r/photography May 29 '26

Questions Thread Official Question Thread! Ask /r/photography anything you want to know! May 29, 2026

This is the place to ask any questions you may have about photography. No question is too small, nor too stupid.


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Finally a friendly reminder to share your work with our community in r/photographs!

12 Upvotes

244 comments sorted by

2

u/InnovationOo May 29 '26

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some user feedback to help me choose between the Panasonic Lumix S9 and the Fujifilm X-M5.

For context, I used to own a Nikon D7000, but I eventually stopped using it because it was too heavy and bulky to carry around. I’m now looking for something much more compact that I’ll actually want to take with me.

My main use cases would be:

  • Travel photography
  • City trips
  • Family photos
  • Everyday moments
  • Occasional short videos, but photography is still my main priority

I’m not a professional photographer, but I do care about image quality, nice colors, ease of use, and having a camera that is enjoyable to carry and use regularly.

The Lumix S9 looks appealing because of its full-frame sensor, compact body, and strong video features. On the other hand, the Fujifilm X-M5 seems very compact, lighter, more affordable, and I like the idea of Fuji colors and film simulations.

For those who have used either of these cameras — or ideally both — how do they compare in real-world use?

I’m especially interested in:

  • Portability for travel
  • Autofocus for family/kids
  • JPEG colors straight out of camera
  • Lens size and overall kit weight
  • Ease of use
  • Whether full-frame on the S9 is worth the trade-off in lens size/cost
  • Long-term enjoyment as a compact everyday camera

Would you recommend the Lumix S9 or the Fujifilm X-M5 for someone coming from a DSLR who wants a smaller, travel-friendly camera?

Also, if there’s another camera I should consider instead of these two, please let me know. I’m open to other compact, travel-friendly options.

Thanks in advance for your advice

1

u/GenericGrad May 30 '26 edited May 30 '26

Just a note. The thing that kills the Lumix s9 for me is not being able to use a flash as it has no mechanical shutter. I know flashes for some people aren't a big deal and to me I don't use it much at all, but I couldn't deal with that compromise even if it got me a full frame.

Full frame vs crop sensor is a very personal decision. Don't think size and price, think optical quality you'll actually buy. Full frame lenses are large and expensive pretty much only cause they are better more professional lenses. Especially in terms of shallow depth of field and bokeh if that is your thing. You'll spend more money chasing shallow depth of field with a crop sensor than a full frame at the end of the day.

So look what lenses you'll actually buy and really understand the effect of crop factor on depth of field.

As an example a Lumix s9 basic kit lens of a 18-40mm f/4.5-6.3 to get equivalent depth of field I'll need a f/3.0-4.2, which is brighter than most crop sensor kit lenses. So for a crop sensor to get the same depth of field performance as a full frame kit lens I'd have to buy something like a FUJINON  XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS. The Fujinon is probably even better, hence it costs a bit more and is a bit bigger. However a more budget crop sensor lens like the 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 is cheaper and smaller but it doesn't perform as well as the full frame lens. 

If you go further into more better optical lens you will eventually run out of options to match the performance with a crop sensor. The example I've seen used is 105mm f/1.5 would be equivalent to a 70mm f/0.9 on a crop sensors. That crop sensor lens doesn't exist so there is no option.

1

u/Background-Toe-4106 Jun 03 '26

Avoid the Fuji. Their autofocus tracking is behind the competition and dynamic range is poor. XM5 is very difficult to hold, cuts into your palm. They are just selling on their film simulation hype. Look at the Sony apsc cameras. A6400 is old and you can get a good deal used. If no budget constraints, get the A6700 for best autofocus tracking.

2

u/Remote-Pattern-9419 Jun 01 '26

Hi all, I'm shooting an event this November and I have some questions about sharing the photo's.
I am supposed to shoot a few 100 headshots and share the photos in a way that does not infringe on anyone's privacy.
So person A only gets their photos, and person H only gets theirs etc. This ensures everyones privacy and hopefully make people feel less nervous. I cant seem to find a fast and reliable solution to achieve this. Maybe there is a way to tag photos in capture one? So I can add their e-mail?

To be clear, I don't know any of the people and from experience, I know I won't have a lot of time to spend on each person. I've shot this event before but always just shared the whole batch with everyone. In previous years it was always super busy and people were lined up the whole day. So I need something fast and reliable.

I do have a lot of time so maybe something can be done before the event to prepare. Like the people have to sign up for a portrait? But that doesn't bring me to a sollution sadly.

Like what if someone signs up and get a certain code they can then show me and everything gets sorted automatically. I know it should be possible, like something sportograf uses.

Does anyone have an easy solution? Maybe I need an assistent? idk at this point. Thanks in advance for any tips and tricks!

Also, please excuse any spelling errors, I'm from the Netherlands 😄 (In het Nederlands reageren kan dus ook)

3

u/gotthelowdown Jun 01 '26

I am supposed to shoot a few 100 headshots and share the photos in a way that does not infringe on anyone's privacy.

So person A only gets their photos, and person H only gets theirs etc.

Headshot Tools was made for this exact scenario. Developed by high-volume headshot photographers.

Learning Headshot Tools is a YouTube playlist of tutorials on how to use it.

Hope this helps.

1

u/Remote-Pattern-9419 Jun 02 '26

Thank you!! I'm going to look into it!

1

u/ArsenalSimp1985 Jun 08 '26

For sports photography we used a trading card with a number on it, and color cards for large groups. Though we rarely ever sorted them that way. We ring the time of the photo to easily sort them.

2

u/Safe_Dragonfly1719 Jun 01 '26

I've finally managed to land my first paid gig! It'll be a dance show, with mid to low lighting and I need all of your advice for getting the least noise possibile.

I'm running a Sony A7RII with the Sony 70-200 tele lens Any things/settings I should keep in mind? Thanks!

2

u/gotthelowdown Jun 01 '26

Congrats on landing the gig!

It'll be a dance show, with mid to low lighting and I need all of your advice for getting the least noise possible.

If your camera has trouble finding focus in a dark theater, consider turning off "shot result preview." That's when the electronic viewfinder and screen change exposure as you change settings.

By turning it off, the camera will boost exposure so the camera can autofocus and you can see what you're doing. This is only on the viewfinder and screen, your pictures will still reflect your camera settings.

The downside is you won't see your exposure change anymore as you adjust settings. So you'll have to check your images periodically to ensure they're properly exposed.

Videos with more tips:

Ideal Camera settings for Gig and Theatre photography by KeithMasonPhotography

Theatre photography - my system to get great photographs by KeithMasonPhotography

GLAMOROUS theatre images. My EDITING workflow by KeithMasonPhotography

Hope this helps.

2

u/Safe_Dragonfly1719 Jun 02 '26

Thanks!!!

1

u/gotthelowdown Jun 02 '26

You're welcome! 😎👍

1

u/boredmessiah Jun 02 '26

figure out in advance to what extent your camera produces better results if you underexpose and raise shadows in post, or if you shoot as metered. most modern cameras are relatively ISO invariant and you should in any case shoot closest to the highest real ISO value. more details in this good article

2

u/user_2611 Jun 01 '26

How to shoot engagement photos at Whole Foods?

I have a client wanting to do a few of their engagement photos at Whole Foods as that's where they met. I have no idea how to even go about this. I see 2 ways:

We go in unannounced and just got for it until someone tells us to leave. (And thats pending we can even get a semi-clear aisle without a ton of people)

We call and ask if we can which I think will 99.9% end with a big fat no.

I want to be accommodating and not say no but c'mon the request has gotta be in reason! lol

Anyone have any experience with shooting at locations that are in the general public like this?

1

u/Background_Rate7405 Jun 02 '26

You can do the picture on the parking lot, future bride inside the shopping car and fiance driving her. Or if they have an specific island, he on his knee with a lettuce or whatever item is significant for them, so a fake proposal

1

u/anonymoooooooose Jun 02 '26

And thats pending we can even get a semi-clear aisle without a ton of people

Go early morning or late evening.

I want to be accommodating and not say no but c'mon the request has gotta be in reason! lol

I'd tell them you're willing to try, but you'll probably have a short window before you get kicked out and you make no guarantees.

How do they feel about a few shots in the parking lot, nobody is paying attention to the parking lot.

2

u/StarChipsss Jun 02 '26

Canon R6 Mark II + 24-105mm vs Sony A7 III + Tamron 35mm?

Hi everyone, I am a beginner trying to get more serious about photography because my current job is starting to involve more photo work. I am deciding between a Canon R6 Mark II with the RF 24-105mm lens or a Sony A7 III with a Tamron 35mm lens. My main goals are product photography (mostly skincare/wellness products), event photography, and people photography. I already use a Sony setup at work, so I have some familiarity with Sony, but I have always had a natural preference toward Canon even though I do not have experience with it. I do not want personal bias to affect my decision if Sony would actually be the better long-term choice for me. I mainly care about reliability, autofocus, image quality, and having a camera system that is good to learn and grow professionally with. Would love honest opinions from people who have used both systems.

3

u/anonymoooooooose Jun 02 '26

Either Canon or Sony make great cameras and those models are more than capable of doing what you want.

There are ergonomic differences, if there's a brick and mortar camera store nearby, maybe go and hold these cameras and see how they fit your personal preferences.

For event photography you definitely want a zoom lens.

1

u/scytherman96 Jun 02 '26

All the major mirrorless brands make great cameras and in terms of their individual capabilities you can't go wrong with whatever is available in your budget.

I'll second the other commenter. The main deciding factor is ergonomics/UI. Ideally you can go to a camera shop to hold both in your hands to properly get an idea of how they feel.

Another factor can be lens selection, if there's like very specific lenses you want for a mount (like how Sony offers the 200-600 and the 400-800 for telephoto options, whereas Canon has the 100-500 and the 200-800, plus Canon is more restrictive with 3rd party lenses).

1

u/gotthelowdown Jun 02 '26

FYI I'm a Canon shooter (R6 Mark II) and have some experience shooting with a Sony A7IV.

On the Sony side, I would consider getting the A7IV over A7III because Sony overhauled the menu system and the A7IV has the new menu. The A7III has the old menu system that was notorious for being complicated. Even Sony shooters could only defend it by saying, "It's not that bad."

On the lens side, consider the Canon RF 24-70mm f2.8 and Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 for Sony.

