Photography Class

[Overexposed81489]

Hello Everyone,

I am taking a Photo Class soon in school and i need hel picking out a camera. It needs to have all the things needed for class. i wanted it to be able to be in all manual and also be able to be put in manual. I decided i wanted to stay with Nikon. I really like the Nikon N75. I went into Ritz to try it out and i liked it, but what do you all think and reccomend?
Thanks for any advice!

[Overexposed81489]

and i want it to be able to do all the things that i am gonna need for class and yet be able to be more automatic when going on trips...........what do u guys suggest?

[Clemmie]

That's probably the single most popular question of all time, as we certainly hear it a lot. I am certainly encouraged to see growing numbers of people actually taking classes - and for each of them, I pray that their instructor 'knows what they're talking about' in class.

With your basic target defined - you seek an Automatic with full Manual capability - the rest is just a matter of personal taste and budget. Quality, Features, and Pricing, are all approximately equal among the major manufacturers. (That's what Competition does for you.)

In Nikon, the N75 is a good solid contender - and the choice of many who seek our advice here.

As a Minolta man, I'll recommend giving the Maxxum 5 a serious evaluation also.
http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/eprise/...Pages/Maxxum_5

For 'Where to get it from?', whatever you choose, I recommend B&H. Ritz tends to be seriously pricey on their stuff - about 25% higher on items I have compared.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...arch&Q=&ci=269

[Overexposed81489]

i was talking to a friend today and they said that it is better if it is just manual. is it ok if it is manual and automatic? does it make it harder to set all the manual settings?

[EmbeddedMatt]

I own an N75 but rarely use it in full manual mode except with studio lighting.

With the N75, manual focus is very easy. Just flip a dedicated switch and focus by turning the lens.

Setting the aperture and exposure time manually is a little harder because both are controlled by the same thumbwheel. Getting into manual mode is a breeze. Just turn the mode selector to 'M'. So it boils down to this: setting aperture and exposure time manually is hard to do quickly. In the studio, I don't care, but maybe you do. You should go back to the store and try it yourself.

You didn't ask about depth of field preview, but this is easy to do with the N75. There is a dedicated button for it.

You also didn't ask about setting film speed manually. This is not possible with the N75. For some people this eliminates the N75 from consideration. (OK, technically it is possible to change the film speed but it is an ugly kludge. Think aluminum foil.)

The good thing about the N75 is it can easily be used as a point-and-shoot. For an amateur like me, this is a nice feature. I think the N75 will be the last film camera I ever own. I don't want to start a religious war, but digital IS the future (present?). Think about that before you spend a lot on a film body.

[Clemmie]

Something to remember about friends: They don't always know what they're talking about.

Most automatics which have manual capability, make it easy to use. The N75 and Maxxum 5 are real good examples of that. Some other models make manual a bit trickier to access, but anything is easy once you get used to its ways.

There are a few basic automatic models - such as Minolta's QTsi - which DON'T have a manual option. But then, we're not considering those, are we?

One of these automatics we've been looking at will be your best value choice - not only for having auto or manual available at the flip of a switch, but also because the lenses will be compatible with a newer fancier body when you decide to upgrade at some point.

If you want to get a Full Manual camera, however, there are three models available New - Minolta's X-370s, Nikon's FM10, and Pentax's ZX-M. Each of these run about $220 with a basic zoom lens - which is mighty close to what I'm seeing on the N75, and actually higher than the popular $199 kit featuring the Maxxum 5.

[Overexposed81489]

Hi, thanks for all of your help. now is not having a manual film speed setting, such as the N75, a problem if i am going to take a photo class? and right now i think i am debating between the Nikon N75, Nikon FM10, and the Maxxum 5.

[EmbeddedMatt]

Keep in mind I'm an amateur, but if you think you might get serious about photography with film, then the N75 may not be for you because you can't set the ISO. This seems to be THE glaring omission from the N75. Personally, I don't care because I just shoot film at the automatic ISO setting.

Whether or not it is going to be a problem for your class I have no idea. I think that depends a lot on the class. If possible, ask your instructor. If you don't know who your instructor will be, ask any instructor in the department.

[Overexposed81489]

so i guess that eliminates the N75 because i need to have a manual ISO Setting. I really like the Minolta Maxxum 5. what does everyone think about that. now it is between the Maxxum 5 and the Nikon FM10. I like the Minolta and it has everything that I need, but can anyone who has one tell me how it is to go to manual and setting the aperature and all that good stuff.

[Clemmie]

I'll give you a link below, where you can go read the Maxxum 5's manual for yourself. To answer the question, though, it functions exactly the same as the HTsi Plus that I have - which I'll explain.

SETTING Manual mode: Viewing the top of the camera, from operating position - the dial selector on the left should be set at 'PASM'. Have a left finger ready to press the 'FUNC' button, located in the middle of this dial.

On the right side - grip the camera with your right hand, resting the index finger atop the Control Wheel, located just to the left of the shutter button. Now you're ready......

