Love my S2- but what camera to use when...

John Schulte

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All;

An interesting thought. I had a S1, and now a S2- I plan to upgrade again when the next generation Fuji comes out- tho I plan to keep my S2. I will not sell this camera. ;)

I have a lot of the lenses that all you folks have- the 70-200 VR, 28-70 f2.8, and even the 24-120 VR.- I have found that the S2 is oh-so fussy about the lens you use to get the sharpest pictures. (that last comment is kinda off topic)

Here is my thought this morn.... I take my S2 everywhere, and often I get the same reaction where ever I go- People are scared and put off by the size of the thing. It has the heft and size of pro equipment and quite frankly scares people.- I have resorted to taking instead my wife's Cannon G2 to wedding receptions and such as I blend in better that way and do not call attention to myself... but I miss the shots that I might have gotten if I had the S2.- (don't like the quality of the G2 very much)

Also, I read with interest a thread in the Nikon forum yesterday about a guy that was not allowed to bring his DX1 into a pro sporting event because it had the look of pro equipment and was distracting to fans and people- I can understand that- people look at you when you carry an S2 around- especially with the 70-200vr attached!. (yeow!)

Question- If I were to buy a camera to carry to public events and weddings and such, which cameras do you guys use that yield great pictures?

My thoughts are that it should be- non-detachable lens, at least 5x zoom optical, 4-5 Mpix, and of course fuji-like quality pictures.

What is the best consumer camera out there now? Nikon 5700? Fuji camera?- which one? I was wondering what you guys like for a backup quality point and shoot that you carry around and are very satisfied with the quality of prints?

Regards;

John
 
Hy John .. I have a S2 Pro and the Nikon 5700 and I am very satisfied with this two camera.

The 5700 is more diffucult for focusing ... and the s2 is more visible than 5700 ....

With the 5700 I can take some picture without the suspicious look of the subjects.... using its 280 focal lenght !
But the s2 ... with a good len... is the best !!!
Just now I have read about the new sigma 12-24 ex....

Now I think that the perfection is to use all these ... in different situations.

Regards.

Tommaso
 
Hi John,

I had the Coolpix 5000 before the S2, and although it delivers, it is short on focal length, and CA is pretty obvious. Plus, the lens is very slow on max zoom.

I keep looking at the f1.8/f2.6 Oly C-5050Z - fast lens, 5mp, image quality up to the E-20 (they say), noise not too bad, and standard zoom range is 35mm to 105mm. Add-on lens w/a and tele lenses to take the range from 24mm to 180mm.

Review: http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/c5050/index.html
All;

An interesting thought. I had a S1, and now a S2- I plan to
upgrade again when the next generation Fuji comes out- tho I plan
to keep my S2. I will not sell this camera. ;)

I have a lot of the lenses that all you folks have- the 70-200 VR,
28-70 f2.8, and even the 24-120 VR.- I have found that the S2 is
oh-so fussy about the lens you use to get the sharpest pictures.
(that last comment is kinda off topic)

Here is my thought this morn.... I take my S2 everywhere, and often
I get the same reaction where ever I go- People are scared and put
off by the size of the thing. It has the heft and size of pro
equipment and quite frankly scares people.- I have resorted to
taking instead my wife's Cannon G2 to wedding receptions and such
as I blend in better that way and do not call attention to
myself... but I miss the shots that I might have gotten if I had
the S2.- (don't like the quality of the G2 very much)
Also, I read with interest a thread in the Nikon forum yesterday
about a guy that was not allowed to bring his DX1 into a pro
sporting event because it had the look of pro equipment and was
distracting to fans and people- I can understand that- people look
at you when you carry an S2 around- especially with the 70-200vr
attached!. (yeow!)

Question- If I were to buy a camera to carry to public events and
weddings and such, which cameras do you guys use that yield great
pictures?

My thoughts are that it should be- non-detachable lens, at least 5x
zoom optical, 4-5 Mpix, and of course fuji-like quality pictures.

What is the best consumer camera out there now? Nikon 5700? Fuji
camera?- which one? I was wondering what you guys like for a backup
quality point and shoot that you carry around and are very
satisfied with the quality of prints?

