fmueller

<p>I concur with everybody who suggested you need to get yourself a tele lens. I am a Canon shooter myself, but for you Nikon a Nikon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-55-200mm-4-5-6G-Vibration-Reduction/dp/B000O161X0/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1466942702&sr=1-1&keywords=nikon+55-200">55-200VR</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/55-300mm-4-5-5-6G-Nikkor-Digital-Package/dp/B00L88IWAS/ref=sr_1_2?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1466942777&sr=1-2&keywords=nikon+55-300">55-300VR</a> seem like the way to go. Either lens is far cheaper than the Sigma you were considering, and between your kit lens and the tele, I bet you will get better quality than with the super zoom.</p>

<p>I found the Robins in my yard in Ohio were hard to chase away - especially when nesting. These were taken with the old EF 100 macro:</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/wp-content/gallery/birds/Robin-3.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/wp-content/gallery/birds/Robin-4.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/wp-content/gallery/birds/Robin-5.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/wp-content/gallery/birds/Robin-8.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" /></p>

<p>Another hand-held bird shot with the 100-400L MkI, this time using a Rebel XT.</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/wp-content/gallery/birds/sparrows-1-web.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" /></p> <p>Love the Robin shot - especially the outrageous choice of nesting place - but I agree with Brett that your hand needs steadying. Maybe have a wee dram before going out again ;-)</p> <p>It's not the equipment, because the chipmunk looks tack sharp!</p>

<p>I always wonder what people think they might get when upgrading from a kit lens to another lens of roughly the same focal length. The kit zoom lenses from the large brands like Canon and Nikon are much better than most beginners would give them credit for. So if people are hoping for a noticeable improvement in image quality, I have a hunch that most of them are in for a disappointment after sinking money into a new lens.</p> <p>You don't say what lens you have, but I would bet that quality wise it is not worse than any 18-300mm. That's covering a huge range in focal length, which can't be done at a reasonable budget unless sacrificing on quality.</p> <p>One of the big deals about using a DSLR is that you get access to a whole system of camera bodies lenses, flash units and other accessories. There are many thinks you could buy that let you expand your photographic capabilities far beyond what a lens upgrade would do for you. The range of focal length you are looking at is far better covered by two lenses than by one. For example something like a 18-55mm plus a 55-250mm will give for better results than a 18-300mm. Then ad a 10-18mm for those dramatic ultra wide angle shots, and you have a set that will cover you for most eventualities. Later on you can ad a nice flash unit, or some macro accessory, or a tripod...</p>

<p>Fred - did you see the moderator's note that now accompanies Anders' original posting? Discussing politics here on Photo.net is banned.</p>

<p>20D, EFs 15-85, cir pol for image 2 and 3</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Navy-PN.jpg" alt="" /><br /> HMNZS Te Mana</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Rangitoto-June16-PN.jpg" alt="" /><br /> Rangitoto Island</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Cheltenham-June16-PN.jpg" alt="" /><br /> Cheltenham Beach</p>

<p>This question is a little too general to answer in a single forum post, but there is a very nice article on exposure in the learning section of this site.</p> <p>http://www.photo.net/learn/making-photographs/exposure</p> <p>Your question is basically about how to achieve the correct exposure. If you want to delve deeper in the subject, there is a widely recommended book on Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It's pretty much ideal for somebody in your situation. Enjoy!</p>

<p>Some snaps from the dog walk, T1i with EFs 55-250mm IS. Still waiting for my original 7D to arrive in the mail.</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Cheltenham-PN.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Coastal-Walk-2-PN.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Red-Ferry-PN.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>+1 to what JDM said. My Canon EOS 20D is also still in regular service, and they now <a href="https://www.keh.com/shop/canon-eos-20d-8-3-megapixel-digital-slr-camera-body-only.html">sell for under $100</a>. The camera with <a href="https://www.keh.com/shop/canon-ef-s-18-55mm-f-3-5-5-6-is-zoom-lens-116304.html">Canon EF-s 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens</a> should be well within your budget. You can get a 10D for even cheaper, but the 10D predates the EFs lenses, and they can not be mounted. That means you can not get a real wide angle lens for a 10D, and I find that extremely limiting. The 20D is compatible with Canon's full range of EF and EFs lenses.</p> <p>Early Rebels would be an alternative, but the 20D is a somewhat more robust camera. Considering the age of those cameras, I'd rather throw my luck in with a 20D than with a Rebel. That said, a Rebel XT (350D) was my very first DSLR, it would fit your budget, and I had great fund shooting it at the time. Especially if you could pick one up locally for a good price, I don't think you'd regret it!</p> <p>And for what it's worth, the Olympus E-PL2 is no DSLR. If the course you want to take demands that you use a DSLR, that camera would not fit the requirement.</p> <p> </p>

