i've had 30 years off. things have changed!

[markle]

hello people,
i am new to here and still trying to figure things out, so bear with me. i have many questions.
please feel free to give me your advice.
back in the late 70's, i spent most of my spare time in my old truck combing the back woods of pennsylvania with my old pentax, shooting old barns, landscapes, wildlife, etc. a local photographer told me that i had a good eye for outdoor shots, and i always new that someday i would like to pursue this again.
over the last 15 years i have spent hundreds of hours in the woods during archery season. it is amazing what you see from a treestand! i concentrated on my hunting, and didn't want to be burdened with a camera.
at this point in my life, i am willing to trade my bow for a digital camera with zoom to spend more hours outside in the fall. however, other than our little digital snapshot camera, i haven't advanced into the digital era.
i understand the many advantages of digital, but am a little leary about jumping in and spending the cash without knowing a little more.
for instance, i need a good(not the best) camera and zoom or telephoto lens to carry into the woods. every one i have looked at seems loud. as a bowhunter, i appreciate how important silence and seclusion is. so quiet is a MUST.
SO, for a beginner (all over again), what setup do you recommend for my needs, and for what reasons.
i will be shooting all kinds of wildlife, from distances from 2 yards to 200 yards. and some very close up shots, also. i will also be shooting people and landscapes, that an ordinary camera would be used for.
i am not into filters, but do appreciate black and white, sepia,etc. i do not wish to experiment with all kinds of setups, since i can only fund one to start with!!
any and all help would be appreciated!!!:thumbsup:
markle

[Canuck935]

Hi Markle,

1) What is your budget?
2) Do you want an all-in-one solution? An SLR?
3) Do you plan on using the shots straight out of the camera as is or do you prefer to post process (modern day equivalent to dark room work)?
4) Do you plan on making prints often? How large?
5) Do you often need to shoot in poor or adverse lighting conditions or do you usually have good light to work with?

I think that's all I have to start. It's okay if you can't answer all of them, but a budget and camera type would help narrow down the options greatly.

[Greg McCary]

Just pick a system. They are all good. It really boils down to bells and whistles. Me I like in body image stabilization. I can shoot three or four stops slower speeds.

[markle]

ok,
my budget....well, i think i can afford the setup i need. not too concerned about that because i look at it as an investment.
as far as the camera goes, i need a setup that will do the job and is very user friendly. i don't need all the bells and whistles, although i know most cameras come with many.
a camera body that is comfortable in the hand, nice large display, and a telephoto lense that is smooth. all that i can compare it to is my old k-1000 and my soligor macro zoom lens. it slid and focused very nicely. ---there is another thing---- i really like manually focusing. will i ever do it again with the new automatic digitals? can i trust the camera to shoot the way i want on auto? or do i simply switch to manual for abstract photos?
i prefer to use the photos straight out of the camera to my computer. i have developed back in the day, but have no desire to experiment with modern day developing.
i do plan on making prints....probably no larger than 8x10's. so i need to know what a good number of megapixel camera i would need.....a good average anyway.
as far as lighting is concerned, there will be low light conditions in the woods. how do i adjust on a dslr like i did on my old k-1000?
it will really be hardest for me to let the camera do the work for me, i am so used to manual focus.
hope these tidbits help.
anymore questions, please ask.
i guess just a middle-of-the-road setup would be fine. i don't have a huge ego! just want quality.
thanks
mark

[Greg McCary]

Well if you want a pro body I would go with the E3. It is tough as nails and weather sealed. The 50-200mm would be a nice fast piece of glass and with the x2 crop factor you would really be shooting at 100-400mm. I shoot fully manual 90% of the time. The IS will really help with the telephoto lens too. The E3s are pretty reasonable on the used market as well.

[Loupey]

ok,...i really like manually focusing. will i ever do it again with the new automatic digitals? can i trust the camera to shoot the way i want on auto? or do i simply switch to manual for abstract photos?...

Me too. Just turn off the AF and shoot the way you did in the past. Be forewarned, however, as the focus ring on many of the current lenses are not as tight and much smaller than those of the past. I own several lenses which have never AF'ed.

... as far as lighting is concerned, there will be low light conditions in the woods. how do i adjust on a dslr like i did on my old k-1000?

All dSLRs have full manual capabilities so you just have to enable them. You'll want to handle the bodies you have in mind to make sure the shutter and aperture controls fall easily in your hands. I tried Nikon bodies but I could not adjust to the layout as easily as I could with the Canons. Check out all the main players - spec's alone shouldn't make the decision for you.

Lastly, since bodies come and go you should eye the lenses/flashes/accessories in each line-up. Go with the system that caters best to your type of photography.

[Frog]

I would look at the Nikon D700 or even the 300s.
I think the 300 has more bells and whistles but you don't have to use them
Both have really good high iso performance and the 700 has a full frame sensor which equals better dynamic range and there is no crop factor so the lenses are what they say they are.....100 mm equals 100 and not 150 as it would on the 300.

Also on the manual focus, be aware that new cameras do not have the focal prism cross hairs. They can be added but at the expense of a couple of expsure steps.

[markle]

good info guys.....keep it coming.
thanks
mark

[Loupey]

I really think you should start by studying the lens line-up of the various manufacturers.

...i will be shooting all kinds of wildlife, from distances from 2 yards to 200 yards. and some very close up shots, also. i will also be shooting people and landscapes...

To me, it sounds like a minimum of three lenses right off the bat: the longest telephoto you can afford, a macro lens, and a wide-to-short-telephoto zoom. Find the manufacturer that has these lenses, at a minimum, of your liking.

Remember, Nikon lenses focuses one way while Canon lenses focuses the opposite direction (not sure which convention the other manufacturers follow). Sounds trivial but you may be very accustomed to a one convention already - I know I was and I could not get over it. Cost is a big factor as is size.

Once you figure out the manufacturer (via the lenses), the body becomes secondary.

[Canuck935]

Yes Loupey is absolutely right. Lenses are the most important thing. All current SLR's will do what you need, and their useful lives will be far shorter than that of the lenses. Invest in the lenses, and not so much in the camera..

[markle]

ok guys,
give me your honest opinion on a fuji hs10. one fixed lens, 24-720 mm. the good and the bad.
mark

[Loupey]

ok guys,
give me your honest opinion on a fuji hs10. one fixed lens, 24-720 mm. the good and the bad.
mark

I didn't see this coming.

Not to knock the Fuji HS10 (I know very little of it actually), this sounds like the exact opposite from your K-1000 analogy in post #4. I bet manual focusing with that itty bitty ring that close to the body is darn near impossible. How do you manually set the aperture and shutter? Are there dedicated buttons/wheels/dials for those purposes?

Probably an excellent camera as a point-n-shoot (i.e. mostly auto everything which is what you didn't want). But you are married to both the camera and the lens - no possibility to upgrade unless you chuck the entire thing.

[markle]

i think what caught my attention were the quiet shutter, zoom range, and auto or manual setting.
i heard about it from a member on another forum, i don't know anything else about it either.
that's why i wanted to pick your ear!
thanks
mark