Camera advice please

[Albie]

Seeing all those nice pics from the weekender has brought forward the search for a good camera as Im going on a touring holiday next year. I do not intend to come back without photo memories.
I am on a budget and also want something not too hard to get the most out of it. Not sure if I need a longer lens or anything but I do want a good camera that I can get better with. My old dad bless was well into photography but not around to help.

Looking at something like

CANON EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera + EF-S 18-55mm Zoom Lens
18.0 megapixels
Black
Image stabilization
Compatible: SD Card
Including Charger price £589.99


CANON EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera + EF-S 18-135mm IS Zoom Lens
18.0 megapixels
Image stabilization
Compatible: SD Card
Including Charger
Lithium battery price £790.49


PENTAX K-r Digital SLR Camera + 18-55mm Zoom Lens & 50-200mm Zoom Lens
12.4 megapixels
Black
Image stabilization
Compatible: SD Card
Including Charger price £499.99

Dont get too techy please. But point me in the right direction.:D

[Funkatronic]

i have nearly new 50D for sale camera body only, no lenses,

much better camera than the 550, much better built, more ergonomic and easy to use. too many menus on the 550 for me

you can either buy a canon lens or you could look at Tamron lenses, they are much cheaper than the canon but excellent quality optics

will PM you

[singletrack]

Sorry Albie but I am a Nikon fan! I would go for a new D7000 but it is probably a bit above your budget, and the D90 (like mine) is starting to get a bit outdated now so I guess a Canon would do.

Personally I wouldn't go for the Pentax, but it is merely prejudice and they are probably very good cameras.

All the camera you have chosen will do a great job and for touring you probably won't need a 135mm zoom lens.

You would probably be best getting the kit lens ( 18-55) and getting another one when you are used to the camera.


Or if you decide you really want a zoom take a look at this

Warehouse Express (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-canon-eos-550d-digital-slr-plus-18-55mm-and-55-250mm-lenses/p1519451)

Or for better low light photography try the 600D

Canon 600D (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-canon-eos-600d-digital-slr-camera-with-18-55mm-is-ii-lens/p1523926)

very good website and great service


But beware
cameras are like Monsters. the more you use them the more money you want to spend on them!

[Albie]

Sorry Albie but I am a Nikon fan! I would go for a new D7000 but it is probably a bit above your budget, and the D90 (like mine) is starting to get a bit outdated now so I guess a Canon would do.

Personally I wouldn't go for the Pentax, but it is merely prejudice and they are probably very good cameras.

All the camera you have chosen will do a great job and for touring you probably won't need a 135mm zoom lens.

You would probably be best getting the kit lens ( 18-55) and getting another one when you are used to the camera.


Or if you decide you really want a zoom take a look at this

Warehouse Express (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-canon-eos-550d-digital-slr-plus-18-55mm-and-55-250mm-lenses/p1519451)

Or for better low light photography try the 600D

Canon 600D (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-canon-eos-600d-digital-slr-camera-with-18-55mm-is-ii-lens/p1523926)

very good website and great service


But beware
cameras are like Monsters. the more you use them the more money you want to spend on them!

Not averse to makes. Just noted down what the boys used. My Dad used to use Leica and Rollei but going back 30 years nearly.
I really want new as I want a guaranteed package. Im going to take some time as this is an important purchase for me. I guess I need a body and max 2 lens at most. Extra battery and a decent case.

[Funkatronic]

totally understand mate

good luck with your search, annes advice is good

[Albie]

totally understand mate

good luck with your search, annes advice is good
Not discounting as yet mate. Good look around first.:confused::biggrin:

[Julie]

Albie

I have had manyany pro and semi pro cameras and spent far to much money on cameras.
I've had lots of photos published and worked as photographer for magazines and bsb.

I have just bought a bridge camera. It's half way camera
Half slr and half compact.
It's totally amazing.

I'm on my iPhone at the mo. But as soon as I can I'll post a link up to the one I bought. I spent £250. And it really is the best camera I have ever ever owned I haven't picked up my pro canon slr's since buying it.

It has amazing lens and focal length and is a really useable great all round camera.

Please concider it.

Julie

[Julie]

Casio Exilim EX-FH20

Do a search on the above and watch sone you tube on this camera. It's blown me away.

If you want to look at the results check out my morocco thread. It has lots of photos from that camera.
Casio launches Exilim EX-FH20: 40fps burst rate, 1000fps movies

[Julie]

DSLR-styled EX-FH20 bridge model that marries a 9.1 megapixel resolution to a 20x optical zoom (26-520mm equivalent),

It's that focal length that has amazed me !!! 26-520mm
You can go full manuel If you want or just let the camera sort out all your shutter speed and f stops.

It really is amazing.

If you are passing a newsagents look at tbm trail bike monthly we have a feature in this month most photos are taken with this camera.

