I've gone back to the stone age

Soooo, I've had EOS550's, Nikon D80's and a selection of bridge cameras as my transition from analog to digital and sort of got bored with it all over the years and used my phone camera for a while. The other day I got a sudden urge to take pictures with an old digital EOS so today I bought a working EOS 300d body for £16. Yes I know it takes really silly time to process raw and a little less silly time to process jpeg, I know your stuck with ISO1600 and I know its stone age compared with todays mirrorless stuff but guess what? I'm really looking forward to it, I'm actually looking forward to going backwards!!! I've got my eye on a couple of 18-55 EF/AF WITHOUT image stabilization. None of that stuff for me this time. It's just me and the camera. I really miss my old days of 35mm, aperture priority Nikons I had in the 80's and although I'm not going back to 35, this is about as rubbish as I can make it for myself on the cheap. I'm really looking forward to this.

Soooo, I've had EOS550's, Nikon D80's and a selection of bridge cameras as my transition from analog to digital and sort of got bored with it all over the years and used my phone camera for a while. The other day I got a sudden urge to take pictures with an old digital EOS so today I bought a working EOS 300d body for £16. Yes I know it takes really silly time to process raw and a little less silly time to process jpeg, I know your stuck with ISO1600 and I know its stone age compared with todays mirrorless stuff but guess what? I'm really looking forward to it, I'm actually looking forward to going backwards!!!
I've got my eye on a couple of 18-55 EF/AF WITHOUT image stabilization. None of that stuff for me this time. It's just me and the camera.
I really miss my old days of 35mm, aperture priority Nikons I had in the 80's and although I'm not going back to 35, this is about as rubbish as I can make it for myself on the cheap. I'm really looking forward to this.

I can't claim to have delved quite that far into the dark ages but I do still, quite happily, use a D90 from time to time.

I can't claim to have delved quite that far into the dark ages but I do still, quite happily, use a D90 from time to time.

You've got 12mp to play with, the eos 300d has 6.3mp which means I can't really crop or zoom which makes life interesting.

You've got 12mp to play with, the eos 300d has 6.3mp which means I can't really crop or zoom which makes life interesting.

Hi, I very often use my canon 20d ( 8.2 mp ) for the same reasons I like the challenge of using the older equipment. i have posted a few of those images on here good luck and enjoy your journey.

Hi, I very often use my canon 20d ( 8.2 mp ) for the same reasons I like the challenge of using the older equipment. i have posted a few of those images on here good luck and enjoy your journey.

There's nothing wrong with going back to basics. Especially if it fires up your enthusiasm and that's more important. There's pleny of esolution here, certainly for web use, and A3 prints will also be fine. Don't worry abou cropping. Small crops to aid composition nare fine.For anyone who heavily crops they should rethink their technique, cropping heavily is a lazy excuse (though on some occasions it may be unavoidable). If it makes you think about what and how you're photpgraphing so much the better, your results will be certainly. So what if it takes a little time to save an image, for many people's potography it's plenty sufficient. Indeed, those with fancy high spec stuff don't, on the whole, make such good use of it. Is ISO 1800 a limitation? For some perhaps, but there is a hack available (I guessit still is) to enable ISO 3200, which I did on my 300D. Unfortunaely the rubber on that camera is deteriorating (pick it up and it looks like you've been changing old engine oil) so I hope yours is in better shape, I know you said you won't go back to film, and I can't see tht I would, but I am enjoying going back through my old film images. From a time when using older equipmemnt was not seen as a detriment. Given the scarcity of some manufacturer's latest offerings, second hand gear definitely has a place and is wallet friendly too.

There's nothing wrong with going back to basics. Especially if it fires up your enthusiasm and that's more important.

There's pleny of esolution here, certainly for web use, and A3 prints will also be fine. Don't worry abou cropping. Small crops to aid composition nare fine.For anyone who heavily crops they should rethink their technique, cropping heavily is a lazy excuse (though on some occasions it may be unavoidable). If it makes you think about what and how you're photpgraphing so much the better, your results will be certainly.

So what if it takes a little time to save an image, for many people's potography it's plenty sufficient.
Indeed, those with fancy high spec stuff don't, on the whole, make such good use of it.

Is ISO 1800 a limitation? For some perhaps, but there is a hack available (I guessit still is) to enable ISO 3200, which I did on my 300D.
Unfortunaely the rubber on that camera is deteriorating (pick it up and it looks like you've been changing old engine oil) so I hope yours is in better shape,

I know you said you won't go back to film, and I can't see tht I would, but I am enjoying going back through my old film images. From a time when using older equipmemnt was not seen as a detriment.

