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[Ongoing] Pro Photo Gear Discussion

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On Massdrop, whether you’re a beginner just starting out or a seasoned expert, you should always be able to find answers to your questions within the community.
PRO PHOTOGRAPHY Capturing the right moments requires the right skill, but those moments are made all the better when you have the right gear. And that’s just the beginning. Editing your photography is a journey all on its own, and learning about the hardware, software, and equipment you can incorporate into your process can improve your work from start to finish.
ASK QUESTIONS • How can I optimize the lenses I bring with me on a trip? • Which cameras are best for taking video? • What’s the best kind of monitor for editing photos?
Find your answers by asking the community. There are members here who are experts in pretty much every area you can imagine, and they can help you go from beginner to pro.
Ask your question/s by posting in the discussion below.
GIVE ANSWERS Many of you in the community have valuable information to share. We encourage you to help those who have questions or open the topic up for debate.

Want to start your own discussion? Click here: www.massdrop.com/talk/new
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Logano
0
Mar 16, 2019
Looking for a new lense, I’m thinking of buying a macro lense for bird banding photography. I have a Nikon d3400, I have been looking at the sigma 105mm macro lense, any thoughts on if this is a good choice or not, or any alternatives ? This is a photo I have taken with a nikon 55-200
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AngeloR
67
Sep 10, 2018
Why does my phone do 4k 60fps, but Eos R only has 4k 30?
EricLippe
0
Sep 12, 2020
AngeloRIt boils down to sensor size, bit rate and thermodynamics. When trying to collect data from a sensor, it doesn't take much to get a 4k image. Only 9 megapixels are needed for a 4k image, but getting that at 24-60 times per second is a challenge. Specifically, heat exchange. Now that data rates are much easier to handle for the processors, heat is the remaining problem, with each megabit taking millions of electrical impulses that generate heat. On smaller sensors, heat can dissapate more quickly. This is why micro 4/3rds cameras have had 4k for longer, why most cinema cameras are super 35 sensors (aka APS-C for DSLR shooters) and why full frame 4k is so expensive. The iphone has a 1/2.55" sensor, compared to the EOS R's 35mm full frame one. Or the R is about 5.6x as big.
AngeloR
67
Aug 10, 2018
Other than it obviously cropping the picture, are there any disadvantages of a cropped sensor over a full frame if they have the same specs
An 85mm lens will simply behave differently on a crop sensor. The crop factor varies, but generally it's going to end up around 115mm-125 equivalent. So it's going to be more tele and less wide. Also FF sensor cameras give you a shallower depth of field. This is part of the magic of 85mm. When you are just far enough away to get the head and shoulders in frame, in most cases the 85's DOF only covers from the tip of the nose to the eyes. The sides of the head will start to subtly blur out, which gives a nice flattering look. (especially on us 40+ folks) On a crop sensor you'll almost always have the whole head in focus, other settings being generally equivalent. I experienced this first hand as I went from crop sensor bodies to a full frame. My lens collection was limited to a 35, 40 and 85mm. On my APSC camera the 85 was really good, but I often went to the 35 or 40mm lenses for their compact size. Also the 85 was just a touch too tele. Making it awkwardly long when doing street photography. I had to keep stepping back! On the full frame 6D the 35 was suddenly very wide to my eyes. The 40 was almost indistinguishable from the 35, and the 85 was much more fun and practical to use! That all said, the classic 85 portrait thing is a wide open (or close to it) shot. Which of course isn't always practical. And not the only stylistic choice for portraits. It will still do that cool thing which emphasizes the roundness of peoples heads even when stopped down though.
Demoknight
36
Apr 1, 2019
AngeloRFull frame sensors are larger, so they can absorb more photons in the same shutter speeds. This makes them better at low-light shooting.
chikwa
10
Apr 30, 2018
Favourite travel tripod and/or long exposure tripod?
Manfrotto is DA BOM.
chikwaI did an Asia trip with the MeFoto GlobeTrotter Classic Carbon Fiber. Collapses very small (41cm, 1.7kg) , was able to strap it under the Peak Sling 10L. Comes with an Arca ballhead. Was able to ditch the plate and shave off 0.5cm and a few grams since I had a Peak Capture plate attached to the camera. Comes with spiked rubber feet, standard 3/8 16" if you need to attach metal spikes.
