Picked up my new camera today....a GF1

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I used to own a 6x4 photo printer - it churned out about 200 'snaps' in total, which were duly handed out to family & friends - then it blew up

I now have a Canon Pixma MP620 - Photo Printer/Flatbed Scanner - I have printed approx 10 photos on it of various sizes!

The thing with all this digital stuff, at least for me, is that I very rarely print anything, or get anything printed, nor do I display any of my 'artwork' in my home. I even thought about getting a digital photo frame but lost interest after a few minutes of research.

The point of this waffle? The majority of my photos end up on the interweb - either my own site, Flickr or Picasa.

At least they are not just hiding on my hard disk somewhere!

This year I did intend to get alot more of my shots printed - but it's February already and still haven't bothered :bonk:

And I have not got a monitor calibration thingy either
 
I have an Epson R2880. I've had a lot of trouble with dark prints but hopefully I'm over the worst of it. I can't say that I print a lot but I do print. I keep most of them but I send some to friends when they ask for them. I have a free photobucket account and they look at my pictures and tell me if they want one.

I have some car pictures up on the wall, A3, but most of my pictures are in draws. I know it's not really cost effective but I like to be able to print them out myself and my one and only digital print that I paid to get done was awful, way too dark and in a very scruffy frame too. I can definitely do better at home.
 
The R2880 has all the feature that I would need from any printer, it comes complete with excellent profiles that produce stunning colours out of the box.
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That's Photodo's conclusion with the R2880, and mine using the earlier R2440, I find that using Epson paper and inks with the inbuilt profiles it just produces the goods, especially in B/W.

Woof you report trouble with the R2880 re dark prints then go on to report the same problem with commercial prints, just a thought. How often do you calibrate your monitor and with what?

Have to agree with Grum re Andy's Piggy piccie the Bokah isn't nice at all, it's better in the second one, were they shot with the same aperture Andy? . The third piccie focus is way off and the colours somewhat odd.

Brian.
 
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A quick pic(via iPhone) of my Crumpler 5500 that i use to carry the GF1 around in .

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as you can see plenty of room for all sorts of stuff with the GF1 nice and secure in the corner.
 
I thought 90% of the advantage of the GF1 was not having to cart a ruddy great bag around.

Brian.
 
BrianT said:
I thought 90% of the advantage of the GF1 was not having to cart a ruddy great bag around.

Brian.
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compared to carrying a Slingshot 300AW or Kata DR467, the crumpler is tiny.
If im out walking the dog, the GF1 goes in my jacket pocket or the cargo pockets on trousers. The crumpler is usefull when your in town with kids, can put drinks and even squeeze a coat/jumper in the bag.

I use the bag everyday to carry stuff to work as well. If your a small person then may be it is a "ruddy great bag" ;) but for me its just the right size. :)

Trying to find something i can protect the GF1 for when i take it out mountain biking. if it goes in the rucksack, might see if CSS do a small case that'll protect if in the event of me coming a cropper.
 
My dark print issue...

It's not a monitor calibration issue. I've not calibrated it but I have looked at charts and I seem to be able to see everything that I should be able to see. I may not be the best photographer in the world (or even the best in my house) but I think that I can get the exposure half way right now and again and get a half way accurate record of the scene. What I see on my camera and PC pretty much match the scene as I saw it and my previous HP produced prints that matched my expectations.

The change to dark prints came when I changed my PC and printer, when printing from CS2 and when printing from Vista. My camera, photographic skills and post processing technique didn't alter. I've pretty much sorted it (hopefully) by playing about with settings in Vista and CS2 although I think that the prints I'm getting now whilst being acceptable are probably still a little dark.

As I mentioned, I've only ever had one digital print produced by a shop and it was too dark, much darker even than my own dark print produced before I wrestled with the setup software. I'm convinced that they had some sort of a paper / profile mismatch or setting issue and just hadn't bothered to match what the print looked like to what was on screen. And the frame was a mess too.

When I posted about dark prints in another section on this site some people said that they had the same issue and some suggested that I move to another paper and profile. Looking on the net the words "Dark Print" and "Epson" do seem to be linked now and again. Even product reviews mention dark prints and Epson profiles so it looks like it is a known issue. My HP experience was quite different...I just loaded the software, plugged it in and it printed to my expectations.
 
I use the bag everyday to carry stuff to work as well. If your a small person then may be it is a "ruddy great bag" but for me its just the right size.
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Maybe I am small, 6' and 13st 7lb but I find a wallet and a debit card is all I am interested in carrying...........Oh and a GF1 slung under my left armpit with a jacket on top.;)

or the cargo pockets on trousers. The crumpler is usefull when your in town with kids, can put drinks and even squeeze a coat/jumper in the bag.
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All to be avoided even if I knew what " cargo" trousers were and as for bicycles please.................

Woof I'm sorry that you don't believe proper regular monitor calibration is of importance, but there we are, it would be a sorry world if we all agreed. Seems to me you should have stuck to your original setup seeing that it came up to your expectations.
Brian.
 
