What camera is best for me.

[Mr. Fingers]

Right guys, i'm new to the forum & new to photography & only seriously really decided i wanted a camera a few days ago, i havn't got a clue which ones are the best for me for my price range so i'll let you decide, basically can't spend no more then 300 quid, i'm not to sure on the types of lens's but i understand they make a very big diffrence in shots, so i'd like to maybe a couple of them with the camera, i'd be taking all sorts of photos including racing photos, wildlife, scenery etc.

So yer, 300 squid to spend & would probably want to squeeze a few lens's in the price or may be able to budge a bit over.


Here's my very amateur attempt at getting some good pics, this was on my camera phone, D900.

Just thought i'd take a pic of this guy.
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/365/18816815lh6.jpg
Saw a few super cars including a Veyron just before Gumball 3000
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2678/14354973gy3.jpg
And my pride & joy
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/6565/93593048nb5.jpg

Thank you.

 

[Don Simon]

Well I'll start by assuming that you want a digital - please correct if I'm wrong.

£300 could buy you a great fixed-lens camera, like a Canon Powershot G7, Canon Powershot S3 IS, Fuji Finepix S9600, Olympus SP-550, Sony DSC H7... those aren't the only options but they're good fixed-lens cameras on the higher end of your budget.

Alternatively you could increase your budget slightly and buy a digital SLR. You can get a Pentax K100d, Nikon D50 or D40, or Canon 350D, each with standard "kit" lens, for around £350. Yes that's one lens; unfortunately you won't get several lenses with a dSLR near £300. The "kit" lens will not be as impressive as the lenses on those fixed-lens cameras I mentioned, but you will have the option of changing lenses on a dSLR. In addition, the dSLR will probably offer better image quality in general, but most noticeably at higher ISO levels.

With a dSLR you enter into a camera system which ultimately offers more flexibility, if you are willing to invest more in lenses. But a fixed-lens camera may do more for you in the short term, and for less money. I'd give serious consideration to both options.

Oh, and welcome to the forum

 

[Mr. Fingers]

Hi there,

Yup sorry, it was a digital SLR i was after, maybe i could increase a tad to push for one of those D50/40 or the 350D but what sort of photo's does the stock lens give you, do you have any samples.
If i did then i most probably would purchase an extra lens but what would give me the most choice or is it a case of long/close shots? Sorry i'm learning so get confused easily.
Oh, if you could direct me to a link where i could learn about different lens's & the prices, would be great.

Thank you.

 

[Don Simon]

Don't worry about getting confused. When I started out I was lucky - I didn't have the enormous assault of often conflicting information that is the internet to make it all even more confusing. Just take it slow - there's an incredible amount of theory you can learn or various debates you can get involved in, but don't let any of that stop you from creating images. It's you who does that, the camera is simply a tool - and as you've demonstrated, even a camera phone can do a pretty good job, so don't worry too much about equipment.

As for what images the standard lenses in a dSLR kit can produce, here's some samples from a Nikon D40 with the 18-55mm 'kit' lens. The images from a Canon 350D, Pentax K100d or similar 6mp dSLRs with a similar kit lens will be, well, similar there really is very little difference in how they perform. But as you can see, even a standard lens is capable of producing some very nice shots and is quite flexible.

And as for what addition lenses to choose - the options are almost endless. You could get one zoom lens that covers an enormous range - something like an 18-200mm - or you could buy separate lenses for wide-angle, telephoto and everything in between, as well as more specialised lenses like macro or fisheye lenses. Some lenses will do certain things better than others, and choosing a lens usually involves having a certain requirement or specific priorities, and then finding a lens that fits your purpose and does so within your budget - there's always some kind of compromise involved, as there's no lens that fits every need perfectly.

My advice would be to get a camera with the standard kit lens, and then work out what you want to do and that the kit lens won't do. Then you can work out whether you need a wider lens, a longer lens, a faster lens etc.

As for online, I don't know about used, but personally I recommend buying dSLRs new since the security is worth the money. Park Cameras are very competitively priced and has a good range, and I like SRS Microsystems of Watford. Of course there are many others, those are just ones I recommend from experience (if you are in Berkshire I'm sure a couple of our members could make some suggestions ). But again I do recommend buying new. "Refurbished" cameras (which have been repaired or checked by the manufacturer) are ok if bought from a reputable seller with a warranty, but I would rather not buy dSLRs second-hand.

 

[Mr. Fingers]

Thanks alot ZaphodB appreciate it, very useful info & i'll look over it again as now i understand that bit more about it which is nice.
I'll stick with the standard then like you said, then just my way up.
I'll try to keep this thread updated as it's only a few weeks until i hopefully get one.

Thanks once again.

Chris.