Regards;

John
--
Kind regards,

Rich Simpson
Fuji S2 CP5000
Sigma EX 15-30, 70-200, 100-300. 1.4x
Tamron 90 macro, 24-135
Nikkor 50 1.8
 
Hi John,

I kept my Fuji 6900Z as a backup when I bought the S2 - same style of SuperCCD (tho smaller) and similar Fuji colours. The next version is the S602 but they both have an EVF which takes a bit of getting used to but is still superior to parallel optical viewfinders in my opinion. Only a 6 times zoom - effective 35-210. But the new Fuji S5000 has similar specs to the S602 except for a 10 times zoom - alternatively the S7000 with only 6 times zoom but a 6Mp SuperCCD.

I use my old 6900 in places where I want to be inconspicuous such as theatres (ballet etc) The big advantage is that it is complete silent - the S2 isn't a loud SLR but it still makes a considerable noise!!! Nothing more likely to get you evicted than upsetting the audience with unnecessary noise. But I do miss my S2's ISO1600, given up for silent stage work. Of course, shooting from backstage is another story.
--
Doug Jones
Canberra
http://www.panamagic.com.au
 
All;

An interesting thought. I had a S1, and now a S2- I plan to
upgrade again when the next generation Fuji comes out- tho I plan
to keep my S2. I will not sell this camera. ;)

I have a lot of the lenses that all you folks have- the 70-200 VR,
28-70 f2.8, and even the 24-120 VR.- I have found that the S2 is
oh-so fussy about the lens you use to get the sharpest pictures.
(that last comment is kinda off topic)

Here is my thought this morn.... I take my S2 everywhere, and often
I get the same reaction where ever I go- People are scared and put
off by the size of the thing. It has the heft and size of pro
equipment and quite frankly scares people.- I have resorted to
taking instead my wife's Cannon G2 to wedding receptions and such
as I blend in better that way and do not call attention to
myself... but I miss the shots that I might have gotten if I had
the S2.- (don't like the quality of the G2 very much)
Also, I read with interest a thread in the Nikon forum yesterday
about a guy that was not allowed to bring his DX1 into a pro
sporting event because it had the look of pro equipment and was
distracting to fans and people- I can understand that- people look
at you when you carry an S2 around- especially with the 70-200vr
attached!. (yeow!)

Question- If I were to buy a camera to carry to public events and
weddings and such, which cameras do you guys use that yield great
pictures?

My thoughts are that it should be- non-detachable lens, at least 5x
zoom optical, 4-5 Mpix, and of course fuji-like quality pictures.

What is the best consumer camera out there now? Nikon 5700? Fuji
camera?- which one? I was wondering what you guys like for a backup
quality point and shoot that you carry around and are very
satisfied with the quality of prints?

Regards;

John
Joe Peoples writes:

From the sound of it, John, your attention is placed on the equipment you use and not on your subjects. I find it hard to believe you miss the shots with the S2 that you're able to capture with a point-and-shoot. I assume you've not developed the observation and execution skills to take good candids. The next time you're at a function and you see how a professional photographer works the room taking candids, look to see if the guests are even aware of his equipment. One thing you might consider is leaving the 28-70 home and picking up a 24-85, which is also an AF-S lens. It has a smaller profile, and is much easier to carry around and conceal.
 
Differant cameras do allow you to make differant pics. There is a reason the Bresson's of the world love Lieca/rangefinder cameras. Small, silent, easy unobserved.

My limited experience with the small prosumer type digital cameras says that they make surprising good files.... BUT... they all seem to have a significant "shutter delay" (focus/exposure/shutter delay). Yes, you can get around that with the "half press the shutter" routine, but that remove much of the "unobserved" advantage.

