Jo and Tom
Posts: 15
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Registered: 8 May 2008
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Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 10:48 GMT
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Hi there,
I`m still a newbie to this site and to panoramic tours and photography in general etc.
I have had and am still getting lots of tips and advice from various members on here which I much appreciate.
I have still to purchase my camera/lens etc. and am thinking of getting a Coolpix P5400 and a FC-E9 lens. Having just missed out on an FC-E8 and FC-E9 on E-bay I came across the Raynox lenses.
Have any of you guys got experience of the Raynox FE in comparison to the Sigma 8mm and the Nikon 10.5mm ? Is the quality of image as good ? Their DCR-FE 180 PRO has a 180 degree diagonal FOV.
It appears from the Raynox website that they have lens adapters for most cameras, and so now I am also thinking of a Canon Powershot G9 with one of their FE and WA lenses. I know that the general feeling on this site is that the Canon sensors are generally better than the the Nikon. Would that be true of the Powershot G9 ?
What are peoples views on the above combination.
Tom
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mediavets
Posts: 270
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 11:50 GMT
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Jo and Tom said: Hi there,
Have any of you guys got experience of the Raynox FE in comparison to the Sigma 8mm and the Nikon 10.5mm ? Is the quality of image as good ? Their DCR-FE 180 PRO has a 180 degree diagonal FOV.
Tom
The Raynox FE covertor is not as good as the FC-E8/9 let alone the Sigma 8mm or Nikkor 10.5mm FEs.
Andrew
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Jo and Tom
Posts: 15
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Registered: 8 May 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 12:05 GMT
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Andrew,
thanks for that. Just thought I would ask as I had just missed out on the FC-E8/9 lenses last night on E-bay.
Tom
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 471
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 14:37 GMT
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Tom
It also won't do 2 fisheye stitching even though ot has a 185° FOV. Something about the way is "pojects" the image onto the sensor. It can be use for 3 and 3 shot capture
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Ken Warner
Posts: 322
Location: Mammoth Lakes, United States
Registered: 14 Aug 2004
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 15:12 GMT
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Jo and Tom said: Andrew,
thanks for that. Just thought I would ask as I had just missed out on the FC-E8/9 lenses last night on E-bay.
Tom
There's a constant supply of both those lens' on eBay. Don't worry that you are going to miss one and bid high. There's always more. And if you can always get one for $229. RitzCamera sells them for $229 so you can always get one if you want to pay that price.
Me -- I'm waiting for a less than $100 lens. I've seen some auctions where the idiot pays more for a used one than a new one.
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 471
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 15:27 GMT
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Ken
Actually $229 is a good price for the FC-E9...the were $299 new. The FC-E8s were $199 new
If you want one, a camera shop I use had a couple of FC-E9s I could probably pick up for $250 each
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Steven Scott
Posts: 35
Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, United States
Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 17:12 GMT
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I've been wondering the same..... so thanks to all. I am using a Canon G9 with the Canon wide angle and a Panosaurus. Not ideal. I know. I'm trying to learn and get my skills down before I buy the new Canon XSi (450) with the Sigma 8mm or 10mm lens.
The Hawaiian 'isles offer some great "pano moments" and I'm trying to learn. If anyone knows of a great lens for the G9, please let us all know! The Canon G9 is a great point-and-shoot camera.
Mahalo
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mediavets
Posts: 270
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 18:27 GMT
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Steven Scott said: I've been wondering the same..... so thanks to all. I am using a Canon G9 with the Canon wide angle and a Panosaurus. Not ideal. I know. I'm trying to learn and get my skills down before I buy the new Canon XSi (450) with the Sigma 8mm or 10mm lens.
The Hawaiian 'isles offer some great "pano moments" and I'm trying to learn. If anyone knows of a great lens for the G9, please let us all know! The Canon G9 is a great point-and-shoot camera.
Mahalo
Apparently the G7 can be used with the Nikon FC-E9 FE convertor - don't know about the G9.
www.bophoto.com/bracket/camera-solutions/canon-G7...
Andrew
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mediavets
Posts: 270
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 18:34 GMT
updated: 13 May 2008 at 18:34 GMT
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Jo and Tom said: It appears from the Raynox website that they have lens adapters for most cameras, and so now I am also thinking of a Canon Powershot G9 with one of their FE and WA lenses. I know that the general feeling on this site is that the Canon sensors are generally better than the the Nikon. Would that be true of the Powershot G9 ?
What are peoples views on the above combination.
Tom
Aside from the fact that Raynox FE convertors will not produce a good quality image it appears that the Canon G9 compact costs as much as a Nikon D40 DSLR with kit lens. I'd take the D40 over the Canon G9 any day, and shell out for Sigma or Nikon FE.