[Julie]

Also. People spend to much money on cameras when it's the lens that needs the money.

And the canon and nikon slr standard lens are rubbish. You really do have to spend proper money to get anything any good.

Its not worth it for what you want need.

[bex]

Spend your money on a half decent body Albie, and a really good lens (or stretch to two if thats what you're after). I've tried most Canon lenses at some point so can advise on what I thought of them if you find one you are interested in.

As Julie says, wouldn't bother going for a 'package', just for the sake of a standard kit lens, in the grand scale of things the Canon 18-55mm is pretty crap, and buildability well I could build one better out of soft cheese.

I'd go Canon or Nikon but I'm biased there. To me Casio make watches, though any compact Casio's I've used have been alright so thats not based on anything except preconceived notions of brands (that said, didnt Ducati first make radios, that could explain a lot!). The Exilim bridge sounds good especially if you don't want interchangeable lenses; seems popular so worth a look, though I get the impression you're keen on an SLR and lenses. Also the two Pentaxes I had both broke!

You should go fiddle around in a shop, the lower end Canons tend to be quite compact and feel really teeny in mens hands. The 550 is pretty small. An add on battery pack is a pretty quick fix, and a handy thing to have too. Nikons of the same spec are a bit bulkier and feel comfier in big hands..... may or may not be relevant. Also with the 550 you're mainly paying for the most recent model when it doesn't have hugely significant changes from its predecessors on the same line.

[Mr.Number]

Iv always gone Nikon simply due to picture quality.

I currently have a D40 and the image quality is superb.

The way I look at buys like this is you can have what ever quality you want really, the tech is out there but its what your actually going to use.

Example being some of the cameras mentioned capture video.

If you already have a camcorder, why would you want to pay more for a camera that records video ?......that may make your camcorder redundant, do you want that ?

If therefore you just want a good quality point and shoot, you can spend a lot less than some of the cameras valued in this thread.

[Albie]

Spend your money on a half decent body Albie, and a really good lens (or stretch to two if thats what you're after). I've tried most Canon lenses at some point so can advise on what I thought of them if you find one you are interested in.

As Julie says, wouldn't bother going for a 'package', just for the sake of a standard kit lens, in the grand scale of things the Canon 18-55mm is pretty crap, and buildability well I could build one better out of soft cheese.

I'd go Canon or Nikon but I'm biased there. To me Casio make watches, though any compact Casio's I've used have been alright so thats not based on anything except preconceived notions of brands (that said, didnt Ducati first make radios, that could explain a lot!). The Exilim bridge sounds good especially if you don't want interchangeable lenses; seems popular so worth a look, though I get the impression you're keen on an SLR and lenses. Also the two Pentaxes I had both broke!

You should go fiddle around in a shop, the lower end Canons tend to be quite compact and feel really teeny in mens hands. The 550 is pretty small. An add on battery pack is a pretty quick fix, and a handy thing to have too. Nikons of the same spec are a bit bulkier and feel comfier in big hands..... may or may not be relevant. Also with the 550 you're mainly paying for the most recent model when it doesn't have hugely significant changes from its predecessors on the same line.
Thanks for the good advice. It really is.I do think the bodys can look too small when I browsed in Currys this morning. I had a quick look at that casio online. Looks great but not sure if thats what Im looking for. Not pushing it aside especially at the price. Downside is the batterys 4 x AA not lasting long. Not the end of the world though. Why dont they use lithium ??:thumbsdown:
I do feel a little jealous at our meets that you guys take the pics and I love taking pics too. I wish I could do it too and so I will have to get myself in there. I want to follow in my fathers footsteps.
Thanks and recommend away.

[singletrack]

Thanks for the good advice. It really is.I do think the bodys can look too small when I browsed in Currys this morning. I had a quick look at that casio online. Looks great but not sure if thats what Im looking for. Not pushing it aside especially at the price. Downside is the batterys 4 x AA not lasting long. Not the end of the world though. Why dont they use lithium ??:thumbsdown:
I do feel a little jealous at our meets that you guys take the pics and I love taking pics too. I wish I could do it too and so I will have to get myself in there. I want to follow in my fathers footsteps.
Thanks and recommend away.

If you want a good size camera with a lithium battery for a decent price take a look at the Nikon D90

Ax

[bex]

If you already have a camcorder, why would you want to pay more for a camera that records video ?......that may make your camcorder redundant, do you want that ?.

True, and if you're not into making videos then why bother. But my god the HDR on SLR's these days using good lenses is AMAZING. Enough to make me want to start making videos if I had one.

Sorry slightly off the point... :rolleyes:

[Albie]

True, and if you're not into making videos then why bother. But my god the HDR on SLR's these days using good lenses is AMAZING. Enough to make me want to start making videos if I had one.

