Planenut From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2001, 107 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1751 times:
Hi Gerardo, I have the fuji 4900 which the 6900 takes over from. I have a number of photos on the database. If you do a search under the name of Fleuty or there are some more at http://aircraftphotos.sys3internet.net/
the camera is good so I'm sure the 6900 is better.
PUnmuth@VIE From Austria, joined Aug 2000, 4161 posts, RR: 56 Reply 2, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1744 times:
Hi!
Colin Abbott is a F707 user and I think Gary Watt used to be one (form Aug 00 til Oct. 01 or something like that) but he has recently upgraded to some other stuff which i dont know the brand. Something very uncommon I think
Peter
Gerardo From Spain, joined May 2000, 3480 posts, RR: 34 Reply 3, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 1720 times:
Thanks so far.
And yes, Peter, I think, Gary used a Sony (don't know which one), but upgraded to the little brother of my EOS 30, the one, who doesn't even have anything, where you can put the film roll .
Gerardo
dominguez(dash)online(dot)ch ... Pushing the limits of my equipment
Dazed767 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 5447 posts, RR: 53 Reply 4, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 1695 times:
I've seen photos from the Fuji6900 and F707 here, and the F707 wins my vote. I too have been looking at both those cameras.
Gerardo From Spain, joined May 2000, 3480 posts, RR: 34 Reply 6, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 6 days ago) and read 1675 times:
Oh, BTW, for those, who are also looking for a new camera, there is an interesting possibility to compare pictures of different digicams at http://imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
Comparing both cameras discussed here, I must say, that the Sony produces somewhat sharper images.
Regards
Gerardo
dominguez(dash)online(dot)ch ... Pushing the limits of my equipment
Paulc From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 1490 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 6 days ago) and read 1670 times:
what about the Minolta Dimage 7 digicam ? - similar price to Sony + 5 megapixels. Also if you already have an existing digicam with cf cards you can still use them in the Minolta - unlike the Sony which uses memory stick.
Ericp From Singapore, joined Jun 2001, 53 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 1666 times:
Speaking as a 6900Z owner :
Pros:
- Long reach, up to 210mm optically (and at VGA, 640x480, and digital zoom, you get the equivalent of about 900mm, I think, but that's pretty useless for anything other than a "record" shot)
- Hot shoe for flash
- Good power consumption ... with 2 batteries, I can probably shoot for 1 whole day if I'm careful with powersave modes and use of the LCD for reviews.
- "Conventional" SLR layout ... the F707's design takes some getting used to.
- Light
- Great service center locally ... won't go into details (not manufacturing defect, let's just say I've got 2 left feet), but they did a great job when called upon.
Cons:
- EVF is so-so
- Images a bit soft at longer focal lengths in "P"rogram mode (which seems to try to give you higher shutter speeds at larger apertures), need to try smaller apertures to see if that improves things.
- Reds are a bit over-saturated, would be good to tone this down. All other colors are great. Can be fixed in Photoshop, and doesn't happen to every shot, only apparent if you're shooting, say, Northwest aircraft !
The images from the Sony look great, and that should probably drive your decision. The memory stick thing is a non-issue ... it's probably unlikely you'll use the media in other devices ... if you need a memory stick for, say, a CLIE, you'll probably buy an extra one.
If I didn't have my FP6900Z right now, and am in the market for one, it'll still be a bit of a tough call. I find having the hot shoe a definite benefit, especially if I need an external flash for indoor shots, like in a museum or hangar.
If you buy the 6900Z, these are almost essential accessories :
- at least 1, preferably 2, 128MB SM cards
- 1 extra battery
- external charger (which can charge a battery in 70 min, compared to 5 hours in-camera)
- filter adapter ring & filter (protects the extending lens)
- Lowepro TLZ mini - perfect fit for the camera with adapter ring mounted, drizzle-proof to boot.
No matter what, don't suffer "buyer's remorse", and wonder if you should have bought something else. In a year or 2 this will be old technology, and you'll be shopping for the latest and greatest.
If you're buying locally, see if you can just try both in your hands and see which feels more natural. I wouldn't feel bad about buying either one, though if there's a hot shoe on the F707 it'll definitely tip the scales in its favor.
Gerardo From Spain, joined May 2000, 3480 posts, RR: 34 Reply 9, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1660 times:
Thans again for replies
Paulc, I was also looking at the Dimage 7, but found some comments in http://www.dpreview.com about problems with the exposure. Not sure, how big this problem is, though.