Andrew
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Steven Scott
Posts: 35
Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, United States
Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 20:17 GMT
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We sell the Canon G9 for $499.00US and the D40x One Lens Kit (18-55mm) is $729.00 US. So not exactly the same. The Canon G9 is 12MP, with three-shot AEB and is light-weight. The downside is you can't buy interchangeable lenses.
I'm trying now to see if the Nikon FC-E9 will fit on the "bayonet" style mount of the Canon G9. I work on a "pro" camera store here on Maui, Hawaii, and regularly put my G9 pictures up against SLR's. Now .... the Nikon D300 and D3, and Canon 5D and 1Ds Mark III are something different!
Mahalo, Steve
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mediavets
Posts: 270
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 20:35 GMT
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Steve
Steven Scott said: We sell the Canon G9 for $499.00US and the D40x One Lens Kit (18-55mm) is $729.00 US. So not exactly the same. The Canon G9 is 12MP, with three-shot AEB and is light-weight. The downside is you can't buy interchangeable lenses.
Mahalo, Steve
Note I said the D40 not the D40X - prices from a major UK retailer are £329.99 for the G9 and £289.99 for the D40 with 18-55mm kit lens, and Canon 400D with kit lens at £373.99.
The 'benefit' of a 12MP compact over a 6MP DSLR is of limited value for spherical pano shooting even if one can find a suitable FE convertor for the compact.
I can assure you that my 6MP D40 plus the Sigma 8mm f3.5 FE on my NN5 pano head produces much better quality spherical panos than my 12MP Nikon P5100 plus the Nikon FC-E8 FE convertor on a Bophoto bracket.
But of course the P5100/FC-E8 combo/Bophoto bracket on a monopod is smaller, and lighter and more discreet which is why I have it - for 'casual/snapshot' style spherical panos.
Andrew
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 471
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 20:59 GMT
updated: 13 May 2008 at 21:02 GMT
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Andrew's on the right track
I just checked NormansCamera.com
The G9 is US$459
a Canon XT is US$514 with the 18-55mm kit lens
I'd spend my money on the dSLR
That aside, I think iPIX did sell a kit that used the FC-E9 on a G6.
The big problem is finding the adapter they used or one with the right size threads at at both ends and the correct length.
So until you have the camera & lens in the same big camera store that stocks obscure adapters, you're going to be buying and returning adapters.
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Steven Scott
Posts: 35
Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, United States
Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 22:32 GMT
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While new to panos, I'm not new to cameras. Interesting thoughts. Perhaps we should have a "shoot-out" when I get better with panos.
Hard to argue that a Canon G9 14-bit A/D converstion (16,696 colors) is not as good as a 12-bit A/D (4,096 colors)D40 --- but I guess I'll take your word for it. I love good gradation.
Also .... I tend to think an SLR is not a "serious SLR" unless it has Exposure Bracketing. Even the new Nikon D60 does NOT have EB.
Now I know why I never post.
Best to all.
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mediavets
Posts: 270
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 13 May 2008 at 23:26 GMT
updated: 13 May 2008 at 23:27 GMT
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Steven Scott said: Also .... I tend to think an SLR is not a "serious SLR" unless it has Exposure Bracketing. Even the new Nikon D60 does NOT have EB.
True - D40, D40X and D60 lack AEB - but AEB capability of many DSLRs is too limited to be of real value when shooting bracketed interior panos.
I look forward to seeing a 360x180 pano shot with a G9 with a fisheye convertor.
Andrew
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 471
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Raynox DCR-FE 180 PRO ??
Posted: 14 May 2008 at 1:29 GMT
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Steven
It took me a while to "get it" that just about any old DSLR is better than the best compacts.
The difference isn't the resolution, its the size of the sensors. I found it hard to believe a Nikon D100 with a 6MP sensor a VR photographer wanted to sell me, was better than a Nikon Coolpix 8700 with an 8MP sensor.
But when I learned that the sensor in the D100 is 23.7 x 15.5 millimeters compared to the 8700's 8.8 x 6.6
Similarly, the G9 has a 9.5 x 7.6 mm sensor compared to the XT's 22.2 x14.8 mm sensor.
So the photosites on the D100 and XT are 3 to 5 times the size of the ones on the 8700 and G9, so they're more sensitive and can tolerate more light before they become saturated.
Just how sensitive is apparent when you compare the smallest Aperature setting available. My 8700 doesn't go past f/8 but my Canon XTi will go all the way to f/22. The G9 only has a range of F2.8 - F4.8 so it won't funtion any where near as well in low light.
When I shot my first photos with my Canon XTi I immediately saw much more subtle colors than my Nikon 8700 or 5400
AEB is just a convenience, larger APS-C sized sensors like the D40, D40X, XT & XTi have is what makes them much more serious cameras than the best compacts.
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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