Did a 1 hr timelapse of the blood moon over the South China Sea, strapping my bag off the center column hook to stabilize it. Very happy with it.
eolav
0
Apr 24, 2018
What lens is best for Canon m5 when it comes to landscape like photography? Mostly mountains or hills, northern countries.
eolav
0
May 23, 2018
Thanks you have been a great help! I'm reading about the lenses now I really appreciate the recommendations
Fwimbish3
1
Aug 10, 2018
eolavYou can often find great wide lenses for canon from third parties like tokina or samyang. They are sharp, have large maximum apertures, and are significantly cheaper.
agentx216
2
Apr 22, 2018
Has MD ever had a mirrorless lens go on sale? Let's upvote those deals, yo!!
Duncan
3731
Apr 16, 2018
Hey folks. We have a winner of the Peak Design Everyday Bag & Field Pouch. Congrats to @Dr.McCoy! The giveaway has concluded, but if you have any questions (or answers), keep them coming. Thanks y'all.
Dr.McCoy
345
Apr 16, 2018
DuncanThanks again, Duncan & Massdrop! Really looking forward to it!
lastzero
254
Apr 15, 2018
Anyone have any recommendations for a Light Room alternative? I'm looking for something to store and organize my images with tags and light edits on the side.
DigiKam is great for tagging, and can tag raw images. I used this to add metadata in bulk. It can do bulk renaming based on tags, moving to other folders, etc.. It's open source and it's free.
If you need something for demosaicing and developing in bulk, RawTherapee has a great and fast workflow once you understand and get used to it. DarkTable might be a little easier to learn. Both are perfectly capable of replacing Lightroom.
There's also Affinity Photo if you want to stick it to Adobe by supporting a competitor. It's got an interesting RAW workflow and it works with PortraitProfessional plugins so I could ditch Photoshop. I do the developing in RawTherapee due to its sheer power and bring it in to Affinity Photo for editing.
lastzero
254
May 23, 2018
b9d9ffdad3ac59e7f6fI have not heard of DigiKim but I've just downloaded it so I'll try it and see what I can do. I love Affinity but it's more a PS competitor than LR. If they make one for LR, I would support them and pay it in a heart beat. RawTherapee I do have but if it supports tagging and related I would be set. Thanks for the recommendations and I'll try it now! Cheers!
Mantequillas
14
Apr 11, 2018
Does anyone have recommendations for Adobe Lightroom educatio? I am ok with it but want to get better. Or is there a better app out there for processin?
kingfisher
May 10, 2018
MantequillasFor processing, Capture One is terrific. Its tools for working with curves, levels, color, etc. have spoiled me. I can’t even imagine using Lightroom for working with an image. In comparison, Lightroom seems downright primitive.
It can be expensive, but if you use Sony, they offer a deal that is quite affordable. I haven’t checked in awhile about whether they still have that, though.
My problem with either LR or CO is that organizing collections of digital images is difficult for me. I still mainly shoot film. Huge four drawer filing cabinets full of negatives work a lot better for this old brain.
Mantequillas
14
May 10, 2018
kingfisherThanks I will give that a try!
kentobeanz
3
Apr 9, 2018
Does anyone use the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L? I've been eyeing it to use as a travel backpack and to hold my Sony A7III with my 35mm and GoPro camera and accessories. I'm 5'5 and weigh about 150 so I'm just wondering if it's going to be too bulky or not? I normally use North face backpacks and I do love it but its just too bulky to use at times.
yanjay
9
May 17, 2018
kentobeanzI have the bag for half a year now. I am of similar build to you and I found it very comfortable. I managed to carry my m43 camera body+ 3 lenses and my Mavic Pro as well as a travel tripod. Very versatile.
Demoknight
36
Apr 1, 2019
kentobeanzThe 20L is a great size for a smaller person. I use the bag, and I keep my A7iii with 24-105mm F4 on the camera, while keeping the 70-200mm F4 and batteries/chargers/filters. I also carry a Macbook Pro with charger as well. My only complaint about the bag is once I put my electronics inside, it isn't quite big enough to have space for a change of clothes, but I could still fit another lens in there as well. I also has attachment points and straps all over the outside that I use to carry my Three Legged Thing tripod as well. All of that fits while the backpack still looks and feels sleek and minimalist.
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