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8 Jul 2024 08:46:57 EDT (-0400)
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From: Zeger Knaepen
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 2 Feb 2016 18:27:59
Message: <56b13b7f@news.povray.org>
On 2/02/2016 19:18, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> On 02/02/2016 01:19 PM, Francois Labreque wrote:
>>  >> Orchid Win7 v1: Nikon
>>> Scott: Canon
>>
>> Begun, the camera wars have.
>
> Yeah, everybody I speak to seems to think that Canon is the only
> acceptable brand.
>
> I have no idea why.

Simple: they used to be, a long time ago, until around 2008. Then they 
completely stalled in terms of image quality, whereas Nikon, Pentax, 
Sony and Sigma (to my knowledge all DSLR brands that mainly use Sony 
sensors) kept improving to the point where today you can buy a Nikon 
DSLR (D5200 for example, 699Euro with an 18-140mm lens) that has in 
every way (light sensitivity, color accuracy, tonal accuracy, dynamic 
range) at least twice the image quality of a more expensive Canon (EOS
700D, 799Euro with an 18-135mm lens)

(This is not an opinion, by the way, I'm talking about measurable facts, 
and I know the new 750/760D has a much better sensor, but it still lags 
behind in terms of dynamic range by a factor of around 2 stops)

Most people that think of themselves as capable of giving advice about 
cameras, because of experience, have been using DSLR's for quite some 
time now, since before 2008. So from their perspective Canon is indeed 
better than Nikon (most people forget about Pentax and Sigma, and Sony 
doesn't really make DSLRs anymore, unless you call their SLT cameras 
real DSLRs, which I don't since it lacks the main component (and reason 
of invention) of a SLR: an optical viewfinder), either because they 
don't know Canon now has the lowest image quality of all DSLRs (again: 
not an opinion, but a measurable fact), or because they have a 
collection of lenses which makes it more interesting for them to stay 
with Canon (irrelevant really if they're giving advice to someone else, 
but people aren't always rational), or because they just don't know any 
better.

Now, in terms of ergonomics and ease of use, that is a matter of 
personal opinion, but I believe most people that have ever used a Pentax 
would agree: nothing beats Pentax :)
Nikon has some weird default settings (like a fixed ISO.. when I use 
aperture priority, that means I only want to select the aperture, so the 
default ISO setting should be automatic, in my opinion), and Canon has 
some weird button placement (it's much easier to turn on and off a Nikon 
or a Pentax than a Canon, for example).
I have personally never really used a Sony or a Sigma, but I haven't 
heard anything good about the Sony menu structure.

In terms of speed, I'll give it to Canon: their EOS 7D mkII is probably 
the fastest camera in it's price range.

Having said all this, I'm not convinced I would recommend a DSLR these 
days, certainly not for a beginner.

If you're not going to change lenses (which most beginners don't), 
you're (imho) better off buying a Sony RX100 mkII (499euro, size of a 
compact camera, slightly more versatile lens than the 18-55mm on your 
DSLR, and the same image quality (or better, if you bought a Canon :))), 
or a Panasonic FZ1000 (699Euro, size of a small DSLR, virtually the same 
zoom range as an 18-300mm lens on your Nikon DSLR, slightly better image 
quality than a Canon DSLR (so about half as good as a Nikon, which is 
still a whole lot better than a normal compact camera) and weighs and 
costs about the same as that 18-300mm lens by itself), or ...
Point is that you don't need interchangeable lenses for good image 
quality or good speed anymore, that time is long past (ever since the 
Sony RX100 mkII, that is, so about 2 years now :))

However, if you want to be able to change lenses, and you're just 
starting, it is (again, imho) a better idea to invest in a mirrorless 
system, as DSLRs will (most probably) disappear from the market in about 
10 years. The advantages of a DSLR above a mirrorless camera are getting 
less every year. In the lower end, the only advantage a DSLR has today, 
is the viewfinder (low end mirrorless cameras don't have a viewfinder) 
and the available lenses (which isn't really a fair comparison: Nikons 
F-mount has been in use since 1959, Canons EF-mount since 1987, and 
mirrorless only since 2004 (or 2008 if you don't count Leica, which you 
probably shouldn't as it's out of most peoples price range :)))

But if you go mirrorless: stay away from the main DSLR brands, Nikon and 
Canon. They both seem to be more interested in protecting their DSLR 
market than they are in making a good mirrorless camera.

Sources: dpreview.com, dxomark.com, personal experience with most brands

cu!
-- 
ZK


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From: clipka
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 2 Feb 2016 21:51:28
Message: <56b16b30$1@news.povray.org>
Am 03.02.2016 um 00:27 schrieb Zeger Knaepen:
> Nikon has some weird default settings (like a fixed ISO.. when I use
> aperture priority, that means I only want to select the aperture, so the
> default ISO setting should be automatic, in my opinion),

I can't wrap my head around what the ISO setting is for on digital
cameras anyway. It's not like you can really change the sensor's light
sensitivity.

On a digital camera I'd expect to have a shutter speed setting so I can
control the movement blur, and an aperture setting so that I can control
the focal blur, and that's that.

But then again, what do I know about photography -- my only camera that
might still be in sufficiently working condition is a 2001 compact
digicam. (Oh, and the inbuilt camera of my smartphone.)


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From: Zeger Knaepen
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 3 Feb 2016 02:36:27
Message: <56b1adfb$1@news.povray.org>
On 3/02/2016 3:51, clipka wrote:
> Am 03.02.2016 um 00:27 schrieb Zeger Knaepen:
>> Nikon has some weird default settings (like a fixed ISO.. when I use
>> aperture priority, that means I only want to select the aperture, so the
>> default ISO setting should be automatic, in my opinion),
>
> I can't wrap my head around what the ISO setting is for on digital
> cameras anyway. It's not like you can really change the sensor's light
> sensitivity.

it's an amplifier setting. The aperture and shutter time defines how 
much lights enters, which results in a certain voltage in each pixel. 
Changing the ISO changes the amplification of that voltage, so it 
changes the "brightness" of that pixel.
Unfortunately you're also amplifying shot noise.

