October 20, 2024 • 21 mins
Ever struggled with the decision to switch camera systems and felt overwhelmed by all the options? Join me as I share my personal photographic journey, starting from my early days with Minolta in the 1980s, through my experiences with Nikon, Sigma, and Fuji. We'll explore the complex blend of technology, personal preferences, and sometimes brutal financial realities that can influence such a decision. From the heartache of parting with favorite gear to the thrill of discovering new capabilities, this episode is your guide to understanding the practical and emotional landscapes behind changing camera systems.
We'll tackle the distinct needs of landscape versus sports photographers and how different camera systems cater to these demands. Whether it's the allure of medium format for stunning landscapes or the necessity for high-speed autofocus in sports, the choices can be daunting. We'll also touch on the power of brand loyalty, the often irresistible lure of corporate marketing, and the notorious Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) that tempts us all. Reflect on your own camera journey and consider whether new equipment truly fills an unmet need or simply satisfies a craving for the latest tech. Let's navigate the world of camera switching together, balancing desire with practicality.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
So you want to switch camera systems.
But do you really need toswitch a camera system?
Do you really want to go fromone to the other?
I mean, what's involved inswitching camera systems?
Today I'm going to talk to youa little bit about what's
involved.
I mean, there's some obviousthings, but do you really need
to switch camera systems?
(00:21):
Now, I've done it and I've madea lot of mistakes in the past,
so I will give you my insightsand you can determine whether
switching camera systems issomething that's right for you
or maybe you can let it go forright now.
I'm Curtis.
I'm your photography and videoguru, and today we're talking
(00:42):
about changing camera systems.
So I've changed camera systemsmultiple times over the years.
1986, I was shooting with aMinolta camera.
I had two Minolta bodies.
I was shooting professionalsports.
Were they the best cameras?
They were the first autofocuscameras, so they had a single
(01:07):
point autofocus point in themiddle, so you had to focus and
then reframe.
It was fairly successful.
But then Minolta decided tochange the lens mount in
1989-ish, somewhere around there.
So I jumped ship and then Iwent to Nikon and I shot with
(01:29):
Nikon for oh gee whiz, a goodnumber of years.
In fact I even had their NikonD1, which was their first
digital professional SLR, and itwas a great camera, I mean
compared to what we have today.
I mean it was back then, it wasthe stuff right, but I mean
(01:52):
compared today.
Cameras today are far betterfor autofocus and all kinds of
things, and I shot with Nikonfor years and then, for whatever
reason, I decided to jump shipfrom Nikon because I'd gone away
from sports and was doing morelandscapes and portraits and
(02:12):
things like that, and I don'tknow why I did this.
But I switched over to Sigmacameras.
Sigma came out with a foveansensor and, for whatever reason,
I thought the fovean sensor wasa super cool idea because it
had a three-layer sensor, a red,green, blue sensor layers to
(02:33):
the sensor and each layercaptured was dedicated to each
of the primary colors.
So even though each layer was12 megapixels, they calculated
it that you're really getting 36meg.
I forget what it was.
Anyway, I drank the Kool-Aidand switched over to Sigma.
Now I got some nice images withSigma and I mean you can get
(02:57):
nice images with any camera, butit was really an awkward system
because Sigma made you processraw files through their
proprietary software.
You couldn't put it intoLightroom, you couldn't put it
into Capture One.
They didn't share the secretsauce to translate raw files so
(03:21):
you could use them in thosesoftwares, raw files so you
could use them in thosesoftwares.
And the software that Sigma hadto translate raw files was just
horribly slow.
It took forever and it was anadded process.
So then I went from Sigma andguess what?
I went back to Nikon.
Okay, so I'm back to Nikon andI probably had one of my most
(03:45):
favorite cameras, the D700.
And to this day I still lovethat camera, even though I don't
have it anymore.
I was shooting with Nikon andthen I still had Nikon, but I
also purchased a Mamiya 645 witha Leaf Aptus digital back, a
CCD back, 28 megapixel back, andI shot with those two for
(04:09):
different things.
