Which DSLR
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Which DSLR
Evening all,
This must be the right place!
Until now I've used a bog standard digital camera, but I fancy upgrading to a small digital SLR jobby. There is a shed load of info to wade through on the 'net but not having the slightest idea what it all means it's all a bit...well...confusing.
Different lenses? Not sure I'd need one to be honest, dunno?!
Make? Nikon, Panachronic, Sony, Pentax, Fujifilm, Canon. They're all the same to me!
1 or 1,000,000,000(!) megapixels?
I'll be using the camera for anything between close up portraits to landscapes and action shots so I'm after a good all rounder, probably.
All that for two or three hundred quid aswell.
Appreciate any info, help or critique.
Cheers
This must be the right place!
Until now I've used a bog standard digital camera, but I fancy upgrading to a small digital SLR jobby. There is a shed load of info to wade through on the 'net but not having the slightest idea what it all means it's all a bit...well...confusing.
Different lenses? Not sure I'd need one to be honest, dunno?!
Make? Nikon, Panachronic, Sony, Pentax, Fujifilm, Canon. They're all the same to me!
1 or 1,000,000,000(!) megapixels?
I'll be using the camera for anything between close up portraits to landscapes and action shots so I'm after a good all rounder, probably.
All that for two or three hundred quid aswell.
Appreciate any info, help or critique.
Cheers
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Its higher in price .
D90 , I think there is more used nikon gear out there .
I would get a copy of photo shop elements , maybe an
18-200 mm VR lens & 12-24 would cover 90% of whats needed.
Editing the image is as important as capturing it .
D90 , I think there is more used nikon gear out there .
I would get a copy of photo shop elements , maybe an
18-200 mm VR lens & 12-24 would cover 90% of whats needed.
Editing the image is as important as capturing it .
Dir. PPRuNe Line Service
Have a look at Digital Cameras: Digital Photography Review, News, Reviews, Forums, FAQ It's got some good info. on choosing a dSLR. Also find a good camera shop & find out how various dSLRs feel in your hands.
I've used Canon SLRs, dSLRs & digital compacts for over 15 years with a lot of success....
PPD
I've used Canon SLRs, dSLRs & digital compacts for over 15 years with a lot of success....
PPD
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It depends....
Want great pix or would you rather indulge in a mega pixel willywave?
Buy a secondhand Olympus E-1. Pro quality with indestructible build quality. Weatherproof. Cheap. (less than £200). Easy to use and.......
Takes utterly lovely pix with the best colours you'll ever see.
Want great pix or would you rather indulge in a mega pixel willywave?
Buy a secondhand Olympus E-1. Pro quality with indestructible build quality. Weatherproof. Cheap. (less than £200). Easy to use and.......
Takes utterly lovely pix with the best colours you'll ever see.
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Good Luck, with that budget!
Seriously, £200 - £300 will only get you an entry level DSLR 2nd Hand and probably without a lens.
For new good quality DSLRs think more in the region of £700 - £1100 plus a couple of lenses say another £800 maybe.
Seriously, £200 - £300 will only get you an entry level DSLR 2nd Hand and probably without a lens.
For new good quality DSLRs think more in the region of £700 - £1100 plus a couple of lenses say another £800 maybe.
Masses of pixels aren't imortant unless you are going to print pictures the size of your wall. And some people will tell you that you have to have a 'full format' sensor, i.e one which retains the old 35mm film dimensions of 36x24mm. This isn't true either. This is a hangup from the old days and just serves to make the cameras large and heavy - and expensive. Also, don't get persuaded by lots of features and gadgets. You will find you just end up using two or three modes anyway.
I work part time for a magazine both writing and taking pictures. We use Canon EOS400Ds (allegedly an 'amateur' camera) with a variety of lenses. Canons are favoured in the industry due to the way they save their images. they are just either jpegs or raw and when you either plug the camera into the computer or put the card in the slot, it comes up as a drive. We tend to shoot in raw and then process the images through photshop for the high end stuff. For basic stuff we shoot in jpegs - and not alway in the highest resoultion either.
