CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[Hell Razor5543]

I wonder how this canon is at taking photographs?

[CitroJim]

^^ Rubbish as he only works on a Sunday.... I like his pinny...

[myglaren]

^^ Rubbish as he only works on a Sunday.... I like his pinny...

[CitroJim]

Whilst I have Alasdair's Nikon D90 on temporary loan, I did a few comparison shots between his Nikon and my Canon yesterday...

The difference in the two, at least to my unskilled eyes, can be eloquently summed up in two words: gnat's cock

Two shots of of our parish church taken from the same spot using the same settings were virtually indistinguishable...

I must admit I prefer the Canon User Interface. Now I've got to grips it. I found the Nikon a bit of a mystery! Not a criticism, it's what you get used to.

I did a firmware update on my Canon yesterday - it was a few versions behind the latest. So far I've not noticed any changes it might have made....

[Zelandeth]

On the subject of camera UI I think the Minolta 7000 still gets my personal vote as my favourite as far as old-school cameras which have digitally controlled features go.

Rather than a menu, switch or wheel functions are selected by four buttons on the left of the top of the camera.

Holding these down in conjunction with two sets of up/down arrows situated over by the shutter release either increases/decreases the value or cycles through modes as you'd expect.

The arrow buttons are also duplicated over by the lens on the front.

Under most circumstances these duplicate the function of the ones by the shutter release - unless you're in fully manual mode in which case the ones by the shutter release control the exposure time and the ones by the lens control the aperture...as seems pretty logical at least to me.

Something I really appreciate about this layout is that it allows for you to pick the camera up, throw it into auto mode and take a photo single handedly, virtually instantly. When wandering around conventions and I've spotted something photo worthy that's going on I've found that there are plenty of occasions where you don't have time to set up for a shot, it's a case of just grab the camera and go - and this setup really suits that. Having autofocus which is fast and reliable enough to do that is also handy. One thing this really does have over a lot of cameras from the same period.

I've also just found that this whole arrangement seems (for me) to suit itself better to being manipulated while you're on the move rather than having to be something you need to stop and concentrate separately on.

Nice clear display as well.

Major functions of which are duplicated in the viewfinder as you'd expect.

LED indicators appear to the left of the little LCD there to confirm focus, warn if you're not in focus and show the flash is enabled and ready as well.

It all just...works. Which when you were talking about the user interface of technology from 1985 really wasn't always a given.

[Stickyfinger]

I must admit I prefer the Canon User Interface. Now I've got to grips it. I found the Nikon a bit of a mystery! Not a criticism, it's what you get used to.

= because you bought a Canon ...

[myglaren]

I've had an Olympus E-500 for about 15 years and haven't got to grips with all the functions yet.
Also late wife's Fuji tinything that is pretty capable and fairly easy to wade through the menu but still has some baffling features.
And a Nikon Coolpix that can be very frustrating.

Wish I still had the Olympus OM1 and OM10.

[CitroJim]

= because you bought a Cannon ...

No, I bought a Canon

I have nowhere to park a cannon and the cost of gunpowder these days is absolutely shocking

I loved my old OM10 Steve. Zel's now got it and it's still doing a great job I originally bought in 1982 when I went to Cyprus...

[Stickyfinger]

Well, like a lot of them it will go BANG !

I bought my OM10 whilst at Uni, on the never never (and boy was that a lesson !)....... but it did have this thrown in.

I then had one of these which was FANTASTIC !

[mickthemaverick]

This is my current quick snap camera which replaced the two Olympus ones now in Jim's possession. I found it has a better UI than the two Olympus's although it still has a 46 page user manual!! For anyone interested enough it is an Oregon Scientific DS6638. To be honest for quick snaps I tend to use the phone anyway but this has a purpose when I don't want to risk losing the phone!!

MTMO

MTMO

An example of its images:

MTMO

[Vic Evans]

Dunno anything about cameras except they're supposed to take photos.
Before decent phone cameras my go to camera used to be a pocket size Kodak V570 & later a V610 which I've still got.
From that I graduated (descended maybe?) to a Nikon D3100 with all sorts of lenses I don't really use ,except a very long range jobby which takes good piccies of things at the top of our field some 3-400 m away. Trouble is the thing is too cumbersome to carry about so only gets brought out for special occasions so camera phone it is for me.

[CitroJim]

On the subject of camera UI I think the Minolta 7000 still gets my personal vote as my favourite as far as old-school cameras which have digitally controlled features go.

Rather than a menu, switch or wheel functions are selected by four buttons on the left of the top of the camera.

I like that Zel, totally intuitive

I then had one of these which was FANTASTIC !
< Picture of an Olympus Camera>

I had the lower-spec of that one as my very first digital camera in 2001. It was remarkably good and ended its days taking lots of photos in the workshop and around cars for this forum... Lots of evidence of it can be seen on here and on my website...

I still have it and it still works...

Trouble is the thing is too cumbersome to carry about so only gets brought out for special occasions so camera phone it is for me.

Yes, that is a potential downside in some quarters Vic... My EOS is big and chunky but against that, when slung around my neck it's not too cumbersome at all. A big plus for me is I can operate it with with numb, cold gloved hands; something I can't with a smartphone... And as my hands spend a lot of time outdoors in that condition that's significant...

Spotted this car-themed park bench today

[MattBLancs]

Is that a mark 4 Golf? I mean no disrespect to the err, lovely Volkswagen, but I didn't realise they were worthy of commemorative benches!?


Lots of interesting camera chat folks. I did play with a proper camera (my auntie's Pentax P30) a good few years ago, but now, like others most often it is the phone camera that has to fill in for photography.

[CitroJim]

Is that a mark 4 Golf? I mean no disrespect to the err, lovely Volkswagen, but I didn't realise they were worthy of commemorative benches!?

If you zoom in Matt, you'll see it identifies as an Audi R32 according to the graffiti

There's a tragic story behind that bench It was erected as a memorial to a well-loved, young mad-keen on cars lad killed in a road accident a few years back...

It fairly shook the whole town when it happened... I have a feeling the car involved was a VW.

There's another bench nearby in the shape of angel wings...

[MattBLancs]

Oh dear, sad back story