I was using doing commercialwork with the Mamiya for product
photography and things likethat.
It was doing 16-bit files,absolutely beautiful, great in
the studio.
I could take it out and doportraits with it, but you know
it wasn't really good for toomuch else.
Basically your autofocus wasnon-existent.
(04:30):
So you know it was a slowcamera, a slow system.
And then I went from the Nikonand Leaf Aptus and I thought
well, I'm going to switch overto the Fuji GFX system.
So I sold my Nikons and I soldmy Mamiya and went over to the
(04:53):
GFX 50S and it was a greatcamera, really good photos.
Autofocus system was slow, butit was okay because I really
wasn't doing anything thatrequired fast focus, fast moving
subjects.
I was actually doing dogphotography with it.
It was great, as long as Icould get the dog to sit still.
(05:13):
At the time I also had a Sonya6400.
So if I needed action shots, Iwould shoot that with the 24
megapixel Sony a6400.
Okay so.
So whenever you sell a camerasystem, if you're going to sell
your stuff, you're going to takea bath on the value of your
(05:33):
cameras.
No doubt about it.
You're going to lose money likeit's going out of style.
Camera systems do not holdtheir value.
The longer you hold them, theless they're worth.
So if you sell them tosomeplace like Adorama or
whatever, they give you 70% ofwhatever they're going to sell
(05:54):
it for.
So they're going to give youbasically wholesale price and
then they mark it up 30% andthen sell it and those prices
are going to be low to beginwith.
Okay, so you're going to take abath.
So, in addition to taking a bath, then you got to buy new
equipment, which is moreexpensive, and then you're going
to have to buy lenses for it,all your accessories.
(06:18):
You're going to have to changeyour flash transmitters all that
good stuff because there's nouniversal, unless you just have,
like a pocket wizard thatdoesn't recognize a brand.
But if you want to use the ttlflash modes on anything for
off-camera flash, then you'llhave to upgrade all your
(06:40):
triggers and things like that,all your accessories, your
remote shutter activations.
If you have want to put it ontripod and do long exposures,
you're going to have to have theshutter trigger that fits your
particular camera.
Nikon's shutter trigger, theconnection, is different than a
(07:02):
Fuji, it's different than theCanon.
So you're going to have toupgrade all that good stuff.
So you're talking about theexpense of the new equipment.
You're going to lose theupgrade, all that good stuff.
So you're talking about theexpense of the new equipment.
You're going to lose the valueof the old equipment and then.
So you have to make up thedifference.
Now for me, I found out thatafter shooting with the Fuji GFX
(07:23):
system that well, I had it andthen I broke it Right.
So I broke the bottom plate offthe Fuji GFX and knocked over
my tripod and it just totallytorqued and ripped off the
bottom plate that it was screwedinto the tripod exposing you
could see the inside of thecamera Sent it off to Fuji.
(07:44):
Fuji said they can't fix itbecause part of the body was
ripped off, part of it too andso they offered me to buy a new
one, a refurbished one, and Isaid no, it's okay, just send it
back to me.
And at that point I haven't hadinsurance on it.
So I went and got, I investedback into the Nikon system Fast
(08:08):
forward.
Now I still have that GFX 50Ss.
You just can't mount it on atripod unless I got some special
.
I bought a special collar forit which enabled me to uh
connect it to a tripod.
But honestly, uh, the nikonshot just as well as the gfx 50s
because they're both 14-bitfiles.
(08:29):
The GFX 50s is not a 16-bitfile, it's only a 14-bit file,
just like the Nikon, and aboutthe same resolution.
And honestly, you reallycouldn't tell too much between
the difference between the two.
So it didn't really make sensefor me to purchase another 50S
(08:54):
Now.
Recently this year I didpurchase a GFX 100S and that
gives me a true 16-bit file andI do use that for still lifes
and it serves a need that I hadbecause I make large prints and
the hundred megapixels allows meto create tremendous files.
(09:15):
For that Did I absolutely haveto have it?
