Photography & camera advice....Please help!

Hi everyone!

Today, I sold all my Jewelery equipment...Yay!

I'm looking to buy a good camera, as I love photography and take pretty good photos at the moment. Although, I have no idea as to what type of camera to look for.

I was hoping some of you would be so kind as to give me some advice?

The type of photos I would like to take would mostly be of moving objects...random people, children playing in rural areas...basically, unexpected shots where people aren't posing for a picture. Like, real life... nature etc...

There are so many types of cameras...I just don't know where to start. I know the lenses can be be quite expensive, hence I would like to get a decent camera and the build up the extras over time.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

(please do not move this thread to BTS! I really need to get some advice.)

This should help you find the best one for what you intend to do with it/use it for...

Find The Best Digital SLR Camera for You in 4 Easy Steps

Hope it helps.

reply to post by 12m8keall2c


Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


Edit to ad--
From your link.....

If you've been researching digital SLR cameras, you've probably drawn the following conclusion: The amount of technical information is overwhelming.

Exactly.


[edit on 23/01/2010 by jinx880101]

Also you can look into lenses such as Tamron over time as all you need is the proper adapter in order for them to fit the brand of camera that you have.

They are not as expensive as the brand name lenses, but are not el cheepos either.

Good luck and looking forward to your pics..

As long as you buy a reputable brand in your price range (one of the big manufacturers), you can't really go wrong. It sounds like you've decided on an SLR, without yet understanding the technical side of things, that seems to me premature... owning an SLR is all about understanding technical photography to produce the results you want. If you're going to rely on auto modes, choose a smaller model of camera. The pictures you get from casual shooting aren't going to be that much inferior. Many SLR users carry around a smaller camera for point and shoot.

reply to post by tribewilder


Thank you very much!

It's good to know, I always thought you could only attach the same brand of lenses.... so you probably saved me quite a bit already.

Thanks for taking the time..

reply to post by SteveR


Thanks. I haven't really decided on anything yet... But am quite serious about this, and a pretty fast learner I've got a small but good digital cam at the moment, but looking for something a bit more serious as this has really become a passion for me. Editing is always the most fun though.

Suppose if I get stuck, I could always do a course or something...

I've nearly saved enough money for a Canon eos 500d - for the price it's about the best bang for your buck that you can get.

Nikons D range is also pretty good, but the same price nikon doesn't compare well performance-wise to the canon.

The Canon eos 400D or 450D are also good buys and are cheaper than the 500d, because the 500d also has built in HD movie capacity.

The 500D is on offer with 18-55mm lens kit and other bits, depending on where you buy it from - price is about £570.

Also started a photography thread a few weeks ago, and it would be nice to get some more pics up

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 4/3/2010 by budski]

Personally, I am still using my Nikon F2. It's a device that uses a technology called "film." In addition to providing a certain grainy patina to more "artistic" shots, it has the benefit of providing images that do not look "photoshopped." If you ever do manage to catch a snap of a UFO, ghost, bigfoot, etc, the continuity of the grain will argue in favor of its authenticity. You will also be able to provide a physical artifact in the form of a "negative."

[edit on 4-3-2010 by DJW001]

I have a Nikon D3000

Its a good camera, it does not do movies and or have live view but
it is great for people just picking up the hobby.

It has a new feature on it called guide
which almost makes it a quick point and shoot very easy to use.

You can get a "kit" from amazon for 500-600 that has camera body , lens, tripod, carrying case, extra battery and card and other stuff.

If you do decide to get into photography, don't get discuraged
if your pictures don't come out the way you want them to right away
it takes time to learn all the settings and such for the perfect shot you're
looking for.

reply to post by jinx880101


It all depends on how much you are willing to spend you can get some decent compact point and shoot cameras for $200-$400 that does some things well and lacks on others. Or you can go all out and get a Nikon D700 that I own for about $2,500 for just the camera body and its an amazing device that when coupled with the right lens/filter your photo's look like there right out of National Geographic Magazine.

If your shooting Moving objects and cost is not an issue I would recommend a DSLR camera which consists of the main camera body and you can change the lenses for different situations, for moving objects I would also recommend a fast lens like a f2.8 but a warning if you get serious into photography its a VERY expensive hobby.

Zoom lenses will cost more than Prime lenses because they are more versitile but the images aren't as good as a Prime lens and Prime lenses are only 1 focal range like 35mm, 50mm for example they only stay in that range meaning you cant zoom in or out instead you have to get closer or further to your subject but the photos are breathtaking with a prime lens. If close up shots like flowers, insects stuff like that are your thing then also get a Macro lens which allows you to get up close to your subject so it fills the whole image.

