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Which camera do you use and...

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Anouc

... Which lens do you have?

 

 

 

Hi volks ^.^

 

I want to know today:

which camera do you use and whih lens do you have for it?

 

I have a Canon EOS 550D and a standart 18-55mm and 55-250mm lens ...

I am thinking to upgrade my set, but i dont know which ones i should try so i would be happy to hear your experiance with your lenses ^.^~

Maybe it would be possible to show what you do with your lens ... the results ~.~/)

 

And i have some questions too >.<" ...

Which lens would be best for rainy days and which one for biiig lights and effects in background?


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☆〜(ゝ。∂) ♥ Dollfie Dream Faceups ~ ☆

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Kumi
which camera do you use and which lens do you have for it?

 

Nikon D40 with Nikkor 18-70/3.5-4.5

 

6299559213_e0410d35ea.jpg

Enchanted evening by Kumi 27, on Flickr

 

Olympus C-5050Z, lens included (Olympus Aspherical Zoom 7.1-21.3mm/1.8-2.6)

 

6201431733_f0ff4a8af2.jpg

Aerie closeup by Kumi 27, on Flickr

 

I'm using Nikon i most cases, but for some shots have to take the Oly.

Especially macro shots - I don't have macro lens for my Nikon.

And many doll photos are falling into this category - doll is small, so You have to come closer.

Sometimes too close to focus with normal lens.

 

Which lens would be best for rainy days and which one for biiig lights and effects in background?

 

Any lens will do. Sometimes the only thing You maybe need is a tripod.

In other cases maybe You just need more light and not the new lens?

Question is - what do You want to have on the photo?

 

Rainy day.

I assume it's dark. So You should use fast lens to capture more light.

But fast lens wide open = shallow DOF (Depth of Field).

What if You want big DOF? You have to stop down.

So You can use what You have and just use a tripod.

DOF is related to sensor size, focal length, aperture and subject distance. Many combinations.

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

 

"biiig lights and effects in background" - do You mean unsharp, big blobs of light?

Use Your 55-250 set to 70mm, f/4.5 and take a photo from 1.5m.

DOF will be like 7cm. This should render background into blur, more or less.

 

You have two zooms. It's like to have many different fixed-focal lenses.

Every one has different perspective and gives different results, depending on focal length, aperture and distance.

Have You tried to achieve desired results with these what You already have?

Because there isn't universal lens for everything.

 

Dolls aren't rally cars, in most cases You don't need ultra fast lenses.

They're more like a landscape - beautiful and calming.

Some time ago every landscape photographer had a tripod. There was a reason to this

Edited by Guest

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MaxArcher

I have a Nikon D3s and a D300s with the 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 VR1, 50 1.8, and 85 1.8. Obviously I didn't buy them for doll photos, I'm a sports photographer in "real life".

 

The D3 actually isn't great for doll shots. The full-frame sensor makes lenses wider, but you can't get any closer, so it's really hard to get portrait type shots on dolls. I really need to get a macro of some sort for it. The upside is that the low light performance is amazing, and the shallow depth of field is awesome.

 

This is the kind of thing you can get with the D3:

6423959415_5c71c28fd6_z.jpg

Beato Uniform 2 by otakushots, on Flickr

 

I also got a Panasonic GF2 with the 14-42 kit lens for xmas and I'm actually pretty impressed with the results. It looks great at ISO 800 and the kit lens can focus surprisingly close.

 

Here's one from yesterday with the GF2 - sorry it's a BJD pic and not a DD. She's exactly the same size as a DD though.

 

6665616615_0c3bc101d1_z.jpg

P1000268.jpg by otakushots, on Flickr


DD Beatrice - DD Saber/EXTRA

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baldylox

I use a Nikon D60 camera and i have 2 lenses for it... one is the kit lens that a Nikkor 18mm-55mm and I just got a Sigma 70mm-300mm telephoto/macro lens.

 

For what's considered an entry level DSLR, my D60 does wonderful shots. I'm super happy with it's performance!

 

 

Billy


I gave up counting the girls I own, they keep multiplying and won't stop.

