another question from teh n00b

nitefly

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It's my birthday next month, and I'm conisdering asking for a new camera. My price range would probably max about £300. Not alot, I know. Maybe £400 odd though if i sell my current camera/get a refund :lol:

Does anyone have any recomendations on what camera would be suitable for me? I want to take photos of everything, sport, plants, people, cars, guitars, animals!!

Also, do I have to buy lenses for a new camera, and do the lenses have to be replaced? What else would i have to buy for the camera?

Many thanks,

Nath.
 
There are an almost infinite number of answers to that question. To help narrow it down a bit, do you have a preference for film or digital?

As for lenses, I'm not really sure what you mean by 'replaced'. They're not usually biodegradable so shouldn't need replacing until they get smashed or stolen. You won't need to buy new lenses since all point & shoot cameras have them already fitted and SLRs in your price range tend to come with a kit lens. You may want to buy new lenses however (if you go for an SLR) since some lenses are better than others for different purposes.

Apart from lenses, you'll need either film or memory, depending on whether it's film or digital, probably some spare batteries and a suitable bag.
 
ZaphodB said:
There are an almost infinite number of answers to that question. To help narrow it down a bit, do you have a preference for film or digital?

As for lenses, I'm not really sure what you mean by 'replaced'. They're not usually biodegradable so shouldn't need replacing until they get smashed or stolen. You won't need to buy new lenses since all point & shoot cameras have them already fitted and SLRs in your price range tend to come with a kit lens. You may want to buy new lenses however (if you go for an SLR) since some lenses are better than others for different purposes.

Apart from lenses, you'll need either film or memory, depending on whether it's film or digital, probably some spare batteries and a suitable bag.
Well firstly, I'd like to say that your signature is totally wrong :p

I prefer digital rather than film btw. Thanks for help.

What do you think of http://www.digital-cameras.com/digital-cameras/fuji-finepix-s5600.html?sort=price&assist=on&f_c=1&q= for the money?

Also, what does "Macro Mode: 10cm" mean?
 
I dont think you are going to be able to find a DSLR for under your spending limit. But you can get alot closer to an SLR if you just go film. It's up to you.. do you want different lenses?

I believe the the 10cm meens the closest focusing is at 10cm.
 
The 10cm means you can get up to 10cm away from the subject, which isn't as close as other cameras but shouldn't really be a problem unless you want to take lots of close-up photos of small subjects. (looks like Ghoste beat me on that one :D )

I'd say that camera looks fine for your needs, and it's relatively cheap so you could easily upgrade to a digital SLR in a couple of years. With that camera you won't need to buy any lenses (the lenses on that can't be changed anyway) but I'd suggest getting another memory stick, of at least 256mb, because 16mb won't get you far :)
 
Ghoste said:
I dont think you are going to be able to find a DSLR for under your spending limit. But you can get alot closer to an SLR if you just go film. It's up to you.. do you want different lenses?

I believe the the 10cm meens the closest focusing is at 10cm.

Could you tell me the difference between a SLR and a DSLR?

Is 10cm good or bad for macro? :confused:

Thanks for all the help!!! :thumbup:
 
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, DSLR for Digital Single Lens Reflex. Both are SLRs, but most people tend to refer to Digital SLRs as 'DSLR' and film SLRs as just plain 'SLR'. Basically what SLR means is that when you look through the viewfinder you are actually looking through the lens, which is extremely helpful in composing shots. SLRs also tend to have interchangeable lenses.
 
ZaphodB said:
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, DSLR for Digital Single Lens Reflex. Both are SLRs, but most people tend to refer to Digital SLRs as 'DSLR' and film SLRs as just plain 'SLR'. Basically what SLR means is that when you look through the viewfinder you are actually looking through the lens, which is extremely helpful in composing shots. SLRs also tend to have interchangeable lenses.

Ah ok, thanks. So DSLR means what :confused: Which is the best?

Thanks again! :thumbup:
 
Ah sorry, my last post was a bit confusing. The benefits of SLRs that I described are also found on DSLRs. Both allow you more control over taking photos than point & shoot cameras; although most people simply don't need that level of control. Neither film or digital SLRs are the best; they're both equally good, for different reasons. To be honest, I wouldn't worry about it yet. The Fuji camera you were looking at will be fine for most situations.
 
There's two types of lenses - fixed and zoom. The expressions are self explanatory and refer to the length in mm of the lens.

You eye sees at about 50mm equivilent on an SLR or DSLR. So, a 50-200mm zoom lens can do normal eyesight, up to four times magnification (200 / 50 = 4).

Fixed lenses or Primes as they are often called are usually brighter and sharper than zooms - I love prime lenses as I am a quality and sharpness and low-light photographer. However, they're fixed, inflexible and only suited to a certain distance subject - you've got to zoom with your feet to compose the shot.

A very wide lens will be 24mm or less in length and will be great for landscapes, wide shots.

A medium lens will be 28-70mm in length and is versatile for a range of purposes, especially portraits and standard shots.

A telephoto lens will be over 100mm in length and is used for bringing you close to the action. Lenses go up to great lengths and great prices. A 400mm f2.8 lens might set you back £5,000!

Rob
 
There's also the width of the lens to consider...

With fixed length lenses, there is a f number. The lower it is, the wider the lens is and the more light, shallower depth of field and higher the price is. (generally)

With zoom lenses, the f number can vary. Again, the lower the number, the better (generally). A 28-70mm zoom which has a constant aperture all the way through of f2.8 is a great lens and will cost great money. Conversely say a 28-70 which is f3.5 to f5.6 will be much much lighter, smaller, cheaper..... but less light will be admitted and they are usually less sharp.

Rob
 
I like the Panasonic Lumix range..... they offer great cameras for pretty good prices. I have this one:
image05.jpg


and i love it!! It Costs about £350 new and has served me well!
 
The focal length of the lens is the equivalent of 37-370mm on a 35mm (film) camera. Maximum aperture is f/3.2 to f/3.5, depending on what focal length you're using (i.e. how much you zoom). That's quite a good range, but a maximum aperture of f/3.2 may make it difficult to achive very shallow depth of field (for example when you want the subject to be in focus but the background to be blurry).
 

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