CamCrunch - Everything Photography

CamCrunch Beginner DSLR Guides?

May 022013

I’m thinking of picking up an entry level DSLR and start a series of beginner guides for those that are just getting into photography. I always get asked if the tutorials I make are aplicable to less expensive gear. Many people assume that I get my results because I use a Canon 5D Mark II. I think the easiest way to show people that you can get good images with any camera is by using a camera that a lot of people use.

My plan is to pick up an older entry level body (Nikon D3100, D3200/Canon Rebel T2i, T3i) and do a complete beginners guide using that camera. I’d start of with learning the camera itself, and then move on to doing real world examples of how you can take different kinds of photos with them (portraits, landscapes, street photography, off-camera flash, etc.).

This idea has been in my mind for a long time now, but I’ve afraid to make the purchase because, although it’s not too much money, it’s still a lot for a kid in college. My goal is to be able to help people get around photography as best as possible, and this is an idea that I think would be really effective. If you guys think that a series like this could be effective, I’d have no problem spending a few hundred dollars to make it happen.

What do you guys think? I’d love to hear your inout and ideas!

Want a Cheap Camera? Buy Refurbished!

Resource 1 Response »

Apr 292013

Canon Refurbished Store

Buying Refurbished

A lot of people want to save as much as they can when buying DSLR cameras or lenses and one of the best ways to do this is to buy from the official refurbished store of manufacturer that you want to buy from. I know that Canon has a refurbished store for its lenses and speedlights and a separate one for Canon camera bodies. Nikon has the same. The camera bodies are quite a bit cheaper than the brand new prices and can even go down to ridiculously cheap prices if you catch the store while they are one sale.

Examples

Here are two prime examples of how much money you can save if you buy from the official refurbished store of the manufacturer. As of writing this post, the Canon Rebel T3i goes for about $550 brand new, body only. The Canon refurbished store currently has them for $374! That’s almost $200 dollars in savings! The Canon refurbished store also has the Canon 24-105mm F/4 L series lens for $781, which is normally prices around $1000 brand new. That’s also $200 in saving!

*The “was” price refers to the original refurbished price before it was discounted even further

Canon Refurbished Rebel T3i

Canon Refurbished 24-105mm Lens

What’s the catch?

When it comes to photography equipment, you usually don’t get the same type of warranty from refurbished products. The service you get will probably be similar, but the length of the warranty will be much shorter. In the case of the Canon refurbished store, you only get a 90 day warranty when you’re purchasing refurbished items.

Is it really worth it?

If you’re looking to save every penny that you can, refurbished is a good way to go. It ensures that the manufacturer check the item before selling it to you and you still get that warranty period after buying the item. If you want long term coverage for potentially damages to the lens, buying new might be a better investment. Nikon has an extra long warranty in the US, which is probably worth the cost of buying something new vs used. In the end of the day, you’ll have to decided whether the cheaper price is worth the risk of having a shorter warranty period.

I sold the Canon…

Discussion, Equipment 7 Responses »

Apr 282013

After a lot of deliberating, I decided to sell my Canon EOS 5D Mark II and my two Canon lenses. I owned the 5D Mark II for several years and it’s been the best camera I’ve ever owned. Many of my best photos were taken with the 5D. It was also the camera that I used to produce most of the CamCrunch YouTube videos. It was a tough decision, but one that I had to make.

The Fujifilm X-E1 and the Leica M3 are my only cameras right now. As crazy as it sounds, I might end up selling the Fuji X-E1 as well. It’s a great camera, but it doesn’t fullfil all of my needs at the moment. I’ve been trying a lot of cameras lately, trying to figure out what will suite me and my photography best.

Don’t worry about CamCrunch and DSLR tutorials. At the moment, I have access to a Canon T3i and T1i that my housemates own. I also still own all of my flashes, including my Canon 580ex II, so my off-camera flash tutorials won’t be going away anytime soon.

I’ll keep you guys updated on what happens next. If you guys have any advice/input, feel free to leave a comment!

-Nico

Helpful Off-Camera Flash Photography Tutorials

Off-Camera Flash No Responses »

Apr 212013

I’ve compiled a few of CamCrunch’s most viewed videos on off-camera flash photography for those of you that are just getting into this kind of photography. Flash photography can be very intimidating, but my hope is that these different guides will help you in creating your desired photographs using off-camera flash techniques.

Off-Camera Flash Equipment on a Budget

Having second thoughts… Fujifilm X-E1 or Canon 5D Mark II?

Discussion, Equipment 27 Responses »

Apr 202013

Fujifilm or Canon?

I’ve had my Fujifilm X-E1 for about a month now and I’ve really had a wonderful time shooting with it. Yesterday, however, I did something that I don’t think I should have done. I picked up and shot with my Canon 5D Mark II for the first time in a long time and… I loved it. The viewfinder of the Canon 5D Mark II is massive compared to the electronic viewfinder of the Fujifilm X-E1, and it doesn’t have any lag (obviously). The autofocus of the Canon with a cheap 50mm f/1.8 feels more responsive than the Fuji X-E1 with the 35mm f/1.4. I’m starting to wonder if buying the Fujifilm X-E1 was a good idea. I appreciate the form factor and the outstanding image quality if brings, but was it really necessary when I already had a Canon 5D Mark II and some nice Canon lenses? The Canon feels more “complete”.

One of these systems must go, but I’m not sure if it will be the Fujifilm X-E1 or the Canon 5D Mark II. As a college student, I can’t afford to have a kit stilling around doing nothing.

If you were in my shoes, which of these systems would you keep, and which would you sell?

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