What camera do I buy? / general gear talk

Yeah, I know, I've known. Urgh, shops.

Just buy the A6000 and 20/2.8.

Yeah but new or used, which version, how do I tell if they're ok, yada yada

Think about how many shot you miss while debating which fucking camera to buy!

Well if you can afford new, buy new. If you can’t, quit bitching.

Yes, I should be finishing off the F500 right now.

I used to take 000s of photos back in the day. Now, not so many. So I'm not missing that many shots. I like to live some of what I'm doing, photos are just for jogging my fucked memory.

Well I'm off to take some phone shots on a little gravel ride. Tootles.

But seriously, sell me a cheap A6000 w/ 20mm someone...

I can afford it but I'm also a tightarse so I like to narrow down best bang for buck sweetspot or nab a bargain. Paying RRP is for suckers.

Agreed.

Well, I got my body+1650 on some kinda cashback thing they did in summer 2017, and today’s price is still the same. So apart from interest rates, the camera’s value has been relatively stable both new and used. That doesn’t help you at all.

Buy the lens used, take some time and make some low offers on ebay. I can’t remember what I paid, but it was unboxed in lightly used condition and a lot cheaper than having a box included.

I’m not reading back through 18 pages to find out what Hippy does and doesn’t want but I think I had a similar brief and ended up with a Fuji XT20
It’s small, especially with a pancake, gives me full control, has wireless transfer, affordable

Though admittedly because I don’t like the cold I haven’t taken it cycling too much. But here’s a couple of over processed photos I took on it (I didn’t take the one of myself by the big tree)

5 Attachments

I chose an X70 due to the smaller size (compared to X100), big fan

Weirdly Panasonic menus are a bit clinical but I find them way better than Olympus and also easier to use than Sony.
Older gen Olympuses did seem a bit compromised, style over substance.

You're right that the Sony A series are really compact these days, though lens sizes and volume, as well as small prime lens choices are much better in M43.

If you do get a a6000, I've got a 16-50mm pz pancake zoom lens you can have for cheap. It's a bit tatty, but perfectly functional.

I'd recommend the Sigma 19mm 2.8 Art lens if you want a carry around prime. It's small and cheap 2nd hand (as they stopped making it), and an excellent lens.

Not small compared to the Sony 20mm...

@hippy Just take a phone whose photo output you like and/or shoot in RAW. They’re weather sealed, fit in a jersey pocket and you’re taking one anyway.

If you want to take photo or videos whilst still riding, get a GoPro also. Simples.

Yeah, nah. Because then I have to go through this whole shit again to find out which phones take good photos. Phones shoot in RAW? News to me too.

GoPro for stills? So every photo I take ends up looking like a fisheye shot of a hipster holding a can of Red Bull?

Has this been resolved yet?

Definitely look at photos from the 12 mini. waterproof and the camera is decent.

Go pro you can change the view so not everything will be fish eyed, might be a good idea as it's small and will certainly live up to a beating.

Also the other thought I'd just had regarding a go pro is that you can film a small segment and then extract pictures from it later on. That's been handy for me when climbing or cycling since I don't always want to frame properly.

I'm sure you can do this on other cameras too so it's not exactly exclusive to go pro but the app is quite straight forward in allowing you to do so.

Don't decide just yet Hippy, there's plenty more to choose from.

1 Attachment

.

4 Attachments

Also the other thought I'd just had regarding a go pro is that you can film a small segment and then extract pictures from it later on. That's been handy for me when climbing or cycling since I don't always want to frame properly.

Isn't that a lot more work afterwards, compared to just taking a few seconds to frame a shot properly?

Apart from the fact that a photo from a somewhat proper camera will look much better than a still from a video.

Yeah, the whole point was to get better quality than what I can currently from my phone. Yes, I could take better photos by studying more but no amount of skill can make up for shitty sensors and shitty lenses.

I use a Ricoh GR a lot for cycling - I’ve owned one of the range pretty much consistently since the first GRD came out and they fit perfectly in a little lowepro case I stash somewhere on the bike or if I’m wearing touring shorts, on my belt. The ergonomics are perfect for one-handed shooting, all but one of the buttons are accessible with one hand, and they’re intuitive enough that I don’t have to think too much while riding. The full-press snap (it skips autofocus and shoots at a fixed focal length if you press the shutter button sharply) works well when you’re just trying to grab something quickly on the move. My only gripe is that it isn’t waterproof (or dust proof, although I haven’t had a problem with that specifically).

I also use Fuji cameras and I love them, but I find they’re two-handed affairs. While the X100V is small enough to put in my handlebar bag, I really have to stop to get it out and shoot something (which isn’t necessarily an issue - I’ll happily cycle somewhere with a tripod and my x-pro 2 and a long lens in a camera insert in a Carradice if I want to try to get a particular shot). If I’m out on my Brompton then I’m happy to sling the x100 around my neck and stop on the side of the road to grab a shot, but the emphasis there is on taking photos and the Brompton is just quicker than walking.

Sorry I was more thinking along the lines of cycling and taking photos!