We all have to start somewhere

[Don Simon]

Manual Minoltas are great. Some of their autofocus cameras are not at all bad either (especially the Dynax 5 at the prices you can pick it up used these days) but the main reason I would recommend the Pentax as a manual option is because KA-mount lenses are everywhere. I mean like, everywhere. You've probably got one stuck down the back of the couch along with all those pennies - even if you've never owned a camera. I think they grew them on trees rather than making them in factories. Basically there's lots

 

[Melanie]

Thanks for all the help peeps

Let me get this right I need to consider the F75 Nikon as seen here:

http://www.acecameras.co.uk/asp/web/recorprod/1/product/10762/cat/1348/ph/cat/keywords/recor/recor/1/SearchFor/pt_id/PT_ID/1/product.asp

Nikon F-75 Body Only 225.00
Nikon F-75 & 28-100 G Lens 249.00
Nikon F-75 & 28-100 G & 70-300 319.00

The last one is the camera and lenses I need yes?

I still need a tripod and cable release also and they said I also need a flash gun which can range from part of the camera to a separate flash gun (preferred). Any suggestions or do these also come as part of the purchase (and it just doesn't say)?

 

[Don Simon]

Hi, the last one does seem to be the best value; buying new lenses separately is not cheap. Those two lenses will certainly enough to keep you busy for a good while, at least while you're learning.

Tripod, cable release and flash gun will definitely not come with the camera. When you buy everything new, photography is an expensive hobby/occupation and they won't be including anything in the package that they don't mention. You'll notice that website lists batteries and strap as "Included accessories", as if they were being generous by including these basic items :shock:.

Like everything else, tripods can be picked up very cheap or very expensive - it all depends on what you get. Don't get the cheapest plastic one you see, it will probably fall over as soon as you put the camera on it. On the other hand, don't go spending hundreds of pounds on one unless you're planning on taking it up Kilimanjaro and staking it sideways to the side of the mountain :sillysmi:.

If you go for that Nikon or most other modern autofocus SLRs, they will have a built-in flash which pops up when required. These are rubbish. Actually that's not fair; they have their uses but are really no good to you when learning about using flash photography. Therefore you may need to buy a separate flash gun. I'm not a Nikon owner so I can't tell you specifically which flash gun to buy, but I can tell you that it will be relatively expensive. Check with the people who run the course that you really need a flash gun, and if they say yes then go to a camera shop and ask if they have any flash guns for the F75 (or whichever camera you decide to buy). Remember, if you see something you like in the shop you can always go look for it cheaper online.

Cable release depends on the kind of camera you buy - with the Nikon or another modern camera it's likely to be a special electronic one which only works with that type of camera, and therefore will cost you more. Older cameras (like the manual ones from the '80s that have been mentioned here) will have the more traditional mechanical shutter release system. What this basically means is that it's just activated by a cable with a pin on one end that screws into the camera, and this kind of cable will be significantly cheaper.

Again I'd really recommend you go to an actual camera shop to look at what's available before buying the Nikon or any other camera. We can recommend hundreds of very good cameras, but we can't tell you whether you'll like them. If you buy the camera online without handling it first you may find it's too big or too small for your hands, too heavy to carry around or too light for the lens, you may find it uncomfortable using the controls, you might just think that silver plastic looks tacky, or that black is too easily marked. These are little things but ones that will get to you after a while. It's like buying a car - you wouldn't want to buy one without seeing it and then find the pedals are too close together and the seat gives you back pain, right?

 

[Melanie]

Managed to make it to the camera shop today. Jessops in Maidenhead actually

I met a very, very helpful gentleman there and he showed me the Nikon F75 Kit (inc Lens of 28mm-100mm and strap!) for £249.99 (new). He showed me a tripod for £39.99 a flash gun that could cost between £21-£150 and a cable release for the Nikon for a tenner. He also recommended the Canon EOS 50E Kit for £189.99 (25mm-100mm) (second hand) but I thought I'd ask you all about that one before anything else.

Opinions, thoughts please?

 

[Don Simon]

The Canon has some good reviews but I've never used it myself (anyone else owned one? I think they're called the Elan IIe in the US). I understand the Nikon is smaller and lighter, but then the Canon is cheaper (don't worry about the camera being second-hand; Jessops won't sell knackered ones. If the camera body's got any marks on, haggle on the price :mrgreen: ). I'd say the best thing you can do is to go back to the shop and try using the camera - obviously they won't let you out of the shop with it, but you can get an idea of the weight and how the focussing works. Then just go for whichever one feels more comfortable.

 

[Melanie]

Woohoo!!!

I have just bought a Nikon F75 over eBay on a buy it now thinghy and I was only the 5th person to view the item!

I have just bought the following for £150.00

Nikon F75 Boxed as new


This camera is in excellent condition and is as new.

Included in this fabulous package are

· Nikon F75 (body black)

· Nikon AF Zoom 28-100mm f/3.5-f5.6G lens (Black)

· Nikon lens cap

· Nikon rear lens cap

· Original Nikon neck strap (unopened)

· Original camera body cap

· Instruction manuals for bith the camera and the lens

· 2 x CR2 batteries.

The Nikon F75 is easy to use and capable of producing fantastic results.

Advanced auto-focus system (five-area autofocus sensor). Advanced exposure metering system

Exposure control (4 exposure modes; P with Flexible Program, S, A and Manual with shutter speeds upto 1/2000 second)

Built-in Speedlight and advanced flash system.

I just used PayPal too for the first time aswell. I sure hope it shows up now....

Once it does show up I will pay for my course and make a start on it. I'm getting excited about it now Thanks for all your helpful hints and tips and for giving me the confidence to use eBay, most especially ZaphodB

 

[AlmightyWa]

Sounds like a good deal!

Happy photographing!

 

[Don Simon]

Glad I could help - hope you're happy with the camera and good luck with the course! It does sound like you got a good deal there - plus you got it in black! Black cameras are just, well, like, kinda... black! Makes you look more professional :mrgreen:.

 

[Melanie]

Well it arrived 0730 this morning, thankfully I was up already after finishing a night shift! I'm off up to Jessops now to get everything else I need and pay for me course. I hope you don't mind but I will probably be back to pick your collective brains again shortly