Never mind what to buy next..... what do i buy first?!

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brunotheuno

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Liam
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Hi peoples,
Ive just joined the forum as im making my first ventures into photography and i wondered what sort of kit i should be looking at getting?

Could anyone spare some advice for a newbie please?

I would like to get something that i could use as well when out with friends as i could when in the woods/hills etc.

I suppose 10x opt zoom is alright from what ive heard?

Any way any and all advice is more than welcome.
Thanks all
 
@brunotheuno, If you don't have a camera yet, try to buy Canon 7D for it is handy. How much is your budget anyway?
 
HughTFall said:
@brunotheuno, If you don't have a camera yet, try to buy Canon 7D for it is handy. How much is your budget anyway?
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A 7D for a newbie? You are jesting of course?

From what the OP has said, I would have thought he was looking at a decent compact. He wants it portable with a good optical zoom.

Sorry I can't recommend such a camera as I have little experience of modern compacts other than my X10.
 
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Hi Liam and welcome, as Bob mentioned a small compact with zoom and one which will allow you to experiment with manual settings once you have a little understanding of photography would suite you fine to start with. If you can pick up a decent used one it will save you money in the long run if you decide photography is for you and you want to upgrade later. There are quite a few people that have a DSLR and still carry a compact around as well.
 
Hi Liam and Welcome!!

Budget is a major consideration to giving you some sensible advice.

Cameras range from a few tens of pounds (all in) to a few thousand (then lenses are extra). So, knowing your budget to the nearest £200 or so will produce some reasonable suggestions for you.

You don't NEED to spend loads to get good photographs but if you have a high end camera then the chances of good piccies are much greater.

Very rough guide:
£150 - compact
£200-£400 - bridge camera
£500+ - entry level DSLR

When you buy a DSLR you usually have to buy a lens or two on top (and there's another whole subject in itself!) so you can easily want stuff that costs up to at least £2,000 if not much more.

Best advice I can give (I'm going through this process myself) is research and not buy anything for at least a month. I changed my mind every 2-3 days and 6 weeks on I'm still having different thoughts. I think I'm nearly decided but still holding back just in case I have another view.

One factor to consider is if you buy a DSLR there's a fair amount of kit to carry around every time you want to take a photograph. If you go out to a country fair or festival this can be quite cumbersome and this is where a bridge camera has a real advantage.

BUT

Bridge cameras do not have the image quality that DSLR's have.
 
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HughTFall said:
@brunotheuno, If you don't have a camera yet, try to buy Canon 7D for it is handy. How much is your budget anyway?
Click to expand...

I hope that's a joke :D

But surely not as handy as a Canon 1D-X & sigma 50-500 (very versatile). Would you recommend that for nights out with friends & trips to the woods?

Budget allowing - Sony RX100 , Fuji X10 or even a Canon S100
 
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hobodan said:
I hope that's a joke :D

But surely not as handy as a Canon 1D-X & sigma 50-500 (very versatile). Would you recommend that for nights out with friends & trips to the woods?

Budget allowing - Sony RX100 , Fuji X10 or even a Canon S100
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Some good suggestions there.

I guess the first thing you need to decide (once you have set a budget) is doing you want an all-in-one also known as a compact or a camera where you can interchange lenses.

A compact is more portable and the better ones offer manual controls, such as the Panasonic TZ30, Sony HX20V, Canon S100 going up to the more expensive ones like the Sony RX100. These are great for carrying around in your pocket and whipping out for that opportunistic moment.

If you want to get into photography a little more seriously and would like to increased quality and flexibility then interchangeable lens cameras are a good bet. You could go for a Compact System Camera (CSC) like the G range from Panasonic, the PEN range from Olympus or NEX range from Sony. These are more compact than the Digital SLR cameras offered by Canon and Nikon.

I don't think you would be disappointed with any of the big brands. The best advice is to go to a good photography store, get them in your hands and play around to see which you prefer.
 
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I'd start off with a simple compact camera at around the £100 mark and just get a feel for taking photos. The great thing about compacts is that they really are light enough to take anywhere, and they produce great photos under most conditions.

Learn about composition, learn about what you actually enjoy photographing, and learn about how to manage and share your photos on your computer.

In 6 months time you'll still get £50 for your used compact but you'll have some valuable experience too.

From that point you'll be in a better position to judge your next steps and you'll have avoided spending money on relatively expensive gear that wasn't right for you.
 
Personally I'd go with a CSC (Panasonic, Olympus or Sony as mentioned above) as I feel they allow more room for expansion as you improve, find your style and begin to experiment.

They're not as good for sticking in a pocket but do offer much better IQ at a reasonable price....
 
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