Convince Me, Oppo

"Goggles Pizzano" (gogglespizzano)
07/14/2018 at 18:20 • Filed to: None

It’s been a long time since I’ve taken photos and the last time was with a film SLR. A couple of years ago I looked into getting a DSLR, but thankfully it didn’t manifest. At this point I just want something that’ s affordable, compact, and takes good pics. Found a great price on a Fujifilm X-A3. Ready to pull the trigger, but I’m concerned about the lack of an optical viewfinder.

M y question for Mirrorless holding Oppos : How big of a compro mise is not having an optical viewfinder for you ?

DISCUSSION (18)

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Goggles Pizzano
07/14/2018 at 18:25

My camera needs an optical viewfinder. A tiny 180x144 screen with enough graininess to look like a bottle of sand doesn’t really work well when you’re shrinking a 8 MP image down to that teeny tiny display that’s only an inch and a quarter wide.

For Sweden > Goggles Pizzano
07/14/2018 at 18:31

REAL ENTHUSIASTS SHOOT ON FILM

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Goggles Pizzano
07/14/2018 at 18:33

May I suggest the Nikon D3300? Another Oppo was asking this same question in the last week or two, but I can’t find my post to link to it (if any Oppos know who that was, can they link that post?)

My mom gave it to me as a gift a year or two ago and I haven’t really had time to get into it and really learn the ropes (I’m just an big amateur at it so far), but it takes very nice shots and has an optical viewfinder plus the screen instead if you’d rather.

I had set up a Google Drive folder with some test shots I’d taken to show the other Oppo who was asking, here’s the link - all taken on my D3300 (keep in mind I am a massive amateur, so I probably had settings wrong and whatnot, but I think they came out OK for barely knowing what I was doing!)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=12V0tg4Dxu7wLecBCyE440lwd—OEhMlq

Download a few to get full clarity, etc. I just have the stock lens on it. Highly recommended!

Goggles Pizzano > For Sweden
07/14/2018 at 18:41

But that 180 ° tilting screen would be epic for selfies .

Goggles Pizzano > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
07/14/2018 at 18:50

Sharp pics! That’s something I’ll look into. Not just your D3300 suggestion, but also just how compact of an DSLR I can find.

Agrajag > Goggles Pizzano
07/14/2018 at 21:55

I second the D3300(just replaced with the D3400) . It won’t be as compact as that Fujifilm mirrorless, but it’s a very light weight camera that takes a darn good photo .

I’ve had mine a little over 3 years and use it all the time. Come over here and share your photos when you decide on one.

Longtime Lurker > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
07/15/2018 at 04:20

It was CarsofFortLangle y who asked

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/seattle-day-trip-lemay-1827265155

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Longtime Lurker
07/15/2018 at 06:35

Thank you!

BJ > Goggles Pizzano
07/15/2018 at 09:24

Can you afford one the fuji models with a viewfinder? They’re supposed to be very good, but maybe too costly...

Goggles Pizzano > BJ
07/15/2018 at 11:09

Had a look at them last night, specifically the X-T100. It’s not that I couldn’t afford one, I just don’t want to spend needlessly. T he price is ess enti ally twice that of the X-A 3 sale price ($900 vs. $550 CDN ). It’s a brand new model so it may take a while to go on sale. Thinking I’ll just wait and watch.

chaozbandit > Goggles Pizzano
07/15/2018 at 18:47

TBH when I first got into shooting 3 years ago, I had considered a body without an EVF but I changed my mind last minute. 3 years later and I have no regrets shooting the same A6000 body. Have lots of friends who shoot both nikon and fuji; those who prefer fuji love it for it’s compactness (being m43 and all) and colour reproduction, although the lens selection is more suited to casual shooters.

Being able to adapt nice glass to a mirrorless is a good thing to keep in mind.

chaozbandit > For Sweden
07/15/2018 at 18:48

Is it valid if I use Minolta film-era glass on a modern Sony mirrorless body?

For Sweden > chaozbandit
07/15/2018 at 19:13

PyramidHat > Goggles Pizzano
07/15/2018 at 20:33

Any way I could get you to tack back to film cameras? My story:

I was going to get in to photography after I bought a DSLR> In 2009 I took a B/W film class to learn the nuts and bolts of photography. I did nothing more for a bit as DSLR’s are expensive. In Feb 2015, I was in a position to buy a used Nikon D7000 - and it’s a fantastic device. 2 weeks after I got it, I bought some film and started playing with the Minolta XG-7 that I inherited from my father. I now have ~10 film cameras in 35mm, Medium format (2 1/4 x 2 1/4" and 6 cm x 4.5 cm) and large format (4" x 5").

The equipment is cheap but the cost is in developing and printing, it’s true. But I like having a physical picture. While I do print down my digital photos from SnapFish, the bulk of digital photos live on digital media, which can be compromised (I had ~220 pictures from a trip to Thailand get borked; I was fortunate in that I had a copy of the native files to replace them. I immediately printed everything).

Now, this could just be me being old, and I get that. New digital cameras are great - I still take pictures with my iProduct , but I get more enjoyment from film.

PyramidHat > chaozbandit
07/15/2018 at 20:33

Nyet! And stop driving up the cost of Minolta glass, dammit!

chaozbandit > PyramidHat
07/15/2018 at 20:39

Trying to find good copies is a lottery in itself.

Goggles Pizzano > PyramidHat
07/15/2018 at 21:14

I was shooting with a Minolta Maxxum 5 in 2013 and in your boat. I was willing put up with the added cost of developing and inconveniences, but it was around this time I realized there was a greater cost. Photos gone. A roll developed may return 5-10 photos that I’d be happy with, but at the same time there’d be whole runs of subject matter that were all bad (I’m not a great photographer). This value I can’t overlook.

PyramidHat > Goggles Pizzano
07/15/2018 at 21:38

And that’s fair. The nice thing about digital is that you can shoot dozens of shots until you get it right. With film, you don’t find out something went wrong until after the fact. I had a roll I shot at a birthday party that I inadvertently fogged when I popped the back open because I thought the roll had been re-wound.