Spoony

Cheers :) Yeah I'm not sure who is more shocked today, me going back to work since 22nd Dec or Striker stuck at home doing nothing haha.

I spend my last week of holiday's camping on the Boyd river with Striker and the old man. In the end I spend that much time in the river with both the D750 and X-T1 I counted myself lucky I didn't end up testing the 'weather proofing' of either of them. haha Striker in the Boyd River by Dan P, on Flickr The little nut bag can't get enough of trying to 'fetch' ever sinking rocks. haha Striker focused on fetching ever sinking rocks. by Dan P, on Flickr Striker in the Boyd river chasing by Dan P, on Flickr Striker in the Boyd River attempting the 'fetch' rocks, haha by Dan P, on Flickr Striker Shake by Dan P, on Flickr

I think it can do, I'll have to check :)

^ haha, yes, some dogs start jumping so far our with massive distance. trifecta, I would certainly recommend the D750. For the money, at the moment I don't think there is another body that offers such a balance of 'do it all' abilities combined with top IQ and low light performance. .

Awesome, small world! Haha yeah Trek is a bit like my boy, not all that interested in super super friendly dogs. His so cool though, Denise let me run him around a little course once :)

Thanks Guys :) You know Denise and her dog Trek? She's been the most awesome and helpful influence on Striker and my training.

Last Saturday I was both a competitor with Striker and photographer for the final Agility comp of the year a Brisbane Agility Clubs grounds. It was such a fun day, Striker managed a second place in his second ever comp and a clear round too. :) I am loving the Autofocus ability and low light performance on the new toy (D750). The night shots are all at 1/800th and ISO 8000 . DSC_3824.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSC_5936.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSC_5929.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSC_5315.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSCF5961.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSC_5132.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSC_4597.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSC_3937.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr DSC_4613.jpg by Dan P, on Flickr

Haha ouch!! yeah it is a bit of a risk, but the angle can look great. This is one positive of my mirrorless camera with the tilt screen, ie don't have to lay on the ground, just the AF doesn't hold a candle to the DSLR, which also has a tilt screen but Live View is even more useless. 1st world problems? lol

Cool fun pics!! I'm guessing you're lying on the ground for some of these!

Cheers :) Yes the 2.8 zooms are quite size-able. I think that one without the tripod foot 1300 odd grams! The problem is with what you're trying too do and wanting shallow DOF and subject isolation, the only easy way you'll achieve it in most settings, especially on an APSC size sensor body is with faster lenses. So shorter primes or 2.8 zooms. So getting slow wide range zoom isn't going to give you much blur unless there is quite a bit of space behind the subject, helps also if they are closer relative to the space behind. For me it's best to work out what focal length you need for different situations. Ie you may only use the longer zoom, say a 70-200 2.8 for action shots and similar of your dog(s), perhaps at the beach etc where it isn't too bad to lug around for a bit vs hiking. Where as hiking you may find yourself not need a long zoom at all? Though if you come across wildlife they are handy, and in this case you'll usually already want that lens on to begin with. This is where a large focal range zoom is handy, but unfortunately doesn't offer the easy bokeh you're chasing. You can get shorter range 2.8 zooms 17-50mm just of APSC bodies, so they are compact and not overly pricey (ie if you're happy with grey market under $300). It could be a consideration coupled with a 70-200? This would give a fairly practical walk around lens, while not 'prime' fast or likely as sharp, would give good wide angle for landscapes etc, and also still able to take closer range potraits and through the background a bit in the correct setting. http://www.tamron.com.au/di-ii17-50_a16.html Always keep in mind that the shorter the focal length, generally faster the the lens needs to be the throw the background. Ie a long slow zoom can still give heaps of blur if you allow reasonable of space behind the subject, and keep the subject as close as possible to you. You can't achieve this with a short focal length so much unless you have a really fast lens. So with a bit of planning and the right locations and placement you can achieve good things, it just takes more thinking and work :) One thing to also consider is if you want to shoot your dogs in action is shutter speed. You're going to need 1/640 + at minimum, generally I use at least 1/800th. Is is really going to push the ISO anytime there isn't bright light, even just mid/late arvo is enough to do this on a slow lens. So think of the faster lenses and zooms not just offering you better bokeh but also allowing you to shoot the action over great times of the day and when the lighting is becoming nicer too. An example using a very slow zoom on an APSC body, still some nice blur as the subject fills the frame and isn't too far away, a fair amount of zoom is used and also the background is further away. ISO 800, 1/800th F 6.4 172mm Ebony - Animal Rescue Queensland by Dan P, on Flickr

