Please Help

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max.payne

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9
Name
Paul
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Yes
Please help.:shake:
I currently have a point and shoot camera, but I would like to get a better camera, I feel a bridge camera will probably be better for me, as a full DSLR will be too expensive for my pocket. I am looking to spend no more than £150. I know that won’t go far! But I thought if I go for a good second hand camera, I should get a fairly good one?
What I would like to use it for; I am a hobbyist Beekeeper. I see some, what I consider amazing sights of nature at its best. The photos I would like to take are Bees close up, so a macro setting will needed and a general setting for a distance of say two metres and about five metres. I would also like a good deal of manual setting so I can mess about a bit, but also like an idiot setting as well. Also a video with sound would be good. I also would prefer a rechargeable battery pack I have taken lots pictures over the years but a rubbish photo is always a rubbish photo. I would like to take some better ones! I have seen a few cameras in my price range like a Nikon p80 or a Sony f828 but what I don’t want to do, is buy one, then be told its rubbish and for the same money you could have had a such and such! :bonk:
I have also recently made a website (www.boston-beekeeper.co.uk) and posted a few pics up on there, what I have taken. I really would love to add more. I do not know if this camera exists, or will ever be in my price range? But I would really appreciate any advice and help you can give, and thanks ever so much for taking time to read this.

Thanks and kind regards Paul:thumbs:

Ps, if you have such a camera for sale please let me know
 
you could get a s/h 300D for not far of that money I have had one for years and you can print out a4 with no problem
You might not like a bridge camera as you look at a small lcd to view and then you get the shutter lag when taking the photo.
Just points to remember.
 
Good advice from Chaz. Try and go for a DSLR. Once you get further into your photography, you would probably want something more versatile than a bridge.
No good shelling out twice.
And welcome to the forum.
 
hi paul if you dont want a second hand dslr, i think this fuji will be a def to look at
has 12x optical zoom to get you closer to the action also has a very good macro facilty and great image quality with not bad iso performane even at iso 800.
also including sensor-shift image stabilisation
hope this helps,
there is some pics on the amazon link.



http://www.ebuyer.com/product/160381
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fujifilm-FinePix-S1500fd-Digital-Camera/dp/B001SN6XQS
heres a reviews,
http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2009/05/19/Fujifilm-FinePix-S1500/p1
 
Hi Paul

I don't have a recommendation for a camera only that the quality from a dslr would be far superior if you could stretch to one. I just thought I would mention I visited your website and you have some great photos I especially like the one of the wasp. Hope you do get a good deal on a camera. Keep an eye on the classifieds section on TP

Good Luck
 
Thanks to all,
I know that i really need a DSLR, but what will it cost me to get rigged up?
I have looked at the fujifirm that Scott speaks of, and could probably afford the
S2000Hd £164 from Jessops, I will be honest thou, i am concerned about AA batteries! But will the picture be vastly different from a low end, second hand DSLR
I am still not sure what to do??????
and thanks for welcoming me into your forum.
 
Thanks to all,
I know that i really need a DSLR, but what will it cost me to get rigged up?
I have looked at the fujifirm that Scott speaks of, and could probably afford the
S2000Hd £164 from Jessops, I will be honest thou, i am concerned about AA batteries! But will the picture be vastly different from a low end, second hand DSLR
I am still not sure what to do??????
and thanks for welcoming me into your forum. :)
 
If your looking at the earlier model of DSLR, as long as you pick up a good one, you won't be disappointed. My 13 year old daughter is currently using my orig Canon 300D and is getting some very good shots with it.



And some more of her Photos here http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=137541

If you do find a DSLR, it won't cost the earth to get up and running, the problem is you will want to upgrade - thats when it begins to hurt financially :thumbs:

Good luck with your search, :thumbs:
 
Andy, Yes some really great pics, but my main area will be close up like the wasp taken on my website (sent to me by a friend) (www.boston-beekeeper.co.uk ) that is the sort of pics i want to take. Will the 300d with a kit lens do that?

Ps, regards to lens how do the numbers work ie 18-55mm??? or 70-300mm???? and what would a macro lens be?? :shrug:
 
Hiya Max,


re AA batteries for the fuji, should you go down that route, go for enyloup ones, theu're about £7 on ebay for 4, and come prcharged and they can hold the charge for a year. I have them, they're very good. Also, if you decide on the S2000HD, this seems pretty cheap. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FUJI-FinePix-...Cameras_JN?hash=item27adef562b#ht_7796wt_1167

The numbers are multiplied by 1.6x if you use Canon with APS sensor - pretty much every Canon! So, 18-55 becomes approx 29-70. I find the 70-300 range great for wildlife and it lives on mine.

