johnnystiletto

shoshana: thanks for the comparison! now that i've held the n80 i agree with you completely.

 

a coworker of mine brought his n80 to work tonight so i could check it out. turns out that, even though i wanted a lightweight camera, the n80 is TOO light for my tastes. it's even lighter than my beloved ae-1! tomorrow i get to check out the n90s; a dear friend has one WITH the lens i want, so i will get to 'test run' it for about a week.

honestly, how different is the n80 from the n90s? the price difference is pretty substantial!

Wow! Thanks for the many responses! I've now decided to go with the N80 - it has the options that I want, nothing that I don't, and plus, I will save enough $$ to buy some great lenses.

 

The deciding factor? One of the guys at work has one and is letting me borrow it to see if I like it. So far, a hearty YES.

 

now, to pick out lenses....

 

Thanks for all your suggestions! You've been a great help!

derf! i just read that the N90 has a fill-in flash.

Looks like the F100 and F4 are out. The F100 seems to have way too many user complaints, and is most likely more than what I need. The F4 is too big.

 

I'm leaning heavily towards the N80 or N90 now. What is the difference between the N90 and the N90S? Also, I see the N80 has a built-in flash, but not the N90, correct?

 

At least I've gotten narrowed down to 2 models now!

Shun:

 

I already have a digital (though not an SLR) that I adore; I'm mainly looking to upgrade from an all manual SLR that is older than me to an SLR that can offer me all auto as well as an all manual option. Thanks!

Looks like I need to read some product reviews on here!

 

Yaron:

 

I've been comparing the N80 and N90 along with the F100. I think the F4 is most likely not going to happen - it's just too bulky for me. I *am* considering the 35-70 lens, and pushed around the idea of the 28-105. I'm just a little concerned that so many people have had issues with the F100. However, the N80 will definitely free up more 'lens money' for me. Thanks!

 

Russell:

 

Well, I outed the F4 since my hands are WAY too small; plus I don't like the idea of lugging around such a heavy camera. This is the second time the N80 has been recommended to me; is it possible to go totally manual with it (I know that must be a stupid question)? Mainly, I'm just wondering how different the N80, N90 and F100 are (besides price). Thanks!

I know that this must be asked quite often on here, so I apologize in

advance...

 

I have been shooting with my Dad's F50 recently, and have decided to

purchase a Nikon SLR. I have always shot with a Canon AE-1 with about

6 different lenses. Now, my goal is to simplify things by getting a

good Nikkor zoom lens and a Nikon SLR. I have sold all of my Canon

equipment, and also have some birthday money to play around with.

 

My question is this: Can you recommend a good Nikon SLR that will

allow me to shoot in 'idiot mode' (all automatic) for when i just want

pictures of me and my friends (or for when I'm just plain lazy), but

will also allow me to go completely manual. The F50 is nice for that,

and I like it OK, but I'd like something with more options (and higher

tech metering).

 

I'll probably be buying used if possible, and have been looking at an

F100 or even an F4. My only complaint on the F4 is that it's quite

bulky, especially compared to what I'm accustomed to. Plus, I have

teeny tiny hands. Also, I don't know if the F4 is maybe a little 'too

pro' for me. So, any recommendations would be EXTREMELY appreciated;

I've looked online at several websites, but I'd rather have opinions

from those who have used the camera's firsthand. I also like the N80

and N75; they are much more 'my size'.

 

If it helps, I'm looking for the best value for the work I like to do.

I'm not a beginner at all, but I'm not near a professional. I shoot a

LOT of black and white, but I am also trying to get back into just

having shots of my friends, family, and I. I like to maintain some

control over my photographs (don't we all!) which is why I like the

'manual' option, but I also want a Nikon good enough to make all the

decisions for me when I feel like just having fun.

 

Thank you all so much in advance!

 

Julia

Chris:

 

Wow! Thanks for the info! I'll be sure to remember that since I am constantly changing film speeds and forgetting to change the camera setting.

to j salty:

 

this camera is my beloved crusty old canon ae-1. we're talking about WAY before dx coding here. maybe i should have just stuck with the nikon instead....

Well, luckily I haven't processed the film yet (power's been wonky due to these summer Alabama thunderstorms). I guess it may help to let you know that some of the exposures will probably be unexposed anyway, regardless of film speed, due to the lack of light where I was shooting. So, should I still reduce dev time? I probably won't even get a chance to process until sometime tomorrow night.

