What's your experience level?

Will all the forum member please post a little information about yourselves, in particular what your photography background is. ( It would be very interesting to see how much user experience factors into the recent wave of S2 problems ).

For myself, I've had about 2 years of formal training in B&W printing sizes up to 11x14 on 35mm. I've been shooting for 5+ years though, and come from a strong digital background ( 2+ years in graphics communications training). I was one of the first to recieve the S2 (before Teski and Mesash, I believe ) and so far, I haven't had single problem with the S2 other than batteries running out to quickly probably due to not using the Cr123s.

Nick.

[email protected] said:

Will all the forum member please post a little information about
yourselves, in particular what your photography background is. ( It
would be very interesting to see how much user experience factors
into the recent wave of S2 problems ).

For myself, I've had about 2 years of formal training in B&W
printing sizes up to 11x14 on 35mm. I've been shooting for 5+
years though, and come from a strong digital background ( 2+ years
in graphics communications training). I was one of the first to
recieve the S2 (before Teski and Mesash, I believe ) and so far, I
haven't had single problem with the S2 other than batteries running
out to quickly probably due to not using the Cr123s.

Nick.

Click to expand...

I have 40+ years photography experience overall, been shooting professionally for about 10 years, have had my second own small photo business for 5 years ( weddings ,portraits etc). I'm from mostly a medium format background, but started out when flashbulbs were popular and had a short affair with 35mm. in the 80s and early 90s.

The S2 is my fourth digital camera, prior to the digital cameras I scanned and have about 6 years PS experience. I use a pro lab for most of the clients work and have displayed inkjets for sample work and to print brochures, as well as for my own hobby shooting. Since purchasing the Epson 2200, I suspect I'll be offering some inkjets for sale as well.

My first S2 died the second day of ownership ( the ERR thing), this one isn't as sharp as the first, nor as clean at higher ISOs, but still an acceptable camera. So far so good with the second body, but I don't have a good feeling about the S2 overall, though image quality is very good, files more tweakable than from some other cameras.. I just get this feeling each time I pick up the S2, I may be ending the session on the e10 or with film to be perfectly honest. But nothing is perfect, I had a Mamiya TLR totally jam up on me once too, and an RB 67 ghosting images in certain light with a certain lens and certain back ( took two months for me to find the problem). You just need to back yourself up.

Inconsistancy bothers me, I would like to see fewer incidents with the S2, especially after having my own die on me before I really got to testing it out. Also after the warranty runs out I don't feel like paying half the cost of a new S2 for a repair from Fuji !!!! Personally, I think for a camera they tout as Professional, it leaves a lot to be desired mechanically, for $2400, they could have at least used maybe an N90 base, rather than the cheap N80 with it's flimsy build and quacky metering ( center weighted, my favorite for people photss, is basically useless on the S2).

So we work around this issue and that issue, use a different metering mode, or hand held meter and come away with temendous files to print from. But can I trust the camera at a wedding, will it croak as the bride approaches the isle ( oh oh big ERR no go great, grab the trusty e10. The thing nightmares are made of !!!!!) ?

David Grabowski

David Grabowski said:

[email protected] said:

Will all the forum member please post a little information about
yourselves, in particular what your photography background is. ( It
would be very interesting to see how much user experience factors
into the recent wave of S2 problems ).
Nick.

Click to expand...

My first S2 died the second day of ownership ( the ERR thing), this
one isn't as sharp as the first, nor as clean at higher ISOs, but
still an acceptable camera. So far so good with the second body,
but I don't have a good feeling about the S2 overall, though image
quality is very good, files more tweakable than from some other
cameras.. I just get this feeling each time I pick up the S2, I may
be ending the session on the e10 or with film to be perfectly
honest. But nothing is perfect, I had a Mamiya TLR totally jam up
on me once too, and an RB 67 ghosting images in certain light with
a certain lens and certain back ( took two months for me to find
the problem). You just need to back yourself up.