So, DSLRS will ultimitely be better quality, however, for the price you want, they\re not going to be very modern and as such won't have the 'niceties' of today such as large LCDs, ease of use.

hope that helps. ;)
 
for a bridge i say go fuji they have always been excellent value for money on their bridges.

but yeah an older 2nd hand dslr would be the real deal. with a DSLR the instantaneous (no lag) picture taking is great, and the versatility yo upgrade lenses/ the body later. when shooting manual on a bridge it takes ages to change the settings, a dslr is designed with manual (/semi manual, aperture priority etc) shooting in mind so its easier and quicker to change the settings.

for macro you probably want a dedicated lens, now macro lenses isnt something i know much about, but i do know you can pic up old M42 lenses for next to nothing (not sure about macro prices) and a canon to m42 adaptor is like £3. it would only be manual focus, but that would be fine for macro, and using a dedicated lens will give you much better results than on the bridge + you can upgrade it later for further improvements.
 
Thanks to you all so much:thumbs:,but if we are talking DSLR s. How doe's the cannon 300d 350d compare to a 400d or a Nikon d40 d50 or d70 d70s all compare with each other and how much difference will the mega pixels make what the heck do i go for??? I am watching so much stuff on ebay its making me sleepless:shake::cuckoo::shrug:
 
You could also pick up an older 35mm SLR. A Nikon F80 can be had for less than 50 squids. Partner it with a cheap 50mm f/1.8 and some film and your set. Most developers offer a develop/scan combo price and it isn't too expensive.
 
max.payne said:
Thanks to you all so much:thumbs:,but if we are talking DSLR s. How doe's the cannon 300d 350d compare to a 400d or a Nikon d40 d50 or d70 d70s all compare with each other and how much difference will the mega pixels make what the heck do i go for??? I am watching so much stuff on ebay its making me sleepless:shake::cuckoo::shrug:
Click to expand...

Don't get too deep into the MP race. There are many other factors behind the scenes that should be considered. I have printed 4.1 MP images to 13x19 in size. They turned out great. They are on display at the local library. I even printed a 2 MP image to 13x19. Although it was a tiny incy bit blurry it still came out great. Pixel peepers will shove technical jargon down your throat so be careful.

It all depends on what you are doing with the pictures. If they are for Facebook, Flickr and occasional 4x6 printing then anything from 2 to 6 megapixels is enough. If you want to billboard print your work then of course you are looking at a considerable investment.
 
Some general info on what DSLRs are about here -

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=82464

When looking at second hand DSLRs forget about mega pixels. Anything over 6Mp will blow away a new 12 meg compact.

Getting good macro (close up) can mean getting a lens just for that job but as you only need manual focus you could buy a cheap lens for a different brand old film camera and an adaptor to fit it to the camera.

Have a read through the link above it may help make things clearer (or worse :) )
 
max.payne said:
Thanks to you all so much:thumbs:,but if we are talking DSLR s. How doe's the cannon 300d 350d compare to a 400d or a Nikon d40 d50 or d70 d70s all compare with each other and how much difference will the mega pixels make what the heck do i go for??? I am watching so much stuff on ebay its making me sleepless:shake::cuckoo::shrug:
Click to expand...

Max with your budget I'd stick with a bridge camera - A used macro lens is going to cost around £220 ish alone without a body !. A bridge camera will give you a bigger DOF due to the smaller sensor size and for larger magnifications you can add a Raynox clip on closeup adapter. You will also have the benifit of a lens covering wide angle to telephoto.
 
An old D60 or a 300D will do fine and you can find one with a kit lens for around 150

Add a macro dioptre (+24 will do fine from my experience) or a couple of extension tubes to the kit lens and it will get you started and let you upgrade to a real macro lens when you can afford it
 
max.payne said:
Andy, Yes some really great pics, but my main area will be close up like the wasp taken on my website (sent to me by a friend) (www.boston-beekeeper.co.uk ) that is the sort of pics i want to take. Will the 300d with a kit lens do that?

Ps, regards to lens how do the numbers work ie 18-55mm??? or 70-300mm???? and what would a macro lens be?? :shrug:
Click to expand...

Hi

Yes the 300D and a Macro lens will pick up the photos your after, just posted the photo and link so you could see some examples of what the 300D can do.

As your looking at wasps / Bees etc, I'd suggest a longish Macro lens - 100mm + so you don't need to get too near them :)

Good luck with your search :thumbs:
 
thanks all,
Robert that link has really helped and Andy being a Beekeeper, I always have Bees a bit to close. Sometimes in my suit, and you soon know about that:'( I agree with you all, I think I will stick my neck out and say, I will go for a 350D or a 400D instead of the Nikon or a bridge. The only loss is that i can see I don't get video on the DSLR :thumbsdown: I must say thou it hasn't gone well with her indoors:shrug::lol:
 
max.payne said:
thanks all,
Robert that link has really helped and Andy being a Beekeeper, I always have Bees a bit to close. Sometimes in my suit, and you soon know about that:'( I agree with you all, I think I will stick my neck out and say, I will go for a 350D or a 400D instead of the Nikon or a bridge. The only loss is that i can see I don't get video on the DSLR :thumbsdown: I must say thou it hasn't gone well with her indoors:shrug::lol:
Click to expand...

Without holding any camera I wouldn't select what I am going to purchase.

Go into Jessops in Boston and see what they have you can play around with.

Nice to see another South Lincs person :)
 
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