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

Colin4May

jamescd wrote: »

Just bought this for the dad http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110717498729&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Should come to around €1,200 after conversion. Tbh he just wanted it because one of his mates has the exact same one, doubt he'll use it much :eek:

The Dad should be well pleased. It looks ace!

PoleStar

Any help pretty please?

PoleStar wrote: »

Like many here, I love my nifty fifty lens (on my canon EOS): flattering images and great low light performance.

However, as the saying goes, "the best camera is the one in your pocket".

Thus, my bulky SLR doesnt always come with me where I go.

Are there any fixed lens small cameras with 50mm lens which might suit a "bring it everywhere" purpose with good aperture size (like down to the 1.8 of the nifty fifty that we all have)?

This could even be a fixed lens film camera! (I have a Nikkormat with a 50mm lens but its just too darn heavy and bulky to bring it everywhere!).

All suggestions welcome!

5uspect

PoleStar wrote: »

Any help pretty please?

Something like an Olympus PEN perhaps? Not sure how fast the lenses are tho.

hbr

PoleStar wrote: »

Are there any fixed lens small cameras with 50mm lens which might suit a "bring it everywhere" purpose with good aperture size (like down to the 1.8 of the nifty fifty that we all have)?

How about a nice new Fujifilm X100. APS-C sensor, 35mm equivalent f/2 lens.
Great image quality. Only costs around €1100.

My choice would be a compact P&S with a larger sensor. The Canon
S95 or Panasonic LX5 would be on my shopping list. The new Olympus
XZ-1 looks interesting and it meets your f/1.8 requirement too.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/OlympusXZ1/

PoleStar

PoleStar wrote: »

Any help pretty please?

saw this camera at dublin airport - dixons for just over 400. really nice small size and comes with an f2.5 lens.

dido2

Has anyone ever bought from the duracell website, I've seen a battery for my camera, it's a canon one, roughly €60 to €70 on most websites but it's €20 on the duracell website which makes me wonder why its so cheap compared to others so thought I'd check here to see if anyone has actually used duracell batteries for their cameras, they are not normal ones either its a BP 511

superflyninja

Hi all,
After reading an interesting article on street photography( advanced photography magazine) Ive finally decided that I need to pick up a nifty fifty. Slight hitch though. im currently using an Olympus 4/3 dslr. My plan is to change to canon/nikon once I get the money so im not looking for an expensive lense. Ive seen om system lenses that can use an adaptor to fit the 4.3 mount. im looking on ebay etc. anyody got any advice on the do's donts? or even have one for sale?
thanks

5uspect

dido2 wrote: »

Has anyone ever bought from the duracell website, I've seen a battery for my camera, it's a canon one, roughly €60 to €70 on most websites but it's €20 on the duracell website which makes me wonder why its so cheap compared to others so thought I'd check here to see if anyone has actually used duracell batteries for their cameras, they are not normal ones either its a BP 511

It's probably not a Canon approved battery so may void your warranty if it caused problems etc. I didn't know duracell did those.

Miss Informed

Hey guys.

Looking for a good point and shoot with minimum input required, mostly for photos and video in low light, like pubs, gigs, that kind of thing. I knows SLRs are great, I've got one but I'm really looking for something simple and automatic. Budget 250-300 euro. The canon IXUS 220 HS has caught my eye, a friend bought one and I really couldn't believe the quality of the video, it was excellent. Costs about 185 euro on pixmania at the moment, and if there's a better camera out there within my budget, I'd hate to hear about it later on! Anyone got any suggestions?

Also, I want to buy an 8 or 16 GB SD card that can record video through whatever camera I buy, but I'm guessing write speeds will have to be high to produce good video and I don't know what to look for. Advice much appreciated.

:D

dido2

5uspect wrote: »

It's probably not a Canon approved battery so may void your warranty if it caused problems etc. I didn't know duracell did those.

The camera is 8 years old so I think the warranty has well expired by now anyway!! It's the fact that the original battery is now only giving trouble that has me hesitating about buying a cheap battery, the current battery has always been great when charged it would last a long time between charges...

hbr

dido2 wrote: »

The camera is 8 years old so I think the warranty has well expired by now anyway!! It's the fact that the original battery is now only giving trouble that has me hesitating about buying a cheap battery, the current battery has always been great when charged it would last a long time between charges...

