omega0684
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| posted on 12/7/11 at 11:51 PM |
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WTD: Digital SLR Camera Recomendations
Evening/Morning All,
I've been comtemplating a Digital SLR camera for a few weeks now and im due to go on holiday next week and would really like to buy one before i
go away. It will be mainly for scenery shots as well as action shots (hoping to use for track days etc)
I haven't got a scooby about photography so i turn to the LCB tribe for help.
Who of you are keen photographers? What do you all recommend? Makes? Models? etc
All the best
Alex
I love Pinto's, even if i did get mine from P&O!
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skodaman
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 12:49 AM |
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Nikon D300S does a fine job. Save your money by getting a low end body and spend it on the lenses. I prefer Nikon with Nikkor lenses. I used to
regularly go on fishing expeditions in jungles etc. and tbh I don't think any of the digital slrs I've come across are up to it. Too full
of pointless electronics that would soon pack in in the humidity. Also plastic bodies not strong enough and completely reliant on batteries. Think
I'd go back to Nikon FM2 and fujichrome film under such conditions. Best bet is to go on holiday in Japan then you'll realize how much we
get ripped off on cameras and motorbikes and how they get ripped off on nearly everything else.
Skodaman
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franky
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 05:48 AM |
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The Sony Alpha range offers the best VFM IMO
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RickRick
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 05:59 AM |
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i've got a D90 and a D300s the 300s has much better auto focus which really helps with taking action pics, on the D90 i was restricted to
manual focus on a point, then pan along with the car and click as it passes the pre focused position the 300s is quite happy tracking them even
driving more or less straight at you
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Agriv8
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 06:36 AM |
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had a D90 now got a D7000 the D90 was very good but the D7000 is even better ( even got a which magazine recomendation ). Chose a Nikon as my mate at
work has one and I can borrow from his 'Lense collection'. The nikon can quite happily shoot in auto mode for when the wife uses it. but
the scene selection modes are very good or you can go for the full techie modes.
I will see if I can pull up some photos
My d7000 is mated up to a Nikkor 18 to 200 lense that covers for 90% of what I shoot I also have a prime 35mm f1.8 .
I would say you need to factor into your budget
second battery
'Good Quality' UV filter
stick on screen covers
decent camera bag
VR is very good and bettery on D7000 is fantastic
The Sony always do very well
here are some samples had to reduce them to 20% of original so I could upload them
no prizes for guessing the track but anyone name the castle for an extra point
Regards
Iain
[Edited on 13/7/11 by Agriv8]
Taller than your average Guy !
Management is like a tree of monkeys. - Those at the top look down and see a tree full of smiling faces. BUT Those at the bottom look up and see a
tree full of a*seholes .............
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hughpinder
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 08:32 AM |
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How much do you plan to spend? Photography is a hobby where you can spend a fortune very easily.
I used to lug a SLR and selections of lens about all over the place, but now I find the best camera for holidays/landscapes and pretty much everything
except sport/track(long distance stuff) and flash control is the canon G10(now superceded by the G12 at about £420) - its a much smaller package than
an SLR, and gives absolutely superb images and a decent 28-140 zoom - ideal for travel and landscape stuff, and all the controls for
'proper' photography, except for flash control which is frankly crap. Its fast enought at focusing to catch people moving about, but like
most compacts won't get that race car or person running fast in focus. Its a metal bodied camera, and I have taken it hiking many times and been
properly wet and its survived. I just stuff it in my coat pocket or map case if I'm hiking. I switch the camera off between shots and can get a
whole weeks holiday (say 400 shots) from the camera without a recharge, but I tend to know what I want, so don't spend ages fiddling, and
don't use the flash much. My daughter recently dropped it about 14 ft it down a stairwell onto a concrete floor which has dented the body and
made the rotary dial a bit stiff, but it still works(I'm amazed the lens survived)! To see just how good it is see:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/kidding.shtml
For the sports/trackdays an SLR of 6+megapixel(e.g. any new) with 70-300 lens (or 2* teleconverter and 70/80-200f2.8 if you're flush) and a
monopod (and UV filter to protect the lens) is probably what you want. Dont spend too much as a beginner. As your own uses of the camera, knowlege and
style develop you'll realise what you need to get the pictures you want. Over the years I bought good used stuff from www.ffordes.com. Anything
they have E+ and up will be in really good nick. I'd go for a D70 (E+ at 150ish) plus a cheap 70 300 at about £90, used monopod + quick release
head at £75, filter (skylight/uv hoya used, about£25) as a starter kit for track days. If you want to spend more, I'd suggest upgrading the lens
to a used 70-200 f2.8D at about £700 as the fist thing, then maybe a 1.4 or 2 times teleconverter, then the camera body, but try to borrow the lens
first, you may not like the weight much!