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Poofiemus

I'm stuck with a point-and-shoot for the moment, so interchangeable lenses don't apply--Canon Powershot A1000 here. The hardware is actually pretty decent; it's the autofocus software that drives me up the wall. In fact, I like to say my camera is a pervert, because it loves to focus on Agatha's cleavage. XD So to anyone camera shopping, I recommend at least making sure there's a manual mode for whatever you get, DSLR or not, so you have control over the pervert level.

 

Still, I have to second the statement that tripods are amazing and a must-have. Especially when doing macro shots as often as we do; macro mode is much touchier to slight hand movements than normal mode. And yes, they help a ton on rainy days. While here we don't get much rain, go figure when I shot my last story "Uninvited Intruder" is when the weather decided to be rainy and pitch black. Without the tripod I think I would have had to shoot another day entirely, but with it and a bunch of bright lamps I have I was able to shoot anyway.


In this household, sanity is considered a tresspasser.

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MaxArcher

I forgot to mention tripods myself. Yeah, they're really useful, and unfortunately you have to spend a little bit to get one that isn't more frustration then function. I need to get a better one myself, I have a pretty nice little carbon fiber one that's great for a small camera like my Panasonic but can barely handle the D3.


DD Beatrice - DD Saber/EXTRA

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JoltFiend

I have a Sony Alpha 33 with the 18-55 lens, to which a bunch of my friends have been giving me crap for.

 

All my photos of Neris have been taken with that camera and I think they've all come out pretty good. I've been looking at getting another lens, but I haven't decided which yet. I looking at going to a store to see if they'll let me try some out.

 

I do have a tripod, which I've used more for night time sky shooting than I have for taking pics of Neris. It's a cheapy Bower tripod that I got at Fry's, but it's done its job, so I'm not complaining.


11698830435_af9057797c_o.jpg

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AntElitist
I have a Nikon D3s and a D300s with the 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 VR1, 50 1.8, and 85 1.8. Obviously I didn't buy them for doll photos, I'm a sports photographer in "real life".

 

The D3 actually isn't great for doll shots. The full-frame sensor makes lenses wider, but you can't get any closer, so it's really hard to get portrait type shots on dolls. I really need to get a macro of some sort for it. The upside is that the low light performance is amazing, and the shallow depth of field is awesome.

 

This is the kind of thing you can get with the D3:

 

 

I also got a Panasonic GF2 with the 14-42 kit lens for xmas and I'm actually pretty impressed with the results. It looks great at ISO 800 and the kit lens can focus surprisingly close.

 

Here's one from yesterday with the GF2 - sorry it's a BJD pic and not a DD. She's exactly the same size as a DD though.

 

 

Truth. But the only lens that makes it usable is 2470 f/2.8 and 85 f/1.4. The rest are not suitable for Doll photography. Also you don't need high ISO performance for doll photography.

 

I am a poor guy so I don't have many gears.

 

Current Camera owned is:

 

D70

D200

D3

Hasselblad H3D-II 39

 

Lenses owned is:

 

Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G *Best general purpose lens*

Nikkor AiS 50mm f/1.4 *Old is gold, most suitable for doll photography*

Nikkor 200mm f/4D ED-IF AF Micro

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD IF

 

Hasselblad HC 50mm f/3.5

Hasselblad HC 80mm f/2.8

 

Flashes owned is:

 

Nikon Speedlight SB-600

Nikon Speedlight SB-700

Nikon Speedlight SB-800

Metz mecablitz 76 MZ-5

 

Strobes owned is:

Elinchrom D-Lite 4

Elinchrom BX500Ri

 

Backdrop owned is:

Lastolite

 

Lightmeter owned is:

Sekonic l308s

 

Tripod:

Manfrotto, one of the best tripod brand that can handle Hasselblad equipped with Metz hammerhead flash, which results in around 5kg++. A tripod is not a must in studio, but is a must when you are outside because you do not have the time and energy to adjust 2 stands if you get what do I mean. You just need to concentrate in adjusting the doll for posing and angle for the camera, instead of doing the other way round.

