Digital accessories

[GRD]

Sorry for repeating myself, bt I am new at this game and not sure which forum is most applicable. So here goes.

After a lifetime of film photography and a couple of years with a one meg digital camera, and after reading countless reviews I finally decided to give Digital Photography a serious go. Over nearly 40 years I have never had a problem with Minolta so I purchased a Dimage 7 – not a cheap camera you will agree. It is only now, as I try to add on a few accessories that I have discovered what no-one seems prepared to say in public. Digital photography can seriously damage your wallet. The misrepresentations about it being cheaper for prints appears to pale into insignificance when compared with the situation on accessories. According to my local photographic shop I am limited to Minolta’s own brand. No more can I turn to independent third parties to offer value-for-money. So a cable release? – yes sir that will be £50. A flash gun? – certainly sir, that will be £300 unless you want the cheap one at £180. A 2X converter? Now there you are in luck. Minolta do not do one but there is a third party one that will fit at £45. Filters? Again in luck because there is a third party mount that accepts a wide range of third party filters. Battery packs, eye cups? Sorry but it will have to be Minoltas own which cost an arm and a leg. Should I have bought another make? No – they are all the same in the digital field. Moreover, by continually changing the models they ensure that even their own brand accessories are frequently limited to just the one model.
So who is fooling who? Are things really as dire as the shopkeeper said, or is he the one who is being less than honest? Is there a reasonably priced flash gun and cable release (sorry remote release) that works with a Dimage 7? If so, where do I go to get them?

GRD

[Stuart Wright]

I'm not the kind of person who would buy much in the way of accessories. Printing out photos isn't cheap, either, with the cost of a decent printer, ink cartridges and paper.
The big deal for me is that with a traditional camera and film, the cost of films and processing mean that I took each picture with great care and felt gutted if the subject blinked or moved at the wrong moment.
With a digital camera, I take 10 or 15 pictures when I want to get one decent one because I can delete the ones where the subject is blinking or moving. It means I get lots more pictures, capture lots more 'spur of the moment' images . And I only print out the good pictures rather than paying for processing of all of them.
Ultimately it means I take 64 pictures on a whim and almost always get at least one i'm really happy with. That is far cheaper than photography with film and with better results.
I'm completely sold on digital cameras.

[GRD]

There is not much I disagree with there, Spectre. I, too, am sold on Digital Photography – in principle, - which is why I invested in a good camera. My beef is with the manufacturers who are, I suspect, in danger of shooting themselves in their collective feet as well as ripping of their loyal supporters. I am old enough to remember a whole series of “compatibility” fiascos – early home movies, tape recorders, video recorders – which demonstrate that until manufacturers work together in ensuring common standards, fittings, etc, their product will remain in the dark ages. Perhaps the most modern example is the humble PC which was finally released from the grip of IBM and immediately took off with a range of manufacturers supplying to a common (even modular) standard. Whatever you think of Bill Gates, the acceptance of Windows as a common standard has meant an ever expanding range of high quality software which in turn drives the hardware industry. The conventional, old-fashioned, film photography has been expanding for decades primarily because there is such a wide range of third party equipment for virtually any make of camera. There is no way that I can afford the sort of prices being asked by Minolta, nor would I on principle, when perfectly adequate kit is available for other film based cameras at one tenth the price and which should be available for digital. For the benefit of Minolta, if they should ever read this forum, they have lost not only further business from me, but also my unqualified recommendation. I also have a beef with the photographic retailers and the advertising media, including photographic magazines. None of them comment on cost of ownership in any meaningful way. I may be a lone voice, but others will join in as the full truth gradually emerges over the next few years.
OK, I have had my moan.
On a more practical level, does anyone out there have any ideas as to how I can get flash for my Dimage7 at something approaching a reasonable price. It does not have to be an all singing all dancing solution? Simple manual flash will do (or not if you believe Minolta)

GRD

[nunew33]

This accessorising isnt limited to digital cameras.


I have a canon EOS50e

I can buy vanilla flashes but only the canon £300 model gives me access to all the features. Such as high speed synching and second curtain flash etc.

Cable release, comes only as a canon remote control!!

Dioptic eye cup, once again canons own.

Batteries, filters and lenses escape this.

But looking at digital if I could afford an EOS D30/60 then I could reuse all my EOS50 accessories including lenses.