I've yet to see the digital equivilant of the Lieca :-(
All;

An interesting thought. I had a S1, and now a S2- I plan to
upgrade again when the next generation Fuji comes out- tho I plan
to keep my S2. I will not sell this camera. ;)

I have a lot of the lenses that all you folks have- the 70-200 VR,
28-70 f2.8, and even the 24-120 VR.- I have found that the S2 is
oh-so fussy about the lens you use to get the sharpest pictures.
(that last comment is kinda off topic)

Here is my thought this morn.... I take my S2 everywhere, and often
I get the same reaction where ever I go- People are scared and put
off by the size of the thing. It has the heft and size of pro
equipment and quite frankly scares people.- I have resorted to
taking instead my wife's Cannon G2 to wedding receptions and such
as I blend in better that way and do not call attention to
myself... but I miss the shots that I might have gotten if I had
the S2.- (don't like the quality of the G2 very much)
Also, I read with interest a thread in the Nikon forum yesterday
about a guy that was not allowed to bring his DX1 into a pro
sporting event because it had the look of pro equipment and was
distracting to fans and people- I can understand that- people look
at you when you carry an S2 around- especially with the 70-200vr
attached!. (yeow!)

Question- If I were to buy a camera to carry to public events and
weddings and such, which cameras do you guys use that yield great
pictures?

My thoughts are that it should be- non-detachable lens, at least 5x
zoom optical, 4-5 Mpix, and of course fuji-like quality pictures.

What is the best consumer camera out there now? Nikon 5700? Fuji
camera?- which one? I was wondering what you guys like for a backup
quality point and shoot that you carry around and are very
satisfied with the quality of prints?

Regards;

John
Joe Peoples writes:

From the sound of it, John, your attention is placed on the
equipment you use and not on your subjects. I find it hard to
believe you miss the shots with the S2 that you're able to capture
with a point-and-shoot. I assume you've not developed the
observation and execution skills to take good candids. The next
time you're at a function and you see how a professional
photographer works the room taking candids, look to see if the
guests are even aware of his equipment. One thing you might
consider is leaving the 28-70 home and picking up a 24-85, which is
also an AF-S lens. It has a smaller profile, and is much easier to
carry around and conceal.
--
Tom Ferguson
http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com
 
Differant cameras do allow you to make differant pics. There is a
reason the Bresson's of the world love Lieca/rangefinder cameras.
Small, silent, easy unobserved.

My limited experience with the small prosumer type digital cameras
says that they make surprising good files.... BUT... they all seem
to have a significant "shutter delay" (focus/exposure/shutter
delay). Yes, you can get around that with the "half press the
shutter" routine, but that remove much of the "unobserved"
advantage.

I've yet to see the digital equivilant of the Lieca :-(

Joe Peoples writes:
John was talking about taking photos at weddings, where many people have cameras and are taking photos. There's absolutely no need to "conceal" a camera at such a function. All that's needed for good candids is to constantly scan the room, avoid eye contact with your intended subject, and have the skill to quickly frame, focus, and take the picture...then move on before they know what hit them. I'm sure you can do this with your Leica, Tom, but without auto focus, how accurate are you after your third glass of wine??? :-)
 
From the sound of it, John, your attention is placed on the
equipment you use and not on your subjects. I find it hard to
believe you miss the shots with the S2 that you're able to capture
with a point-and-shoot. I assume you've not developed the
observation and execution skills to take good candids. The next
time you're at a function and you see how a professional
photographer works the room taking candids, look to see if the
guests are even aware of his equipment. One thing you might
consider is leaving the 28-70 home and picking up a 24-85, which is
also an AF-S lens. It has a smaller profile, and is much easier to
carry around and conceal.
Joe;

I might have phrased it wrong or inaccuratly in my original post... What I meant is that because I leave my S2 at home for certain events and bring the smaller P&S, the pictures that I do get are nice, but I wish they had been taken with the S2 instead.- I would rather take ALL my pictures on the S2. However, sometimes it is just too conspicuous to bring along. And yes, I do put a smaller lens on the front for just that reason.- I get comments like, "Holy cow! Look at the lens on that thing!!"
  • and as far as the candids, I am working on it- getting better by practice.
John
 
Hi John,

I think I understood well your post ... if so, then my opinion is:

If you can´t take the S2 + big lens to a public event, a sports event, a wedding, etc. because it scares people ... then where do you plan to take it to ?

It´s precisely on those places where the probability of find a big gun like S2 or the D1x (even bigger) is high - Personaly, I wouldn´t bother a bit with that and carry S2 everywhere. Just an opinion!

