Advice/Questions on buying Cameras & Accessories. **Please read OP first**

cnocbui

You did say holidays so.....this:

http://www.hitechreview.com/cameras/digital-cameras/pentax-optio-wg-1-gps/30292/



I am sorely tempted myself must exercise self control do not give in to gear lust put down that card....

Detailed specs: http://www.dpreview.com/news/1102/11020725pentaxwg1gps.asp

The lens is insane - 11 elements in 9 groups (5 aspherical elements)...!!!!!!

runrabbit

Many thanks dineenp and 5uspect for those opinions - some things to think about there!

funnygirl2009

5uspect wrote: »

All those questions have been more or less answered in the previous pages.
€500 will get you an entry level Nikon or Canon SLR with kit lens if you shop around online or look at airport prices.

For weddings you should look for a better lens that will perform well in low light. But that'll cost €€€.

what websites are good to shop online on? i'm a snap happy person and everyone think sure she'll always have her camera and get photos, so friends depend on me, also i love, kinda like a passtime. my dad is the same, must check what camera he has.

so a canon slr or nikon - looking for one, that as soon as u take a pic u can get another one within seconds, my old digital camera, loads pic on screen 1st and then u can take another pic and when people are moving and u want to get loads of shots in the moment what is good

cnocbui

Hard to go past http://amazon.co.uk

woody_2000

funnygirl2009 wrote: »

what websites are good to shop online on? i'm a snap happy person and everyone think sure she'll always have her camera and get photos, so friends depend on me, also i love, kinda like a passtime. my dad is the same, must check what camera he has.

so a canon slr or nikon - looking for one, that as soon as u take a pic u can get another one within seconds, my old digital camera, loads pic on screen 1st and then u can take another pic and when people are moving and u want to get loads of shots in the moment what is good

Here's a Nikon D5000 with 18-55mm VR lens for €500, which might be worth checking out if you're specifically looking for an SLR...

http://www.cameracentre.ie/digital-cameras/slr/nikon/1990/nikon-d5000-18-55-vr-sale-kit

The kit lens is supposed to be ok, and you could always add a 35mm f/1.8 at a later stage for low light and image quality...

As per a previous recommendation to you: I have an Canon S90, which is an earlier but similar version of S95, and would recommend the Canon S95 if you're looking for a good quality compact which has good image quality and low light performance... Images quality is quite good up to ISO 800, and not too bad at ISO 1600 - and even ok at ISO 3200, if necessary... RAW images are a bit soft straight out of the camera, but respond very well to sharpening... Taking size/weight, specification/price, overall quality and ISO performance into account - I would even dare to go as far as saying it could be the best compact camera currently available... It costs around €350 online...

However, if performance in very low light, faster frame rates and the ability to use different lenses is a main priority, then something like the D5000 with a fast (e.g. f/1.8) lens might be better... Just to add: The D5000 does, however, use a form of lossy compression (as opposed lossless compression) for its RAW files, so this may or may not be an issue depending on how you see it... Higher tonal ranges are compressed AFAIK... JPEG is a form of lossy compression, but applies compression across the entire tonal range - however JPEG images are already processed (i.e. they are already the finished product), and are less flexible to post process than the RAW variant... This might just be something to be aware of if you are a newbie :rolleyes: Best of luck!

Didihno

Hi all,

OK so I have had my nikon D60 for 4 years now, and it gets dragged out reasonably frequently, for outings or holidays, birthdays that kind of thing.
I have taken some stunning pics (well, to me anyway!) over that time, especially last 'fall' in Yosemite.

It occured to me over there though, that I wasn't best equiped to record these priceless images.
I have the standard 18-55mm kit lens, and I bought the Sigma 70-300 the year before in New York (yeah got fleeced!).
So anyways I realised I couldn't take a pic of a beautiful butterfly, or some immense and ridiculously menacing spiders. I also want to take pictures of scale models that I occasionally build.
So I have been checking out prices for macro lenses. Wow.
The Sigma 105mm seems most near my budget, second hand if possible.
Nikkor are just silly money. Or are they?

Anyhoo, I've never taken any courses so I should probably do that, any ideas on North County Dublin based? I hardly know what anything means.
Should I stick or twist with regard to my camera itself?
I don't want to get into a situation where I spend 4-500 on a lens that is redundant if I change the camera body. Lots of questions!

L31mr0d

Just bought a new 550D and I'm wondering what I'll be needing in the way of accessories.

It will be primarily be used out in the elements for Mountain/Alpine scenery for the foreseeable future.

Aside from the stock lens what additional lenses should I look into for this kind of photography. Also, should I get a hood (sp? name?) for the front of the lens to stop glare from the sun and snow?