Inconsistancy bothers me, I would like to see fewer incidents with
the S2, especially after having my own die on me before I really
got to testing it out. Also after the warranty runs out I don't
feel like paying half the cost of a new S2 for a repair from Fuji
!!!! Personally, I think for a camera they tout as Professional, it
leaves a lot to be desired mechanically, for $2400, they could have
at least used maybe an N90 base, rather than the cheap N80 with
it's flimsy build and quacky metering ( center weighted, my
favorite for people photss, is basically useless on the S2).

So we work around this issue and that issue, use a different
metering mode, or hand held meter and come away with temendous
files to print from. But can I trust the camera at a wedding, will
it croak as the bride approaches the isle ( oh oh big ERR no go
great, grab the trusty e10. The thing nightmares are made of !!!!!)
?
David Grabowski

Click to expand...

Joe Peoples writes:

At first I was disappointed by the use of the N80 body, as I was accustomed to shooting with an F4 and an F100, but the S2 and I have come to like each other. I shoot up to 1200 images at some events and the only batteries I need to change after about 600 images are the batteries in my Sb-80, even though I use a Quantum Turbo. I own an E20, which I'm trying to sell, and know from experience that I have 4x the coverage at events with the S2, compared with the E20.

My experience "level"? I've been involved with photography professionally since 1978, shooting every format and subjects from babies to cars for advertising. Nowadays, I have a dance photography business and also shoot portraits and cover corporate meetings and parties of every sort (a great way to get free wine and eat filet mignon). Just when I was becoming weary of it all, digital got good and I have renewed vigor.

The S2 is my first real SLR. Before that I used the Canon G2, Canon G1, Kodak 280. Not much before that. I suppose my experience with photography is limited to the digital revolution. I got the Kodak during my 3rd yr of medical school...that would give me about 4 1/2 yrs of experience. Boy!...do I have a lot to learn. And this forum is a great "classroom".

--
At first I shot JPEG because I was naive and wanted quantity over quality.
Then I shot RAW, because I was still naive but wanted quality over
quantity. Now I've gone back to JPEG because I'm no longer naive, and I
want both quantity and quality.

--Mahesh Thapa

[email protected] said:

Will all the forum member please post a little information about
yourselves, in particular what your photography background is. ( It
would be very interesting to see how much user experience factors
into the recent wave of S2 problems ).

Click to expand...

[...]

I got recruited in high school to do yearbook photography. My only prior experience was a Kodak Instamatic. In college, I was a staff photographer for the campus newspaper. I also took several courses in the fine arts photography program. I worked in a photo studio after graduating. Then I got a job doing photography for a medical research department. I then worked as a research assistant for a veterinary physiologist who needed someone who could do photography, statistics, and computer programming. I transitioned to computer science around this time and worked in industry for a few years after getting my MS degree. I'm now finishing up a Ph.D. in wildlife and fisheries sciences. My photographic involvement since 1986 has been pretty much hobby-level. In the past three years, I've taken pictures at several dog sport events as something to do while my wife, Diane, runs her dog in the events. I also take photos when we go out with our birds. That's a total of 27 years of photographic experience of some sort.

My main issue with my S2 has been getting accurate manual focus. I had a thread on this a while ago, where I tested using only the image in the viewfinder versus using the focus confirmation. There seems to be a discrepancy between what appears in focus in the viewfinder and what actually is in focus. I've noticed that my camera has developed a stuck pixel, and sometime when I can bear to part with the camera for two to four weeks I'll see about getting it mapped out by Fuji. My use of film in my other Nikon bodies has dropped off to just about zip, which I think says something for the S2.

Wesley

http://www.austringer.net
http://www.austringer.net/features/birdsbee/birds_bee.html

I work in the trade, I have 20 odd years software experience, 3 years team lead experience, 10 or so years of photography experience (about 4 obsesively digital), and lots of image processing and graphics experience (hey, I can even remember the french robot woman CGI... anyone else remember when graphics were so young?). I'm not sure where to go next...

