The Official Head-Case Photography Thread.

[Iron_Dreamer]

I loved my D700 in its time. Had a lot of great adventures with that camera. Can't say I've ever missed it after moving on to the 800, 850, now Z7.  But I've never been an SOOC JPEG shooter for my main interests, so all the talk of color science and one company's processing vs another hasn't ever really moved the needle for me.

When I had Fuji APS-C bodies, their film simulations could be fun for casual photos, but I always thought Nikon JPEGs looked more natural and real to me, and the Nikon files were easier to get color right in post with as well.

[Knuckledragger]

When the Nikon D3 came out in 2007, I looked at those ISO speeds and considered selling all my Canon gear to jump ship.  12MP was enough for me at the time and it still is.  Back then I was shooting in a lot of low light situations.  I never did make the jump to Nikon (though I did buy a 50mm F/1.8 from Dinny).

The most important lesson my father ever taught me was when he wasn't even talking to me.  He was explaining something to another antique dealer and he wanted to convey that what one would, could or should have done really had no bearing on the current situation.  Or, in the man's own words "Woulda coulda should don't mean shit!" 

I still kind of wish I'd bought a D3.

[padam]

If (raw) colour science was only a myth, then for instance ARRI cinema cameras would not be used so extensively, this is something that they've worked on for decades. I see plenty of people trying to replicate that look with colour matching LUTs and they just don't seem to get that close to that.
Of course Top Gun Maverick was shot on Sony Venice and looks great, but I guess they had plenty of people to work on those.
 

I just need a camera that is enjoyable easy to work with post production resulting in an image that is pleasing to my eyes. This last part is what I struggle with the most and it almost ruins the experience of actually willing to take out the camera as it makes me think about the 10,000+ pictures (and slowly increasing) I still need to process taken with various things and all the hassle.
I am talking specifically about images with people in them. The colour regarding other things bother me less (there are others who think it matters just as much there).
Of course I'll still take the R6 for the next outing because it has eye-tracking IBIS, video, fully silent mode etc. but I am not looking forward to struggling with them afterwards - and therefore they might just get added to the growing cue again but at least I enjoyed taking them and eventually they will get dug out some time later and we'll think about it as "Yes, these were some fun times." Summarised well here:
 

 

[blessingx]

In related news a friend's niece is starting a beginners digital photo course and looking for a body and lens for <$500 new or used. The course description requirements were ridiculous, but translated basically said a camera you could get out of automatic mode and a widish lens. I said...

• 5D Classic + 35mm
• D700 + 35mm
• XT1 + 23mm

Any others recommendations of the top of your heads gang? 

[dsavitsk]

@blessingx Fuji X-E1

 

or X-70

Edited July 20, 2023 by dsavitsk

[Knuckledragger]

So for the last 24 hours I've been toying with the idea of buying a refurb'd D3S.  They're not that expensive, and a fraction of the price of a new Canon mirrorless.  Insane high ISO performance.  12MP is fine for me.  As I mentioned I have Dinny's old Nikon 50mm, which I have not used in the 15 years I've owned it.  I also have a super neat Nikon 75-150mm F/3.5 E zoom (it has lousy CA, but the best bokeh I have ever seen.)

Well that idea is officially dead.  I did some reading and (re)learned that it's not a good idea to mount M42 lenses to Nikon bodies.  Nikon's flange depth is the issue.  M42 lenses cannot reach infinity focus without an optical adapter that acts as weak tele-extender and reduces image quality.  Canon does not have this problem. 

I have an army of M42 glass.  From amusing crap (Yashika 50mm F1.9, a very beat up Ashai Super Takumar 50mm F/1.4) to stunning and historic optical achievements (Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar MC 135mm F/3.5, Tair 11A 135mm, Meyer Orestor 135mm F/2.8, Orestegor 200mm F/4, Orestegor 300mm F/4).  Yes, I have more manual 135mm primes than a used camera shop and it's not like 135mm is a particularly useful focal length.  Stop looking at me like that.  The point here is there is no way in H E double hockey sticks that I am giving up all my manual lenses.  I'd sooner buy a refurb'd 5D Mk II and I kind of hate that body (it was a sign of Canon going in the completely wrong direction: high MP count, lousy high ISO performance.) 

