's really a matter to taste, I find the agfa too contrasty sometimes, the ilford brands are what I shoot mostly.

 

Basically the FD system is my favorite and I always go back to it. The lenses seem superior to the EF lenses I've tried. I've tried so many digital cameras and hated every single one, always coming back to my trusty A1.

[bill_force]

Although I recently bought a new (used) Canon digital DSLR, I still love to use my older FTQL,T-70, F-1 and FD lenses.

 

This one is of my back yard in Colombia. We really don't have seasons as such but do have colors, fruit etc. year around

This is one from my T-70 FD 50mm F:1.8.

[bill_force]

I'll try that agian, maybe too large?

 

The F-1 is a "truck" and a pleasure to use but the T-70 is much easier to pack around and will produce the same images with the same lens.