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Getting into photography - how to start, what to get?
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<blockquote data-quote="Huxley Badkin" data-source="post: 1177165" data-attributes="member: 6622"><p>Full disclosure: I shoot this system, so I'm <em>ever-so-slightly</em> biased, but I strongly recommend Fuji mirrorless.</p><p></p><p>If you can afford it, definitely go for an X-T1, otherwise check out the X-T10. And get the <strong>XF</strong> 18-55 'kit' lens [not to be confused with the <em>XC</em> range of lenses which, whilst still very good - and cheaper - are lower quality and lack key features, such as an aperture ring].</p><p></p><p>In terms of value for money/bang for your buck, you'll be hard pressed to beat Fuji in general, and this combo in particular. Fuji glass is nothing short of superb and, while most 'kit' lenses are pretty shitty, even the XF18-55 is stellar. X-T1/X-T10 have been superseded in the product range by X-T2/X-T20, and Fuji have recently released a new 'flagship' camera [X-H1], with new 'T' models rumoured to be announced later this year, so it's a good time to be looking for used examples from the previous generation, as enthusiasts upgrade.</p><p></p><p>Single best piece of advice I can offer (whilst acknowledging that you intend to buy from eBay) is to pay a visit to a camera store or two, and actually handle the gear. Find out which <em>feels</em> best for you. Browse around, and pick up and play with a bunch of models, and see which <em>fits</em>. Point is, when taking pictures, you want the camera to <em>get out of your way</em> as much as possible. Tech specs, brand, sensor size - all that stuff - don't really matter if the thing is a nuisance to operate. You want something you can use fluidly. Obviously, you can learn to use anything well, but the fewer barriers to intuitive operation the better.</p><p></p><p>That's one of the things I like the most about Fuji cameras: the ergonomics. Most of the most important settings are adjusted by external, <em>physical</em> controls. It's old skool, and it's beautiful. No fucking about in menus - you can dial in your exposure without even having to switch on the camera. Can't tell you how good that feels - you have a real connection to the process. I bloody love it. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big Grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p>I'm also of the opinion that those external, physical controls are ideal for beginners. All those dials might appear intimidating at first but, so long as you have a basic grasp of what aperture/ISO/shutter speed mean, it's actually a really simple and direct way of modifying those settings. Fast, too.</p><p></p><p>As already mentioned in the thread, a great feature of mirrorless is you get to see your shot (in the EVF or on the rear screen) <em>before</em> you press the shutter. Makes getting the exposure/effect that you want an absolute breeze. Obviously, you can still meter in the traditional way, but you can essentially dial in the settings by what you see in the viewfinder. It's great!</p><p></p><p>The downside has also been brought up: mirrorless do have a voracious appetite for batteries. Depends on usage, of course, but I'll typically have three batteries on me for a session (one in the camera and two spares). That's often overkill, but if I'm shooting landscape I tend to compose using the rear screen, which consumes more power (plus I 'chimp' like a motherfucker) and if it turns into a long day, I will typically get through all of them.</p><p></p><p>Again, I'm heavily biased, so try out a variety of form factors for yourself. Fuji users tend to be fairly fanatical fanboys - and I'm no exception - but I contend that once you've handled the cameras, that mindset becomes easily understandable.</p><p></p><p>---</p><p></p><p>Nice to find a thread to which I might actually be able to add some value (instead of lurking most of the time), so I'd be delighted to answer any questions or help out in any way. For obvious reasons I'm not going to post identifiable/traceable stuff here, but feel free to PM, and I can share examples of work, then you can decide how much weight to give to my opinion. I'd rate myself as reasonably competent. Cheers!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Huxley Badkin, post: 1177165, member: 6622"] Full disclosure: I shoot this system, so I'm [i]ever-so-slightly[/i] biased, but I strongly recommend Fuji mirrorless. If you can afford it, definitely go for an X-T1, otherwise check out the X-T10. And get the [b]XF[/b] 18-55 'kit' lens [not to be confused with the [i]XC[/i] range of lenses which, whilst still very good - and cheaper - are lower quality and lack key features, such as an aperture ring]. In terms of value for money/bang for your buck, you'll be hard pressed to beat Fuji in general, and this combo in particular. Fuji glass is nothing short of superb and, while most 'kit' lenses are pretty shitty, even the XF18-55 is stellar. X-T1/X-T10 have been superseded in the product range by X-T2/X-T20, and Fuji have recently released a new 'flagship' camera [X-H1], with new 'T' models rumoured to be announced later this year, so it's a good time to be looking for used examples from the previous generation, as enthusiasts upgrade. Single best piece of advice I can offer (whilst acknowledging that you intend to buy from eBay) is to pay a visit to a camera store or two, and actually handle the gear. Find out which [i]feels[/i] best for you. Browse around, and pick up and play with a bunch of models, and see which [i]fits[/i]. Point is, when taking pictures, you want the camera to [i]get out of your way[/i] as much as possible. Tech specs, brand, sensor size - all that stuff - don't really matter if the thing is a nuisance to operate. You want something you can use fluidly. Obviously, you can learn to use anything well, but the fewer barriers to intuitive operation the better. That's one of the things I like the most about Fuji cameras: the ergonomics. Most of the most important settings are adjusted by external, [i]physical[/i] controls. It's old skool, and it's beautiful. No fucking about in menus - you can dial in your exposure without even having to switch on the camera. Can't tell you how good that feels - you have a real connection to the process. I bloody love it. :D I'm also of the opinion that those external, physical controls are ideal for beginners. All those dials might appear intimidating at first but, so long as you have a basic grasp of what aperture/ISO/shutter speed mean, it's actually a really simple and direct way of modifying those settings. Fast, too. As already mentioned in the thread, a great feature of mirrorless is you get to see your shot (in the EVF or on the rear screen) [i]before[/i] you press the shutter. Makes getting the exposure/effect that you want an absolute breeze. Obviously, you can still meter in the traditional way, but you can essentially dial in the settings by what you see in the viewfinder. It's great! The downside has also been brought up: mirrorless do have a voracious appetite for batteries. Depends on usage, of course, but I'll typically have three batteries on me for a session (one in the camera and two spares). That's often overkill, but if I'm shooting landscape I tend to compose using the rear screen, which consumes more power (plus I 'chimp' like a motherfucker) and if it turns into a long day, I will typically get through all of them. Again, I'm heavily biased, so try out a variety of form factors for yourself. Fuji users tend to be fairly fanatical fanboys - and I'm no exception - but I contend that once you've handled the cameras, that mindset becomes easily understandable. --- Nice to find a thread to which I might actually be able to add some value (instead of lurking most of the time), so I'd be delighted to answer any questions or help out in any way. For obvious reasons I'm not going to post identifiable/traceable stuff here, but feel free to PM, and I can share examples of work, then you can decide how much weight to give to my opinion. I'd rate myself as reasonably competent. Cheers! [/QUOTE]
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