After that comes the analog to digital conversion (yes, those digital 
camera sensors are analog devices :)), and that's where Canon fails 
miserably: it adds a lot of extra noise, compared to the Sony sensors. 
The result is that with Canon, if you try to brighten the darker parts 
of the image, you're going to see that noise, very soon. With Sony not 
so much, which gives it a far superior dynamic range at lower ISO 
settings (at higher ISOs the shot noise is so high, there's just not 
enough data left for a high dynamic range).

> On a digital camera I'd expect to have a shutter speed setting so I can
> control the movement blur, and an aperture setting so that I can control
> the focal blur, and that's that.

That's possible with so called ISO-less sensors (no sensor is really 
ISO-less yet, but Sony sensors come very close), where it doesn't matter 
if you change the ISO in-camera, or do it digitally afterwards.

There is a good reason why you would do it digitally: with analog 
amplification you risk blowing out the highlights, with digital 
amplification the only problem is you're also amplifying read noise (the 
noise added in the analog-digital conversion, which is very low with 
Sony sensors and relatively high on a Canon sensor).

cu!
-- 
ZK


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From: Orchid Win7 v1
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 3 Feb 2016 03:13:41
Message: <56b1b6b5$1@news.povray.org>
On 03/02/2016 02:51 AM, clipka wrote:
> I can't wrap my head around what the ISO setting is for on digital
> cameras anyway. It's not like you can really change the sensor's light
> sensitivity.

That's a bit like saying you can't wrap your head around the volume 
setting on your dictaphone - after all, it's not like you can really 
change the microphone's physical response to sound...


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From: Thomas de Groot
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 3 Feb 2016 03:14:26
Message: <56b1b6e2$1@news.povray.org>
On 2-2-2016 15:56, Stephen wrote:
> On 2/2/2016 2:24 PM, clipka wrote:
>> Am 02.02.2016 um 14:39 schrieb Stephen:
>>> On 2/2/2016 1:19 PM, Francois Labreque wrote:
>>>>   >> Orchid Win7 v1: Nikon
>>>>> Scott: Canon
>>>>
>>>> Begun, the camera wars have.
>>>>
>>>
>>> If it is not a pinhole it is not true to the spirit and is a softboy's
>>> cheat. :)
>>
>> Is that why smartphones have such small lenses? ;)
>>
>
> I don't know. Why do smartphones have such small lenses?
>
> ;-)
>

They are smart. :-0

-- 
Thomas


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From: scott
Subject: Re: Pictures or it didn't happen
Date: 3 Feb 2016 03:56:52
Message: <56b1c0d4$1@news.povray.org>
> I've already got a tripod. It's not especially good though. And
> regardless, you can't use a tripod to hold the camera half an inch away
> from a horizontal surface, while facing at a jaunty angle. :-P

Doesn't surprise me that a Nikon shop would sell you a duff tripod too. :-P

Take it back and get one that can do this:

http://www.johnnyego.com/photography/055PROBX/055PROBX_03.JPG


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From: Orchid Win7 v1
Subject: Re: Pictures or it didn't happen
Date: 3 Feb 2016 13:21:12
Message: <56b24518@news.povray.org>
On 03/02/2016 08:56 AM, scott wrote:
> Doesn't surprise me that a Nikon shop would sell you a duff tripod too. :-P

Nikon shop? No, I bought it from John Lewis. And I've had the tripod for 
years. :-P

> Take it back and get one that can do this:
>
> http://www.johnnyego.com/photography/055PROBX/055PROBX_03.JPG

I think just buying a less cheap tripod is the thing...


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From: Mike Horvath
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 12 Feb 2016 04:06:26
Message: <56bda092$1@news.povray.org>
On 2/1/2016 9:46 PM, Mike Horvath wrote:
> Careful. That sounds kind of like socialism. Who are you to infringe
> upon the camera makers' right to differentiate.
>
>
> Mike

This didn't come out as funny and critical of the camera manufacturers 
as I had intended.


Mike


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From: Orchid Win7 v1
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 12 Feb 2016 14:12:03
Message: <56be2e83@news.povray.org>
On 02/02/2016 06:18 PM, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> Yeah, everybody I speak to seems to think that Canon is the only
> acceptable brand.
>
> I have no idea why.

http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/dont-be-ugly-by-accident/

*facepalm*

OK. So apparently I really did buy the wrong camera. The study 
statistically proves that Canon is superior to Nikon. And Pentax. And Sony.

But never mind that. Panasonic is superior to *all* of them. By a large 
margin!

(I didn't even know they *make* cameras...)


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From: dick balaska
Subject: Re: Reflex
Date: 12 Feb 2016 14:47:24
Message: <56be36cc$1@news.povray.org>
On 2/12/2016 2:11 PM, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> On 02/02/2016 06:18 PM, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
>> Yeah, everybody I speak to seems to think that Canon is the only
>> acceptable brand.
>>
>> I have no idea why.
>
> http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/dont-be-ugly-by-accident/
>
> *facepalm*
>
> OK. So apparently I really did buy the wrong camera. The study
> statistically proves that Canon is superior to Nikon. And Pentax. And Sony.
>
> But never mind that. Panasonic is superior to *all* of them. By a large
> margin!
>
> (I didn't even know they *make* cameras...)

And iPhone users have more sex!  I've had an iPhone for 6 years, I'm 
still waiting...


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