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Selling my primary camera...

SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
So the time has come. I'm looking to sell my primary digital camera to help finance the new digital SLR. It's a Sony DSC-F717 that I purchased in late 2002/early 2003. Currently, it lacks a charger and has been relegated to desk ornament status, but a replacement charger can be found on ebay for US$15 (including "shipping"). However, if I do find the original unit, I'd gladly ship it off just to complete the package.

I'll also be bundling with it a Sony branded bounce flash. It uses an ACC jack-based connection designed exclusively for their products. It's a good flash, but keep in mind that it will have no usefulness beyond the Sony nameplate.

Also included will be four memory sticks: 256mb, 128mb, 32mb, and 32mb, as well as a case to hold them. None of them are MSPro, so they're not particularly fast, but the camera can support memory stick pro for if you ever did decide to use it.

Additional included items: Two batteries, a USB cable, and an A/V Out cable which, sadly, is not with me at the moment and would have to be sent later.

Filters: 58mm Hoya R72 Infrared filter, Hoya 58mm ND2x, 58mm Hoya ND4x, 58mm Tiffen Circular Polarizer, and of course, a newish 58mm UV filter. And of course, a lens cap.

The body itself is in good condition, with the hinged lens having a little bit of play, but nothing substantial. The coating on the lens has a slight surface defect, but it is not substial enough to degrade the image quality in any way. There is some general wear and tear around the hinge, where debris got into the path and caused some minor scratching, but it's nothing atypical for the design. Other than those two areas and a few edges, there is no substantial wear. The camera was always bagged and kept clean.

So please post any questions )or PM me if you're really interested and want it to be private) and I'll answer 'em as best I can. I'm still thinking up a reasonable price for the setup, but lets say...$450 for everything. I'd like to see it go to a good home with someone I know rather than toss it up on ebay initially. Last time I did that, the buyer destroyed the camera within three days.

If you want to see some sample pictures, check out the gallery link in my signature. Practically everything taken in 2004 onwards is with the Sony. For samples of near-infrared shots using the camera and the R72 filter, check out the NIR albums. Nightshot examples can also be seen in use in the Loyal9 protest sets. They are identified by the green tint to them, which is (sadly) a "feature" that cannot be disabled. .

[url=www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/F717/F71A.HTM]Technical details about the camera can be found here[/url]

Comments

  • MessiahMessiah Failed Experiment
    Shipping would be too high to Sweden. Also, Im getting myself a smaller camera next time.. ;)

    But otherwise a good camera, Ive tested a friends..
  • Entil'ZhaEntil'Zha I see famous people
    Sanfam, May i Ask what you are looking at for a DSLR?
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    Canon Digital Rebel XT/350D. Likely going to get a 35mm, 17-40mm, and 70-200mm lenses with it, with 35 and 70-200 being the first acquisitions.
  • Entil'ZhaEntil'Zha I see famous people
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sanfam [/i]
    [B]Canon Digital Rebel XT/350D. Likely going to get a 35mm, 17-40mm, and 70-200mm lenses with it, with 35 and 70-200 being the first acquisitions. [/B][/QUOTE]

    IF you are all serious about photography, you may be dissapointed with the Rebel, On the surface it looks like a good buy, but its slower frame rate, and slower shutter speed make it a purely amature camera, I have the 20D personally, its a much better camera (and has recently been redesigned with a larger LCD and some other new improvements. and rechristined the 30D. so you may be able to get a 20 for around the same cost as a rebel these days, i'm not totally sure.

    I've currently got a 50mm f1.8 lens thats really sweet, an 18-55mm which does a nice job, down to 18 it gives fairly good wide angle, and the 70-200. if you can afford it, i'd reccomend the 17-85, its a nice lens, the IS series of lenses is very nice, but pricey.

    Also dont forget that DSLR's basically have their own 1.6x teleconverter due to the sensor. so any lens you get is going to be 1.6x (on the 20D at least it may be 1.4x on the 350D) larger than the 35mm value, makign the 70-200 about 112-320

    Also be ready for some routine maintinance that you may not be used to with a 35mm SLR, even though the manuals all say "NEVER TOUCH THE SENSOR" you will need to clean your sensor, unlike a 35mm when dust gets behind the shutter curtain on a DSLR, it has nowhere to go, in a 35mm, it attches to the film, and gets advanced ont he next shot, with DSLR's it sits on the sensor, and you'll get dark areas in your film at appertures of F8 or above, if it gets really bad, at F5 or above.

