Starting out- camera advice

[chrisscotland]

Hi,

New to photography and keen to get started with something other than my basic 8 mega pixel digital. Was in the scottish highlands yesterday and saw loads of people with really big, good looking cameras taking shots that the average person wouldnt with a basic digital.

Can anyone tell me please, which is a good camera/spec to start serious photography? also what the likely cost would be too?

Canon? Nikon? any other, spec etc.........

Thanks for all your help

Chris

 

[asfixiate]

what is your current camera and where are you seeing its limitations?

It would help us greatly if you could give us your budget as well as what type of photography you are interested in. My SLR has 8 mp and I can produce some pretty large prints.

 

[chrisscotland]

hi, thanks for the reply.

My current camera is a fujifilm finepix 8.3 mega. The camera itself seems good although i feel i could get a better quality shot using something a bit bigger

No idea where i should be in terms of pricing/budget just now

Mainly landscape/scenery and people that im shooting

Chris

 

[Overread]

There really is no "should be" with budget and pricing - work out the max you can afford/hope to afford for the camera and work from there.
As for the "something a bit bigger" are you just thinking megapixels here?

 

[Village Idiot]

Buy one of these brands and you'll be good:

Canon
Nikon
Sony
Pentax
Olympus
Hasselblad

(Which one doesn't belong )

 

[asfixiate]

lmao!

I think you spelled it wrong is that a 2 tier prize?

 

[Village Idiot]

typo

 

[asfixiate]

OH I thought that was part of the challenge.

 

[Rachelsne]

depending how serious you want to get with yoiur photography, you could get a high end point and shoot which goves you lots more options than a regular poit and shoot, learn to use manual mode, av and tv. find a camera you think you may like, and down load the manual, if it all seems like another language, then buy a book about photography or google every word you dont have an understanding (google is my best friend)
Read reviews go to amazon and look at cameras in your price range and see what people say about them.
Most people prefer either Nikon or Canon, but each brand has an equivelent in the same price range, so really what ever you decide your end results are going to be similar.
be prepared to get adicted to photograph and spend alot of money on better lenses, nice camera bag, tripod etc,

 

[djacobox372]

A couple of facts to get you started:

1) More megapixels more isn't automatically "better;" generally anything beyond 6mp is hard to notice.

2) Size matters in lenses: larger lens diameters let in more light and allow you more creative shooting options.

3) Size matters in sensor size, cheaper point and shoot cameras may have 8+ megapixels, but they are all crammed onto a tiny sensor. Larger DSLR cameras have larger sensors, which increases quality, and expense, across the board.

 

[chrisscotland]

Thanks for the advice and help so far. would one of these be good and which one would you choose?

D60 Nikon

EOS 450D Canon

And why?????????????

 

[deudeu]

Thanks for the advice and help so far. would one of these be good and which one would you choose?

D60 Nikon

EOS 450D Canon

And why?????????????

These two are good, and i would pick the Nikon because it feels better in my hands.

It sounds like a silly reason, but honestly, it is the only one that makes sense.

Apparently you are looking at the entry level DSLR, which is a good upgrade from your point and shoot. Now, if i were you, i would go into a large camera store and try to put my hands on as many cameras as possible while staying within your budget. See which one "feels" better, and buy it. I don't think that it is possible to tell the difference between one entry level camera and another just by looking at the images they produce, so how it "feels" is what is the most important.

 

[PhotoDonkey]

I have a Canon, but I wouldn't hesitate to get a Nikon either.

 

[Joves]

Thanks for the advice and help so far. would one of these be good and which one would you choose?

D60 Nikon

EOS 450D Canon

And why?????????????

Have you gone into a store and, held both cameras yet? If not do so and see which feels best to you because, that is the one you will use the most.

 

[bahandi]

my 2 cents... if you know the type of photography you are getting into, find out what you need in terms of equipment... lenses mostly. find the 'best' glass for that type of photography and make sure it's compatible with the camera you choose.

also, i agree with all the comments about holding the potential camera in your hand. if the camera doesn't feel right, even though it's got what you need, consider looking for another camera that can do the same, but feels right.