This channel is about my experiences with landscape and monochrome photography using both Digital and Film cameras as I explore the great outdoors. I also enjoy experimenting with all genres of photography capturing compositions from all walks of life. I aim to upload a video every 3 weeks. This channel is not sponsored or monetized.
I had a 5d which cost me about £2400 from new. At the time I had a d200, d300 and then a d800. The d200 is still with me, the 5d has long gone and I don't miss it.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto I tell you this as well, all this talk about CCD being filmlike is just pure B.S. No digital device can mimick film. I have shot film for over 50 years and digital for nearly 25 years. Fuji, a primarily film and paper manufatcturer has tried very hrad selling this B.S to people that their ' film simulations ' are film like, and they haven't been too convincing. They have nice profiles/presets for their digital files based on the spectral response of some films, yet without the films organic nature, texture and grain. Digital noise is never going to simulate grain, as grain is the soul and fabric of the film and noise is just an unwanted bad signal. CCDs produce colours with a different look, that is it. Kodak profiled them in the beginning, reputedly of course, to mimick their Kodachrome 64 under standard lab conditions. They wanted to sell these sensors that were now out of military ownership and people had to identify with their colour reproduction. Sony is completely different. If I want to try and make my digital file look like film, I use the Raw file, make it as flat as possible, colour balanced with ambient temp and then use Nik software to start the process. Sometimes I get lucky and the conversion works, other times it takes a lot of work. So my advice is that if you like the look of the film, then learn to shoot film. A hell of a lot to learn, but a lot of fun and expense.
Interesting thoughts but I have a completely different experience with my A9 which I bought used 5 years ago. I simply love it. However I only use native Sony lenses, I haven't tried 3rd party lenses or adapting my Canon EF glass or any other lenses (I recently got a 5DC, 5DII and a 1D IV in the last couple of years). I am still on Firmware 5.0 by the way, haven't updated to the last one. Also A9 has the second base ISO at ISO 640. So between ISO 100 and 640 don't set the in-between ones (200-320, etc) I also had an A7RIII, lovely images and rendering but the 42mpixels required me to crank up the shutter speed a lot in order to get a non-blurred image. I sold that a year ago. Don't regret my decision, I will probably get an A7RV at some point if I want the high megapixel count. My main lens on the A9 was the 24GM 1.4 or the 20mm 1.8 G.
I did have the native 85mm f1.8 which was supposed to be fast at autofocus but I think the Sony as other cameras have done just struggled with my subject matter. On the other hand, the camera I have now (Canon R8) does work much better in this regards. Thanks for the comment.
@@PadPoet I haven't done a comparison yet but I don't think they are as good/natural as those from the 5dc, regardless of what profile I use. I didn't dislike the A9s colours but I'm not 100% sold on the R8 colours yet; sometimes they can look a little sickly.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto Indeed, I hear this a lot. Canon colour science is good nowadays but not as great as it used to be. On the other hand Sony has improved this a lot, it's very good on the new e-mount bodies (A7IV, A7RV and the later cameras) On the subject of ISO noise, experiment with DxO PureRAW, it's a game changer in removing noise.
@@PadPoet Noise isn't that much of an issue (I came from m43), I was working on an image last week and just noticed a bit of noise and the ISO was 10000!!! Lightroom AI noise reduction good enough for me.
Got a D200 as a permanent fixture in my car. 35mm attached. The 17-55mm is within reach 😉. My D5 follows me when I travel though. I love the Nikon ergonomy over Canon/Sony etc.
No menu diving needed. There is a dial for each - Two wheels and a control ring (on RF lenses or the EF to RF control ring adapter) which can be configured/customised to suit. Also the m-fn button can be configured again to suit your requirements. Would an R6ii be better, yes but then it's double the price, bigger and heavier so it depends what is important to you.
I don't do that much menu diving when its all set up; there are two dials on the body that allow me to control aperture/shutter speed, a third one on RF lenses or on the EF-RF Control Ring Adapter which I have set up generally to control ISO when I half depress the shutter and you can also set up the m-fn button (and/or the Q button) to change ISO/Exposure Compensation extremely easily. So its not a deal breaker for me as the camera allows a high degree of customisation. Thanks for the comment.