The big difference is the lenses. Go for the best you can afford. It's a sailing magazine and we often end up in a bouncing powerboat trying to take crystal clear pics. So we use 'fast' lenses (i.e. wide aperature) and not always the Canon branded lenses either. Some of the other lens companies produce lenses which are better than the manufacturers own and I use a Sigma mainly. If your going to take aviation pictures, I would suggest a long fast lens. Image stabilisation can be useful, but is expensive and has it's limitations.
I work part time for a magazine both writing and taking pictures. We use Canon EOS400Ds (allegedly an 'amateur' camera) with a variety of lenses. Canons are favoured in the industry due to the way they save their images. they are just either jpegs or raw and when you either plug the camera into the computer or put the card in the slot, it comes up as a drive. We tend to shoot in raw and then process the images through photshop for the high end stuff. For basic stuff we shoot in jpegs - and not alway in the highest resoultion either.
The big difference is the lenses. Go for the best you can afford. It's a sailing magazine and we often end up in a bouncing powerboat trying to take crystal clear pics. So we use 'fast' lenses (i.e. wide aperature) and not always the Canon branded lenses either. Some of the other lens companies produce lenses which are better than the manufacturers own and I use a Sigma mainly. If your going to take aviation pictures, I would suggest a long fast lens. Image stabilisation can be useful, but is expensive and has it's limitations.
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Thanks for the replies and the links.
I'll have a look at all the suggested cameras although I suspect they may well be out of my budget range!
Has anyone got an opinion on the Fujifilm Finepix series? They seem to be quite a high spec camera with a low price. Or do you get what you pay for?
For the photos I will only be printing the normal 6x4 size so a megamegamega pixel camera isn't really essential. I also wont be doing any photoshopping kind of stuff just printing straight from the camera or memory card so a decent pic id desirable.
Are extra lenses really necessary bearing in mind I only want to use it for 'normal' photography?
Thanks again.
I'll have a look at all the suggested cameras although I suspect they may well be out of my budget range!
Has anyone got an opinion on the Fujifilm Finepix series? They seem to be quite a high spec camera with a low price. Or do you get what you pay for?
For the photos I will only be printing the normal 6x4 size so a megamegamega pixel camera isn't really essential. I also wont be doing any photoshopping kind of stuff just printing straight from the camera or memory card so a decent pic id desirable.
Are extra lenses really necessary bearing in mind I only want to use it for 'normal' photography?
Thanks again.
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I have used Canon cameras all my life, purchasing updated Canons simply because I could not afford to start afresh with all new lenses. However, if I could afford it I would switch to Nikon. Several people I know have done so and said it was the best move they ever made.
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As far as I can see, LSM has not given a figure for his budget, but as one or two people have mentioned, £300 or £400 will get you a fairly decent new camera, with a kit lens (kit lenses are usually selected by the camera manufacturer as a good all round bet). I'd recommend a Canon, but then I'm biased!
I don’t know much about many of the cameras mentioned, since I am a part time pro and my camera equipment and lenses amount to many thousands of pounds. However, I think your best bet is take one or two of the periodicals (e.g. Amateur Photographer) for a month or two and these will give you a pretty good idea of what might suit you.
Be somewhat wary of second hand equipment for the obvious reasons (possible unseen damage etc. ) As an example, although I would under no circumstances try to sell it, I have one Canon EOS 5D MkII, which I dropped. But if you saw it, there is not a single blemish on it - it's almost new, in fact. However, I know it does have major intermittent problems, but yours for £1,800 - not!
Best of luck, anyway.
I don’t know much about many of the cameras mentioned, since I am a part time pro and my camera equipment and lenses amount to many thousands of pounds. However, I think your best bet is take one or two of the periodicals (e.g. Amateur Photographer) for a month or two and these will give you a pretty good idea of what might suit you.