 

I am not a good photographer. I don't think I take good pictures either So I only give opinion about gears because I had tested many of these gears. I recommend some below:

 

Sony Alpha A900, Alpha A580.

 

Reason: These gears are amazing. They are cheap, and they are beastly. You can equip Carl Zeiss lens for these babes and it doesn't even cost you an arm or a leg. It's really cheappppppppppppppppppppppp;

 

Nikon D7000

 

Reason: If only your budget is higher. This is the top camera in cropped DSLR, no doubt. High ISO performance makes it amazing, and a +++ if you have 24-70 f/2.8G.

 

Sony NEX 7

 

Reason: Beastly compact if you disregard Leica M series. It's Godly. Don't question this camera.

 

I tried D700, D7000, Lumix LX3, D90, D60, and many many more cameras. I don't want to give Canon any opinion because.... I never like their control. Could never get used to it.

 

For lens with rainy days? Get Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G, it is weather sealed that I took it out to a rainy day to take some shot and come back all fine! I drop my camera and broke my lens hood and it's still working.

 

However, I stopped using the D3 because I no longer take interest in using it anymore. Hasselblad is much more suitable for me for my studio shot. because I take pride in only ISO 100, with big sensor and nice lens. Also Hasselblad is the most suitable camera in doll's photography because of it's sheer details recorded by it's big sensor, and because of it, it's normally used for landscape photography. Generally other Category as well but still the main point is it's details, control in colours and everything. Hence when it's good for Landscape photography, it's always good for Doll's photography cause these 2 goes well with each other.

 

All these for 20 grands. No harm.

 

I am already on the reserve list of getting the Nikon D4, and 20 units of Nikon Speedlight SB-910. I just hope these items come faster... *sigh*

 

Well, I'm just a photographer who just started learning how to take photos. Do teach me more about using a camera properly guise. I need to learn from you, the basics especially.

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Kumi

You forgot the "wink" emoticon here and there in Your text. This one -

Otherwise someone may think that You're serious

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AntElitist
You forgot the "wink" emoticon here and there in Your text. This one -

Otherwise someone may think that You're serious

D= I don't sound serious to you?

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Kumi

Sadly, no...

From another thread, one of our new members:

So I've been saving for a dollfie dream since 7th Grade. (Wow young, I know...) Anyways, I've finally acbleepulated enough for a dollfie dream.

 

and You say, that

 

Hasselblad is the most suitable camera in doll's photography because of it's sheer details recorded by it's big sensor

 

For twenty grand.

So You can buy Sasara, Yuki, Rina, three Sabers and still have some left to get a decent camera.

Not to mention, that You resize this "sheer details" to a mere ONE megapixel and put in on website.

 

Come on

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AntElitist
Sadly, no...

From another thread, one of our new members:

So I've been saving for a dollfie dream since 7th Grade. (Wow young, I know...) Anyways, I've finally acbleepulated enough for a dollfie dream.

 

and You say, that

 

Hasselblad is the most suitable camera in doll's photography because of it's sheer details recorded by it's big sensor

 

For twenty grand.

So You can buy Sasara, Yuki, Rina, three Sabers and still have some left to get a decent camera.

Not to mention, that You resize this "sheer details" to a mere ONE megapixel and put in on website.

 

Come on

True true. I am now wondering why did I get this camera in the first place. Since I only shoot Mashiro... and that's all. I was told "Hey it's nice" so I got it in a heartbeat. Now I am getting the D4 to shoot on the street for fun

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Traveller

I currently use two compact camaras .......... Olympus VG-120 & Samsung D75.

 

As I am not someone who takes a lot of pictures, even with 3 girls in the house hold, a K9 & a Dalek, so don't think at this moment in time it is worth me expanding into the DCSLR line of cameras.

 

I have started to play with the setting more on the cameras more as i take just random shots and have invested in a light weight traveller tripod the cameras for when I go back to japan and a heavier and bigger one for inside usage, as it rises higher than the travel version and lines up more with the location of the Center point display the girls currently stand in.

