Talk to me about upgrading

J40ADF

J40ADF

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348
Name
Andy
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi everyone,

I'm looking to upgrade from my bridge Fujifinepix HS25.
I don't do too badly with it but I do find I'm struggling with shutter speed and aperture.
The lack of a 'bulb' function has restricted me in the past with some images I would like to have taken.
I also struggle to control depth of field with it too.
I also don't have an external flash for it (even though it has a hotshoe)

As a photographer, I'm amateur.
Although I studied photography back in the early 80s I never took it up as a career and it's remained a hobby ever since. I don't get out as often as I like, alone, to be creative so my shoots tend to exist of family outings. The wife gets quite frustrated when I'm taking pictures of the surroundings rather than the family, lol.

As you can see from an old post I'm no newbie. Although you might not like the images or processing I think I have a reasonable eye for composition.

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/trying-to-be-creative-again.258621/#post-2978931

So. talk to me about cameras.

I started off looking at the D3300 but I've been put off by some of the comments on here with regard to the use of older non AF lenses.
Budget of around £700 has got to buy me a Body, two lenses and an external flash. Anything left over I would like to spend on a few filters.

I've no manufacturer preference and I'm also happy to buy second hand as long as the batteries are good.
 
on batteries there's ex pro, they make good ones for 15 quid each, roughly, the whites they do are very good..

I suggest you handle some cameras, see what fits you.. A second hand Sony a77 might be a bargin for you :)
 
J40ADF said:
...
I started off looking at the D3300 but I've been put off by some of the comments on here with regard to the use of older non AF lenses....
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be. Most, if not all, later AFS lenses are better than their older cousins.

Sometimes looking at the used market will get you more for your money. Before settling on any system, be it Nikon, Canon, Sony or any of the others try and handle a few bodies, whichever feels best in the hand is the one to go for. Also may be worth trying some of the CSC systems, there are many who swear by them (somewhat fanboyishly too in one or two cases ;)).

As for flashes, may be worth looking at the non OEM market, Yongnuo, Nissin etc all make good inexpensive units.
 
What sort of lenses are you looking for and what sort of stuff do you like to photograph?

Assuming you're looking for a failry general purpose set up, in nikon terms I'd be tempted to look at a used D7000 (£300 ish), used 18-70 zoom (£75 ish), used 70-300 VR (£250 ish) and a Meike 910 flash for about £75. If it were me, I'd still fancy a fast prime too, probably a 35 or 50mm 1.8 but they could come at a later date.
 
gad-westy said:
What sort of lenses are you looking for and what sort of stuff do you like to photograph?
Click to expand...

Good point!

My main genre will be landscapes, architecture, plants. Actually a bit like the pictures I posted a while ago in the link I posted at the top of this thread.
Throw in some general pictures of family outings, cars and wildlife.
 
So I've had Nikon and Sony recommendations so far but no one has mentioned Cannon?
any reason?
 
My suggestion is that you look at either Nikon or Canon only, for the simple reason that there is much more used equipment out there than say Pentax or Fuji. I'm not knocking any other brand, it's just that the your budget would be better used in acquiring lightly used gear then buying new. I have no experience with Canon, bit as far as Nikon kit is concerened I concur with Gad-Westy above who I think has made an excellent suggestion.
 
Right then! Off for some searching then...whish me luck and thanks for your advice
 
You'll really struggle to get everything you want for that budget unless you want to get really old gear. I would look at a used D7000 for around £300-325, used 24-85mm VR for about £275 and a 3rd party flash. You could get a used 28-105mm D for around £70 instead of the 24-85mm though and then you could get a cheap used telephoto.
It just so happens that I will be listing my 28-105mm this weekend in the classifieds ;)
 
Whilst it seems a lot of gear a lot of it isn't great tbh. The 2 main lenses can be had for around £40-50 each used.
 
J40ADF said:
Seems my budget of £700 can buy me this;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikon-D70...788?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20f3fddf84

Is this too good to be true? There are a few other bundles listed
Click to expand...

To me there seems to be a lot of crap bundled in there to make the deal look good. Also they are based in the USA, so could be an issue if things developed a fault. You would be better off looking at HDEW or Panamoz & Digital Rev if buying from abroad.

To look closer the bodies are about £400
The 18-55 lens is about £70
The old G lens 70-300 are about £90.

Thats for new.
 
There's a few bits in the bundles listed I don't need or wouldn't like, so I think I will look to source them all individually rather than as a bundle and save a few £'s in the process.

