Mirror Lens Nikon

Mirror Lens Nikon

Camera 500D - Excellent Camera

I have upgraded from a Canon 350D to this Camera 500D. Why? a) More pixels so I can crop without worrying too much. b) Screen on the 350D is far too small for my eyesight. The 500 screen is marvellous even held high. c) Auto Sensor cleaning. d) better quality images. e) video is a bonus but not on my wish list but nice to have anyway and it works great. I also looked at the 50D but chose to instead spend the difference in price on buying a Speedlight 580EX ll which is really good.

I mainly use a Canon 18-200mm since I normally have a dog lead in one hand and a camera in the other and stopping to change lenses is not really an option.... and the lens is plenty good enough.

I have just taken photos at a private function, mainly indoors and the quality is great.
My only gripe with the Camera 500D is that if you are like me and constantly switch the camera off and on you really need to be careful that in so doing you haven't moved the function wheel. I pretty much always have mine set to AV and I have been caught out a few times having knocked the wheel over to Manual.

All in all I am tickled pink with the Camera 500D and can recommend it without hesitation.

Brilliant latest addition, but with a few reservations

Having just got this latest addition to the Canon EOS range (to replace my ageing 10D), I just had to try it out, of course!

This is a welcome upgrade, with the Digic 4 processor living up to expectations. Using the Custom Function7 (Auto Lighting Optimiser), you'll be hard-pressed to come up with a badly-exposed pic! However, remember that it only works for under-exposed photos, and over-exposed still remain so - there's never been much you can do about a bright sky with an otherwise dull landscape, unless you take multiple separately-exposed photos and manipulate with Photoshop trickery, or else manipulate the RAW photo! However, the overexposed highlights are of course monitored and pointed out to you in the playback monitor immediately afterwards.

The highlight tone priority is quite a good function (CF6), but then any CF2 use to expand the highest ISO from 3200 to 12800 is lost, as the two don't work together! Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, as the higher ISO's are mainly used for concerts and otherwise dimly-lit shots, but you'll do as well to remember the limitation.

The LiveView - not available in Basic Zone modes, but that's fair enough! - is not bad at all, and the vastly improved screen resolution helps a lot. However, the screen tends to get smudged easily, as with all cameras with the eyepiece so close to a large monitor.

Nevertheless, the brightness is not bad, although viewing on a brighly-lit day tends to mute the colours you see. The biggest gripe is the choice of LiveView settings - the Quick mode functions well, but the Live Mode and Live Mode with Face detection feature a particularly annoying pause while the mirror flips for focusing. And why oh why did Canon decide that you would have to press an entirely separate button (the AE/FE lock "*" on the back) to establish focus? Surely it would have been better to use the shutter-release button?

Same goes for starting and stopping a video recording - you have to press the Live View shooting mode button to the right of the monitor to start/stop it!

Hovever, the gripes are only cosmetic, as are some of these features. Serious photographers won't be using them much at all, although they're nice to have "in an emergency"!

The camera body itself is light, although as usual adding a lens and Speedlite tend to vastly add to the weight. But individually the body sits naturally in the hand, with the slightly-better grip contributing to ease-of-handling and a firm grip.

Overall, a superb piece of kit, with the results exceeding expectations. Certainly comparable with the Nikon D90, but of course a must-have for a snapper having a range of Canon lenses already!

Highly recommended!

About the Author

You Can See My Lens for Canon EOS 500D On www.squidoo.com/Camera500D-Rebel

For more great tips and necessary information on similar topics by the author, read his guides on EOS500D.ueuo.com

How much will it cost to fix a broken mirror on a Nikon FG?

I have an OLLLLLD Nikon FG. When you take off the lens, the mirror that you should plainly see has broken off completely. It seems that the thing-a-ma-jig that would hold and adjust the mirror seems to be there, but the mirror is missing.

When I worked camera repair shop for about 13 years a repair like that was about $150. I have not been in that business for about 8 years and a Nikon FG is pretty old. I don't even think Nikon will touch that anymore and you would have to go to an independent repair shop. Probably now the repair would be $200+ if they can even find parts for it.

You would be much better off investing in a new camera or even one that is used that is not quite so old.

Good luck!

P.S. Just found this on Nikon's website...camera was first introduced in 1982. The FG is not even listed on their repair list.

Reflex Mirror vs Refractive Camera Lenses

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Opteka 500mm f/8 High Definition Telephoto Mirror Lens for Canon EOS 1D, 5D, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Rebel XT, XTi, XS, XSi, T1i, T2i, T3 and T3i Digital SLR Cameras
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