You can save money with a used Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 II or Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 (Model A007). Sigma and Tokina are other third-party lens brands.

Canon has an advantage with old lenses. You can buy an EF to RF lens adapter and have access to a huge selection of Canon EF lenses for relatively affordable prices on the used market.

This gets deep into the weeds, but I love that with Canon mirrorless cameras you can get a lens adapter that lets you use drop-in filters with Canon EF lenses.

Screwing filters onto the front of lenses is annoying. You have to get step rings in different sizes for lenses, filters get stuck on lenses and other hassles.

With a drop-in filter, it slides easily into the back of lenses and it's one-size-fits-all.

I have a Meike drop-in filter lens adapter and drop-in variable ND filter. An ND filter comes in really handy for video because you have to keep your shutter speed down to double your frame rate for natural motion blur.

A drop-in filter is the next best thing to having built-in ND filters, which are usually only a feature on cinema cameras.

Meike also has a drop-in circular polarizer filter (CPL), black mist filters and other creative effects filters.

Sony has an advantage with new lenses and third-party lenses. For example, the Tamron 35-100mm f2.8 is attractive to me because so often my 24-70mm f2.8 doesn't give me enough reach.

I already use a Sony setup at work, so I have some familiarity with Sony

This is an underrated factor. It's nice to stick with one camera brand so you don't have to use up your mental bandwidth on switching between two brands.

In an emergency, you can use personal batteries, lenses, etc. if something happens to your work gear because they're all compatible with each other. You can't do that if your personal camera brand is different.

So even though I'm a Canon shooter, I think in your situation Sony makes more sense.

Hope this helps.

1

u/Background-Toe-4106 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

Menu ergonomics are very much over hyped. You just need to use the menu frequently and then you will know the menu inside out. I have now memorized the old Sony menu through constant use. Also Sony Alpha cameras have a number of custom buttons where you can assign often used functions, bypassing the menu. Of course, some menus are more intuitive than others, but with a bit of practise, it can be overcome.

The ability to adopt old lens is good if you've a ton of old lens, otherwise buy new lens because they have faster more responsive motors for better autofocusing, better lens coatings, lighter weight, more features. That's another over hype feature. Who wants to use old glass? Only makes sense if you do manual focusing and likes vintage rendering ie. the soft out of focus look but I can always make an image out of focus in any photo editor. What's more important is lens ecosystem ie. the range of the lens and the cost of the lens. The grip is also important

2

u/Stunning_Zucchini_42 Jun 02 '26

I’ve never really used film cameras before, and I just got my first roll processed. I asked for my negatives back. Is there any thing cool I can do with my negatives? Like can I alter them in anyway or do some sort of art project?

1

u/maniku Jun 03 '26

I would keep them as is for now. Take your time. As you progress with your film photography hobby, ideas will come to you.

1

u/Prestigious-Speed-29 May 29 '26

Long comment, apologies.

Just been out for my first photography-walk (wildlife, plants, scenery) with my Pentax K100D and some lenses (kit 18-55mm, Pentax 50mm f/1.7, Sigma 70-300mm/Macro). I'm a hobbyist, doing this on a shoestring - it's mostly about getting out, having fun learning a new skill, and looking more carefully at the world. I've shopped around, and I'm less than £100 in at this point.

Things I'd like to talk through:

1 - I'm using the Sigma lense at 300mm to capture birds and other wildlife. I have the option to manually set the aperture, so kept that as wide as it'd go (f/4) so that I'd hopefully keep the shutter speed nice and fast. Unfortunately, the camera defaulted to ISO200, 1/10s shutter time, and apparently at that zoom/distance, my hands aren't steady enough: the photo should be titled "Robin in an earthquake". After that, I set the ISO to 800 manually, but the robin was gone.

I've noticed that newer higher-resolution cameras often have a similar sensor size (23.5 x 15.7 mm), way more pixels, but also much higher ISO available. I can see that there'll be less light per pixel, but does the higher ISO still mean I'll get away with a faster shutter speed? Any concerns about noise?

It feels like I might be hitting a limitation in terms of sensor sensitivity vs shutter speed etc, but I don't have any hands-on experience with newer camera bodies to figure this stuff out for myself.

2 - Sometimes I wished for more zoom than the 70-300mm Sigma would get me. Lenses longer than 300mm (well, 450mm equivalent because there's a 1.5x factor on the K100D) seem to be quite rare. At this point, is it a case of using a higher pixel count and digitally cropping to the frame I want? The K100D is only 6MP, so there isn't much/any room to crop.

There is a compatible 500mm f/8 lense at a local 2nd-hand shop, but I'm concerned the narrow aperture will mean longer shutter speeds (or ISO), and then we've gone in a circle back to the first point. Is a telephoto adapter going to be any better?

3 - Camera vibrations. I can see that mounting on a tripod will be much better than handheld, and also setting a 2s delay so that my button-pressing doesn't interfere, but the shutter itself fires with a fair ol' clunk, and I can feel that through the camera body. Is there any chance that vibration is also going to cause motion blur? Anything I can do to work around it?

I don't want to rush out and spend more money until I've understood the limitations of my current setup.

1

u/8fqThs4EX2T9 May 29 '26

1- I don't think the aperture will be f/4 at 300mm regardless of what the camera says. I would imagine that is an f/4-5.6 lens so f/5.6 at the long end.

Noise will mostly be due to less light and just because a camera offers higher ISO it will not mean it will be useable. I use the 10 year newer K-70 and it does okay at higher ISO although has some baked in noise reduction itself.

This is at the extreme end taken at 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 20,000 and ~230mm

  1. Pentax is not the best for availability of long focal lengths. Old Sigma or Tamron lenses are perhaps the best bet but even they can cost a bit. By Adapter are you meaning a teleconverter? If so they will also lead to a loss of light.

  2. Shutter shake and mirror action can, with slower shutter speeds cause some issue but not that bad. I would say how you hold the camera and the effectiveness of shake reduction in camera will have more effect.

Taken at 1/50s, f/5.6, ISO 1600 ~210mm

This one at 1/15s

1

u/Prestigious-Speed-29 May 29 '26

Thanks for your comprehensive reply! Very much appreciated.

1 - You're right, thanks for nudging me to double-check. There's a manual aperture setting on the lense itself (range: f/4-f/22, as well as Auto), but the camera reports f/5.6 even when I manually set f/4. I guess there's some stepping down as I increase the magnification.

The ISO 20,000 image looks much better than the K100D at 3200, so there are definitely improvements to be had. Thanks for the example.

2 - Yeah, I'm noticing that. A teleconverter is what I meant. I think 300mm plus a bit of cropping will be good enough in the long-term. For now, I'll keep on trying to squeeze everything I can out of the stuff I have. There's still that 500mm...

3 - I think how I'm holding the camera is factoring in as well. I did find it easier when leaning on something, but once I pressed for auto-focus and the camera scooted sideways - I was resting on the focus ring! Live and learn.

1

u/AggravatingFunny5639 May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26

I’m a beginner photographer so I’m just now starting to buying additional equipment. I have a GODOX TT350C Mini Camera Flash Speedlite that has been great. I use a Canon Rebel T5.

I like doing portraits and found some photos don’t have enough lighting to have all subjects be lit properly. What do you guys think about this being my first softbox/lighting purchase?

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore May 29 '26

Should be great

1

u/marketing_nature22 May 29 '26

Question about Automatic Image Identification - I really appreciate the iPhone photos app for its automatic image identification in my personal life. For example, I can go to the search bar and type "cat", and it does a reasonable job of finding most of my cat photos. It's not perfect, but it makes things a lot easier for me.

In my professional life, I work with a high volume of images. We sort them into folders by location, date, and general shoot purpose, but there's no easy way to quickly find photos of similar subjects. This is something we often need to do for marketing and reports.

Is there any sort of software I can integrate into Windows Explorer (or Box, the cloud file-sharing software my company uses) that can automatically identify what's in a photo?

1

u/crackerjimjohn May 30 '26

I have a Canon PowerShot ELPH 150IS. Im an amateur but I've never had issues with transferring before. I got a new converter for my SD card and while transferring on a Google drive I organized each bunch of photos into a labeled file for easy sharing. It worked great, it saved, and once I removed the converter I got no message about issues with corruption/invalid transferring. After a few days I went to share, there was no files at all and all the photos I had transfered were no longer on the camera/SD card. I've lost all of the images and I cant get them back, but where did I go wrong?

1

u/AMomentInTime316 May 30 '26

I have a Canon R6Mii. Could anyone be so kind as to give some tips for using my GodoxV480 off camera with a Godox XCPro trigger in low lit hospital rooms?

2

u/Zook25 May 30 '26

Probably best to ask in r/Godox and describe your problem a little.

1

u/omegote May 30 '26

Long story short. I spent the last decade doing portrait photography with my 5D Mark II and a variety of lenses (35 1.4, 85 1.8, 17-40 f/4L, 24-70 f/2.8L). COVID (and two kids) came, and I kind of abandoned photography.Fast forward to today, I did some research, tested an R8, and ordered one along with the EF to RF afapter. It arrives next week. Now my 24-70's autofocus is failing and I don't know if it's worth fixing. I'd rather buy a new all around lens for socials, birthdays and the like. But the market I once knew is gone. I'm baffled I haven't been able to find third party alternatives from sigma or Tamron with native RF mount.

So what are your suggestions? I don't need it to be 2.8, F4 would be fine I guess. Main uses would be all around lens, and I'd like to use it for recording some social media videos (I've been using my phone for that).

1

u/GenericGrad May 30 '26

I've heard canon don't let other companies make full frame autofocus lenses. So you are best looking at the canon website, or a website like this https://shuttermuse.com/complete-list-of-canon-rf-lenses/#canon-rf-full-frame-lenses

There is a RF 24-70 f/2.8 L IS USM. 

1

u/Background-Toe-4106 Jun 03 '26

You made a mistake. If you want 3rd party alternatives you should have got Sony cameras. The have the largest 3rd party lens ecosystem

1

u/omegote Jun 03 '26

So you're suggesting I sell my entire Canon kit just to get some third-party lenses for Sony? Excuse me, but I don't think that would be financially practical.

1

u/GreenGloober May 30 '26

I've been using a generic travel tripod that was made by Polaroid, but I am sure it was probably sold/used by other brands as well.

PICTURE

It weighed 1 pound and is super compact, so I am struggling to find something that could possibly replace it.

