Camera advice.

I am looking to buy a good quality digital compact or possibly a rangefinder for railway photography.

I already have an SLR but getting fed up of carrying the extra weight of body and lenses.

Any recommendations from the experts?

 

I would keep with the SLR and forget about buying a compact camera. Why not just use a 18 to 55m lens that would cut the weight problem down. Compact cameras are second rate to a good SLR.

 

I could purchase a standard lens i suppose, but am thinking about a Leica compact or rangefinder.

thanks for your suggestion...

 

Don't forget if you do buy a compact camera you get a time delay on them from when you press the shutter button to when the camera takes the photo. I’ve seen lots of photos with the front part of the loco missing.

 

Good point, i will bear that in mind..

thank you.

 

Arnt you supposed to hold the shutter button half way before taking the shot... then when you do press it down fully the shot takes instantly. It's what i did with my old Kodak camera, and in turn i often do it with my newer camera [Fujifilm 9600] which i'm very impressed with so far.

 

All cameras suffer from 'shutter lag', it's nothing new but for some reason the photographic trade

seem to think it an important factor when choosing a camera. The lag measures milliseconds only.

 

I`d stick with the SLR and with the money saved from not buying a compact, use to buy a multi purpose lense. Something like a 18 - 135 mm lense which covers most areas . Just take them items and leave the rest at home.

Its hard work with a compact trying to use the liveview on a moving train to take the picture plus alot of compacts dont have view finders and yes on my compact, there is a delay on the shutter and does cause problems ! .( It is 4 years old now- things may have got better with newer cameras.)

John

 

Shutter lag can be measured in milliseconds. On a decent SLR it should be only be in the 10s, on a compact it can be well into the 100s. Shutter lag specifications are often somewhat theoretical. The reality is that the time between pressing the shutter and the camera taking the image depends on the autofocus, autoexposure, etc.. This can be improved by locking the focus and exposure before taking the shot (if the camera allows it), or using manual modes (which few, if any, compacts offer). Even on my (low-end) SLR, the lag is often unacceptable for a train moving at 60mph when autofocus and autoexposure are used, with most, if not all, compacts it would be intolerable (for me). If you decide on a compact, try it out on something fast moving and make sure it is ok for you. Also, many compacts do not offer raw format, which again is a distinct disadvantage.

My suggestion is, if you're at all bothered about your photographs, then stick with an SLR. It is possible to get good shots with a compact, but the SLR offers much more control and better image quality due to the larger sensor. The cheaper plastic bodied SLRs, such as the Nikon D40/D60 and Canon/Olympus equivalents are about as light as SLRs get and are no worse in image quality than their more expensive brothers. You can pair these with a do-it-all lightweight zoom that covers the range you require, lots of options 18-55, 18-70,18-105,18-135,18-200, depending on weight, range, and performance. However, if you're not bothered about the photographs you take, then it doesn't really matter what camera you buy, as they're unlikely to be much good.

 

The general theme on here seems to be to stick with my DSLR (Canon 1D MKii n) which is not compatible with the kit
EF-s lenses. I currently use this with 28-135 and 80-200 zooms for railway photography.

It is a heavy camera in it's own right, without a lens attached, and that's basically the problem.

The idea of something i could just carry in a coat pocket would be very attractive and some of the more serious
compacts ie: Canon G9 or newer G10 do offer a RAW shooting format and actually have more pixels than my DSLR.

I would not consider a camera without an optical viewfinder having watched people trying to photograph a moving
subject with the camera held away from the eye and using a live view screen.

As i said in an earlier post i am leaning toward a digital rangefinder which may fulfil my needs better.

Thank you for all the comments and advice, much appreciated...

 

The G9 and G10 are nice, but noisy at and above ISO400, so are probably 'sunny day' cameras for moving subjects. As far as I'm aware the Canons are not 'rangefinder' cameras, but they do have an optical viewfinder. For a similar price to a G9 or G10, I'd be tempted to get a lighter, cheaper DSLR that keeps the image quality you are used to and allows you to use your current lenses (or get a kit lens, often for little more than the body).