No, I probably could have usedmy Nikon Z7 II and then used
Gigapixel to res up the files,so I really didn't have to have
it up the files.
So I really didn't have to haveit, but I really kind of just
(09:37):
wanted it Right.
So, um, and I had my uh CamboActis all set up for it, so it
was easy.
I would have had to modify theCambo Actis to accept the Nikon
uh body and I really didn't wantto do all that good stuff.
So a question also that you haveto ask you if you want to
change camera systems, is thenew camera system going to fill
(09:58):
a need that you currently havethat your old camera system does
not?
My GFX system, the autofocuswas slow.
It really wasn't great forshooting fast-moving subjects.
(10:19):
I thought I could make it work.
I did make it work, but itwasn't ideal.
So upgrading or changing systemsover to the Nikon in that
situation makes sense.
Well, let's say you're alandscape photographer and
you're switching over to sportsphotography.
The GFX system makes sense forlandscape photography, but it
(10:40):
doesn't make sense for sports.
If you want sports, then youwould maybe go to a Sony A9 or
the Nikon Z9 or Z8.
The Nikon Z9 or Z8, somethingalong those lines, with fast
autofocus and the ability togive you those shots that you
(11:00):
would need, and also, if youlike shooting sports Nikon,
canon, they have the long lensesthat you would need to be able
to shoot sports.
The medium format GFX systemdoes not have those long lenses
and they are just slower onfocus.
So it's one of those thingsthat the new equipment would
(11:25):
fill a need.
And then you have to take inconsideration to the hype that
these corporations do.
Of course they want to sell youa new camera system and of
course they're going to hype uphow much better it is over your
old camera system.
But is it really?
(11:45):
I mean it probably is in manyaspects, but in many aspects it
probably isn't either.
I mean, you can pixel peep allday long, you want all day, and
are you going to really see adifference?
Yeah, you might see adifference when you're pixel
(12:06):
peeping.
But when you zoom back out andlook at the photograph, or after
it's been printed or after it'sbeen on the web, you can't tell
what camera took what.
I don't care if it's an Olympuscamera, micro four thirds, or
it's a medium format camera.
When you see it on the web it'sgoing to be a JPEG file, 8-bit
(12:29):
file, and you really can't tellwhat it is that took it.
Because when we're takingphotographs, we're taking it for
the subject matter and how wetook it and what it looks like,
and not so much what we took itwith looks like and not so much
(12:52):
what we took it with.
And it doesn't really matter ifyou took it with a 20-megapixel
camera or a 100-megapixelcamera.
If you're looking at it on theweb, you're not going to be able
to tell the difference.
Honestly, with my GFX 100S,making prints is easier.
If I do a still life and I wanteverything in focus, I can back
(13:13):
the GFX 100 S away from thesubject, giving me greater depth
of field, but the subject issmaller.
But since it's a hundredmegapixel camera, the actual
focus, the amount of pixels I'mlosing, doesn't matter, because
even if I lose half of my pixels, I'm still down to a 50
(13:36):
megapixel image after final crop.
If I'm shooting with a 50megapixel camera, I still may
have to back out that samedistance, but then I'm down to
25 megapixels.
Now software like Gigapixelwill fix it for the most part If
it's an original photo, a goodquality photo.
Gigapixel is a fantasticsoftware and you can upgrade
(13:59):
your software no problemwhatsoever.
So I guess it all boils down todoes switching camera brands
fill a need?
Brands fill a need If you'reshooting with a major camera
brand right now Sony, canon,nikon, fuji all those cameras
(14:27):
are great cameras, so you'regoing to be able to get a great
image from any of those brands.
I liked Nikon because theergonomics of it fit my hand
better and felt better in myhand than the Canon did.
The Canon was a great system.
I've shot hundreds of thousandsof photos with the Canon and in
the studio in a studioenvironment.
(14:48):
Fantastic camera systems,fantastic lenses I have no
problem with it.
But I would always gravitatetowards either the Nikon or the
Fuji for ergonomics before Iwould go with a Canon.
