My ever expanding equipment list

[rolf]

Have always enjoyed taking photographs, even in the early days when my parents bought me an Ilford Sporty 4 for my birthday back in the early sixties. Of course in those days it was relatively inexpensive to buy a point and shoot camera, but the development and printing of the film was a high ongoing cost for the young snapper.

Well the birth of digital cameras changed all of that, I can now snap away with impunity, with only battery life and CF card size to worry about and although it may take a few shots to get one which works, I normally get pretty close to what was intended.

I still have my Fuji Finepix S5000, as it is handy to have in the vehicle, whereas my Olympus E-500 is a much better tool and it is the one I take out when I want to achieve good results.

My recent addition of the Sigma 50-500mm zoom telephoto lens has made a lot of difference to what I am able to achieve in open countryside, add to that the E-14 Teleconverter and the lens pulls in relatively small subjects from 100m or so, it is howecer quite heavy and requires Tripod or monopod support.

Yet to give the big lens a real test, but come April /May when I take a trip to France, I'll see what I can snap over the Oilseed Rape fields, they will be full of nesting birds.

I'm also looking to buy a Zigview angled LCD viewfinder, as it makes life a lot easier for tripod work and means that I can use the remote control to avoid camera shake.

PS. Also a picture of my Trusty Treader.

[PoloMint]

Sounds like a nice setup you have there

If it's camera shake on a tripod caused by actually pressing to take the picture you are worried about, one tip I picked up is to use the timer.

Setting up the picture up then taking it with a 10 (or 3 if you have it) second delay means the camera should be stationary when the shutter goes off.

[rolf]

Hi PoloMint, yes, have used the timer, but bought a little infrared RC unit, so I can fire off shots very quickly and when I need them. Using the timer is not always the best option when photographing birds which move around a lot.

PS. Also have mirror lock on the Olympus, so can pretty much eliminate all movement.

[PoloMint]

Ahh, I hadn't thought about the problem of birds moving .Most of the tripod pictures I've been worried about camera shake on have been of landscapes/scenery where things moving isn't normally an issue.

The remote control units look good, but I'll wait till I upgrade my camera (currently a little Pentax 3.2MP point and shoot) before buying anything else photography related I think.

[rolf]

Just bought a second E-500 body on Ebay, so that when I go out across the fields, I can also take some scenery, without having to swap lenses.

[jimbo]

Will you use a 28mm?

[rolf]

I have a 14-45mm Lens Jimbo, equivalent to a 28-90mm in SLR terms, so gives me quite a bit of flexibility.

[Chocky]

Well all that jargon is a little byond me .
I have a Nikon D50 SLR, with 18-55mm lens and a 55-200mm lens.
a Conika minlota Z6, 6.1 mgpx and a digital video camera that takes stills as well as movie and sound. Most of wich I haven't a clue how to use but do get some nice photos.

[ladylouise62]

I only have the one camera at the moment (although am looking at getting a 10xzoom Lumix to keep in my bag all the time), I use a Fuji FinePix S7000 Digital Camera [6MP, 6 x Optical Zoom, macro mode for shots as close as 1cm].
Of course, 2 or 3 years down the line that is no longer available and the one that replaces it (same cost) is 9.0 Megapixel and Optical Zoom: 10.7x.

[Chocky]

I think really a good picture is in how you use the camera. I haven't a clue I just look and shoot. Some trimes it's good most times it's not. Lol

[ladylouise62]

Aah, but that's what's good about digital... you can take loads without worrying about expense - statistically you are bound to get some nice photos even if you are rubbish

[Chocky]

Exsactly.]
I take about 250 a day somtime over 300 and if I can get a couple of good ones I'm happy.
One day I might get some one to show me how to use this camera. The manual is all very well but I'm sure it's back-to-front and I can't do with this refer to page such and such because by the time I get to the page it refers to I have forgotten all the technicalities I have read do far.

[ladylouise62]

I know the feeling - I read the manual on one activity, managed to do it without the manual, didn't do it again for a couple of weeks.... and now have no blinkin' idea!

[Chocky]

Lol. I can pick things up quickly hands on so to speak If some one shows me I'm away but trying to understand what I read is really some thing else.

[rolf]

Just a small addition, have now managed to acquire an Olympus FL-50 Flashgun, a superb piece of equipment, with the ability to Autofocus in darkness up to 10m, superb for daytime fill, with syncronisation up to 1/4000s and illuminate up to 165 ft at ISO 100.

Modes available: TTL AUTO, AUTO, MANUAL, FP TTL AUTO, FP MANUAL


Review Here

[Chocky]

That URL leeps timing out. Thing is if one has a flash on the camera why would one need a flash gun?

[rolf]

On camera flashes are not very good for quality photos, plus they will not reach 160 feet to illuminate a wildlife subject, they can also be bounced off of the ceiling and diffusers used to obtain much softer lighting.

[Chocky]

Oh yes of course. I have a short lived memory. I tried to flash some thing once and although the camera could well focus, the flash was out if range
(I don't think it was the moon ) but I can't remember what it was, but the flash was not strong enough and I was a bit upset

[rolf]

Just updated my kit to the Olympus E-520, the udated version of my E-500, comes with Image Stabilisation and 10 Megapixel sensor, plus live preview, a very useful function, where it will illustrate depth of field.

Not played with it much yet, but took a photo indoors of the box it came in using on camera flash and my 50-500mm lens hand held at 400mm and the Image Stabilisation kept it rock solid.

Very impressed.

[Chocky]

Really nice Rolf.
I like the image stabilizer. Should see some nice photos in the next few days . Mind you your photos are always good

[topper]

Image Stabilisation kept it rock solid.

Has to be better than taking beta blockers Rolf

Does look nice and complicated though

[rolf]

LOL, I have the shakiest hands in the world, so Image Stabilisation is a real boon to me.

It actually isn't that complicated, it is as easy or as technical as you want it to be. I know many people who use cameras like this on Auto setting all the time, in fact I often use the pre-programmed settings.