My Meyer-Optik Orestor 135mm F/2.8 attached to a friend's Rebel digital body in '09.  One zebra ring is focus, the other is aperture preset.  The Orestor has a 15 blade aperture.  This shot was taken with my 30D and my Tair 11A, which has a 22 blade aperture.

The Meyer-Optik Orestegor 300mm F/4 tank shell of a lens mounted to my Rebel K2 film body in '08, not far from where I'm sitting now.  It has a 19 blade aperture.  All of these lenses with insane number of aperture blades allow for absolutely sublime "bokeh shaping."  It's so heavy it more or less mandates a tripod and still subject.  I've mentioned this before but the 300mm Orestegor is a medium format lens with its own 35mm adapter.  I've always wanted to buy an old Pentacon Six or whatever body and try out the 300mm with double the FoV and same DoF.  I have told myself I'm not allowed to buy any more film cameras until I've built a darkroom.  [I'm nearly 50 years old.  I probably will not live to build a darkroom, but it's not entirely beyond the realm of possibility.]

Photo of the Tair 11A's aperture by Simon's utak on Flickr.

 

The 300mm Orestegor's aperture as captured by SteveFE on Flickr.

I don't have any photos OF the Jena Sonnar, but I have a few taken with it (what an odd idea):

Study of a bar ...thingy.  ISO3200 on my 30D, which in general sucked at that ISO.  Note how sharp the metal detail is and how pleasing the OOF areas are.  The truth is, I have definitely not used the Sonnar enough.  It's probably the best of the bunch from an optical perspective.

Bonus, SteveFE holding his Orestegor in 2006, propped up against his car so he doesn't fall over:

Me with the same lens, doing an imitation of Steve in 2009:

If the lens looks smaller when I hold it, that's because I have freakishly oversized mitts.

TL;DR: All digital camera bodies are ultimately disposable.  Glass is forever.  I have a thing for lenses with a silly number of aperture blades.  I'm sticking with Canon.

[mwl168]

Have you considered picking up a Canon 1DX then?

[blessingx]

These are nothing special, but been shooting the 5D Classic this week after awhile. Surprisingly stress-free and little post needed. 

 

 

 

[en480c4]

Figured I'd post here... Checking to see if anyone has a FujiFilm X-T2/3 or X-T20/30 they're interested in selling.  

 

Lauren has rented a bunch of the mirrorless options and at this point has decided she wants to supplement the D750 as opposed to replacing it.  So the Sony and Nikon options are on hold.  And the size of the Fujis are nice.

[n_maher]

On 7/20/2023 at 4:50 PM, blessingx said:

In related news a friend's niece is starting a beginners digital photo course and looking for a body and lens for <$500 new or used. The course description requirements were ridiculous, but translated basically said a camera you could get out of automatic mode and a widish lens. I said...

• 5D Classic + 35mm
• D700 + 35mm
• XT1 + 23mm

Any others recommendations of the top of your heads gang? 

Any interest in D7000 body for free with a vertical grip?  I might have the stock kit lens for it still (unopened???) if I can find it in the storage room.  

[blessingx]

1 hour ago, n_maher said:

Any interest in D7000 body for free with a vertical grip?  I might have the stock kit lens for it still (unopened???) if I can find it in the storage room.  

That’s a generous offer. Thanks. Let me ask them. 

[jose]

Yesterday I received this bad guy 

 

 

[Voltron]

Did it come with a crane?

[blessingx]

On 7/25/2023 at 9:37 PM, blessingx said:

That’s a generous offer. Thanks. Let me ask them. 

PM incoming. 