    [url]http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/[/url] is a great resourse, get yourself an eclipse cleaning kit with some PEC pads, and follow the instructions on that page, it'll save you a lot of grief.

    if you have any questions i'd be happy to share my experience.
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    Well, I've used the 300D on numerous occasions, and never been disapointed with it. While the lens is really what makes the difference, the camera itself is pretty damned good at what it does. And yes, I am quite familiar with the inner workings and optical properties of such a gadget. The cropped sensor, when used with a lens not designed for it, will always lend to itself a little teleconverter action. This is primarily why I was thinking of a 35mm f1.9 as one of my main pieces of optics.

    The option I've got right now is a fairly good deal, consisting of the 350D body and a decent set of good quality lenses. Nothing absolutely astonishing, but it'd give me some range to play with. Consider this: I'm jumping from the F717 which was wide angle inept. It'd shoot at (a 35mm equivelant of) 42mm. at its widest. Completely useless for almost anything in relative proximity, though decent for macro work, but it is undoubtedly inferior in optical quality to anything but the lens provided in the canon-branded kit for the 300/350.

    The funny thing about me is...I've never been a big user of film. It just never really was of terrible interest to me, as my random photographic experiments often resulted the emptying of my wallet, rather than the accumulation of a nice set of albums. Film is expensive. Really expensive.

    Now, as for the 17-85, I may give it a look for the smaller side of things. I constantly forget about that set. (IIRC, it's an EF-S lens, right? So no multiplier effect and top-notch canon build quality)
  • Entil'ZhaEntil'Zha I see famous people
    IIRC it is an EF-S, i'm thinking of pickng one up myself, although first i'm looking for a good 400+mm lens, right now i'm using my 100-300, and a 2x teleconverter, problem with that is with the 2x converter, manual focus is a must, and i dislike the focusing screen that comes with the EOS line, i've got to get a new screen,

    I've got the same 2x converter on my minolta SLR and the AF works.

    my next MAJOR camera purchase, is going to be a good telescope and a T-Mount for the camera,
  • E.TE.T Quote-o-matic
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sanfam [/i]
    [B]Well, I've used the 300D on numerous occasions, and never been disapointed with it.[/B][/QUOTE]But you might be disappointed to feel of 350D, it's just too small and feels like toy in my average size hand so make sure you'll try it in your hand before making decision.

    [url]http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos300d%2Ccanon_eos350d&show=all[/url]


    [quote][b]Now, as for the 17-85, I may give it a look for the smaller side of things. I constantly forget about that set. (IIRC, it's an EF-S lens, right? So no multiplier effect and top-notch canon build quality) [/B][/QUOTE]Focal lengths for SLR lenses are always real focal lengths so you'll have to take "cropping factor" into account.
    EF-S means lens is for APC size sensor meaning it would give lot of vignetting in full frame digital/35mm SLR if it would fit to them.
    (that's why its wide angle is 17mm, unlike 28mm which is wide end of traditional wide zooms)

    BTW, F717's unwide angle is 38mm not 42.
  • Entil'ZhaEntil'Zha I see famous people
    I'm still very dissapointed with the focusing screen, I miss the old split prism screens, i find that when in manual focus, i end up soft more often than not, a friend of mine who's a professional photographer has run into the same issue, guess its just our old eyes, lol
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by E.T [/i]
    [B]But you might be disappointed to feel of 350D, it's just too small and feels like toy in my average size hand so make sure you'll try it in your hand before making decision.

    [url]http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos300d%2Ccanon_eos350d&show=all[/url]


    Focal lengths for SLR lenses are always real focal lengths so you'll have to take "cropping factor" into account.
    EF-S means lens is for APC size sensor meaning it would give lot of vignetting in full frame digital/35mm SLR if it would fit to them.
    (that's why its wide angle is 17mm, unlike 28mm which is wide end of traditional wide zooms)

    BTW, F717's unwide angle is 38mm not 42. [/B][/QUOTE]

    I've heard a decent range of variation on that number, potentially attributed to the firmware limiting the motion based on shooting modes. I happen to have no luck getting it to that point.

    And yes, I have held the 350. I've used it as well for a decent period of time (roughly a day and a half). I don't mind the irregular build quality problems, as it comes with the territory as well as the price. Smaller size and lighter weight are part of the motivating factor, as I was NOT having fun (in respect to mass) with the 1Ds I had taken out for a while. :p (It's all classwork related, so I get irregular access to the cage back on campus)

    And thanks for the correction on the numbers. While I am aware of the design changes in the lenses themselves, I was not clear on the differences in methodology--or lack therof--used in their measurement.

    So yeah. Back on topic, I'm still trying to *sell* my camera :p
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