PaulDardeau

12 hours ago, david_carroll4 said:

If you're set on shooting film and wear glasses, the F3HP is without compare, IMO.  But film.......hard to justify the expense, the hassle and limitations in terms of number of shots available, ISO flexibility. The only plus to film, IMO, is the cameras - they are so nice to use (my long-gone F3HP remains my favorite SLR ever), but if the goal is to capture pics, it's hard to beat digital. In your shoes, I would track down a decent used dSLR (you mentioned a D700?) and bring it and the 35-105. Travel light and balance taking pics with enjoying the vacation.

Thanks for your input David. After a lot of thinking, I had decided to use digital only for the trip. I will have Canon T2i with 18-135 lens as primary, and then Canon PowerShot G9 and Pixel 6a phone for secondary.

I still absolutely love film photography and will likely get a F3HP in near future.

There is a really interesting old barn in a beautiful setting about 30 miles away from me. Every time I drive by it I admire it and think about how I will photograph it. I decided it would be best to use B&W film in medium format. The big question was then should I shoot it in the morning or at dusk. It would probably work better at dawn due to the positioning of some trees just west of it. Ok, it's all starting to come together in my mind. The last question is when? When do I want to make it happen. Various things always come up to prevent me from saying 'today' or 'tomorrow morning'.

3 days ago I was driving the stretch of highway where this old barn is located and just as I was coming up on its location I looked over where it's situated (as usual) to admire it and think about how great it will be in a photograph. BAM!!!! It's GONE!!!  What??? Who did that??? Why?? Did a wind storm blow it down?? Landowner tear it down??

At this point it doesn't matter. It's gone! I didn't MAKE time for it! Hard lesson for me - don't put off such photos over and over. Make them happen or else you might miss out.

Have you ever missed out on a photo due to procrastination? It's not a nice feeling. I feel dumb and embarrassed for waiting and missing out. School of hard knocks is sometimes painful.

On 11/2/2022 at 1:58 PM, Gary Naka said:

Actually, IF I had a choice, I would use an 24/1.8 for my companion prime to the 18-135/140, on an APS-C camera.

My logic is, IF I am shooting in low light, it is probably indoors. 
If I am indoors, it is probably a bit cramped. 
So a wide 24 would work better in a cramped environment than a normal 35 or a short tele 50.

But Neither Canon nor Nikon makes a fast APS-C/DX 24/1.8 prime.
So, I settled on the "normal" DX 35/1.8 for my Nikon. 
I think you have to do similar for Canon.

In low light, I would not want to give up the stop of light from f/2.8 to f/2.
On the short end, the 18-135 is f/3.5, only about a half stop from f/2.8.  So why bother.  But the 18-135 is 1-1/2 stops from f/2, and almost 2 stops from f1.8.  And that is different enough to make a difference.

@Jochen1664876637brings up a good point.
The 18-55 and 18-135 are stabilized.
The various APS-C fast primes are NOT stabilized, as far as I know.
So for stationary subjects, a stabilized lens works just fine at slow shutter speeds, and you don't need the fast prime.
But stabilization ONLY stabilizes for YOUR motion, not the subject's motion.  You still need a decent shutter speed to deal with subject motion.

Thanks for sharing your suggestions as well as your reasoning for including the 35mm lens for indoor use. I'm keeping my eye open for a good deal on a 35mm lens as you suggest.

On 11/2/2022 at 2:06 PM, stanley_sizeler said:

Phil,

I have made many trips to France, Paris, Normandy, Riviera, as well as Dordogne and Central Massif areas.   Most trips were with film Nikon cameras (F4, F5)with autofocus lenses, recently digital( several cameras, autofocus lenses).  I strongly  suggest digital over film, primarily for instant image review  advantage.  I used my D700, various lenses, and recently D810.  The D700 is a great camera, and D810 is even better. I don't think there is any image differenced for travel between D700/D810. My favorite travel lens is the Nikon 24-120 AFD F. 4.0.  It handles the close  up wide angles well (I am generally at F 8.0) as well as the monuments, architecture, and Normandy (old German artillery emplacements,  cemetery, museums, beaches, Mulberry harbor, etc.). ISO 800 works well on the D700 for everything, but it is easy to modify the ISO.  Of your listed lenses, I prefer the 35-105, but an autofocus lens will  improve images, save much time.  I see the Nikon  24-240 selling used for$375-400( what I paid). If you get the 24-120, use the Nikon bayonet lens hood to eliminate flare (lens is 77mm).