Excal

12ish years of primarily fine-art photography - mostly color medium-format (I do my own color darkroom work) with some BW thrown in the mix. Only about 2-3 years of portrait/wedding experience, and the S2 is my first DSLR, had it since July (the first one in Boston, as far as I know )

[email protected] said:

Will all the forum member please post a little information about
yourselves, in particular what your photography background is. ( It
would be very interesting to see how much user experience factors
into the recent wave of S2 problems ).

For myself, I've had about 2 years of formal training in B&W
printing sizes up to 11x14 on 35mm. I've been shooting for 5+
years though, and come from a strong digital background ( 2+ years
in graphics communications training). I was one of the first to
recieve the S2 (before Teski and Mesash, I believe ) and so far, I
haven't had single problem with the S2 other than batteries running
out to quickly probably due to not using the Cr123s.

Nick.

Click to expand...

--
http://www.bandesphoto.com

I taught myself photography beginning in 1973. My first camera was an Ansco box camera that used 620 roll film,and I payed 10 cents for it at my elementary school's rummage sale. My next camera was a Kodak Pony 135 B model, with a 51mm f/4.5 Anaston lens,with shutter speeds of B 1/25,1/50,1/100,and 1/200, with a cell-focusing lens. I shot Plus-X Pan,and relied on the instruction sheet to provide me with the right exposure.

In 1975,hanging around at my local photo store and studio, I got to see an experienced B&W darkroom tech make custom enlargements,and I used to go down there for "lessons" once in a while,and learned some of the wisdom of a 40+ year small-town studio photographer named Clarence Palmer.From 1975 to 1978 I read the entire Time-Life Books series on photography a couple of times,checking each book out from the library and buying my own copies of volumes I liked. I also started my own subscription to Popular Photography magazine in 1975,and read that until 1981.

In junior high I experimented with different cameras...Argus C-3, Argoflex TLR,Minolta SRT-102 and 202,Contax,Contaflex,and a dreadful Russian-made Zenit 35mm SLR which was a total,total dog. I photographed my first wedding at age 14,when despite my protestations, a friend of my older sister insisted I photograph her civil service wedding,and I finally agreed. Talk about pressure...

After high school I shot for three college newspapers,and got some grounding in photojournalism at a major west coast university.I had learned to process B&W film in 1977,and spent the period from 1982 to 86 developing a lot of Tri-X with HC-110 and Rodinal, both highly diluted,making screen prints for weekly newspapers,and shooting assignments for them.

I took a lot of college and university photography classes,some which were taught by science departments,some by art departments,and some by a local community college's commercial photography branch. I wanted to be a PJ back in those days (early-to mid 1980's).

In 1982 I got my first Nikon and a few lenses,and have been with that system ever since. In 1983 my boss at a local drive-in,where I was a projectionist, gave me a huge "Encyclopedia of Photography" set, which I still have,as well as a decade's worth of Popular Photography and Modern Photography and The Rangefinder magazine issues. I read all the mags,and used the Encylopedia of Photography to answer all sorts of questions I had about technical issues.

In 1986 I bought my first studio electronic flash system and a Linhof 4x5 view camera system, but found myself working in a high-volume commercial portrait studio chain (Olan Mills) for about three years. I worked the first year and half as what they called a "floater", covering days off for each photographer at eight different studios. My last year with them was at my "own" studio where I shot six days a week. Shooting in eight different studios in a steady rotation was actually very beneficial,as I learned just how the "same" equipment can actually be very different in subtle ways. Shooting 20 to as many as 50 sets a day of babies,singles,couples,children,and families
was a good learning experience as far as posing and finding out what "sold".

After that, in the early 1990's I did weddings when I could get them,using a 3-lens Bronica 6x6 system (65,80,150) with a Sunpak 622 flash and Strobo bracket,VPS film,as well as the Speedotron flash system large church interior altar returns and pre-ceremony formals.

I kind of drifted out of photography as a career by 1995, but in early 2001 I got a Nikon D1,since I could use all my old Nikon gear with it.I had dreamed of a "digital still video camera" for about a decade,and when the D1 hit, I realized that my dream had come true! I then got the Fuji S1 in early 2002, and in July of last year got the S2. I also have a Canon G1 P&S digital. I stuck with manual focusing Nikon bodies from 1982 to 2001,using Nikon Fm,FE-2,and F3 bodies for almost all my 35mm work,so the D1 was my very first autofocusing SLR.