You have three choices:

1 Canon battery
2 Cheap battery from eBay
3 Branded replacement from a known supplier like Duracell or Hahnel.

Option 2 worked out very well for me. I have the original Canon battery
and a cheap eBay battery for my Canon 500D. The eBay battery has a
claimed higher capacity. This has turned out to be the case in practice.
It lasts a bit longer than the Canon battery. Both batteries are 18 months
old and both are performing as good as new. I would guess they have had
about 30-40 charge/discharge cycles each.

http://www.simplyelectronics.net

has anybody used them - are you liable for vat /duty or are they shipping from inside EU?

Miss Informed

Miss Informed wrote: »

Hey guys.

Looking for a good point and shoot with minimum input required, mostly for photos and video in low light, like pubs, gigs, that kind of thing. I knows SLRs are great, I've got one but I'm really looking for something simple and automatic. Budget 250-300 euro. The canon IXUS 220 HS has caught my eye, a friend bought one and I really couldn't believe the quality of the video, it was excellent. Costs about 185 euro on pixmania at the moment, and if there's a better camera out there within my budget, I'd hate to hear about it later on! Anyone got any suggestions?

Also, I want to buy an 8 or 16 GB SD card that can record video through whatever camera I buy, but I'm guessing write speeds will have to be high to produce good video and I don't know what to look for. Advice much appreciated.

:D

canon s95 will take the best pics in that price range.

any class 6 or higher (e.g. class 10) will do for recording stills and video. about 20 euro for a 16gb card on amazon or ebay.

http://www.simplyelectronics.net/mainproduct.php?pid=11468&sd=specs has the s95 for 300 euro delivered.

Jason Fly

where do I can find a cheap 18-105 lens for a Nikon D3000?

allydylan

Hi, i want to buy a good quality camera cos i love photography, what features should i look out for, or to you have any recommendations on what i should buy the maximum by buget will allow me to spend is 200, which i know isn't alot but i can't afford to spend anymore on it

PopeBuckfastXVI

Look into buying second hand with your budget, you might be able to get a dSLR from a few years ago with a kit lens for about that?

Try keeping an eye on adverts.ie

allydylan

ok i will thank you

gsxr1

My brother got a second hand bridge camera for that money. A Lumix. It does everything my dslr does and is perfect for him.
There are pros and cons with bridge cams , but as far as I can see, there are more pros. Its smaller which is the biggest advantage to him.

allydylan

the best camera i can find is a fuji film s2750 for 190 in arogs

i'm a little weary about buying over the internet and buying second hand tbh

and money is tight for everone at the moment i can't go anymore pricey than that

peckerhead

I'm a fan of Fujifilm bridge cameras. I just got my first (secondhand) DSLR but am holding on to my trusty S9600 for backup/occasional video/use by other members of the family.

I bought it secondhand a year ago for €150, in perfect nick. I find cameras — other than the point-and-shoot "shirt pocket" kind — tend to be pretty well looked after. Have a look on adverts.ie would be my advice — here's one that looks like a good deal (no connection to the seller!)

allydylan

thanks i'll look into it

dmg1982

allydylan wrote: »

the best camera i can find is a fuji film s2750 for 190 in arogs

Define best?

I personally don't see the point in 'bridge' cameras. The one above has a relatively tiny sensor and is as cumbersome to carry around as an SLR with a small prime lens attached (i.e. it won't fit in your pocket).

Going back to your original question, the things I look for in a camera are:
- Largest sensor possible
- Low megapixel count
- Good low-light performance
- Fast Lens (if not an SLR)
- Full manual shooting mode
- RAW file saving option
- Best autofocus & build quality I can afford

As PopeBuckfastXVI recommended I'd keep an eye on Adverts.ie for a used DSLR body/lens combo. If you're interested in learning then an SLR is most likely what you're going to eventually end up with.

For a graph on the common sensor sizes, check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sensor_sizes_overlaid_inside.svg

ThOnda

Could you recommend low- or mid-price Canon Zoom telephoto lens for somebody with limited finances?
It is a few years since I was looking at non-Canon producers and I suppose all of them leaped forward in build and image quality. If you have recent experience or knowledge, feel free to share it with me here.
Thank you in advance for your time and smarts.

samhail

ThOnda wrote: »

Could you recommend low- or mid-price Canon Zoom telephoto lens for somebody with limited finances?
It is a few years since I was looking at non-Canon producers and I suppose all of them leaped forward in build and image quality. If you have recent experience or knowledge, feel free to share it with me here.
Thank you in advance for your time and smarts.

