Friday 11 December 2020

A new camera set-up

After many years I am eventually updating my digital camera. The Minolta Z1 with 3.2 mega pixels has been my go-to for nearly twenty years and has given me stalwart service for all of that time.

I'm now playing with this bad-boy. A Nikon D3300 with DX VR set up.


I would like to tell you that it's simple.....

But it is a bit like learning a new language. I am currently taking images with both cameras and checking the quality and settings of the finished photographs. The Minolta (after all these years) has been set up for my circumstances and feels like an old friend. The Nikon is fighting me all the way (far to sophisticated) so expect a long hand-over period before I'm happy with the results.

In addition I have been using the tripod and fast-release system for taking images and even changing my pale blue background for a more publishing friendly white one in the hope that it will give better images for magazine articles.

If anyone has any suggestions - remember that most of my photography is in what the Minolta calls Macro and Fine Quality or close-up. I would very much appreciate it.

Tony

4 comments:

Codsticker said...

I am curious to see how you get on with the Minolta as I may be looking to upgrade my camera in the near future.

(Kym) + Warburton + (Classic40K) said...

Good luck with the new camera - I find them very difficult myself. My Nikon D40 just gave up after 10 odd years, but I am experimenting with my new iPhone for now - and maybe will get a new camera depending on how that goes.

Rob Alderman said...

Moving from a bridge camera to a DSLR is never going to be easy, good luck with that! I've ended up relying on a camera phone!

Tony said...

At this moment, I'm taking images with both cameras and checking the results against one another. My initial reaction was that the older Minolta gave better images (well I have had over ten - possibly twenty years experience with this model) but the Nikon has much better image definition - you can crop in very close with no loss of detail.

My daughter and I have been playing with the Nikon in the hope that I can get even better at close-up or Macro/miniatures photography. I'm even thinking about building myself a lightbox.

The one down-side with the Nikon is that because of the greater image size, I can only attach 4 - 5 images to each e-mail I send (not a real problem as I tend to use WE TRANSFER for most of the magazine articles I produce), but it does bring home just how big these image files are!

Tony