Given the scarcity of some manufacturer's latest offerings, second hand gear definitely has a place and is wallet friendly too.

I csn recall many photos on here being posted by enthusiastic owners of the Canon 300D.:)

I csn recall many photos on here being posted by enthusiastic owners of the Canon 300D.

Interesting topic, made me look back to 19th November 2005, my very first excursion into Digital Photography, just a long week-end down Cornwall with a Coach load of friends, and snapping everything in sight with Fujifilm Finepix S602 Zoom, 3.10 mb iso range 160,200,400.....;) Forgive my indulgence for uploading an image from the above taken on that date..... [epzimg]85831_1654693661.jpg[/epzimg]

Interesting topic, made me look back to 19th November 2005, my very first excursion into Digital Photography, just a long week-end down Cornwall with a Coach load of friends, and snapping everything in sight with Fujifilm Finepix S602 Zoom, 3.10 mb iso range 160,200,400.....
Forgive my indulgence for uploading an image from the above taken on that date.....

Thanks for the replies. ISO1600 can be limiting in poor light with only 6.3mp to play with and its small sensor although 3200 brings a lot of grain into the shot, converting to black and white can get rid of some of the artifacts that 3200 brings along. I'm looking forward to more difficulty and having to pay more attention to what the camera is doing like the old days because it requires quite a bit of skill. These days its too easy and cropping is easy with big lenses and 20mp. I love doing macro work but I may stick a 300mm on it and do some wild life, that'll get the mind ticking again. Love the castle photo BTW.

Thanks for the replies. ISO1600 can be limiting in poor light with only 6.3mp to play with and its small sensor although 3200 brings a lot of grain into the shot, converting to black and white can get rid of some of the artifacts that 3200 brings along.
I'm looking forward to more difficulty and having to pay more attention to what the camera is doing like the old days because it requires quite a bit of skill. These days its too easy and cropping is easy with big lenses and 20mp. I love doing macro work but I may stick a 300mm on it and do some wild life, that'll get the mind ticking again. Love the castle photo BTW.

If you enjoy using a piece of equipment, it is often the case that your photos turn out better. Don't ask me why, but it seems to work that way. :)

If you enjoy using a piece of equipment, it is often the case that your photos turn out better.

Don't ask me why, but it seems to work that way.

Viewers would be hard pushed to say what equipment was used to crate an image. I have on occasion come across folk strutting with top end Canon and Nikon bodies attached to cheap glass. Viewers of pictures would not be able to determine what camera created an image. Attached was tak en with an EOS5D Classic in 2006. [epzimg]6761_1654717385.jpg[/epzimg]

Viewers would be hard pushed to say what equipment was used to crate an image. I have on occasion come across folk strutting with top end Canon and Nikon bodies attached to cheap glass.

Viewers of pictures would not be able to determine what camera created an image. Attached was tak en with an EOS5D Classic in 2006.

I've still got my 400D in my camera bag as my trusty backup body. Got it second hand as a Christmas pressie in 2007. Still works perfectly, and to be fair it's a lot lighter and more compact than my 7D with battery grip!! My first ever EPZ upload - taken with my 400D! [epzimg]988758[/epzimg]

I've still got my 400D in my camera bag as my trusty backup body. Got it second hand as a Christmas pressie in 2007. Still works perfectly, and to be fair it's a lot lighter and more compact than my 7D with battery grip!!

My first ever EPZ upload - taken with my 400D!

[quote]I've still got my 400D in my camera bag as my trusty backup body. Got it second hand as a Christmas pressie in 2007. Still works perfectly, and to be fair it's a lot lighter and more compact than my 7D with battery grip!! [/quote] I only recently got rid of my 400D because the card slot mechanism broke for a second time. I was sad to let it go as it was super to use, and as said above, so much lighter (and quieter).

Quote:I've still got my 400D in my camera bag as my trusty backup body. Got it second hand as a Christmas pressie in 2007. Still works perfectly, and to be fair it's a lot lighter and more compact than my 7D with battery grip!!


I only recently got rid of my 400D because the card slot mechanism broke for a second time. I was sad to let it go as it was super to use, and as said above, so much lighter (and quieter).

[quote][quote]I've still got my 400D in my camera bag as my trusty backup body. Got it second hand as a Christmas pressie in 2007. Still works perfectly, and to be fair it's a lot lighter and more compact than my 7D with battery grip!! [/quote] I only recently got rid of my 400D because the card slot mechanism broke for a second time. I was sad to let it go as it was super to use, and as said above, so much lighter (and quieter). [/quote] A common problem from what I've been reading. I've decided to negate future issues by inserting the card and leaving it there. I'm not using my card reader but I'm going to use the USB cable instead and just treat the socket with a little care as not to wear it out.