I recently got the Fuji XT-30 after selling my Sony A7iii. I'm reall yhappy with the Fuji. It's a well designed, compact camera and picture wise I can't think of anything that looked better with the Sony. Also I treated myself to a Leica M4 with a Summicron 50mm a few months ago. I have to admit it really is the best camera to hold in your hand and the pictures with the Summicron are second to none. So Leica was worth the hype to me.
I would consider other options but I needed/want a system with good autofocus for moving subjects and so far the R8 is delivering better than the Sony A9. Other brands appeal more but I think I would be frustrated with the CAF performance and they would not meet my needs as easily. Is it perfect? No, but it is impressing me with it's capabilities at present. My one wish is that canon loosens up it's iron clad grip on the full frame RF mount. At the moment, I'm continuing to invest in EF lenses. Thanks for the comment.
I love my Nikon f3.5-5.6/18-55 VR lenses. With VR, f3.5 suddenly doesn’t seem slow anymore. And it has incredible sharp optics. Light-weight too. Great bang for the buck! People say with prime lenses, one can zoom with the feet. But that won’t change the perspective. I love the compacting effect only long focal lengths can give.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto Then may I suggest keeping an eye out for a Nikon D3300 or D5100. The D5100 came out in 2011, 16MP, Live View, HDR. With the 18-55 VR lens, it produces very sharp images. The HDR capability is useful in high contrast situations. Live View makes D5100 half a MILC. Despite its size and weight, I don’t mind lugging it around town. A capable all-round DSLR. Perhaps my favourite Nikon DX camera. The D3300 came out in 2014. 24.4MP, compact, Live View, with Low Pass filter removed. My only Nikon DSLR modern enough to use the amazing AF-P f4.5-5.6/10-20 VR lens.
My D200 kit: 2x D200 bodies, 35mm f1.8 G (should be a requirement for all Nikon DX DSLRs, amazing quality for the price) plus 20mm AF f2.8 (close to 28mm FOV) and 60mm AF f2.8 Micro (90mm FOV).
Thanks for your video. I have a D200, 5D, 30D and others. I prefer the viewfinder information on the Nikon as well as the button layout. Photo colours and imagery are different .
@10:09 - Isn't half-pressing the shutter on this camera - locks the exposure and the focus altogether? If that's indeed a fault of this camera, that it overexposes, which demands that you slightly expose for a brighter point, then the half-press might work for landscape (as focusing is for infinity), but, what if you're shooting a portrait subject which stands closer to you? Will the half-press only lock exposure, yet, adjust the focusing as you recompose it? (it also means the subject always will need to be in the center if it works...)
Yes, it locks exposure and focus so you can then recompose your composition. I've used this camera since and it doesn't really have a problem with overexposure. I don't generally shoot much portraiture so can't say whether this would cause you problems. Thanks for the comment.
Funny, I found your video as I just picked up a D200 myself. A little bit of context, I was a long time Canon 1D classic owner. With the 4mp files, poor lowlight performance, poor battery performance (factory batteries haven't been available for a long time and aftermarket ones died quickly for me) and WEIGHT lead me to not use it much. But, I loved the performance of it and the images that came straight from the camera. Wanting that CCD look (and there really is a difference), the interwebs lead me down the rabbit hole to the D200. Coming from mainly Canon (my main camera is a R6 MkII) the Nikon layout does take some getting used to (lens mount twists the opposite direction!) And most importantly, initially, I was a little disappointed from the images, soft and kind of flat. As you mentioned, it has a strong AA filter. I found the images do really well with some sharpening (without looking oversharpened). I'm just using the nikon software. Obviously paring with sharp lenses help, as you found with the 35mm f1.8. Same with the colors, with some minor tweaks to the saturation, I'm generally pleased with the images. I am getting that "film" look I was looking for. However, I was really hoping (maybe it's wishful thinking) I would get clean, sharp, punchy JPG's straight out of the camera. The reality is, with the D200, I have to shoot in RAW and then make some minor tweaks to the images in post. is it worth it to have another system just for that CCD look? As this is not my main camera. I'm going to give it some more time to make any final decision.