[blessingx]

Kodak is going all-in on lenses.   

https://petapixel.com/2023/07/28/kodak-is-indefinitely-licensing-its-brand-to-the-worlds-largest-eyewear-company/

[blessingx]

On 7/25/2023 at 8:02 AM, en480c4 said:

Figured I'd post here... Checking to see if anyone has a FujiFilm X-T2/3 or X-T20/30 they're interested in selling.  

 

Lauren has rented a bunch of the mirrorless options and at this point has decided she wants to supplement the D750 as opposed to replacing it.  So the Sony and Nikon options are on hold.  And the size of the Fujis are nice.

PM incoming. 

[Knuckledragger]

There's an annual gathering of Land Rover owners here on MV.  There's a bunch on island, but people come from all-over.  There are two photos (taken by someone else) from last year's meetup:

I made it a point to be there this year.  I took my Leica C3 and well, my iPhone.

There's always "that guy" at these meetings.

 

Not an Land Rover, but a neat conversion.

 

I have no idea what this thing is, but it's fascinating.

[Voltron]

Great pics! I think it would be fun to own an old Defender here in Michigan.

[n_maher]

16 hours ago, Knuckledragger said:

There's an annual gathering of Land Rover owners here on MV.  There's a bunch on island, but people come from all-over. 

<snip>

I have no idea what this thing is, but it's fascinating.

Land Rover 101 Forward Control - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Rover_101_Forward_Control

My first car was a '68 Series IIA, thanks for the pics Knucks.  I still want for another Rover but cannot come through the mental math of how do accomplish that goal.  Maybe in retirement. 

[Knuckledragger]

I finished the first roll of film I put through the Leica C3.

The C3 displayed remarkable film economy.  I got 26 or 27 frames out of it.  I still need to transcribe the last 10 or so shots from my voice recorder. 

Also, today I learned of the Polish made Janpol enlarging lenses.  They come in a few different focal lengths, most commonly an 85mm and a 55mm, both F/5.6 (which is not odd for an enlarging lens.)  They have an internal color wheel meant for use with B&w prints.  They also have M42 mounts and can be fitted on most modern cameras with swappable glass.

This one is saying Slava Ukraini.

These things are amazing.  I won't rest until I get one.

[Knuckledragger]

I've gone (back) down the rabbit hole of Soviet era M42 lenses.  I did this once before, in the mid 00s.  Back then everything was much cheaper and the world was less on fire.  Now we have Putin making a mess for everyone including himself.  Also DSLRs shoot video and a legion of would be cinematographers have driven up the price of old manual focus glass to a prices that butt up against modern AF lenses.  In the late 90s, I worked for an elite and famous ivy league school in the media center.  I was the only person on staff who had a clue about sound.  I had to work with a professional sound company to do the commencement every year.   The main guy at that company told me that "vidiots" were the worst part of being a sound engineer.  He had a laundry list of sins that video production people committed in the field and was able to point out half a dozen of them from our perch in sound booth.  I'm not saying it's entirely justified, but I've had a 25 year prejudice against video production people ever since.  What they've done to the price of old manual lenses has not improved my disposition toward them at all.

First, I'm glad I got the lenses that I have when I did.  The Meyer/Pentacon Orestors and Orestegors have gone up hugely in price.  The Tair and Sonnars even moreso.  I never bought the gargantuan Jupiter 85mm F/1.5 and ...I'm totally okay with that.  It was an overpriced and underperforming boat anchor of a lens at $250.  At $600 it's a joke.  (As an aside, other than the legendary Canon 85L, I don't think too much of most superfast lenses.  Giant apertures aren't that interesting to me.)

I the post above I talked about the nutball Janpol enlargement lens.  There are a bunch for sale on the 'Bay.  I will be picking one up ...eventually.  Currently I've been reading up on the Soviet made Helios 44 series of 58mm lenses.  At least I think they're all 58mms.  It's a large series of lenses made over decades, at 3 different manufacturing plants.  Most are M42 mount.  A few early versions are M39.  In spite of the clickbaity title, this short video is a good primer:

I'm sure I don't want a 44M-4.  The 44-2 (depending on which version) is a fine lens with a lot of character.  Supposedly the 44M-2 has superior bokeh.  Finding a reputable seller offering a clean copy of either at this point and time is a nontrivial task. 