And I'm not talking about themedium format Fujis, I'm talking
(15:10):
about the X-series cameras.
Maybe you like more retro typecameras with the dials and knobs
on them like the Fuji has.
Well, that's you know we'retalking about.
We're getting down to nittygritty and personal preference
here.
So I like Nikon because of theergonomics.
Fuji users like it because ofthe ability to change functions
(15:33):
on the camera without divinginto a menu.
That's a big thing.
You know, sony cameras havesome incredible features and
they have some incredible glasslenses that you can put on them.
You may like Sony.
I remember buying the firstSony A7R and I bought it.
I jumped ship from Nikon toSony because it was a 36
(15:58):
megapixel camera and I wasshooting with a 12 and I was
doing still lifes and I wantedmore pixels.
And I adapted that Sony to myCambo Actis camera so I could
use my Cambo Actis with the Sonybody.
And then eventually I went withthe GFX system and I adapted
(16:20):
the Cambo Actis to take the GFXsystem, which, by the way, is
not cheap.
Anytime you talk about CamboActis you're talking several
thousand dollars for the camerathat you have to put another
camera on.
So it's a camera for a camera,but when you actually have to
(16:43):
adapt a camera to it forinstance, when I went from the
Sony to the GFX I had to buy akit to put on the Cambo Actis,
which was $1,500.
So I had originally purchasedthe Cambo Actis for probably
sometime just below $3,000 whenit was new.
Then I had to spend another$1,500 on it to put the Fuji on
(17:08):
it.
And now I recently wanted toput a Hasselblad lens on it, so
I had to buy a plate for theHasselblad lens on it, and that
cost another $500.
I can't remember the it'saround there or something like
that.
Then I wanted to shoot macrophotography with it, but I
(17:29):
needed a longer rail.
So I needed a longer rail forit.
I needed longer bellows for it.
Each piece costs probably fiveor $600.
So that's another $1,200.
So I've got a lot tied up inthis Cambo Actus.
It's a great system.
I love it, but it's not cheap.
And every time you make a switchwith your camera system and you
(17:52):
want to use that system withthe new system, then you have to
make an investment.
So is switching cameras for you.
Do you feel like you actuallyhave to have a new camera system
or switch brands from onesystem to the next, whether it's
Lumix, canon, nikon, olympus,sony, leica?
(18:19):
Well, if you're buying a Leica,you could probably afford to
switch anyway.
So Leicas are insane, butthere's considerations to be
made.
I mean, how much can you useyour current system?
Will it get by and suitwhatever needs you have
(18:40):
currently?
Or is it just absolutelypositively?
You know, it just won't suityour need and then you need a
new tool, and that's whatcameras are.
They're tools, they'reinstruments for us to use to get
the image that we want.
I would love to shoot macrophotography with the GFX system,
(19:01):
but the only way I can do it toget a true one-to-one or better
macro image is with the CamboActus and the long rail and the
extended bellows.
But I can't take that out inthe field.
It's if I'm trying to get shoota photograph of a mushroom on
(19:21):
the ground.
It's just too bulky, it's justI can't do it.
So then I have to go to asystem that is capable of doing
that and then I switch back tothe Nikon system.
I put an autofocus lens on it.
It'll automatically focus stackfor me and things like that.
Would I love to shoot a mushroom, one-to-one mushroom with the
(19:43):
Cambo Actus?
I guess if it was off theground and I didn't have to put
the camera down to the ground,let's say it's on a log.
Yeah, I could use the CamboActus, but it's a lot to carry
around and a lot of timesmushrooms grow where mushrooms
grow and it would be reallydifficult to do.
(20:05):
It can be done, but it would bereally difficult to do.
It's much easier to use amirrorless camera to shoot
something like that, to shootmacro photography.
So in the description of thispodcast you can send me a
message.
I would love to know if, numberone, you're going to change
(20:28):
camera brands, what camera brandyou're going from, what camera
brand you're going to changecamera brands?
What camera brand you're goingfrom, what camera brand you're
going to, why you're going fromone camera brand to the next?