Is E-Bay a good start?
Anywhere else?
 
J40ADF said:
There's a few bits in the bundles listed I don't need or wouldn't like, so I think I will look to source them all individually rather than as a bundle and save a few £'s in the process.

Is E-Bay a good start?
Anywhere else?
Click to expand...


Have a look around HDEW, they are UK based and you have a three year warranty. I would recommend you buy from them rather than the ebay ones.

http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/nikon-44-c.asp

http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/slr-camera-kits--bundles-9-c.asp

http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/
 
MPB Photograph may be helpful, I do Nikon so could suggest a used D90 / 7000 / 300S, an 18-105 (it was a kit lens but fine as a general walkabout IMHO), a 35 or 50 1.8G as a start point, you can pick up a flash, some filters and another lens with the change. Then go out and enjoy! I am sure there are Canon equivalents to all of the above, I just don't know them.
 
Don't rule out the d3300, I bought one last October after selling my Pentax gear and have been blown away with it. I started with the 35mm 1.8g and have slowly picked up other lenses second hand, a sigma10-20mm, Nikon 50mm, tamron 90mm macro and Nikon 70-300 the cheapest being £90 and the most expensive £200. I did this thinking that when I'd got the lenses I wanted I would upgrade the camera but I'm very pleased with it, it does everything I need it to do very well I don't feel the need to upgrade any time soon.
£700 would get you a d3300 with plenty left over for the lenses that you want. Just a thought.
 
I would suggest the Sony A6000 with the 16-50 kit lens, plus the Nissin i49 flash to get you started
A6000 kit currently around £510 with £50 cashback from sony, an the i40 at around £160
24mp APS C sensor, awesome af and great lowlight performance, you really cannot go wrong.
 
J40ADF said:
There's a few bits in the bundles listed I don't need or wouldn't like, so I think I will look to source them all individually rather than as a bundle and save a few £'s in the process.

Is E-Bay a good start?
Anywhere else?
Click to expand...
For used there's Harrisons Cameras, MPB, Wex, London Camera Exchange and camera jungle to name a few. I believe they all offer warranty ranging from 6 months to 12 months. Forums such as this are good places to buy from too.
 
OK...Important question.

Should I look at AF or AF-S lenses?

Both, it would appear will work fine with a D7000
 
J40ADF said:
OK...Important question.

Should I look at AF or AF-S lenses?

Both, it would appear will work fine with a D7000
Click to expand...
Both will work fine on a D7000. AF and AF-D lenses will use the screw drive so may make a bit of noise (most do, not overly loud though) AF-S lenses tend to be silent. AF and AF-D lenses will be cheaper like for like than AF-S lenses, in some cases the IQ difference is not much in others it is noticeable, as I said earlier in most cases AF-S lenses will be better than their AF/AF-D counterparts.

Some people prefer the feel of the older lenses, some don't really care ;)

As a broad generalisation most later AF-D primes are decent, some rather better than decent. It gets trickier with zoom lenses as some are very good and some imo are quite poor.
 
J40ADF said:
OK...Important question.

Should I look at AF or AF-S lenses?

Both, it would appear will work fine with a D7000
Click to expand...
Personal preference. AF-S generally AF faster which can be important for sports, birding etc. Also, the older lenses don't have some of the new lens coatings that help reduce glare etc, but some prefer the colours that some of the older lenses give.
 
How quickly my Nikon lenses focus is something that has really impressed me compared to the Pentax, I would definitely recommend afs the same as snerkler.
 
I've had a good look at both now and just purely from a visual point of view the D7000 looks a very capable and robust camera.
I've searched and searched and can't find anywhere where I would be able to physically pick up and handle both at the same time. Most stores only have an online presence, and those that do have both cameras are too pricey. I'd feel a bit bad spending all that time and walking out. In fact it's hard to pick up a D7000.

I really did want to buy new and there are still a few new D7000 to be bought but mainly with the big useless bundles. Now I've had a good look they don't come with AF-S lenses and like I said earlier, i wouldn't use or need some of the bits.
I wanted to buy new because the money for it was gifted to me on my 50th birthday last year. It's taken me all that time to decide what I was going to do with the money as I wanted to buy something worthwhile. The antique 1964 watch that would just gather dust lost out.

So...I now need you to convince me to buy a second hand D7000 and convince me to add a few more £'s to my budget. It's my 51st soon so the budget could be increased.

