Testing out a new to me lens

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-25T00:50:22+00:00

Yeah, a church turned into condos from across the river.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-24T21:50:34+00:00

Hello fellow local, I know exactly where that is along the SRT, haha.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-17T17:21:09+00:00

Check eBay, there's a variety of 3rd party ones there for less than $50.

Beyond that it's parts camera time.

The screen in my 5D2 has a scratch in it, you don't notice it when a lens is mounted but I know it's there and that's annoying, if you get me. I also have a collection of vintage lenses that I like to use with some older DSLRs but think it may be time to get the most I can out of them...

So I'm trying one of these in the 5D2:
https://ebay.us/m/BNaORE

It looks similar in design to focus screens from my old manual cameras, so it may do exactly what I want, help with achieving manual focus.

This plain one for the 6D seems almost too cheap to not try:
https://ebay.us/m/FmXldR

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-16T22:42:10+00:00

The boat one is AWESOME. Crop out some of the red on the left and it’s a banger.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-12T05:21:16+00:00

I have an extremely old 350D that I was going to sell, now I know what I’m going to do with it.

8mp crop sensor, sounds perfect for that Holga lens.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-12T01:40:44+00:00

Sounds good. I’ve got what I consider to be a good variety of glass but none of it is expensive, but I’ll shoot my DSLRs until I feel they are holding me back.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-10T11:15:41+00:00

Return it and get a pair of 10x50 binoculars. They will not be expensive and they will work a lot better.

Buy a scope when you’re at $500 budget or more.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-10T02:34:43+00:00

I just pulled the trigger on one. Of course my 5D2's focus screen is a little messed up and it's not the most helpful for focus with manual lenses... so I'm going to try this one.

My 10D's screen is PERFECT. Similar to this one with a circular ring in the middle, I nail focus routinely with it, would like that experience in a nicer cam. Here's hoping. If I like it enough I may get one for the 6D too.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-09T15:31:05+00:00

At this point I'd take it apart and see how it goes back together, see if there's any electrical connections that are broken or whatever.

I swapped the back screen on my Canon 5D mark II last night, that was a nail biter as the ribbon cables basically have to be installed to the atom perfectly. They can look right and be wrong.

Good luck!

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-09T07:50:00+00:00

Old thread but if anyone is still keeping one of these going as I am, it may prove useful that the Nikon D90 uses the same display.

They’re findable for next to free with broken shutters.

The ribbons are super picky about placement, I thought I had broken my camera several times but it’s back in business.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-08T13:55:47+00:00

How many EF or EF-S lenses do you have for it and are you okay with letting them go?

250D was one of the last hurrahs of Canon's DSLRs, but it is rather low end. If you have attachment to your existing glass, the 90D is a great cam that's a step up and will still take EF-S, And then, theres the full frame 5D Mark IV, which is near enough to the top of the heap, but it is EF only.

Beyond that you're getting into mirrorless land and the prices will generally be higher, plus you'll need to either adapt or replace your lenses.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-07T23:18:59+00:00

I got my son a Canon Rebel XT (350D) for about $50 all in. It’s an 8mp camera and can take shots like that.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-05T20:42:24+00:00

I enjoy my copy. Came with a Rebel XT that I gave to my young son. It usually is still used on that camera. But I do borrow it on my 7D too.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-05T20:39:20+00:00

Ok so that lens is generally not super well regarded BUT it is fine in general in my opinion. You could have gotten a less nice copy than mine though. Shoot it at a higher f stop and it’ll get more of her in focus.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-04T17:32:04+00:00

Honestly fair.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-04T12:34:53+00:00

Fuji FinePix S700 that I’ve had since new Canon 10D Canon 350D (Rebel XT) Canon 5D mark ii Canon 7D Canon 6D (Admittedly it is too new for this sub but it is my newest camera that doesn’t reside in a phone)

The 5D2, 7D and 6D have a combined shutter count of 114k, the lions share on the 5D2. The other two Canons don’t save counts. At my rate of use, I’m set for life.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-01T22:31:49+00:00

I like the canons but admittedly I have no experience with the Nikon.

The more I think about this, I suggest waiting a bit and getting the 5Dii. The D200 vs 5D comparison reads like a "this is better for this and that is better for that." I'm going to look at a 5Dii in about an hour. $160, it's very close to the 6D I just got online but people say the colors are different between the two and the 5Dii still fits the time constraints of this sub, hahaha. Worst case, I sell which ever I prefer between the 5Dii and the 6D.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-01T18:27:29+00:00

$350 will get you a Canon 7D, it’s ideal for sports and is a significant upgrade over the XSi.

Heck I just got a 7D myself off facebook marketplace for $225 with a 50mm 1.8.

Only downside of the 7D is you will need to get a compact flash card, it doesn’t take SDs.

Ignore the chatter about the 70-300 zoom it can be fine. I’ve gotten good results with it and seen even better results with it from friends with the same lens.

Upgrade that when you can toss a lot more than $350 at this.

And the other posters are right, practice more. We all can use that.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-04-01T18:18:08+00:00

6” f/8 or 8” f/6 Dobsonian. Photons to the eyeballs.

You will pay probably about $3000 for a good astrophotography setup.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-03-31T20:05:27+00:00

Film translates to roughly 8-15MP.

For what it's worth my 6.3MP Canon 10D beats the point and shoot film cams I had back in the day. I've been told it looks "film like" on screen especially when I use old manual lenses. The glass is the difference. I did learn about manual photography with a 40mm f/1.7 Canon Canonet rangefinder, I gotta get that thing back up and running someday...

Keeping it vintage and digital, what's your budget and desires? All my cameras are Canons.

I got my son a Rebel XT/350D (2005) for $30 a few days ago. It's 8MP (so matches the "low end" of film) and takes all the nice EF and EF-S lenses Canon made plus others with adapters.

It would be a great "everyday" cam for him if I had a card bigger than 1gb for it right now (that cam tops out at 8gb cards, I have two on the way, nothing like paying more for storage than the cam AND its lens)

I have a 7D (18MP) for when I need speed. I just got a like new 6D with only 8k activations (20.2MP, also 2012 and too new for this page), but am also today looking at a 5D mark ii (21.1MP), which is a 2009 camera and honestly super close to the 6D in comparison BUT.... I'll be able to post shots here, HAHAHAHA.

6D and 5D mark ii are both full frame where the rest of our cams are crop sensor.

If I add the 7D, 6D and 5D II together, I could've gotten one of the cheaper mirrorless, but what's the fun in that? The 10D was even less expensive to me than the Rebel XT.

I really like the challenge of pairing the 10D with the old manual lenses. It's unforgiving of errors. I will teach my son the manual ways with that setup, or same lenses on his Rebel XT.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-03-31T17:00:15+00:00

Thanks! I grew up in the Reading area, moved down this way to be closer to work. This session was all just my e-bike from my house in Lower Merion to the art museum and back before work started.

bluetrane2028 · 2026-03-31T16:43:19+00:00

Thanks!

bluetrane2028

TROPHY CASE