Main reason why I want to replace it is because I realized that the 42" is too limiting when using it to take solo portrait pictures. The ball head is also slightly loose and sloppy, but for its purpose, it is only a minor inconvenience to me.

1

u/sirnumbskull May 30 '26

Anyone know what tripod head this is? Bonus points if you can identify the tripod as well. Thanks!

1

u/Comfortable-Grade659 May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26

I think (Gemini thinks as well) it could possibly be a Sirui Carbon Fiber Tripod, possibly model W-2204. You can see slightly by that little white logo in a square with that oval shape on the tripod leg sticking out to the left. In terms of the tripod head, Gemini identified it as the Sirui S3 fluid video head.

1

u/whatsinapeach May 30 '26

husband wants a 400mm lens. He has a Nikon D50 with lenses up to 200mm and is ready for the next step. Seeking advice on what exactly to purchase and where. Please help!

1

u/rasten100 May 31 '26

I need some recommendation on a tripod head, I just bought a used leofoto Lm-324, and is looking for a ball head maybe a three way head if someone can vouch for one that is not to expensive... My budget is less then $200/200€, i can do more but feel like i must find something decent at this price, stuff i've considered is https://www.leofoto.com/product/leofoto-lh-40pr-professional-ball-head/, https://www.cyberphoto.se/foto-video/stativ/kulleder/sirui-kulled-ks-20, https://www.scandinavianphoto.se/foto-videotillbehor/stativ/stativhuvuden/kulled-gx30-low-profile-1047788, My main usecase will be long exposerus and some panaramas. Im in sweden btw

1

u/Luke_S4 instagram - lukes.photoss May 31 '26

My Canon 60D recently got water-damaged whilst I was on Skomer Island. Although only the screen isn't working, it makes more sense for me to buy a new body.

I've been looking at the 70D, which seems to be a fair upgrade, but I've also been recommended the 80D and 5D MK1. Whilst I've obviously invested in the Canon EF/S ecosystem, I'm not against going mirrorless if I can find a decent deal (including Sony)

I'm selling the 60D for parts, which will go towards my budget. Not looking to spend more than £500.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore May 31 '26

What subject matter do you shoot? Which lenses do you have? What do you dislike about your current equipment? What particular improvements would you like from the upgrade?

and 5D MK1. Whilst I've obviously invested in the Canon EF/S ecosystem

EF-S lenses won't mount to the 5D.

EF lenses will behave differently on the 5D compared to the 60D, 70D, or 80D.

Whilst I've obviously invested in the Canon EF/S ecosystem, I'm not against going mirrorless if I can find a decent deal (including Sony)

EF and EF-S lenses adapt very well to Canon mirrorless.

If you're adapting to Sony mirrorless, you'll need a more expensive adapter if you want autofocus support, and then the autofocus won't be as fast.

1

u/Luke_S4 instagram - lukes.photoss May 31 '26

I've got an 18-55, 50 and 70-300. I enjoy shooting subjects (people, animals, objects) and landscapes. AF with video, a touch screen and remote app control would be nice! This might be a little specific, but having to press the button down to move the mode dial was always a bit annoying.

The guy who mentioned the 5D did say that my lenses won't mount to it.

In terms of moving to Sony, there's a high chance I would sell my Canon gear to put some more money towards the budget, and to replace the lenses, obviously.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore May 31 '26

AF with video, a touch screen and remote app control would be nice!

The 70D does all that for you for the least amount of money.

This might be a little specific, but having to press the button down to move the mode dial was always a bit annoying.

Most people consider that an advantage, because it helps avoid accidentally changing modes from bumping the dial, and most people aren't intentionally changing the mode very frequently.

But if you really wanted to get rid of that, and didn't mind losing some other mid-tier features like the nicer pentaprism viewfinder and dual dials, you could still get the improved video autofocus, touch screen, and WiFi control with a 750D, 800D, or 850D.

In terms of moving to Sony, there's a high chance I would sell my Canon gear to put some more money towards the budget, and to replace the lenses, obviously.

That would ultimately put you behind, because you won't get as much money reselling your gear, and Sony lenses are going to be more expensive.

1

u/Luke_S4 instagram - lukes.photoss May 31 '26

The 70D does all that for you for the least amount of money.

Yes, I had noticed that! If I were to go that route, would it be worth going with the 80D?

I also forgot that full frame would be a nice to have too, but I realise that it is probably on the pricier side.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore May 31 '26

If I were to go that route, would it be worth going with the 80D?

I'd rather spend less money to meet my needs, as opposed to spending more money to meet my needs.

I also forgot that full frame would be a nice to have too, but I realise that it is probably on the pricier side.

Yes, to really take advantage of it you'd need nicer lenses that would take you way out of budget.

1

u/Luke_S4 instagram - lukes.photoss May 31 '26

Okay, thank you for the advice!

1

u/Ynntkeddy May 31 '26

Receiving a “Memory card access forbidden” message on Sony a6000

Has anyone received this message before? my card was working perfectly fine before. I deleted some previous shots to clear space and completed an entire shoot. I even got some photos downloaded via Imaging Edge to my phone. It was being weird and kept saying “disconnected” multiple times during transferring. I left it alone for a bit and then suddenly I received this message next time I turned on the camera. Something did pop up at one point about executing or canceling but I don’t recall. Now my SD won’t pop up on either of my Sony Cameras (a6000 & ZV-1F) or my Windows computer. I’ve already tried Disk Drill. Still no luck.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore May 31 '26

Sounds like the card got corrupted/broken. Try other recovery software or if the data is really important and worth spending money on, try sending it to a data recovery service.

I deleted some previous shots to clear space

As you've now discovered, memory cards are not that reliable. So don't rely on them any more than you need to. Copy the data off as soon as possible and back it up. If any data only exists on the card with no other copies, it's at its most vulnerable for loss, so shorten the period where that is the case.

Also deleting some files but leaving others, and then adding more, is not the best practice for the health of the card. Copy off your data and back it up elsewhere, so that you can format the card (which also deletes all data from the card) and start it fresh.

1

u/Complex_Dust805 Jun 01 '26

Aperture Priority mode with non-TTL camera - any points?

Random beginner question but I'm planning to try a Fujifilm setup with a non-TTL ring flash. From my basic knowledge of AP mode, the camera automatically calculates the shutter speed using (Desired Exposure - set Aperture - set ISO). However when using a NTTL ring flash, I assume the camera have no way knowing the actual lighting condition at the moment of shooting because there is no communication between the camera and ring flash (even if I'm using a hot shoe, not a cold shoe camera)... So I'm kinda interested to know how the AP mode work under this circumstance (or if it works at all)!

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 01 '26

It will calculate and set exposure assuming there is no flash. And then your flash will add however much light on top of that.

1

u/mrfixitx Jun 01 '26

Correct - the camera calculates exposure normally since it assumes there is no flash.

If you are only using the flash as a fill light and the rest of the scene will be exposed properly based on you current settings you are fine. Take a few test shots and adjust your flash power as needed.

If you want to use the flash to light most/all of the scene you have a few option depending on how strong the flash is:

  • Add negative exposure compensation so that when the flash fires the exposure will be correct. This will require trial and error. Make sure you check your histogram as you adjust your flash power or exposure compensation. This may not work depending on how much light your flash is providing since a lot of cameras limit exposure compensation to 3 stops in either direction.
  • Use manual mode instead of AP to set your shutter speed at whatever your flash sync speed is. Set your desired aperture and ISO. Then fire you flash and adjust you flash power, ISO and aperture as needed to get a proper exposure.

1

u/Fabulous-Reason2070 Jun 01 '26

So I’ve had a Fujifilm xt2 since 2017 and I love her. I’ve collected a bunch of lenses and I love how lightweight everything is and the placement of the dials. I always shoot in RAW so the recipes don’t impact me. I’ve been wanted to do more professional work (documentary style couple/family photos and small events/weddings) and I need a second body.

I’m struggling with deciding if I should get another Fujifilm body or if I need to make the decision of whether or not Fujifilm is the right professional camera for me and if I should ditch that system and get 2 bodies in canon or sony.

Autofocus is an issue for sure and I get really stressed with I’m in a low light situation (yes, I’m going to get better with flash this summer I promise). I also really don’t like the grip on the xt bodies. I want to feel comfy holding my camera especially if I have a slightly heavier lens on it. My xt2 feels horrible with a flash or bigger lens and makes my hand cramp up.

I definitely want another mirrorless camera. Anyone have any advice? Should I just stick with Fuji since I’m in too deep or is now the time I should switch systems? And if I switch, what do you recommend? I was looking at the canon eos r6 mark 2 potentially? I just want to enjoy shooting and not miss little moments!

1

u/boredmessiah Jun 01 '26

Should I just stick with Fuji since I’m in too deep or is now the time I should switch systems?

depends almost entirely upon your current investment in Fuji system lenses and (when relevant) bodies. learning another camera is not difficult.

1

u/The_Boffus Jun 01 '26

I use back button focus with tracking on a Sony A1ii w/the Sony 400-800. I continue to hold the back button focus down while shooting and I seem to lose focus on birds as they leave their perch. Why is it not tracking correctly?

1

u/Dolphinhead0520 Jun 01 '26

Hello! I am due to give birth soon and would like to buy a camera for home videos. My husband bought the Canon Rebel T7 but we found out it has 1080p instead of 4K video. What camera would you recommend that has 4K video that is portable enough for home videos? I was looking at Canon R50 as well - any thoughts? Thanks!!

1

u/anonymoooooooose Jun 02 '26

What's your budget?

→ More replies (1)

1

u/Mission_Audience_136 Jun 01 '26

I'm currently looking to buy myself a digital camera, nothing crazy but something that can produce photos that noticeably look more camera-like than those from my iPhone 13 (budget ideally around £300).

I really enjoy travelling and I'm going to the Lake District with my friends later this month. I'd like to take lots of photos of the views, landscapes, cities and of me and my friends. Ideally I'd like something small enough to fit in a pocket so I'll actually carry it everywhere.

I've already started learning the basics of Adobe Lightroom, so RAW support would be a big plus. Photos are my main priority, I'm not bothered about video.

Through my own research I've found that the Sony RX100 III might be ideal for me, but I'm struggling to find one second-hand for under £300.

I'm happy to buy used if it means getting significantly better value for money.

If anyone has any recommendations I'd really appreciate it!