Sorry slightly off the point... :rolleyes:

Carry on its relevent to the subject

[Mr.Number]

bex would you say its better than a dedicated camcorder ?......middle of the range as well not top end stuff ?

[Funkatronic]

i know lots of professional directors who use a Canon 5D or 7D Digital SLRS to shoot alot of their stuff as the quality is better than digital video cameras costing 20 times as much

only issue is you can only shoot in short bursts as the 25 frames per second of high quality images eats up even the big 32GB memory cards very very quick

[Dave G]

If your looking for video capability I'd ignore the SLR's completely and get one of the 'super' compacts which are more all round in their approach.
I have a Canon 500D and while it's a great camera the video function is awkward to use meaning I never use it plus the autofocus seems to hunt all the time it's filming meaning half the stuff you've filmed is constantly out of focus, if I think I'll need video then I'll still use the Fuji S5700 compact I have as its a decent enough camera and the video function is easy and a good enough quality for my needs.

[bex]

bex would you say its better than a dedicated camcorder ?......middle of the range as well not top end stuff ?

I don't really know enough about video to comment, but the higher end SLR cameras recording HD 1080p (not the 550D which is 720p), will most certainly keep up with a good camcorder quality wise. Lens wise vs camcorder lenses I don't really know. Camcorders have exceptional zooms. That said, digital zoom which comes in after the extent of the optical zoom is rubbish anyway.

True about the memory - I think some of the higher end SLRs are shooting 50/60 fps too.

If you want properly good video then a compact camera won't do. As Ali says several of pro's seem to be using SLR setups these days. If you just want a video thats watchable/home use and not rubbish quality then a compact is fine.

[Half Pint]

Albie,

I recently purchased some 2nd hand lenses for my Canon from http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/ i was extremely pleased with the descriptions of products and delivery. it gave me a significant saving over the price of new.

They do bodies aswell which could be worth a look.

[J.P]

Albie,
You want proper quality from the Camera you buy Canon or Nikon.
Nikon tends to win on the technical quality of the shots, but Canon have recently pushed the boat out with more pixels vs the same price from Nikon.

The Lens is where you really, really notice the difference for any SLR, and the good ones cost you £800 to £1,200 in my experience. You'll only need two probably, and don't worry so much about super long telephoto lenses, unless you're deciding to become some safari photographer. A zoom lens of about 50mm to 125mm/150mm will be pretty much all you'll need, and if the camera body is good, then you can just zoom that section of the shot a bit more without losing quality.
The other lens you'll need is the shorter focal lenth, something like the 18-55mm end of the range, but that's more for the landscape scenes.

But over all of that, is that you should buy quality and a lens that gives you the lowest F number for the price range you can afford. I've bought lots of lenses in my time, and sold lots because I've upgraded over the years, I would have saved a lot of money if I'd just bought the best lens I could first, and if looked after, it'll last years and years.

[bex]

Something else to be aware of is crop factor. Lower end SLR’s tend to have smaller sensors than standard (35mm traditional film camera is the reference). Its not a problem but useful to understand if you don’t already when choosing lenses. Lower end Canon’s tend to have a x1.6 crop factor; I think Nikon’s are x1.5 or similar. a traditional 35mm sensor is 36x24mm, a x1.6 crop factor sensor is 22.5x15mm.

This basically means that for example an Canon 18-55mm lens on a x1.6 cropped sensor body is effectively 28.8-88mm. On a full frame sensor model the optical range of the lens will be as it says on the tin. If you wanted a lens that was actually 18-55mm on a x1.6 crop body, it would need to be in the range of 11-35mm. Dunno if that make sense, but basically a smaller sensor means cropping out the outermost capabilities of the lens on its wide end, as they don’t ‘see’ the whole image that the lens is capturing.

Doesn’t really matter, but worth knowing.

[Half Pint]

Bex, you have just entered a new level of debate, one i have seem discussed at significant length on photography websites.

I think the masses tend to agree with your theoy although some strongly contest this especially for those lenses which have been created to only fit a crop sensor body.

[J.P]

PLUS ! If you buy a non-full sensor camera & the lenses that go with it, if you ever upgraded to a bigger body, you'd have to change the lenses all again for the Canon as the fittings are different. That's what I had to do at the end of last year.

[bex]

Bex, you have just entered a new level of debate, one i have seem discussed at significant length on photography websites.

I think the masses tend to agree with your theoy although some strongly contest this especially for those lenses which have been created to only fit a crop sensor body.


Yep, its one of those talked about things. It’s not really a theory though, it just is what it is. A 17-40mm lens I use on a full frame is a pretty good standard for landscapes. If you want super dramatic you have to go wider. I owned the same lens once before when I had a cropped sensor model and sold it as it didn’t feel quite wide enough. I used to switch to portrait and resort to stitching shots together. Similarly on my full frame I got rid of a 24-70mm in favour of buying the 17-40mm over again as it wasn’t wide enough. Hence I think the 18-55, equivalent of 28.8 on a cropped body, isn’t particularly good for landscapes - I was getting fed up on a 24. Depends what you’re doing really, if I go out with a 17-40 I can’t zoom enough for most things. Swings and roundabouts.