http://www.adverts.ie/lenses/zoom-lens-for-cannon-dslr/776946
thats a pretty good lens. i got the tamron 75-300 version and am impressed with it. between 80-100e for that one.
My next zoom lens will be a canon 55-250mm IS but thats coming out second hand at about 160 to 180e, so cant afford it just yet

talkin

looking for a camera? is the nikon d3100 18-55vr kit a good camera? my current camera is lumix fx37 so i dont really know much about cameras but the picture quality on my lumix isnt great-it used to be but now it isnt. i dont want anything too big (too big to be bothered bringing it places) or any other camera?? any reviews of the nikon 3100... any help appreciated thanks

talkin

talkin wrote: »

looking for a camera? is the nikon d3100 18-55vr kit a good camera? my current camera is lumix fx37 so i dont really know much about cameras but the picture quality on my lumix isnt great-it used to be but now it isnt. i dont want anything too big (too big to be bothered bringing it places) or any other camera?? any reviews of the nikon 3100... any help appreciated thanks

or the cannon 500d? i want a camera perfect for family occasions that will last? if i spend this much money on a camera i wont be buying another one for a very long time!

SeantheMan

Hi all,

Looking for a entry level camera, maybe a SLR or something.
Just not a standard digital.
I am completely new to anything other than standard digital, but would like better quality photos in general for holidays etc.

I have no preference on brand, and have no problem with buying 2nd hand.

Something not too complicated would be fine, whereby I don't need to compensate all the time for exposure or change lenses etc. No need for remotes or tripods either.

Basically a decent camera that will do a better job than my normal digital Samsung etc.

Budget would be...200-300 , but could stretch it if needed. As I say, only entry level really, I'm not a photographer or plan on becoming one, not even an enthusiast really.

Appreciate the advice

hbr

talkin wrote: »

or the cannon 500d? i want a camera perfect for family occasions that will last? if i spend this much money on a camera i wont be buying another one for a very long time!

The D3100 and 500D are both good DSLRs. Cameras from the big name
manufacturers are generally good and fit for purpose. You probably won't go too
far wrong, regardless of which one you buy. Any of them will have much
better image quality and better low light performance than your current P&S.

Of the two cameras you mentioned, I would have a preference for the Canon 500D
because it has two features that I couldn't live without: exposure bracketing and
wireless remote shutter release. The LCD screen on the Canon has a much higher resolution
(920k dots) than the one on the Nikon (230k dots). This really makes a big difference
when reviewing images just after taking them.

If you will be shooting video, you might consider paying a few quid more
for the Canon 550D. This has a socket for an external microphone.

If you prefer to buy Nikon. I would suggest that you find the extra money
for a D5100. If your budget doesn't extend to D5100, the previous D5000 is
an excellent camera and you can still buy them new. If I had to choose,
I would prefer a used D5000 over a new D3100.

Now for some very bad news. The cost of the camera body is only
your initial outlay. This will be a fairly small fraction of the total cost
of D/SLR ownership. Once you have the camera, you will feel an
irrepressible urge to buy lots of new toys to screw onto it. Several
lenses, flash, half a dozen camera bags (because none of them will
be exactly right for your requirements). A very expensive tripod and
a cheap Aldi tripod. You will always use the Aldi one because the
expensive one is too big and heavy to carry. Spare batteries, assorted
filters, memory cards........

talkin

very detailed answer, thanks hbr...

i dont know which i would prefer cannon or nikon. i am not a photographer but i like to take pictures. i suppose theres no right or wrong just preference.

CabanSail

SeantheMan wrote: »

Hi all,

Looking for a entry level camera, maybe a SLR or something.
Just not a standard digital.
I am completely new to anything other than standard digital, but would like better quality photos in general for holidays etc.

I have no preference on brand, and have no problem with buying 2nd hand.

Something not too complicated would be fine, whereby I don't need to compensate all the time for exposure or change lenses etc. No need for remotes or tripods either.

Basically a decent camera that will do a better job than my normal digital Samsung etc. Budget would be...200-300 , but could stretch it if needed. As I say, only entry level really, I'm not a photographer or plan on becoming one, not even an enthusiast really.

Appreciate the advice

The quality of a photograph will be partly down to the equipment but a large part is the knowledge and skill to use it correctly.

If you dont want to learn about photography then a decent point and shoot would be the ticket. I really think that Canon lead that section of the market. If you were to buy the best Canon P&S for your budget then you will not go too far wrong. Next in line would be Lumix, Fuji, Nikon & Sony.

If you want much better results then it's a bit more expense and some time to learn the skills required.