The D7000 and D300S (£850/1100 for the camera body only) are great cameras, but truly overkill as a first camera, if you know nothing about
photography - a bit like buying a ferrari as a learners car. The D70 will allow A3 prints to be made and allow you to learn an awful lot about
photography.
Regards
Hugh
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02GF74
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 09:41 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by hughpinder
How much do you plan to spend? Photography is a hobby where you can spend a fortune very easily.
I used to lug a SLR and selections of lens about all over the place, but now I find the best camera for holidays/landscapes and pretty much everything
except sport/track(long distance stuff) and flash control is the canon G10(now superceded by the G12 at about £420) - its a much smaller package than
an SLR, and gives absolutely superb images and a decent 28-140 zoom - ideal for travel and landscape stuff, and all the controls for
'proper' photography, except for flash control which is frankly crap.
wise words. some of the top end compact zooms are worth considering. friends went to safari in africa and whilst they slr photographers were faffing
around changing lenses - not a top idea in dusty condtions - they were pointing and shooting and the photos came out very well.
also consider the bridge cameras - they are effectively low end SLR but without the mirror mechanism so are smaller and cheaper with decent sized
sensors.
I held a few of the bridge cameras and settled in the panasonic GF1 because I could hold it in one hand with finger on the button in comfort wherease
other models it felt my finger was being contorted = uncomfortable - so do hold and try out the camera in PC world/Currys prior to buying on ebay.
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mcerd1
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 10:19 AM |
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I guess it just comes down to how much you want to spend, there are plenty off folk selling of flim SLR's for next to nowt and few lenses going
fairly cheap with them, so you could grab a bargan then upgrade to a digital body (there where a few on here not that long back)
I'm sure someone will be along in a moment to tell me thats a bad idea though....
my little fuji S2000HD can take a half decent pic (even in my usless hands) and its a long way from top end
one of my mates is in to photography and he was quite surprised by it given that its only a £150 camera
but its a really a point and click for idiots like me, but with a zoom  
[Edited on 13/7/2011 by mcerd1]
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ned
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 12:11 PM |
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Of the 3 big slr brands (nikon, canon, sony) I would suggest canon or nikon purely for the number of second hand models and lenses available. also
with no offense to sony users you don't see many/any pro's using sony yet.
Most people are canon or nikon and for some inexplicable reason hate the other brand, often in jest. Canon range starts with the xxxD (eg 400, 450,
500, 550d etc) as the consumer level, then pro-sumer is xxd ie 20,30,40,50,60d. My advise would be to hold a few cameras and see what feels nice, the
prosumer canon range excepting the latest 60d is magnesium chassis so it's weightier and bigger which makes it nicer to hold for me, this is
personal preference. If the lower range feels small in your hand, consider a battery grip which can help.
Again budget and what you want to shoot most of the time would help advise you better and your money will go a lot further with good second hand buys
so checkout some photography forums and classifieds.
not trying to big myself up, but check the recent outlon, snet and 'ring albums to see some of my recent stuff:
http://www.lotrdc.com/gallery/?album=10
beware, I've got yellow skin
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HowardB
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 12:42 PM |
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My recommendations would be,..
1 decide the subject
2 decide if you need DSLR, or would a bridge camera do
3 if you need a DSLR, invest in good quality glass, and be prepared to spend all your money on the hobby,...
4 never ever work out the cost per photo
bit tongue in cheek, but the first three points are relevant to the choice of equipment that you might want to invest in,...
Howard
Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)
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whitestu
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| posted on 13/7/11 at 02:04 PM |
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I sold my SLR and bought a Fuji HS10.
The image quality isn“t as good as and SLR but with a 28-720mm lens in one package makes it very flexible.
It only cost just over 200 quid as well.
Stu
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j3w3ll3r
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| posted on 16/7/11 at 05:47 PM |
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I just purchased a Canon 550d with 18-55mm and 55-250mm lenses (both IS), had them a fortnight and coundnt be happier
www.essexhomegame.co.uk
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