Suggestions / advice for new camera

[silvershadelynx]

Hi all,

I've been shooting pictures for about 30 years now and owned several cameras, including film cameras (in the beginning), and later digital cameras, mostly point and shoot / compact cameras, as I mainly use them on bicycle trips, but also around my house.

Currently I use an Olympus E-PM2 micro four thirds camera which is 9 years old. It was a very affordable camera and I've alway been satisfied with the pictures it created. Just the small knobs and many menus are a bit frustrating somethimes. And since the beginnng it doesn't save date / time in EXIF data. Since two weeks the kit lens gives an error when zooming in, so I'm considering buying a new camera, but after a lot of reading I find it difficult to make a decision, just because there are so many options.

Besides camera model decision I was asking myself about the purpose of photography in general: I made thousands of mostly digital pictures and most of them are not printed and I rarely look back at them. So I was wondering if I should stop making photographs. But I concluded that I really like to photograph and I enjoy the process of loosing myself in it. It helps me to get outdoor and enjoy the place, which is a positive thing. So even without reviewing the images later, it has purpose.

I have a weak for older, mechanical, "simple" cameras and technology, for instance my girlfriend only does film photography and has 2 Leica rangefinders from 1930 and 1950. I like the rangefinder focussing experience. I also like the simple controls: not too much dials and knobs. No autofocus (although I always use autofucus on my Olympus).

I also find the idea of not having a screen for live view / preview interesting. My Olympus lacks a viewfinder, and I would think I prever to have a viewfinder, and I would think I prefer an optical viewfinder to an electrical viewfinder.

I'm not sure if I should go analog or digital or both: my girlfriend advices me to stay digital, as developing and printing ones own film takes a lot of time and is expensive. The pros are affordable cameras which are mechanical and to my taste.

I looked for digital screenless cameras with opical viewfinders and they seem niche: only Leica, which is expensive, or Pixii, which is very niche, or Cam Snap, which is maybe too simple.

I'm interested in black and white photography, although I always did color. So I found the Pentax K-3 III monochrome, which is not a rangefinder by the way, but a optical vieuwfinder DSLR. It has a monochrome sensor and is APS-C format. It is weahter sealed and rugged and affordable compared to Leica. I think it is better tested and more stable than Pixii. But it's interface looks complex with many buttons and menus compared to the Pixii which has about 3 buttons. It has zoom lenses whereas the Pixii with its Leica M-mount only has prime lenses. I like the idea of supporting a smaller company and both Pentax and Pixii seem to be smaller comanies, where Pixii is a very small company.

The Pentax looks like a safer bet, but the Pixxi has the option of both color and monochrome photography, although it's monochrome images are a software trick, not a dedicated monochrome sensor without bayer filter. People seem to be content with its monochrome images.

So maybe you can give me some ideas or advice: analog or digital? Rangefinder? Pixii or Pentax, or something else?A lot of questions....

 

[splitimageview]

This will generate a lot of replies, but it may go in so many directions as to not be helpful. 🙂

What is your budget and what do you enjoy photographing?

 

[silvershadelynx]

@splitimageview thanks for your response!

About the budget: I try to live simple and cheap, so the current E-PM2 fits that style, but I can spend about 5000 euros if needed. I'm questioning myself if this is needed, as the cheapest point and shoot will already take you outdoors and create pictures. So maybe I'm too much focussed on luxury tools (?).

What I enjoy about photographing is mainly the action itself: finding a good composition, collecting memories, being there, focussing on 1 scene. Sometimes people complain that I spend way too much time creating just 1 picture. To me this is a positive thing, I have some problems with depression and winter blues, so if I enjoy something like photography, this is a big plus.

I would like to improve the artistic side of my photography: although I like to photograph for instance architecture just for archival purposes, and the renovation of my house, and the progress in my garden, I enjoy looking at artistic photographs, and recently in monochrome.