Yeah for sure!!! And agree, my X-T1 + 12mm 2.8 + 35mm 1.4 + 50-230mm sloth + Nissin i40 all fit in my sling bag at near the same weight not much more size than the DSLR + 70-200mm 2.8. Mind you most of it is that lens, sure the body is somewhat bigger and has a bit more weight but given the performance difference on any level that's not good light and static subjects it's more than acceptable. Couple the 50-140 2.8 on the X-T1 and in my opinion the advantage really chopped down to almost insignficant. It's not a great deal smaller (12mm length and a few mm diameter, 300 odd grams) than the Tamron, yet can't offer close to the same performance in quite a variety of situations on each comparative body. In saying that the Fuji 'kit' will be my grab and travel go too + for close range, the compact fast super sharp primes and also sharp compact zooms (even the cheap XC's are aweseomely sharp, destroy Cannkion' cheap lenses) are where that systems at, for me at least

So much awesome info in this thread, weld done Snook and others! Haven't recently also acquired a Nikon body to compliment my Fuji gear (see my other thread) I'd support what a few others have mentioned regarding a 70-200 2.8, however suggest finding a good used one, and NOT a Nikon, just go Tamron. If you look at reviews and back to back test (ie on DXOMark) there is nothing it really accept the costs. You'll be able to pick a second hand one up for under $1000 easy (or $1350 new) . Still not cheap but will give you great results even on the entry level body. It's also the smallest and lightest 70-200 2.8 vs Nikon and Canon's offerings, but it still is a heavy beast and will look as such especially on the front of D3300. Being APSC the D3300 won't get quite this level bokeh in the example below, but it will still work nicely and plenty enough for most situations to give nice isolation. As for a short lens to go along with it, I'd first think of how you'll shoot. The 70-200mm will still work well for portraits you'll just need some space from the subject. If you want to shoot portraits closer then on an APSC body I would recommend a fast prime. If you don't need the speed for low light and shallow DOF for portraits at the short end then a normal zoom (ie upto 70mm) might be more practical and also be useful as a general travel lens. You may not want to lug a 70-200 2.8 around travelling. Striker on the boardwalk by Dan P, on Flickr

Figured I'd update this thread. I ended up sourcing a new D750 Lowepro toploader bag + Used Tamron 70-200 2.8 for $3k total. It's certainly a different beast to the X-T1 in regards to focus performance and handling. It snaps off shots and focus rapidly quick. Shadow recover and low light is very impressive. Able to shoot at 1/800th of second after the sun goes down and still get clean shots with punchy colour is awesome. A Even if the X-T1 had the 50-140mm 2.8 on it it couldn't achieve this, mainly because their ISO claims are bit bogus but also because ISO 6400 is the limit. The one under lights on the XT-1 at ISO 6400 would have had the shutter speed under 1/200th and a total blur. Reality is any of these example below either doubt the ISO or 1/2 the shutter speed vs the X-T1. I thought the internet claims were just fanboi's ragging on Fujifilm but I did a little exposure vs shutter vs ISO test myself and they aren't. Agility example below is under crappy lights and at ISO 8000. Agility under lights. D750 1/640th + ISO 8000, not too shabby by Dan P, on Flickr I'm in awe how it nails focus with such shallow DOF with a running hound, ISO 3600 Striker on the boardwalk by Dan P, on Flickr Another at ISO 4000, forgot to reduce the shutter speed but it seems don't really have to be that mindful anymore, at least when using this camera Testing the new D750 + Tamron 70-200 VC 2.8 by Dan P, on Flickr BMX DOG :) hehe Testing the new D750 + Tamron 70-200 VC 2.8 by Dan P, on Flickr

