Help me choose the right camera!

Bill19

Bill19

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Billy
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Hi guys, i will be getting a camera for my birthday in November, and i am starting to think about which one. But there is soooooo many so, if i put down my budget and what i want from my camera could you guys recomend one? Ok:

Budget: £200 (can go a bit higher up to say £250 if its worth it)

Camera type: I was thinking bridge camera, but could i get a slightly better camera for my needs (see below) for the same price from a DSLR? i wont be able to afford lenses, (at least not till my next birthday!).

What i would like to photograph: Nature, from macro to birds (so requiring decent macro, but also a pretty big optical zoom of say 8+), Landscapes and especially sun sets/rises, clouds etc (so a land scape or even sun set setting would be great!), and aquarium photography.

What i want it to be able to do: A decent optical zoom of 7+, more mega pixels the better, decent macro mode, adjustable settings (like shutter speed) but dont want it to be very complicated to use as its my first proper camera!

As a summary a decent all rounder with adjustable settings and super zoom. And preferably something which isn't to fragile! And remember i am just a beginner, but can learn fast.

Thank you so much!
 
I must admit I don't know an awful lot about bridge cameras but I doubt if you'll get one that will be good at both macro and telephoto. Ideally you need a DSLR and a range of lenses but if that's really out of your budget then it's not an option. Have a browse round the for sale section and see what's available in the way of cheap DSLR's. For £250 you could probably get a lower end DSLR and a kit lens which would probably still out perform a bridge and leave you with the option to buy better lenses when your budget allows. Again not a specialist subject of mine but I believe the Sony A200 is a decent cheap DSLR which has image stabilisation built in to the body. Have a look on ebay and you may pick one up pretty damn cheap.

In summary, look, look and look again to get a DSLR before looking to get a bridge.
 
Well here are my thoughts:

1 - Get a DSLR. A used one if you want to be in budget with a lens.
2 - Forget huge zoom ranges and tons of megapixels. A simple 18-55mm will get you started.
3 - I'm a Nikon man, so I'd say buy a used D40 or D50. There should be a few people selling them on here.
4 - That D40/50 will see you through a good few years. When you want to spend money, buy lenses. A 'bog standard' 50mm f1.8 lens will cost you about £100. It will produce pictures from your camera that a compact or bridge camera wont touch.
5 - Stick around here for some fine advice and friendly help.
 
If you are serious about photography and think that you will upgrade after a while, then maybe it would make more sense to go for Nikon or Canon as they offer the widest range of lenses and you vould keep the lenses you used on your first camera without having to buy more whhen you want to upgrade cameras. At the moment, there is a Nikon D40 with a kit lens going for £220 in the classified section.

hope that helps

Oscar ;)
 
budfox said:
Well here are my thoughts:

1 - Get a DSLR. A used one if you want to be in budget with a lens.
2 - Forget huge zoom ranges and tons of megapixels. A simple 18-55mm will get you started.
3 - I'm a Nikon man, so I'd say buy a used D40 or D50. There should be a few people selling them on here.
4 - That D40/50 will see you through a good few years. When you want to spend money, buy lenses. A 'bog standard' 50mm f1.8 lens will cost you about £100. It will produce pictures from your camera that a compact or bridge camera wont touch.
5 - Stick around here for some fine advice and friendly help.
Click to expand...

remember that a 50mm f1.8 won't autofocus with a D40...

oscar ;)
 
This is a very difficult one. You have a good eye for a photo, but I am afraid your budget wont run to a DSLR with all the lenses that you need to do what you want. You will be able to get a bridge camera that gives you the macro and the zoom, but the quality will never be as good as a DSLR. Having said that you have managed to get some great shots from your K810i and I'm sure you will be able to get some good results and have plenty of enjoyment with a bridge camera until you can afford to upgrade to a DSLR.

Probably best to look at the Canon and Panasonic which are rated highly. I do wish you the best of luck and am sure we will be seeing lots of your work on here in the future.
 