I am sorry I can't join you.  France is Fall can be beautiful ( also sometimes rainy).

Stan

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the Nikon D700 and D810. I really wish that I had a Nikon full-frame DSLR for this trip, but I've decided to take the Canon T2i and a newly acquired 18-135mm lens. If I really latch onto digital photography, I will likely buy a Nikon full-frame DSLR.

15 hours ago, bgelfand said:

I do not believe either of your digital cameras has GPS, but your Pixel 6a does and will tag any images you take with it with the GPS coordinates of the location. Just be sure you cameras are set to the same time as your phone. Then take a quick image with your phone when you shoot a location with the other cameras. Than any images you load into your DAM (I use Lightroom) will appear near each other, no matter what folders you store them in on your computer. It is than a simple matter to synchronize the GPS data from image taken with the phone to the other imaes taken with your other cameras. Ten years from now when you look at them, you will know where you took all your images. You do not have to duplicate each image. Just shoot one image with your phone in the same vicinity as the others.

 

Have a great trip. I look forward to seeing some of your images posted on photo,net upon your return.

Wow! That's a great idea and I would not have thought of doing that. I'll do this. Thank you for the great suggestion.

22 hours ago, Gary Naka said:

 

I would pair the 18-135 with a 35/2, for indoor photography.

That is the same as my pair: 18-140 GP lens + 35/1.8 low light lens.

Gary, thank you for the suggestions. I bought a 18-135mm yesterday on eBay. I'll strongly consider adding a prime lens.

19 hours ago, Gary Naka said:

If you want more reach, the 18-135 is a great GP lens.
I "think" it will work on your T2i.

I use the Nikon version 18-140.

Thanks Gary. I'll have a look. It certainly would be nice to have that range.

After having some time to try out the T2i and the Powershot (and a lot of thinking about suggestions made in this thread), I have decided that I will take the T2i and Powershot on trip (no film cameras). I also plan to get a new phone (Pixel 6a). I plan to retire my film cameras from any air travel and restrict their use to car outings. Thank you for all the suggestions and advice given in this thread. I really appreciate it.

8 hours ago, Ed_Ingold said:

Do you find the images posted in Photo.net uninspiring? They're nearly all digital.

No, by uninspiring, I'm talking about the camera itself.

7 hours ago, Ed_Ingold said:

Which is easier to carry, a battery which can produce 600 exposures, or 16 rolls of film (approx cost with processing, $320). My last film cameras, a Nikon F100 and F5, went through a lot of batteries. My sweet little F3HP was sparing in that respect.

I spend a lot of time deciding what camera gear to take on a trip. I'm finding it more productive to consider what I'm likely to use, and more important, how will I carry it in use. More often than not, I put 3-4 prime lenses in a fanny pack with another lens on a camera around my neck (or shoulder). A cross-shoulder strap is a lot more comfortable to use, even with a heavy zoom lens (which is likely to stay behind, at home or in the car or hotel.

That's a good point. If I found a digital camera that was comfortable to use (and not uninspiring), I'd be happy to go that route.

8 hours ago, bgelfand said:

It is time to upgrade. The Pixel 6a is now on sale for $299 (US) . The phone is unlocked. When you get to Europe, pick up a SIM at the airport and you now have economical cell service in Europe and a local cell number as well as an excellent camera that will GPS stamp your images. 

 

AmazonSmile: Google Pixel 6a - 5G Android Phone - Unlocked Smartphone with 12 Megapixel Camera and 24-Hour Battery - Charcoal : Cell Phones & Accessories

I am sure there are other vendors that have the same price.

 

My wife has the Pixel 3a and took it to Europe when she visited family and friends. It worked perfectly and she came back with some good images.

Thank you for this recommendation. I think I'll likely take your suggestion and buy it.

4 hours ago, normanskiromanoff said:

Powershot G9? Are you sure it’s a G9 and not a G9x/G9x ii?

The G9 is 15 years old and by today’s standards is garbage

lol, yes it really is the 15 year old G9!

On 10/23/2022 at 7:52 PM, Jochen1664876637 said:

First huge question: What are the results supposed to be? I'd hate to either pay (IMHO too much) for files / CDs from my photo finisher (assuming we are talking a color film workflow) or spend time scanning. 