<p>18-135mm on APS-C corresponds to 29-210mm on full frame or 35mm. That's not a very popular range of focal length, mostly because you hardly get any real wide angle. Personally I prefer a 15-85mm as walk around lens, and keep a 55-250mm in the pocket for when I need more reach. Of course your needs and preferences might be different.</p>

<p>Cheltenham Beach, Auckland, NZ; T1i with EFs 55-250mm</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Cheltenham-Beach-PN.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/North-Head-PN.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Swimmer-2-PN.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>I would like to hook up my 7D to a microscope. The microscope I bought is an old Olympus E Series compound microscope from about 1968. I've got the binocular version, ie no camera port. I understand it should be no problem to take out one eye piece and hook up the camera there. There are plenty of adapters on eBay for EF/EFs mount, but what's confusing me is that these adapter come without lens (cheapest) or with magnifications of 0.5x, 1.0x, and 2.0x in the adapter. Since the adapter will replace a 10x eye piece, my initial hunch would have been to look for a 10x adapter, but no such thing seems to exist. What difference does the magnification of the adapter make, and which one should I buy? Does it make a difference that my camera is APS-C versus full frame? Maybe it's best to buy one without lens, because presumably these lenses are not exactly L grade? I am totally new to this microscopy thing, but was hoping to find somebody here with experience in the area.<br /></p>

<p>I share your interest in early digital cameras. I guess the appeal is that they were once ridiculously expensive and far out of reach for most of us. In addition, there are a few interesting models out there that mark evolutionary steps from one established format - 35mm AF SLRs - to another one that at that stage nobody quite knew yet what it would look like when finished - DSLRs. To me it seem to be these Archaeopteryx that command collector's prices. Cameras that already closely resemble the DSLR as we now know it are comparatively cheap. You can pick up early generation Rebels, 10D and 20D for under $100. </p> <p>Regarding the right forum to discuss these, classic manual cameras for me is anything pre-AF, and modern film cameras for me is really about the film era. I used to be a Minolta shooter, and have gone digital with Canon, so this neatly fits in my world with the Minolta SR mount/Canon FD mount in the former, and Minolta A mount/Canon EOS film in the latter. DSLRs fit in neither forum. My main interest would be Canon, and I'd much rather see a post about this in the EOS forum than about the prospective 5D Mk XXV. The problem is that we are less likely to get discussions started that are brand overreaching. Weather there is enough volume to justify a separate forum is questionable, so maybe Casual Photography Discussions is not a bad place for now?</p> <p> </p>

<p>The 10-18 is a pretty attractive lens. My brother recently bought one, and I have heard nothing bad about it. That said, with a 80-200/2.8 and 80-400 VR, you seem to be well invested in Nikon. It would take more than one lens like the 10-18 to make me want to change systems from that position! The <a href="https://www.keh.com/shop/nikon-nikkor-10-24mm-f-3-5-4-5g-ed-af-s-dx-ultra-wide-angle-zoom-lens.html">Nikon 10-24</a> is a lot dearer, but bound to be still cheaper than changing systems. Or how about something like a <a href="https://www.keh.com/shop/tamron-10-24mm-f-3-5-4-5-aspherical-di-ii-if-sp-8-pin-b001-autofocus-lens-for-nikon-aps-c-sensor-dslrs-77.html">Tamron 10-24</a>?</p>

<p>In that case it would seem it takes that long for the camera to process the noise reduction routine. If you want to test that, switch noise reduction off, and see if you still get the BuSY.</p>

<p>More Chemistry Lab, T1i with EFs 15-85</p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/ChemLab-1.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/ChemLab-2.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/ChemLab-3.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Those old motor drives have 1 to 2 frames per second at best. I've never done this professionally, but in my manual focus film days I used to shoot a Minolta XD-7. With Winder-D it had 2 fps. At that rate just rattling through film and hoping for the best had a way lower chance of success than anticipating the right moment and clicking at that point in time. All the winder did was make sure the camera was ready for the next shot without having to worry about cocking the shutter and advancing film. </p> <p>In addition, even at 2 fps you went through a 36 frame roll of film in a few seconds. As a hobby shooter, few people could afford doing that as a standard procedure!</p> <p>To answer the original question, how did people take action shots with a FM2N; by anticipating the critical moment, pre-metering, pre-focusing, and having a bit of luck when releasing the shutter!</p>

