Help me choose a new camera - rugged, old or new.

[Alan Edward Klein]

Why not join the rangefinder set and your compositions will improve over time.

Why are they better with a rangefinder?

 

[joe bosak]

Looks like you've chosen Canon but for what it's worth:

For build quality and good weather sealing - though resolution maxes at 20mp - go with Olympus or OMD or whatever their camera division has morphed into. Will also likely work out lighter weight. And comes with brilliant IBIS and fast AF, they are good all rounders that don't get as much traction as they should because they are micro four thirds so people tend to relegate them to macro or long telephoto (where the high pixel density beats most even now). Great colours too, and excellent jpegs. And some fantastic lenses.

 

[Cholentpot]

Been playing with the 5D IV in the house, family snaps while I wait for a better lens to arrive. The colours are magic! I was never a preset guy but I tried adding a fair few and kept going back to the default. Focus is slow on my old 50 1.8, but still faster than I'll need most of the time. Thing is built like a tank too.

The 50 1.8 grinds a bit on the 5D. A good L lens the focus is lightning. I'm stuck in the past so I use the center point for most of my work along with back button focusing. I have a shortcut laid out where it goes full automatic when it's held down for emergency.

 

[cliveh]

Why are they better with a rangefinder?

Because looking through a SLR is like looking through the centre of a toilet roll. A rangefinder lets you see what is above, below, left and right of the frame, thus an aid to composition.

 

[Cholentpot]

Because looking through a SLR is like looking through the centre of a toilet roll. A rangefinder lets you see what is above, below, left and right of the frame, thus an aid to composition.

Let's devolve the conversation into SLR v RF yeah?

I'm gonna shoot on a RF and have to guess what the photo is going to look like unless I use one of three lenses vs this is exactly what is in frame.

I use both styles and you know what's the best? Scale focus cameras. If you can nail and entire roll of film on a camera that has no focusing help you win.

 

[P1505]

Took the 5D IV to the sea today, in a storm. Rain hitting so hard it stung, and the car was almost blown off the road. Camera was fine, no ingress, focussed fast, was perfect.

On rangefinders vs SLR vs whatever - just go out and shoot. I shoot waist level medium format, rangefinder, SLR, cameras with the labels "close" and "far" on them, mirrorless. I have a Bessa with no viewfinder at all, I just guess. They're all fantastic. I want a 5x4 next, but have decided the Hasselblad is my last film camera. I'll shoot that until 120 goes extinct.

 

[Cholentpot]

Took the 5D IV to the sea today, in a storm. Rain hitting so hard it stung, and the car was almost blown off the road. Camera was fine, no ingress, focussed fast, was perfect.

On rangefinders vs SLR vs whatever - just go out and shoot. I shoot waist level medium format, rangefinder, SLR, cameras with the labels "close" and "far" on them, mirrorless. I have a Bessa with no viewfinder at all, I just guess. They're all fantastic. I want a 5x4 next, but have decided the Hasselblad is my last film camera. I'll shoot that until 120 goes extinct.

That's the spirit! Plastic disposable? Sure. Camera that says 'SUPRER FUCOS' on the lens? Why not? Oddball hybrid RF/SLR that only works every other Tuesday? Give it to me.

I'm not picky.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Because looking through a SLR is like looking through the centre of a toilet roll. A rangefinder lets you see what is above, below, left and right of the frame, thus an aid to composition.

But one knows what will be in focus and what will be out of focus, and most importantly one will know if the lens cap is still on or a color contrast filter was left on from the last time the lens was use for black & white.

 

[P1505]

Was about to order the second gen 24-70 L even though I’m not a zoom guy, but then found out about error 01. Seems far too common. Back to primes for me.

 

[Cholentpot]

Was about to order the second gen 24-70 L even though I’m not a zoom guy, but then found out about error 01. Seems far too common. Back to primes for me.

Been using my 24-70 II 2.8 heavily for a year now and never encountered an error. First I've heard of it.

 

[P1505]

Been using my 24-70 II 2.8 heavily for a year now and never encountered an error. First I've heard of it.

I may take the gamble. By all accounts it is an exceptional lens and I’ve found a used but very clean version for £800.

 

[P1505]

Been using my 24-70 II 2.8 heavily for a year now and never encountered an error. First I've heard of it.

Took the gamble, ordered. I’m now done ordering camera gear for a while.

 

[Anon Ymous]

Took the gamble, ordered. I’m now done ordering camera gear for a while.

Now you need a 70-200

 

[P1505]

Now you need a 70-200

Now I need some time to get back to start a new photo project.

Amazing that the most important part of all this is building relationships and yet we spend so much time looking at gear

 

[P1505]

Lens arrived with a tiny scratch on the front element. Testing against the sun tomorrow. It is otherwise very clean, and at £800 very cheap for the second version.

 

[Cholentpot]

Lens arrived with a tiny scratch on the front element. Testing against the sun tomorrow. It is otherwise very clean, and at £800 very cheap for the second version.

Don't sweat the scratch. It's not going to affect anything.