Be somewhat wary of second hand equipment for the obvious reasons (possible unseen damage etc. ) As an example, although I would under no circumstances try to sell it, I have one Canon EOS 5D MkII, which I dropped. But if you saw it, there is not a single blemish on it - it's almost new, in fact. However, I know it does have major intermittent problems, but yours for £1,800 - not!
Best of luck, anyway.
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Given your budget and you don't really know why you'd want a DSLR, perhaps you could consider one of the ultrazooms by Olympus, Canon or Lumix? You get all the zoom range you'd ever want, a camera that's small enough to carry around, and will take perfectly acceptable pictures.
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I was after a DSLR because I wanted something for those shots when my normal little digital job just wasn't up to it but still be able to carry around with me.
I thought a DSLR would be the obvious step (not knowing a thing about cameras) but I think Bushfiva may have just solved all of my problems in one!
Thanks again.
I thought a DSLR would be the obvious step (not knowing a thing about cameras) but I think Bushfiva may have just solved all of my problems in one!
Thanks again.
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If you are serious about aviation photography it has to be either Canon or Nikon. I'm a huge Canon fan but I know a lot of entusiasts who also swear by Nikon. Both manufacturers have starter models right up to full pro and both do an awful lot of lenses again fron kit lenses up to pro lenses with very expensive glass. Have a look on Ebay for a second hand semi pro model there are some good buys out there. If you want to go new shop around using the internet serch engines you could save up to £100 on a £600-700 Semi pro camera.
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Both the D40 and its successor are discontinued. It would be better to go for something that's actually in production.
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I've just bought [as a backup to my Nikon D90...with all the lenses] a Fujifilm HS10. A Digital camers with "only" 10mps,,,,,,[about the size of a D40]
However, it has a zoom 24-720mm [35mm equivalent (sp)]. Several movie modes, full PASM, auto1 and 2 plus various programmes.
I've only used it for a few days, but I am very impressed. It doesn't capture as quickly as the D90, but it's a lot quicker than my Lumix FZ28.
I got mine for less than £300 with an 8G SDHC card...off 'tinterweb
However, it has a zoom 24-720mm [35mm equivalent (sp)]. Several movie modes, full PASM, auto1 and 2 plus various programmes.
I've only used it for a few days, but I am very impressed. It doesn't capture as quickly as the D90, but it's a lot quicker than my Lumix FZ28.
I got mine for less than £300 with an 8G SDHC card...off 'tinterweb
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LSM,
I shoot a Canon EOS xti with a 50mm, 70-300 IS(image stabilization), 100-400mm IS.
50MM======>portraits
70-300mm==>indoor sports like hockey
100-400mm=>wildlife, skydivers, etc.
Buy a good body, then shop for the best lenses you can afford.
Many Photo Mags have ads for lenses reasonably priced.
Also national photography retail stores sell exceptionally good used lenses.
Pawn Shops are always a good place to shop, but as a newcomer, be cautious or take a informed friend with you.
Hope you find suitable equipment and good shooting.
I shoot a Canon EOS xti with a 50mm, 70-300 IS(image stabilization), 100-400mm IS.
50MM======>portraits
70-300mm==>indoor sports like hockey
100-400mm=>wildlife, skydivers, etc.
Buy a good body, then shop for the best lenses you can afford.
Many Photo Mags have ads for lenses reasonably priced.
Also national photography retail stores sell exceptionally good used lenses.
Pawn Shops are always a good place to shop, but as a newcomer, be cautious or take a informed friend with you.
Hope you find suitable equipment and good shooting.
LSM,
Mrs Saltash has had good results from her Fuji E900, and there are many similar cameras around. Just because a camera is capable of shooting at 12 MP, does not mean that you have to. Most cameras have a setting which enables you to choose a lower setting, especially if you don't want to print wall sized posters. You also get more pix on your memory card.
Rob.
Mrs Saltash has had good results from her Fuji E900, and there are many similar cameras around. Just because a camera is capable of shooting at 12 MP, does not mean that you have to. Most cameras have a setting which enables you to choose a lower setting, especially if you don't want to print wall sized posters. You also get more pix on your memory card.
Rob.