Is the camera you're going to?
Does it fill a need that youcurrently don't have?
I hope this was somewhatinteresting.
You know I love cameras and Iget gas just like everybody else
(20:52):
Gear acquisition syndrome, andI love cameras and I get gas
just like everybody else Gearacquisition syndrome and I love
new gear.
But I hate losing money too.
If I don't have to have it, Iprobably won't get it, but then
again I might find a way to getit.
Let me know about what you'redoing Until next time.
We'll see you later.
So you want to switch camera systems.
But do you really need toswitch a camera system?
Do you really want to go fromone to the other?
I mean, what's involved inswitching camera systems?
Today I'm going to talk to youa little bit about what's
involved.
I mean, there's some obviousthings, but do you really need
to switch camera systems?
(00:21):
Now, I've done it and I've madea lot of mistakes in the past,
so I will give you my insightsand you can determine whether
switching camera systems issomething that's right for you
or maybe you can let it go forright now.
I'm Curtis.
I'm your photography and videoguru, and today we're talking
(00:42):
about changing camera systems.
So I've changed camera systemsmultiple times over the years.
1986, I was shooting with aMinolta camera.
I had two Minolta bodies.
I was shooting professionalsports.
Were they the best cameras?
They were the first autofocuscameras, so they had a single
(01:07):
point autofocus point in themiddle, so you had to focus and
then reframe.
It was fairly successful.
But then Minolta decided tochange the lens mount in
1989-ish, somewhere around there.
So I jumped ship and then Iwent to Nikon and I shot with
(01:29):
Nikon for oh gee whiz, a goodnumber of years.
In fact I even had their NikonD1, which was their first
digital professional SLR, and itwas a great camera, I mean
compared to what we have today.
I mean it was back then, it wasthe stuff right, but I mean
(01:52):
compared today.
Cameras today are far betterfor autofocus and all kinds of
things, and I shot with Nikonfor years and then, for whatever
reason, I decided to jump shipfrom Nikon because I'd gone away
from sports and was doing morelandscapes and portraits and
(02:12):
things like that, and I don'tknow why I did this.
But I switched over to Sigmacameras.
Sigma came out with a foveansensor and, for whatever reason,
I thought the fovean sensor wasa super cool idea because it
had a three-layer sensor, a red,green, blue sensor layers to
(02:33):
the sensor and each layercaptured was dedicated to each
of the primary colors.
So even though each layer was12 megapixels, they calculated
it that you're really getting 36meg.
I forget what it was.
Anyway, I drank the Kool-Aidand switched over to Sigma.
Now I got some nice images withSigma and I mean you can get
(02:57):
nice images with any camera, butit was really an awkward system
because Sigma made you processraw files through their
proprietary software.
You couldn't put it intoLightroom, you couldn't put it
into Capture One.
They didn't share the secretsauce to translate raw files so
(03:21):
you could use them in thosesoftwares, raw files so you
could use them in thosesoftwares.
And the software that Sigma hadto translate raw files was just
horribly slow.
It took forever and it was anadded process.
So then I went from Sigma andguess what?
I went back to Nikon.
Okay, so I'm back to Nikon andI probably had one of my most
(03:45):
favorite cameras, the D700.
And to this day I still lovethat camera, even though I don't
have it anymore.
I was shooting with Nikon andthen I still had Nikon, but I
also purchased a Mamiya 645 witha Leaf Aptus digital back, a
CCD back, 28 megapixel back, andI shot with those two for
(04:09):
different things.
I was using doing commercialwork with the Mamiya for product
photography and things likethat.
It was doing 16-bit files,absolutely beautiful, great in
the studio.
I could take it out and doportraits with it, but you know
it wasn't really good for toomuch else.
Basically your autofocus wasnon-existent.
(04:30):
So you know it was a slowcamera, a slow system.
And then I went from the Nikonand Leaf Aptus and I thought
well, I'm going to switch overto the Fuji GFX system.