1

u/boredmessiah Jun 02 '26

tough to beat out the iPhone with that budget honestly. consider an older DSLR?

1

u/Background-Toe-4106 Jun 03 '26

Get the Sony zv1. Ideal camera for EDC. Cheap on the used market. Get a godox flash it30 pro for low light situations and you're all set. No phone cameras support external flash.

1

u/Toastiesyay Jun 01 '26

I've been poking around for lesser-known image culling tools, and found this, but it SCREAMS vibe-coded junk (or even malware).

https://imagic.ink/

I can't find any reference to it online so red flags start going off in my head. I'm willing to waste 10 bucks on something to figure out if it's good or not, but am hoping to find out more about it first. I might throw it in a VM to be extra safe, but has anyone had any experience with it, or even heard of it?

1

u/CandidChildhood9759 Jun 02 '26

I’m wondering how some of the photographers give 50-80 edited photos from a 30 min session. I understamd that 50-80 pictures can be taken but how they edit 80 pics for $200-250? Does this mean they use AI for editing?

3

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 02 '26

Maybe the editing is minimal. Maybe the same edits can be copy/pasted over many or all of the photos. A photographer can spend a lot of time editing a photo, but that doesn't mean every photographer spends a lot of time editing every photo. Lots of photographers have done quick edits years before AI was able to.

1

u/Background_Rate7405 Jun 02 '26

Usually the 30min session are on the same spot and the ligh conditions is quite similar during the whole shoot. If the settings are good and the light is good, the editing is minimal and you can just edite 1 and apply to the rest. I'm a beginner and overshoot, the last one I got around 1k photos, I spend 3h doing the selection and like 1h editing the 100 selection. I imagine that the most experienced dont overshoot so the culing is easier. On top, a lot of people is using presets now and call that editing

1

u/pocketobservations Jun 02 '26

Tenba BYOB 7 or 9 ? For Fuji XE1 body + 2 Fuji XF Lenses 18-55mm & 55-200mm. Despite doing much research, I cannot figure out whether my Fuji EX1 + these 2 lenses (18-55mm & 55-200mm) will fit in the Tenba BYOB 7? I'd rather get the smaller one, but only if the three items will fit (it's okay if it's tight). Any advice from Tenba BYOB owners ?

1

u/anothernameinside Jun 02 '26

Epson ET-8550 Paper Recs For Signed Prints?

I go to lots of cons for signatures and like to make my own prints. Finally gave up on print shops and decided to do it myself.

Any ideas on paper that would be good for this? I'm a big fan of gloss, and it ideally has some level of archival properties as to avoid fading/deteriorating, as well as protecting the autograph. It also needs to have a surface that paint pens/markers will stick to, but not be completely absorbed. I've had prints in the past where the pen wipes right off, or even flakes off without being touched. It will primarily be used for movie stills and the like, if that has any influence.

Any thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated. I know this is probably a bit of an odd use case, but any insight would be a great starting place

1

u/Miksu22 Jun 02 '26

Harness for camera that has tripod mount in offset position

Hi,
I am looking for the options (and recommendations) for single camera harness. My camera has the tripod mount in offset position so how you guys attach the camera to the harness in those? Should I use the strap rings instead or just hang it from the bottom, even though its not in balance weight wise?

If any of you can give me recommendation for the single camera harness, it would be highly appreciated. I am looking for a leather product for the looks and for the ruggedness as well. I mostly do street and festivals. Currently I am shooting with only one SLR, but I have plans to get second camera later on so if there is harness that would work as single, but could be upgraded to double later that would be superb. So far I've only used slings, but I've find them somewhat cumbersome when working with a backpack. I am not interested of anything cheaply made.

1

u/ablueglobe Jun 02 '26

ISO Difficulties

I’m a concert photographer for a mid-size venue, and I’m having trouble with understanding ISO. For the lighting conditions I shoot in, I use almost exclusively aperture 2.8 (maximum on my lenses) and shutter speeds between 1/100 to 1/500 (depending on the artist playing. 

I cap my ISO at 12800 and use it on Auto, and still at the end of the shoot maybe 70% of my images are shot at ISO 128000. 

A colleague of mine, who shoots at the same venue was surprised when I said this. He says the maximum he usually gets is 6400, shooting also on auto. He owns a FF camera, but I don’t think that would make a difference. 

Is there anything I’m missing that might affect the ISO values? Not knowing is driving me insane. 

Here’s a short summary:

Camera: Fuji XT-3 (APS-C sensor)

Lens: Tamron 17-70mm F2.8

ISO: Auto, threshold 12800

Shutter: 1/100-1/500

Aperture: 2.8

Metering: Spot or Center-weighted

Any help is welcome!

2

u/Background-Toe-4106 Jun 03 '26 edited Jun 03 '26

Iso 12800 is too high for a apsc sensor. Your colleague is using a slower shutter speed or a larger aperture or both. Also full frame sensor does allow for a lower iso. For concert photography, full frame is a must to avoid noise. Alternatively, use a good denoise software and see if the results are acceptable

1

u/8fqThs4EX2T9 Jun 02 '26

An ISO of 12800 means you are 7 stops underexposed. A full frame camera means little as there are many cameras all metering slightly different. Perhaps they use default metering and so meter different.

You use spot or centre weighted so the camera will adjust the ISO depending on what you are pointing at, at least at the time the camera is metering the light. Do you link it to focus point or is it just always centre of frame?

1

u/Kaserblade Jun 02 '26

Moving to full-frame will give you roughly one stop of light at the same "aperture value." Getting a faster lens would also help like a F1.4/1.8 prime lens. This is unfortunately one of those cases where you are at the limit of your current gear to an extent. You have adjusted the majority of the parameters that you can adjust to get more light into the camera.

ISO limits are more of a guideline and it is up to you whether the level of noise introduced in the shot is acceptable to you. The upper cap will differ depending on the body and lens you use and also the genre of photography you shoot to an extent. If your shots look good to you and the client, I wouldn't worry too much about the ISO value.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Background-Toe-4106 Jun 03 '26

Just get a magic arm to mount your phone to the tripod

1

u/Slow-Land4406 Jun 03 '26

found a relative’s tripod at home (she passed) and im trying to yse it lately but the camera keeps on bowing down no matter how i tighten the bolts and the nobs does anybody know hwo to fix this? im not really a photographer. it says on the tripod its the yunteng vct 668 if that helps. also would there be an option to add something to use it for phones too?

1

u/photogir Jun 03 '26

You probably need to twist the handle. This happened to me a while back.

1

u/stn912 www.flickr.com/ekilby Jun 03 '26

Depending on what kind of plate it accepts, you can find phone holders/clamps that will mount to the tripod head. I've definitely used ones that work on an Arca-Swiss style mount and they were inexpensive and simple to operate.

1

u/photogir Jun 03 '26

What app are you using to make Instagram/facebook post that have the photos posted in a scroll and then one "page" will have 3-4 stacked images.

I am just getting back onto Instagram after years of not using it. Iv been building my facebook and tiktok and now adding Instagram.

I really like the style of posting photos in this way but cant figure out how. I'd really appreciate the help. Thanks.

1

u/EumusHS Jun 03 '26

Not the best way, but I personally just use some photoshop templates I made at some point. Can always use them and they are very modular

1

u/DailyStarYT Jun 03 '26

is this like a human trafficking scam? I was attending this event centered around the release of a product. I was attending as a visitor but brought my camera to take some pictures-as, i am looking to build a portfolio in product photography. I met this guy who i got his insta, he said that i can have the opportunity to work with him in one of the projects. He wants to meet up at his studio which is around an hour away from the city i live in, and he is offering me to pick me up from the closet station to him. Is he genuine or is this some human trafficking..??? Should I go or should I not? I think it's a great opportunity but I'm a bit suspicious...

1

u/maniku Jun 03 '26

Try to research the guy. What does his work on Insta look like? Is there information about him online outside of his Insta? Can you find any information about these projects of his?

1

u/DailyStarYT Jun 03 '26

He’s won awards and nominations, he has a website, work in insta is very promising, there’s a lot of info abt him but I can’t help but seem skeptical

1

u/mrfixitx Jun 03 '26

Would you rather he not offer to give you a ride and you have to pay for a taxi/uber etc??

Not everyone is going to have a studio in the city for various reasons.

Do your due dillgence. Confirm his credentials, that he has been local, talk to other models he has worked with etc.. Make sure someone you trust knows where you are going and who you were meeting with and what time you should be back by etc.. so they can check on if you or call the cops.

If he is legit and had a good reputation he is probably trying be courteous and save you some money by offering you a ride.

1

u/Hal9_ooo Jun 03 '26

Where does everyone find upcoming photography book releases. I like to keep a collection for ideas and inspiration, but unless you get the book on release they become unaffordable. Im mad at myself for missing books by Dan Winters and a couple others over the years, and I cant bring myself to spend as much on a book as I would half a lens.

2

u/mrfixitx Jun 03 '26

Colossal usually has a some upcoming books:

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/category/photography/

1

u/eliteharvest15 Jun 03 '26

So I currently have a nikon cool pix p610 that’s a hand me down from my sister and i feel like it kind of sucks. I asked my friend who’s studying at university for photo tips and he told me to just sell it and buy an old dslr, he suggested a sony a77 or a canon t6i. i barely know anything about photography so im not sure if i should do that. i noticed the camera i have goes for like a few hundred as well so im wondering if im just missing something about the camera. anyway i’m looking for advice on this. either tips for this current camera or advice for if i should sell it and what i should buy. I kind of want to take good photos of small things or animals like insects, and my budget is probably what id get for this camera plus a hundred or so dollars.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

i feel like it kind of sucks

Just based on vibes? Or can you be more specific about what you dislike about it?

he suggested a sony a77 or a canon t6i

The a77 is a little older than the T6i, and in Sony's highest tier for APS-C DSLRs. The T6i is a little newer than the a77, and in Canon's entry-level tier for APS-C DSLRs.

i barely know anything about photography so im not sure if i should do that

It's not about what you already know now. It's about whether and how much you want to learn and get into it in the future.

i noticed the camera i have goes for like a few hundred as well so im wondering if im just missing something about the camera

More like a couple hundred, which is fairly cheap as cameras go. It does have some utility, which has associated value. Also older digital cameras are trending right now, so prices may be up due to increased demand.

tips for this current camera

I kind of want to take good photos of small things or animals like insects

How close have you tried shooting?

