Camera Gear Doesn’t Need To Be Expensive.

If you have an interest in photography, you likely have an interest in gear. You’ve also likely been disappointed in some of the gear, especially used, that you have bought in the past.

There are lots of techniques and strategies that can save you money when you buy gear. I’ve learned these from years of being a professional online seller. That’s where my interest in photography came from. Good photos sell.

The Buying Guide will help you save money on cameras, lenses, and other gear. You should be able to save enough money to where you can break even when you buy and sell gear.

Picking Out Vintage Lens Winners.

All lenses aren’t equal. Modern lenses will give you images that are razor sharp corner to corner. Vintage lenses can set themselves apart by how they render, the color you can get with them, interesting bokeh, or other characteristics not valued by current photographers.

On the other hand, many vintage lenses just aren’t that good. Their performance may not be good enough to set them apart from other lenses. Worse, as time has gone on some lenses have defects that will render them worthless because of the difficulty in repair.

I’m somewhat indiscriminate in my purchasing of gear, so I get a mix of good, bad, and average. The lens reviews will help you find a lens worth owning.

Nothing Depreciates Faster Than A Camera.

Cameras are the fastest depreciating pieces of photography gear. That’s bad if you buy a new camera. If you buy used, you can get a high-end camera from 10+ years ago for pennies on the dollar.

Being able to use flagship cameras of years gone by is an interesting experience. Medium format in both film and digital become obtainable for non-professional uses. Or owning many cameras is remarkably affordable.

The camera reviews section showcases all of the cameras I have reviewed. You can also find information on camera manufacturers that are no longer in business.

Canon AE-1 Shutter Squeak

Nathaniel Stephan published on 2023-02-05

AE-1, AE-1 Program, A-1, AV-1, and AT-1 can all develop a “squeak” when the shutter has been released. This is caused by lack of lubrication on the mirror escapement mechanism. The repair can be done in less than 15 minutes. There are only a few steps between you and a quite camera. In most instances the squeak does not affect the pictures the Canon AE-1 is able to take. If the noise is very loud, there could be enough friction to slow the shutter speed of the camera down.

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Beginners Guide to Macro Photography

Nathaniel Stephan published on 2022-11-22

In this macro photography guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know to get started as a macro photographer. Basic technical information about macro photography will be covered. Additionally, gear that is helpful to have as well as the best settings to use to capture macro photos. What is Macro Photography? Macro photography describes taking an image at life-size or greater magnification. Life size is the same as 1:1 or 1x magnification.

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Macro Bellows vs Extension Tubes - Which is Best

Nathaniel Stephan published on 2022-11-22

Fundamentally, extension tubes and macro bellows do the same thing. They move a lens further away from the camera focal plane, which increases the magnification. Differences in size, weight, cost, and fine adjustments means that neither is outright better than the other. The best option between the two is going to come down to use case. If you are interested in using either a bellows or extension tubes, take a look at the Beginner’s Guide to Macro Photography.

Minolta Maxxum 5000i Dynax

Nathaniel Stephan published on 2022-11-22

The Minolta Maxxum 5000i is a second-generation A-mount camera. It was released in 1989 as a replacement for the Maxxum 5000. It was discontinued in 1992. The replacement model was the Minolta Maxxum 5xi. What’s interesting about the camera is that the “i” in 5000i stands for “intelligence.” This is because the camera takes Creative Expansion Cards that add features to the camera. Camera Price Front with lens of 5000i You can check the Minolta Maxxum 5000i prices on eBay, to see the current market price.

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The 5 Best Nikon FM2 Lenses

Nathaniel Stephan published on 2022-11-22

The Nikon FM2 is a great 35mm film SLR camera when paired with the right lenses. The 5 best lenses for the Nikon FM2, plus some alternative lens options will be covered. Here is the list of the best lenses for the Nikon FM2: Standard Lens - Voigtländer Nokton 58mm f/1.4 Lens Wide Angle Lens - Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 Ai Portrait Lens - Nikon DC-Nikkor 105mm f/2 D Zoom Lens - Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.

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The 5 Cheap Autofocus Lenses for the Nikon N4004 (F-401)

Nathaniel Stephan published on 2022-11-22

The Nikon N4004 is a 35mm film SLR camera with autofocus. Outside of North America, the camera was known as the Nikon F-401. The 5 best lenses for the Nikon N4004, plus some alternative lens options to cover every budget will be covered. Here is the list of the best lenses for the Nikon N4004: Standard Lens - Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Wide Angle Lens - Nikon 24mm f/2.8D Portrait Lens - Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.