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Mahoro

I'm another D60 owner, of which I bought the camera a little over 2.5 years ago specifically for when I was going to Japan again with my friend, and long before I cared about dollfies at all in fact.

 

My stuff consists of the following:

 

Nikon D60

Nikon 18-55mm VR Kit Lens

Nikon 18-200mm VR

Nikon 35mm f/1.8 (the newest one and my favorite by far!)

Nikon Speedlight SB-400

Very old (and very heavy, its all metal) Sigma 70-200mm Manual Focus I got from ebay for like 15$ before I got the 18-200mm VR for 400$, supposidly has gunk that doesn't show up in photos inside the lens, but I can't see them.

A DIY flash bounce card setup

 

I was tempted to get a D5100 or D7000, but really, I realized I really don't need it. Once you hit 10mp, its all about technique to taking good photos, may as well spend that time loving my girls instead of worrying about the price tags of things I don't need. I'd be NICE to have video functionality, but I can live without, I certainly have for the last 2.5 years and 4 trips perfectly fine.

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Pihlajakoto

I use Nikon D40 with Nikon Nikkor 18-200mm f:3.5-5.6 lens. A like it has a image stabilizer and enough zoom that I can get close-ups. I can get good photos straight, but I usually prefer to tweek raws with Photoshop CS5

 

About the closest zoom I get with this set-up. Original raw was too dark so this is photoshopped

6753960243_e5e41371c1_z.jpg


My blog Pihlajakoto

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Bellatrix

I have a Panasonic Lumics DMC-FS30, but I'm not that good doing pics, especially in my home... any advice for me? :S


df64a03a777dc9f9a060ef6b286773b3-1.gif    ✩ 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓶 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔁 ✩

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milkytea

I wanted to throw in my two cents about point & shoot cameras. It's been established that DSLRs are pretty awesome and there's a wide variety of options along different price points. Besides, it's handy to have a point & shoot if you're going somewhere that a DSLR is too bulky/heavy or where "professional" cameras are prohibited.

 

I've owned quite a few point & shoot cameras over the years, and I've found that something to consider when you look for a camera is a quality lens. You can't swap it out like a DSLR or some of the bridge cameras, so you're stuck with it.

 

My two most recent cameras were a horrible experience and an awesome experience.

 

HORRIBLE: Nikon Coolpix S3100 (MSRP $140--it's an older model now, but the replacement S3300 doesn't look any better.)

It was moderately-priced,compact, came in cute colours, and seemed fairly well-rated. Then it arrived, and it was the bane of my existence for two major reasons:

1. Would not focus on anything. Ever. Take a picture, claims it's focusing somewhere, and when you check the preview it seems pretty good...until you view it on a larger screen or zoom in. Then you realize that absolutely everything is indistinct and blurry. I altered every setting I could touch--no change. A friend of mine with photography as his primary hobby asked to see it when I kept complaining about it. He took a picture, looked at the preview and commented, "...Doesn't look that bad." I told him to zoom in, and his comment changed to, "...WTF, nothing is in focus." This wouldn't matter if I only took photos of drunk people at late-night parties and posted them on Facebook, but for pictures of dolls...WORTHLESS.

2. Lag between pictures--up to 12 seconds. The SD card is class 10, and I've used it in several other cameras--usually a D90--with no adverse results. I also always reformat when swapping from one camera to the next. This camera simply cannot write to any SD card without choking on itself. It even has a hard time saving photos to its own internal memory. I missed a lot of opportunities while waiting to be able to take the next picture.

 

It got to the point where I simply could not live in peace with the S3100. I fantasized about throwing it into the Chicago River every time I walked to work. So I went to a camera store and told them that I already have a DSLR and wanted an auxiliary point & shoot that could take clear macro shots in low lighting for toy photography. The camera they suggested absolutely swept me off my feet.

