TheRailwire
General Discussion => Photography => Topic started by: Rivet Miscounter on April 03, 2019, 12:36:14 PM
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OK, so...this might be a hypothetical exercise...but it could happen, so fire away. (quickly)
Long story short...I've had a rough year. (yes, three months in) So much so that I almost completely forgot about my best friend's 50th birthday party in Colorado Springs this Saturday. I decided to take an extra "mental health" :) day to drive up from Dallas and railfan what is my favorite stretch of railroad...BNSF's former Fort Worth & Denver line between Fort Worth, Amarillo, and eventually the C&S parts in Colorado. But enough about that...
If you had, say, $700 in your pocket and wanted to buy the best camera for railfanning you could for that money...what would it be?
Couple of notes:
1. I don't do Nikon, due to a customer service issue I had with them.
2. My previous railfan camera was a Canon 20D. I wish I could buy a comparable camera today, but not in the budget really.
3. I've always been interested in the Sony a6000, but I'm not sure I want to (or can, given budget) go there.
4. I would like to have some combination of wi-fi/bt/nfc to ease in getting pics to the cloud.
5. I'm fine using my iPhone 7 Plus for most pics and it's fine for anything I'm doing MRR wise. (not saying I wouldn't use the new camera too, but it's not a purchase priority.)
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I'm quite happy with my Canon SL2: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=43796.msg560093#msg560093
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Some things to think about.
1. A fast shutter will be necessary to get trains without motion blur. Anything on the market can do this, so it's no issue. However, a fast shutter in non-ideal lighting conditions will require large aperture lenses and/or the ability to generate clean images with high ISOs.
2. Generally, travel lenses on APS-C and Full Frame formats aren't great.
3. Check B&H for good prices on open box equipment.
If you gave me $700? I would probably buy a used Panasonic G85 with a used 14-140mm lens. Small, lightweight, and good for movies too.
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If it was me, I'd use my smartphone to take the railfanning pictures and burn the $700.00 on something else . . . like more model trains! Hi, I'm Dave, and I have a problem . . . :D
DFF
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If it was me, I'd use my smartphone to take the railfanning pictures and burn the $700.00 on something else . . . like more model trains! Hi, I'm Dave, and I have a problem . . . :D
DFF
Yeah you do. Your trains are too big :trollface: :trollface:
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Yeah you do. You're trains are too big :trollface: :trollface:
Bwahahahahahaha!!! Never!
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Yeah you do. You're trains are too big :trollface: :trollface:
But he has the piece of mind knowing that he models in the most popular scale in the world! :trollface: :D
Ho, ho, ho, ho!
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If you gave me $700? I would probably buy a used Panasonic G85 with a used 14-140mm lens. Small, lightweight, and good for movies too.
Video erotica?
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Don’t forget the narrow gauge in Colorado Springs. It’s in my basement, LOL. Shoot me a PM if you think you’d want to see the RGS while you’re here.
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Don’t forget the narrow gauge in Colorado Springs. It’s in my basement, LOL. Shoot me a PM if you think you’d want to see the RGS while you’re here.
Oh man that would be awesome. The schedule is tight but I'll PM you and see if we can arrange a visit. Thank you for the invitation.
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So, what did you end up with?
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I guess you could say I took the DFF suggestion to heart.
Not to buy more trains though. Mostly just for "good financial decision" reasons....what I *wanted* and what I had *budget for* had a bit of a gap and I decided to hold off. Good news is, I pulled out my trusty P&S Canon that I bought a few years ago and it performed admirably-ish given its limitations.
I'll admit I had "good-financial-decision remorse" when I was railfanning Trinchera Pass on Sunday and needed some long lenses.
I think I am going to shop around, and see if I can find some items on the used market possibly. I liked the idea of the G85 but didn't have time to procure one. And seriously...to re-emphasize...the G85 has a LOT to like for being a few years old...it and the Sony A6000 came up again and again as cameras that still hold up when looking for a value type purchase. Bad news is, all that press sort of holds the price up there so it is harder to find a really good deal on one. I like the idea of the SL2, but I'm weighing the pros and cons between that and something like the 77D.
And finally, I still like the idea of the Sony...the 6400 supposedly has a killer AF and was selected in more than one online resource as "excellent for sports" which is sort of how I vet out its worthiness for railfanning. I came VERY close to purchasing one Thursday night. I had sold some Z and had a few more dollars than originally thought and was evaluating "reaching" but it would have been close to double. I think I may try to find a used 6000 body, spend my money on a good midrange lens, and then eventually buy a 6400 body or its replacement.
But to say the G85 or any Canon option is off the table is premature. The battery benefit of a true DSLR is significant. I think I may rent one or all and test them.
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I have a Canon 80D now...
I'd go for something like a Canon T6i -- it has the same 24MP sensor as the 80D minus a few things (internal processor, focus system is a bit weaker). If you shoot in RAW the processor is a moot point.
Tamron makes a -really- good 18-200mm stabilized lens for about $200.
Not saying there isn't a better deal to be had as there probably is, but I'm a Canon guy :D
Canon Refurb will probably have the best pricing on any of those -- they actually have an SL2 for $439 if you'd like to go for a slightly smaller body.
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I just recently got a T7i. I realized I actually WANTED the smaller form factor. Lugging my 40D around was annoying. I hated taking it places. Now I think nothing of throwing the thing into my luggage when traveling (to good effect: http://railfanning.kapuscinski.net/2019/03/an-afternoon-in-indianapolis/)
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I've actually come to be thankful for having been forced to sell off my mondo Canon system. $20K of DSLR gear is not the most convenient to lug around, much less use. And honestly, the number of times I've missed the power of that tech is pretty small these days. I appreciate being able to grab one lightweight camera (Canon SX S20 HS) and do most anything I need with it. If I was shooting professionally for commercial purposes, I'd still need that beastly DSLR, but I'm not any more.
