I've been looking at UHH for several months and have been impressed! I still have my Olympus OM 1n with 28mm, 55mm and 60-300 Kalimar. I used it for years for both work / personal and shot hundreds of rolls of film. Landscape enlargements up to 24 x 30 hang around my house. My favorites are from Bryce Canyon, Utah. I grew up in Massachusetts and worked there til 1991 and now live in Duluth, GA.
With the rise of digital the film camera has not been used in years. I have been through various point & shoot cameras, but with the rise of smart phones, I don't use a P & S very much.
Bottom line, I am ready to get a DSLR and get back to better more versatile photography. The comments, advice and links have been very helpful, BUT - "decisions, decisions !!" :).
Doddy
Loc: Barnard Castle-England
Welcome Dave, I'm sure you'll get plenty of good advice from the experts here (Unfortunately I'm not one of them!)
TBPJr
Loc: South Carolina
Dave327 wrote:
Bottom line, I am ready to get a DSLR and get back to better more versatile photography. The comments, advice and links have been very helpful, BUT - "decisions, decisions !!" :).
Given your lengthy experience, if your budget allows, you should buy the latest and greatest full-frame in the line you prefer (not necessarily the ones aimed specifically at pros, but the Canon 5D Mark IV or the equivalent in another manufacturer's line--although the conflicting news stories about Nikon might not encourage buying its stuff) and a set of lenses that will cover what you want to do (i.e., EF 11-24mm 4.0, EF 24-70mm 2.8, and EF 70-200mm 2.8; or EF 24-105mm 4.0, and a 100-400mm; less expensive lenses could work, too, like the EF 70-300mm and earlier versions of some that have brand new versions). Since there are few bundles that offer much of a price break for multiple lenses, a good start would be the camera and the new EF 24-105mm (Nikon has a similar lens), and you could leave additional lens purchases until you see a specific need. These type cameras are complex and have a real learning curve (but most will let you use them straight out of the box in auto or program modes that turn them into snapshot cameras if you want to use them this way), but they offer the most options for your interests and growth.
I am not familiar with the current crop sensor cameras (my first DSLR was a Canon 20D, and I waited until the 5D Mark III to move to a full-frame), or, really, anything other than my camera, except from reading evaluations and seeing the pictures people take and post, but when I went to the 5DIII from the 20D, the capabilities added were a huge boost to my enjoyment and ability to capture the pictures I wanted. Just one example: I was stunned to remember that the 20D had a maximum ISO of 1600 (when I was playing with my old camera a couple of months ago)--the 5DIII has a regular ISO range up 25,600. The image quality up to ISO 6400 is good enough for me to really enjoy taking my camera with me into places where flash is not allowed.
The short and sweet of what I am trying to say is that you will really enjoy the capabilities of an advanced camera if you don't mind the initial expense. That statement is also subject to your interest level--if all you want is a good basic digital camera, there are plenty of more appropriate choices--but you did say "DSLR."
Good luck with your decision and your return to photography.
Welcome. Have fun once you choose your camera. I shoot with a Nikon D7200. I love it.
Wow - thanks for your input. You are reading me like a book - yes I'm looking at a full frame. Glass is a question I am looking at. A bit of history here. I did not come cold to photography. My dad was was prolific in recording his life and our family. He had 35mm in the '30's he carried through WWII (Lieca or Argus). For the most part he shot Ektachrome slides which are still in very good condition. Never shot in combat, but in the quiet times & after. He went ashore in the second wave on Omaha Beach. His camera, uniform & other items of his time in service have been donated to the D Day museum in New Orleans. Looking at his stuff my dad really new knew how to frame a shot and in distant way I learned from that.
My dad was always looking forward. The first Polaroid, he had one, the first color - that too. Kodak came out with that large slide / technacolor camera - he had one. I have lots of those slides, but darn they really faded. The family archives are large and big mix of slides & prints to 8 x 11.
My first priority is a camera. Second (in time) is a scanner and software to save my archives. From my time in film I have saved prints and just about all the negatives.
Seems to me that Nikon & Cannon rule the day with Sony bringing up the tail. Very little mentioned about Olympus or others. Market share?
MikeMck
Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay
Welcome from another transplanted Bostonian!
JoeB
Loc: Mohawk Valley, NY
Hello Dave, welcome to UHH.
Welcome to the UHH Dave, enjoy.
Welcome to the forum.
Jack
Welcome to UHH Dave, glad you finally joined us.
Have fun, learn and enjoy the forum.
Don
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