Any photographers out there?

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Scraper_1

Scraper_1

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Joined
Jan 12, 2020
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Location
Washington state
I'm looking for a decent dslr with one or two lenses. I would like photograph Eagles from a distance (obviously), but I also want to photograph spiders and pens :). So amatuer/pro photographers what is your setup and do you like it? This will be a tool as I want to make my own frames and sell my photography as well as my woodwork/pens. I havent started looking yet and I am sure sticker shock is going to hurt. Can I do this for under $1000? Thanks, folks! 🤠
 
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Hi Matt. To get where you want to go with a DSLR for under a thousand, you will almost certainly have to go secondhand. With cheaper quality lenses you will probably be disappointed with the results.
You will need a camera body, a macro lens for the insects and a long lens for the birds, 500-600mm is preferable but if you can get close enough you might get away with 300mm. I am away from home at the moment and can't post any pics, but next week I can show you what I have done. I use a Nikon D7100 and a Nikon macro lens that I got for $100 on eBay and a Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens. New this would be well above your budget, but if you can find good used stuff if might be doable.
 
Pens aren't too hard to photograph, usually they stay put. Spiders and eagles on the other hand... which means you'd need fast lenses with some sort of image stabilization system (=$$$). I agree with Brad, used equipment might help bite the bullet but your budget is missing a 0 or at least shouldn't start with a 1 😅
If you want to glean information, I recommend fredmiranda.com (especially the Nature forum) as a good place to have a sense of what amateur photographers can do (with pro-level equipment for a good number of them). Be prepared for a steep learning curve, especially for bif (birds in flight) photography.
 
Fred Bruche said:
Pens aren't too hard to photograph, usually they stay put. Spiders and eagles on the other hand... which means you'd need fast lenses with some sort of image stabilization system (=$$$). I agree with Brad, used equipment might help bite the bullet but your budget is missing a 0 or at least shouldn't start with a 1 😅
If you want to glean information, I recommend fredmiranda.com (especially the Nature forum) as a good place to have a sense of what amateur photographers can do (with pro-level equipment for a good number of them). Be prepared for a steep learning curve, especially for bif (birds in flight) photography.
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Thanks! I didn't mention that I was an amatuer photographer as a kid in the '70's. Did my own darkroom work. By the way, I have spent a TON of money since joining this site a month ago 😭.
 
Thank you, Brad! I am going to start looking. This is great information. I can spend more since this is going to make me rich just like pen turning - right? 🤣
 
For under $1,000 second hand DSLR is the way to go. The values have dropped considerably as the mirrorless cameras gain increasing market share. My recommendation would be to find a local camera store rather than a big box electronics store. Go in and tell them what you want to shoot and have them give you recommendations. I shoot with a Nikon D750 and have several Nikon and Sigma lenses including macro and telephoto. High quality lenses should be a higher priority than the camera body. My go to site for reviews is DXOMark.com.
 
Scraper_1 said:
I'm looking for a decent dslr with one or two lenses. I would like photograph Eagles from a distance (obviously), but I also want to photograph spiders and pens :). So amatuer/pro photographers what is your setup and do you like it? This will be a tool as I want to make my own frames and sell my photography as well as my woodwork/pens. I havent started looking yet and I am sure sticker shock is going to hurt. Can I do this for under $1000? Thanks, folks! 🤠
Click to expand...
Id suggest something in Sony's APS-C range—the a6xxx series. Autofocus will be great for capturing the birds, and you could get one of these bodies for $500-600—the lenses are not going to be cheap. Might be able to get some good deals on Greentoe or have some success buying used. I'd suggest you start out with the 55-200 ( effective focal length of 300mm, but reasonably priced). Later on, step up to the 70-300G for a max reach of 450mm on APSC.