I always tell people to get a DSLR mainly because you will be amazed at the quality over a compact point and shoot its a night and day difference. Another thing I want to point out is that Camera bodies are obsolete every 3-5 years but still produce sweet photo's so if you do go the DSLR route make your main investment in the lenses because they can last forever if proper care is taken. Before you buy though do your research google Ken Rockwell and check out his website there is some good information on it. Also pbase.com has great info and pics taken with different lenses so you can see the differences between them. Good luck and hope you enjoy photography as much as I do.

I bought a Samsung WB5000 in December, and it's a very good camera, although probably less "professional" than the one you want.

Edit: and although it was just under 300€ (including taxes), I didn't pay for it, that's one of the good things of having a nice boss and working on a company that also sells computers and other equipment.

[edit on 4/3/2010 by ArMaP]

reply to post by jinx880101


Get a Canon EOS (or at least one from the range) they are perfect.

I think I'm changing my mind and going for the Eos450d - slightly better performance on still's and no HD movie.

The bundles are better value, and if I want to make HD movies, I'll save up and buy a movie cam

As a photographer who has shown in many galleries and had thousands of photos published, I will tell you that quality wise there is little to no difference between a Canon and a Nikon, as long as you are using comparable models. The Canons do however have extra bells and whistles that make them the obvious choice for me. You can get one of the XSi's and it will do everything you could ever want. If you use strobe lighting you will need a pc adapter but they are only about $15. You can set it on full automatic and get some very good pictures and as you get more comfortable you can switch to some of the more proffessional modes.
To be perfectly honest it is more about technique then equipment for the most part. I did an entire gallery show once with a disposable point and shoot to prove this point. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

reply to post by K_OS


Thank you so much...

I have R9000 to spend at the moment, and everyone is telling me to get something different...the first reply in the thread, lead me to a really helpful site.

But I would like to know, If I would like to do more artistic photo's with various effects...would I need to spend a lot of money on a whole bunch of different lenses (which would be one or two at the most given their prices), or could I spend most of the cash on the camera alone and get away with editing in cs4 for the time being?

I have way too many lenses... Most I bought for one shoot and put them away. For 99% of my work I use about three lenses and to be honest you could probably accomplish almost anything you wanted with one maybe two lenses. The lenses I use the most are a 18-55mm and a 75-300mm. You will hear people telling you that you must use fixed lenses, for instance a 50mm fixed lens for portraits... This is all hogwash. Technology has come to the point that the distortion that used to be a huge problem and forced us to use fixed lenses just isn't there anymore. Unless you are planning on blowing your images to huge sizes then you can do most editing and probably get away with the 18-55mm lens only, at least for a while. With the pixel count what it is now, you can zoom and crop A LOT with little visible pixelation. I would recomend shooting in RAW as soon as your are comfortable with the manual functions of the camera, because there are so many changes you can make before the image gets compressed into a JPEG.

The photo I won the most awards with was made using a long exposure and a cheap halloween strobe light from Wal Mart.

The main thing is learn to use the camera that you choose. MAny people only use about 5% of the functions that their camera is capable of doing. Get a polarizing filter it can make a huge difference in many photos and is not very expensive at all. Just don't overuse it, it is great for redcing glare or to extend the exposure time.

What in particular are you wanting to shoot? I would almost guarantee that at least for a while you could do almost everything that you want to with the 18-55mm lens. If you have a camera shop near you, you can always rent specialty lenses if you want to try one of them.

reply to post by K_OS


I'm almost certain I'll buy this bundle especially having read your advice on lenses and filters.

Thanks for the info - although I would also be gratefull for any thoughts about the bundle I'm looking at...

Jinx,

I found this website very informative when making my decision to by a digital SLR it also recommends many point and shoots as well.

www.kenrockwell.com...

I hope this helps... please tell us which camera you ended up with.

MM

reply to post by jinx880101

I am only an amateur (very amateur :lol photographer, but I think that the camera will be just a toll, so the kind of work you want to do and your experience in it should dictate the type of camera you need.

Then see if there is the possibility of using it in more advanced ways to make it last longer as your tool of choice.

That's why I bought the Samsung WB5000 (WB means "wanna be" ), because it has the possibility of manually adjusting everything (aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity, white balance and other things I haven't even tried) and has a very good lens, although not replaceable, with an equivalent focal length of 26-624 mm, letting me use it for macro photography or even photograph the Moon with a not so bad result.

A doll house, resized from the original 4000x3000 to 600x450 to fit ATS. That clay jar is only 3cm (1.18") high.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/21007028f0102931.jpg[/atsimg]

The Moon, cropped from the original, not resized. Click for full size.


The lens is also a wide angle lens, which allowed me to photograph an almost complete rainbow. Resized to 600x450.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/5b38a64dbc55a60f.jpg[/atsimg]