Press and hold the 'FUNC' button - and rotate the Control Wheel three clicks to the right. 'M' will appear on the display. Release the 'FUNC' button. You're now in Full Manual mode.

USING Manual Mode: To adjust Shutter Speed, rotate the Control Wheel. To the right is faster, and to the left is slower.

To adjust Aperture - you'll find an "AV' button on the left side of the lens mount, just above the lens release button. Once you get used to it, you can easily hit this one as needed with your left thumb, while the hand continues to cradle the lens. While holding that button, the Control Wheel adjusts Aperture - to the right for higher number, to the left for lower number.
(This same sequence - AV button and Control Wheel - is also how you can do Exposure Compensation override when operating in auto mode. +/- 2 stops, in half-stop increments.)

If you also need to go to Manual Focus - there is a separate button for that, located on the left front below the lens release button. Use it to switch between auto and manual focus. There will be a block on the display that says 'M.Focus' when it's in manual focus - and the lack of this means it's in auto focus.

And that's it! It really is just that simple.
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Manual ISO setting override is also quite simple. Turn the left dial to 'ISO' - and press and hold its 'FUNC' button. The auto-read ISO value is shown on the display. Rotate the control wheel to change the value. Release the 'FUNC' button, and it is set.
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Now - if at any time you're in any mode, and things just ain't going right, you can hit the 'P' button - on the top right, near the shutter button - for an 'express return' to Full Automatic, also known as 'P' mode. (Or, as we Minolta owners like to call it, 'P'rofessional mode.)

You also have two primary 'semi-auto' modes, in which you and the camera share input. Select these the same way you selected Manual mode:

'A' is Aperture Priority - in which you control the Aperture with the Control Wheel (and no need to hold the AV button in this mode), and the camera selects the shutter speed.

"S' is Shutter Priority - you control Shutter Speed with the Control Wheel, and the camera chooses the aperture.

And there is much more you can do with the Maxxum 5 as well - which you can read all about in the manual: http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/eprise/...Support_Manual

On that page, select Category - Film Cameras, and Model - Maxxum 5. The page which follows allows you to view the manual as PDF files, in three sections. The first section contains the index for the entire manual, and about the first 50 pages of the booklet as numbered in that index.
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I'll also give you here, the links for two Minolta Groups that I am closely affiliated with, and invite you to check them out - where you can continue to pick my brain as needed, and get specific input from other Minolta owners as well:

Yahoo's 'Mind Of Minolta' group, which I founded and operate:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mindof...otographyclub/
(You can even get a look at Me there - as a recent self-portrait is the 'Homepage Picture Of The Week' this week.)

And, the newest board for 'The Minoltians'.
http://minoltians.forumflash.com/
Recently created from the remnants of a few prior lists. A small group at the moment, but composed of what I consider to be 'the cream of the crop' of fellow Minolta lovers. A very supportive and helpful bunch.

[Clemmie]

For your reference - B&H's 'kit special' on the Maxxum 5:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=260110&is=USA

[mattdanielson]

One note on the manual setting of ISO of film...I assume that you are starting with black and white photography. Having the manual setting doesn't matter much for B+W. If, however, you want to go farther and get into color photography, you will probably be shooting Fuji Velvia 50, which you will probably want to manually set the ISO to 40. This would be the most easily forseeable problem with the lack of that setting. If we're doing product spots, I have to plug Canon as well. Calumet has an Elan 7 outfit with all you need to start for 449 (minus the film). Body, 28-105 lens, strap, 2 batteries. The Elan has all the features you could possibly want right now, and then some. Plus, they're totally bombproof.

My 2 cents,
Matt

[another view]

Actually, I think that adjusting the ISO is important with all types of film. Porter's sells stickers that go over the DX code on the film canister, but you'd have to use one every time you used something other than the film's rated speed - sounds like a hassle to me, but it is an option. Nikon's N80 allows you to change ISO. If you're thinking about Nikon, realize that a lot of their rebates will expire at the end of the year. They will probably start up again in the 2nd or 3rd week of January but won't have the additional rebate they have now.

I know a lot of people shoot Velvia at 40 but I don't (well, not exactly). The scenes that I've shot that I've thought would benefit from a lower rating are ones I'd usually manually meter anyway - so I just throw in an extra 1/3 stop. Works for me but YMMV.

Color Neg film: Don't underexpose. In some cases you might want to set your ISO lower to overexpose the film a little - kind of insurance against underexposed shots and a little more detail in the shadows (like rating 160 at 100).

B&W: This is the one that I think really needs ISO adjustment. I'm a big fan of Kodak's T-Max 3200 but usually shoot it at 1600. I've used Ilford Delta at 1600 and 3200 but only the higher speed when necessary. Seen great results with Tri-X (ISO400) at 1600, but I've only tried 400 and 800 myself. With B&W, if you alter the developing time (and possibly the type of developer chemestry) you can change the speed rating on a film. By only using the ISO on the box, you're not getting all of the possibilities.