what camera should i buy?

Carl911

Carl911

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carl
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I have been asked to get a camera for my work place.
i am often asked to take PR pictures as well as general visiter group pictures etc.
sometimes these pictures are indoors where the light isnt always great.
I should have about £400-£700 to spend on the camera.
What would you recommend as the best camera for the money to do the job.
I'm assuming that Ill need a lens that can cope with most situations as we may not have spare cash for additional lens. This might mean the best option is a fixed lens type dslr.
suggestions welcome.
 
Carl911 said:
I have been asked to get a camera for my work place.
i am often asked to take PR pictures as well as general visiter group pictures etc.
sometimes these pictures are indoors where the light isnt always great.
I should have about £400-£700 to spend on the camera.
What would you recommend as the best camera for the money to do the job.
I'm assuming that Ill need a lens that can cope with most situations as we may not have spare cash for additional lens. This might mean the best option is a fixed lens type dslr.
suggestions welcome.
Click to expand...

Hi Carl,

Based purely on reviews I've read and because I quite fancy it, I'd plump for the Canon 550D. I think it's got a lot of features and similar image quality to higher end DSLRs but at a mid range price.

I should point out though that I am a relative novice but thought I'd give my opinion anyway :)
 
Good lenses would be 85mm f/1.8 and perhaps Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 (or if interior is important maybe Tokina 12-24mm as a compromise). 430EX would have to sit on top. The body could be even the old 20D / 30D, provided video is not required.
 
Canon G11?

Panasonic DMC LX3?

Both well within budget and a good compact is a sensible choice as an office/works camera as it may need to be used at short notice be people with limited experience of photography. A big DSLR will scare some people and result in photos not being taken.
 
Alastair said:
Canon G11?

Panasonic DMC LX3?

Both well within budget and a good compact is a sensible choice as an office/works camera as it may need to be used at short notice be people with limited experience of photography. A big DSLR will scare some people and result in photos not being taken.
Click to expand...

One of the requirements is a camera that can take reasonable pictures in poor light. Will either of these cameras deliver the goods? Compact cameras tend to have very small image sensors which leads to poor performance in bad lighting.

I have just bought a Canon 550D myself and, from my early test shots, it does seem to deliver the goods in poor light. A full frame camera would be even better but is way over the stated budget.

As for the experience issue, it doesn't take much experience of photography to use the automatic modes on a DSLR.
 
Panasonic DMC LX3 - the full review on DPReview.

Canon G11 - the full review on DPReview.

Neither of these is your average compact. They both take an external flash if needed as well as the built-in. How poor is poor light? a regular office environment for portraits?
 
That's a good alternative especially for the OP budget.

G11 £400
Speedlite 430EX II £200 or Speedlite 580EX II £350

Otherwise I would probably be looking at 2nd hand equipment route. Maybe a 20D, flash and 2 prime lenses.
 
Thanks all, some sound advice there. Ill look into all the mentioned cameras in more detail.

Carl
 
Carl911 said:
This might mean the best option is a fixed lens type dslr.
Click to expand...

I take it you mean a Bridge camera? I believe I'm right in saying these have smaller sensors than Dslr's, and so do not handle higher ISO's for your low light requirement very well, or at least not as well as a Dslr.
 
The canon G11 works well indoors, it and its speedlight can be picked up quite reasonably if you shop around.

Picture quality is good, especially using RAW.

Here's one I took of my father indoors with it and my room isn't that well lit.

Click the thumbnail for full size.

 
Looking at the budget some suggestions seem to be a little hopeful.

I'd agree with the view that a full DSLR and speedlight setup (possibly with prime lenses) sounds a bit OTT.

GF1 or Pen? Even with a flash these cameras shouldn't be too intimidating but would push the budget to it's limit.

Other than that an LX3 sounds like a good option and as a sealed package will probably be less likely to suffer from dust contamination and other maladies as I'd imagine that lots of interested and curious people with limited awareness might just lead to a problem or two.

PS. Panasonic G1? Looks to be good value too.
 
Pick up a copy of What Digital Camera (or similar) and make a shortlist of all the models that fit your budget and meet your requirements. Whittle the list down to 3 or 4, then visit a shop that stocks them all and compare the feel of them. Do the buttons fall under the natural position of your fingers? Can you change frequently adjusted settings with very few button presses? If possible, take a few sample images with each (take your own cards) so you can inspect them at home. See what lens options there are as kits.
 
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