In 1995,decent computers and film and flatbed scanners were not the reality they are today--they were costly,slow,and not very refined. It's a whole new deal today! How things have gotten better for us all!

Right now I'm enjoying digital photography purely as a hobby,and as a way to document my life...most of my photographs are "personal stuff" that nobody but me would probably care about. I have been fascinated by "documenting" the mundane,daily stuff I see in my life. Some of my stuff from the 1980's I am JUST getting around to scanning.Some of my photos from the 70's and 80's are now looking very interesting,as I see people and places that no longer exist. I archive a lot of stuff,and am always months behind in getting files Photoshopped and or printed out. I enjoy the Fuji SLR forum,and am always interested in helping people learn about photography, which has been an interest of mine since I was 10 years old. I just turned 40 last month.

--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel

I taught myself how to process pictures that i took with a kodak brownie when i was 11.Progressed to a pentax slr and continued to shoot around nyc, and develop/enlarge pictures in the bathroom...to my parents chagrin Took a great high school photo class but slowly got out of processing things myself when i started color photographyr. Other things intervened, off to college, then veterinary school, building a business, raising a family etc and i didn't have much time to do more than shoot pictures here and there but really didin't do much with them other than tuck them away in a drawer.

Got my first digital camera 3 years ago (casio 3000 ex), got a great epson printer and was overjoyed to find that all the hard work i used to do with enlarger/wet chemicals in the dark etc could now be done at home sitting comfortably in front of the computer. Started to really enjoy photography again as a hobby but was disappointed by the limitations of the point and shoot camera. Saw a pre release article about the nikon d100, canon d60 and fuji s2 in outdoor photo mag. Was thrilled that these cameras were coming into a reasonable price range and could take all the interchangeble lenses just like my old pentax spotmatic.

Somehow i found this forum (searching the net for digital cameras) and browsed the nikon, cannon and fuji slr forums to get a feel for what everyone thought. Decided on the S2 and have been taking pictures with it since late july.

Love the camera. The walls of my exam rooms are covered with my photography, all of it nature related with pix of wildlife and some house pets. I save the scenery and other photos for the home walls and my private office.

Its great to have this as a hobby, it gets me out of doors and has enabled me to learn patience! And its great to learn things from all the great people on this and some of the other forums here in dpreview.

Here's my time line...

• 1984, I took my first class beginner class in, junior in high school, because a girl I liked was in that class )
• 1985, took an intermediate class. Again, because of the same girl.
• 1987, took a B&W developing course at a local college. Up to this point, I still did not own a camera. I mainly use school or borrowed aquipment.
• Between 87--97, I did nothing w/ photography.
• Late '97, my nephew who was into photog. took me to an auction and I bough a Nikon F3, few lenses, and lighting equipment because it was 'so called' a good deal.
• By now, I have forgotten what little I learned. I needed to re-learned so I can use the stuffs I just bought. I picked up and few books here and there.
• In late '97, a photographer who did my wedding got me started again and I have done a few weddings as his assistance as I learn.
• '98 picked up Nikon N90s and started doing few weddings for poor folks I know who could not afford a real pro. These couples just re-imburst me for the cost and that was it--no monitary gain, just fun and experience.
• Dec 2002, bought Minolta DiMage-7. Once I learned how slow that thing was and heard about the release of the S2, I sold it in July 2002 to fund the s2.
• Sept 2002, I got the the s2 because of many inputs from this forum.

Now, I am really passionate about photography. More importantly, this time it wasn't because of a girl so I have no doubt that this is going to last )

So, to sum it all up, my minimal experience is from reading books and from the knowledge shared by people in this forum.

Now, I am approaching 40 and still have not make any profit from photography. But, I really enjoy it now so at least that is a huge payment in some way.

