Beware the man who has one gun . . .

Jock Elliott

Hall of Famer
Location
Troy, NY
. . . he may know how to use it.

That's an old saying that pertains to firearms, but I suspect it may be apt for cameras as well.

Lately, I've been doing some things that surprise me with the FZ200, things that conventional wisdom might suggest you can't do with a small sensor camera.

As a result, I've begun to suspect that my problem is not that I need a new camera or a camera with a bigger sensor, but that I don't know how to take full advantage of the camera I already have.

How about you?

Cheers, Jock
 
Well said, Jock! My guess is that if most of us were honest with ourselves we really and truly only need one camera. OK, forget you professionals who have to have what you have to...and just to be clear, I'm going to count one camera body with interchangeable lenses as "one camera" - just to cover things.;)

Old sayings often have a lot o' truth in them... "The best camera is the one you have with you" is another good one, though marketing departments really don't care for that view.

Unfortunately, I keep thinking about that long lens for the Bald Eagle who flies up the river...and down...but maybe I'll just keep his image in my mind's eye instead of succumbing to Gear Acquisition Syndrome?:D
 
Actually Its one of the main reasons why I've stuck with the F660 so far - lots of disappointments but even more surprises

Always a learning curve (& I have learned a lot in a year) but still have not mastered the bloody thing

The other reason for not swapping it is justifying the expense of double the outlay - especially as I doubt my photos would miraculously improve by doubling quality.
 
Well said, Jock! My guess is that if most of us were honest with ourselves we really and truly only need one camera. OK, forget you professionals who have to have what you have to...and just to be clear, I'm going to count one camera body with interchangeable lenses as "one camera" - just to cover things.;)

Old sayings often have a lot o' truth in them... "The best camera is the one you have with you" is another good one, though marketing departments really don't care for that view.

Unfortunately, I keep thinking about that long lens for the Bald Eagle who flies up the river...and down...but maybe I'll just keep his image in my mind's eye instead of succumbing to Gear Acquisition Syndrome?:D

Bald eagle?

Possibly like this one?

FZ150_Peebles_Island_020_Medium_.JPG
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Taken with an FZ150 at full optical zoom and full digital zoom.

Here's what the wide view, taken from the same location looked like (the eagle was at the far end of the dam):
FZ150_Peebles_Island_019_Medium_.JPG
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Cheers, Jock
 
Dang. I misunderstood the post and bought a gun. :doh:

. . . he may know how to use it.

That's an old saying that pertains to firearms, but I suspect it may be apt for cameras as well.

Lately, I've been doing some things that surprise me with the FZ200, things that conventional wisdom might suggest you can't do with a small sensor camera.

As a result, I've begun to suspect that my problem is not that I need a new camera or a camera with a bigger sensor, but that I don't know how to take full advantage of the camera I already have.

How about you?

Cheers, Jock
 
You have me intrigued...

Okay, Chris, (never let it be said I couldn't be hooked like a trout . . . )

Here are a couple of examples, just from today.

This:

Frere_park_FZ200_001_DxO_Medium_.jpg
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is a fairly severe crop of this:

Frere_park_FZ200_001_Medium_.JPG
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yet look at the detail from a sensor the size of your little fingernail.

Also, this, taken at 331mm equivalent at ISO 1600 at 1/6th second, handheld.

Crescent_moon_FZ200_003_DxO_Medium_.jpg
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On the other hand, maybe I am easily surprised . . .

Cheers, Jock
 
Dang. I misunderstood the post and bought a gun. :doh:

worse, i shot my cameras!

not only do i totally get your point, but ive decided to pare down to, for me, bare bones. ive decided that the cam ive had and loved for a few years, the x100, needs to be the prime go to cam/lens. ive tried countless manual prime/cam combos, many costing multiples of the x100, and truth be told, whatever extra IQ i might get simply does not make my pictures better. and the other side of the IQ coin is user experience, and no cam ive had matches my personal user experience with the x100. i came to this during my virtually mindless planning on gear sales and combos i would finagle to put together an a7 kit. on reviewing some fabulous images taken with my gxr and the plethora of zeiss and leica glass ive paired with it over the years, and some recent x100 images, it hit me like a flash--at some point better gear, better IQ doesnt make better pictures. and for me that point is the x100 at 35 and the latest m4/3 sensor with the 45 at 90. that combo will get me what i want 90% of the time, and at least with the x100 i have the user experience i want. at this point the only 'advance' i feel i can make is an m4/3 cam with an x100 user experience, and i dont see any. so ya know what? im freaking happy!
 
Okay, Chris, (never let it be said I couldn't be hooked like a trout . . . )

Here are a couple of examples, just from today.

This:

is a fairly severe crop of this:

yet look at the detail from a sensor the size of your little fingernail.

Also, this, taken at 331mm equivalent at ISO 1600 at 1/6th second, handheld.

On the other hand, maybe I am easily surprised . . .

Cheers, Jock

Jock, I think a lot of what is being demonstrated in your shots is less about the sensor and more about that lens. It's really sharp.

331mm at 1/6s handheld is pretty awesome. You must be steady-handed and have great technique. (y)

As far as this goes:
As a result, I've begun to suspect that my problem is not that I need a new camera or a camera with a bigger sensor, but that I don't know how to take full advantage of the camera I already have.

How about you?

I will gleefully submit that my cameras and lenses are easily capable of more than I can do. That said, there are specific instances in my photography where I do use the equipment to it's full potential:



Pentax K-01 + Takumar 200/5.6, ISO 800, f/6.7, 1/60s handheld.

I feel that I got as much out of that body + lens combination in that instant as I possibly could have. :)
 
Jock, I think a lot of what is being demonstrated in your shots is less about the sensor and more about that lens. It's really sharp.

331mm at 1/6s is handheld pretty awesome. You must be steady-handed and have great technique. (y)

As far as this goes:


I will gleefully submit that my cameras and lenses are easily capable of more than I can do. That said, there are specific instances in my photography where I do use the equipment to it's full potential:



Pentax K-01 + Takumar 200/5.6, ISO 800, f/6.7, 1/60s handheld.

I feel that I got as much out of that body + lens combination in that instant as I possibly could have. :)

I only have one response to this: Wow! The detail, the separation from the background . . . you definitely got your moneysworth on that shot.

As to my technique -- I have two hands on the camera, I look through the viewfinder, press the camera to my face, and follow-through (I maintain laser-like focus on the subject until the end of the shutter sound. Of course, the FZ200 has pretty good image stabilization (I think), and there is no mirror flapping around inside the camera . . .

Cheers, Jock
 
As to my technique -- I have two hands on the camera, I look through the viewfinder, press the camera to my face, and follow-through (I maintain laser-like focus on the subject until the end of the shutter sound. Of course, the FZ200 has pretty good image stabilization (I think), and there is no mirror flapping around inside the camera . . .

Cheers, Jock

I've been impressed with Panny's OIS, but still... 331mm equiv @ 1/6s... smh
 
Well said and shown, Jock. I have liked ultra-zoom cameras since I had the fuji S6000fd. Now I have the HS30EXR I could easily use it alone save in the matter of compactness.
 
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