OP , from your first post you seem set on a bridge camera , you will get good results but if you really get into photography then you will soon hit the buffers , i would go down the DSLR route , i have a 1000D body in the classifieds without a lens , it might be a bit steep for you though , however you might be surprised as to what i would take for it ;)
 
Bill19,

It would appear from a lot of these posts that only a few of us have checked out your details before commenting. I admire your enthusiasm for photography and I can see you enjoy it. I think that the bridge camera will serve you well and give you a good understanding of photography. You will have full manual control if you wish or all the options between manual and automatic. It will give you a good understanding of the possibilities you can achieve. With good light you can match a DSLR, but in low light you may struggle. I think that by using this you will get a better understanding of the type of photography you prefer and then next birthday or in the future you can look at what DSLR package suits you.

Once again I wish you well.
 
It's going to be a while before you can start earning money, so you're probably better off spending once and spending wisely.

My advice is to go for a second hand DSLR, full stop. Bridge cameras have smaller sensors, this badly affects image quality and sseriously limits dynamic range.

You won't need high ISO for the type of photography you want to do, so high ISO capability isn't important.

A lot of megapixels isn't important either, that's mainly just marketing hype.
'Superzooms' are generally expensive and perform badly anyway. Get something more modest and either zoom by moving your feet or just concentrate on the type of photography that you equipment is suitable for.
 
My FIRST camera was a D70s and that was absolutely great! Cost me 270 quid with a kit :)
 
Garry Edwards said:
It's going to be a while before you can start earning money, so you're probably better off spending once and spending wisely.

My advice is to go for a second hand DSLR, full stop. Bridge cameras have smaller sensors, this badly affects image quality and sseriously limits dynamic range.

You won't need high ISO for the type of photography you want to do, so high ISO capability isn't important.

A lot of megapixels isn't important either, that's mainly just marketing hype.
'Superzooms' are generally expensive and perform badly anyway. Get something more modest and either zoom by moving your feet or just concentrate on the type of photography that you equipment is suitable for.
Click to expand...

With all due respect, we have a 15 year old at school who is being bought a birthday present for £200-£250. He wants Macro, landscapes and wildlife. He needs to find out and understand what it is all about before he, or his parents, commit to anything more expensive. I have owned two bridge cameras and still use one on occasions. It is a great way to find out if you enjoy photography and what type of pictures you enjoy taking.
I am sure that if you can offer a DSLR that meets his needs for that money he will persuade his parents to buy it. Meanwhile lets be realistic and encourage young photographers with his eye for a picture to progress with their dreams.

Sorry Gary, this isn't pointed at you there are so many others who just seem to be missing the point.
 
Ok thanks guys, not sure what my mum would think to buying second hand equipment of 'strangers'. She is very untrustworthy of the net which is a pane, ruddy woman....
Ok so second hand, or bridge, i would quite like a second hand DSLR, i will look around on this site, but not sure yet, and a part of me thinks a bridge would be perfect for me to learn all of the stuff ad still take some decent photos, and then when i can afford something int he future get a SLR.... but a part of me would love one now! decisions decisions....
 
Seriously consider a DSLR matey.
You could get a Nikon D70s and a kit lens, Nikon D40 and a kit, Canon 350D with a kit for around £250-£300 I reckon.

Then just add to it when you can, more lenses, flash etc.......

The difference between a DSLR and a bridge is staggering!
And it doesn't have to cost a fortune.
Although when you get into it more it probably would :D
 
Oh and btw, I've just spent about £1700 on this forum (and another one) from 'strangers'!!!
 
Bill19 said:
£1700! lol
Yeh, i trust forum selling, much safer then ebay, mum dont :mad:
Click to expand...

She's quite right too. Gotta be careful........
But there's some fantastic people on here. And we have the feedback system for piece of mind.
 
considering the budget I would look at bridge cameras.
panasonic lumix, maybe a nikon p90 or a canon unit.

to get the macro option, wildlife, and all of the above out of a DSLR with a kit lens perhaps for £250 is pushing it a bit
I had a lumix bridge about 4 years ago and it took me about a grand or more to acheive what it could in terms of versitility. what I mean by that is wide angle, and 12 x optical reach, f2.8 throughout the zoom range etc.
I would find it hard to use a bridge now, lookinag at the f1.4 lenses I have, but do go down a D40 route, no auto focus etc on the cheaper lenses...I can't see that being a great idea.
 
andy_fozzy said:
Seriously consider a DSLR matey.
You could get a Nikon D70s and a kit lens, Nikon D40 and a kit, Canon 350D with a kit for around £250-£300 I reckon.

Then just add to it when you can, more lenses, flash etc.......

