This used to be easier.

[Chako]

Seeing that I hadn't taken out a DSLR in a while, I figured I should dig up my Canon 1D Mark II N. So long in fact that all of my batteries for it have died, and I can't seem to recharge them either. This necessiitated an online battery purchase. It arrived and I was very happy to have revived my camera once again. Then I got the bright idea to take it to work with me. There was a time when I would have carried this camera anywhere and not even think twice about it. I figure my cell phone camera has spoiled me as I kept thinking this camera is heavy. I have a Tamron 90mm Macro on it at the moment.

20240608_151433 by Chako, on Flickr

20240608_151448 by Chako, on Flickr

20240608_151503 by Chako, on Flickr

20240608_151517 by Chako, on Flickr

20240608_151532 by Chako, on Flickr

[Farmer X]

I've often thought about getting a DSLR. Seeing that one is doing nothing to eliminate my desire to own one...but lack of disposable income is.

[Vidar]

I got a Canon 5D (the first model - roughly 2005 ish?), and the batteries actually still works. The shutter on the other hand only works consistently with some lenses - with others it seems haphazard whether I'll get a picture or not. Extra suspense I don't really need. 

That camera looks like a 1kg even before the lens?

These days I either just use the cell phone or a monstrosity camera solution I sometimes use for work. That one never comes along by chance. Hm? As I'm writing this an adolescent hare is jumping about outside the window. I should really setup a remote triggered camera as it will likely be back later sometime.

[Vidar]

I thought I'd a picture of the 5D as it was more or less the consumer contemporary of Chako's pro class camera.

My plan have one major flaw though - I can't find the camera (or the likely attached lens). That is both weird and worrisome. The camera might not be worth much these days, but the lens is still a few hundred dollars. And no doubt my peak of photographic capture achievement is on the memory card inside - no doubt as I always trust Murphy to deliver.

 

[Chako]

Yikes. I hope you find it Vidar. My brick is but 1 of 7 DSLRs I currently have, but haven't used much since I got my last 2 cell phones. 3 of those are for Pentax, and the other 4 including the one shown here, are Canon.

[Vidar]

I hope so. While old, and somewhat haphazard at actually taking pictures, the quality at a pixel level for web use and the like is very nice. I assume a combination between 35mm sensor, low resolution and almost no anti-aliasing filter. Too many places it could be, so at this point I'm just hoping it resurfaces at some point and wasn't forgotten somewhere.

I got an 5D2 too. It got a few scrapes and dents but still works fine except for the USB port.

Pentax? Medium format?

A few years ago I was going to update and jump systems to Fuji, but then work started needing various cameras for this ongoing project. So now I use ZCam cameras with Canon lenses and Basler cameras with C-mount Fuji lenses. Not daily snap drivers for sure, but they excel at capturing action in a predetermined area. Worth checking out if that or remote use is in your ballpark. (I'm also testing small cameras for microprocessors, but so far the quality isn't quite there even with added lights).

My wife got one of those 360 cameras. That is a fun concept, and I can imagine it is very nice for capturing 360 scenes for later inclusion of 3D rendered objects with correct lights and reflections. That used to be complicated with mirror balls, weird tripod head setups and what not. Progress!

[Chako]

No medium format for me. My father was a very big Pentax fan at a young age and it rubbed off on me. There is something very nice with a lot of Pentax lenses that is hard to replicate with any other camera system. The weak spot with Pentax was their slower auto focus...and I was into wildlife photography so the Canon systems got most of the action attached to an older Bigma lens on a gun mount so that I could take hikes wih it. If I thought the above camera was heavy...

[Vidar]

There is something very nice with a lot of Pentax lenses that is hard to replicate with any other camera system.

Yes, there are some lenses that just seem to have personality. Very hard to put the finger on though. People talk about bokeh, micro contrast, sharpness, rendering and what not - but all I know is that I have a few lenses that just seem to pop and some that just takes photos. Looking at the photos I personally like the most they have with few exceptions been taken using three particular lenses. (And other lenses have been used a lot too so it is not very unbalanced).

[PitCarver]

Many years ago, the wife and I took a trip to Washington DC.  Back before digital cameras were so prevalent.  I walked all over the place carrying my old Pentax along with a bag full of kit,  15 pounds total.

Nowadays,  it's just my phone taking pictures.

[Vidar]

That weight tends to get old real quick, and before you know it you left the camera behind. At least that is how it worked for me. So phone cameras are amazing that way - they are actually around most of the time.

Found my old Canon 5D SLR - yay! Without a lens - quite strange, but well, it might show up to some day. I figure the find is some obscure token from the camera pixies to use it, so I took some closeups of some rocks in outdoor thread. Up close like that they look very different.

[Chako]

Happy that you found it. I never quite got to the point to get a full frame DSLR. I thought about it for quite a few years but never pulled the trigger. Now I do most of my photos using my cell phone. I am a hoarder when it comes to camera gear. I still have everything including the Kodak Retinette 1A that my father loaned me to learn photogaphy on. I did give away my Olympus OM10 system to a work coleague as I hadn't used it for ages...instant regret. I did find one years ago at one of the local pawn shop...and it was my old camera. I bought that up right quick minus the lenses that once went with the system.

[Vidar]

I actually got one of the first ones available in the country back then. I sorely needed a digital camera with a serious wide angle to take photos onboard a small boat without having to go over the rails... (I remember balancing on the rails even with a full format).

Back then there were few decent wide angle lenses for APS-C format. The full format allowed for a proper wide angle. That simple logic was really the driving factor for the choice of camera back then - it was the only sanely priced full format available, and full format was needed for wide angle. Personally I would prefered the Nikon user interface but back then they still insisted that they would never ever ever release a full format camera...

Except for the size, price and weight I do like the full format quality. But for daily shots the camera you actually bring along wins so a smaller format would be great for that. One day - so far I haven't been able to justify the cost of a second system.

[Vidar]

I did give away my Olympus OM10 system to a work coleague as I hadn't used it for ages...instant regret. I did find one years ago at one of the local pawn shop...and it was my old camera. I bought that up right quick minus the lenses that once went with the system.

It was the same camera?! So much for gifts... 

[Chako]

 Exactly.