I've been shooting Sony cameras for close to 10 years now and I love them. Hard to beat the innovation and tech. And they've made great strides in improving the user experience in the past 5-6 years. Here are some of my photos for anyone who's interested (including a bunch of pens): https://www.flickr.com/photos/113116014@N05/albums
 
I think a camera, and a couple of second hand lenses, similar to what I used to take most of the photos in this thread, could possibly be bought for around $1000 usd if you are careful and do the research before you buy.

Ironwoods Random Offerings 2017

I have decided to have a thread where I can post my random shots this year. I didn't do one last year, and found myself posting less often, but it did mean that I concentrated on my 52 a bit more. I will try to do both this year :).
nikonites.com
 
Good Morning Matt,
I'll weigh in a little. You didn't say how you planned to sell your photographs, but, if its at A&C shows I will offer a bit of my experience for what it's worth. I've been doing this on a part time basis for about 20 years and am in the gradual process of switching from photos to pens and other turnings. I just do not wish to haul the weight and then set up and take down all that is necessary to display photography any more. I will continue to display some as a backdrop.

1. Your camera, lens, and other associated equipment is just the start. You will need a printer and a decent one will run you more than a thousand. Also a show canopy, anywhere from $100 for an elcheapo to $1000. Display racks will add more.

2. For photographs you will need a vehicle capable of carrying a lot of stuff. Not so much with pens.

3. Photography has changed quite rapidly over the last 20 years. Ciba chrome prints from film captures were replaced by digital capture and printing. At first the quality was awful. Not it's superior. I well remember when a lot of people asked if I "enhanced" my prints. Now just about no one does and that says a lot. You will need good photo processing programs. An adobe subscription will run about $10/ month. The print media has gone from photo paper to canvas to metal. All these are doable in your home. The next trend seems to be glass. I have no idea if it will ever be a viable as a do it yourself option.

4. Doing A&C shows can be fun. You meet a lot of nice folks and will take away a number of stories. I may have told this before but I'll do it again. At one of my shows last year a couple of families with about 4 or 5 young girls around 8-12 years (I'm guessing) stopped by my booth and were inspecting my pens. One of them exclaimed something like "$95 for a pen, that's out of this world". So I explained why the price was up there, putting emphasis on the the burl wood which was imported from Australia. Another young girl in the group turned to her and said "Do you still think it' too expensive." Many more stories.

5. It will be fun for you too. Nice thing is you can start small and grow as you get a sense of what you need

Lastly let me recommend a couple of web sites: Jasperjames.com--lots of eagle photographs and an etsy store run by one of my friends from the A&C circuit -- onthewingbirdphotos.

Good luck,
Larry
 
Hi Matt!

I am not a great photographer by any means. But I am learning more and doing better all the time. My main camera has been the Nikon d7100, and my Wife has been shooting the Nikon d5500. That way we can share specialty lenses. These cameras are perfectly adequate for most everybody. In addition to the 18-300 all purpose lens we both have, we also have a Tokina 11-20 wide angle lens, and a Tamron 150-600.

That being said, just at the end of November we both switched over to the Sony mirrorless cameras. We both got a6000 cameras, and although they came with a two-lens kit, we invested in the Sony 18-200 lenses for our all-around lens. Next on my list is a good wide angle, probably the 16 2.8, which should do me for night shooting of stars. Then a 7.5 fisheye lens for some artsy stuff.

I can't even begin to tell you how much better I like these Sony cameras! First of all, they are smaller and lighter than a big dslr like the Nikon. My Wife, who has had three back surgeries, really appreciates the lighter weight! But so do I! There's nothing like lugging one of those big old cameras around all day to make you appreciate a lighter weight camera. And you don't lose anything as far as features and capabilities goes! As a matter of fact, the a6000, which is not the newest of this line of cameras, beats the Nikon d7100 hands down! It has a 24 mp sensor, shoots up to 11 frames per second, and the auto bracketing is so easy and fast that I am able to hand hold and bracket for my hdr shooting! And one of the very coolest things is that as you change your settings, you can see how your exposure will turn out! We will probably keep our eye open fo a good deal on a Sony a6400 and keep the a6000 as a backup or just a second camera.