Unfortunately, only another digital SLR would rival with S2 image quality ... at a cost of size and weight. I would never sacrifice quality because of what other people may think; only if I was enforced by law :-)

I am not saying that a high quality compact digital camera isn´t a good option as a second camera or for those moments when you want to travel light, when you get out to dinner with friends or in the birthday party of the naibours nefew (that they invited you because you have a DC and then could burn CD´s for everyone) ... that´s ok - I agree - but not because of people scared with S2 :-)
Regards,
All;

An interesting thought. I had a S1, and now a S2- I plan to
upgrade again when the next generation Fuji comes out- tho I plan
to keep my S2. I will not sell this camera. ;)

I have a lot of the lenses that all you folks have- the 70-200 VR,
28-70 f2.8, and even the 24-120 VR.- I have found that the S2 is
oh-so fussy about the lens you use to get the sharpest pictures.
(that last comment is kinda off topic)

Here is my thought this morn.... I take my S2 everywhere, and often
I get the same reaction where ever I go- People are scared and put
off by the size of the thing. It has the heft and size of pro
equipment and quite frankly scares people.- I have resorted to
taking instead my wife's Cannon G2 to wedding receptions and such
as I blend in better that way and do not call attention to
myself... but I miss the shots that I might have gotten if I had
the S2.- (don't like the quality of the G2 very much)
Also, I read with interest a thread in the Nikon forum yesterday
about a guy that was not allowed to bring his DX1 into a pro
sporting event because it had the look of pro equipment and was
distracting to fans and people- I can understand that- people look
at you when you carry an S2 around- especially with the 70-200vr
attached!. (yeow!)

Question- If I were to buy a camera to carry to public events and
weddings and such, which cameras do you guys use that yield great
pictures?

My thoughts are that it should be- non-detachable lens, at least 5x
zoom optical, 4-5 Mpix, and of course fuji-like quality pictures.

What is the best consumer camera out there now? Nikon 5700? Fuji
camera?- which one? I was wondering what you guys like for a backup
quality point and shoot that you carry around and are very
satisfied with the quality of prints?

Regards;

John
--
Paulo Abreu,

'Buy a FujiFilm S2 Pro TODAY because ONE DAY you will be dead !'
http://www.mcscenter.net/~psergio/index.php
 
Hello!

John, I understand you: the S2 is hardly unnoticed anywhere you go with it.

I had the 5700 and it's a nice camera, with a x8 Nikkor ED zoom. Focusing is hard many times, though.
Another little wonder I like a lot is the Fuji 602.

Regards!
Hy John .. I have a S2 Pro and the Nikon 5700 and I am very
satisfied with this two camera.
The 5700 is more diffucult for focusing ... and the s2 is more
visible than 5700 ....
With the 5700 I can take some picture without the suspicious look
of the subjects.... using its 280 focal lenght !
But the s2 ... with a good len... is the best !!!
Just now I have read about the new sigma 12-24 ex....

Now I think that the perfection is to use all these ... in
different situations.

Regards.

Tommaso
--
http://www.beatusille.net
'Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?'
Groucho Marx
 
Good all round point and shoot and has manual functions. Cant say anymore i have used th 707 and was very impressed fopr a prosumer mdoel, it also has night shot, good gizmo altho not very often used.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Maz
 
Why not simply look into smaller, less-obtrusive lenses for the S2? The 28-70 and 70-200 are indeed big,impressive,bulky lenses. If you wish to be discreet,and to make yourself feel more comfortable, look into some of the smaller 52mm diameter front lenses....the 24,28,35,50 Nikkors are all small-diameter,short lenses that draw almost no attention.

At weddings and events like that, I've never had any problems taking photos even with big lenses,big 6x6 camera, and a huge flash and bracket.But on the street, at street fairs,festivals,and other such events, shooting with a "small" lens prevents those "look at that HUGE lens!" comments you seem to be referring to. There are many situations where the presence of an obviously "professional" lens and camera combo draws a lot of suspicion and comments....anybody remember the Greatful Dead concerts and their outside -the-stadium wackiness? Or been to some of the alternate lifestyle type public fairs? A 70-200 or comparable long,substantial lens draws a lot of attention (and ire at times) at events like these. But the smaller,shorter, "non-modo" lenses pass by pretty much unnoticed.

