Nikon D5500
 

Following on from my original two threads (the first asking for advice on which camera to buy, and then after deciding on a Canon 750D or Nikon D5500,the second seeking advice on where to buy) here's a new thread about the Nikon D5500 I actually bought!

Well, overall I love it! Very nice camera, easy to operate, nice and compact/light and producing great images

However, there's a but, and it could get into my head.... The main reason for getting a new DSLR to replace our older Canon 750D was for the variable angle touchscreen, allowing us to get nice low down shots without having to physically get on the floor. The theory was we could bend over, angle the screen to get the composition, and finally touch the screen to take the photo. To do this, you have to use "Liveview" which previews the image on the screen, but unfortunately, it introduces horrendous shutter lag :( Retrospectively this is obvious: The shutter is held open to allow the image to hit the sensor and therefore has to close before it re-opens to take the photo! It does this regardless of shooting from the screen or the usual shutter release button (see here)

Now the obvious answer is to use the camera with Liveview off but then this kind of defeats the purpose of buying it. 99% of our photos are of dogs: with Liveview on they have wandered out of shot before the photo is taken, and with it off, well, we might as well use our old Canon

So now I am thinking along the lines of selling the Nikon on (nothing wrong with it, just not necessarily ideal for our needs) and trying something else. Would a Bridge Camera be better? Perhaps a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300?

Any musings appreciated!

I have the Nikon D5000 and love it to bits. The flash stopped working but didn't use flash much anyway. I bought a Tamron 10-25mm wide angle lens. Spends most of it's time on the camera.

Lag will be at least as pronounced as the Nikon in good light and worse in low light.

Learn to anticipate the shutter lag, additionally, pre focus the camera to the area you want to take the shot (generally when posing dogs etc, you know roughly where they will pass) then switch it to manual focus.

Likewise, when using the viewfinder, follow the dog (panning) with the shutter half pressed, keeping it half pressed, and still following the dog, then follow through with pressing the button when you want the shot.

The alternative is a compact system type camera. They will be faster (Panasonic and Sony models used to be the fastest of these type, not sure now though)

For speed, and continuous shooting, I would recommend working around the live view though, you will get more and better results.

I use a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. These do not have that problem. I do not have a touch screen on mine although some do. So I flip the screen up, bend my knees and look down on the screen and then press the shutter button (could use a remote). Bridge cameras are generally mirrorless in design. They do not have optical viewfinders (or mirrors which have to be lifted for live view) so getting a modern mirrorless camera with a good electronic viewfinder and refresh rate (not much lag) can be important.

Bridge cameras (have one fixed lens) and interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras shoot in a permanent live view for want of a better way of putting it. They then display the view either on the back panel or into an electronic viewfinder (if it has one). Being designed to shoot this way they don't suffer from the mirror and shutter problems of your Nikon in live view.

I'll not go back to DSLR's for the type of shooting I do. Both systems have pros and cons and both systems can take great pics.



You can spend £3000 (or much more) on a mirrorless these days of course you can also buy cheap ones. http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-s...mt0aavrm8p8haq

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Hi Dave

Have you considered using a remote control to take the photos of the dogs?
I rarely use live view on my Nikon, when taking an action or doing a high speed panning shot. Under those conditions, I prefer to use the optical viewfinder, which incidentally is also a feature on the Canon Bridge Superzoom Powershot ;)

Last year, I had a difficult subject:

A baby Ibis, nesting up a tree hidden amongst the branches.
How did I take the shot?

I used a GoPro action cam, set to time lapse, disguised in leaves as camouflage. Secured with rubber bands. The shutter was set to silent, so as not to spook baby Ibis. I secured the GoPro to one end of a very long bamboo branch and then monitored everything, via the screen of the mobile phone, in tandem with technology in the GoPro called NFC and Wifi remote control. Success!

It's another way round taking awkward photos when animals or birds are not very cooperative, or if it is desired to capture the shot 'au natural' :)

I do wonder if compact might, after all, be best for us, as probably got the speed as well as portability. If I could find one for about the same price (or less of course) than the Nikon with good quality results......

So speed and quality can go hand in hand then?

Remote control makes sense, although do you have to set up in advance?

I guess with the Smartphone app on the Nikon you can shoot "on the fly" but as the image you see via wi-fi on the phone is live, then assume it too comes via "Liveview" so you'd probably get the same lag issues?

a bridge camera (with the exception of just a few) are essentially compact cameras with extra zoom lenses. You will be disappointed with the results if you are disappointed with the speeds of the Nikon in live view. even though they are designed to be used as a live view, they rely on contrast detection for focus using smaller apertures on smaller light gathering sensors. In general, your Nikon (and most compact system cameras, though Nikon J series use a smaller one) will have a imaging sensor that is roughly 6 times larger than that of a compact/bridge camera. Couple this with a wider aperture with your lens compared with the bridge (as a guide, f2.8 on a bridge lens, will approximate 2.8 on an SLR lens) . Then you have the physically larger and separate metering system on the SLR, allowing it to gather light quicker.

When using the live view on the SLR, it uses a similar contrast detection for focus, but because of the larger components mentioned above, it does it quicker, however, it opens shutter, measures the light, displaying the view, focuses using contrast, it then has to drop the mirror (some dont drop the mirror) close the shutter and open it again. Some compact system cameras, close the shutter (which I never understood why) as it takes a shot. To me they should just freeze the image electronically as you press the shutter.

Yes but not with cheaper/older model. The newer ones have phase detection built into the sensor, these types of camera can acquire focus as fast or faster as most DSLR but maybe not quite as good in REALLY low light or VERY fast subjects.

Have a read on my model which is 2 or 3 years old now. It has same size sensor as your Nikon.(I am not saying get one of these but it shows what is out there) http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk...ha-6000-review

As I said before, all cameras have pros and cons but this type will allow you to use a tilt screen low to the ground. It will also acquire focus quickly and fire fast using the screen or the viewfinder. That Nikon is a fine camera but you have found one of the cons of that model. If you want to take pics of your dogs using the rear screen low down there are other options than a DSLR.

Edit: if you set mine to continuous it will fire 11 frames a second for low down dog shots using rear screen. That will give you 24mp RAW images as good and in most cases better than a DSLR.