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

DoBhrionn

Hi, I'm pretty new to photograpy but I take alot of photos with my digital camera (usualy using the macro, scenery, plants etc) so I'd like to upgrade to Dslr and I'm spoiled for choice...so which one?
Any help would be much appreciated

Hecklar

More important would be "how much do you have to spend" really. theres a lot of good starter options out there but knowing how much you wanna spend will narrow things down.

coolmoose

Try reading here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056053341

and here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055243345

There's a lot of this type of question answered here already.

Slidinginfinity

Well I think the choice is clear if you want a camera that you not need/want to replace for 5+ years just go buy a Nikon D3s with the 24-70mm and the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses.

GhostInTheRuins

Slidinginfinity wrote: »

Well I think the choice is clear if you want a camera that you not need/want to replace for 5+ years just go buy a Nikon D3s with the 24-70mm and the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses.

And a 14-24mm f/2.8!

Seriously though DoBhrionn, how much money do you want to spend?

Thecageyone

Simple answer is: Any of them. These days there aren't any bad dslrs as such. Look into what lenses will be easily available to you. Will you buy used? Is there a well stocked camera shop nearby? Buying online?

DeVore

I just bought the 550D (Canon) and quite frankly I'll probably never exceed it and its one of Canons "entry level" DSLRs I guess. The whole sector is crazy with value.... this would have cost 10's of thousands 5 years ago.

Really the question is which lens you should buy to go with it.... its all about the glass baby!!

DeV.

dakar

As TCO said there are no bad entry level DSLR's. Go into a shop with a good selection and see what feels good in your hand.

Consensus seems to be that there is a wider range of 2nd hand kit floating around for Nikon and Canon, but there is stuff available for other brands too.

When I bought my first (film) SLR, I went ino the shop with the intention of buying a Canon (having played with a friend's the week before) and walked out with the Nikon because it sat better in my hand. On such decisions are a lifetime's worth of brand loyalty and Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) based....;)

DoBhrionn

I'm in no real rush to get one anytime soon. But there'll be around €800 to spend in the near future

haymur

I got a Fuji HS10 in Nov it is a bridge camera and has 24 to 135 lens. Thats 30x optical. Has a built in flash but also takes a external flash for longer shots . It has a 1080 video. Takes pretty good shots. Price 340 online to 399 in local shops. The only one I think would be better is the Canon SX30is which is about 499 which has a even bigger optical range .Both of these are neater than a DSLR with a few different lens sets

5uspect

funnygirl2009 wrote: »

what websites are good to shop online on? i'm a snap happy person and everyone think sure she'll always have her camera and get photos, so friends depend on me, also i love, kinda like a passtime. my dad is the same, must check what camera he has.

so a canon slr or nikon - looking for one, that as soon as u take a pic u can get another one within seconds, my old digital camera, loads pic on screen 1st and then u can take another pic and when people are moving and u want to get loads of shots in the moment what is good

A lot of people buy directly from a Scottish guy called Ian Kerr who goes by the name Kerso on ebay. +1 for Amazon also. Pixmania are also worth considering but I've heard of customer support issues with them.

A typical entry level SLR can take around 3 to 4 images a second (assuming your exposure is faster than 1/3 of a second which it typically is).
The frame rate goes up to about 6-8 frames per second for mid range SLRs and 10+ at the high end sports models. (The uber 5D is only 4 fps but it's all about image quality and not speed) - So you won't be lacking in that department.

One thing that can slow this down is the autofocus hunting for a target in low light but you can always manual focus.

If you want to photograph people in a dark wedding/pub type environment without intrusive flash consider a "fast lens" like the the 50mm f/1.8. or 17-55 f/2.8. The 50 is cheap and sharp but cannot zoom, like your eye.

Also don't discount Olympus, Pentax or Sony SLRs either.
Go and play with a few and see which you like.

aidanic

Just some email in from Amazon.de - the EOS60D is body only for €849.90, and the .co.uk price is £745. (£830 at Park Cameras). The Amazon.de price looks good.

roguey

Ok, so i'm looking to buy a second hand (preferably Canon) DSLR.

€350-€400 is my budget, but I would like to have some room left in that budget to then buy a Canon 50mm f1.8. I was thinking something like a 20D with a kit lens, and then buy the 50mm, or hopefully someone is selling a similar package all in one.

Any other recommendations in my price range? I was also looking at 350D or 400D possibly?

roguey

ok, so i;ve been looking online and i have pretty much narrowed it down to either a 20D or a 400D. Which one? I have previously owned a 20d and loved it, but its getting a bit old now, worried about that. And the 400D seems like a great camera, but i dont like the look of the plastic body and it looks a bit too small really. If I can find a 30D in my price range i'll definitely go for that. but between these two, im not sure..