Look into a much-smaller zoom lens than the 28-70 Nikkor if you must use a zoom. Joe's suggestion of the 24-85 AF-S G is a good one...it's very small,and people do not relate to it the same way as they do when a huge lens is staring them in the face.There's a big difference between photographing people who want to be photographed,or expect to be photographed,and people who don't like cameras,and people who are decidedly NOT expecting to be photographed. At a wedding you're actually pretty safe....but there are some areasin public where shooting with a big camera and lengthy tele-zoom will get you very,very rudely treated and perhaps even threatened.

The quality of some of the newer,better small digicams is pretty impressive,as is the incredible DOF they pull at wider aperturs like 3.3 to 4.8...pretty appealing actually for some kinds of shooting...the quality of work the better Sony and Canon and Nikon digicams can produce in the hands of a skilled shooter is actually kind of surprising.

--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel
 
I dont think you should have to sacrifice quality, a smaller lens is all that should be needed. I had a 5700, and out of my last 4 cam's it was the worst. I am not saying it is not good, but it has a bunch of downsides.

Anyways, smaller lens I believe is the key, there are just too many times when the shot is there and you missed it for various "pro sumer" reasons, why risk it, the s2 is fast and deadly compared to these compromises.
Reguards,
Rob Perry
Why not simply look into smaller, less-obtrusive lenses for the S2?
The 28-70 and 70-200 are indeed big,impressive,bulky lenses. If you
wish to be discreet,and to make yourself feel more comfortable,
look into some of the smaller 52mm diameter front lenses....the
24,28,35,50 Nikkors are all small-diameter,short lenses that draw
almost no attention.
At weddings and events like that, I've never had any problems
taking photos even with big lenses,big 6x6 camera, and a huge flash
and bracket.But on the street, at street fairs,festivals,and other
such events, shooting with a "small" lens prevents those "look at
that HUGE lens!" comments you seem to be referring to. There are
many situations where the presence of an obviously "professional"
lens and camera combo draws a lot of suspicion and
comments....anybody remember the Greatful Dead concerts and their
outside -the-stadium wackiness? Or been to some of the alternate
lifestyle type public fairs? A 70-200 or comparable
long,substantial lens draws a lot of attention (and ire at times)
at events like these. But the smaller,shorter, "non-modo" lenses
pass by pretty much unnoticed.
Look into a much-smaller zoom lens than the 28-70 Nikkor if you
must use a zoom. Joe's suggestion of the 24-85 AF-S G is a good
one...it's very small,and people do not relate to it the same way
as they do when a huge lens is staring them in the face.There's a
big difference between photographing people who want to be
photographed,or expect to be photographed,and people who don't like
cameras,and people who are decidedly NOT expecting to be
photographed. At a wedding you're actually pretty safe....but there
are some areasin public where shooting with a big camera and
lengthy tele-zoom will get you very,very rudely treated and perhaps
even threatened.
The quality of some of the newer,better small digicams is pretty
impressive,as is the incredible DOF they pull at wider aperturs
like 3.3 to 4.8...pretty appealing actually for some kinds of
shooting...the quality of work the better Sony and Canon and Nikon
digicams can produce in the hands of a skilled shooter is actually
kind of surprising.

--
Happy Shooting!
Derrel
 
John,

Was looking for a P&S for backup and those instances where the S2 is too big. Part of the issue was shutter lag and also that for a good P&S you could spend over $1000. So after looking at the 300D, have decided to wait for the Nikon D75. It will probably be the size of the N75, light enough, hopefully come in black finish, but if it is silver will certainly look less pro. Put a walkabout lens of your choice and size and you're done. Excellent images, little shutter lag, and compatible with all your existing lenses and CF cards. The perfect back up, you can use it in those situations where you need 2 bodies. The only problem is that it is still vaporware!
;-)
Good all round point and shoot and has manual functions. Cant say
anymore i have used th 707 and was very impressed fopr a prosumer
mdoel, it also has night shot, good gizmo altho not very often used.
 