This page covers the relative strengths and weaknesses of the 44-2.  The bokeh it produces really is nuts:

Supposedly, the 44M's bokeh is superior.  To paraphrase the late, great Bill Hicks, being a resident of the "complete realm of sanity and reason" that I am, I want both the 44M-2 and the 44-2.  Don't be surprised if I have another half dozen manual lenses by fall.

[Knuckledragger]

Speaking of rabbit holes, I've been catching up on Canon digital bodies.  I only have ever owned two: The EOS30D, which I got new in 2006.  It was never a good model and has aged like a fruit salad.  In 2012 I bought an IR-modified 5D (a 2005 model), now called a "5D Classic" and it has aged like a fine wine.  I've read up on the mirrorless bodies and while they're quite neat and definitely the future, there's two things I don't like about them.  First, they're not as good for manual focusing as an SLR.  As I have mentioned, I have a rather large assortment of manual lenses and am shopping for more.  The second is that the R series too damn expensive. 

Older digital bodies can be remarkably affordable.  The 5D classic is a downright bargain.  The 5D II, a camera I never particularly liked, isn't that much more.  The 2012 5D III is possibly the best deal going in terms of price to performance.  Weirdly, the 1DX Mk II, which was $6500 new, is an absolute steal on the used market.  The 1D has all the pro body strengths/weaknesses.  It's built like a tank and slightly heavier.  It uses great batteries that are insanely expensive.  It doesn't have a flip out screen because those aren't durable.  It's weather sealed so attaching L glass to it makes for a resilient camera.

All of the above has lead me to the conclusion that my next body is going to be a used 5D Mark IV.  The biggest selling point to me over the 5D IV over all of the others (including the 1DX II) is that it has the best dynamic range.  I have never once thought "Gee, this photo has too much dynamic range."  Half of my battles in photography are try to juggling the highlights and shadow details.

The 'bay in 2023 is a fascinating hellscape.  The enshittification of that site is real.  Sponsored ads fucking all over the place.  Obvious scam accounts posting screenshots from other auctions everywhere.  Scam accounts buying sponsored ads and eBay doing nothing but collecting the money.  The funny and sad thing here is that Canon DSLRs aren't even the main focus of camera scammers.  That would be the excellent Fuji 100 series of compact cameras.  Apparently some Kardashian or other cancerous influencer name dropped a Fuji 100 a while ago and now an entire generation of human blisters on Instagram and Tik Tok have driven the prices of them up through the stratosphere.  The Fuji X100 is now selling for more than it did new.  We really do deserve to go extinct as a speci....

UH I MEAN, there are a number of listings for the 5D Mark IV.  One guy is selling his with a battery grip and an 85mm F/1.8, which is a mighty fine lens.  It's no 85L, but nothing on earth is.  Also I've never actually owned an 85mm prime, which is odd given ...my entire history as a photographer.  The battery grip will let me cosplay as a 1DX owner.  All of the wrist pain for a fraction of the price.

[blessingx]

5 hours ago, Knuckledragger said:

Apparently some Kardashian or other cancerous influencer name dropped a Fuji 100 a while ago and now an entire generation of human blisters on Instagram and Tik Tok have driven the prices of them up through the stratosphere.  The Fuji X100 is now selling for more than it did new.  We really do deserve to go extinct as a speci....

Putting on my most optimistic Barbie-eque take, I'll say for once the influencer hordes selected the right camera model (though strangely long after release) - small, but worth carrying with a smartphone, good looking, accurate auto-white balance with beautiful RAW starting points or JPG output. Optical and electronic viewfinder to slow down. Not chasing specs too high. I'm actually impressed they ended up on the X100 series (though again strangely only the current model). And as mentioned earlier the X100 became known by many from both sides - the TikTokers and Roger fuckin' Deakins (for digital stills). 

Then again (kinda)... 

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by blessingx

[Knuckledragger]

I showed amazing restraint today.