 

PS: Thanks to EVERYONE for all the advice. Also, if this info helps, I usually develop with Rodinal.

Thanks everyone! I'll probably just develop normally since I will compensate during printing!

I shot 2 rolls of Ilford HP5 Plus (ISO 400) last night.

Unfortunately, I noticed that my camera's film speed was set to 125.

Is there anything I can do in processing to compensate? Any advice

would be super appreciated! Thanks!

With Canon FD lenses, often times you can't beat the prices that KEH (www.keh.com) has. Also, they are very generous with their 'ratings' on lenses. I've gotten many 'bargain' rated lenses from them that were in 'excellent' shape. Just stay off of ebay - many sellers on there will sell lenses that they *say* are in excellent shape, and then they will have dings or fungus or things like that.

 

Also, here on photo.net is a great review of different online merchants, so you can read people's experiences with different shops. But, like I said before, KEH has very good pricing IMHO.

I'm not sure about the 5700, but www.buy.com ALWAYS seems to be cheapest. I got my 3200 from there after doing a quick search on www.froogle.com (offshoot of google that searches for the cheapest price!). Hope this helps!!

Thanks David!

 

I *thought* it might just be a fancy term for 'Extension Tube'....

Whenever I take group photos of my friends (granted, I don't do wedding photography), I make them count backwards from 5 to 1, but I take the picture when they get to 3 - usually they have a more natural smile when they are saying the 'th' part of '3'. I'm not sure why it works, but it does!

The book "Creative Exposure Control" by Les Meehan is a WONDERFUL book about getting your exposures correct (especially for beginners) and will explain in depth about how meters are stupid and how to overcome that. It's a book I always come back to and read over and over.

I have a Canon macro lens (FD 50 mm 1:3.5 SSC), and it came with

this little "Life Size Adapter" attached to it. It comes off, and

appears to be little more than a big hollow tube. Anyway, I did some

research online and can't find ANY information on what this thing is

or does. (I'm mainly trying to figure out if maybe the fact that

it's just a hollow tube means it may be missing parts). Using it on

my AE-1 while attached to the lens hasn't revealed anything to me

yet.

 

Any ideas?

i actually carry all of my gear in a plano tackle box bag that i got at walmart for 13 bucks. it's nylon with zippers and several pockets, and fits 2 bodies and 6 lenses with no problem. i bought some foam at a local fabric store to pad it out (basically i made little partitions out of the foam). now, when i go out, people just think i'm carrying bait, and who wants to steal that?

 

another route to go is to get a bag but 'decorate' it if you like. my everyday purse is actually an army surplus map bag that goes across the shoulders and is covered in buttons and various band patches. combine that with the tackle bag full of canon gear, and most people probably think i'm dirt poor.

ha! i'm still using my first camera. my dad gave me his ae-1 in 1987 when i was 7 years old. i never gave it much thought at that age, but it's the camera i shoot with every single day.

Thanks everyone!!! Right after I posted this, I read the filter info here on photo.net, and I think I will be going with Hoya or B+W. Thanks again!!

James: I took a look at the F-2 and then thought it *might* be too much bag (I know, I know, ALWAYS get a bigger bag than you think!); I'm sure it would hold all of my gear with no problem. I'm just curious how large it is - I'm fairly petite, so some bags are HUGE for me (like my old Tamrac 5606). Thanks for the insight, though!!

 

Julia

I'm with Mark - I definitely have Canon Equipment Acquisition Syndrome, especially with FD lenses. I'm especially glad that I have both the original AE-1 manuals as well as the hotshoe cover and the PC cover. Oh, and let;s not forget the ugly brown leather hard case that it came with. Not bad for a camera older than me!!

I can't decide on which Domke bag to purchase - unfortunately, no

shops here carry them, so I will probably have to order them online.

I have an AE-1 with a 199a Speedlite and the following canon fd

lenses:

 

50/3.5 macro

 

50/1.8

 

135/3.5

 

28/2.8

 

70-210/4 zoom

 

I won't be carrying all of these lenses all the time (I usually

carry 3-4 lenses at a time), but i might have to when i travel I am

looking at the F-3X and the F-6 (looking a little more at the F-3X),

but I'm having a hard time choosing. Also, a big bag is out of the

question since I'm about 4'11 and 100 lbs (the weight isn't a

factor, just the bag bulkiness). Any recommendations on the Domke

bags or suggestions for other small bags to hold all this gear?

 

Thanks!! -Julia