The only things that concern me are;
- Will the D7000 be too big a leap for me and put me off photography
- I've read about the focussing issues of the D7000. Will this cause me grief getting it sorted on a old camera.
 
If you buy from a reputable dealer then there will be no problems. The focussing issue was sorted quite early on and only affected a few bodies, like many things on the internet it gets blown out of all proportion. Grays currently have 3 D7000's and these will come with a 12 month warranty, they aren't the cheapest but they can be trusted http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/products/secondhand.php?cat1=4&pg=1 MPB have 15 D7000's and again another good company, they will come with a 6 month warranty http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...l-slr-cameras/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/

I personally found the D7000 to be a good camera to use, but then I like Nikon so I probably would ;)
 
just to throw spanner in the works. in budget two excellent lenses and a fantastic camera
BUT its a MFT
Olympus E-M10 Double Kit (14-42 EZ)(40-150) Black
http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/olympus-e-m10-double-kit-14-42-ez40-150-black-2951-p.asp

its a stonking camera. has all the features you are looking for, comes with two lenses as required and leaves a few quid in your pocket for some extras such as the hand grip, flashgun, nice bag to fit it all in and tripod and a few sd cards
 
PaulButler said:
If you buy from a reputable dealer then there will be no problems. The focussing issue was sorted quite early on and only affected a few bodies, like many things on the internet it gets blown out of all proportion. Grays currently have 3 D7000's and these will come with a 12 month warranty, they aren't the cheapest but they can be trusted http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/products/secondhand.php?cat1=4&pg=1 MPB have 15 D7000's and again another good company, they will come with a 6 month warranty http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...l-slr-cameras/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/

I personally found the D7000 to be a good camera to use, but then I like Nikon so I probably would ;)
Click to expand...

MPB was where I was pricing everything up. So far I've priced up

Camera - £359
18-55mm AF-S - £54
70-300mm AF-S -£249

I can increase the budget to include a flashgun, hoods, filters and cards.
I've got a bag, tripod.

dean messenger said:
just to throw spanner in the works. in budget two excellent lenses and a fantastic camera
BUT its a MFT
Olympus E-M10 Double Kit (14-42 EZ)(40-150) Black
http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/olympus-e-m10-double-kit-14-42-ez40-150-black-2951-p.asp

its a stonking camera. has all the features you are looking for, comes with two lenses as required and leaves a few quid in your pocket for some extras such as the hand grip, flashgun, nice bag to fit it all in and tripod and a few sd cards
Click to expand...

Dean!!!
Your not helping ;)
But I will look as I'm not 100% yet and hadn't considered Olympus. God, it was an OM10 when I was at college doing photography.
The camera to have then was a Canon A1, I had a simple Pentax K1000
 
The EM10 is indeed a cracking camera, I had one before upgrading to the EM5-II, but if you want to do any kind on sport or birding then the D7000 is a much better choice IMO as AF-C and tracking on the EM10 isn't great.

No problem buying used, get one from a reputable place in the right condition and you'd barely notice.
 
snerkler said:
The EM10 is indeed a cracking camera, I had one before upgrading to the EM5-II, but if you want to do any kind on sport or birding then the D7000 is a much better choice IMO as AF-C and tracking on the EM10 isn't great.

No problem buying used, get one from a reputable place in the right condition and you'd barely notice.
Click to expand...
i always struggled with tracking on my fuji XE-1 i think the problem being EVF . no matter how good or fast it will always produce a tiny bit of lag / motion blur and you just cant beat an optical viewfinder for tracking.
obviously the XE-1 when i had it when it was first released in UK was pretty good at the time but it has been surpassed so things may be considerably better, but i just couldnt get along with it..
same problem with the wifes Fuji HS30EXR. its a great little bridge but the EVF lets it down and she struggles with wildlife shots and any kind of tracking
 
Myself, as previously mentioned, I would buy from somewhere like HDEW rather than secondhand at MPB.

You can have the D7000 and the versatile 18-105mm lens for £515.00. Or you can buy the body for £395.00. You will also get a 3 year warranty with HDEW. Buying secondhand for £359.00 doesn't make much sense for me, when you only get a 6 month warranty.

If you wanted some more reach you could add the Tamron 70-300VC for £241, which IMO is better than the Nikon version after owning both lenses.