I was expecting to like the cc'd colours better than I did but I just prefer the 5D colours. If I want a CCD fix, I have a Ricoh GR Digital but then I don't particularly like it's colours either but it's worth keeping for it's B&W images.
I found M43 depth of field improve AF accuracy a lot. So, even M43 systems don't have the best AF-C, they still can produce sharp focus photos at f/1.8 when I took photos while driving car at 120km/hr with a small Panasonic GM5 and mZuiko 45mm f/1.8. I didn't shot the dog, but for birding, my Sony A1 hardly missed a shot with my 70-200 GM II. I think you should borrow cameras and their native pro lenses for testing. Zeiss 24-70mm f/4 is not a good lens, not as sharp as the others. You should use 24-70 GM II or 24-50 f/2.8 G or 20-70 f/4 G, lenses are also important to AF performance.I really wish Sony add the 2x crop so I can take M43 photos alike on a full-frame system so I can fully use my full-camera like a 1.5X cropped or 2X cropped camera. Good luck to you for your camera finding journey. Look like you need an OM1 MK II. :)
I used the 85mm f1.8 for the dog action shots, 24-70 was just for general walk about use. Thanks for watching. The next camera I have tried (Canon R8) is so far doing well, don't want yo go back to m43 just yet, I'd like to see a bit more life and innovation first.
The search continues! I had a similar journey to your A9 recently. Like you, I bought a camera a lot more up to date than my usual gear with hopes the AF would allow me to shoot a wider range of subjects than my normal reliance on single point AF allowed. It was an X-T5 and its AFC was comically bad; in my hands at least! Looking forward to seeing what dog-catcher system you deploy next. Nice images at the end though!
Thanks for the positive comments. I also contemplated a newer Fuji but reports of AF issues put me off the system so I've gone somewhere now that I never thought I would go (canon).
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto Will be interesting to see how your canon experience is. Seems we are on a a Similar journey there too. I have an R8 now and also have a very cheap R100 to double up the focal lengths of my R mount lenses. Oddly, I probably use the R100 more as it’s so tiny and light with the 28mm lens on it.
Looking at your gallery on my phone was pointless my eyes and brain barely notice any difference. I have a 5D mk 2 and have problems with vignettes in the corners.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto I think a lot of the Canon v Nikon debate really falls on which one bought first . My first DSLR was a D70 I now use a D2x , D3s , D4 , D200 and D800 semi regularly my main camera is now an Olympus M1x due to shoulder issues . I also have several Canons including a 40d , 50d , 7d , 5D mk 2 and a 1ds mk2 which is a brick . I also have other micro 4/3 cameras . Major GAS!
Just been given one of these... with a Bronica ETRS. The Konica is toast sadly. New batteries seemed to give some shutter action, but then decide to make the self timer run, even without pressing that button. Not worth repair sadly
Very good examination of the pros and cons of these two cameras. I’ve been looking at the X-PRO1 and think I need to also consider the X-E1 based on your observations.
Glad it helped, I almost decided on giving up on Fuji but have decided to keep the xe1 purely because it offers something my other cameras don't, it's like a film camera without the inconvenience of film.
D200 is built like a tank D200 controls are great D200 is weather sealed D200 battery last a long time D200 OVF is great D200 has a fantastic color rendition
I don't doubt it, it did feel good to use, I just struggled compared to my other old cameras to get consistent results out of it. Others might have different experiences but this is just my view.
Thanks, its an estate owned/managed by the National Trust in Wiltshire, England. Thanks for the comment; I have since fixed the Seagull so hoping for better results with it next time!
Those shutters and mechanisms on the folders always gum up. You can tear it down and clean or remove all the glass, and then bathe the whole shutter mechanism in kerosene (or similar solvent) then flush that out with isopropyl alcohol a number of times then leave to dry for about a week. Your shop should have done this as part of the cla though. Most of them are supposed to run dry so shouldn't be relubricated (mostly). Not sure what the chinese shutter was based on but would I expect to be a prontor or compur copy so you can search online for teardown/cleaning tips.