So I sold my Nikons and I soldmy Mamiya and went over to the
(04:53):
GFX 50S and it was a greatcamera, really good photos.
Autofocus system was slow, butit was okay because I really
wasn't doing anything thatrequired fast focus, fast moving
subjects.
I was actually doing dogphotography with it.
It was great, as long as Icould get the dog to sit still.
(05:13):
At the time I also had a Sonya6400.
So if I needed action shots, Iwould shoot that with the 24
megapixel Sony a6400.
Okay so.
So whenever you sell a camerasystem, if you're going to sell
your stuff, you're going to takea bath on the value of your
(05:33):
cameras.
No doubt about it.
You're going to lose money likeit's going out of style.
Camera systems do not holdtheir value.
The longer you hold them, theless they're worth.
So if you sell them tosomeplace like Adorama or
whatever, they give you 70% ofwhatever they're going to sell
(05:54):
it for.
So they're going to give youbasically wholesale price and
then they mark it up 30% andthen sell it and those prices
are going to be low to beginwith.
Okay, so you're going to take abath.
So, in addition to taking a bath, then you got to buy new
equipment, which is moreexpensive, and then you're going
to have to buy lenses for it,all your accessories.
(06:18):
You're going to have to changeyour flash transmitters all that
good stuff because there's nouniversal, unless you just have,
like a pocket wizard thatdoesn't recognize a brand.
But if you want to use the ttlflash modes on anything for
off-camera flash, then you'llhave to upgrade all your
(06:40):
triggers and things like that,all your accessories, your
remote shutter activations.
If you have want to put it ontripod and do long exposures,
you're going to have to have theshutter trigger that fits your
particular camera.
Nikon's shutter trigger, theconnection, is different than a
(07:02):
Fuji, it's different than theCanon.
So you're going to have toupgrade all that good stuff.
So you're talking about theexpense of the new equipment.
You're going to lose theupgrade, all that good stuff.
So you're talking about theexpense of the new equipment.
You're going to lose the valueof the old equipment and then.
So you have to make up thedifference.
Now for me, I found out thatafter shooting with the Fuji GFX
(07:23):
system that well, I had it andthen I broke it Right.
So I broke the bottom plate offthe Fuji GFX and knocked over
my tripod and it just totallytorqued and ripped off the
bottom plate that it was screwedinto the tripod exposing you
could see the inside of thecamera Sent it off to Fuji.
(07:44):
Fuji said they can't fix itbecause part of the body was
ripped off, part of it too andso they offered me to buy a new
one, a refurbished one, and Isaid no, it's okay, just send it
back to me.
And at that point I haven't hadinsurance on it.
So I went and got, I investedback into the Nikon system Fast
(08:08):
forward.
Now I still have that GFX 50Ss.
You just can't mount it on atripod unless I got some special
.
I bought a special collar forit which enabled me to uh
connect it to a tripod.
But honestly, uh, the nikonshot just as well as the gfx 50s
because they're both 14-bitfiles.
(08:29):
The GFX 50s is not a 16-bitfile, it's only a 14-bit file,
just like the Nikon, and aboutthe same resolution.
And honestly, you reallycouldn't tell too much between
the difference between the two.
So it didn't really make sensefor me to purchase another 50S
(08:54):
Now.
Recently this year I didpurchase a GFX 100S and that
gives me a true 16-bit file andI do use that for still lifes
and it serves a need that I hadbecause I make large prints and
the hundred megapixels allows meto create tremendous files.
(09:15):
For that Did I absolutely haveto have it?
No, I probably could have usedmy Nikon Z7 II and then used
Gigapixel to res up the files,so I really didn't have to have
it up the files.
So I really didn't have to haveit, but I really kind of just
(09:37):
wanted it Right.
So, um, and I had my uh CamboActis all set up for it, so it
was easy.
I would have had to modify theCambo Actis to accept the Nikon
uh body and I really didn't wantto do all that good stuff.
So a question also that you haveto ask you if you want to
change camera systems, is thenew camera system going to fill
(09:58):
a need that you currently havethat your old camera system does
not?