Anyone?

woody_2000

roguey wrote: »

ok, so i;ve been looking online and i have pretty much narrowed it down to either a 20D or a 400D. Which one? I have previously owned a 20d and loved it, but its getting a bit old now, worried about that. And the 400D seems like a great camera, but i dont like the look of the plastic body and it looks a bit too small really. If I can find a 30D in my price range i'll definitely go for that. but between these two, im not sure..

Anyone?

Maybe go with what you think is best - and maybe stretch your budget a little bit if you have to, or wait a bit, to get what suits best...

Try searching for what you're looking for at adverts.ie, ebay.ie, amazon.ie - or even buyandsell.ie, etc... You should find something suitable in or around your price range at these sites -- used, and maybe even "as new"...

5uspect

For €400 you could stretch to a 40D maybe, there's one on adverts.

Essien

I'm looking for some advice on a new lens. I have a Canon 450D and a budget of around €300.

I'm currently doing some web design and I need a lens that would be suitable for taking pictures of buildings, both inside and out, often in less than ideal lighting conditions. I don't particularly need a zoom lens but something with a relatively wide view could come in handy for bigger buildings and gardens.

Really I just want to be able to take sharper, brighter pictures than I can with the kit lens or the canon 28-135mm that I occasionally have the use of. I just don't know enough about the specs of all the various lenses to make a fully informed decision and I'm hoping somebody here can help.

Thanks.


Edit: Would this be suitable? http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/4129677/art/sigma/18-50mm-f2-8-4-5-dc-os-hs.html

5uspect

Perhaps invest in a tripod?
If you hand holding the camera in low light you'll need to crank up the ISO to keep the shutter speed at suitable levels to avoid hand shake. If you stick the camera on a tripod, stop the lens down to it's sweet spot you won't really have to worry about shutter speed.

Since you're mostly shooting static buildings you probably need a wide zoom and the 28-135 isn't terribly wide on an APS-C body. Would something even wider like the Sigma 10-20 be a better option?

woody_2000

Essien wrote: »

I'm looking for some advice on a new lens. I have a Canon 450D and a budget of around €300.

I'm currently doing some web design and I need a lens that would be suitable for taking pictures of buildings, both inside and out, often in less than ideal lighting conditions. I don't particularly need a zoom lens but something with a relatively wide view could come in handy for bigger buildings and gardens.

Really I just want to be able to take sharper, brighter pictures than I can with the kit lens or the canon 28-135mm that I occasionally have the use of. I just don't know enough about the specs of all the various lenses to make a fully informed decision and I'm hoping somebody here can help.

Thanks.

From what I gather, prime (non-zoom) lenses are generally considered to have better image quality than zoom lenses. They are also generally faster (i.e better in lower light). A common choice of prime lens for an APS-C camera like the 450D is 35mm (approx. equivalent of50mm for a full frame or 35mm film camera). It has approximately similar magnification to the human eye... There's a 35mm f/2 for under €300 - and if you need wider, there's a 28mm f/2.8 for under €250, and a 24mm f/2.8 for about €350, or less... If you need something brighter, there's also a 28mm f/1.8 USM for approx. €450, or less -- or, if you need wider again, there's a 20mm f/2.8 USM for approx. €450, or less. (you need to multiply these focal lengths by 1.6 to get 35mm equivalents - if you understand what that means)... You might be able to find these lenses cheaper, either new or used... These lenses are compact, and are easy to carry as a backup for use in certain situations... This is just purely regarding Canon prime lens options...

Essien

5uspect wrote: »

Perhaps invest in a tripod?
If you hand holding the camera in low light you'll need to crank up the ISO to keep the shutter speed at suitable levels to avoid hand shake. If you stick the camera on a tripod, stop the lens down to it's sweet spot you won't really have to worry about shutter speed.

Since you're mostly shooting static buildings you probably need a wide zoom and the 28-135 isn't terribly wide on an APS-C body. Would something even wider like the Sigma 10-20 be a better option?

10-20's seem to be very expensive. I don't see one even close to my budget, they're all €500+

5uspect

Really? I bought mine a for a lot less a long time ago. Although that was from Kea photo.
http://keaphoto.com/shop.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=277&category_id=22
But back then import duty was less of an issue.

Essien

5uspect wrote: »

Really? I bought mine a for a lot less a long time ago. Although that was from Kea photo.
http://keaphoto.com/shop.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=277&category_id=22
But back then import duty was less of an issue.

That's €355 before you add any delivery or other related charges, I like the sound of it but its out of my price range.

How about either of these? What could I expect from them?

http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/2983/art/canon/ef-28mm-f-2-8-lens.html

http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/4129677/art/sigma/18-50mm-f2-8-4-5-dc-os-hs.html (linked in earlier post)