...sometimes I go back to film partly for the fun of it if the S2 will be too conspicuous, although I have to say that I don't think it's a good idea to travel without the S2 when I know there are pix that I would prefer to capture using the S2 - just bring the S2 along and use a smaller lens.

Sometimes I just use a Nikon FM2 + 50mm f/1.8 and occasionally a flash and load Kodak T400CN. Might even bring along an 85mm f/1.8 as well, but it doesn't get used much. If I really want AF-SLR type handling, then I might load this same setup on my wife's Nikon F65 (N65) film SLR instead of the FM2. If I want to travel light and I want to shoot digital, then we just bring my wife's Canon G2 (and sometimes the 420EX Speedlight).

From time to time, I have been known to travel with just a Yashica-Mat TLR + pocket flash and some Fuji Provia 100F slide rollfilm and Kodak T400CN B&W print rollfilm.

In general though, I am more likely to lose a shot with a consumer digital camera than with any of the other setups mentioned above if the light is anything less than daylight - AF and shutter release delays are quite considerable. It is also true that you will return with different types of photos depending on which camera setup you bring.

Jason
All;

An interesting thought. I had a S1, and now a S2- I plan to
upgrade again when the next generation Fuji comes out- tho I plan
to keep my S2. I will not sell this camera. ;)

I have a lot of the lenses that all you folks have- the 70-200 VR,
28-70 f2.8, and even the 24-120 VR.- I have found that the S2 is
oh-so fussy about the lens you use to get the sharpest pictures.
(that last comment is kinda off topic)

Here is my thought this morn.... I take my S2 everywhere, and often
I get the same reaction where ever I go- People are scared and put
off by the size of the thing. It has the heft and size of pro
equipment and quite frankly scares people.- I have resorted to
taking instead my wife's Cannon G2 to wedding receptions and such
as I blend in better that way and do not call attention to
myself... but I miss the shots that I might have gotten if I had
the S2.- (don't like the quality of the G2 very much)
Also, I read with interest a thread in the Nikon forum yesterday
about a guy that was not allowed to bring his DX1 into a pro
sporting event because it had the look of pro equipment and was
distracting to fans and people- I can understand that- people look
at you when you carry an S2 around- especially with the 70-200vr
attached!. (yeow!)

Question- If I were to buy a camera to carry to public events and
weddings and such, which cameras do you guys use that yield great
pictures?

My thoughts are that it should be- non-detachable lens, at least 5x
zoom optical, 4-5 Mpix, and of course fuji-like quality pictures.

What is the best consumer camera out there now? Nikon 5700? Fuji
camera?- which one? I was wondering what you guys like for a backup
quality point and shoot that you carry around and are very
satisfied with the quality of prints?

Regards;

John
 
... interesting that I am replying to my own post. Just released...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10

this looks promising- I will wait for picture quality reveiws tho...

Boy, things change fast!

John
 
John asked a Question:

Question- If I were to buy a camera to carry to public events and weddings and such, which cameras do you guys use that yield great pictures?

My thoughts are that it should be- non-detachable lens, at least 5x zoom optical, 4-5 Mpix, and of course fuji-like quality pictures.

What is the best consumer camera out there now? Nikon 5700? Fuji camera?- which one? I was wondering what you guys like for a backup quality point and shoot that you carry around and are very satisfied with the quality of prints?

Regards;

John

My answer for a decent consumer with non-detachable lens with at least 5x zoom more than 5 MP and good quality (for a consumer or prosumer product) is One of the sonys above as i have personally found them (minus the shutter lag) very acceptable, durable, and producing good quality photographs esp when you can tilt the cameras for concert-type situations where you cannot get the shot due to "Big heads in the way".

Also the battery the sonys (FM-50) lasted me approx two or so weeks with approx half hour to full hour daily use WITH THE LCD CONSTANTLY ON - i was amazed when it lasted so long the first time. A couple of Li-Ion FM-50's, UV filter, a wideangle and a decent flash and ur off (not for pro use obviously).

I believe i have answered the question.

I understand what what you guys are talking about but this chap wanted a consumer solution which i gave him. We are all perectionists at heart and i too hate to use anything less than the best i can get my hands on but soometimes we have to go with the flow - if you know what i mean.

No offence to anyone.

Yhanks!

Azim
 

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