My GFX system, the autofocuswas slow.
It really wasn't great forshooting fast-moving subjects.
(10:19):
I thought I could make it work.
I did make it work, but itwasn't ideal.
So upgrading or changing systemsover to the Nikon in that
situation makes sense.
Well, let's say you're alandscape photographer and
you're switching over to sportsphotography.
The GFX system makes sense forlandscape photography, but it
(10:40):
doesn't make sense for sports.
If you want sports, then youwould maybe go to a Sony A9 or
the Nikon Z9 or Z8.
The Nikon Z9 or Z8, somethingalong those lines, with fast
autofocus and the ability togive you those shots that you
(11:00):
would need, and also, if youlike shooting sports Nikon,
canon, they have the long lensesthat you would need to be able
to shoot sports.
The medium format GFX systemdoes not have those long lenses
and they are just slower onfocus.
So it's one of those thingsthat the new equipment would
(11:25):
fill a need.
And then you have to take inconsideration to the hype that
these corporations do.
Of course they want to sell youa new camera system and of
course they're going to hype uphow much better it is over your
old camera system.
But is it really?
(11:45):
I mean it probably is in manyaspects, but in many aspects it
probably isn't either.
I mean, you can pixel peep allday long, you want all day, and
are you going to really see adifference?
Yeah, you might see adifference when you're pixel
(12:06):
peeping.
But when you zoom back out andlook at the photograph, or after
it's been printed or after it'sbeen on the web, you can't tell
what camera took what.
I don't care if it's an Olympuscamera, micro four thirds, or
it's a medium format camera.
When you see it on the web it'sgoing to be a JPEG file, 8-bit
(12:29):
file, and you really can't tellwhat it is that took it.
Because when we're takingphotographs, we're taking it for
the subject matter and how wetook it and what it looks like,
and not so much what we took itwith looks like and not so much
(12:52):
what we took it with.
And it doesn't really matter ifyou took it with a 20-megapixel
camera or a 100-megapixelcamera.
If you're looking at it on theweb, you're not going to be able
to tell the difference.
Honestly, with my GFX 100S,making prints is easier.
If I do a still life and I wanteverything in focus, I can back
(13:13):
the GFX 100 S away from thesubject, giving me greater depth
of field, but the subject issmaller.
But since it's a hundredmegapixel camera, the actual
focus, the amount of pixels I'mlosing, doesn't matter, because
even if I lose half of my pixels, I'm still down to a 50
(13:36):
megapixel image after final crop.
If I'm shooting with a 50megapixel camera, I still may
have to back out that samedistance, but then I'm down to
25 megapixels.
Now software like Gigapixelwill fix it for the most part If
it's an original photo, a goodquality photo.
Gigapixel is a fantasticsoftware and you can upgrade
(13:59):
your software no problemwhatsoever.
So I guess it all boils down todoes switching camera brands
fill a need?
Brands fill a need If you'reshooting with a major camera
brand right now Sony, canon,nikon, fuji all those cameras
(14:27):
are great cameras, so you'regoing to be able to get a great
image from any of those brands.
I liked Nikon because theergonomics of it fit my hand
better and felt better in myhand than the Canon did.
The Canon was a great system.
I've shot hundreds of thousandsof photos with the Canon and in
the studio in a studioenvironment.
(14:48):
Fantastic camera systems,fantastic lenses I have no
problem with it.
But I would always gravitatetowards either the Nikon or the
Fuji for ergonomics before Iwould go with a Canon.
And I'm not talking about themedium format Fujis, I'm talking
(15:10):
about the X-series cameras.
Maybe you like more retro typecameras with the dials and knobs
on them like the Fuji has.
Well, that's you know we'retalking about.
We're getting down to nittygritty and personal preference
here.
So I like Nikon because of theergonomics.
Fuji users like it because ofthe ability to change functions
(15:33):
on the camera without divinginto a menu.
That's a big thing.
You know, sony cameras havesome incredible features and
they have some incredible glasslenses that you can put on them.