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Brian,

I'm sure that calibration is important but I'm just a hobbyist and near enough will do me quite nicely. Also, I'm not exactly sure if "brightness" is covered by calibration. I've asked this question before and I don't remember getting a clear and concise answer that I understood. Anyway, I'm sure in my own mind that I shouldn't have to either lighten or darken a picture to print it out. The picture I captured at the time should be print ready (hence the dreaded direct print button) and I really don't want to fiddle with it too much. My pc and it's software should be a conduit between my camera and my printer.

I should have mentioned that I have a couple of A3 shots of a Jag S I used to own, lovely car, 4ltr V8, one printed on my HP and the other on the R2880. The HP matches my recollection of the scene but the Epson print is much darker. Now, it just so happens that with this particular picture the darker print does look nicer and that's the one which is currently framed and on the wall but on the whole I'd rather that my prints matched more closely what I saw at the time.

If I have problems in the future I may just do as people have suggested and buy some paper and a profile from Ilford or someone like that.

PS. My HP suffered constant paper jams and my pc memory couldn't be upgraded. Life is never simple.
 
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I thought 90% of the advantage of the GF1 was not having to cart a ruddy great bag around.
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DHL just delivered my 45-200mm lens, just as it got dark! :bang:

I can fit the GF-1 with the EVF and 20mm fitted, a 14-45, the 45-200 and a spare battery inside a Lowepro Altus 140. This is just SO much better than lugging a Lowepro Slingshot 200 stuffed with Canon gear around.
 
DHL just delivered my 45-200mm lens, just as it got dark!
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Ain't it always the way.

Had a look in Louis Vuitton for a suitable bag, those Lowepro things are just sooooo proletarian.

Woof, re the calibration thing. I reckon having a properly adjusted monitor is the foundation of producing a good print. Changing all the profiles and papers etc etc isn't going to help, all you are doing is asking them to correct your monitor settings, they can't do it, their design was based on a properly calibrated monitor they can't guess where yours has drifted off.

Re brightness? that is a bit of a problem. The trouble is we view the original file by transmitted and the final print by reflected light. The screen image will always have more " sparkle" but with a properly calibrated monitor it is easy to adjust and make allowances for the difference to a large extent . Think back to the old days of the slides v print debates,and the constant bickering re which was best.So what it means in simple terms is that with the properly calibrated monitor you might find that you need to add some correction to the printer but a couple of trial prints will sort that out as far as it can be. Slides were always better than prints and that ain't changed except in my case the projector has been replaced by the TV.

I am the last one to complicate things, I use all the idiot settings on cameras or printers, the best control is the default button , I am a firm believer in that the makers know more than I but. The one thing is where the camera and printer interface, nobody can help and that is where the playing field is levelled by regular and proper calibration of the link i.e. the monitor.

In spite of all the above it might just be a simple problem, gamma settings for example. If you don't know Oliver Vincent may I point you in his direction. He is better than any manual when it comes to detailed info regards setting up printers etc. You can also read his thoughts on calibration devices.

www.photo-i.co.uk/ -

Wesson in idiot mode..........whoops sorry, meant to say Gf1 in idiot mode. With Wesson it's not an option.

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Brian.
 
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Nice review, having just bought a 40D last month and as much as I love it I do find the size of it an issue, as many has pointed out unless I plan a day out I don't bring it out and have often found I miss quite a bit of photo opportunity which I could have had if I had a camera like this.

Perhaps its time to save up for one of these babies?
 
Brian, Yes, you make a convincing case but...

It really shouldn't matter what colours my screen displays or at what brightness. Think back to CRT's. Green gun gone? Everyone got a purple face? Can hardly see the thing at all? No problem. What is displayed on the screen is simply that, a screen display, it's not what my camera captured or what my printer will print and as long as I don't adjust anything to compensate for a faulty green gun, purple faces or no contrast my printed image should be acceptable and show none of those problems because they are purely screen display issues. In fact, I should be able to click on something and print an image without viewing the image as anything other than a little yellow icon or a file name in a list.

I appreciate that displays need to show an accurate representation for those who want absolute accuracy or change these things but that isn't me and the average lap top is good enough because I don't do critical adjustments in post capture software that would radically change colours, which are not the problem that I encountered anyway. I am convinced that the residual relative darkness of my prints is a software / profile issue and if I'm worried about it when my current stock of paper runs out I'll do as professional reviewers and forum members have suggested and switch to another paper and profile.

Wingo, Yes. Buy one! :)
 
BrianT said:
I thought 90% of the advantage of the GF1 was not having to cart a ruddy great bag around.

Brian.
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oldboy2000 said:
The main reason why I went GF1.....and loving it too
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:LOL::LOL:

Further to my post at the top of the previous page , I wasn't totally happy with the bag I bought to house just the GF1 + 20mm - it was still too big and the camera slopped around inside a little.

I wanted as small as possible - so it would slip in the wife's handbag etc

So, I went out today and have found what I reckon to be the smallest possible pouch....

Lowepro LC 1N

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Yes, it's a lens case but the GF1+20mm fits snugly inside - plus it has a belt hook on the back and a little net pocket on the inside of the lid for a spare memory card.