The D700 seems like a bad idea to me. Full disclosure: I am no Nikon guy. But focusing manual heritage lenses seems to suck on almost all AF DSLRs. There is nothing wrong with not liking / having Lightroom, either use Picasa, Darktable, RAWtherapee instead or become EXTREMELY(!) familiar with your vintage camera (including its menus!) to get your straight out of camera JPEGs right. Some wedding shooters and journalists maybe managed that, I did not. Shooting RAW + JPEG I 'd usually end tweaking the RAW, if I care about an image. 

Maybe you 'll be better off with the Powershot's results? Try before you 'll fly! So far the only cameras making me forget about RAWs and their post processing were iPhones and Fujis. YMMV. 

If your T2i came with an IS kit zoom, it would be my prefered choice in your collection. I am not familiar with it (a 5D IV is my first and so far only Canon), aware that AF spot selecting will suck, fully aware that bottom end consumer bodies' ergonomics were made to suck but all in all it should be kind of shootable. It also provides a slightly wider end than your 35-x zooms, which I'd appreciate. 

If you get along with F2s, despite wearing glasses: Stick to them. How do you live "works without batteries"? Decent Gossen or Seconic? Or just sunny 16 for slide film?

Good input! I'm expecting (wanting) decent photos, but not professional grade.

I read in a number of places that MF lenses on AF DSLRs is not the best combination. I've also eliminated the D700 due to its size and weight.

My wife and I are currently on a trip to southern New Mexico and I brought all of my photo gear that I still consider as possible choices for France trip. I'm viewing it as my 'test run' to see what works and what doesn't.

I'm testing out the Powershot now. So far, I really like the ergonomics of it. I like the size, weight, and feel of it. All of my photos with the Powershot have been indoors so far, so I've yet to see how well it does outdoors. I'm quite sure I'll take it to France, if nothing else than for snapshots.

My T2i does have the IS kit lens (18-55mm). One of the big plusses for it is that there's quite of bit of overlap in the use of the Powershot and the T2i (both being from Canon and about the same age). You're right -- my Canon kit lens does go wider (18mm) than my MF Nikkor (35mm).

My comment about LR and post-processing was not meant to be a criticism of LR. Instead, it's more about in my mind a computer is not part of my photography workflow.

There are a few reasons why the F2 still ranks so high in my book: (1) my first 35mm camera was a used Nikkormat FT2 that I got in 1980. It's very similar in "feel" to the F2 (at least compared to my other options). I was in high school at the time and took many photos with it for the school yearbook and also working for the local newspaper. Right or wrong, it's what photography is supposed to feel like for me. (2) I absolutely love the F2 -- the looks, the ruggedness, the simplicity, and the feel of using it. (3) I have 2 of them and a small assortment of lenses. Using them is 2nd nature to me (no need to learn how to use).

Were any of you brought up on film photography and then made the switch to digital? If so, did it take a while for you to get comfortable with it?

On the lack of battery necessity -- no, I don't use any separate light meters. Mostly I use either sunny 16 or 'feel' (intuition). I also have a Pentax 6x7 medium format camera that has no light meter. It's an odd one in that it requires a battery for the shutter to work, but you're on your own for determining exposure settings. It's not a contender for my France trip due to size and weight.

One of the things that I didn't mention (and is probably relevant) is that I went on a trip to Paris about 7 or 8 years ago and I only took a Canon Rebel XS DSLR with 18-55mm kit lens. I got some decent photos with it, but it was *so* uninspiring to use. A few years ago, I bought the Canon T2i body to experiment with videos. I don't plan to do many (if any) videos on the upcoming trip. Video is really not my thing.

On 10/23/2022 at 10:23 AM, bgelfand said:

What cell phone do you have? The digital camera on it might suffice.

Good suggestion. I could see how that would work for some, but my cell phone is old (Moto X4) and is on its last leg (and very low on storage space).

On 10/20/2022 at 4:16 PM, hapien said:

I have never visited France, but if I planned to take many pictures of shore, I would pass Canon DSLR with all the menu options to wife and focus to driving.

We'll be on a group tour, so no driving for either one of us!