I've since worked out the problem, I must of knocked the cocking lever as on its return trip, it was interfering with the casing causing it to stop before closing the shutter. A little pressure and it now operates correctly. Thanks for watching and for the comments.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto Thanks, folders are a tough one. Most of them are neglected unfortunately. I use my Bessa II a lot. It has been flawless for years.
The Canon 5D was 3x the price of the D200 when they were new, and the 5D is a full frame camera. They are totally different cameras and you’re trying to compare them. Total nonsense.
Well on those points yes, but are they both old - yes, are they both big - yes, are they both heavy - yes,- so it was mainly on those points I compared as well as their ability to take and achieve consisent results! So not total nonsense!
You should get photos with horizontal lines soon enough, replacing that purple blown out photos at 5:56. I've got a 6800 that needs to be pressed at a certain spot for the LCD to display the live view, I think now this is due to the lead free solder acting up.
Yeah, I don't envisage using this camera much more, I'm going to compare it to a Kodak DX3700 at some point and then I suspect it will just sit on my shelf as it does hold some sentimental value in keeping it.
Problem is the reliability these days, I had one serviced even and it still ended up failing. I've recently looked again for a replacement but there are so many just sold as seen these days, not worth it unless you like to tinker or just want one as an ornament.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto I guess I have been fortunate in my aquired folders. I have 4 and have used them for years without issue. I did have to align a rangefinder on my Bessa RF once but that was quite simple. My Agfa Super isolette and The Bessa II have been used a lot over the years. The negatives are just so stunning compared to 35mm and I carry one with me always. I do shoot 35mm Leicas just as often, but I do love folders.
Ah, the 3rd to Like and the 1st to comment - I think you've answered the question you posed - can you VLOG? With the right lens yes, but you need an arm like Arnie to do it. I VLOGed with an E-M5 mkii back when I first started I and found that heavy! Thank heavens for the Osmo! Btw I've given in and picked up a Lumix S5ii as a spare/alternative for my Sigma fpL. I went to the Clifton Cameras Panasonic day and "really" played with one for about 2 hours. Unfortunately their deals weren't the best, but I found an as new one at Harrison Cameras for less than what MPB were selling them for. It arrived this week and works perfectly. Looking forward now to going and having a play!
Hi Huw, thanks for the comment. Your definitely right, it's hard to beat the little osmo pocket but I often crave for a little bit better low light performance and less jittery footage. The search continues as I no longer have the A9, succumbed and bought a Canon R8 last month; I ventured into the grey world with this one as it was cheaper still than a used one here in the UK. So far it is performing better than the A9 for my purposes but the closed RF mount is a little limiting and expensive if you want the good stuff (I'm using EF glass at present). I'm tempted still to pick up an OM-1 as well but will wait to see what love (firmware updates) it receives from OM Systems hopefully in the not to distant future. My heart wanted to try the Lumix S5ii but I knew that I needed better more reliable AF performance for things that move hence why I'm currently using the Canon R8 which is a lighter body than the om-1 albeit with no IBIS.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto Well, if it is (wildlife) AF that you want then the OM-1ii seems to steal the march on that front. Apart from my IR converted camera (a little Pana GX9) I've migrated away completely from the m4/3rds system. It has its plus points but as a landscaper I feel the latest m4/3 technology is moving away from my genre, and even the lure of the inbuilt GND on the OM-1ii is not enough of an enticement. I looked at the R5 back in 2021 - lovely camera, but not for £4k - and I've heard lots of not so great feedback on the RF lenses (in that they are expensive, and also not as sharp or quick as their competition). I've picked up the S5ii now on multiple occasions, and in my heart I couldn't justify another £2k on another fpL. I haven't taken the S5ii out yet as I've just recovered from a nasty throat infection, but looking forward to giving it a bash! :)
@@huwalban Its for running dog AF....not in to wildlife that much yet. I agree that the RF lenses are a little dissapointing in that the cheap ones seem to be rubbish and the decent ones are £££ with nothing in the middle hence why I am sticking to cheaper EF lenses at present which seem to work fine. I am also reluctant to go back to m43 at the moment; I really hope they return to smaller cameras that have the smarts of the OM-1 but I'm not going to hold my breath. Likewise I have a GX1 for IR. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the S5ii. Hope you feel better soon.