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So, I figured I'd share a bit about the trip I took and some of the photos. These are only the pics taken in the immediate area near Trinchera, CO. Camera was a Powershot ELPH 330 HS. Can't say they're my best work, but I battled light and trains that literally appear out of nowhere, moving fast, and almost guaranteed not to stop. (and only 3 trains the entire 3-hour trip through the area) And not to mention the capabilities of the camera. (I know, a good tradesman never blames his tools) So anyway, here is the album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.2080399102259057&type=3
I'm still updating the captions but wanted to go ahead and post the pics. Hope you enjoy. I'll also followup with some comments putting these pics in context with my quest for a trying to choose a new camera at some point.
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The 20D would have really shined with the above photos, and I of course have now regretted getting rid of it. But then I also have the issue mentioned by DKS.....the 20D was not the most travel worthy companion. (and more importantly, the 20D was a bit cursed... but that's a story for another time)
Anyway, I just want to stop down and say thank you to everyone who has provided input. I have honestly taken each one to heart and have evaluated how it fits in with the ever-growing matrix of possibilities. It has been a good exercise, and I will continue to evaluate, save up, and wait for the right time and the right camera to converge. I will at some point post more about my thought processes and some of the things I've learned in my research that might help others making a decision.
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Well, I have news to report...a purchase has been made. I went with the Sony a6400 and 18-135 Lens. I'll still go into the promised detail about the decision process at some point but wanted to update the thread. I will say that the compact form factor, my history with Sony cameras, the class-leading AF system, and the fact that it is a recent release were keys. Of course, I wish I had made the purchase 3 months ago, but event milestone number two is coming fast with a handful of graduation activities tied to my 18-yo stepson and 14yo son. I had yet another windfall of train sales so I decided it was now or never.
I had a chance to take it for a spin so I'll post a few pics. So far I've been happy with the initial results, but keep in mind I've just been doing full-auto thus far. Any failures in these pics is solely on me at this point. When I get good enough to complain about the camera, I'll be sure and let everyone know. 8)
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Well, I have news to report...a purchase has been made. I went with the Sony a6400 and 18-135 Lens. I'll still go into the promised detail about the decision process at some point but wanted to update the thread. I will say that the compact form factor, my history with Sony cameras, the class-leading AF system, and the fact that it is a recent release were keys. Of course, I wish I had made the purchase 3 months ago, but event milestone number two is coming fast with a handful of graduation activities tied to my 18-yo stepson and 14yo son. I had yet another windfall of train sales so I decided it was now or never.
I had a chance to take it for a spin so I'll post a few pics. So far I've been happy with the initial results, but keep in mind I've just been doing full-auto thus far. Any failures in these pics is solely on me at this point. When I get good enough to complain about the camera, I'll be sure and let everyone know. 8)
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You know, I basically live on the other side of that silo. Are you going to the 24 hours @ Saginaw this year? Starts Friday at 7PM until Saturday at 7PM. Not sure how good the weather is going to be though.
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Hi John, Yes, I plan to be out there at some point, and maybe both days. I have a lot of "todo's" this weekend (many of which involve driving through the area) and I'm still not sure how the script is gonna play out. I've even pondered spending the night there. (which I've done before) Let me know when you will be out there and I'll try and look for you. I believe we met at some point via Jeff (Rossford Yard) but I apologize as I can't recall what you look like or even if we actually did meet up...I know we were supposed to at some point but...it's been a loooong, stressful, blur of a year for me. I'll PM you with my info.
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Hi John, Yes, I plan to be out there at some point, and maybe both days. I have a lot of "todo's" this weekend (many of which involve driving through the area) and I'm still not sure how the script is gonna play out. I've even pondered spending the night there. (which I've done before) Let me know when you will be out there and I'll try and look for you. I believe we met at some point via Jeff (Rossford Yard) but I apologize as I can't recall what you look like or even if we actually did meet up...I know we were supposed to at some point but...it's been a loooong, stressful, blur of a year for me. I'll PM you with my info.
Hey John,
Just to follow up... I did stop by at Saginaw a few times, but never for an extended period. On Friday, I had to move an entire storage unit by myself and I was completely exhausted when I left Azle. I rushed over to Saginaw as I was running out of daylight...stopped in and said hi to a few gents that I knew and was there maybe 20 minutes. Did see a few trains during that time. I didn't notice your reply here until I checked in on Railwire while I was there, but again just wasn't much daylight left so I figured it wouldn't be worthwhile to text then. Dropped by on Saturday on my way to Bowie and was there less than 5 minutes...no trains. Came back through Saturday evening after the event was over and again...almost dark and just there a few minutes....tired and ready to be home. It was just a rushed weekend for me so my apologies for not contacting you but there just wasn't really a lot of time to burn.
I definitely want to meet up at some point. I know Jeff has an ops session coming up for the NMRA convention so hopefully he'll have another one at some point and we can run some trains. (or maybe you're already planning to go to that ops session as part of the convention..)
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No worries, Doug. You did better than I did and I'm less than a mile away. I never made it at all. The work week just wore me out and I slept and hibernated most of the weekend. I wondered if you were the a**hat formerly known as Denver Road Doug. I don't remember if Jeff said that or if I was just associating "Dougs".
I was going to say for you to text or something next time you're passing through to Bowie or just going to watch trains in Saginaw. If I'm not on call or something I'd love to spend a little time.
I'm so out of it lately I didn't know there was an NMRA convention coming up. I haven't been a member since my college years. I'll have to see if Jeff needs operators. I haven't seen his layout yet.