I am a fussy f’ker though ;)

I should say I’ve happily used an 18-55mm on a cropped body for quite a long time too. If its not wide enough you can always take a few steps back.

Like I said, its just good to know.

[J.P]

17mm is damed wide for a landscape, you be careful people behind you aren't in the shot too. :)

[bex]

No it isn't!

Lol each to their own. But I'm convinced its the best Canon landscape lens bang for your buck.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.496907738744.291374.585498744&l=6d97793555 17-40mm every single one (though some are panos).

[Albie]

If your looking for video capability I'd ignore the SLR's completely and get one of the 'super' compacts which are more all round in their approach.
I have a Canon 500D and while it's a great camera the video function is awkward to use meaning I never use it plus the autofocus seems to hunt all the time it's filming meaning half the stuff you've filmed is constantly out of focus, if I think I'll need video then I'll still use the Fuji S5700 compact I have as its a decent enough camera and the video function is easy and a good enough quality for my needs.
Not really interested in video when I paying so much for a camera. Like you say video is video. No I want a camera for good shots with artistic quality. I have so much to learn with all this sensor stuff and crop business. Im finding it very interesting. Been looking around today again. Keep the stuff going as I think its ggod to know this stuff.

[Scott1]

No it isn't!

Lol each to their own. But I'm convinced its the best Canon landscape lens bang for your buck.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.496907738744.291374.585498744&l=6d97793555 17-40mm every single one (though some are panos).

Wow, Bex, these are superb, I've just made my mind up, I'm getting a decent camera, nothing too complex as I won't have a clue what I'm doing.

Good post this, we should have a photo competition.

[Funkatronic]

did quite a good course at City Lit in london earlier in the year

allowed me to understand a bit more about all the ins and outs of using a camera and what the differnet settings can do for you

still not taking good enough photos imho but it was very useful to get my head around it

still taken better shots with my little compact then i have with my SLR but i am trying hard

[J.P]

ok, you want Wide Angle !! I give you WIDE angle.

http://www.geh.org/fm/toronto/htmlsrc/mN71900023_ful.html

[J.P]

Try carrying that one around in your camera bag, for about £21,000

[bex]

Or alternatively if you want a small zoom.... :yoparty:

I see your £21k and raise you.... £60k!!!!!!

http://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/1200mm.jpg

[Funkatronic]

i have a paparazzi mate who sleeps in ditches and climbs trees with something like that!!

nightmare

[bex]

Probably sleeps in it :biggrin:

[Albie]

Or alternatively if you want a small zoom.... :yoparty:

I see your £21k and raise you.... £60k!!!!!!

http://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/1200mm.jpg
Can you see mars or ur anus:mand:

[Funkatronic]

wouldnt surprise me, the thiing is worth more than his flat thats for sure

[bex]

Can you see mars or ur anus:mand:

Attach it to one of these and you will!

http://www.weasner.com/etx/reviews/2005/images/scopetronix-pfa13.jpg

Astrophotography, now there's a nut I'd like to try and crack.

[J.P]

StuartJames on here is a amateur Astrophotographer, I remember talking to him about him trying to capture shots of the Moon.

[digga]

I am on a budget

Looking at something like

CANON EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera + EF-S 18-55mm Zoom Lens
18.0 megapixels
Black
Image stabilization
Compatible: SD Card
Including Charger price £589.99


CANON EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera + EF-S 18-135mm IS Zoom Lens
18.0 megapixels
Image stabilization
Compatible: SD Card
Including Charger
Lithium battery price £790.49


PENTAX K-r Digital SLR Camera + 18-55mm Zoom Lens & 50-200mm Zoom Lens
12.4 megapixels
Black
Image stabilization
Compatible: SD Card
Including Charger price £499.99

Dont get too techy please. But point me in the right direction.:D


Not a bad budget to be working in ... [wish i was in that budget arena ]

Looking in Curry's ..WHY? they sell dish washers and vacuums ...keep out!!

£100 or £10,000 will not buy you good pictures... you still need an 'eye' for the image.


Any idea on 'thirds'???

if you know naff all about fstops or shutterspeeds, buy the best lens you can with everything else automated ... but don't ask the spotty youff in Currys... ask the spotty youth in a camera shop ....still a spotty youth, but more likely to know his bayonet from his bum..

[Thirdway]

Always buy the best lenses you can afford. The body is the least of it.

Choosing lenses is more difficult and depends on your subject. Sometimes having a limited lens can make you more creative.