Yep very true. I was a bit neive when I bought into the xt1 and there was a bit of hype around when I was shopping about focus ability. In reality the hype one could only relate to older mirrorless bodies. In real usability terms for tricky action certainly not the right choice for the coin. Has taught me patience and different technics though. Which may still be handy

Hmmm this album of a D750 + 70-200 2.8 shooting agility gives a good idea of its abilities. It seems focus tracking is used with plenty of sequences very sharp (no chance of that with X-T1). Loving the subject isolation in some of shots, cleans up what is generally messy backgrounds at fields and gives great depth.

Things I've thought of too! Yeah plenty are using the X-T1 at weddings these days so I could use both still. Having different lenses on different bodies ready to go would be handy. You're correct about how they 'look' and render, though I think Nikon's rendition and colours are closer to Fujifilm than Canon at least. Could be something adjusted in post somewhat though? I figure if you're shooting different focal ranges too on each camera it may not matter as much as the 'look' here is also different? Mate has canon gear though, which he'll likely update soon but will stick with canon due to invested lenses. He would swap if it wasn't for that.

Good info. While I'm not thinking about shooting other genres much, I think it may happen, the D750 leaves that opportunity a bit more open too. A mate who is also into photography has talked about us starting to do some weddings together, firstly would be friends/family I think. D750 is one of the lightest and smallest full frames about, probably not as solid built as the two you have but good enough I think.

Cheers for your insights. Very helpful being from someone currently using the X-T1 + also having a history with Nikon DSLRS. The D700 by all accounts is a great camera, it's sensor tech is now behind the other two due to age but focus performance still good. However apparently the D7200 and D750 are better again. Given your experience of the D700 vs the X-T1 that really does give me confidence. Yeah I agree with your thoughts on the 50-140mm, it's just too expensive to justify on the X-T1 for me. For $400 odd more one can get a 70-200 2.8 of great quality plus another body! I've also heard/and noticed the same about the bokeh from it too. I'm guessing peoples success rate with dogs, X-T1 + 50-140mm isn't much better, or consistent, likely they've managed to 'snag' some good ones 8fps like I'm able to do now. It's not reliable and I'm sure shooting at 2.8 would make it even harder. I totally hear you on the size thing too. Hence why I'm thinking I'll keep the X-T1 for both personal and pro use (when/if I get there) for short range. With the fast lenses and with ISO not too high it produces really great images, and I've printed 1000mm in size from it and still looks good even though it's only 16mp. I'd be like you if I didn't have such a small kit. Reluctant to drag a D750 and big lenses around everywhere. Now I have 3x Fuji lenses, the body and a flash in a bag the size of a footy and just over 2kg or so, which is awesome. While the D750 buffer in raw is limited (15-17 shots I think), it's fps is 6.5 vs 8 in the X-T1 which is about 23 Raw, so the shoot time isn't that much different and I manage fine with that now. I feel how many keepers you have in that time is more important than sheer quantity.

