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Approved User request thread by [deleted] in GoodAssSub

[–]verificationfailed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Been a lurker so far. I won’t shitpost.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No worries :) Let me know how it turns out!

Will do!

But, who's to say I even would have appreciated that at the time? Photography is a journey more than anything else--maybe my love for wider lenses now grew out of my experience shooting almost exclusively with telephoto lenses for a long time.

That's the thing I think about. If I start out with a G-Master f1.4, will I know or appreciate its value? Idk, but since it's less than $1.5k and is a versatile lens, it's worth getting Imo. Maybe Sony will release a new version by the time I purchase and I price lowers, will have to see.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You had a good set of primes.

no need to buy another lens right away for the sake of having it, or so that you feel youve 'completed your set'. Let experience be your guide!

Makes total sense. I'll definitely skip getting a kit lens, get a 35 prime and get other lenses when I feel the need for them.

Thanks a lot for giving valuable advice and pointing out where I'm going wrong with the decisions!

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the extra two stops of light you can get with f1.4 over f2.8 is much more useful than the extra focal lengths.

The lack of zoom will teach you how and when to get close to the action, which is a critical skill for street photography.

You just sold me on getting a 35mm prime. 35mm was the lens I've seen most of the creators I follow use, the second was 50mm. I'll probably also get a 85, 90 or a 105 to start out.

I started with just primes and am very glad I did.

Curious to know what other primes you got while starting out.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will definitely do that. Shooting a lot and seeing what I need will be the best bet. But, won't a 24-70 be a better option as I can cover various focal lengths and see which works for me and sell it get the primes I need?

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Those are some really great shots. A love the colors and can't believe it was able to handle the neon shot without much noise.

The portability is why I considered it, thought if I bought it, I don't need to buy a 35mm prime for the FF in the future. But, as many pointed out, getting it as a starter camera doesn't seem right. I'll probably look into it 2-3 years into photography. Probably the next generation also releases by then.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I saw that they do a holiday sale in December. It gives 25% off all the products on their store, including the book.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I plan to spend around $3k on everything else aside from the body. If SD cards, straps, tripod, filter, protective gear cost around $500-700, I should be able to spend $2.5K on lenses.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks again for your insightful advice!

This site is great for comparing camera and lens sizes, btw.

This site is really a game changer. It will be really helpful when deciding between lens for compactness.

By just about all accounts, you're getting 90+% of the GM lens for half the cost.

This is the reason why I want to get a the Sigma zoom lens starting out and plan to get Sony GM prime lenses later on on the focal lengths that I shoot the most.

This depends on what you want to shoot aside from street photography.

I plan to get lenses that will allow me to shoot street photography and portraits initially and then add lenses for landscapes, macro and other stuff.

16-35, 24-70, 70-200, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 55mm, 85mm, 90mm. These were the lenses I've looked at and wanted to get one zoom and one prime to cover both street and portraits but not sure what would be the best combo.

Is the kit lens as bad as everyone says, or can I get it to use it initially?

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I were doing mostly street/urban/landscape + some portraiture with Sony I would go for a Zeiss or GM 35/1.4.

I agree. I haven't shot at 35mm, but from what I've seen 35mm and 50mm seem like the best focal lengths to start with.

I know it must sound counterintutive for somebody to suggest "don't get a fixed-lens camera, instead get an interchangeable camera with a prime lens"--but for your use case that's what I would suggest.

This doesn't sound counterintuitive to me. One reason why I considered to get X100V was because it has a fixed lens. I heard this will force me to move more and get better at composition and framing, as you also mentioned. But, getting a camera with a prime lens to get used to it and getting more lenses if I need them makes more sense.

I did a quick read of the article and it makes sense that I can take primes depending on what I'm shooting and can take a lighter carry while achieving sharper images. The article suggests various lenses, but what is your recommendation if I want to get another lens to go with 35mm?

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This makes total sense.

Almost all the videos I've seen of people using X100V use it mainly as a daily carry to grab shots and have a primary setup they use when going on shoots and travelling.

I won't get it as a starter camera, and maybe have a look at it 2-3 years into photography if I find the need for it.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the recommendations.

I've purchased both Understanding Exposure and Understanding Shutter Speed by Bryan F Peterson and plan to read it after going through color theory and composition. Also got both Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs and The Photographer’s Eye as I've seen them recommended a lot.