Eric, thanks very much for your short overview of the 6900. You say at the end, that the hot shoe on the 6900 was very important for you. As this isn't very important for me (at least now ), then I would rather go for the 707, following your statement, right?
Kind regards
Gerardo
dominguez(dash)online(dot)ch ... Pushing the limits of my equipment
2912n From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 2013 posts, RR: 9 Reply 11, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 1641 times:
Just about all of my photos on Anet were shot with a Fuji 6900. I am very happy with it. It did take a bit of getting used to, jumping into digital from film, but after a couple of days of playing I get great results. Here are a few examples of my work...
Ericp From Singapore, joined Jun 2001, 53 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1623 times:
Hi Gerardo,
Yes, if the hot shoe wasn't important, and I was not put off by the funky design, I'd go for the F707. This is based on the quality of the pictures I see here in airliners.net.
I'm assuming that you've taken the price differences into account, and next thing to think about, that no review can tell you, is the after-sales support.
Is there a local Sony or Fuji facility that can repair your camera quickly if needed ? I've read a lot of horror stories about Fuji service in various parts of the US & Europe, things like it takes 2 months to get your camera back, etc.
Here in Singapore, they repaired a mechanical problem in less than 2 days (they quoted a week, I called after 2 days to check on status and they told me I could pick up the camera !).
So, I'd modify my previous conclusion, and say that if there's a local repair facility, that should be a big factor in your decision.
Also, if it's your first digital, try to buy it locally. The reason is that you can probably (you should insist on it) get a one-for-one swap agreement for, say, the first few days. Why ? You're bound to find things like dead pixels on the LCDs, unacceptably hot pixels, etc. It's not nice to send the camera in for service 2 days after you buy it, and if you're like me, you'd be quite excited when you're in the shop, and will overlook things. The shop I bought from didn't quibble, in fact they took out 5 more 6900Zs for me to try to see which one I liked best, after I brought the first one back because of _one_ dead pixel in the LCD !
Before I forget, Tony, your pics are very nice. I'll try the "sports" mode and see how things go ... so far "P"rogram and "A"uto have not been performing well on longer range shots. It's a learning process !
Scooter From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 837 posts, RR: 2 Reply 14, posted (11 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1622 times:
Ok...just got my F707 tonight, and so far so good. In my few hours of introduction with this thing, here's some quick pro's and cons:
Pros:
1. Swivel body. I actually didn't care for this in the camera shops, but it's really coming in handy walking around my aprartment taking test shots. No having to hold the camera at funky angles.
2. This this is FAST (for a digital camera, at least). It locks on focus, even in dark scenes, quickly. Can't WAIT to try some action shots with this thing.
3. It's quiet. Compared to my Nikon CP880, this thing is makes nary a peep.
Cons:
1. Reviewing photos takes a couple extra steps compared to the CP880. With the Nikon, you just hit a button for a quick preview of all your shots (and you can quickly go back to "shoot" mode). With the Sony, you get a preview of your last shot at the click of a button, but you have to switch the dial to "play" to see the rest. So...you may end up missing a shot if you get caught looking at what you've already got.
2. The flash. Damn thing scares the piss out of me whenever it pops up. KerPOW!!!! That's the best way to describe it.
Anyway, I've still got alot to learn. And I cannot wait to get this thing out to the airport!!
Peachair From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 355 posts, RR: 4 Reply 16, posted (11 years 4 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 1594 times:
I have the DSC-F707 and absolutely love it. The swiveling lens especially. You're right, I hated it in the store, but wow does it come in handy. I allows you to be more low key when at an airport
If you are shooting action though, you really need to practice. I noticed that you have to use the AE-Lock
button, because if you are following the subject (lets say a landing shot) you need to re focus by tapping down on the shutter release, not holding it half way down like a typical SLR. I think action shots are better taken in Manual Shutter/Aperature. In addition, if you used the LED display when shooting action, becareful to keep the horizon level! Check out some of the shots I loaded last week and you can see the resolution - just fantastic for under $1000!!
Scooter From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 837 posts, RR: 2 Reply 17, posted (11 years 4 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1583 times:
Okay, having spent last all day last saturday @ MSP taking pictures, here are some more things I noticed about the F707:
1. The LCD: what you see is NOT always what you get. I find it to be a couple stops too bright in some situations...and I actually ruined a couple good shots because of under-exposure. It looked GREAT in the LCD, but way under-exposed when downloaded to my PC.
