olenco

Hello everyone! Great forum!

I come from owning F3HP and FE2 in the PST, but have been shooting P&S for the past 15 years. I write technology books and need to shoot small objects (macro), as well as distant objects (antennas). Although my P&S does a decent job, I need to shoot RAW to have more control over editing the results.

Resolution is king, even though the published results are small photos. I also shoot the occasional training videos. I cannot afford $5,000 or more for a camera system, but need sharp pro lenses. Tough question, I know, but any suggestions would be extremely helpful. While I am far from a pro, I am an avid enthusiast and reasonably knowledgeable. I can purchase Lenses in stages, but need to begin with a high quality macro that I can also use for portraits and video, if possible, and a tele.

Nikon D7000 has been recommended but the lenses I need are expensive. Can anyone offer an alternative or two?

Thanks in advance.

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

Pentax K5 can do the the job..........and their best lenses are half the cost of Nikon and Canon.......

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Regardless of which body you can get, consider looking at the Tokina & Tamron macro lenses. If you want to see what the Tokina can do, consider going to the UHH Macro forum and looking at the photos taken by Tinusbum. I believe he uses the Nikon 7000 with the Tokina-- and he uses a DIY diffusion over his pop-up flash. He does more with less than anyone else on that forum---and does it very well. That's just my opinion-- but go check it out.

olenco

Pentax K5 was my original choice, but once I began checking the compatibility of their excellent lenses, I had to drop it. Several of their lenses do not work with the K5, and others have vignetting issue t various ranges. Thanks for the reply.

olenco

Great suggestion, I will check it out now. Thanks!

erniehatt Loc: Queensland Australia

Get one of the new mirrorless cameras, they are great. Ernie

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

OLENCO: you mentioned having used a P&S for 15 Years. While I have DSLR, because it looks professional, however I am a strong advocate of P&S because they are there when you need them. Since this will be for "pro" work then look into the new Sony RX100. Perhaps wait til 2/13 for the RX101. The Sony does raw one of your requirements. It has a large sensor for a P&S. .... for the fun of it go to http://snapsort.com/ and compare your old camera to new ones.

Out on a shoot you do not need to pack a back pack and excess weight ... DSLR and Lenses get heaver by the hour and they are never there when a spontaneous event happens. eg. I am at a bus stop two blocks from a 5 story in progress building guys on top with home made ladder, no safety equipment so with my P&S quickly out of holster, took a full shot and a 10x close up. The DSLR was back at the Condo on a shelf. Shots do not wait for equipment to arrive!

I just purchased a Panasonic DMC-ZS20, $225 @ amazon. It will replace my 7 year old Panasonic TZ3. aah, yes, for your work, perhaps you need to add GPS to your list of requirements.

Considering that you are publishing small photos P&S resolution may suffice. Do not fall into the MPix trap. More is not always better... with higher resolution comes more noise. Remember all of these people will try to justify their expenditures by selling you ... think need.. and work backward toward the camera... do not think camera first.

mvy Loc: New Hampshire

I've owned 50 or more cameras since I began photographing things on Okinawa in 1959. I made the switch to point and shoot four years ago when I got weary of lugging photo gear to the scenes I wanted to capture. My first P&S was a Sony TX7, which I still use. Recently, however, I decided to get serious about the photos I wanted to use on eBay for selling watches. The contrast between silver watch cases and black dials presented a challenge.

Accordingly I took the plunge and bought a Sony a65. I won't belabor readers with the details of this masterpiece for there's abundant scoop available over the 'net.

The point I wish to make is that in my total camera experience I have never been able to get print ready photos right out of the camera. I always had to devote a lot of time post processing. Now, however, that's past history for me. My Sony a65 simply does it all. With a little patience for setting up the camera to do what it's capable of, I'm able to shoot publish ready photos instantly.

Granting room for personal opinion and concurrent bias, my experience is what I have used to support this judgement. The Sony a65 does it all.

Thanks for reading this opinion,

Martin

phcaan Loc: Willow Springs, MO

Thank you for that great link. That is the most useful website.
I am considering upgrading my Canon IS 5 and this site has great information.

:thumbup:

heyjoe Loc: cincinnati ohio

bridge cameras are cheap and do a great job

Nosaj Loc: Sarasota, Florida

Here is my suggestion:
Before I purchased my current DSLR last March, my short list included the Canon 60D, Pentax K5, and Nikon 7000, all very fine cameras with fine technical reviews and reputations. Once I held each, I was sold, without a hesitation of doubt, on the K5. It would be a camera I would look forward to holding and using whenever I would pick it up. As the size of my hand and fingers are a bit smaller than the average 5'11'' male, the K5 was, by far, the best fit in my hand with less weight and bulk size. It's features are excellent (even has the mirror lock right next to my finger), the body is rugged and ergonomically easy to handle. It has excellent weather-resistence (its new companion, the K30 is actually weatherproof!). Its 16.3 sensor is based on the Sony sensor and the camera accepts Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, etc., lenses, supplementing the Pentax lenses, which are also very fine. Anyway, you can't go wrong with either a Nikon or Canon, both excellent cameras worthy of anyone's top choice. After all the analysis, research, and advice you get, I suggest that you go to a camera dealer with your short list and put one of each in your hand and simulate a short photo session.

PhotoGator Loc: Florida

Check Craigslist in your area. There are bargains to be found.
I will suggest a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens or the f/4

Nosaj Loc: Sarasota, Florida

I use Pentax lenses on my K5: 50mm 1.4; 16-45mm; 100mm macro; 55-300mm; 35mm, 77mm ltd; with no vignetting!

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

You can spend less on lenses if you purchase DXO software. You mentioned problems with some lenses. The beauty of DXO is that it is geared to a specific camera and lens. They bring every new lens and camera into their labs and set up specific algorithms for each lens. Unlike other sharpening tools that sharpen an image universally, (which if the lens is very sharp already in the center it tends to oversharpen that protion of the picture), it will only sharpen the area that has shown in the lab to be problematic. This software will run between 100.00 - 150.00 for camera systems not using full frame sensors. It is about twice that much for a full frame library (which covers full frame as well as the smaller systems). Another feature of the DXO software is that it destroys fringing, including purple fringe. You mentioned shooting distant antennas. Small lines like that and tree branches are very prone to purple fringing so this would be of benefit to your work. Also for your macro work check out Ken Rockwell's review of the Tokina 100mm macro lens. Good luck with your work!

rts2568

Ho olenco
From rts2568

I've just finished discussing this matter at some length with 'valleymiss', another member of UHH. This help includes several examples that will I believe, help you too. I therefore suggest you get in touch with her and see what she has to say. She needs someone with similar interests to talk with and going over the details she has had from me over the past two days, this will I'm sure, help both of you.

Best of luck

rts2568