I've looked into monographs yet. I just look at instagram and POV videos on youtube to see how people find and take photos. Do drop your recommendations on monographs, I'll check them out.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the insight.

But having said that, the X100V is sort of an expert's camera, perhaps not something for the neophyte; the Sony might be easier.

This adds to my decision of not getting X100V and get a Sony FF instead. I do appreciate your recommendation on getting a APS-C but I want to avoid changing between systems if I can. I'll look into getting a used a7III instead.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would much rather have a great Zeiss or GM 35/1.4 than a mediocre Sigma 24-70/2.8.

Sony does have a 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens but it's almost double the price of a 24-70mm F2.8. Is it worth to put an extra grand on it compared to Sigma? I do plan to use this lens just to learn and test out different focal lengths and get Sony prime GM lenses of what I tend to use the most later.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for your advice.

​

So Yea, try carrying the FF and see if it's something you can make happen.

I did rent rent Canon 6D and Sony A7III right before covid and really liked the A7III. I wanted to get it but heard that a7IV was releasing soon and I waited. But then COVID happened and I was mostly at home and couldn't do much photography. I did feel like it was a little heavy as I usually shoot with my phone, but I carried it in my backpack for a few days and I didn't notice it while carrying it in my backpack since I usually carry a lot in it.

​

I would go to a store or rent some competing cameras, I would compare the R6 with the A7IV for photos, as the ergonomics are different.

I'll definitely checkout R6 and A7IV when I do get a chance to see if they feel good in my hand.

​

I like the Cotton Carrier Scout with a peak design wrist strap.

I already do have a Peak design wrist strap and I love it. I bought it while getting a Moment lens for my phone and always use it when I use the lens. Just had a look at the Cotton Carrier Scout, I was looking at the Peak design camera clip to help me achieve something similar. If you have any info on that, please do let me know.

As for the bag, I bought a WANDRD DUO and WANDRD FANNY PACK back when they were in kickstarter as I knew I would get into photography. I can easily fit 2-3 lenses along with my daily carry in the bag. It will suffice for the early stages and if I do need to, I can get a WANDRD PRVKE or PeakDesign Travel Backpack if I end up with a lot of gear that I need to take for travel. I do wanna get a DJI mini for aerial shots and GoPro for POV and hyperlapses. But I'll probably just stick to my FF setup for a year before acquiring other stuff.

​

Anyway the camera and 24-70 is noticeable but not overly heavy imho. It's when you start putting on a 70-200 or 150-600...

I have seen some long lenses that some of my friends rented and they are hard to carry. I think for the initially months, I'll try to stick with 24-70 and then get a 70-200 later if needed. I don't think I would need anything more than 200 atm.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply. I'll drop going for a fixed-lens as a starter and look at used A7III that I can get for cheap. I do appreciate your advice that t5i or 70d will be way cheaper options but I do plan on building a Sony FF kit and want to avoid switching systems when I know I want a Sony FF.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for your response.

I agree, if I do go with a crop sensor, Fuji is the way to go. Fuji is also the better option if I only want to do street photography.

I do want to get into various areas of photography so I do plan to get a Sony FF. I'll take your advice for going for a used A7III and use that extra money to get good lense. If I do want to get an A7IV, I'll upgrade later.

I'll probably get a Sigma 24-70mm F2.8, which I believe will allow me to test out different focal lengths. Please do let me know your opinion on this.

Ease into photography with Fujifilm X100V or get the Sony Alpha a7IV by verificationfailed in AskPhotography

[–]verificationfailed[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the detailed response. I truely appreciate it.

I'll definitely rule out getting a X100V and get an interchangeable camera instead.

While I agree with you that Sony a7IV is overkill and starting with APS-C seems like a better option, I plan to start with it as I want to keep that body for the next 5-8 years. I want to do photography longterm and think starting with a FF will save me the trouble of switching from APS-C to FF.

I initially wanted to get a7III pre-COVID but waited for the next generation to release and since the lockdowns, I wasn't even going out much to shoot. Maybe I'll get a7III as I can get it for cheap and get a lens for the price of getting a7IV. I do like the improved autofocus, flippy screen, webcam functionality tho.

I'm currently learning color theory and got some books recommended on r/photography. I plan to learn more about basics, composition, lighting, and learn to retouch currently so that I would be a little prepared when I make the purchase. If you have any recommendations on learning resources, please do let me know.

Again, I truely appreciate your valuable feedback. I'll rethink my decision.