For Those Interested in Photography...

[Bristolian]

I grew up with cameras around the house - my dad was a professional photographer who died when I was very young. He had started to teach me the basics and I had my own Box Brownie. I had Twin Lens Reflex Hasselblad and Rolleiflex as toys - I wish I still had them He also used to colour monochrome prints with inks. Whilst I was in the Army I completed a Combat Photographers course but never had an opportunity to use the skills in action, although I was always popping up and snapping away when on exercises. The last SLR I bought was the Yashica FX-3 that I still own; completely manual except for an electronic light meter.

My digital journey started in 2008 when I bought a Nikon D40 with a couple of kit lenses and I've been a Nikon shooter ever since. Never likely to convert to mirrorless as my D780 does everything I need.

Here are a couple of more recent images from a charity day at Castle Combe circuit - D780 with a Sigma 100-400mm telephoto lens.

 

[Bristolian]

My favourite thing to photograph is wildlife; and one of my favourite places is the Avalon Marshes in Somerset;

We has a couple of interlopers that day too

 

[Bristolian]

This past Wednesday was devoted to wildlife photography. My friend Rob and I spent the day three of our favourite spots in Newport and Cardiff. It was a bit of a slow day but I did manage to get some good images; here are a few:

First, the ubiquitous Robin who was singing his heart out in the hope someone would feed him.

Next up, a Grey Heron coming in to land at one of the ponds. A very popular feeding place as the ponds are full of frogs and toads.

One of the prettiest birds in the woods is the Chaffinch. This female had her eyes on some seeds dropped at the foot of the tree.

Finally, a rarer sight for me is the Eurasian Jay. This juvenile one was probably trying to figure out how he would get into the monkey nut he'd just snagged.

There are a few more in the "Your Days Wildlife" thread.

 

[Arjimlad]

I'm not technically literate with photography but I do enjoy it.

I've had a Lumix FZ82 Bridge camera for about 10 years, which I've enjoyed very much. Had some shots with it which I have been very happy with indeed. I like landscapes and wildlife, principally. But it's developed an intermittent lens fault, and I understand the sensor is not all that big.

So now I'm excited to be awaiting my first detachable-lens digital camera. I have a Canon Eos R50 mirrorless on order with 2 lenses, the 18-45mm standard one and a 55-210mm one also. Not sure when I will be able to pick it up but I'm really looking forward to getting to know it.

 

[Bristolian]

Some nice shots Arjimlad

I think you'll like the R50 it's supposed to be a good camera (not that there are any really bad ones out there these days). My togging buddy has recently converted to mirrorless, I think he has a Canon R7.

I see you're in South Glos; same here so maybe we could go get together at some time and shoot some wildlife? DM me if you're interested.

 

[Arjimlad]

Some nice shots Arjimlad

I think you'll like the R50 it's supposed to be a good camera (not that there are any really bad ones out there these days). My togging buddy has recently converted to mirrorless, I think he has a Canon R7.

I see you're in South Glos; same here so maybe we could go get together at some time and shoot some wildlife? DM me if you're interested.

Thanks !

Will bear that in mind. I need to get familiar with the new camera when it arrives. Went to Wex in Montpelier, they were very helpful.

 

[Psamathe]

Yes, I bought my first ASLR in 1972. Though, come to think of it, they might just have advertised it as an SLR ...

My first one was within a few years of that, a Praktika with the ols T2? thread. Then an OM1 followed by OM4. Trips to tropical rainforests I'd take both OM1 and OM4 as OM4 mainly electronic and rainforest wet so I sort of assumed OM4 might give out (OM1 being mechanical). But OM4 coped fine.

Traded both in when I switched to DSLR which I sort of regret now. OM1 wasn't working but it was only the foam light seals gone. At the time trade in was useful and keeping them would just be nostalgia as reminders of travels with them.

Ian

 

[Bristolian]

It's been a couple of months since I last photographed any wildlife but last month I spent a very wet and windy day at Llandow Circuit, near Cardiff. Llandow is probably the most uninteresting and least demanding circuit for photographers and drivers alike. There are basically only two places around the circuit that you can take photos from so they get a bit boring after a while. Add teeming rain and gale force winds into the mix and you get a thoroughly tedious day out.

These were shot with my Nikon D780 with Sigma 100-400mm Contemporary lens. As always the camera was set to Manual exposure with auto-ISO, continuous back-button focus and continuous shooting @ 7 fps.
First is a 2.3ltr Supercharged Ford Mustang; settings were 1/800s / f8 / ISO640

Next up is a very nice BMW M3; settings 1/400s / f8 / ISO220

Third is another Ford Mustang. This one has a 5 litre engine which makes the most magical sound. Settings 1/400s / f8 / ISO360

Finally my personal favourite - a Westfield. Considering the weather I was pleased to decline a ride. Settings 1/200s / f8 / ISO140

 

[Jameshow]

I'm not technically literate with photography but I do enjoy it.