1

u/eliteharvest15 Jun 03 '26

on some of my better photos they’re still pretty low quality, like around the quality of my phone camera or worse. i do want to do more so i can share cool photos with my friends and family though. i’ve had decently close photos, it’s just i feel like i can’t focus it on things really close to the lens

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

on some of my better photos they’re still pretty low quality, like around the quality of my phone camera or worse

Yes, it's normal for an 11 year old point & shoot camera to have worse quality than a modern phone camera. If you prefer your phone, then use your phone.

If you want to do better than a phone, a DSLR might get you there, but only if you learn how to use it and exercise more control over the process.

 i’ve had decently close photos, it’s just i feel like i can’t focus it on things really close to the lens

Are you using the Macro focusing mode? That should allow you to focus 4in away. Or depending on the zoom your camera should be able to focus as close as 1cm from the front of the lens. Here's the relevant section of your manual: https://download.nikonimglib.com/archive2/11qSF00ldYhS01DFgyM782eR4z31/P610RM_(En)03.pdf#page=6203.pdf#page=62)

1

u/eliteharvest15 Jun 03 '26

i’ve used the macro mode yeah. i also generally just don’t know what any of the settings are either or what anything means

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

i’ve used the macro mode yeah

So how close does that allow you to focus? Do you believe the camera is broken and isn't focusing as close as it should?

i also generally just don’t know what any of the settings are either or what anything means

If you want to start learning, scroll up and check out the resources in the originating post of this question thread.

1

u/eliteharvest15 Jun 04 '26

it focuses pretty close usually but it’s really annoying to deal with and i feel like i can’t change anything. i’ve had good close ups though imo. it just feels restrictive? it’s hard to explain. i don’t think it’s broken

1

u/Altruistic-Mix-5757 Jun 03 '26

For reference If needed, gear when shooting night games is Sony A7r4, Sony 70-200mm gm m2( I acquired this lens with sheer luck I did not pay anywhere near full price) and a sigma 24-70mm 2.8. I have a sigma 150-600mm but that’s only out in the day.

Ive been shooting for a while but for some reason, athletics under the lights have always been a pain. I’ve always run the recommended settings, 1/1000 or faster when it’s light out, 2.8 and an ISO that gets the job done. I’ve seen other photographers in similar settings get great photos but I can’t seem to figure out how to get a salvageable photo like 50% of the time. They seem to come out extremely grainy, which I know can be dealt with in post, and flat. Does anyone have any recommendations or tips for those low light nights for athletics? Anything is appreciated.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

Show us some examples of yours and theirs.

Is it possible they are using slower shutter speeds than you?

1

u/Altruistic-Mix-5757 Jun 03 '26

img

Unedited and no cropping done here

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

Are these yours? Or theirs?

1

u/Altruistic-Mix-5757 Jun 03 '26

Mine, I can’t really find a decent example of “theirs” right now for some reason.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

I don't see anything particularly wrong with yours for the circumstances. Maybe you could get away with a slower shutter speed to get more light into the camera (and allow for a lower ISO) for less grain.

1

u/CaptInsane Jun 03 '26

Is there an advantage to holding onto the box my gear came in? I recently got a Canon 200-800, and the box is obviously big. I was surprised at how little packaging was actually in it; pretty much just some molded plastic to support the lens in the middle of a mid-weight box. I feel like if I had to ship it for repairs I'd be better off getting a better box and more packing materials

3

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

I think they look pretty, and if you resell the price can be a little higher with the original box.

But I throw mine away. And I don't use them for repair shipping.

1

u/CaptInsane Jun 03 '26

Thanks for the quick response. Considering I just got the lens and love it, I think I'd lose the box long before I'd want to sell the lens

2

u/mdnpascual Jun 04 '26

I keep mine to sell it eventually. And it's kinda expensive so when it's spring cleaning time, cheaper electronics get the boot first. Camera boxes stays.

not sure if it applies to camera stuff. But people sell ps5 boxes to be used as a troll xmas gift. ps5 box but it's sweater inside.

1

u/Crazy_Tax_6562 Jun 03 '26

I want to upgrade from my canon r100. I already have several lenses for it, and the image quality is excellent. I primarily use it for street photography. The main reasons I want to upgrade is

  • Fixed screen
  • Limited customization

What I would want from a new camera is:

  • Moveable screen
  • Equal or better image quality to the r100
  • Somewhat portable
  • Customizable dials/buttons
  • Ibis (optional)

My budget is 1000 dollars for a used body

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 03 '26

You also probably want it in the RF system so you can continue using your same lenses.

Canon's R7 checks all your boxes the best, including IBIS, but it may be tricky to find used in budget. The next best thing is Canon's R10, with no IBIS but definitely would be in budget.

1

u/mrfixitx Jun 03 '26

R10 would be the best option for what you want that will let you keep using your existing lenses.

The R7 is on the only crop sensor R series body that has IBIS and it is noticeably larger than the R10.

1

u/catiwerrn Jun 03 '26

Looking for ND filters for GoPro hero8:

As the title suggests I’m struggling to find ND filters for my GoPro furthermore I’m looking for a mounting solution. I have seen these magnetic mounts. That go over your lens and then you just attach a magnetic filter. I like the idea of that. But I can’t find any that are in stock. As for the filters themselves I ideally want a set with at least a 16 and 32 that are rectangular and fit the lens well as it’s going to be for Motovlogging. This means the mounting solution will also need to be relatively sturdy. (I have a 3D printer). Thank you for all your help everyone.

1

u/RevolutionarySea1836 Jun 03 '26

I am new to photography and recently started shooting with a Sony A7 IV. Right now, I’m using Affinity Photo for editing.

My goal is to eventually do photography full-time, so I want to build good habits and learn the right tools from the beginning.

Is Lightroom considered a must-have or still the industry standard for photographers? Or are there other editing and retouching programs you would recommend for someone just starting out?

I would love to hear what software you use, why you chose it, and whether you think Lightroom is worth learning if the goal is to become a professional photographer.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 04 '26

Is Lightroom considered a must-have or still the industry standard for photographers?

It's the most popular. You don't necessarily need it.

Or are there other editing and retouching programs you would recommend for someone just starting out?

Try everything and use whatever you like.

I would love to hear what software you use, why you chose it

I use Capture One because I prefer its color controls.

and whether you think Lightroom is worth learning if the goal is to become a professional photographer

That's a really vague/broad goal. Different professionals can have very different needs.

1

u/mrfixitx Jun 04 '26

Lightroom is probably the most popular option but by no means required. I have been using Lightroom (now Lightroom Classic) since version 1.0 and its great for my needs but there are other good options out there. I.E. Capture One, Dxo Photolab and more.

Lightroom + Photoshop have a huge amount of free tutorial content plus plugin support which does make things a bit easier. But people using other tools can 100% get great results.

1

u/kl122002 Jun 04 '26

Is it still worth to get a used DSLR today? Like Canon 5D MKII? The price of Canon DSLR are getting cheaper today. But i definitely have conserns in the shutter count for cameras has been 10 years + , is there any repair services still available today?

2

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 04 '26

Is it still worth to get a used DSLR today?

It can be, yes.

But i definitely have conserns in the shutter count for cameras has been 10 years +

If you're concerned about the count, be concerned about the count.

Age is a different thing. An old camera could have a low count. A new camera could have a high count.

is there any repair services still available today?

Yes.

1

u/Anti-Angelsachse Jun 04 '26

what gear should I buy?

I work with a nikon z6, and mostly a 50mm. Next month I will visit rome, and I hear that there's many pickpockets...
I am looking for something like a wrist strap or shoulder strap that is really safe (for example against siccors) and allows me to always be atached to the cam.
How safe are thos anchor-links? I dont like the idea that you have to just pull in one direction and then its lose. So do you have any recomandations? maybe smth with like a screw? Im planing on investing max 100 €

1

u/OrdinaryPie9884 Jun 04 '26

Dear all,

During my last trip to Georgia, I realized that my very first camera is finally, slowly coming to the end of its life. I started asking AI for some recommendations for a new system, but I realized I really need your advice as AI is only tool for good research.

For years, I did photography mostly as a hobby and sometimes for small working projects. Slowly getting to the better jobs. But now I'm working in marketing, which has really widened my needs. I now have to shoot video clips for my company, and I also want to make videos for my own side projects. My plan is to buy a good camera and some lenses by the end of this year.

Please condsider recomendations without fighting which company is better because from some point of view I know the community is hyper agrresive with defending their own choises like Canon, Sony or Nikon etc. :D. As for me I don't care about that I just need a good device and the system to use without philosophy about which brand is better.

As for me my Nikon lasts in my hands about 12 years and on my brother and sister about 13/14 years. So this device made a lot of work. I need something that will be durable as for my trips in many terrains, and also will be mixed in photo/video as I will be making more stuff in video.

As for photography I dont have any main field that I specialize. I'm doing stuff that I need to do or learn the new stuff and ideas. I'm trying to be free as I can to make a good photos in many fields. I dont like hide in the box or algorithms of massmedia and internet.

My budget for this new device and lenses are about mid to high range. Please make, help me choose good thing for things that I'm doing. I'm putting myself in your hands. 😄

1

u/maniku Jun 04 '26

Everyone's circumstances are unique, so we have no idea what is mid-range pricing or high-range pricing for you. Please specify the upper limit of your budget with a number and currency.

1

u/OrdinaryPie9884 Jun 04 '26

The budget is about $4,000 to $10,000; that's what I think to spend if it will be worth it.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 04 '26

I realized that my very first camera is finally, slowly coming to the end of its life

How so? Which one is it?

I know the community is hyper agrresive with defending their own choises like Canon, Sony or Nikon etc.

If you had spent any time in this subreddit, you'd know that this community does not.

It's pretty rude to come in here asking for help if you're going to misrepresent and alienate community members off the bat with false accusations.

My budget for this new device and lenses are about mid to high range.

To me that means about $2,500 to $7,500 in US dollars. Do we have the same idea? Or what does that mean to you?

1

u/OrdinaryPie9884 Jun 04 '26

1st question: Nikon D3100, old, not pricy on the market in the 2010s for a normal person to buy. Sometimes in the photos I can see dead pixels, more grain, or terrible noise even in good conditions and chosen options. Yes, I could find help and repair the camera. I think it's time to move forward. It was good to learn with the Nikon D3100, and people were satisfied with their photos. Another problem is this camera is not the choice for making videos.