This sold for just over $400 shipped.  5D Mk II, 80K shutter activations, a pile of memory cards, SIX (5 pictured) batteries, two chargers, cables etc.  Guy also had a 40mm pancake, a tripod slide mount thing and some other kit.  All of his auctions ended this morning, when no one was around.  I resisted bidding on any of it.  I've set my sights on a 5D Mk IV and am sidestepping the alarmingly cheap 5DIIIs and 1DxIIs, no matter how tempting they might be.

Tonight.  Tonight there's gonna be some shit.

[Knuckledragger]

It has been quite a couple of days.  I awoke yesterday to a message from eBay saying the shipment of my 5D Mark IV was undeliverable because of an incomplete address and was being sent back to the seller.  I skipped coffee and went to the post office.  I waited in line and the very nice lady behind the counter told me that said error message was auto-generated by the system and my package would arrive that afternoon or the next day (today).  Back at home I received several worried emails and a phone call from the seller.  He was well meaning, but of questionable competence.  He had a representative from the USPS on speakerphone and had me explain what I knew.  I told him I'd contact him when I received the package.

Well, today the package arrived.

That's an EOS 5D Mark IV, battery and charger, BG-E20 battery grip, and an EF 85mm F/1.8 lens.  Each item is carefully covered in bubble wrap but then left loose to rattle around in the box while being shipped from Mississippi.  There was no filler in the box at all.  No packing peanuts, no expanding foam.  Not even an old T-shirt.  I would pack an AM radio better to ship it cross town, never mind a couple grand in camera equipment cross country. 

I gingerly unpacked everything and there were no obvious marks.  The battery was dead so I put it on the charger.  I attached the 85mm F/1.8 and tried to focus.  I couldn't hit infinity focus to save my life.  I attached my OG 50mm F/1.8 (not the STM, but the original 1986 model.)  Same deal.  I tried my totally manual focus 135mm F/2.8 Orestor.  Could not hit infinity focus.  I took the lens off and inspected the focus scree and mirror.  Both seemed fine and not broken or otherwise detached.

Hours and minutes crept by as I waited for the battery to charge.  I got several emails from eBay and the seller.  I ignored all of them.  To make sure I wasn't losing (what was left of) my mind, I dug out my Rebel K2 film body and attached all of the above mentioned lenses to it.  All hit infinity focus just fine, including the new 85mm.  I wondered if there was some kind of internal viewfinder calibration that the 5D IV does upon boot.  Certainly it's possible that something got knocked the fuck out of alignment by the bumpy ride from MI.

Finally the battery charged.  I then had to face the battery grip.  I've never used one before.  Getting the batteries seated in it was much harder than I imagined. I considered removing the grip (as I only had one battery) and using the camera without it.  It was then that I discovered that the seller has neglected to include the battery door.  Canon cameras do not function without one.  That means I'm married to the battery grip until I get a replacement.  I managed to get the battery seated correctly in the grip, at least.

Next task was the memory card.  I tried ...seven CF cards, all of which are old but of good pedigree (SD Ultra and Extreme series, plus one Delkin Devices.)  5D IV rejected every single one of them.  Worried, I dug up a ghetto AF Walmart "Onn" branded SD card I bought on deep discount years ago.  IV liked it just fine. 

Then I began going through my lenses.  The viewfinder was now magically working.  50mm F/1.8 Mk I was happy.  35mm F/2 has had a broken AF motor since 2009 thanks to a clumsy drunk, but I was able to manually focus and meter with it.  135mm Orestor now showed infinity focus in the viewfinder just fine.  The 85mm F/1.8 also worked.  Much fussing (setting time/date, turning off RAW, etc.) later and the camera works more or less as described.  Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence.

While this drama has been unfolding, a cute little otter has been swimming around Jernegan pond in my back yard.  He pops his head up, dives and then a series of air bubbles reflect his path through the water.  It's like an aquatic version of Bugs Bunny.  I have failed to get a single picture of him, but he's provided considerable amusement while I've struggled with camera gear.