@@ChrisEdgecombePhoto Cheers bud. Doing much better today actually. I think finally my immune system got the message and has started to do its stuff. My disappointment with OMS is that they are not innovating any more. Back in the days of the original OM-D E-M5, Olympus innovated with both the technology and the software, and now we just seem to be seeing the same technology in a different package with a new label on it and a few software tweaks. One of the people I was chatting with at the Clifton Cameras open day last week mentioned that OMS had been concentrating on getting models out with their name on (as opposed to Olympus), but the next iteration will contain some innovations. We'll have to wait and see, but I've got a deep seating feeling that the technology has been developed as far as it can reasonably go. Also FF cameras and lenses are getting smaller and lighter so that original m4/3 advantage is being eroded too. Be interesting to see how it develops (no pun intended).
@@huwalban Completely agree huw, will be interesting to see what the next m43 cameras bring but I doubt there will be much innovation. They really need to get smaller again to regain that advantage over FF mirrorless cameras.
Hey Chris I absolutely love my 5D. Mirror has fallen out twice and it just keeps chugging along delivering me beautiful family snaps over and over again. I have added a Nikon DF to my stable which I also really enjoy; the color SOOC isn't as good as the 5D but it takes to presets I use better and is impeccable in low light. I did some side by side shots recently and was impressed to see I could match the quality of the photos and colors between the two easily despite the $800 difference but it's still a really fun camera to use so I am holding onto it as it looks like new. I am also curious about the 6D and the D700 but don't think I could ever not also have a 5D in my arsenal...I have experimented with Fuji twice in the past but the apsc and mirrorless life just doesn't work for me personally.
I still really love the 5D and some old lenses that I have. They work a treat on the Canon R8 that I have just bought as well as I like the Canon system over other FF cameras that I have tried but I really wish they would open up the RF mount. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Chris, I just subscribed to your channel. I love infrared photography, and I also use a Panasonic GF-1 converted to 840 with an Olympus 9-18 f4-5.6 lens. If you would like to see the pictures I take, see my channel. Thanks for sharing your pictures; they are great to see.
Wow... Just as I was debating between X-H1 and the X-T1, I think this video moves me off the X-H1 lol. I want something special in the sensor.. Some soul.. And I think whatever sensor is in the X-E1 or maybe even the X-T1, has it. Thanks for this video !
I managed to snag a D200 last year with a shutter count under 1500. I really enjoy it. It's not as "good" as my D850 or my D5 but I really appreciate the aesthetic of the D200s CCD censor.
Thanks for the comment, ultimately I just preferred using the 5D over the D200. If I could of achieved more consistent results with the d200 then I might have kept it but I just find it easier to get stellar images out of the 5D every time I use it.
Interesting, I was thinking to get 5D Classic and compare RAW's between C and A7s/sII. Would be nice to see default LR flat processing, I found it strange that image is so different as LR should be optimized for flat response based on transfer curves for each sensor. Is it possible to share RAW's from this experiment?
Sorry, I only kept my favourite images from this comparison. I no longer have the Sony A7S. Have kept the Canon 5D though as IMO the images were better. I did like the A7S for use with manual lenses and did briefly upgrade to a Sony A9 but no longer have that camera either. I may be tempted with an A7S or A7 MK1 just to use with MF lenses at some point as it was a lot of fun.
I was thinking: APS-C vs Full Frame Sensor, also different anti aliasing filter. The Nikon does have the CCD colors, (klunky menus) the Canon has a very particular image profile, rather warm. The canon will almost always look better. But the D200 like all CCD sensor camera's has its own perks (also highlight control problems). You might like Sony too ;-) - Fuji makes excellent camera's with beautiful camera workflow, but you have to like the output of the files. Olympus great. Panasonic not so much.
It doesn't matter really, I ultimately preferred and kept the 5D and sold the D200. I know it was like comparing apples and oranges as has been pointed out but I just decided that I didn't really need any other big, heavy or old cameras as the 5D in that regards is enough for me.