You may like Sony.
I remember buying the firstSony A7R and I bought it.
I jumped ship from Nikon toSony because it was a 36
(15:58):
megapixel camera and I wasshooting with a 12 and I was
doing still lifes and I wantedmore pixels.
And I adapted that Sony to myCambo Actis camera so I could
use my Cambo Actis with the Sonybody.
And then eventually I went withthe GFX system and I adapted
(16:20):
the Cambo Actis to take the GFXsystem, which, by the way, is
not cheap.
Anytime you talk about CamboActis you're talking several
thousand dollars for the camerathat you have to put another
camera on.
So it's a camera for a camera,but when you actually have to
(16:43):
adapt a camera to it forinstance, when I went from the
Sony to the GFX I had to buy akit to put on the Cambo Actis,
which was $1,500.
So I had originally purchasedthe Cambo Actis for probably
sometime just below $3,000 whenit was new.
Then I had to spend another$1,500 on it to put the Fuji on
(17:08):
it.
And now I recently wanted toput a Hasselblad lens on it, so
I had to buy a plate for theHasselblad lens on it, and that
cost another $500.
I can't remember the it'saround there or something like
that.
Then I wanted to shoot macrophotography with it, but I
(17:29):
needed a longer rail.
So I needed a longer rail forit.
I needed longer bellows for it.
Each piece costs probably fiveor $600.
So that's another $1,200.
So I've got a lot tied up inthis Cambo Actus.
It's a great system.
I love it, but it's not cheap.
And every time you make a switchwith your camera system and you
(17:52):
want to use that system withthe new system, then you have to
make an investment.
So is switching cameras for you.
Do you feel like you actuallyhave to have a new camera system
or switch brands from onesystem to the next, whether it's
Lumix, canon, nikon, olympus,sony, leica?
(18:19):
Well, if you're buying a Leica,you could probably afford to
switch anyway.
So Leicas are insane, butthere's considerations to be
made.
I mean, how much can you useyour current system?
Will it get by and suitwhatever needs you have
(18:40):
currently?
Or is it just absolutelypositively?
You know, it just won't suityour need and then you need a
new tool, and that's whatcameras are.
They're tools, they'reinstruments for us to use to get
the image that we want.
I would love to shoot macrophotography with the GFX system,
(19:01):
but the only way I can do it toget a true one-to-one or better
macro image is with the CamboActus and the long rail and the
extended bellows.
But I can't take that out inthe field.
It's if I'm trying to get shoota photograph of a mushroom on
(19:21):
the ground.
It's just too bulky, it's justI can't do it.
So then I have to go to asystem that is capable of doing
that and then I switch back tothe Nikon system.
I put an autofocus lens on it.
It'll automatically focus stackfor me and things like that.
Would I love to shoot a mushroom, one-to-one mushroom with the
(19:43):
Cambo Actus?
I guess if it was off theground and I didn't have to put
the camera down to the ground,let's say it's on a log.
Yeah, I could use the CamboActus, but it's a lot to carry
around and a lot of timesmushrooms grow where mushrooms
grow and it would be reallydifficult to do.
(20:05):
It can be done, but it would bereally difficult to do.
It's much easier to use amirrorless camera to shoot
something like that, to shootmacro photography.
So in the description of thispodcast you can send me a
message.
I would love to know if, numberone, you're going to change
(20:28):
camera brands, what camera brandyou're going from, what camera
brand you're going to changecamera brands?
What camera brand you're goingfrom, what camera brand you're
going to, why you're going fromone camera brand to the next?
Is the camera you're going to?
Does it fill a need that youcurrently don't have?
I hope this was somewhatinteresting.
You know I love cameras and Iget gas just like everybody else
(20:52):
Gear acquisition syndrome, andI love cameras and I get gas
just like everybody else Gearacquisition syndrome and I love
new gear.
But I hate losing money too.
If I don't have to have it, Iprobably won't get it, but then
again I might find a way to getit.
Let me know about what you'redoing Until next time.
We'll see you later.
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