How much should I spend?

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 18:41

Ok so I've been reading about photography lol.

Particularly about aperture. I really like how a photo subject could be in focus and everything around it out of focus. I understand that this is achieved by having a larger aperture. Would the rx100 allow this type of thing to be done? My phone doesn't have settings for aperture.

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 19:00

So photo 1 is pretty much what I'd get with any standard phone camera (sorry not knocking your photo quality - i just meant in general with the focus throughout the image).

So could the RX100 take photos like numbers 2 and 3 above? And also like this one, where everything is in super sharp focus:

Just took this on my phone. The shoes are a little blurred but not enough to get that nice effect.

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 19:27

Raymond Lin said:
The problem also is sensor size, those above are shot with a full frame sensor. The Sony RX1R can do the above but the RX100 won't, not to the same degree.

How far away do you think the RX100 might be from those nice images of yours?

It would be great to take a photo of missus and boy like that with the blurred background. And then to take a scenery photo like that mountain one where everything is sharp from foreground to background. I think that is why I didn't like my snowdonia photos posted earlier, because they are not sharp at distance.

RX100 specs from what I can see are max aperture of f/1.8 and min aperture of f/11. That mountain photo I got off a review site was taken at f/16.

Am I understanding correctly that to get that mountain photo sharp at all distances I would have the smallest aperture, so f/11?

And to get the blured background on a portrait image I would get close to subject and go for max aperture of f/1.8?

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 19:42

Raymond Lin said:
It might be Aperture at F/1.8 but the sensor is a fraction of mine, so doing the maths, you need to multiply it like you do with the focal length…i.e. 35mm divided by 13.2mm = 2.65

So 1.8 aperture really is like 4.77. And that is at the wide end since at the long end it narrows down the 4.9 which is like F/13. At F/13 everything is in focus.

Ah I see thanks. So getting that blurred portrait shot is going to be difficult then. I'm not sure therefore, that paying £300 for the RX100 is worth the money. If Im paying that much, I want to be able to do some nice shots like that.

Regarding the distance shot, that photo was at f/16 so I guess if the min aperture on the RX100 is f/11 then multiplying that by 2.65 would give an equivelent of f/30? Therefore that mountain shot with the boats in the foreground should be doable?

Its interesting because the specs of the RX100 gives the 35mm equivelent focal length (28-100mm) but not the equivelent aperture.

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 20:10

Holst1981 said:
I think your getting hung up on the details.

Maybe but Im trying to figure out whether the RX100 would do what I want, because the slip in pocket size has some value to me also when on holiday.

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 20:29

Ive looked through the RX100 pictures thread and I think I might go for that one. Shame I can only afford the mk1 though as the mk2 has the tilting screen and the mk3 has a viewfinder. Silly price jump though between those.

Gonna see if I can try one out in Jessops.

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 20:38

Raymond Lin said:
You have to compromise somewhere, it's up to you where that compromise is.

I think I want to compromise on the zoom, so I can get nice portraits with the blurred backgrounds and nice sharp landscapes.

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 21:10

Think its safe to buy one used? I could get a mk1 off ebay for £50 or a mk3 for £200. Both have a few scratches on though unfortunately. Could buy case to hide.

danlightbulb · 10 Jul 2017 at 21:34

Holst1981 said:
Seems too cheap to me.

Yeah thats the starting price so might go up with bids. Will see. If goes up to £150 I'd rather buy new too.

danlightbulb · 12 Jul 2017 at 00:11

The £50 one has some scratches on the screen and the response from the seller to a couple of questions was poor, so will avoid it.

For £260, would you buy a new RX100 or a used RX100 mk3?

danlightbulb · 12 Jul 2017 at 01:42

Aarrrgghh I'm still unsure!

Rx100 mk1 £260 after cashback. But can get the Sony a5000 csc with its 16-50 kit lens for £309 and this has a much larger sensor than the rx100!

danlightbulb · 12 Jul 2017 at 21:48

I think if I was going to go chunky I'd buy a csc.

What memory card is best for rx100? And where best place to buy from? Would rather pick it up at same time as camera but guess jessops will be dear.

danlightbulb · 15 Jul 2017 at 13:15

Ive come shopping to buy rx100 and no one has it in stock. ffs!!!

danlightbulb · 15 Jul 2017 at 13:25

ethan said:
They are all over the place in Currys. Go demo one ghere etc. Do you have members market access with some good trust?

Nope sold out mate. And in jessops. Wanted to buy it today rather than order online.

danlightbulb · 15 Jul 2017 at 13:36

£40 more expensive in argos. Think may have found good deal in Birmingham so having to change shopping location lol.

danlightbulb · 15 Jul 2017 at 14:38

Guys is an sd memory card better or a micro sd with an adapter?

danlightbulb · 15 Jul 2017 at 16:42

Ive bought it!

Case was free (RRP £69.99) so thats pretty good deal. Not sure I want the case, it seems rather fiddly to use, but might be ok just to keep it protected whilst travelling. £309 for camera and £50 cashback to claim. 100 free prints to use after my holiday which is nice. This photo was taken with it!

danlightbulb · 16 Jul 2017 at 12:49

Guys I'm thinking of buying one of the little tripods with the bendy legs. Are they any good?

danlightbulb · 17 Jul 2017 at 12:30

Schizo said:
You will need this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joby-Goril...id=1500207946&sr=8-1&keywords=joby+gorillapod I use a joby on my sony A6000 and they are strong.

Thanks I've ordered it, and a screen protector. I actually like the case now I've used it for a bit, should protect the camera nicely. And was free lol.