I haven't been visiting here lately, yeah slack I know, but I figured who better to ask than a bunch of dog lovers that lover too shoot! I currently shoot with Fujifilm X-T1, have a 12mm 2.8 Zeiss, 35mm 1.4r fuji, and 50-230mm 4.5-6.7 Fuji. The majority of shutter actuation on this camera has been for dogs. While I love the body, size, and image quality I get out of the X-T1, the more and more shooting I do, I find the focus system to be frustrating me. In low light it can struggle at times, but lots of that is because I shoot the 35mm at 1.4 o often, which is shallow DOF, but largely it's the ability to track and focus action. It does 8fps which isn't bad but need all of that to snag the odd really good keeper. Also the EVF black out while shooting (a general mirrorless issue) make it hard to keep the camera on subject at times. I've also started go garnish more interest from people in my shots. I'm shooting lots more for rescues, but have recently become one of the agility clubs I'm a member of's official photog. They based this on shot's I've already taken, so I can get good shots with it (I'll put examples below), but it can be hard work, with low keeper rate. For a while I've wanted to start a little enterprise in photography, just haven't bothered jumping in properly as I enjoy shooting more for fun and charity. However this gives me the opportunity to be promote and sell my work with a captive audience, some of which I know personally, with exclusivity. I do large format printing for a living which affords me the ability to offer cool visual products at good prices. As you can understand my confidence in shooting action is a bit low due to gear restrictions. Partly due to the focus system but also because my zoom is so slow I can't shoot late into the day or under lights with that lens. I can get a Fuji 50-140 2.8 but that is nearly $1900, by all accounts an awesome lens, but I feel I'll still have the same reservations, plus I don't think it offers enough reach. Hence I'm considering getting a DSLR body for this type of shooting, and perhaps keep the X-T1 for shooting short focal lengths. The tilt screen on the X-T1 can be invaluable, and while the odd DSLR has this, their focus systems are way behind the X-T1 in speed when using live view, which I think is important when shooting ground level using tilt screen. Sure one can lay on the ground, and I do at times, but often that gets the wrong response from the subject (ie, lets just lick his face haha). I've pretty much decided on the lens. The Tamron 70-200 2.8 VC, which by all comparisons I've seen vs the Canikon variants it' rates right up there but is far better value. Hopefully can source a good second hand one for just under $1k or new they are $1340. The real decision is weather I stay in the APSC world or move to full frame for this purpose. I'm leaning toward Nikon bodies, largely as I want to keep top image quality. While I understand that in good light there is really nothing between most modern sensors, in low light Nikon has the edge generally, but they also noticeably surpass Canon in dynamic range and the ability pull detail from shadows or even highlights. I find I do a fair bit of this push/pull in post with the X-T1 due to lighting conditions I like to shoot in. That and I feel at the moment Nikon offers the best value in either category. So my options are D7200, currently at $1100 brand new with rebate, or full frame D750 at around $2270. Obviously it's a fair price difference. Both have really good focus systems, Nikon's 3D tracking is really well regarded, low light focus is awesome. The D750 does have a few advantages more than just Full Frame, tilt screen, a group focus mode etc, but other than most of that they are similar. Now in good light there is bugger all between them in image quality. In low light the D750 shines, apparently near on 1.5 stops better than the D7200, understandable given the big sensor. Initially I figured the D7200 would do, it's sensor is ranks as the best APSC sensor to date, its IQ matches or surpasses the X-T1 and it gives me the bonus of added reach on a 70-200 lens. However I jumped into the X-T1 not knowing as much back then and for some things, like action focusing I am now disappointed. Hence I'm thinking of going the D750 so I will know without going to a $7k body I'll have all I can really have. My logic though, at least with shooting agility (which will only be a small part of it's use) is that the D7200 offer more reach and can constantly shoot at F2.8 and rarely need cropping. The D750 will have less reach and likely often needs some cropping. So in Good light the D7200 wins. However in good light a 1.4x converter would change this for the D750, now at F4 the DOF would be similar I think and everything would be back on part, perhaps edged to the D750. As the light fades however the D7200 is going to struggle more with ISO and shutter speeds required. BUT the D750 again has less reach, so would just have to either only keep shots at a wide view that stay crisp, or crop in which then brings it back in line with the D7200 in IQ. Same if using a 1.4x in one light, the Full Frame advantage is largely negated. BUT it does give the option to just shot at 2.8 on FF without as much reach and get top shots, the D7200 doesn't. For shooting action out of the ring, if I hopefully start doing some paid shoots, reach is maybe not quite as important as one can work the range better? So advantage goes to the D750 for shooting later into the day + shallow DOF My logic is still to keep the X-T1 for short duties, but I worry if I splurge on the D750 I'm gonna love what it does and then go poor buying great shot lenses. While it has a tilt screen, I doubt it's contrast detecting only Live view focus system is going to be much use unless the dogs/animals stay still in their pose (yeah right? lol). This is where the X-T1 is better. Curious to hear peoples thoughts. A few examples showing the handy work of Tilt screen, plus agility shots with the X-T1 and a $290 lens Tango - a rescue available for adoption with Animal Rescue Qld https://www.petrescue.com.au/listings/397672/feed_show by Dan P, on Flickr Scarlet - ARQ rescue pup, wolfhound mix by Dan P, on Flickr Brisbane Agility Club Comp by Dan P, on Flickr Brisbane Agility Club Comp by Dan P, on Flickr ADCQ Agility by Dan P, on Flickr