I have had both and the 5D did feel like a cheap full frame camera, while the D200 feels like a professional crop sensor camera (I still have it). They were both released around the same time, but the 5D did feel a lot older in use. It was also around that time that DSLR's started having AUTO-ISO, letting the user focus on aperture or speed (or both). The 5D doesn't have it, but the D200 does.
Good video, I do not why you chosen the Seagull model, as Seagull cameras ARE THE WORST CMERA COMPANY OVERALL!, I Bought two of the Seagull 203 RF models, as they BOTH broke apart, as the first one that the Shutter JAM along the focusing cam, and then 2nd model that who ever assemble it in China was sleeping on the job that the person did not use the glue gun on the Bellows onto the shutter plane as it came OFF!, These models were the WORST. I am glad that you chosen the Balda Model. As that I bought a Zeiss Ikonta RF model and a Plaubel Makina Both made in Germany as they are dated from 1933 to 1938 as they are BOTH working well. NEVER GET THE SEAGULL 203 MODELS - THEY ARE THE WORST RF 120 MODELS EVER..
As you will find out in a video soon on my channel, the Seagull has indeed broke again after being serviced so not too impressed with it's design at the moment. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Chris, I shoot both X and GFX and am ambivalent about the Fuji colour 'hype'. I have been interested in your Sony A9 experiment. Like you, I want to rationalise my cameras to better suit my needs. I am thinking about keeping my GFX and switching from my X system to Olympus for their computational aids for macro, astrophotography, and bird photography. But the A9 has piqued my interest.
Spoiler alert - I no longer have the A9....it just struggled with my use case so currently trying out a Canon R8, early days but results are promising.
15:26 the infrared shot of this set is one of my favorite photos I've seen honestly. The composition, beautiful building, and ethereal vibe of the white landscape make it feel like a nostalgic half-forgotten memory from a victorian childhood. Almost Ghibli-esque in that way. So peaceful.
It looks to me that the MJU is consistently sharper throughout the pictures. That could be from less focus steps in the AF-1 I thought. But after seeing, that the church shot at (most likely) infinity was the same thing I fear it‘s actually a difference between the two (which is weird because you‘d think they‘d use the same lens design between those two). This is also just speculation because I could never find anything about the focus steps on the AF-1 but keeping in mind that it was released 4 years later than the MJU it wouldn‘t make that much sense to have that many less focus steps, that it would really be noticable. The shallower depth of field in the wood sculpture could come from the MJUs 1/700 max shutter speed. Because the AF-1 Mini only reaches 1/500 it has to close the apeture down to expose correctly. Adding to that you mentioned the MJU was overexposing, so the apeture would stay more open than it would anyways. Also the stronger contrast throughout the photos could come from the MJU overexposing and having to be pushed down later, which always reduces dynamic range.
Thank you for your kind comments, looking forward to getting back to more of these types of videos rather than thinking about what camera to buy next.....
I think I'm done with old cameras especially ones with old storage types, probably cost me more to get a smart media card and reader (and FD reader) than the camera is worth 🤣. Glad you liked it.
Most interesting. I too would be interested in how you get on with AF with the Canon lenses and an adapter. I used the Sigma MC-21 adapter to convert from Canon EF to L-mount on my Sigma fpL. On short lenses all OK, but with the 70-200 f/4 L the AF hunted like crazy - but that might be more to do with the fpL's AF more than either the lens or the adapter. It is well documented that the fpL's AF is not the best. Also, I'm encouraged that you noted your knuckles catching on the edge of the lens mount. When I went the the Photography Show in 2021 to research a full-frame system, this was the one "feature" that I just couldn't get passed with the Sony system, and I went back to the Sony stand multiple times to see if I could work around it. I've got long fingers you see, and once scrunched up against the grip I was scraping the side of the lens continually which was a shame because on paper it was the A7Riii which was the top of my options list.
They work an absolute treat with later Sony cameras like the A9. Felt like native lenses for static shots and eye detect worked well in c-af. Was just a little too slow for faster moving subjects and c-af doesn't work in video. I only have 3 cheapo EF lenses, the 28-105 f3.5-4.5, the 70-210 F3.5-4.5 and the 50mm f2.5 macro. I didn't find the macro to be as good.