Quote:
Quote:I've still got my 400D in my camera bag as my trusty backup body. Got it second hand as a Christmas pressie in 2007. Still works perfectly, and to be fair it's a lot lighter and more compact than my 7D with battery grip!!


I only recently got rid of my 400D because the card slot mechanism broke for a second time. I was sad to let it go as it was super to use, and as said above, so much lighter (and quieter).


A common problem from what I've been reading. I've decided to negate future issues by inserting the card and leaving it there. I'm not using my card reader but I'm going to use the USB cable instead and just treat the socket with a little care as not to wear it out.

[quote]There's nothing wrong with going back to basics. Especially if it fires up your enthusiasm and that's more important. There's pleny of esolution here, certainly for web use, and A3 prints will also be fine. Don't worry abou cropping. Small crops to aid composition nare fine.For anyone who heavily crops they should rethink their technique, cropping heavily is a lazy excuse (though on some occasions it may be unavoidable). If it makes you think about what and how you're photpgraphing so much the better, your results will be certainly. So what if it takes a little time to save an image, for many people's potography it's plenty sufficient. Indeed, those with fancy high spec stuff don't, on the whole, make such good use of it. Is ISO 1800 a limitation? For some perhaps, but there is a hack available (I guessit still is) to enable ISO 3200, which I did on my 300D. Unfortunaely the rubber on that camera is deteriorating (pick it up and it looks like you've been changing old engine oil) so I hope yours is in better shape, I know you said you won't go back to film, and I can't see tht I would, but I am enjoying going back through my old film images. From a time when using older equipmemnt was not seen as a detriment. Given the scarcity of some manufacturer's latest offerings, second hand gear definitely has a place and is wallet friendly too.[/quote] I've got 1000's of images from 35mm film, mainly from a EOS1000F in the 90's, a few from a old Practika and quite a few from my Nikon AP in the early 80's. One thing I did notice comparing these pictures is the Nikon absolutely blinded the EOS1000F for colour definition and saturation. The EOS looks like sludge compared to the Nikon especially pictures taken in Cumbria. Those Nikon aperture priority cameras were absolutely brilliant with 400 film in. In fact, the colours are more vivid than modern stuff although not as sharp obviously.

Quote:There's nothing wrong with going back to basics. Especially if it fires up your enthusiasm and that's more important.

There's pleny of esolution here, certainly for web use, and A3 prints will also be fine. Don't worry abou cropping. Small crops to aid composition nare fine.For anyone who heavily crops they should rethink their technique, cropping heavily is a lazy excuse (though on some occasions it may be unavoidable). If it makes you think about what and how you're photpgraphing so much the better, your results will be certainly.

So what if it takes a little time to save an image, for many people's potography it's plenty sufficient.
Indeed, those with fancy high spec stuff don't, on the whole, make such good use of it.

Is ISO 1800 a limitation? For some perhaps, but there is a hack available (I guessit still is) to enable ISO 3200, which I did on my 300D.
Unfortunaely the rubber on that camera is deteriorating (pick it up and it looks like you've been changing old engine oil) so I hope yours is in better shape,

I know you said you won't go back to film, and I can't see tht I would, but I am enjoying going back through my old film images. From a time when using older equipmemnt was not seen as a detriment.

Given the scarcity of some manufacturer's latest offerings, second hand gear definitely has a place and is wallet friendly too.

I've got 1000's of images from 35mm film, mainly from a EOS1000F in the 90's, a few from a old Practika and quite a few from my Nikon AP in the early 80's. One thing I did notice comparing these pictures is the Nikon absolutely blinded the EOS1000F for colour definition and saturation. The EOS looks like sludge compared to the Nikon especially pictures taken in Cumbria. Those Nikon aperture priority cameras were absolutely brilliant with 400 film in. In fact, the colours are more vivid than modern stuff although not as sharp obviously.

Well, she's here. All present and correct. Working as she should. There was a little stickiness on the grip like someone mentioned but I removed it with alcohol and its clean as a whistle now. Next thing is a charger and some bargain lenses. It's all go on the stoneage front! [epzimg]78205_1654870166.jpg[/epzimg] [epzimg]78205_1654870188.jpg[/epzimg]

Well, she's here. All present and correct. Working as she should. There was a little stickiness on the grip like someone mentioned but I removed it with alcohol and its clean as a whistle now. Next thing is a charger and some bargain lenses.
It's all go on the stoneage front!