Beginner Need advice about digital camera with good manual controls

jerry12953 said:
Complex and never-ending menus, lack of proper viewfinder (even tho' I have an EVF) , changing settings on back of camera with nose, or other parts of body when handling the camera, erm.....those are the ones that come to mind. I have long come to accept it and that's why I thought the OP might appreciate my experience.
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But those were problems you experienced with one specific model (GX1) and yet you used them to say avoid all mirror-less cameras.

I can think of many model-specific issues with DSLRs, but I wouldn't right off the entire product genre based in those.


Although all I'll say to the OP on choosing a Samsung is, "Interesting choice.. .." ;)
 
I'll let you know how I get on when the NX11 arrives. A read through the manual plus a read of some reviews make me optimistic that even with the kit lens I should enjoy it. In particular, I think the DOF preview function and the iFunction lens psuedo aperture ring will help, as will the sensor being nearly 9x bigger in area than my Fuji bridge camera. Still planning to get an adapter and some vintage lenses though.
 
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ped said:
And with the M8 you have to use the screen to change ISO and there's no rewind lever. It really feels quite digital. Nice camera though.
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I think Leica's thinking was that with a film camera you cannot change iso "on the fly" like with digital so a lot of their users will set their chosen iso and not often change it. Having said that I do quite like the "auto iso" function that the m8 offers. With digital there is no actual "winding" involved so the RD1 lever would only be resetting the shutter mechanism - the m8 latest firmware adds "discrete" advance so the shutter will reset when you take your finger *off* the shutter button rather than immediately resetting at the time of exposure.
 
My "leftfield" eBay purchase of a used Samsung NX11 arrived during the week and I sneaked an hour after work to have a play with it on Newgale beach, a couple of miles from home.

The comments above regarding using PAS modes to look after the exposure rather than Manual M mode have led me to start using this way - and the fact that so much info is displayed in the EVF, and the thumb wheel can be used to alter aperture or shutter speed whilst still looking through the viewfinder rather than having to faff about with menus and button pushes (as on my old bridge camera) - means that I now better appreciate what you all meant - I can still make decisions on shutter speeds / aperature (and depth of field) whilst letting the camera metering and automation do it's thing.

I also had a first experimentation with combining bracketed shots for greater dynamic range, and my first attempts at any sort of digital post production (other then simply cropping).

So with some trepidation I've uploaded a picture from my first 30 minutes of using the camera for comment. Taken with the kit zoom lens (I've ordered a NX to M42 adapter so that I can try using my old manual M42 lenses). I'm quite self critical and already know of several ways I could have improved the picture - and may go back at some future date to do just that. I think I have also succumbed to the newbie curse of perhaps too much post production - like a kid with a new toy!


Newgale Beach 1024 by DeadpanDodo on Talk Photography
 
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Sounds like you are going to have a lot of fun with your new camera. I was fairly sure once you got to grips (literally) with the controls you would find how handy they are.


Dave
 
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