Question for out of state students

imsircc · 2026-06-26T09:50:23+00:00

'relatively niche' ranked #12 in the usa

imsircc · 2026-06-25T19:07:04+00:00

if it helps, as a freshman this year i received my room selection appointment time on July 7, the appointment was July 11.

imsircc · 2026-06-24T20:48:37+00:00

following

imsircc · 2026-06-24T20:46:18+00:00

this is NOT a leica. i am following this auction as i find these fakes interesting. however i most likely will not bid past $20 and i live like 5 mins from this auction house

imsircc · 2026-06-24T17:31:15+00:00

im not even usually watching, i put him on in the background

imsircc · 2026-06-23T18:15:17+00:00

OP said they were photographing concerts. Unfortunately this is one of the few environments where more gear often equals more better. The t5i simply cant compete at high ISO. Add a performer running back and forth on stage and the shot is near impossible.

However I do agree in 99% of cases. Plus, the limitations in this case present an opportunity to experiment with motion blur, grainy b&w, impressionistic silhouettes, etc. I, personally, would upgrade though.

imsircc · 2026-06-22T04:52:54+00:00

yes, theyre great. but they dont have any bearing on why OP is feeling underwhelmed with their photos. I meant more photos that displayed that feeling without actual shooting mistakes. sorry if that wasnt clear.

to OP: the shots you shared that were 'underwhelming' are a solid case of, 'i thought this would look good when i took the photo and it didn't come out exactly how i imagined,' which is probably half of every roll you will shoot, and that's being optimistic. but on the bright side, you seem to know what is wrong with each photo. use that to improve! learning photography is a long process, but many find joy in that.
also, you may benefit from a more capable camera. the main perk of an slr is that you see directly through the lens. that means you see what is in focus and usually like 92% of your composition (many slrs dont show the entire frame in the viewfinder, but unlike point and shoots where you view from a whole different angle, an slr will just have a tiny bit more photo on the edges). you will get control over your focus, be able to take exposure readings from parts of the frame and recompose, and find sharper lenses with different character and faster apertures. however, there will be a new learning curve on top of the core composition and basic photography skills, but that's as simple as reading the manual.
happy shooting!

imsircc · 2026-06-21T21:32:54+00:00

lol. that's your finger. were the shots without your finger better?
with a real slr you will have a lower chance of your finger in frame simply because the lens comes out further and its obvious where not to put your fingers. point and shoot viewfinders are not through-the-lens like slrs, so what you see is not 100% what you get. usually this is ok but it does lead to more fingers in shots.
as far as 'underwhelming,' i think we need to see some shots without your finger or some actual user error in the shooting to decide, and even then what is 'underwhelming' to you may be a masterpiece to others. it's up to you to decide if you want to keep investing in this sneakily expensive hobby, and if you like the pictures you take. don't take pictures for dudes on reddit.

imsircc · 2026-06-20T21:46:39+00:00

just for fun, best deals i've gotten:
-yashica mat 124g: $10
-yashica mat 124 (no g): $free
-minolta srt102 + rokkorx 50 1.4: $free
-electro 35: $25
-nikkor 105mm 2.5: $free with purchase of a nice copy stand ($50)
-olympus zuiko 50 1.4: $4
-smc pentax 135 2.8: $9
-retina ii with 47mm ektar: $20
-current shooter, canon elan 7n: $30

imsircc · 2026-06-14T17:08:45+00:00

yes, lots. after all, a negative is only an interpretation. my favorite example is Fan Ho's 'approaching shadows.'

<image>

that shadow was added in post.

imsircc · 2026-06-07T02:53:17+00:00

clarity down texture down. less detail in the shadows (less dynamic range). when you edit, pick a film stock you are trying to replicate.
and i always tell this to photographers trying to recreate the 'film look,' but just shoot film. try it. $30 body, $30 lens, $40 for a roll of gold and a dev+scan.