D7000 & 18-105 > http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/nikon-d7000-d-slr-digital-camera-body--18-105mm-vr-lens-811-p.asp

D7000 body only > http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/nikon-d7000-digital-slr-camera-body-584-p.asp

Tamron 70-300 VC > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamron-70-3...1436258569&sr=1-2&keywords=tamron+70+300mm+vc

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...fit/p1520737?gclid=cnz748xqymycfarjtaodud0jra
 
I would skip the 18-55 and go for a 35mm 1.8 if you can, mine is just sitting in the box unused. I went with a flash from Amazon I think the make is newer £60 with triggers and a few gel filters, it does what I need it to do.
 
Emma1 said:
I would skip the 18-55 and go for a 35mm 1.8 if you can, mine is just sitting in the box unused. I went with a flash from Amazon I think the make is newer £60 with triggers and a few gel filters, it does what I need it to do.
Click to expand...

OK, why's that?
I kinda like the idea that I'd have a wide range of focal lengths, but I also like the idea of a really good quality std lens. Is it a quality thing? is your in it's box because you have the 35mm.
I'm just interested in your reasoning.

I find the pop up flashes too harsh and being pop up I cant 'bounce' the light. I'm not looking for a studio flash just something I can use to fill in and for family events indoor and out. I guess with the 'bulb' setting I should be able to paint with it too (ohhh something I've never tried)
 
Swanseajack said:
Myself, as previously mentioned, I would buy from somewhere like HDEW rather than secondhand at MPB.

You can have the D7000 and the versatile 18-105mm lens for £515.00. Or you can buy the body for £395.00. You will also get a 3 year warranty with HDEW. Buying secondhand for £359.00 doesn't make much sense for me, when you only get a 6 month warranty.

If you wanted some more reach you could add the Tamron 70-300VC for £241, which IMO is better than the Nikon version after owning both lenses.

D7000 & 18-105 > http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/nikon-d7000-d-slr-digital-camera-body--18-105mm-vr-lens-811-p.asp

D7000 body only > http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/nikon-d7000-digital-slr-camera-body-584-p.asp

Tamron 70-300 VC > http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamron-70-3...1436258569&sr=1-2&keywords=tamron+70+300mm+vc

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...fit/p1520737?gclid=cnz748xqymycfarjtaodud0jra
Click to expand...


Thanks Simon,
I get what your saying about buying new and I like the idea considering how I came by the money for it.
My only 'but' is that none of the lenses appear to be AF-S
Do you think I will notice a difference between an Nikon AF-S and a Tamron AF?
I cool with third party kit, it's not a problem for me
 
In actual fact Simon has raised a good point.
So...Third party lenses or Nikon lenses?
 
Right then!
Interwebs research done!

So...an AF-S lens has an in built motor, to auto focus. For body's that don't have an autofocus motor but can also be used on body's with an autofocus motor (Idon't know which takes precedence)

An AF lens does not have an in built motor so will not work on a body that does not have an autofocus motor.

Therefore if the D7000 has a autofocus motor, which it does (I hope) then both type of lens will work.

As this is the ONLY difference I can find (other than noise of the motor in the body) then I can't see any reason to pay for a more expensive AF-S Lens.

Having priced up on both MPB and HDEW there does seem to be a very good option which allows me to buy a new camera but the option is using at least 1 AF lens.

I now need someone to convince me otherwise in the AF-S Vs AF lens on a D7000 body debate (is this a new thread?)
 
AFS means Auto Focus Silent. AFD lenses mean they have the ability of 3d Matrix Metering. All the AFD and AFS lenses will auto focus on the D7000.

Tamron and Sigma will have different letter designation for their AFS lenses. Tamron is Ultra Sonic Drive (USD) and Sigma is Hyper Sonic Drive (HSM)

For me I used numerous AFD lenses on my Nikon D7000 and they focussed fast but perhaps slightly noisier to the AFS lenses, nothing which was signifiicant not to use them. Nikon still produce AFD lenses. i.e 50mm 1.8d, 35mm f2d etc........

The Tamron lens I mentioned above is an AFS lens along with the Nikon 18-105mm.

Nikon 18-105 AFS > http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...atch=e&plid=&gclid=cnl7hc2by8ycffljtaodv7yfwq

Tamron 70-300 VC > http://www.wexphotographic.com/list/?key=tamron-70-300mm-vc-lens

Some info on Nikon Lenses. > https://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/glossary/af_designations.php
 
Also to add, I have owned the Tamron 70-300mm VC and the Nikon 70-300mm VR and for me I prefered the output of the Tamron, the photos seemed to have more pop along with the Vibration Control being better. The Nikon was slightly better built and had Active VR as well as normal VR. Active would be used if taking photos from a moving vehicle.
 
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