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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
DCS Cameras
Michael McNamara, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 5:49 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> How many newspapers out there are still using DCS cameras as their PRIMARY gear? We're using 620's, which were purchased when they cost $15,000 each, and all are now over 120,000 frames. |
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Michael McNamara, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 5:51 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> PS. Anybody want to buy one? |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Tucson | AZ | USA | Posted: 5:51 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> I use a DCS 520 for my personal gear. It has 35,000 frames on it and it renders great images. I use it sometimes when the paper doesn't provide a second body. I gave $650 for it used and bought it from another SS member. |
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Jason Miczek, Photographer
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Panama City | FL | USA | Posted: 6:06 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> We have a hodgepodge mix of Kodak DCS 520s and Canon D2000s for the photogs at the News Herald. They're great for sports, but I'd jump through hoops for a cache of EOS 1D cameras... |
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George F. Lee, Photographer
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Honolulu | HI | USA | Posted: 6:13 PM on 10.16.03 |
->> At the Honolulu Star-Bulletin we have an aging fleet of seven 620Xs and a 720x. Couple of the guys have bought their own D1Hs and I another 720X. My chief photographer was just heard grousing that his 620 was falling apart. We're bandying the idea of D2Hs about but the company thought they might last just a little longer. They bought @ $7000/ea. about 36 months ago.
Aloha |
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Aaron Johnson, Photographer
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Loves Park | IL | U.S.A. | Posted: 7:29 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> I too use a 720x for personal work. It's a nice camera. Although the "yellow cast" is a minor headache. |
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Sean Gallagher, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 7:58 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> Woah. DCS 520 "great for sports"?? I never thought I'd see those two terms in the same sentence. Don't get me wrong-- it's better than say, a D30, but that doesn't say much... "great"? Nah, i'd have to say that the shutter lag of over 100ms pretty much excludes it from that category. The only thing that was truely great about a DCS 520 for sports was, back a few years, when it was the only real digital camera on the market, you could shoot more than 5 minutes of those 8 p.m. games and still make your deadline. |
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Amir Gamzu, Photographer
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Ann Arbor | MI | USA | Posted: 8:02 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> Hey, the way I look at it, those cameras have produced images at about 12 1/2 cents each (not including batteries, CF card, computer equiptment, repair & maintance and lenses). Still looks like a good deal to me, what was the cost to produce one frame of film and processing?? |
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Nick Wright, Photographer
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Fort Scott | KS | United States | Posted: 8:21 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> My only digi at the moment is a D2000. I agree with Mr. Stanton. It is a great camera for sports. Great color. Good sharpness. Fast enough AF. What more can you ask? Sure, it doesn't fire the shutter the millisecond before you hit the button. But that's what practice is for. |
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Nick Wright, Photographer
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Fort Scott | KS | United States | Posted: 8:22 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> Oops... I mean Mr. Miczek. |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Tucson | AZ | USA | Posted: 8:29 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> I've shot some great sports with the DCS 520. In addition, I really don't notice a shutter lag. When I press the button, it fires. |
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Sean Gallagher, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 8:32 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> pick up a 1D sometime. You'll notice a difference. |
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Nick Wright, Photographer
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Fort Scott | KS | United States | Posted: 8:36 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> I've used a 1D extensively in the past. Notice I didn't say there wasn't a difference between the D2000 and the 1D. And, given the money, I would buy a 1D. However, for those of us that are on a budget, it is a wonderful camera. |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Nick Wright, Photographer
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Fort Scott | KS | United States | Posted: 8:45 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> All the photos on my member page were shot with the D2000(DCS520). |
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Thad Parsons, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 8:49 PM on 10.16.03 |
->> Until about 4 weeks ago, I was shooting everything with a DCS 520 and it is a great camera (for its age and size). Now I shoot a 1D and it is better.
But, don't count the DCS 520s out. Mine is still hanging around, ready to be a backup or to be used as a remote. It will give me a great image and I know what to expect from it. |
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Sean Gallagher, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 9:57 PM on 10.16.03 |
| ->> yeah. my pictures are all shot with the D2000. So what? I think we're missing the point. Let's get back on track. We're trying to help Mr. McNamara get ideas to make the bean counters buy new cameras for his department. Got any ideas? |
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Jason Miczek, Photographer
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Panama City | FL | USA | Posted: 1:57 PM on 10.17.03 |
->> The EOS 1D is a better camera? You're kidding...
Considering that many of us are staff shooters at newspapers in a trying time economically, I'll take whatever working camera I can get. And if that means adjusting my shooting style then so be it.
Not having the latest and greatest technology doesn't mean I can't do my job as best I can. |
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Neal Vaughan, Photographer
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St. Joseph | MI | USA | Posted: 2:06 PM on 10.17.03 |
| ->> And not having the latest and greatest doesn't mean that there are not better cameras out there. Don't take it personally. |
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Ron Holman, Photographer
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Visalia | CA | USA | Posted: 2:22 PM on 10.17.03 |
->> Companies (accounting folks especially) are still learning that cameras of today (digital) need to be budgeted more like computers than their film based cousins of years past. We went digital two years ago with D1H's, 2 each for a staff of four. And we're happy to have them! But I don't expect them to be as feasable for this job after five years as my F3 was after 15 years.
I fear we will always be in for a battle when we ask for new gear (or software) to keep pace with the industry and competition until business accepts the techno-costs associated with digital media. We still have twice as many photogs as work stations. |
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Ron Holman, Photographer
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Visalia | CA | USA | Posted: 2:57 PM on 10.17.03 |
| ->> One more thing- I use my own Kodak DC4800 (3.1MP point and shoot) with a wide angle adapter because neither I nor the company is willing to buy a 14mm at this point in time. Sucks for sports but great for anything else where shutter delay is tolerable. |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Tucson | AZ | USA | Posted: 5:56 PM on 10.17.03 |
->> (Companies (accounting folks especially) are still learning that cameras of today (digital) need to be budgeted more like computers than their film based cousins of years past).
I wish that were true where I work. Ironically, Gannett has classified cameras (again) as items not eligible for capital expenditures. Only things like computers are eligible now.
Their reason was technology changes so fast the company didn't feel it could justify the expenditures like for computers.
When I learned of this, I laughed. The computer on my desk, a G4, was three years old in June. They are replacing it with a G5. The G5 is in and IT is installing all of the software now. The G5 cost slightly more than a 1D. So the reasoning behind not using capital funds to replace cameras doesn't hold much water. But hey, at least the company does pay on time. |
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Ron Holman, Photographer
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Visalia | CA | USA | Posted: 3:10 AM on 10.18.03 |
| ->> Perhaps I should clarify. We are Gannett also. The first eight cameras we bought in a special buy with corporate approval to go digital. (We were turned down the year before which turned out to a blessing since we would still be shooting with D1's instead of D1H's.) After that we're on our own. Payday is like clockwork but we're still on Photo Mechanic 2.0 and PhotoShop 6. At least our 300 f/2.0 hasn't become obsolete! |
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