help and advice with a purchase

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beesley121

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Hi guys,

Im new here but would like some advice please. Before You all say that there are loads of threads at the moment with newbies askin what camera to get, I already know, trouble is that Im still really confused and stuck!!

Let me explain

I have decide to get rid of my digi camera as its crap! takes shoddy phots, cant capture action phots and most of all my partner has recently given birth to twins and I want to capture every moment of them growing up together!!

Thing is Im stuck for what I need. Do i really need to get an DSLR camera?? only reason really I want one is because ive see that professional photographers use them and the pic's from them are unbelievably clear and crisp compared to amerature cameras

I was looking at the D40 I read a review about it being a starting SLR camera but If I going to buy an SLR then I would rather spend a little extra so that i dont get bored with the basic model and then find myself selling it and buying a better one.

also, please dont shot me down(excuse the pun) but I own a few springer spaniels that are trained to retrieve game, which I do with them most saturdays. I would also like to capture shots of them doing what they do best

please help me choose a camera for my needs, please.....
 
I'll wade in first then :)

OK well I think you need to decide on whether you want a DSLR or just a new camera. You are correct that fundamentally a DSLR will produce a nicer image than a compact, due to the larger sensor and all the other good stuff.....

However I suppose it depends on whether you want to embrace this new stuff? - I am a recent convert to DSLR (2-3 months) - I was very frustrated with the quality of pics I was getting on my compact in various situations, and also wanted to try photography as a hobby - I bought the 450D and I am very very happy with both my camera and new hobby.....

originally i looked at the Nikon D60 which I think is comparable to the 450D, but the 450 had more features so I figured I should get something I could really grow into - sounds like thats what your faced with now!?

So.... whats your budget? - is one of the first questions - and from there you really DO need to go and put these things in your hand - someone gave me that advice and I cant overestimate its power.....

pre-walking into the shop I was buying the D60 for about £350, whilst in the shop I decided to buy the 450D at £450.... £100 extra cost was made up for in the feel in my hands, and playing with the features.....

... decide whether its something your genuinely interested in or not - its a lot of money just to take snapshots, which any camera can do pretty well these days!

Look at the 1000D or older 400Ds perhaps from Canon - or the D40 and D60 are quite good -
 
well, I will say a maximum budget of 500.00 but I wont spend that If I dont have to. What I mean Is i dont want to skip on quality/perforamance but If i can get the same more or less for cheaper, then im all ears

I cant see myself letting this be another one of my many hobbies (missus prob wont let me anyway lol) but like I say, my partner has just had twins and Im quite a sentimental bugger so quality pictures of them are the essence! plus i can use it for holiday snaps and countryside pictures when Im out and about with my dogs

my way of thinking is, I paid just under 100 quid for the camera I have now and it crap, so to spend a bit extra to produce quality pics and to save my sentimant, its well worth it. (touch wood) but to capture all the happy moments in our lives for 500.00 is nothing and wworth every penny:)
 
well some would say that if you dont want it to be a hobby, its pretty pointless buying a DSLR..... there are lots of features on them and its a bit of a waste just to buy one and stick it on auto in my view.....

between the cr@p you bought at 100 and the cost of an entry DSLR there is a world of options open to you - what about a bridge camera?

ultimately its your money, ive got friends who have DSLRs and just leave them on auto - so if thats what you want to do then you will probably get a better picture than a compact by doing that - but you'll miss out on so much other stuff.... but if thats not important to you.....
 
I have recently bought a Panasonic FZ8 which is a pretty inexpensive bridge camera and have been really happy with it. It allows you to be creative if you want to and is very user friendly.

With new twins (congrats btw!) I'm thinking you're not going to have a huge amount of spare time available and I hear that there is a steep learning curve with DSLR's. If you havn't got time or don't really want to use/learn all the functions of a DSLR it seems a lot of money to be spending.

There are newer bridge camera's available than the one I bought - the Panasonic FZ18 & FZ28 both get good reviews - which can all be had for under £250.

(FYI - after all my research I had finally decided to buy the FZ18 myself and only didn't due to not being able to buy it with my Amazon vouchers I had been given for my birthday so I had to get the previous model... long story. My point is - there a loads of bridge camera's available but the FZ18 seemed to get the best reviews at the most economical price).

Sorry about the essay - here are some pics I have taken with the FZ8 if you are interested (bear in mind I'm a very newbie togger though!)

P1010718a.jpg


P1000672.jpg


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Good pics daysleeper - its good to get your views on the Panasonic camera you bought - in summer 07 I bought the Lumix LZ6, came very highly recommended on dpreview, but was just left with an overwhelming dissatisfaction about it - hence why i went down the DSLR route

I agree with you that if you arent going to take the time, a DSLR is a bit of an overkill
 
Thanks - I'm doing my best to learn!

TBH I'm sure I will progress to a DSLR at some point in the future as I have been bitten by the bug but find the FZ8 great to learn on - if you wern't going to take togging on as a proper "hobby" I think it would it would be just great as a family camera.
 
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