Cameras

[publicenemyno.3 265]

not sure if there's anyone that shoots pentax on the oontz but i'm looking at upgrading to either a k-5 or a k-01 soon. i'm leaning more toward the k-01 but there are plenty of used k-5's on the market that i can snag up a bit cheaper. any opinions?

[Doodle 112]

i've never owned a pentax but my friend just let me borrow this!

i love it!! ill post the roll when i get it!

[I Can Nollieflip 1]

The K-1000 was my first camera, got me through highschool and is still on my shelf today.

The shots are amazing with it! Shit, my whole senior portfolio was k1000 negatives and it got me into art school hahaha.

[Deine Mudder 691]

Olympus XA.

Most neat 35mm cam I ever had.

[acer910 126]

Is this film only or are dslr questions welcome here too?

 

Here's my question, props for answers.

I'm looking for a cheap(er) dslr to take on the road. I've been travelling with an old olympus point and shoot, namely because I didn't know how long I could make a camera last riding freights and doing shit in the woods, and it's lasted a year. It's filthy, has a large (quarter size) spot of dead pixels on the lcd screen, and the battery cover doesn't close all the way. Now I would just keep on using it till it breaks (and I'll probably keep it in my pack as a backup) BUT I'm sick of the shitty shutter control. I want to be able to screw on a little gorilla pod and hold the shutter open to take decent low light shots. Can't do this for shit on a point and shoot. So what I'm looking for is something I won't be terrified of getting dirty (and that I can clean easier than a point and shoot), with the possibility of changing the lens (would like to carry a wide angle lens for freight shots). Also, whether or not it accepts standard AA batteries is a BIG deciding factor. I'd rather lug around a 24 pack of batteries than have to worry about charging some weird battery type out in a national forest.

 

tl;dr Looking for beater dslr to travel with, that accepts standard AA batteries, has interchangeable lenses, that I won't be terrified to get dirty.

[Deine Mudder 691]

What's your budget?

[da1lyoperations 137]

Look into a Pentax K5, it's just been replaced by the K5 MkII but it's still a great camera for the money. It could be a bit more then what you were looking at spending but the price has dropped recently. Check out different stores.

It's weather sealed, and has the option to get an additional AA battery insert to replace the standard lithium. Some good wide angle options available from Sigma for the Pentax mount.

Anything else is either going to be more expensive to get the same specs (without the AA insert) or cheaper and get fucked up by weather/dirt.

[Deine Mudder 691]

Actually, I think I personally would get a proper, used, small non-digital SLR (or: rangefinder - why not?) and two nice lenses for it -

that would be like 100-150 bucks.

Imagine how much rolls of film you could shoot, including developement and prints / scans, for the price of a decent DSLR...

If you get a fully manual one (without electronics in it) that will be as tough as it gets for outside stuff (additional lightmeter would be required, but hey).

[da1lyoperations 137]

I don't know if that's the best for documenting freights though. Not without fairly sound photographic knowledge. For personal work I shoot 35mm, everything. Fine for that, but I'm getting a digital body for graffiti documentation.

It will still cost a fair amount for colour film and process all the time when you just want good quality travel/freight shots.

 

I forgot about the Pentax K-7. The older version of the K-5, same battery insert available and still sealed for dust/weather. They're only a couple hundred for the body in good condition.

 

Otherwise look at something like a Nikon D200 or the Canon 40D, I think they're similar. Good build quality, not designed to be properly sealed like the Pentax stuff, and no AA option. But they'll do the job for you. A few options there.

[Deine Mudder 691]

K-5 looks nice... but fuck, man, it's expensive!

 

D200 or 40D are nice cameras, but the guy sounded like he really throws the stuff in the mud,

I don't think they will last a long time in his hands.

 

That's why I suggested analogue equipment an MF lenses -

and I mean how hard can it be to take a picture of a freight wagon?

 

 

Anyways, it all pretty much depends on the budget, so there..

[da1lyoperations 137]

Yeah, that's why I put the K-7 in there. Same thing, older model.

A D200 would still cop it. I beat my D300 up pretty well and the only issues were dust on the sensor.

[acer910 126]

Wow, didn't expect all these replies. Thanks for sure.

I would like to not spend over 600 total. Meaning, including strap, case, batteries, gorrila pod, cleaning supplies, etc.

Water damage isn't so much of an issue, its just dust. The camera will be exposed to dust, no matter what. It might even get knocked off a table (but thats only happened twice to my p/s in a years time)

I've got a nice 35mm setup I inherited, I've only shot a couple rolls with it and I still haven't gotten them developed. Its an older Nikon FA, with a couple of spare lenses and a spare flash.

My only qualms with shooting 35mm on the road is I'd have to buy a scanner, as I put everything on Flickr, and I wouldn't be able to upload pictures on the road without spending considerable time and money getting things developed, scanning them, and then mailing the originals back to my homebase. Also, I'd have to brush up somehow on my knowledge of photography. I took a few classes on film photography back in the day, and have developed my own film and prints and everything, but it would take some refreshing to learn how to use all the things i'd need (which i'm fairly positive are with this camera, theres tons of shit I haven't even looked through that came with this thing) to take decent photos. I'd be fucking pissed if I shot a whole roll on the wrong settings and they all came out terrible.

 

EDIT: I'll update with everything that's in this kit, as theres a couple of lenses and other things I'm not sure about when it comes to quality.

DOUBLEEDIT: I know 600 is barely scratching into the world of DSLRs, but like i said, I don't want my desire to not fuck up my thousand dollar camera to get in the way of getting the shot. If I do end uop getting a new camera and not using my nikon fa, then I'lll probably just be visiting every pawn shop in town with a list of decent cameras.