So I would recommend the Sony a6000 camera! With the two lens kit we paid $598 from Best Buy. If you can, get just the camera body and then get the Sony 18-200 lens, which is a better lens, and doesn't have you changing lenses all the time. Buying the lenses is what eats your budget. We have had good luck with lenses from the Amazon Warehouse, which can save you a couple hundred per lens.

I hope this helps!

Scott.
 
coulcd said:
For under $1,000 second hand DSLR is the way to go. The values have dropped considerably as the mirrorless cameras gain increasing market share. My recommendation would be to find a local camera store rather than a big box electronics store. Go in and tell them what you want to shoot and have them give you recommendations. I shoot with a Nikon D750 and have several Nikon and Sigma lenses including macro and telephoto. High quality lenses should be a higher priority than the camera body. My go to site for reviews is DXOMark.com.
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Thank you! 🐱
 
OK, I'm dabbling in writing and photography. I now have a Canon SX530- HD which is a good camera. A mentor is a highly respected writer/photographer/fishing guide. I inquired about an upgrade- his reply was a Canon as on the link. He said, obviously, the more expensive, the better grade but said the Canon would supply about 90% of what he does. BTW, the one I saw him use is now obsolete. Suggestion- the wife got me this book for Christmas- Learn the Art of Bird Photography by Tim Boyer. Excellent! Tells a lot about what to do and what to do. Information on capturing birds in flight! Also, I bought- Digital Photography for Dummies by Julie Adair King (from Books-A-Million).
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/canon-...-300mm-iii-lens-black/5091315.p?skuId=5091315
 
My two cents... Lenses are expensive so you'll want to pick a "family" of lenses (Canon, Nikon, or Sony) and realize that you will be limiting yourself to only camera bodies in that family. Start with a used 15 MP or so body in that family, which you should be able to get off of eBay for less than $200. Make sure the camera has a flash port and can shoot manual (you control iso,shutter,aperature, etx) if needed. I really only know the Canon line, so a Canon 50d is the kind of used gear I'm thinking of.

Lighting is key for pen photos so you'll want a photo tent and light/lights. Lighting will have more impact on your own photos than the camera and lens.

Learn to shoot raw and how to use Lightroom... It'll easily improve your photos much more than any kit upgrade.

Don't be afraid to rent a lens or camera body for a trip or special occasion. There a few lenses that I thought I wanted but didn't like when I rented them.

I think I will want to switch to a mirrorless body in the next 24 months. I'm kinda screwed because Canon DSLR lenses don't work well with their new mirrorless bodies (requires adapters). I don't believe the same downside holds for Sony or Nikon, so would look down one of those paths if I was in your shoes.
 
Scraper_1 said:
I'm looking for a decent dslr with one or two lenses. I would like photograph Eagles from a distance (obviously), but I also want to photograph spiders and pens :). So amatuer/pro photographers what is your setup and do you like it? This will be a tool as I want to make my own frames and sell my photography as well as my woodwork/pens. I havent started looking yet and I am sure sticker shock is going to hurt. Can I do this for under $1000? Thanks, folks! 🤠
Click to expand...
Just happened to see this article: https://www.imaging-resource.com/ne...-budget-pairing-the-olympus-e-m5-iii-12-200mm. I've never shot Olympus but I know they are well regarded, have great image quality. And because they have a smaller sensor (micro four-thirds) they are small and compact and cheaper. Image quality will suffer a bit in low light compared to APS-C or full frame. But it's still very very good. Some pro photogs even shoot micro four thirds. So image quality should be plenty good for you, especially if you shoot in daylight.
 
EricRN said:
Just happened to see this article: https://www.imaging-resource.com/ne...-budget-pairing-the-olympus-e-m5-iii-12-200mm. I've never shot Olympus but I know they are well regarded, have great image quality. And because they have a smaller sensor (micro four-thirds) they are small and compact and cheaper. Image quality will suffer a bit in low light compared to APS-C or full frame. But it's still very very good. Some pro photogs even shoot micro four thirds. So image quality should be plenty good for you, especially if you shoot in daylight.
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Eric, thank you!
 
