Basic camera lens bundle suggestions

[desertrattm2r12]

Let there be light. And a lot of it.

 

[DB_Cro]

Thanks TPF community! I played around with my G10 in shutter priority mode with a ton of indoor light and there was vast improvement in moving target photos. I think a flash will be a game changer and should allow me to use my current camera at least for the time being.

@Dao: that flash looks great. Thanks!

I did a quick search at flickr.com "canon g10 bounce flash"

And found this
Mr Ben

That should give you an idea what you can do with your G10 and a bounce flash.


And this
Harry!

Based on the catch light on the hamster, I assume the flash is also bounce off the ceiling. So with added diffused light, you should be able to increase the shutter speed. On top of that, the flash exposure alone should also be able to freeze the motion.

Cool.

Quick question: is there a lens that I could get for my G10 that would be valuable? I know you can add on some lenses but not sure the limit.

Adding any lenses (actually converters) will make you loose even more light.
Don't do it.

 

[cherylynne1]

This is a tricky question, for a couple reasons.

First, it's guessing at your future needs, rather than your current needs. If your baby is 15 months old, there's no guarantee that he or she will be playing sports in a few years. And secondly, it will probably be at least 5 years before indoor low light sports are an issue, and possibly closer to 10. In 10 years, we're going to be laughing at the current crop of cameras and wondering how we ever took pictures with them.

It seems like what you're asking is for an all-around beginner's camera at a reasonable price that handles every difficult situation well. The problem is, the perfect camera doesn't exist, or everyone would be buying it.

Right now, photography is kind of at a crossroads. The big debate is whether or not mirrorless is going to replace traditional DSLRs. Now, I don't think DSLRs will ever completely die, just like film cameras have never completely died. But I certainly wouldn't recommend buying a film camera right now.

I think the biggest issue with mirrorless is that the two big companies, Canon and Nikon, do not have good mirrorless options. And for those that have been investing in lenses and accessories in either company for years, it's too expensive to switch (even though many admit they'd like to.)

As I mentioned before, when I researched and bought my camera, Sony was the company I went with. I felt they were the most innovative, and they continue to do things that everyone proclaims simply "can't" be done. The a6000 is a fantastic camera, perfect for my needs. I would not have been happy with a Rebel or a D3300, because they are considerably larger and I need to take my camera everywhere.

One of the biggest issues people point out is that Sony has a smaller lens selection. They have about 60 lenses, while the two bigger companies have somewhere around 150-200, I believe. But Sony has the lenses I need, so that's not a concern for me.

Fuji, Olympus, and Panasonic also have good mirrorless choices. Here are a few comparison links:

DPReview Recommends: Best Interchangeable Lens Cameras for Under $1000

2015 Roundup: Interchangeable Lens Cameras $500-800

 

[im1dermike]

This is a tricky question, for a couple reasons.

I really appreciate your candor, cherylynne. Your comments about the industry being at a crossroads and that I'm trying to plan equipment needs 10 years in advance are very logical. What probably makes the most sense for me now is to get a decent flash and get some experience under my belt outside of automatic mode on my G10. Then, in 5 years or so, I'll be in a better position to make a more informed decision about what camera to get.

Thanks again.

 

[cherylynne1]

It may not take five years, especially if you're diligent about learning photography. You'll know you're ready when you repeatedly run into issues with your camera and you specifically know how they could be solved with a better camera.

 

[im1dermike]

Just to follow up on this thread, I ended up getting the Altura E-TTL flash which I'm using with my Canon G10 and have seen vast improvements in indoor "action" shots (of my crazy-haired 15 month old). Pictures that used to come out like blurry in Auto mode like this:



Now are not blurry, like this:



One thing I noticed, though, is some graininess in the images. Is this due to still not enough light? I've been using the Altura pointed at the ceiling for a bounce flash with all the lights on in the room, but I'm thinking there is still not enough light.

 

[DB_Cro]

Bump up the flash a bit more.

If you're setting your ISO manually (which you should be), higher settings are to blame for grain, and/or generally
underexposed shots brought back in editing, but I'd rather see grain then have clean images that are dark. You should
figure out what's the highest ISO setting acceptable to you (re: grain) and stick with that for these shots.

 

[chuasam]

+1 vote for the Sony RX100 mk IV
alternative choices:
Olympus OMD-EM10 II
Panasonic Lumix FZ300

 

[Solarflare]

One thing I noticed, though, is some graininess in the images. Is this due to still not enough light?

No, thats expected with your camera. It has a really small sensor - 1/1.7", or 7.6 x 5.7 mm, and its old CCD technology.

Thats why photographers prefer large sensors. The larger the sensor, the better signal to noise and the more reserves for more tricky light situations.