Introduction
A brief summary of "Photography Related".
"Old School" Photo Equipment
Getting the most for your money.
If you want the best pictures possible
Things you need to create great images.

Introduction
I have finally switched to digital formats as my main tools. I started this section of the website as an easy means to keep track of various tests I will be conducting on the performance of both new and old or "manual style" equipment and thought it might interest some visitors. It documents my findings on the actual items used and your results may vary for a similar item. I will also be taking about various photographic issues that I hope may help others in creating better images.

Manual "Old School" Photo Equipment

Using older, manual type photographic equipment is easy, fun and has the potential to produce great images. I shoot mostly digital due to several factors, but am clinging on to what film and manual equipment I have and adding to it all the time. You can get older equipment on eBay and very often find a fine example of a product at a great price, that's why I buy just about any equipment I haven't had experience with.

Whenever the price is right, pick up different equipment from good makers like as Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Minolta, Mamiya, Hasselblad, Fuji, Leica and many others that you may have never heard of. Test them out and if you don't like them, sell them on eBay and recoup most, if not all, of your money. You can also pick up big discounts on new equipment on eBay and other sites.

You really should also pick up a used 120/220 (70mm) film camera to see the quality increase over 35mm film. These cameras are no harder to use than a manual 35mm camera and not much harder to use than digital cameras once you understand how cameras work. You can get these in great shape for very reasonable prices on eBay!!!
Forget the "New" 120 cameras unless it's a name brand and then make sure to research the model you are thinking of buying. There are several of these that are junky plastic and you may get the wrong impression of larger format cameras if trying them for the first time. I must warn you though... once you see the improvement over 35mm film and almost any digital file you'll want an even larger format. Make sure to get your film scanned at the time of processing and you'll have a digital copy too. I say "almost any digital file" since there are some large format digital cameras that are awesome but since they can cost as much as a new car or even a house, they are out of my reach.

Advise... when buying equipment, EVEN IF It's NEW, make sure to test drive it if you can as some samples are better than others. CASE IN POINT - I opened several new monopod boxes, all the same product#. The first, when fully extended, slipped when very little pressure was applied. Another was missing a tightening ring grommet. Finally I decided to check all 5 boxes they had and then came up with the best one.
Each piece of equipment, lens caps to cameras, all have their individual characteristics... get the best example you can.

1. A CAMERA THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS IN THE LARGEST FORMAT YOU WANT TO TACKLE
Digital cameras use sensors instead of film. The larger the sensor size the better it's potential of improving the final print... so you must first decide on how big do you want to print? This is a MOST important question!
Film comes in many sizes. The larger the film the camera can hold the better for large sized prints, and there are cameras literally big enough to walk inside of, so you must first decide on how big do you want to print? That is a MOST important question! Larger film requires larger equipment so logistics are of concern. If you have to hike to where the subject is then a 4x5 with a few lenses, tripod, film stuffs and carrying cases will probably require at least one assistant.

In the case of digital, the bigger your sensor requirements the higher price you going to pay (usually). In the case of film cameras this changes. You can buy a top quality 4" x 5" camera (that's the size of each piece of film) for very little money since most folks are switching to digital and getting rid of their larger equipment and film cameras. Larger sensors require larger equipment too.

Due to constant improvements in digital cameras the new models DO perform better than their earlier models but just because a camera has 100 megapixels doesn't necessarily mean it's going to give you great images. Do diligent research before you spend your money and you'll be a lot happier. USUALLY the more you pay, the better the gear, but not always. Probably more than 99% of those using a digital camera don't need more than a 6 megapixel camera. 6 megs will produce great 10 inch or smaller prints AND if your only shooting for use on monitors you need even less. If your making prints larger than 8x10 you'll want more megapixels in my opinion.

2. GREAT LENSES
I often tell people "DON'T spend your hard earned cash on the newest digital cameras" (unless you MUST), but "DO spend your money on the best lenses you can afford". The only time you need to pay for a top-of-the-line digital camera is if you are a working professional and you will already know what you need before reading this.
Research forums and articles about what your trying to accomplish and you'll have a lot better idea of what you'll need.
More on this subject HERE

3. FILTERS
High quality filters should be used for shooting purposes and can cost a lot depending on your needs but, you should ALWAYS have a filter of some type on your lens simply to protect it and keep the dust out. You can buy cheap filters for this purpose.
Polarizer's, Gradient Neutral Density, Neutral Density and UV or SKYLIGHT filters all have a place to be used which are hard to make up for in image editing programs. Cross, Multiple-image, Starburst, Fog and other special effects filters can be fun but so can Image Editing Software's.

4. A TRIPOD SET-UP FITTING YOUR NEEDS & USE
A good tripod is worth paying extra for if your going to do imagery of stationary objects or if low light is a concern.
Tripods very greatly in price but almost always you'll pay for a good one. The head which goes on top of the tripod can also be pricey. I prefer HEAVY, SOLID tripods for use where it is possible. They dampen vibrations, are harder to knock over than lighter ones and feel secure for my expensive equipment. On some models you'll fine nice additions to a traditional tripod like tilting columns and choices of the "feet" it uses (spikes, rubber or snowshoes),  If you always shoot in bright light and use a small camera don't worry about a tripod, but if not, get a good one. I do carry a very light (carbon fiber) tripod with me at all times just in case I need one but I always miss the heavy ones.
Especially important on light tripods
Hang weight on your tripods, such as your camera bag to help dampen vibrations and you'll see improved results.

5. IMAGE EDITING SOFTWARE
If you always shoot film and never create digital scans of your images you can skip this entirely.
Image editing software is a miracle in my opinion. The things that are now possible with these awesome programs were just dreams before they were developed. Image editing software is a complete subject unto it's own but if your serious about producing the best possible images I HIGHLY recommend Adobe's Photoshop.

6. TECHNIQUE
Another subject unto it's own which I plan on discussing later. You can have the best equipment in the world but without proper technique you'll never produce the kind of images the equipment is capable of. There are tons of great reviews and forums on the internet to learn from and TECHNIQUE CAN CHANGE GOOD PHOTOGRAPHS INTO GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS.

KleyBones