The difference between a DSLR and a bridge is staggering!
And it doesn't have to cost a fortune.
Although when you get into it more it probably would :D
Click to expand...

agreed,

second hand dslrs are your friends

mpbphotographic advertise on here and I can recommend them as a reliable source since I've bought two bodies and multiple lenses off them in the past
 
yeh... so many ways to go, so many opinions.....
DSLR= better technical quality of photos, more stuff i could do (and i would look like a pro :p, and not be embarased about takeing photos in random places like i am with my mobile phone!). But lots of stuff to haul around, more expense, more confusion, mother to battle to get a second hander
Bridge= perfect size, versatility, easier to use, and get used to basics, which still be able to change with settings. But not as good photos, genrally not as good....

tbh, i thinka bridge is more for me, after all ATM its just a hobby, and i aint wanting large prints, jsut tobe creative and enjoy it, and ake reasonable photos! I can do that with my mobile phone, but i think i have gotten my k810i to a good as it can get, time to move on... to a bridge...... or a dslr.... ahhhh i dont know! lol
 
andy_fozzy said:
Looks good, but it's not even a bridge. That's more of a comact digi cam tbh.....
But nonetheless, I'm sure it's a great piece of kit.

How about something like this:

http://www.cameras.co.uk/reviews/fuji-finepix-s9600.cfm

Can be had for a good price.......

(Check out the test shots. I might be selling up soon!!!!!)
Click to expand...

I agree, the Canon is not suitable in my opinion, it doesn't even have a viewfinder which you will need to use when on full zoom to keep it stable.
The Finepix looks ideal to me! (y)
 
thanks guys, thats a very nice camera by he looks of things, and looks perfect! you know where i could get one? y mum wants tog t it from a shop (not online) so it can be took back for repairs, although i should say some places will take things in for repair with a fee. Most places are saying out of stock discontinued, am i going to have to have one send hand? is there any more modern versions still on the market?
 
glad you're going the bridge route
I agree with the comments though about the canon there
you want to make sure it has full manual controls.

my suggestions would be this sort of thing
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsx1is/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsx100is/ cheaper £200
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons5is/ £285 :)
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cpp90.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Panasonic/panasonic_dmcfz18.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Panasonic/panasonic_dmcfz35.asp

it's all about what you can find in the highstreet though tbh at the right price
plus decent memory (capacity, branding and speed) and a case perhaps

http://www.jacobsdigital.co.uk/index.php?target=products&product_id=48314
http://www.jacobsdigital.co.uk/index.php?target=products&product_id=33357

http://www.jessops.com/online.store.../Finepix S1500 Digital Camera-75948/Show.html
http://www.jessops.com/online.store...inepix S2000HD Digital Camera-75243/Show.html
http://www.jessops.com/online.store...x L100 Digital Camera - Black-76056/Show.html
http://www.jessops.com/online.store...-FZ28 Digital Camera in Black-75240/Show.html

p.s don't be afraid to get your memory elsewhere if you can get a better deal, or get a price match on memory cards. decent brand is best I always think
 
I may be wrong but I thought they stopped the S9600 because they now have Higher Mega Pixel models to sell. first came out in 2007 I think.
 
thanks for all of the suggestions Matt! I reckon the only accessories i will be after is a memory card obviously, and maybe as well a case and a tripod, but will see how fiances go! will look at them later i am of go karting! lol
 
i have just compared most of the ones matt said, and like rated different bits out of 7 (i compared 7 of them) and the Olympus SP-565 UZ came up top, but still unsure, i would (now thinking about it) prefer it to be a bit cheaper, and it cme sup as £250.... but i am still unsure, ahh so confusing, would it be easier to go to my local jessops and tell them ones i have looked at and stuff and tell them what i want and then trust them to tell me **** one i should get?
 
The jessops digital camera selector has come up with the Sony DSC H50 as a match, thoughts? looks good to me, in some shots there is purple fringing (according to the review) but i cant seem to be able to see any, but thats probs just me!, and gives me a little money for a memory card
 
I used to have a Sony bridge, but was never happy with the controls. They seemed very difficult to use, so I sold it. Whatever you get make sure you spend time trying it out, if it's not easy to use you will get fed up taking pictures. This Sony doesn't have RAW capabilities so it will be a bit restrictive when it comes to processing.
 
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