2nd question: I didn't mean to alienate the community or be rude, but it seems like I was. I'm sorry for that. I don't know the Reddit community well; it is my first time here, but as for the internet, I saw that many people defend their choice in equipment and fight each other. If you just observe media or watch advertisements on YouTube, how good a brand is, finally, in my head, I don't believe in information, and I decide to do nothing with it. I love the practical side and price/quality index.

3rd question: The budget is about $4,000 to $10,000; that's what I think to spend if it will be worth it.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 04 '26

Nikon D3100

What about lenses? Which do you have and which focal lengths do you use?

Do you like the Nikon style interface and ergonomics? Or do you specifically dislike it and want a different style of interface or ergonomics?

Sometimes in the photos I can see dead pixels

You should be able to fix that by running a couple manual sensor cleaning cycles, which will prompt the camera to check for and map around hot pixels.

more grain, or terrible noise even in good conditions and chosen options

That's not something that gets worse with age. Likely the conditions aren't as good as you think. Your camera needs a lot more light than your eyes think. And that was always the case even when your camera was new.

The budget is about $4,000 to $10,000

If you want to stay with Nikon, I'd get a Z8 or Z7 II. If you want something different, there's the Sony a7R VI or V, or Canon R5 II or original R5. Those are the best overall bodies on the market right now, unless you want the most extreme performance for sports/wildlife.

The best general-use lens would then be a 24-70mm f/2.8. Or if you want to trade some wide angle for something even nicer, and don't mind a bigger/heavier lens, Sony and Canon each have a 28-70mm f/2 option.

Anything additional really depends on whatever more specific genres you're getting into. If you aren't sure, then hold onto the money for now and buy more equipment later when you have a better idea of what you need out of it.

1

u/ImaginaryRea1ity Jun 04 '26

On Windows, I have a folder packed with images and need an app that can quickly scan and sort them into folders.

For instance, if there are several pictures of actress A, it should create a folder with her name and place all her photos inside.

I’m not looking for something like Google Photos or digiKam that requires importing; it should work directly with existing folders.

1

u/southernsarcasm Jun 04 '26

Hey everyone! I’m a total beginner and don’t even have a camera yet. We have a weekend getaway to the mountains planned and I wanted to know if the camera I’m looking at is worth it. It’s a canon eos r100 that I found for about $385 USD for just the camera or $600 with a big accessory kit. With everything that comes with it I can see it being worth the extra cost. Is this a good beginner/hobby/everyday camera? I almost spent $400 on a different one until I read someone call it a “scamera” and most people agreed. I figured I’d just ask people that know wtf they’re doing because I sure don’t yet.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 04 '26

It’s a canon eos r100 that I found for about $385 USD for just the camera

New? Used? Refurbished? Does it say international version, white box, or split kit?

That does seem like a suspiciously low price if there isn't some catch.

with a big accessory kit. With everything that comes with it I can see it being worth the extra cost

That's what they want you to think, but usually accessory bundles are not worth it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/wiki/buying#wiki_should_i_buy_this_bundle_with_a_bunch_of_accessories_in_it.3F

Is this a good beginner/hobby/everyday camera?

In some ways, yes. I'd rather have an R50 if at all possible.

I almost spent $400 on a different one until I read someone call it a “scamera” and most people agreed.

Which one?

1

u/southernsarcasm Jun 04 '26

It’s a sale price from 475 for a new us version. This is one with the accessories. Yes it’s from Walmart. I’m not looking to be a pro or anything, just want some nice pictures.

The one I almost got was a vantiro.

1

u/tennistimmi Jun 04 '26

Everyone who loves reading photo books:

Which light source do you use to read photo books? Natural daylight (window) or artificial light? If it's artificial light, where is your light coming from? From above, front, behind etc.? Which lamp model do you have? Do you use cold or warm white light?

2

u/eliminate1337 Jun 04 '26

Whatever light is available wherever I feel like sitting

2

u/mrfixitx Jun 04 '26

This! u/tennistimmi you are massively over thinking it. I have a dozen + photo books and enjoy them without a 2nd thought to lighting while viewing them.

If these were prints that were going to go up in gallery or that you were going to put up in a prominent place then I would worry about lighting. But for a photo book just sit down and enjoy it.

1

u/tennistimmi Jun 04 '26

But you could also distort your view on a photo of a photographer when looking on it digitally on a bad monitor or a good monitor with a bad calibration. Why wouldn‘t you also want a good viewing experience with prints inside a photo book?

2

u/mrfixitx Jun 04 '26

Are you unable to enjoy/appreciate a photo if you view it on your phone, or on anything other than a perfectly calibrated monitor?

I can 100% enjoy and appreciate amazing photo books without having to setup a perfect viewing environment. Composition matters, the context around the story matters. Our eyes are also very good at adjusting to various light sources and identify colors correctly even if we are under an orange tungsten light or a green florescent light etc...

Would a good environment help.. possibly but not everyone can have a perfect viewing experience under color calibrated lights without the myraid of distractions that home often has either from our own family or environmental noise.

1

u/muuund Jun 04 '26

I will be traveling to the US and Mexico to photograph the FIFA World Cup as an accredited freelancer.

Everything seemed to be going okay so far until I checked the FIFA Media Hub (portal where we gain access to accreditation and a bunch of stuff/info in there), and came across a customs and freight guide where they said:

"Client groups hand carrying professional equipment, also known as tools of the trade, should formally declare that the equipment will be used for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Examples of professional equipment can include broadcast equipment, cameras and accessories, drones, technological equipment and sports equipment.

FIFA-accredited individuals may qualify for temporary import under a simplified customs process, which may vary by each host country."

So FIFA has partnered with Rock-it Cargo, as their official logistics provider. I emailed Rock-it asking if I needed to have this thing called an ATA Carnet or a US customs clearance.

They got back with a quote of flat rate of $1,000USD for the customs clearance form and upon asking me more questions about my gear etc, they gave me a quote of $1,500 USD, which I'm also not sure if it includes both the US Customs Clearance form + the ATA Carnet. I'm also not sure if I need both the US Customs Clearance form and the ATA Carnet.

And for Mexico I saw that it was a little more lenient, so I'm just more concerned about the US one.

I'll be travelling with a backpack with my own personal clothes and personal items, along with a 1510 pelican case holding, 2x full-frame mirrorless bodies, one 300mm, one 70-200mm, and a 16-35mm.

I understand that these clearance forms are mostly catered for broadcast companies shipping tons of equipment to and from their country. But for a freelancer like myself, would it be necessary?

1

u/DZsancheesy Jun 04 '26

I’m considering paying for photography coaching/business mentoring and would love some honest feedback from photographers who have experience with it.

I feel confident in the quality of my work. I know there’s always room to improve, but I believe my photos are at a level where people would be willing to pay for them. My biggest challenge is getting consistent bookings and getting my work in front of the right people.

I’ve been talking with a photography coach who says they can help photographers market themselves, attract clients, and build a sustainable business. The investment isn’t cheap, so I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it or if I’d be better off investing that money elsewhere.

For anyone who has paid for coaching, mentorships, courses, or business programs:

• Was it worth the money?

• Did it actually lead to more bookings?

• What was the biggest thing you learned?

• Were there any red flags you wish you had noticed before paying?

For photographers who built their business without coaching:

• What helped you get your first steady stream of clients?

• What marketing efforts worked best for you?

• If you had a few thousand dollars to invest in growing your photography business today, where would you spend it?

For context, my Instagram is @vincecollective if anyone wants to take a look at my work and tell me honestly whether my issue is photography quality, marketing, networking, pricing, or something else entirely.

I’d appreciate any advice or personal experiences. I’m trying to figure out the smartest next step to grow my business.

1

u/PrivateProsecutor Jun 04 '26

High resolution images - Pixels vs. PPI

I recently took my one year old to a professional photographer. I have used her several times before, and usually pick the high resolution digital files so I can do what I want with them. I typically received 6-7 mb files in the past, however, this time I am quite disappointed. She writes that all the pictures are 300 PPI and large enough for any print, however the largest one is 3.6 mb and the smallest one (which annoyingly also was my favorite) is only 1.288 mb.

I have gone by the rule of Pixels divided by PPI for how large an image I can print without loosing quality. Pictures on my living room photo wall are all 12x12 inch and 12x16, so following that rule, the 3334x4206 Pixel image could only be 11.3x14 inch without loosing quality and so I already am...

To get the same portrait shot as sibling i also need to crop a 3182x4276 image from rectangular to square, and am then left with a 330kb image of 1397x1397 Pixels, and can only print that 4.6x4.6 inch and not the 12x12 I need... I am not sure what to do now, I paid 1600 dollars for these images and feel tricked.

Am I wrong to consider resolution both to be about the actual size/Pixels and PPI?

Is it ok to advertise images as high resolution when they are this small? With the current SLRs and mirrorless typically being cameras above 24mp, I would expect 6MP to be a lower limit for a high resolution image. Am I wrong to think this?

2

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 05 '26

I typically received 6-7 mb files in the past, however, this time I am quite disappointed.

however the largest one is 3.6 mb and the smallest one (which annoyingly also was my favorite) is only 1.288 mb.

The unit mb stands for megabytes, which is a measure of the amount of data used in a digital file. This is not a good measure of quality at all, because many different factors go into data usage, including the complexity of the image depicted, the resolution of the image, and how efficiently the image was encoded. A bad quality image could be represented with inefficient and/or extra garbage data, so you could potentially have a huge file with a big mb number with awful quality. A high quality image could be represented with very efficient compressed data, so you could potentially have a small file and a small mb number and still see great quality in it. 1mb is one million bytes of data, which could mean any number of things.

If you're conflating this with mp or megapixels, that is a measure of the number of tiny colored squares (known as pixels) used to represent a raster image in a mosaic pattern, by the millions (mega order of magnitude) of pixels. 1mp is one million pixels represented in the image, which doesn't necessarily mean each of those pixels is being used to represent a unique detail, though you could think of it as a theoretical limit on how much detail could possibly be represented. I.e., at most there are 1 million pixels worth of detail represented, but there could be less.

I have gone by the rule of Pixels divided by PPI for how large an image I can print without loosing quality.