I suppose, at the end of the day, it depends on how much you are willing to compromise quality and responsiveness for size and weight.

 

The high spec Canons offer very big file sizes which in turn lend themselves to print sizes up to A3

with little or no compromise on picture quality. People tend to get overexcited about the number of pixels

the camera has but that is only half the story, you also need to be able to capture a lot of data and that

creates big files.

A smaller/lighter Canon DSLR would probably help to solve my dilemma in that it would take my existing lens line up.

I initially thought that the Powershot G9/G10 compact might solve the problem but i am having second thoughts.

Another option would be a digital rangefinder but these are not made by many manufacturers at the present.

Maybe i should go back to film, plenty of cheap cameras out there now...

 

Why not buy a second hand DSLR Camera they can't be too expensive these days. Most people seem to be up grading these days. So there must be a good amount of second hand cameras around. Just one way to keep the price down on buying a good DSLR.

 

With respect, I think you are taking my comment completely out of context. My point was that if you go out with a 'snapshot' mentality you are unlikely to produce decent results whether you have a compact or a top end DSLR. In general, good photographs come about from research, preparation, and experience, as well as execution on the day, and that does take effort. 'Snapshot' photographers will typically turn up to the local bridge or station and point the camera at the train with little thought to factors such as composition, lighting, or wind direction. If all that is required is a 'snapshot' record of the day then a compact camera will be more than adequate. I am not saying that it isn't possible to produce decent railway images with a compact, but if you want more control and more capability to improve and develop your photography then an SLR is the way to go.

I am certainly not a gear snob, my DSLR is a low-end model. I chose it over a compact camera because it provides a more flexible system with more control over settings, but has a larger sensor compared to most compacts. This was important to me as it keeps the image quality decent at ISO400, which is often needed for moving trains on dull days. I didn't consider the advantages of 'full-frame', nor the more 'advanced' models to be sufficient to warrant the extra cost (or weight). However, if I could afford them and thought they would significantly improve my photographs then I would be happy to carry the extra weight. My attitude has always been to choose the cheapest (and lightest) camera that will produce the quality that I require. It is up to the individual to decide what quality is acceptable to them. For me, a compact is a trade-off too far for railway photography, and so that was the advice I provided.

 

Why don't you consider one of the smaller Canon DSLRs? I have a 350D (think that the latest model is 450D) and I managed to get it, with a 28 - 85 lens attached, into my (admittedly rather large) coat pocket the other day. I also find it cuts the weight down to carry on a day to day basis, though if going either on holiday or specifically out to take photos I prefer to use our 30D.

We did get a Canon A95 compact camera nearly four years ago to see what this digital lark was all about but quickly decided that neither of us could manage taking photos of moving trains without a DSLR. Having said that, the A95 is still in use as it does have the facility of a moveable viewing screen which is great for taking shots of stationary stuff where you are struggling to to see over a fence / other people's heads.

 

I quite understand this weight problem but film cameras are no lighter. I have two Canons EOS 1V/N with motor wind and they are also like bricks without lenses. My normal lens is a 24/70 f2.8L which is also a lump but is an extremely fast focusing lens.

I also wanted to try digital but I have the same dilemma what Canon do I go for. Mifsuds sent me a Canon 350D to try but with my lenses the outfit was totally out of balance so I returned it. The general consensus is that the best camera is Canon 5D or better, two problems both expense and we are back with the weight problem again.

I have been advised against second hand digital cameras due to the shutters having been hammered.

The only solution I can see is one of these SLR cameras which are fitted with non interchangeable zoom lenses.

So come on folks any suggestions.

Dave

 

Dave
-get down to your local Jessops camera shop and TRY out and get a feel for ALL the cameras with a assortment of different lenses . Currys will also stock the ones that Jessops dont have in stock. From that, get a shortlist and get saving !
(and by the time you have saved up, the next & latest version will have arrived!)

John

 

Thanks for all your advice and comments, i'm not sure what i do want to buy.

But i know for certain what i don't, if you see what i mean...