 

AWESOME: Nikon Coolpix P300 (MSRP $330--bought mine from Adorama for $245)

The P300 is a point & shoot that actually has full manual, aperture priority, and shutter priority modes, allowing the creative control of a DSLR for a camera that fits into your pocket. (Well, not my pocket--they're tiny. It would definitely fit in my husband's pocket.) The P300 also has the processing power to perform well in those modes. (Also, the lens is practically a work of art.) It doesn't allow you to shoot in RAW and some of the manual settings require lots of switching between digital menus. However, it does two things very well:

1. Aperture priority mode is flipping amazing. You can go from f/8.0 to f/1.8. It doesn't provide the best bokeh, but having any control over the depth of field is useful if you want the focus of a picture to be the doll and not that pile of tangled cables over in the background that you can't seem to cover up or move out of the frame effectively. With most point & shoot cameras, good luck with that.

2. Vibration reduction that works. I do not have a steady hand. I've developed a compensatory reaction of clicking the shutter button in rapid succession with the hopes that at least one photo won't be blurred by motion. I don't need to do that with this camera, and I waste less pictures this way! Digital photos are free and it's better to have too many than too few, but removing the extra step of "deleting all the blurred-beyond-recognition" photos before sorting through the rest saves time and feels less frustrating.

 

So basically this camera is my new best friend, and if I wouldn't risk a littering fine I'd toss the old camera into the river today.

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Ravendruid

Thank you, for the review. I've wondered for a long time about a back-up camera or one to take out around town without feeling paranoid like I do with my "good" camera (a Canon Rebel dsi, which I love, but was WAYY out of my budget at the time and still feels too expensive). I had heard someone else with similar complaints about the S3100, and so had pretty much written off the whole Coolpix series.


Daddy of: Yuriko, Sohi, Miku and SK's many kids

12437295384_b307eb5ce8.jpg

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milkytea
Thank you, for the review. I've wondered for a long time about a back-up camera or one to take out around town without feeling paranoid like I do with my "good" camera (a Canon Rebel dsi, which I love, but was WAYY out of my budget at the time and still feels too expensive). I had heard someone else with similar complaints about the S3100, and so had pretty much written off the whole Coolpix series.

 

My experience with the S3100 had me writing off the Coolpix series as well, but when I tested the P300 and a somewhat similar Canon--I wish I could remember which model!!!--I was pleasantly surprised. The Canon model I tried was a fair bit more expensive, so the Nikon won out for me due to the price. (I think it was the Powershot S95, but don't hold me to it! My memory isn't the greatest.)

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Mahoro

My experience with the numerous point and shoot ones I used of my dad's before I had a DSLR was that for some reason I really disliked the Nikon ones compared to the Canon ones. The Canon ones I could more reliably take a picture I liked (given I knew next to nothing about photography at the time). But that was my uneducated point of view after all....though you never know, it might be more accurate in a way, it better reflects the point of view of the majority of users?

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AntElitist
My experience with the numerous point and shoot ones I used of my dad's before I had a DSLR was that for some reason I really disliked the Nikon ones compared to the Canon ones. The Canon ones I could more reliably take a picture I liked (given I knew next to nothing about photography at the time). But that was my uneducated point of view after all....though you never know, it might be more accurate in a way, it better reflects the point of view of the majority of users?

http://jerryghionisblog.com/2012/01/hello-my-name-is-jerry-ghionis-and-i-am-a-nikon-shooter.html

 

Yeap, Just user opinion, but like this guy said, gear takes you to a new level. Trust on him.

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Strife212

Canon 500D with Kit Lens, orz.

 

Works nice enough for me though.


rBP74.png

Dolls: Saber, Saber Alter, Saber Lily, Saber Extra, Saber Alter 2nd,

Aozaki Aoko, Alice Kuonji, Haruhi Suzumiya, Yuki Nagato

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Kumi
Canon 500D with Kit Lens, orz.

 

Works nice enough for me though.

 

It's not orz it's

Really, most current "big sensor" cameras - even DX or 4/3 with kit lens - can produce very good pictures.

And gear doesn't take You on the new level by itself.

You have to "level up" by Yourself and when You outgrow Your old camera/lens combo, it's time to upgrade.

 

Also, Your Camera Doesn't Matter

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