Camera Labs

Hi from another new guy....I have read many but not all the reviews and topic threads, so apologies for repetition

My Minolta X370 died a slow lingering death some years back. I have tried continuing photography with digital point and shoots, but they are just not the same....looking at dslrs, but have been put off by price and learning curve of digital photography...would like something that best replicates my film experience, if possible.....

my number one complaint with digital is the shutter lag. I took pride in timing myself for the perfect snapshot....but with digital what I snap and what gets shot is totally different....I know dslrs are much better than point and shoots, but is there a brand difference within dslrs?

also, I had grown comfortable with my Minolta's semi automatic controls....turn the lense to adjust the apeture, turn the control on the body to adjust shutter speed, and that was as complicated as I got ....I prefer manual mechanial controls vs. two hundred digitalized electronic options....

so, I've been looking at Nikon 3100 (my budget is limited)....would 4/3 cameras be an option?

_________________
Bill in Santee (San Diego)
exciting links to come (maybe)

You've actually got plenty of options worth considering, but also to address a few things you mentioned:

1. Shutter lag is fortunately simply not an issue on any DSLR nowadays, regardless of brand. They're all instant, more or less, with the delays coming more from various settings, autofocus needs, etc. For someone looking for a more 'classic' manual shooting style, no worries!

2. The good thing about the DSLRs and all their complex options is that you don't have to use them. All DSLRs from all brands have manual functionality that can be as simple as your old Minolta - the exception being where the aperture control is located (usually on the camera rather than on the lens). But setting it is no more complex than before.

3. Micro 4:3 and Sony NEX cameras are an option - consider a few things for these - the experience has the ability to be even MORE traditional than a DSLR in feel for a manual shooter in some respects, while being much more clearly 'digital' in other respects. The 'more' traditional feel can come when using old manual lenses with these cameras - both M4:3 and NEX cameras can take any manual lens, any mount, any brand via simple spacer adapters...when paired with these, the manual shooter can find the shooting experience very much like a classic SLR, in that you are using the aperture ring on the lens to set aperture, the focus control on the lens to dial in the focus, and the jog wheel on the camera to adjust the shutter speed. However, the difference with these cameras is that you are using a live view based system, seeing the image on either an electronic viewfinder or LCD screen rather than a TTL OVF. So that's the one respect where these cameras may feel more digital. However, used with manual lenses and in manual mode, they can fire with as little lag as any DSLR.

4. Do you still have your Minolta lenses? If yes, this might be a decent reason to consider the NEX or M4:3 option, as you would be able to buy a simple $20 adapter and continue to use all your lenses. Going to a DSLR, your lenses won't be compatible with any current system, with even the Sony bodies (which use Minolta's A mount) are not compatible with Minolta's older MD mount.

_________________
Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

My photography teacher said that a DSLR is like an SLR but with the letter D added.

Sure there are lots more buttons but they are there to actually make all the shooting faster. The only thing that will slow your shots down is the speed of the AUto focus, the lens, the avaliable light and wether or not you are using a slow shutter speed.

PErsonally the only time I had problems with not getting the right shot at the right time was my auto focus hunting on a white background (I knew I should have just manually focused or pre focused and shot) Another time I remember was I accidentally set my shutter speed to 30 seconds and had to wait for it to finish.

Also, Id look into getting a Sony NEX if you dont want to get a big bulky DSLR and want to save money because your minolta film lenses can be attached via an adaptor - Im sure there is a sony ALPHA adaptor there for old minolta lenses too. Im sort of confident that you have the ability to do that - Id do some research to see...

Leo

_________________
1) Olympus OM1 [Zuiko Auto-S 50mm f/1.8]
2) Pentax MZ-60 [Sigma 28-90 & 100-300]
3) Canon 7D [EF-S 15-85 & 70-200mm f/4 IS]

Leo's Flickr Page

The bottom line is that there are settings there, but you don't have to use them.

The settings being controlled on the camera is easier than turning rings on the lens, especially in the dark, I'd have thought. You don't need to bring up menus either, the screens default to the main settings.

There is a wheel(s) that scrolls through, and it's as simple as that.


Be aware that the model you suggested has a sensor SMALLER than a frame of film. Lenses will magnify, and the quality may not be the same.

_________________
Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

No they won't. With an APS-C sensor being smaller than a 35mm frame of film, the image will be cropped from the latter, giving the appearance of magnification i.e. crop factor. The focal length remains constant, it just has a an equivalent when you compare it to a 35mm frame.

_________________
Bodies: Canon EOS 550D w/ Magic Lantern
Lenses: Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Accessories: YongNuo Speedlite YN-468 Flash, Neewer Macro LED Ring Light, Meike Battery Grip, YongNuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Trigger & Receiver YongNuo WR-128 Wireless Remote Control

Precisely - no magnification going on, just a crop - the smaller APS-C sensor is seeing through a smaller section of the lens opening - cropping the view.

Ironically, this often makes some older lenses perform BETTER, rather than worse - because the sensor only 'sees' through the center of the lens, softer corners, vignetting, CA, falloff, etc are sometimes 'cropped out' - some old cheap lenses can give beautiful performance on APS-C where they might be less than optimal on full frame.

_________________
Justin Miller
Sony DSLR-A580 / Sony 18-250mm / Minolta 50mm F1.7 / Sigma 30mm F1.4 / Tamron 10-24mm / Tamron 200-500mm / Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro / Minolta 300mm F4 APO
Sony NEX5N / 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 / 55-210mm F4-6.3 / Pentax K adapter / Konica K/AR adapter / bunches o' Konica & Pentax lenses!

Galleries:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

"Magnify" was just the term I used, definitely not to be confused with digital magnification.

_________________
Canon EOS 500D
Lenses: EFS 18-55mm IS, EF 50mm F/1.8 II

May I add that I use a very cheap Minolta MD-Eos adapter with glass to use allmost all the lenses in my signature? Quality is fine, a better adapter will be a better choice.

_________________
Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies