luddite from the "other" side

[jvo]

i'm a film guy, so am a digitally unschooled... if i started in photography today, i'd get a mirrorless, photoshop and never look back.

i was on the big auction site and came across this digital deal that is either really good, an error, or more likely a total SCAM. the seller has never sold anything and the price - well look for yourself...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312236594815?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&fromMakeTrack=true

what's the story?

 

[Eric Rose]

Samsung made a great camera that was ahead of it's time but unfortunately they exited the market. Not sure about this one but just understand it's an orphan system.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Visit that page at your own peril. It comes with a built-in ad-server and browser hijacker.
Furthermore, Samsung cameras were never made in China. They were made in South Korea.

 

[slackercrurster]

I'm an old film guy that did go digital. No room for a darkroom. I did go mirrorless, but only after going cheap Pentax dslr and cheap M43. I use Lightroom, don't know how to use Photoshop.

 

[Cholentpot]

If moving from film to digital get a Canon 6D or the Nikon equivalent. It handles close enough to a film camera that it's a lateral move and the sensor size stays the same. Going from film to mirrorless may not be as smooth a transition.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Every forum has this "look what I found on ebay" thread...

I have two young people started taking pictures with something rather than mobile device. They asked me for help, because we are doing it with film cameras.

Size of the sensor is irrelevant sometimes if you are switching from film to digital. If you get used to P&S, then digital P&S with optical VF will do.
Or if you have single SLR/zoom kit, then Canon Rebel with kit lens or Nikon equivalent will do.
6D makes sense if you are coming from big SLR and already have L lenses or AF EF primes. I have digital Rebel and film Rebel. Sensor size doesn't bother me at all. Cameras are identical is size and I'm using same 16-35 2.8 II L on both cameras.
And if you are RF shooter Leica still makes digital RF cameras and trying to support even their first made one as digital.

Photoshop is next to wrong tool if you are coming from darkroom or more into photography than images manipulations.
Lightroom has dodge and burn, color balance adjustments, touch up and crop. And it is way more easy and faster to use application.
It has similar to darkroom enlarger color head contrast adjustments for bw printing.
It also allows to tag and arrange your photos, collections. I recommend old, stand alone Lightroom versions available as second hand.

 

[choiliefan]

The link is dead.
I just read somewhere that Samsung and Panasonic are partnering on a full-frame mirrorless.
This may be the new Lumix camera being announced on the 25th.
May just a rumor...

 

[Paul Howell]

As noted the link is no longer working, so don't know what you were looking at. I have a mirrorless Sony, older tech, and a A900 and 700, both getting along in terms of generations. I've looked at new Sony A7III and 9IIs still prefer a DSLR, I have a hard time judging color and contrast using the EVF. Here in the Desert Southwest it is just too bright to use the back screen. Looking forward to seeing how good the EVF is on the new Nikon Z7, if it is good and someone makes a decent adaptor so I can use my Minolta and Sony A mount lens I may move to Nikon.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Photoshop is next to wrong tool if you are coming from darkroom or more into photography than images manipulations.
Lightroom has dodge and burn, color balance adjustments, touch up and crop. And it is way more easy and faster to use application.
It has similar to darkroom enlarger color head contrast adjustments for bw printing.
It also allows to tag and arrange your photos, collections. I recommend old, stand alone Lightroom versions available as second hand.

I would strongly recommend that you get the exposure spot-on, in-camera, and not rely on Photoshop, Lightroom or other software for image manipulation/touch-up, other than to assign a profile, resize and complete print-step tasks. Reliance on heavy post manipulation only perpetuates an incompetent approach to photography and leads you directly to full digital photography. If that is your objective, well and good, but strive to get everything done in-camera rather than clacking away at a keyboard and romancing a mouse.

 

[Eric Rose]

As mentioned technique is important but taking full advantage of digital techniques in LR and PS is not to be shied away from. It's just that many beginners in the digital realm create some awfully over manipulated monstrosities. It's always best to get things right in camera first if possible. When using digital get well versed in doing custom white balance and do it whenever you enter a different quality of light. The cameras do a good job with auto white balance but it's not bang on so if you do your own custom white balance post work will be reduced.

When shooting colour film I quite often put a white card in the frame on the first shot or if I move into shade. When you scan the negs and work them in LR or PS the colour correction is a one click no brainer for the most part.

I do a lot of photography for non-profits now that I am retired and use a Panasonic G85 for both still and video. A Panasonic GX7 is used for B Roll stuff. By using the m4/3rds cameras I can still use my Nikon, Canon and Leica lenses in MF mode.

If you are looking for a good digital mirrorless camera for cheap I would recommend the GX7 if you can find one. For a bit more a GX8 is a step up. Don't get conned into thinking there is a big difference in image quality between 16M pixels and 20M.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

i'm a film guy, so am a digitally unschooled... if i started in photography today, i'd get a mirrorless, photoshop and never look back.

i was on the big auction site and came across this digital deal that is either really good, an error, or more likely a total SCAM. the seller has never sold anything and the price - well look for yourself...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312236594815?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&fromMakeTrack=true

what's the story?

nothing there??

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

nothing there??

For the simple, inalienable fact that listing was a fake with a browser hijacker/redirect and ad server embedded. What were you expecting?

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I would strongly recommend that you get the exposure spot-on, in-camera, and not rely on Photoshop, Lightroom or other software for image manipulation/touch-up, other than to assign a profile, resize and complete print-step tasks. Reliance on heavy post manipulation only perpetuates an incompetent approach to photography and leads you directly to full digital photography. If that is your objective, well and good, but strive to get everything done in-camera rather than clacking away at a keyboard and romancing a mouse.

Here is no black or white approach in digital photography. And here is limit of digital sensors, metering in many cameras. To strongly recommend exposure as spot-on it has to be digital sensor with ideal dynamic range and very intelligent metering. Which even modern digital cameras lack of.
So, in real world digital photography spot-on often not exist due to limitations of digital sensors.
From my close to two hundred thousands frames and all kind of photography with digital cameras experience over decade and common knowledge some of those methods are:
Shot it to the right - situation with low light and high ISO. Overexpose, bring it to normal in PP. It allows to lower high ISO noise.
Dial exposure to -2 or so. Known trick to get different look in digital BW photography. It will require PP.
Expose for highlights, bring up darks and shadows in PP. Very common method these days to avoid clipping of image information in very common scenario - bright sky, dark foreground. LR will give correct image without noise with one mouse click.

It is nothing new and well known techniques for situations then digital sensor, metering is not allowing you yours spot-on mode.
You know, photography is not always about spending your time to get perfect exposure. Street photography, for example.

And I do prefer to take pictures which are usable SOOC, BTW.

 

[jvo]

Thanks for all the responses... actually the link was taken down because I called them based upon knowledgeable advice given here..

When I asked why they weren't able to vette buyers/ads sooner- they essentailly had no answer.

The scammers apparently run this sort of an ad, get the buyers money and disappear. E*** has insurance so the buyer gets there money from e*** and the seller walks away their money.

The scammer is a lone wolf generating "ads" and making ~50. @ shot - not bad for pounding the keyboard a bit. It's true - if it seems to good to be true - it is!"

Thanks again. jvo

p.s. no, i'm not intending to go digital... just saw this and thought "gee whiz, seems like a great deal - maybe?...!!!!"