kmcgrew

+1

Gary: I have a Canon PowerShot S120 as my "point and shoot" but on manual mode it does great. (One of my favorite photos was taken with this camera, but I get an error when I try to upload the JPG image as an attachment to this post. You can view the Mumbai Harbor at Sunrise photo in my personal gallery.) I also have a Canon PowerShot G12 as my "point and shoot plus" camera--as there is an adapter which permits filters to be added. It is also my underwater camera, as I have the housing and external flash for the G12. Those four cameras, Canon S120, Canon G12, Nikon 1 V2, and D800 cover 98% of my shooting requirements. The other 2% are covered by my medium format and large format film cameras. Let's face it, a 6x7 transparency scanned at 4800 dpi is a 132 MP image and at 6400 dpi it's a 234 MP image. Somebody show me a sensor capable of those resolutions for a reasonable price.

John, You don't say what subjects you're shooting. My answer to questions of upgrading starts with, "What would Ansel or Weegie do?" Now, I know that these two great photographers didn't do a lot of action shots, so all the "golly gee whiz" stuff comes into play for those. I still use my Wista DXII for landscape, nature, and architectural photography because it makes me focus on the subject. I'd defy anyone to find better prints of Florida's scenery than Clyde Butcher does with his large format cameras. I've even taken my Wista DXII with a 6x9 roll film back to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World for some great shots. Having said that, I do stitch together HDR panoramas taken with my D700 or D800 and Gigapan EPIC Pro.

Yes, when excellence is just too much to ask for use the phone camera. Somewhere in my travels--and sometime in the last 10 years or so--I read an interesting article about how technology has lowered our expectations. For example, in the 1960's-1990's if a regulated phone company offered the same quality of service as most mobile services provide today they would have been fined and, eventually, lost their local monopoly. Likewise, if any of the mainframe computer makers made an operating system with the bugs of Windows, they would have been banned from competing for any U.S. Government business. Instead, we have lowered our expectations considerably and then "oooh" and "aaah" at all the things a mobile phone can do. I think the term the author re-cycled was "satisficing," because the new solution is satisfactory and it suffices until the next satisficing solution comes around to the market.

Congratulations. I remember Phillip posting and the old web interface. I, too, miss it. I thought I had joined in the mid- to late-90's but the system says June 21, 2000. In any case, it's been a great tool through the years.

Thanks for your tip. I took the link you posted and was told my lens is affected. Shipped it off a couple of days ago. Bought a Nikon 1 V3 yesterday to supplement the Nikon 1 V2 I already have.

I use a box and envelope for all of my medium format storage--645, 6x6, 6x7, 6x8, and 6x9. See here: _DSC1477 | Photo.net

My most frequently used Nikon bodies are the D800 and the Nikon 1 V2, although I bought a Nikon 1 V3 yesterday. I also have a D700. ShunCheung hit the nail on the head when he asked about the CX sensor. I'm not giving up on my FX sensor bodies, but the Nikon 1 is a great camera for digital photos, videos, and prints 8x10 or less. Just as one screwdriver blade doesn't fit all screws, one camera body isn't best for all photos.

My suggestion would be to get a used Nikon 1 V2. It does an amazing job with both still and video. With the addition of the FT-1 adapter, any F-series Nikon lens can be used with no loss of light. It has an amazing continuous shooting capability (5 fps, 15 fps, 30 fps, and 60 fps). The CX sensor (1") is noisy above ISO 800, so if you're looking for a low-light camera this isn't it. If you're looking to print large photos, this isn't your camera. If you like shooting concerts, this is MOST DEFINITELY your camera, because it doesn't look anything like a "professional" camera.

<p>How are the seals on the film back? In the last few years I've had all of the seals on my MR camera bodies and their film backs replaced.</p> <p>You may want to buy positive (slide) film and Fuji mail-in processor envelopes from B&H and try that. Parsons, the lab which does the processing, does an excellent job of processing 'chrome' films, irrespective of manufacturer. Each mailer is good for a 36-exposure roll of 35mm film or a single roll of 120 film.</p> <p>If you are near a major metropolitan area check and see if there is a professional custom processing lab left in business. I'm in Tampa, FL and we have Zebra Color nearby in St. Petersburg, FL; Zebra Color has always done an excellent job on both MF and LF for me.</p>

<p>I also agree with Dave. If I just need an ND or a polarizer, or I want to warm or color the color, then a screw-in filter works fine. If I want to do two of those I can get by with stacking two filters, although stacking on top of a polarizer means I need to find that thin polarizer for which I paid a bit extra.</p> <p>But if I want an ND grad I'll go with my Lee Filters system. The beauty of Lee is I can add a tandem adapter and use two ND grad filters at angles to each other--for when my shot has multiple areas which need different compensations.</p> <p>The Lee system is expensive and bulky if you take several filters and shades--but it is extremely flexible.</p>

<p>GigaPan does not answer the phone--it's disconnected--and on certain of their web pages when you click a link you get a pop-up from the hosting service asking whomever owns the account to make payment to re-activate the site. <br> <br />You prompted me to do another--different--search and I found out that OmegaBrandess has purchased the 'robot mount' side of the business. See here:<br> http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2014/11/gigapan_winding_down_sells_its.html</p>

<p>Does anyone know if there are any firms providing repair service for GigaPan products? I have an EPIC Pro with a broken LCD display. I really enjoyed using the head for some magnificent panoramas, but without that display I'll need a deck of 3x5 cards to map out the menu structure!</p> <p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Henry:<br> For $500 you'll have a rough time getting a mirrorless camera with flash, lenses, and filters to rival your D300. I've got a fleet of cameras--large format through 35mm film and several digital cameras--but my favorite "small" camera is my Canon G12. I had a G10 and moved my accessories up with it. Larger than a small point-and-shoot--but not much--it has a shoe for an external flash for when you want to light up a relatively large area. The Rule of Squares isn't suspended because you use a smartphone or compact point-and-shoot.<br> <br />The G series also has the ability to shoot Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Program, Custom and Video. You can buy after-market wide-angle, telephoto, and filter adapters. There's no substitute for a polarizing filter--so the ability to add a filter is nice. You can get the little Cokin filter adapter for a point-and-shoot, but it requires a tripod screw hole relatively in line with the lens.<br> <br />Used you can get a G12 at KEH for $265. Add the flash and filter holder and you're still under $200.<br> <br />I also have a Canon PS110, which is similar as far as electronics, controls, and sensor--although it is a generation newer sensor than the G12 as I recall. I carry this camera with me nearly everywhere.</p> <p>Neither of these is good for low-light sports, but for daylight sports they are fine.</p> <p>Check out www.dxomark.com for objective comparisons based on measurable factors.</p>