The'

[email protected] said:

Will all the forum member please post a little information about
yourselves, in particular what your photography background is. ( It
would be very interesting to see how much user experience factors
into the recent wave of S2 problems ).

For myself, I've had about 2 years of formal training in B&W
printing sizes up to 11x14 on 35mm. I've been shooting for 5+
years though, and come from a strong digital background ( 2+ years
in graphics communications training). I was one of the first to
recieve the S2 (before Teski and Mesash, I believe ) and so far, I
haven't had single problem with the S2 other than batteries running
out to quickly probably due to not using the Cr123s.

Nick.

Click to expand...

--

I have been at this and a lot of other things for a long time. Just click here and find out plus see lots of hostorical stuff too.

http://worldwar2.smu.edu/mcsc/bio.html

Even the S-2 is involved, I used it to "digitize" some of these photos.
Melvin

I have only about three years tops with a camera i barely even touched cameras before that. i worked in a photo lab for 4 years and my manager at the time was a pro photographer kept bringing in such nice pictures i wanted to do the same so i found myself a camera and he taught me as i worked there. the three years learning was spent with a nikon f100. about a year ago i deceided to i wanted to get paid for my picstures. still got so much to learn though, last night my old boss taught me how to use a light meter! yay!!

I started taking pictures when I was younster with a box camera my parents gave me. Didn't get a real camera till college when I got a nikon EM with a 50mm lens. After medical school and during residency got a minolta p and shoot. I then graduated to an N70. About 8 years ago started doing underwater photography with an ikelite and throw away cameras. Ended up getting a Nikonos V with the full assortment of lenses and macro. I took some underwater classes or seminars with Dan Auber which improved my photographic skills underwater (which is very different from topside photography). I have had 3 digital cameras the Oly 3030, Oly 2100 ( which I love), and now the S2. I am getting the itch to take some nature photography classes in the future to help improve my skills. I have learned a lot coming to this forum.

Tony
--

...along with Ansel Adams.

I was time traveling again a couple summers ago.

--
[email protected]

He's just a figment of his imagination, you know.

--
John

Interesting topic. I'm sure we will be reading a very good thread here (not this post, btw

My experience is pretty small, I'm just an amateur with 2-3 year experience in P&S, 4-5 years SLR shooting (F70, F80, N90). Almost no lab experience at all (just some B&W tries in a friend's house with really awfull results - no previous training). Never went to photo schools or anything similar, but read a bit.

After that, when prices of memory went down enough got a Dimage 7, hated it, sold it, but decided I did not want to go film again. Missed SLR features a lot, so 3-4 months ago I went for the S2, and I love it. Have a small silly HP printer now, and I'm planning on buying an Epson 2200 or Canon S9000 as soon as I make my next move, which is going to live around Seattle. So my prining experience is pretty small also.

A funny thing is that I think I learned more in three monts with the S2 than all my previous years with film, could be because of the "on the fly" results which make you remember much more clearly how you took the shot and realize on the errors you made. I also love the "lab work" on the computer.

Best,
Dioni
You don't take a photograph, you make it (Ansel Adams)

No formal training. Since no one has yet to mention the kodak DC50 I guess I will have to claim that as my first digital camera. It was one of the first consumer dcs and sort of looked like a plastic square hamburger. Next was the Nikon 950 which I still use. Great camera. Then a few months ago, I went for the S2. Still learning with this one. Need to save for more lenses and tripod ect. The advice given on this forum has been indispensable.
Will

[email protected] said:

Will all the forum member please post a little information about
yourselves, in particular what your photography background is. ( It
would be very interesting to see how much user experience factors
into the recent wave of S2 problems ).

For myself, I've had about 2 years of formal training in B&W
printing sizes up to 11x14 on 35mm. I've been shooting for 5+
years though, and come from a strong digital background ( 2+ years
in graphics communications training). I was one of the first to
recieve the S2 (before Teski and Mesash, I believe ) and so far, I
haven't had single problem with the S2 other than batteries running
out to quickly probably due to not using the Cr123s.

Nick.

Click to expand...