Woodchipper said:
OK, I'm dabbling in writing and photography. I now have a Canon SX530- HD which is a good camera. A mentor is a highly respected writer/photographer/fishing guide. I inquired about an upgrade- his reply was a Canon as on the link. He said, obviously, the more expensive, the better grade but said the Canon would supply about 90% of what he does. BTW, the one I saw him use is now obsolete. Suggestion- the wife got me this book for Christmas- Learn the Art of Bird Photography by Tim Boyer. Excellent! Tells a lot about what to do and what to do. Information on capturing birds in flight! Also, I bought- Digital Photography for Dummies by Julie Adair King (from Books-A-Million).
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/canon-...-300mm-iii-lens-black/5091315.p?skuId=5091315
Click to expand...
Thanks!
 
budnder said:
My two cents... Lenses are expensive so you'll want to pick a "family" of lenses (Canon, Nikon, or Sony) and realize that you will be limiting yourself to only camera bodies in that family. Start with a used 15 MP or so body in that family, which you should be able to get off of eBay for less than $200. Make sure the camera has a flash port and can shoot manual (you control iso,shutter,aperature, etx) if needed. I really only know the Canon line, so a Canon 50d is the kind of used gear I'm thinking of.

Lighting is key for pen photos so you'll want a photo tent and light/lights. Lighting will have more impact on your own photos than the camera and lens.

Learn to shoot raw and how to use Lightroom... It'll easily improve your photos much more than any kit upgrade.

Don't be afraid to rent a lens or camera body for a trip or special occasion. There a few lenses that I thought I wanted but didn't like when I rented them.

I think I will want to switch to a mirrorless body in the next 24 months. I'm kinda screwed because Canon DSLR lenses don't work well with their new mirrorless bodies (requires adapters). I don't believe the same downside holds for Sony or Nikon, so would look down one of those paths if I was in your shoes.
Click to expand...
Great info, thanks!!
 
Sorry for the late reply, Larry. Thanks so much for the information. Basically, you read my mind. I haven't sold at markets yet, but I am very excited to give it a shot. I work at home out in the sticks, and I'm telling you it gets weird when you don't see another human for a while. So, I am hoping I have the same great experiences you have had at shows.

I miss the 70's. I used to do my own black and white darkroom work. It was simple and cheap. I might actually give it a shot if you can even get film and darkroom chems anymore. Cheers! 🤠
 
Scraper_1 said:
Sorry for the late reply, Larry. Thanks so much for the information. Basically, you read my mind. I haven't sold at markets yet, but I am very excited to give it a shot. I work at home out in the sticks, and I'm telling you it gets weird when you don't see another human for a while. So, I am hoping I have the same great experiences you have had at shows.

I miss the 70's. I used to do my own black and white darkroom work. It was simple and cheap. I might actually give it a shot if you can even get film and darkroom chems anymore. Cheers! 🤠
Click to expand...
Cleveland, Tennessee, used to have several photo processing businesses. Now they are all gone due to the memory card and digital cameras. I have a Canon T-70, 35mm, that hasn't been used in centuries. I asked a retired photographer what it is worth. He said trash it.
 
I've been out of the game in any serious way for quite a while. But if you're considering mirrorless take a look at this along with the article on birds in flight photos linked therein.

mirrorlesscomparison.com

The Best Mirrorless Cameras for Wildlife and Bird Photography - 2021 Round-up - Mirrorless Comparison

Wildlife photography is a genre that DSLR cameras have dominated for decades. Their robust design and reliable autofocus system, in addition to the vast lens selection, are just a few of the many characteristics amateurs or experienced photographers require in order to capture animals in their...
mirrorlesscomparison.com mirrorlesscomparison.com

Bill
 
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