Only £14 in Jessops, came home and looked on the web - it can be had for as little as £10.
(y)
 
looks like that bag may do for carrying the GF1 in my rucksack when out on the mountain bike. Good find (y)
 
bl0at3r,

Jesus that's a good idea! I'm using a camcorder case I got at ASDA at the moment and it's bigger than I wanted and have lots of lens cases. As soon as I've finished this cup of tea I'm off to try my lens cases out!
 
woof woof said:
bl0at3r,

Jesus that's a good idea! I'm using a camcorder case I got at ASDA at the moment and it's bigger than I wanted and have lots of lens cases. As soon as I've finished this cup of tea I'm off to try my lens cases out!
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Bet you've got every size - except the one you need :bang::bang:
 
Such is life...

The smallest one I have is for the Sigma 30mm f1.4 but it's too big. Not to worry though as the LC 1N is on Amazon for £7.99.

I was in town today and if I'd known I'd have called into Jessops and got one.
 
NorthernNikon said:
Nah, don't bother saving up for one ... flog your 40D and use the proceeds to get a GF1 :cool:
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:p Tempting, but something tells me I will miss the 40D as well. :LOL:
Might have to pop to Jessops and try out the GF1, if I like it a lot it may persuade me to sell my 40D and get a GF1! Am I right in thinking the GF1 is better than the Olympus Pen?
 
wingo said:
Am I right in thinking the GF1 is better than the Olympus Pen?
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Yes and no. It depends on your point of view really. The GF1 suited my requirements more, but other prefer the EP-1. The GF1 has teneded to score more highly in magazine reviews, though I've not sen a head to head review against the EP-2 yet.
 
NorthernNikon said:
Yes and no. It depends on your point of view really. The GF1 suited my requirements more, but other prefer the EP-1. The GF1 has teneded to score more highly in magazine reviews, though I've not sen a head to head review against the EP-2 yet.
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You're right, the GF1 does score more in every review I have seen

The EP2 is allegedly no better in the autofocus department than the EP1
 
wingo said:
:p Tempting, but something tells me I will miss the 40D as well. :LOL:
Might have to pop to Jessops and try out the GF1, if I like it a lot it may persuade me to sell my 40D and get a GF1! Am I right in thinking the GF1 is better than the Olympus Pen?
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Copied and pasted my post from another thread: :)

As far as I remember from the reviews, main differences are:

GF1

Faster to focus
Better kit lens (20mm pancake)
Built in flash
Better screen

EP1

Better high ISO performance
Inbuilt image stabilisation
Possibly better jpegs
 
grum said:
Copied and pasted my post from another thread: :)

As far as I remember from the reviews, main differences are:

GF1

Faster to focus
Better kit lens (20mm pancake)
Built in flash
Better screen

EP1

Better high ISO performance
Inbuilt image stabilisation
Possibly better jpegs
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The GF1 has a better LCD than the EP1 - not sure if they have addressed that with the EP2
 
How are you lot managing with the moveable focus point? Do you bother or just focus and recompose?

I get annoyed at losing the use of the ISO and WB buttons and having to dive into the menu to turn the focus movement on and off and I can't see a way around it. I think I'd rather have selectable fixed focus points that you select with a button and wheel just like on my 20D.
 
woof woof said:
How are you lot managing with the moveable focus point? Do you bother or just focus and recompose?

I get annoyed at losing the use of the ISO and WB buttons and having to dive into the menu to turn the focus movement on and off and I can't see a way around it. I think I'd rather have selectable fixed focus points that you select with a button and wheel just like on my 20D.
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Focus and recompose, the same as I do on my Canons.
 
Couple of shots from the week just gone in San Francisco, all with the Leica Macro-Elmarit 45mm - I'm really liking this little lens (possibly even more than the 20mm). It's super sharp! Not much chance for photography to be honest, as I was over for work, but I was so glad to be able to travel light and be agile with the GF1 combo.

All three linked to flickr, where larger versions reside (as well as a few others from the trip).





 
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py6km said:
Couple of shots from the week just gone in San Francisco, all with the Leica Macro-Elmarit 45mm - I'm really liking this little lens (possibly even more than the 20mm). It's super sharp! Not much chance for photography to be honest, as I was over for work, but I was so glad to be able to travel light and be agile with the GF1 combo.

All three linked to flickr, where larger versions reside (as well as a few others from the trip).





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Wow what a super lens, I am tempted to buy one, I only have the 20mm.

Shall I or shant I ?
 
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One for sale in the classifieds here as we speak for a very nice price. No doubt that it's a cracker of a lens.
 
Hi
I have recently bought the GF1 with 20mm lens (after being influenced by comments on this thread) and I'm very happy with it. In the main I intend keeping the 20mm lens on it, but while having a bit of a clear out today I came across a couple of lenses that my husband bought in the 80s and used very little. So I'm wondering if some kind soul out there could tell me if they would be suitable for occasional use on the GF1 with an adaptor and if so, what adaptor and where I could buy one from.
The lenses are:
Yashica ML 50mm 1:2
Marexar - CX zoom 1:4.5 - 4.8, 80 - 250mm (bought for Yashica SLR)
Many thanks in advance
 
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