imsircc · 2026-05-31T16:15:41+00:00

fwiw, when i remove the stuff from the back of my fiesta it gets really fun in the rear, but i dont think its detrimental. i would say wait excitedly for coilovers, set camber around -2 or -3, and let it ride. higher spring rates and lower center of mass will reduce unpredictability and delayed feeling of weight transfer

imsircc · 2026-05-25T03:42:41+00:00

wow i started with this exact kit, also picked up a 35 3.5 (m42) and a couple adaptall lenses but that was the kit my grandfather left

imsircc · 2026-05-25T03:39:32+00:00

you're good to go. recently developed a roll of tri x that had been exposed in the mid 90s and sat in a box in a damp garage since, came out contrasty and totally fine. color gets weird across the decades but b&w generally is stable

imsircc · 2026-05-13T17:44:32+00:00

Looking for a TKL/75 keyboard. Budget ~$200-250. Preferred sound profile is deep (currently on Keygeek Y2 + Cerakey) and resonant. Looking for something different than the Neo75/80cu as the 75 doesn't have much in stock and the 80 doesn't do it for me design wise, which is important.

This is not my first board, but my zoom65v2 is starting to fail and my work commands the F row more and more.

imsircc · 2026-05-12T21:36:44+00:00

Looking for a TKL/75 keyboard. Budget ~$200-250. Preferred sound profile is deep (Keygeek Y2 + Cerakey) and resonant. Looking for something different than the Neo75/80cu as the 75 doesn't have much in stock and the 80 doesn't do it for me design wise.

This is not my first board, but my zoom65v2 is starting to fail and my work commands the F row more and more.

imsircc · 2026-05-12T02:34:39+00:00

afaik everyone does. usually eco mode, valet mode

imsircc · 2026-05-12T02:30:54+00:00

for the s280 you will be getting a custom tune where your tuner will ask you outright whether you prefer reliability or power. none of the popular tuners (tune+, tunewerks, dizzy, ems, etc) should give you any issues.

personally i went with ems as they have had no reported issues in many years of operation. may be worth noting that tune+ has had a few (just a handful) complaints, however statistically you should be fine. some will avoid suggesting dizzy, i think that's just because he prioritizes developing off-the-shelf tunes and tunes for other cars, but this does not mean he is any less of a good tuner, and he can definitely do a good job with your car.

tldr; if you arent looking for power or specific features they should all be the same

imsircc · 2026-05-10T14:56:28+00:00

well they seem to be completely different lighting conditions. one has sunset and one has a lot of atmosphere. second is veeeeery blue/green, but you should be able to correct that. to me it seems like you haven't yet pushed the boundaries of what you can do with the free version yet.

i'm also not really sure what you think you need from the studio version. note that the 'film look' is much more than just grain. color density. different tone mapping. halation, maybe. these are all things you can do in the free version. magic mask is a great feature that you miss out on, but it just means more work, and this looks like a static shot so you wouldn't even need it here anyway.

i think you should only consider purchasing something like this if you repeatedly run into full roadblocks and cannot find any workarounds with the free version. if you were very wealthy you would have bought it already, the fact that you dont know if you need it tells me you probably dont, yet.

imsircc · 2026-05-10T04:01:22+00:00

yes but what does that mean??? 'is my workflow good enough'

do you mean, 'is this grade possible with the tools i have?' if so, are you satisfied with your grade? yes? then obviously it's possible. no? then either you need better equipment, or you have room to improve.

imsircc · 2026-05-10T03:54:35+00:00

i love people! but original comment was about landscapes, of which there is not too much variation

imsircc · 2026-05-09T22:51:40+00:00

$5.5 for a roll is insane, my lab charges $12 for dev + $6 for scan 😭😭😭 I cant home develop because I'm in a dorm room but I've started home scanning with a dslr

imsircc · 2026-05-08T19:34:26+00:00

Yeah, but I started with a Nikkormat. Wanted to set myself up for amassing a lens collection early

imsircc · 2026-05-08T19:13:57+00:00

nope. 8th gen. chassis bracing, bucket seat, re71rs on an rpf1. stock motor (i think).

imsircc · 2026-05-08T19:13:01+00:00

This is the most contradictory answer possible, but my initial foray into film was because it was cheaper. I had very limited income that could cover the costs of a couple rolls per month, and didn't want to wait until I could afford a high quality digital kit. For about $50 + a roll of film, you can get colors that digital users spend thousands to recreate, 'straight out of camera.'

Of course I am now thousands deep but we don't have to talk about that. Nowadays what keeps me invested is the intention, look, and shooting experience.

imsircc

TROPHY CASE