Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
I'm debating about buying:
1) A fast prime for the Nikon. Although I already have a fast prime on the GF1, so that might not be worthwhile.
2) A fast zoom for the Nikon. The Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 looks tasty and not un-affordable. A friend is getting married early next year and I'd like some new glass.
3) Some sort of studio lights to go in my dining room for food photography.
Oooh. All depends on how much brass you got. If you're going the fast zoom route for the Nikon with a Tamron, this is probably your best bet with the 17-50mm f/2.8:
http://www.bythom.com/1750lens.htmFor wedding portraits with a bit of candid flexibility I'd strongly recommend the 50mm f/1.8G prime. It's actually got nigh-as-good bokeh as its more expensive f/1.4 brother and is a snappy auto-focuser to boot. Plus, sexy prime at only about £170.
As for studio lights I don't know so much about that, but there's some good DIY budget guides out there involving making soft-boxes to diffuse light from cheap IKEA lamps and the like. That might get you where you want to go. I concur that light is everything in photography, even over glass. I just wish I could figure out the mysteries of flash better, it still confounds me somewhat.
Zardoz wrote:
Great stuff, Pete. Nice to see the pics you've had from the medium format camera. How much is an average roll of film for one of these then?
I remember the ones we had at college were Bronica's (?). Never used them myself, only the Pentax SLRs, but I remember talking to a colleage while he was setting upo a still life shoot and being baffled at the view finder showing everything in reverse.
Good luck getting the commision. You deserve it.
Ooh. Bronica. Never used one but I respect 'em from the number of photogs I've met who have good things to say. Bronicas have never had the romance of the Rollei or the Hassleblad, but they are strongly respected as a good Brit workhorse. The Yashica Mat shows everything in reverse too. Oddly, some of my friends when playing with it process this immediately and find no problem. For myself, and others, well we struggle a bit. Anyway, the film costs between £5 and £6 depending on what you go for, if you buy it from a high street shop. Online it's a good deal cheaper, which is where I'll be purchasing in future. Developing is £4.50, with an added £6 for prints and a few more quid on top for a CD. If I go down this route I'll wind up buying a scanner I think, to offset that cost. Obv I'll be looking for money from the coffee shop if I get my commission, and not any bullshit about increasing 'profile'. Petey needs new shoes, motherfuckers!
Pentax SLR 50mm f/1.4 supposed to be lovely, and reasonably cheap.