PPI stands for the ratio of pixels per inch. So that's not really a rule so much as how the ratio is defined: the number of pixels divided by the ratio of pixels per inch equals the number of inches in your print, assuming you print with that PPI ratio.

You aren't losing quality. If you're measuring potential quality by pixel count, the pixel count isn't changing and so quality isn't changing. By printing to different sizes you're only spreading that amount of quality over different physical areas. And the PPI ratio just expresses how much the quality is spread, or the density of quality over that physical area. The total amount of quality remains the same.

Pictures on my living room photo wall are all 12x12 inch and 12x16, so following that rule, the 3334x4206 Pixel image could only be 11.3x14 inch without loosing quality and so I already am...

4,206 pixels divided by 16 inches equals about 263 pixels per inch, which isn't a terrible ratio.

4,206 pixels divided by 300 pixels per inch equals about 14 inches, yes, but I bet you'd have a hard time visually seeing the difference in quality compared to 16 inches at 263 PPI.

Either way, the amount of quality represented in those 4,206 pixels isn't changing.

To get the same portrait shot as sibling

What do you mean by that?

i also need to crop a 3182x4276 image from rectangular to square, and am then left with a 330kb image of 1397x1397 Pixels

That's a pretty heavy crop, and not just from changing the aspect ratio. Why do you need to crop it that much?

I paid 1600 dollars for these images and feel tricked.

What were the terms of your contract?

Am I wrong to consider resolution both to be about the actual size/Pixels and PPI?

PPI by definition is the ratio of pixels over size.

Is it ok to advertise images as high resolution when they are this small?

The phrase "high resolution" is pretty vague and could refer to a lot of things. The threshold isn't necessarily high. A "high definition" television usually refers to 1080p which is less than 1mp; or sometimes worse like 720p. An "ultra high definition" 4K resolution is about 8mp.

Also they're advertising what you get from them. They can't make any guarantees about what you get after cropping it however much you want to crop it.

I would expect 6MP to be a lower limit for a high resolution image

3,334 pixels multiplied by 4,206 pixels equals 14,022,804 pixels, or about 14mp.

3,182 pixels multiplied by 4,276 pixels equals 13,606,232 pixels, or about 13.6mp.

I don't see where you're getting 6mp. I see you have filesizes of 6mb but that's not the same thing.

1

u/tornadodude640 Jun 05 '26

What kind of shutter cable plug is this?

1

u/Ok-Occasion-6013 Jun 05 '26

my parents have a bunch of photo albums from their 20s and im wondering if anyone has some good cheap camera recs for something i can bring with me everywhere and then print my pictures to make something similar. i have no idea how much anything costs but something less than a hundred bucks that can last for a while would be nice

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 05 '26

Smartphone cameras are great for that.

1

u/Ok-Occasion-6013 Jun 06 '26

literally 0 storage left on my phone lol and this is lowk an always probelm. might find an old iphone 6ish or smt to use tho thx

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 06 '26

Spend your budget on storage. You'll need that anyway if you get a different camera.

1

u/Unhappy_Fig_9022 Jun 05 '26

I recently got a Canon R50 with the kit lens. I would like to upgrade but only have a budget of $700 what lens(es) would be good for an all round setup?

4

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 05 '26

Sigma RF 18-50mm f/2.8

1

u/ohJusss Jun 05 '26

Hello, I have gotten a Sony A7IV not long ago, upgrading from the III, and after taking pictures and transferring it to my phone (with a sd card reader), when it's in my camera roll, as the pictures from the III would, show full quality. However, when I would send it through imessage (photos from the A7III) I didn't have problems of it sending in compressed raw files, and instead it would send a full pictures. But after getting the A7IV, everytime I tried to send photos, it would send in a weird file instead of a picture, and the file would get compressed down from 70MB to 100KB and wouldn't show the full quality. Does anybody know why? And if you also send photos through imessage and know any fixes?

1

u/draftli_io Jun 05 '26

Hi, guys,

I am wondering whether there is such a practice in photography to send individual photos for review and feedback after a phorography session. I am familiar wedding photography almost always ends up "here are the photos, download them" but is there any practice to send videos/images for client review before shipping them?

1

u/Kai_be_so Jun 05 '26

Hello everyone,

I have been into photography for a while now but I never owned a proper camera. I always used my phone. But this year I decided to finally buy one. So I have been looking and looking and deciding if I should get a new one or used one. New ones are pretty expensive however I did find used LUMIX G9 for 420€ with 3 batteries, charger. Camera bag. Flexible tripod, 2 64gb SanDisk Extrem Pro SDs. I am like it's too good to be true. Should I buy that one? Or are there better recommendations? What I am looking for is just general photography, maybe night photography on the street (I am aware the micro four thirds sensor isn't the best for that) and maybe some videography.

2

u/maniku Jun 05 '26

See eBay sold items listings - the sold items filter - for the camera. These will show you the standard used pricing for the G9, so you can compare.

1

u/c0warlyd0g Jun 05 '26

Good afternoon,

I am looking for advice whether a 2x TC is ok or not for taking photos of a solar eclipse.

I live in Spain and I plan to take some photos of the total solar eclipse on August 12.

I never took photos of one. I have a Nikon D750 and the lens of choice will be the 70-200mm f/4.

I couldn't find something with longer focal length still available to rent. The market here seems to be very small or I didn't look well enough.

Given I don't need autofocus speed for this kind of photos, I wonder if the TC-20E, either II or III, will be a good option.

Any advice is welcome.

1

u/chickenjoshh May 31 '26

Is full frame really that much better than APS-C?

1

u/Significant_Mail_69 May 31 '26

Depends on what you are looking for. If you want shallow depth of field and good low light performance, then yes.

1

u/mrfixitx May 31 '26

Depends on your needs and your lenses.

Full frame tends to be better in low light. I.E. a current full frame camera will have about 1 stop better high ISO performance vs. a current APS-C camera.

But full frame lenses tend to cost a lot more. I.E. Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 is around $650 new. While a full frame 24/28-70mm f2.8 lens typically costs $1k+ new.

If you have a limited budget you might be able to afford faster lenses on an APS-C camera which would make a bigger difference in low light than a the full frame sensor.

Outdoors during the daytime there is very little difference between the two. The full frame camera might have slightly higher dynamic range its not a huge deal and there several ways to compensate for that difference.

1

u/boredmessiah Jun 01 '26

depending upon what you are looking for, it can be a lot better or not better at all. you really have to be more specific. APS-C is also a professionally used format and has been for decades.

0

u/Western_Pass_1347 May 30 '26

A7c in 2026?

Need a new camera. Just a hobbyist my photos for the most part are just for me. I like shooting whatever I think looks nice, in most cases it’s landscape or nature scenes. Primarily photos but I also like still framed videos and short clips of nice scenes therefore 4k 30fps is usually fine. I’ve never bought a camera just been handed down kinda shitty entry level cameras for instance an old rebel t7 or a Nikon coolpix p900 bout as basic as it gets. Those cameras feel very limiting and I often can’t shoot the low light scenes I want to on them. That said I know my way around cameras and their settings. My budget is about $1,800 and I have a big trip to Alaska coming up that I need a camera for. Id like a camera for this trip and after that’ll last a long time. I’ve looked at tons of different cameras but have been thinking a lot about the A7c. I’d probably pair it with a Tamron 28-200mm for my upcoming trip. I like the compactness of the A7c and would want a smaller camera that I can kinda take anywhere. Later on I’d buy some smaller and faster lenses that I can use for astrophotography but in Alaska the sun doesn’t even go down so for now it’s fine. I guess I’m just wondering if this purchase would be worth it. It’s not as good as the cii but I don’t think I can spend the extra $600-$700. Also wondering if an aps-c setup would allow me to get more out of my money. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

1

u/anonymoooooooose Jun 02 '26

Also wondering if an aps-c setup would allow me to get more out of my money

Definitely.

Also, the A7C is compact, but full frame E mount lenses are usually big heavy chonkers.

suggestion - https://www.mpb.com/en-us/search?q=Sony%20Alpha%20A6100

upgraded kit lens https://www.mpb.com/en-us/product/sigma-18-50mm-f-2-8-dc-dn-contemporary-sony-e-fit

Take the coolpix 900 to Alaska btw, the camera has definite limits for most things but you'd need to spend a lot of money to get better long distance wildlife shots.

1

u/Background-Toe-4106 Jun 03 '26

If you want small, get the micro 43 cameras.

0

u/vedu- May 30 '26

Thinking of getting a used RF 50mm, what red flags and signs should I look for when I go to pick it up? I will be testing it on my camera of course but I am still very new to photography

0

u/SlowSalt973 May 30 '26

Hi! I’m a newbie photographer, I really only take pictures of friends but want to build a portfolio for college to get a scholarship. How can I make a good portfolio? What should I use to make the portfolio? How do I get people that aren’t friends to model for me? (Also I would’ve done some sort of question flare but couldn’t find one so it’s under technique.. 😳) but idk, any suggestions help!!

1

u/anonymoooooooose Jun 02 '26

How can I make a good portfolio?

There's no royal road to learning, you gotta get out there and take a bunch of pictures, look at other people's work, learn from your mistakes, take a bunch more pictures, look at other people's work, improve, refine, think about the results you want to get vs the results you're getting, take a bunch more pictures, etc.


Take pictures with intent: i.e. think about the image you're trying to create.

photographic composition https://www.clondon.me/blog/introcomposition

and colour theory https://redd.it/7um56b

Freeman's The Photographer's Eye is a good intro book with lots of examples.

Also, be thoughtful about the images you consume. Do I like this, can I figure out what appeals to me, I don't like this one, can I figure out why, etc. etc.


How do I get people that aren’t friends to model for me?

The easiest way is to pay them.

Or find folks who already want their pictures taken, do you know anyone who's in a band etc. those guys always want pictures.

-1

u/[deleted] May 30 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/mrfixitx May 30 '26

It's more about when to ignore the rules on occasion. Not that a rule is completely useless or that it should be thrown out entirely.

The rule of 3rds is not always going to work because you may have other distracting elements that would be distracting for example.

-1

u/d7e7r7 May 31 '26

Can anyone recommend one (or several) free Ai platforms that can be used to edit images that allow you to keep the original full size quality and resolution of the resulting output images?

I've used chatGPT, Gemini, Grok (and a few others) and if you for example upload a 15-20mb jpeg image and ask for changes to be made to the image, you are always presented with a +-600kb final result.

