Taking great photos?

[defblade]

There have been so many fantastic photos posted in various threads on here, and I see so many potential pictures that almost never come out how I hope...

So, what is everyone using?
Dedicated cameras, or just much better phone cameras than mine? It's a Pixel 3a XL so getting on a bit, but fine for snaps... pictures come out "ok" but rarely "great".
Or have we got some editing effects geniuses here?

I don't want to go out with a bag full of cameras and lens and stuff, and I don't want to change my phone for a while yet, but increasingly it's something I enjoy adding to a ride, so I would consider a separate bit of kit if it was worth it.

[nessiemac]

My thread has arrived!

Phone cameras these days are very very good but for "proper" pics I think you need a dedicated camera with a decent lens for sure.

These were all taken with Canon 1DX DLSR and various lenses.

Second hand route I reckon you could get easily get good enough kit, camera, lens, bag, memory cards etc for less than £1,000 that would get you great results. Especially with a lot of people moving onto mirrorless systems.

Then all you have to do is learn how to use it which is the fun part!



PH BEST 5 by nessiemac1, on Flickr

ROOOOOST (1 of 1) by nessiemac1, on Flickr

2019. O'Neal 2020 shoot samples (1 of 1)-2 by nessiemac1, on Flickr

2022. 4TH NOVEMBER. HARRY. SPECIALIZED._-54 by nessiemac1, on Flickr


PH BEST 5 by nessiemac1, on Flickr


PH BEST 5 by nessiemac1, on Flickr

2018 WORLD CHAMPS FLICKR (1 of 1)-2 by nessiemac1, on Flickr

[gangzoom]

nessiemac said:

My thread has arrived!

Phone cameras these days are very very good but for "proper" pics I think you need a dedicated camera with a decent lens for sure.

These were all taken with Canon 1DX DLSR and various lenses.

Great pics, but I suspect the OP isn't looking to carry around a camera on a bike ride, given the cost of saving 100g on a set of road wheels is around £1000, the weight penalty of just one lens would give most (road) cyclists sleepless nights .

I find the camera on my phone to be pretty amazing, these are a couple of my favourite recent shots, not all in focus, not 100% well framed, plenty of unwanted lens flare etc, but sums up why I personally love (road) cycling .

Biggest risk is dropping the phone when moving, or just having to even carry the phone....that extra 200-300g is the difference between a top 'Pro' frameset weight versus entry level.

[Mr Pointy]

It's a gift & you either have it or you don't. I don't.

You could give me a Leica & someone like nessiemac a potato & I'd still produce worse pictures. The kit is (almost) irelevant.

[nessiemac]

gangzoom said:

Great pics, but I suspect the OP isn't looking to carry around a camera on a bike ride, given the cost of saving 100g on a set of road wheels is around £1000, the weight penalty of just one lens would give most (road) cyclists sleepless nights .

I find the camera on my phone to be pretty amazing, these are a couple of my favourite recent shots, not all in focus, not 100% well framed, plenty of unwanted lens flare etc, but sums up why I personally love (road) cycling .

Biggest risk is dropping the phone when moving, or just having to even carry the phone....that extra 200-300g is the difference between a top 'Pro' frameset weight versus entry level.

He did say he would consider carrying kit if it meant good photos but point taken.

Nice pics btw.

[PomBstard]

I use my iPhone 12 for pics - carried in the back pocket of my cycling jersey for quick access. Whilst phone cameras are generally quite good, and also noting I am no photographer, they are limited in what they can do regardless of what the adverts might suggest.

Getting shots like those posted by Nessie above just aren’t possible, presuming the OP is after shots of bikes’n’stuff. For scenery shots they can be more reasonable. I would like a decent camera but know I don’t really have the time right now to do it justice.

However, with a bit of planning and some editing, some shots come out OK. I’ve littered the Photos from Rides thread with 100s of pics over the years, here’s a few from some recent rides to give you a flavour…







And using a phone means being able to take shots on the move…

[defblade]

nessiemac said:

for less than £1,000 that would get you great results.

It would have to be a LOT less! I was imagining something jersey-pocketable for a couple of hundred quid or so... Or maybe some way of improving phone pics.
Those are great pics though!

gangzoom said:

PomBstard said:

However, with a bit of planning and some editing, some shots come out OK. I’ve littered the Photos from Rides thread with 100s of pics over the years, here’s a few from some recent rides to give you a flavour…

There's some really nice pics, too...

Mr Pointy said:

It's a gift & you either have it or you don't.

This may be true!
Today's efforts in "photos" thread shortly... acceptable, but lacking that something...

[Master Bean]

Drive side only. Cranks at quarter past three. Big ring and middle of cassette. Valves and tyres lined up.

[GravelBen]

Master Bean said:

Drive side only. Cranks at quarter past three. Big ring and middle of cassette. Valves and tyres lined up.

Maybe if you're a roadie, most MTB'ers don't care about that.

[gangzoom]

GravelBen said:

Maybe if you're a roadie, most MTB'ers don't care about that.

It's probably just GCN....lighting, framing, focus point, background compression, any motion tracking is far more important for a good picture.

[Craikeybaby]

I occasionally ride with my "big camera", but that is usually more if I am riding somewhere to do photography.

For general rides, where I may want to take pictures of scenery, my riding buddies or even my bike I take along my Fuji X100V - a large sensor, fixed lens compact camera. It fits easily in my hydration pack and produces images as good as, if not better than my "big camera", which is also Fuji.


Autumn colours by Lewis Craik, on Flickr

Riding the skinny by Lewis Craik, on Flickr


DSCF5948 by Lewis Craik, on Flickr