[acer910 126]

The 35mm kit in my closet:

Nikon FA 35mm body. Not sure on year, or if that matters.

Sigma Zoom Master 35-70mm lens with sigma hoya hmc 52mm skylight(1b) filter.

panagor pmc auto tele 135mm with same filter

and the nikon lens series 3 28mm f/2.8 was attached to the body.

a flash that doesnt come up on google, "spectrum advanced electronic 25A mini automatic"

and a bunch of weird little plastic things that look they have something to do with the lenses, but arent the protective covers.

[da1lyoperations 137]

http://www.keh.com/camera/Pentax-Digital-Camera-Bodies/1/sku-DP029991131910?r=FE

 

http://www.keh.com/camera/Pentax-Digital-Zoom-Lenses/1/sku-DP07999069682J?r=FE

 

These 2 would keep you within budget if you could find them through classifieds/eBay, etc.. That would be a good kit.

 

Otherwise pick up this -

http://www.keh.com/camera/Nikon-Digital-Camera-Bodies/1/sku-DN029990883770?r=FE

 

Your lenses will fit, they will be manual focus and not as wide as on the 35mm body but they'll still work fine. The D200 is still built very well and I know a few people who've used them heavily for years and they're still going.

[acer910 126]

Sweet, thanks for the links. I'll keep an eye out on craigslist and at the pawn shops for sure. If not, I'll probably just shoot with my fa. I make enough on the road busking to buy and develop film.

I notice you're in australia, I may be over there this summer (your winter), I assume 35mm film is available at most stores there? Same with mainland EU?

[da1lyoperations 137]

Yeah sweet. Hit me up if you ever come through Sydney. The store I work at has most films, for reasonable prices.

Right now I'm looking at getting this for a similar purpose. Graffiti documentation/possible paid work. + It's completely weather sealed.

 

[acer910 126]

For sure. Can't promise I'll even be going to australia though. Plans change so quickly.

 

Can anyone speak from experience/knowledge greater than mine regarding the nikon FA?

[Deine Mudder 691]

Haha, da1ly, that's what I thought of recommending first (a "pro" DSLR),

but then I thought 'wait a second, maybe ask first what the budget is"..

..also these things are really a pita for carrying around all day!

 

 

Acer, I don't know how ambitious you are (regarding 'brushing your skills up'),

but if I were you I'd definately take the Nikon, practice a bit, then take it on the road and use it.

It's a fucking great camera, easy and intuitive to use, and it's tough.

It's not that hard to get exposure right and focus on a subject that stands there!

I don't know where you are, but modern labs do the scanning for you for just a few bucks with the developing,

so you have a) developed negatives b) scans on a cd and c) prints of 36 shots for like a tenner (over here).

The zooms you mentioned are not that awesome, but maybe will suffice totally for what you're doing.

What's your flickr ?

[ipod90 57]

[acer910 126]

Haha, da1ly, that's what I thought of recommending first (a "pro" DSLR),

but then I thought 'wait a second, maybe ask first what the budget is"..

..also these things are really a pita for carrying around all day!

 

 

Acer, I don't know how ambitious you are (regarding 'brushing your skills up'),

but if I were you I'd definately take the Nikon, practice a bit, then take it on the road and use it.

It's a fucking great camera, easy and intuitive to use, and it's tough.

It's not that hard to get exposure right and focus on a subject that stands there!

I don't know where you are, but modern labs do the scanning for you for just a few bucks with the developing,

so you have a) developed negatives b) scans on a cd and c) prints of 36 shots for like a tenner (over here).

The zooms you mentioned are not that awesome, but maybe will suffice totally for what you're doing.

What's your flickr ?

 

Ambitious in the way that I've really got nothing to do for the next few months, and there once was a time when I shot film regularly. So I think I'll get back into it.

That was the impression I got from some online review I read. Supposedly way ahead of its time, and it sells for more used now then it did brand new when it was released.

I'm sure if they put it on a CD for you then they would put it on a flash drive instead?

I don't often zoom in too much, I usually just take landscape photos, or pictures of things right in front of me. I'm sure you'll get a better idea from my flickr. Keep in mind I'm nio professional photographer... just a kid who started documenting freight monikers then started travelling :lol:

flickr.com/benjamin_superbum

[Deine Mudder 691]

I meant 'ambitious to learn how to use a manual camera properly', since you can't check on a display whether everything was right,

but have to be able to rely on your skills / have to exactly know what you're doing or else you'll have missed / fucked up the shot.

If you've already been shooting film for a while once you'll know whether you'll be willing to deal with it I guess.

 

I always took the CD they gave me and backed up the data to a harddrive, never asked them to put it on a stick but I guess it shouldn't be a problem?

 

Some nice shot on your stream, the 'food mart' shot for example I like!

[acer910 126]

Yea I hear ya, I was thinking about that the other night. I guess the only way to ensure you got a decent shot is to "bracket" and get multiple shots of the same thing with different settings.

 

I hate that there were telephone lines in that shot, but the colors were good. Thanks!

[wafflecakee 81]

Be careful with these old dslr's. The high iso's will suck so many balls.

[da1lyoperations 137]

Yeah, I wouldn't be using it for high ISO stuff anyway. Only need it for the build of it.

But I'm now going to be getting a new 5D Mkii from Canon, so that's sorted it for me, haha. Going to pick up a 17-40 and 35 f/2 for it.

[wafflecakee 81]

Good call I'm getting the 5d II next week as well. Business isn't good enough to get the 3...

 

The upside to my 1d over the 5 is the AF. That's about it.