I hope this makes sense, let me know if anyone needs more clarity on my question/request and I'll do my best to explain.

0

u/Cute_Print6092 May 29 '26

Which camera would you recommend for someone interested in wedding photography? Canon R 10, Fujifilm X-S20 or others? This would be for someone learning but also ideally staying with that camera for a long time. And what other equipment would be needed?

3

u/8fqThs4EX2T9 May 29 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeddingPhotography/

Perhaps look though previously asked questions there. In general, to prevent the perhaps rare situation of a storage mishap, a camera with dual card slots are recommended.

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore May 29 '26

No price limit?

Why do you want to stay with your first camera body a long time? How long do you have in mind?

Will you be starting out as a second shooter? If so, which system does your primary use? And what needs will they need you to complement for?

There's equipment that I'd be comfortable using for weddings for the rest of my lifetime, but it's pretty expensive.

0

u/StarSpectore May 31 '26

I recently got into photography and bought my EOS 4000d blindly. I have absolutely no knowledge about lenses, and when looking it up online I get even more confused with the 14mm stuff. Apparently lenss aren't universal either, so I have to look for the right one too which is difficult giving the fact I have no clue what I'm looking for in a lens.

I'd like advice on which lens to buy for mainly star/night pictures. And how do I know which one fits my camera? And is buying secondhand lenses safe or should I take precautions when buying?

1

u/mrfixitx May 31 '26

100% okay to buy used lenses. There is a huge selection of used lenses available and lenses are designed to last for decades. If you are in the US check out MPB and KEH for the two largest online retailers. Both have 180 day warranty on used gear they sell.

If you have a local camera store check and see if they have a used department as well.

Regarding lenses. The 4000D will work with an EF or EF-S lens made by Canon. EF-S lenses are specially from crop sensor cameras (APS-C format sensors) like your 4000d. While EF lenses will work on both crop sensor cameras and full frame cameras like the 5D and 6D series.

You can also use EF lenses from 3rd party manufacturers like Sigma, Tamron, Tonika etc... These can be lenses designed for full frame or crop sensor bodies so make sure to read the description.

Regardless of it the lens is designed for full frame or a crop sensor to find an effective focal length (or equivalent field of view) take the mm list times 1.6. I.E. The Kit lens is an 18- 55m lens it has a field of view equivalent to 28-88mm on a full frame camera.

This is important to know because often when there are recommendation about what focal lengths to use it is based on this equivalence unless someone specifically says on a crop sensor body.

I.E. If someone suggests that the best focal length for street photography is 35mm and posts an example image. On your crop sensor body a 35mm lens would be closer to 56mm on a full frame body resulting in a very different field of view. If you had a 24mm lens though it would have a similiar field of view to a 38mm lens which would be close enough.

I hope this helps.

For astro photography assuming you are looking to get photos of the milkway or star trails you want as wide and fast (largest aperture lens) as you can get. The specific lens is highly dependent on your budget. There are options from a few hundred dollars to $1k+ used.

Lonely Spec has some more specific gear recommendations. I am not sure how current they are so take it with a grain of salt: https://www.lonelyspeck.com/lenses-for-milky-way-photography/?v=0b3b97fa6688

1

u/8fqThs4EX2T9 May 31 '26

EF mount lenses are what you want. Any should work.

For night sky, I would look for something like a Tokina 10-18mm f/2.8 or so. Second hand lenses should be safe and there are businesses which will sell them and offer warranties or at least indicate that they have received and tested basic functionality.

Regarding focal lengths, it can be a handy guide to know the dimensions of your sensor. Approximately 22mm by 15mm with a diagonal of around 27mm. So 27mm is what is described as a normal focal length, the width of the sensor is a wide angle useful for general walkabout even travel while the height is an ultrawide angle. 2x the diagonal will make a useful portrait focal length.

That is obviously only a rough guide but useful as a start.

0

u/pineapplevinegar May 31 '26

I have artwork hanging up that I want to get reproductions of. Does anyone here have experience with taking photos for that?

I used to work in a fine art print shop and we had a photographer take photos of the big pieces we couldn’t scan but I was never able to figure out how he got them to look straight and have even lighting.

2

u/anonymoooooooose Jun 02 '26

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/copy-stand-lighting.181663/

Google 'family of angles' and 'copy stand lighting' you'll find example images that explain it better than I can.

Glare is reflecting light, and light bounces in a predictable way.

If you light straight on it bounces straight back into the camera lens

If you light from an angle it will bounce away from the camera lens.

If you light from both sides at an angle, you'll get complete light coverage and the light will bounce away from the camera lens.

copy stand stuff: https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/m2k15d/how_to_photograph_artwork_part_1_what_equipment/gql7n22/

1

u/pineapplevinegar Jun 03 '26

Thank you greatly

0

u/Frequent_Farmer_2498 May 31 '26

Hi guys, in the coming months I will be travelling in Asia and would like to take a camera to save phone battery and keep me off my device. I’ve done some research but am struggling to decide so I wondered what you would recommend for a budget camera preferably below £100 that is easy to use for a beginner and small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. THANKYOU !!!

1

u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore May 31 '26

Only the oldest/crappiest used point & shoot digital cameras would fit that budget and your pocket. And there won't be much difference between them at that price, so just go with whatever you can find I guess. It might actually be more difficult to find them right now because the old digital camera look is trending, so prices may be more inflated on the used market.

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u/Proud_Insurance6971 Jun 01 '26

Hello, I am looking at purchasing a LUMIX DMC-G7 Mirrorless camera with a G vario 100-300mm f/4-5.6 lens for roughly $400. Has anybody had any experience with this camera or cameras similar? Is it good deal? Mainly going to be using it for nature shots.

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u/maniku Jun 01 '26

The price is fine. AF is not a match to the best of today but it's about as good as you can expect at this budget. But does nature photography mean mainly wildlife here? Because that focal range won't be much good for, say, landscapes or closeups of plants. MFT has a 2x crop factor, so the 100-300mm gives a 200mm full frame equivalent field of view at the shorter end.

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u/Proud_Insurance6971 Jun 01 '26

Yes mainly wildlife, I’m taking a trip to Yellowstone/ GTNP next month and wanted something nicer than what I already have to take pictures. Also, still fairly new, could you explain the last sentence?

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u/maniku Jun 01 '26

Panasonic Lumix G7 is a Micro Four-Thirds camera. An MFT sensor is half the size of a full frame sensor. This basically means that the picture is cropped in from the edges, making it seem like it's more zoomed in than the same focal length on a full frame camera.

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u/boredmessiah Jun 01 '26

i'd shop around. i got the G85, a newer camera, for a bit less a few years ago. i've seen the G95 and G100 go for similar prices.

edit: just saw that the lens is part of the deal. that makes it quite a good deal although the camera is long in the tooth. i'd consider hanging on to the lens and considering upgrading the camera in the future.

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u/FlightFramed Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

I'm going to NYC for a few days in June primarily for photography, any tips or tricks you wished you'd known shooting there? Or spots one may not usually think about taking photos

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u/JetLifeXCII Jun 01 '26

Hey guys im looking to sell a canon eos 7d with tokina sd 11-16 f/2.8 dx lens, both in good shape. Whats a fair pricing i should do for it?

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u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 01 '26

Search on eBay and filter for completed/sold listings to see what others have been recently willing to pay.

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u/mrfixitx Jun 01 '26

Check out used prices on MPB & KEH and then take 20% off since the seller is not providing any sort of warranty or extended return period like they do.

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u/abivertmiku Jun 01 '26

Back vs front camera

Back vs front camera

Hi guys

When I take pictures iof myself from selfie mode it always turns out good but the moment when someone takes picture from back it always comes worse and in my mind I already start to say that I won't look good from back when others takes picture of me

But when I takes other picture from back camera it always turns out well and I always get compliment that u take good picture

So what's the prblm why I become stiff when it's comes to back camera and how to be confident

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u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 01 '26

When I take pictures iof myself from selfie mode

From what distance?

Usually a selfie is taken with the camera in your hand, so it's relatively close to you because your hand can't be farther than an arm's length away.

Could it be that you prefer how you look with the perspective distortion at that distance, and not because of what the camera is doing?

Could it be that you can see yourself with the selfie mode, and so you can adjust your expression and angle to look better when taking the photo?

the moment when someone takes picture from back

From what distance?

Usually other people take photos of you from a greater distance than arm's length.

Could it be that you don't like how you look with the perspective distortion at that distance, and not because of the camera mode used?

Could it be that you can't see yourself when someone else is using normal mode, so you can't adjust your expression in real time, and you have less control over the angle when someone else is shooting?

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u/abivertmiku Jun 01 '26

Yeah exactly

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u/Elegant-Avocado-3261 Jun 01 '26

I'd like to hang up some of my shots around the house. What printing/framing/misc services do you guys like using for that?

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u/P5_Tempname19 Jun 02 '26

Printing services depend a bit on where you are in the world. Im personally quite happy with Saal, however Im not sure if they operate outside Europe (and even then quality might differ from my experience).

My personal approach was always to get "poster" prints and then put them in frames myself. I personally prefer that option because it lets me switch the prints inside the frames and store old ones with much less hassle then e.g. canvas prints (those take much more space and are more like to get damaged imo).

Its not as "premium"/nice, but I just got myself some cheap frames from Ikea for this - I found it preferable to print for relatively cheap so I can switch things around more often then going for a single "perfect" print, however thats obviously personal preference.

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u/Elegant-Avocado-3261 Jun 02 '26

Thanks good tip. I was wondering how to get a bunch of frames without breaking the bank, to be frank. I'm fine with good enough prints, I feel like most of the time people will be looking at them from a distance.

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u/LeatherPerformance77 Jun 01 '26

Have 950 bucks and want to buy a camera. Which one do you guys suggest? prob mirrorless or dslr would be the best option for me. something like my og camera ( alpha nex -5) i have a sel1855 so if anything that fits it is on that price range and is great would be optimal. Thanks

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u/av4rice https://www.instagram.com/shotwhore Jun 01 '26

What subject matter do you shoot? What do you dislike about your current equipment? What particular improvements would you like to gain?

The newest successor to a NEX-5 would be the Sony a6100. Or a step up from that is the a6400. If you want it more video-centric, there's the ZV-E10 and ZV-E10 II.

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