Camera for a Beginner?

VonLuck

This probably gets asked a lot, but prices are constantly changing and new cameras are coming out the whole time so I made this topic.

Basically I am a complete beginner to photography and plan to buy a camera soon. What I'm looking for is a camera that is:

1) Digital
2) Reasonable size (fit in pocket would be handy)
3) Can take decent quality video
4) Costs up to €300

What I plan on using it for is just general photos. If I'm walking down the street and see something that would make for an interesting photo, landscape shots as well. I also plan on using it for making videos (I know, I should buy a camcorder but I'm strapped for cash).

Thanks in advance for the help.

Slidinginfinity

Personally I would recommend one of the Lumix line with Leica optics. The optics realy do make a difference, I would trade fewer MP fro better optics everytime. I have a DMC-FS5 for everyday and I do mean everyday. It fits easily in a pocket with much of a bulge and is ready go at the drop of a hat.

I also have a Canon Powershot A620 from a couple of years back and while it takes fine picture it is much heavier and bulkier and I don't like the way it fits in my pocket. It's saving grace is it runs on standard AA batteries and when you are in the middle of nowhere recharging batteries can be hard.

All that said, buy the best you can afford and you will be happier down the road.

PS-I also shoot with a nikon D90 and N65(35mm) [Bought the N65 in the States same as the F65]

VonLuck

Thanks for the reply. After you mentioned Lumix, I had a browse around to see what I could find.

I came across this one, the Lumix DMC-TZ5 . I was impressed by the size, price, photo quality and video quality (checked on youtube).

Although I am no expert so what do you think of this camera?

Thanks in advance.

silverside

at €300 you can take your pick...

I recommend something from Canon, Fuji or Panasonic - generally Canon are good all round and allow manual control, but a little more expensive - Fuji great automatic shots (particularly the F100FD), very pocketable and good in low light - Panasonic good zoom but noisy in low light.

I have a Fuji F100FD and its a very good walkabout.

how about make a shortlist with that and the equivalent Lumix / Powershot then check out dpreview.com

Slidinginfinity

Von looks like you did your homework on the Lunmix.
Silverside has a good point about the Canons and manual control.If you are going to want to learn a bit more about photography down the line, they are worth a look.

cnocbui

I would suggest saving for a little bit longer and getting a Panasonic DMC - LX3. You can read a review of it and owner testimonials at the aforementioned dpreview.com.

Both the review and testimonials make it quite clear that it is a cut above most of what is on offer at the moment.

As Slidinginfinity wisely said, the lens makes a difference and this model has a nice one by all accounts.

PCPhoto

have a look through Adverts.ie ...plenty of good quality secondhand cameras out there.

(ahem.... maybe to one of my adverts - for a friend of mine.)

JUST NOTICED: you said reasonably sized...... that rules out my advert.

VonLuck

I had a browse through a few cameras but I didn't see any that matched up to what I was looking for in the Panasonic Lumix TZ5.

I was actually looking at the DMC LX3 before I saw the TZ5 but I ruled it out because of the price. I only plan on spending up to €300 because, as with all hobbies I start, theres a chance I won't continue after a while (hopefully I will) so I don't want to spend too much just in case.

I have a few more questions if you don't mind:

What is the advantage to manual control by the way?

Where do you guys buy cameras? In shops? Online? I saw the TZ5 on pixmania.ie for €240 which seems very reasonable.

And what accessories should I buy? I'd like a big memory card, what is the biggest you can get? Should I get a spare battery or what else should I get.

Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the help.

PCPhoto

most people here purchase online - some prefer to buy in an actual shop (despite the extra cost) .... but if there are any problems - its usually easier to bring it back to the shop rather than deal with some online company's "customer service" department.

advantage of manual control is that as you learn about how photography works (ie. exposure/shutter speeds/Depth of Field (DOF) etc etc) then with manual control on your camera you can continue to use it and get the most out of the camera.

as for accessories: a spare battery/extra memory card, case for camera - but at the end of the day .... you may not need these for several weeks/months so is there any point in purchasing straight away ? (not unless they come extra cheap)

Slidinginfinity

Just a quick note on the memory card. Buy 2 smaller cards rather than 1 big one. If one fails you won't be stuck. I used a variety of cards that I have accumulated over a few years. I use four 1G and 2G cards for my P&S cameras.

Fionn

theres some tips on buying cameras here it's a bit out of date but you might get some ideas all the same

VonLuck

Thanks for the help guys, really appreciate it.

I think I will buy my camera on ebay as it seems like the best deal, and I'm buying it off a trusted seller of course. Although I will look for it in some shops tomorrow to make sure its the best price and that it feels right.

I'm surprised no one here has had any experience with it. Are the Lumix range of cameras not that popular around here?

cashback

VonLuck wrote: »

I'm surprised no one here has had any experience with it. Are the Lumix range of cameras not that popular around here?

I have a lumix FZ18 and I love it. It's a bridge camera though so not too compact.
I would reckon Lumix is very popular but probably most on this forum use DSLR's mainly.

CabanSail

VonLuck wrote: »

I'm surprised no one here has had any experience with it. Are the Lumix range of cameras not that popular around here?

I have looked at the Specs on the Lumix TZ5 & it looks quite good for a compact camera. The thing is that when you actually get into Photography rather than just taking pictures it becomes very important to be able to control the way a camera records the light, as well as controlling the light itself. Now I try to avoid the big "Gear Debates" as much as possible & concentrate more on the image, however to be able to control that process a photographer needs to have control to make decisions. All the modern digital cameras are run by software, but the ones favoured by photographers have manual overides. A camera like the Lumix TZ5 does not seem to allow that level of control, hence a lot of the decisons about the image are being made by the software alone. This is really good for someone that does not want to go through all the learning process about the optics & the behaviour of light, allowing good general photographs to be taken (the bulk of the market). It would not suit someone that wants more control, which includes most of the regulars here.

VonLuck

Thanks for the advice.

I understand what you're saying about the whole manual control, but I think I'm more suited to a point and shoot camera, seeing as I've never really done photography before and just to see if I like it.

I went about town today to see if I could find the TZ5. Only one shop stocks it (as it was replaced by the more expensive TZ6) and they were charging €350 for it! Thats more expensive than other shops were charging for the newer model.

I'm still not 100% sure on what camera to get.

Do you know the dpreview search thing, where you type in all the critea you want to search for ( http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp )? I want to use that, but I've no idea what to look for! Can you guys mention some criteria I should be aiming for in the price bracket of €200-€300?

Thanks again.

VonLuck

Sorry to double post, but I just came across another camera that I thought seemed pretty good, and I'd like to know what you guys think.

It's the Samsung WB500/HZ10W. Specs can be found here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Samsung/samsung_hz10w.asp