I started photography way back in the 60's. I bought a used Contax SLR. Shortly after graduating high school I got a job at the local camera store, and got a Nikkormat SLR and lenses. After that I put myself through university (partially anyway) by shooting model portfolios.

I also worked part time at the photo store for the next 12 or so years, during which time I became a certified photographic consultant throught the PMA.

By then I was shooting with a Nikon F2, Hasselblad and Pentax 67. I had my own studio setup complete with strobes (Bowens). I also had my own darkroom for both color and B&W.

I bought my first digital camera about 3 years ago, a Casio 3000. I was impressed with the results I got from that camera, but wanted better control. So I bought a Minolta D7 (original) shortly after it came out. Lovely camera, but too many (auto)focus problems. I also realized that I wanted my SLR back for the total control and creativity it provides. So last October, I bought an S2. Love the camera, except for the 1.5 multiplier, as I am a wide angle person.

I travel a lot and currently spend most of my time in SE Asia. I can easily shoot 200 - 300 photos in a day, especially if I find myself someplace where a festival is going on.

After buying my D7, I basically went all digital. I still have my F2 (love that camera), but I have since divested myself of my other medium format equipment.

Declan

ps: no formal photography training, all self taught

I bought my first good camera about a year and a half ago, it was the Nikon coolpix 995 it got me very interested in photograhy and a few months back I got the S2 which Im very happy with. Before that I guess I have no real experiance other than one of those point and shoot $35.00 kmart cams. I wish I had goten interested years back im having a great time taking pics and everything I learned came from this great forum. Thanks all !

George

I'll start this with my first SLR, though that was several years into my interest in photography. 1975 with a Canon FTb I was shooting, processing and printing, mostly B&W pictures in high school for the yearbook and school paper. Worked for the local newspaper photographing whatever the other photographers didn't want to do and doing much of the processing and printing for the daily paper. I had moved to Nikon SLR by this time.

Got my first Mamiya RB-67 in '78 to use in my home studio and photograph weddings. I attended several classes, in portrature and wedding photography, at the Winona School of Professional Photography over the next 3 or 4 years. Added my first Hasselblad 500c for weddings in '80. I have used RB's, Hasselblads, Bronica & Koni-Omegas for over 1200 weddings in the last 24 years.

I managed the largest wedding studio in the area with 15 photographers shooting over 700 weddings per year. I also taught photography in 2 colleges in the mid to late 80's.

In the late '80 and early '90's I did computer development programming for PictureWare, imaging software. We wrote development tools for live image caputre on the PC platform. I was their programming coordinator and head of technical support after their acquisition by Norick Software. I had the opportunity to work in the far east converting our development tools into Kanji(Japanese Language).

In 2000 I slowed my wedding photography(burnout), and concentrated on personnal and portfolio photography in and out of the studio. I also started using digital at that time for checking different lighting techniques and exposure. Yeah, I know there was polaroid, but needed new toys... At the time the image quality of digital wasn't good enough for production, but was an interresting way to get used to the up and comming technology.

I got back into B&W photojournalistic wedding photography in mid 2001 and started using the S2 in the fall of 2002. Got the second S2 in early October and switched exclusivly to digital by the end of October.

All my large format equipment is long gone, as well as the majority of my medium format stuff. I hope that by spring all that will be left of my film equipment, is my Hasselblad Moon commerative ELM and my Nikonos.

The S2's have been extremely good. It is enjoyable to shoot weddings again. I had to upgrade much of my Nikon glass and teach myself to be more aware of movememt and focus lock before pressing the shutter button. But, other than these items the transition has been nearly flawless.

Dan.

2-S2's w/mb-16's, Nikkors 17-35 2.8, 28-70 2.8, 80-200 2.8, 300 f4,Tamron SP 28-105 2.8, 2-SB80DX's & SB-28DX with omnibounce difusors, 8-1GB IBM Microdrives, 4 Sandisk Ultra 512MB CF cards, 15 sets of 1800 NMHi AA's, 2 hi-end imaging computers, a laptop, and a monopod. Life is good.......