4 hours ago, AlanKlein said:

You didn't say what you will do with the results.  I make slide shows that I project on my 4K TV or monitor. So a small digital camera that I pocket is great when I travel.  No carrying all that heavy equipment and I can enjoy the travelling without being burdened.  

Good point Alan! I don't know yet. I have to add that to my current thinking and planning. Thanks for your input.

Thank you for your reply Dieter!

Thank you for mentioning the Nikon Z5. I have heard good things about the Z series. However, in my case, that's a very expensive option and beyond what I'm able to spend on photo gear. I need to keep my expenses under $1000 USD (preferably far below).

By the way, my comment about the D700 sensor is not at all about its clarity (after all, it's a 12.1 mega-pixel sensor on a camera introduced in 2008). The appeal of the D700 sensor is its color profile and absence of great clarity (giving it a more film-like look).

One of the other considerations I didn't mention in my original post -- I don't do any post-processing at all. I don't own LR and am not interested in any digital post-processing. I suppose this (along with my assortment of existing film gear and MF lenses) leaves me with somewhat of a bias towards film (for better or worse).

Thanks for the reply Ken!

My lenses are all MF. Since making my initial post, I read elsewhere that getting things in focus with MF lens on a D700 can be very challenging if not in bright light.

Hi all,

Brand new to the site. My wife and I will be going on a 7-day trip to France in 6 weeks and I'm having trouble deciding which photography gear to take with me. A big part of it is film vs. digital. Here are the options that I'm considering. I have 2x Nikon F2 35mm film cameras. I can take 0, 1, or both. My wife and I have both been to Paris multiple times and seen the big attractions. We're also going to Normandy, which will be first for both of us. I plan to shoot a lot at Normandy.

What are your thoughts or suggestions? Many thanks in advance!

-paul

Here are the Nikkor (Nikon F) lenses that I already own:

Nikkor 50mm prime f/1.4 (2 of these)

Nikkor 35-105mm zoom (planning to use this lens if I bring a Nikon)

Nikkor 35-70mm zoom

Vivitar Series1 70-210mm zoom (NOT planning to take -- too big)

Nikon F2 (35mm film) black body

+ I already own it

+ Very familiar with F2

+ No batteries required (and no menus!)

- ISO fixed with film loaded

- Haven't verified that it doesn't have light leaks

- Haven't verified that light meter is accurate (not critical; I'm pretty comfortable shooting with sunny-16)

Nikon F2 (35mm film) chrome body

+ I already own it

+ Very familiar with F2

+ No batteries required (and no menus!)

- ISO fixed with film loaded

- Haven't verified that it doesn't have light leaks

- Haven't verified that light meter is accurate (not critical; I'm pretty comfortable shooting sunny-16)

Canon T2i (digital) with kit lens

+ I already own it

- Hate using it (I despise using any menu on a camera)

- Cannot use any of my Nikkor lenses (not planning to buy any more Canon lenses)

Canon PowerShot G9 12.1 megapixel (to use when bigger camera(s) is in hotel room; e.g., going out to dinner)

+ Just bought it on FB Marketplace (haven't received it yet)

+ Compact

+ Dials/controls for quick changes (without needing menu)

+ ISO can be varied between shots (true for all digital)

- Never used one

Nikon D700 (digital)

+ Have read many testimonials about fantastic sensor and great ergonomics (minimal reliance on menus; have buttons)

+ Can use my existing MF Nikkor lenses

+ ISO can be varied between shots (true for all digital)

- Big and heavy (even compared to Nikon F2; D700 body with battery is about 1074 grams)

- Never used it

- Would need to buy it (about $400)

Nikon F3HP (35mm film)

+ Have read many testimonials about great ergonomics and build quality

+ Can use my existing MF Nikkor lenses

+ Have read that HP viewfinder is fantastic for those who wear eyeglasses (I do)

- Never used it

- Would need to buy it ($300-$400)

Most/Heaviest Gear Load-out Option

2x Nikon F2 cameras (1 with 35-105mm zoom [lower ISO film]; 1 with 50mm prime [higher ISO film])

1x Canon PowerShot G9

Least/Lightest Gear Load-out Option

1x Canon PowerShot G9 compact digital

All digital in-between Option

1x Canon PowerShot G9 compact digital

1x Nikon D700 with 35-105mm zoom

Film and digital in-between Option

1x Canon PowerShot G9 compact digital

1x Nikon F2 with 35-105mm zoom