I think a camera is just a tool, but it would be nice if it handles and feels good. The current Olympus is just a bit small (knobs) for my rather big hands. But I made some images I'm very happy with.

 

[Coldkennels]

To me this is a positive thing, I have some problems with depression and winter blues

...here's a suggestion. And it's a big one, that would require space and time, but it's worth considering.

Shoot film, buy an enlarger, and take up wet printing.

Looking out the window, it seems we're fully into the wet season here in the UK. I used to hate winter - being holed up indoors drives me nuts. But now it's just an opportunity to get the enlarger out and make physical versions of all the photos I took while the weather was nicer.

If you take a long time over a photo, the cost investment in film is not going to be that high. If you're developing yourself, the cost comes down even farther. And you can get a lot of camera for your money with film. If you like shooting slow and have big hands, a good TLR will only set you back €300 or so... and the image quality from good black and white medium format film will blow you away.

Plus, the fact that your girlfriend also shoots film means you can go halves on the darkroom equipment. My partner also shoots film and setting up the enlarger and converting the kitchen to a darkroom for the night is a team exercise and a really nice shared experience. She prints first, then goes to bed, and I stay up for a few more hours cranking out the prints, then we review them the next day. It's a good time!

 

[Cascadilla]

As the owner of 2 Pentax K 3 bodies (not the monochrome version, but the earlier one) I can vouch for their quality and ruggedness. Pentax also makes many prime lenses in addition to zooms, and there are lots of older lenses out there in K mount that will work with their DSLRs, although metering is a bit of a compromise with older (pre A series) lenses. As someone who came to digital after many years of film shooting, I found the Pentax DSLRs fairly easy to adapt to in terms of controls. The K3 cameras have separate thumb wheels for aperture and shutter speed controls, and changing ISO is also pretty straightforward. I'm not familiar with your Olympus so I don't know how they would compare. It will be a larger camera and that may help with making controls more comfortable for your hands. Pentax auto focus isn't exactly best of breed, but it sounds like that isn't crucial for you. What Pentax DSLRs do have is decent, bright pentaprism finders, something that low end Canon and Nikon DSLRs lack. I hope this is helpful.

 

[boojum]

This will generate a lot of replies, but it may go in so many directions as to not be helpful. 🙂

What is your budget and what do you enjoy photographing?

This is the nubbin. I always fall back on the stock car racing axiom of, "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" Balance that against what you shoot pics for. If you are a hack like me you do not need to spend a lot, but you can. Higher success rates come with more highly automated cameras. At the other extreme is the full manual film camera, light meter and all. So if the process is your thing full manual film is a good choice. If you want a bigger pool of shots, full auto digital. Or maybe somewhere in between.

Treat yourself to something good. You are worth it and will enjoy the hell out of it when you use it.

 

[JeffS7444]

Why would you trust the advice of random strangers on the internet, rather than a girlfriend who almost certainly knows you better, and who also seems knowledgeable about photography?

EXIF data: Pretty sure your camera actually does incorporate time and date information, but it's possible that your software isn't configured to display it.

Cheap fix: Just replace the kit lens with another similar lens. These can be had cheaply as secondhand items, even in nearly-new condition. <100 Euros?

Not-so-cheap fix: Replace camera with OM System OM10-series outfit. Or, if you simply can't resist, a higher-line OM model.

Alternative: Nikon Zfc. I have been playing with one for the past few months, and IMO, it's a fun, lightweight system with plenty of retro-vibes, yet it's very reasonably priced.

 

[rfaspen]

The beautiful Kodak Ektra. Make sure it has the 50mm f/1.9 Ektar lens. Might be worth seeking out repair techs who'll work on them first.
Sorry guys 😬

 

[kxl]

If you just want to go out and take photos, either digital or film will be fine. Digital requires a good enough computer and software. Film has ongoing costs for consumables and processing. IMO, film requires a bigger commitment. Although I have a great digital camera (Nikon Z6 III), I primarily shoot film—I personally like the end to end workflow.