Which camera (and objective) to buy?

[Egomonster]

I want to buy a really good camera and objective, but I'm pretty much a beginner in photographing so I don't know what to buy. My criteria is:

- objective: I don't know the millimeters, but I want to have zoom onbjective with a fish eye lens and a long distance lens (I want to be able to take a close picture of someone's face from say 50 meters (sorry I'm not sure about yards, but I think it's more or less the same...)

- it has to have an automatic focus zoom system, and a manual option (the manual option meaning completely manual! I'm now using Minolta 500, which has a manual option, but for some reason it still zooms automatically and changes the shutter time even when the manual option is on... )

- Price: preferably less than 3000 $

I don't have other criteria since I don't know much about cameras, but please let me know if I should pay attention to other features too.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

 

[Egomonster]

Oh, and one of my cirteria is that I want to have it witha really big aperture! (1 point something)

 

[talonop]

A beginner in photography with a $3000 budget? Geeze. I recommend you get a decent digital camera like an Olympus C-zoom to see if you are really interested.

Then, if you decide photography is right for you, you should shoot for a more professional system.

 

[Sash[DSL]]

yes if zoom is important to you, get a DSLR, it gives a 1.6x zoom versus SLR lenses. So a 500mm lens would give 10x zoom on an slr and 16x zoom on a DSLR

 

[Egomonster]

I want to invest on an expensive camera, because I'm not satisfied with my current one (Minolta 500). I'm an artist, and I now just want to expand it to photographing, and I want to participate in a photo competition, and will have a photo exhibition with other photo amateurs soon, so it's very important for me to have a camera that gives me the technical possibilities to fully express myself. It's all about choices... I can't afford buying a car, but I rather spend 3000 $ on a camera than on a car. I've actually already done the dark room stuff years ago, and regularly take photos (mostly with AF though), so I'm actually a false beginner... but I've forgotten a lot of things, like all the things about the manual camera settings, so I'm kind of a beginner when it comes to those... Therefor poster #4, I didn't understand anything about your post! I've never had a 500 mm camera, so I'm having hard time figuring out how much it magnifies... would it be enough to get a close picture out of someones face from 50 yards for example?

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Java]

Egomonster; What Sash is saying, is that due to the fact that the light sensing cell in a digital SLR is smaller than a 35mm negative, if you put the same lens on both cameras, it would give you a "closer-up" picture on the digital camera, than it would on the 35mm film camera.
The problem is, you said you also wanted a "fisheye" lens, and that same thing that makes the digital "zoom better" also means you can't get a very "short" lens. So if you want both, stick with film.
Now that said, I'm not as up-to-date on the digital side as I should be, so if there are now affordable digitals with 24 by 36mm sensors, and or affordable really wide angle lenses, then no offense meant, chime in and correct me!

Have Fun,
Tom