<p>Chemistry Research Lab<br /> T1i, EFs 15-85<br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Poster-3.JPG" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Poster-1.JPG" alt="" width="699" height="466" /></p> <p><img src="http://www.fmueller.com/images/Poster-2.JPG" alt="" /></p>

<p>I am pretty sure Leica used the predecessor of the 70-210 f4, which is the 75-200 f4.5. The latter is an awesome lens, which I bought new, used for many years, and still own today. It is often overlooked by Minolta fans, because the 70-210 f4 has better specs, is more common, and such an excellent performer as well.</p> <p>Regarding the 35-135, that's an excellent lens, but I always found the range of focal length of the 28-85 to be a lot more useful. If I recall correctly, there was also a 50-135 as well as a 35-105 - both with even less desirable ranges of focal length, but also good performers optically and very well built.</p> <p>Of the various versions of 35-70 lenses Minolta made, the one to shy away from is the one with variable maximum aperture. That lens truly is crap, or at least the copy of it I once had was.</p>

<p>It should be quite easy to find somebody who wants that lens and is willing to pay good money for it! Those big Canon lenses don't loose all that much in value over time - especially if they have been well taken care of. And you say you have not used yours much, so it should be in top shape.</p> <p>On the other hand, the odds of finding somebody who REALLY wants that lens AND happens to just be selling a 1D X Mark II are very low - pretty much zero, actually.</p> <p>So if money is any consideration, you will definitely want to trouble yourself selling the lens privately, and use the proceeds to buy the body. I'd try an ad here and on Fred Miranda first, because it's less hassle than eBay, but if you don't get what you are looking for, eBay is the place to go. On eBay you will get what the lens is worth on the open market - provided you include good photos of the lens and a decent title allows people to actually find your listing.</p> <p>Wherever you sell it, people will want to know exactly what you are selling, which version etc. Offering the lens as '500L big lens' will yield poor results!</p>

<p><a href="https://www.keh.com/shop/canon-eos-20d-8-3-megapixel-digital-slr-camera-body-only.html">20D - $79</a><br> <a href="https://www.keh.com/shop/catalogsearch/result/?cat=Select+Category&q=canon+10-18">Canon 10-18mm IS STM - $248</a><br> <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1051476-USA/canon_9519b002_ef_s_10_18mm_f_4_5_5_6_is.html">Canon 18-55 IS STM - $89</a><br> <a href="https://www.keh.com/shop/55-250-f4-5-6-ef-s-is-ii-58-lens.html">Canon 55-250 IS - $94</a><br> <br />Total: $510<br> <br />Rock bottom budget, fulfills all requirements, and will cover you for lots of eventualities beyond that. The ultra wide will come in super handy for any shots of a sailing boat you are actually on at the time! If you think you won't need it, leave it out and halve your budget ;-)</p>

<p>You can get an original 5D now for around $400, eg from KEH.com. Seeing that your colleague already put about a grand into this project, that might not be out of the question. And I dare say a full frame body, even if it's an old one, might come in handy in the future in more situations than just this one! Just a thought.</p>

<p>In the 90s, and possibly the 80s, even some P&S cameras offered date stamping as a feature. I had a no-name camera that was nothing special but could do this. Date stamping could be turned on and off, because not everybody appreciates having a date stamped right across all of their photos. At any rate, having a date stamp is by no means a sign of a quality camera.</p>

<p>If you can get that computer at a decent price, I dare say you won't regret the purchase. It has everything you need for photo editing, and then some! I am not a gamer myself, but there is really no application for which you need more computer power than gaming. So a 'gaming computer' is usually a super powerful machine, and it usually boasts good graphics, which is important for photo editing as well. The only downside here is usually the price.</p> <p>Check out Newegg.com and Tigerdirect.com to compare prices. They are super reliable online retailers - basically the B&H and Adorama of the computer world. Of course Amazon is always a good option as well.</p>

<p>+1 to what Colin said. I am still using that lens as well, and it's a bargain now. I am shooting exclusively APS-C cameras, so I could have gone with the EFS 60mm macro, but I really enjoy the extra working distance of the 100mm. If money was not an issue, I'd pick the IS version of the lens, since I frequently shoot hand held, but so far the non-IS lens has served me well. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.</p>