2. I didn't get one blurry shot all day - this thing NAILS the focus every time. And rather quickly compared to other digicams I've used.
3. The battery ROCKS! Shot ALL day on one battery! I did a ton of playback too while I was bored waiting for the next aircraft to roll by.
4. The on/off button is too easy to activate by accident. Sometimes it turned on when I was putting it back in my bag after a shot (by catching on something) . That 3-minute time-off feature is (and will be) a life saver.
So far, so good. This is a purcahse I'm happy with!
Peachair From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 355 posts, RR: 4 Reply 19, posted (11 years 4 months 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1568 times:
Scooter,
About the F707
You said:
"The LCD: what you see is NOT always what you get. I find it to be a couple stops too bright in some situations...and I actually ruined a couple good shots because of under-exposure. It looked GREAT in the LCD, but way under-exposed when downloaded to my PC. "
Try using the AE-Lock feature and see if that helps. I noticed that if you focus and lock a few seconds before you press the shutter, then the camera will adjust without you seeing it (sometimes times to the negative!) This is one of the minor disadvantage. I hate bringing up cons because I really love this camera, but one more thing: When you shoot with the 3-shot "Burst" mode, the LCD screen goes black while the camera is shooting the 3 frames. This is frustrating because I can't see the subject during this time. I am practicing with this so I'll let you know.
Scooter From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 837 posts, RR: 2 Reply 21, posted (11 years 4 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1542 times:
One question to Scott: Are action shots easy with the F707? Or is the "normal" SLR better?
A normal 35mm SLR is much better, but as far as digicams go, the F707 is the fastest mid-range digital I have ever used.
And BTW, what exposure settings do you use for the night shots?
Actually, I don't have any shots on this site with my 707 yet! All my latest stuff (within the last year) on Airliners.net is shot with my good 'ol Nikon CP880. But I'm anxious to try some low-light stuff with the 707!
Peachair:
Thanks for the AE-Lock tip - I'll try it out next time I'm at the airport...
Cabbott From Denmark, joined Mar 2000, 497 posts, RR: 5 Reply 22, posted (11 years 4 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 1546 times:
Guys it's interesting to here your comments on the 707. What a great camera and was it named after the B707? I wish!
You have to learn the camera inside out. It has a few issues which I have found but they aren't major. You are correct about the LCD or the viewfinder being brighter than the outcome on the comp screen. What to do if you want to is go into the camera settings and turn down the LCD backlit brightness. If you don't you just make it look a little overexposed
What about Action Shots?
My favourite part of the camera, never use automatic mode for action shots, to be honest its CRAP! sorry to sum it up like that but the camera's brain just overloads on auto and takes the shots at the wrong settings.
If you want to see how good action shots can look manually with the F707 take a look at my pictures at the below link.
2912n From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 2013 posts, RR: 9 Reply 23, posted (11 years 4 months 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 1523 times:
Colin---Funny thing...i learned to NEVER use the Auto function for action shots on the Fuji. Just come out like crap. But if you use the Sports setting---miracle of miracles---Easy auto focus etc.... The same ruless apply with it, you have to take the time to learn the camera.
Paulc From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 1490 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (11 years 4 months 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 1515 times:
Gerado,
yes i have lot of pics on a.net - none taken with a D7 yet as I am still doing the research. One thing I can say it that it will not be the Sony 707 as the memory stick system is unique to Sony and is more expensive than compact flash etc.
The review in dpreview of the D7 seemed to like it but not at that price - they are much cheaper now and therefore better value.
If i do go for a D7 i will post results here although i will not stop shooting slides.
English First, British Second, european Never!
25 Gerardo: FOlks, thanks a lot for all your comments Colin, I browsed thru some of your pics. What really impresses me is, how crisp clear and sharp those pictur
26 Gerardo: YEP! I got my Sony DSC F707 last thursday. My first impressions: WOOOOOOWWWWWWW! There are some pics in the queue here (if I new the filenames, I coul
27 Hkg_clk: You say for action shots you need to get used to a new way of taking pics. Do you mean that it is a bit slow between shots?
28 Gerardo: Let's take a take off as an example. With my SLR, I normally looked thru the finder, and as soon as the aircraft was ready to be shot, I took about 3-
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