Good to see you finally decided on a camera/system and are getting good results. You're in depth research reminds me of myself, I certainly go overboard. With regards to the mirrorless to DLSR debate, for any others that have the same question. I think the biggest deciding factor is what/how you shoot. Mirrorless is more compact and light for the equivalent image quality at the expense of focus ability with moving subjects. They just aren't there yet at tracking and nailing focus shot after shot like some (well many) DSLR's are. Also in low light, DLSRs will generally focus better, well the good/newer ones, but Mirrorless in better light can focus more accurately with shallow DOF. If this tracking/action focus isn't a big factor then I feel mirrorless has the advantage. Some have huge great EVF's that can still show you wan'ts going in very low light where optical viewfinders show you blackness. Reviewing shots via a good EVF is also way way better than trying to shade a rear screen. There liveview (using the screen) performs just as well as the viewfinder (far from the case with DSLR's), and with most having tilting screens this is quite handy with animals and other subjects. Hopefully in a few years mirrorless focus and tracking systems start to match DSLR's, the Samsung NX1 is the closest so far by all accounts, not as good but with 15 FPS it banks on shooting bulk to get keepers..............which is how I use 8fps on my X-T1 (Fuji), as hit rate can be low in sum situations.

Cheers. Haha yeah it's a bit of a novelty with Eli (that Dingo) . I see your point though.. I'd be more confident feeding them than many peoples pets though, exponentially more precise in their movement and actions and far more gentle and careful. I guess it shows the lack of spacial awareness that many peoples pets have is man made haha.

Hi, If it's for charity I'm happy to help get some shots, I've got a few threads going (I just updated) with my pics. These 'models' are accessible and happy to eat treats. Striker (my dog on the left) will beg and walk (stand) and should be able to keep a treat in his mouth, Zeus (on the right) the misses dog will let a treat balance on his nose and catch it on cue. Striker & Zeus by dPphodography, on Flickr

Thanks nyssel, it's probably one of my most loved things about the FujiFilm X system, they're lenses are all really good. The dogs running, jumping, jetski's and hair flick shot's (and below) are using the cheapest $299 50-230mm zoom too. It's a plasticy thing, and pretty slow light wise, but does well for the coin. The $1800 need for the 50-140mm f2.8 I wan't just isn't appearing on any trees yet haha. Thanks Krislin :) , yeah she's the GF, I kept making her try different things. I don't normally shoot people all that much so had to work as my model for that camping trip. Most pics I'm not allowed to put online though lol. A more natural candid Jess by dPphodography, on Flickr

Cool shots. The tech is pretty awesome these days. More awesome is that you live there! Not jealous at all!!! lol

As my post in the other general pics thread, I've had no camera for a while, but no it's back, so is my interest, so I'm trolling forums again! haha. A couple more pics from my last visit for those who haven't likely already seen a while ago on Flickr. Didn't take many pics, was too busy working on stuff. Zahra Chamberlain (1/2 sister of Azaria) with the Dingoes Durong Dingo Sanctuary - Shake Eli by dPphodography, on Flickr Zahra Chamberlain & Zarha the Alpine Dingo Pup at Durong Dingo Sanctuary by dPphodography, on Flickr Ray (from Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary) feeding Eli Durong Dingo Sanctuary - Ray from Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary feeding Wathamba by dPphodography, on Flickr Durong Dingo Sanctuary - Eli by dPphodography, on Flickr The misses attempting to match Ray's feeding efforts lol DSCF3072-Edit.jpg by dPphodography, on Flickr