I've had a Lumix FZ82 Bridge camera for about 10 years, which I've enjoyed very much. Had some shots with it which I have been very happy with indeed. I like landscapes and wildlife, principally. But it's developed an intermittent lens fault, and I understand the sensor is not all that big.

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So now I'm excited to be awaiting my first detachable-lens digital camera. I have a Canon Eos R50 mirrorless on order with 2 lenses, the 18-45mm standard one and a 55-210mm one also. Not sure when I will be able to pick it up but I'm really looking forward to getting to know it.

I fancy a fz45/62

I have a gx1 but the kit lens is a bit limiting for wildlife photography.

A bit like stock wheels they don't do the bike /camera justice!

 

[Bristolian]

My first one was within a few years of that, a Praktika with the ols T2? thread. Then an OM1 followed by OM4. Trips to tropical rainforests I'd take both OM1 and OM4 as OM4 mainly electronic and rainforest wet so I sort of assumed OM4 might give out (OM1 being mechanical). But OM4 coped fine.

Traded both in when I switched to DSLR which I sort of regret now. OM1 wasn't working but it was only the foam light seals gone. At the time trade in was useful and keeping them would just be nostalgia as reminders of travels with them.

Ian

I've still got my first film SLR (a Yashika Fx-3) and it gets used for monochrome images sometimes, but nowhere near often enough. It is totally manual and forces me to take my time and work with the exposure triangle rather than just letting the camera get on with it.

 

[Arjimlad]

I fancy a fz45/62

I have a gx1 but the kit lens is a bit limiting for wildlife photography.

A bit like stock wheels they don't do the bike /camera justice!

I bought a telephoto lens and adapter for the FZ82 which helped with wildlife very much, but turns it into a one-trick pony somewhat. I'll sell that to help offset the cost of the new Canon. Although the FZ82 has 60x optical zoom, equivalent 20- 1200, the images are dark and grainy when zoomed out to max. Realistically I got the best results from taking it out to 800 or so at most and in good light.

My FZ82, with its intermittent lens fault, will have to stay as a fallback as we can't sell it with the fault. The cost of a new lens module is probably going to be 2/3 of the price of a new FZ82.

I've seen people suggest getting an 18-150mm RF lens as a more versatile one-lens solution to the R50, but I will have to resist looking into other lens options for a bit. It's certainly going to be a while longer before I can stretch to a Canon 100-400 lens for the wildlife stuff, but it is good to know that there are other RF and RF-S options out there for the future.

Very much like different wheels for different riding scenarios!

 

[Yellow Fang]

Samsung does some of the camera phones around my S21 Ultra is nothing short of amazing for something that I carry around in my pocket.

However the A12 is not really up to the task, if you are on a budget a used S9+ or S10 will deliver better results......but the S21 Ultra really is in a different league, and if you are interested photography easily justifies the higher cost.

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Liked the one with the little girl most.

My father was keen on photography. I remember going into his dark room as a small boy. It had a red light. He showed me the trays of chemicals. I would have been 4 or 5. My dad has been dead 13 years now, but I grabbed his camera. It was sitting on a bookcase shelf for most of that time, but now I finally became a father myself, I took some black and white photographs of my son. I took the film to Timpsons to send them off to be developed. My father's camera was a Sigma SA300. This could not be the camera he used in the early 70s, because it has an LCD display and needs a weird battery. I think my mum said he had a Leica back then. When I first tried to use it, a lot of the plastic had degraded. It took me quite a while to rub it down with sticky stuff cleaner before I could hold it without it leaving black gunk on my hand. Then, when I put a film in it, nothing happened because the battery flat. Then I ordered the battery online, and an instruction manual. It is not as easy to use as a smartphone. When I press the button, it spends about a second focusing before it clicks and takes the photo. Back in the day, I understand it was all about the lenses. The camera is a Sigma 300SA, but I cannot remember what the lens is.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I have a couple of old Nikon SLRs upstairs
(can’t remember the models)

However, l found this in the attic, l don’t remember buying it

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I'm very tempted to get an OM1.

 

[Psamathe]

I'm very tempted to get an OM1.

One of the original film OM1s (brilliant camera) or "current" thing a from different company (Olympus sold their camera operation). My impression is the current "OM1" is nothing special and many cameras I'd be wanting before that model.

Original (film) OM4 brilliant camera as well.

(Opinions may differ).

Ian