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

ps3man

Hey Guys, looking to upgrade from a d3100 to a d7000 soon. Is the d7000 as good as reviews make it out to be. Just want a no bs assesment from owners on this. Cheers Guys

Andy

melekalikimaka

whats your justification for the upgrade... tbh its a very small step up... d800 on horizon...

donalg1

got asked by a friend about a decent camera for a small price less than €100 for just using at weddings or family occasions nothing major so I have seen two on amazon one the Panasonic Lumix FS16 (14.1mp 4xoptical zoom 2.7inch lcd)

And a Nikon CoolpixS3100 (14mp, 5 x optical zoom) 2.7inch lcd. Both the same price so any preference with either one?

Or are both pretty much the same?

I saw a Fujifilm Finepix S2950 (14mp 18 x Optical Zoom) 3 inch lcd for £99.99 reduced from £179.99 sterling but I dont think this would suit them just wondering what your thoughts on this camera are anyway.

tinofapples

donalg1 wrote: »

got asked by a friend about a decent camera for a small price less than €100 for just using at weddings or family occasions nothing major so I have seen two on amazon one the Panasonic Lumix FS16 (14.1mp 4xoptical zoom 2.7inch lcd)

And a Nikon CoolpixS3100 (14mp, 5 x optical zoom) 2.7inch lcd. Both the same price so any preference with either one?

Or are both pretty much the same?

I saw a Fujifilm Finepix S2950 (14mp 18 x Optical Zoom) 3 inch lcd for £99.99 reduced from £179.99 sterling but I dont think this would suit them just wondering what your thoughts on this camera are anyway.

Thinking about the Fujifilm FinePix S2950 myself seems excellent value. Battery type only downside from my previous camera's (All compacts) but I guess the rechargeable Ni-MH batteries are as good as those used in compacts, yes or no ?

stackerman

Hi all

I'm looking for a wee bit of guidance, if you can.

I'm not into photography, but my wife is.

I would like to get her two items for Christmas, but am unsure as to where is the best place to purchase same.

The items are

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU

And

http://www.connscameras.ie/sigma-ef530-dg-super-ttl-flash/p-085126925253pd.html

She uses a Canon 500 D

Any advice would be most helpful

Many thanks in advance

Kevin

hbr

keving wrote: »

Hi all

I'm looking for a wee bit of guidance, if you can.

I'm not into photography, but my wife is.

I would like to get her two items for Christmas, but am unsure as to where is the best place to purchase same.

The items are

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU

And

http://www.connscameras.ie/sigma-ef530-dg-super-ttl-flash/p-085126925253pd.html

She uses a Canon 500 D

Any advice would be most helpful

Many thanks in advance

Kevin

It is always risky to buy camera equipment as a gift. You run a high risk
of getting the 'wrong thing'.

The 50mm f/1.8 is a good lens for portraits and low light. If she hasn't already
got a fast prime lens she will probably be delighted to get one as a gift.

I have read some reports of compatibility issues between the Sigma 530
and the Canon 500D. This may have been resolved with newer stock.

You might also consider the Canon 430EX II at around the same price
Metz and Nissin also make excellent flashes for Canon.

stackerman

hbr wrote: »

It is always risky to buy camera equipment as a gift. You run a high risk
of getting the 'wrong thing'.

The 50mm f/1.8 is a good lens for portraits and low light. If she hasn't already
got a fast prime lens she will probably be delighted to get one as a gift.

I have read some reports of compatibility issues between the Sigma 530
and the Canon 500D. This may have been resolved with newer stock.

You might also consider the Canon 430EX II at around the same price
Metz and Nissin also make excellent flashes for Canon.

Tks for that hbr

I've talked to a photo buddy (of hers) and she is looking for the above in the new year. So I know that she does want same.

I'll looking into the compatibility issues online, thanks for the pointer.

If going ahead with the purchases, or others, where would you fine people recommend ? Seem like all sorts of options

Thanks again

Kevin

cormie

Thinking of buying an 1100D through this seller here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-EOS-1100D-Digital-Rebel-T3-12-2-MP-EF-S-18-55-II-Lens-/310360831291?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item4842f2753b

All looks legit, UK model, UK seller and coming from the UK (no import duty). I'm waiting on a reply from them now to see if they will ship to Ireland for the same price (with free delivery!). They have a "make offer" link on their selling page so I'm hoping for the best

Seems they have all the paypal protection and a huge amount of positive feedback too, no negative in the last 12 months, only one neutral out of about 240 positive. Seems the way to go over amazon/pixmania etc?

smash

Anyone have any experience with the Nikon 1? The V1 specifically? Just saw it advertised and read a review and it looks to be a nice bit of kit and some serious competition for the Sony nex range.

NeVeR

My g/f has being doing photography for a while and i wanted to get her some lights etc

She has a Canon DSLR and i wanted something as a present that would improve the light when he's taking photos of people ( she will be not started yet )

So i wanted to get one of those white( or any colour) backdrops and some lights or even the lights that flash when she takes a photo.

Can't spend massive amounts of money but ideas and links would be great.. or names of products so i can check.

thanks.

Gumbo

NeVeR wrote: »

My g/f has being doing photography for a while and i wanted to get her some lights etc

She has a Canon DSLR and i wanted something as a present that would improve the light when he's taking photos of people ( she will be not started yet )

So i wanted to get one of those white( or any colour) backdrops and some lights or even the lights that flash when she takes a photo.

Can't spend massive amounts of money but ideas and links would be great.. or names of products so i can check.

thanks.

im only new here too, but the same advice goes :

buy her a voucher for a camera store.
you do not know what equipment she has a like for or prefers.
you do not know what type of equipment she needs/wants.

if its a surprise, then the voucher, or indeed bring her into the shop and tell her to pick what she wants.

last thing you need, is to buy the wrong gear for her.

Kenny Logins

NeVeR wrote: »

My g/f has being doing photography for a while and i wanted to get her some lights etc

She has a Canon DSLR and i wanted something as a present that would improve the light when he's taking photos of people ( she will be not started yet )

So i wanted to get one of those white( or any colour) backdrops and some lights or even the lights that flash when she takes a photo.

Can't spend massive amounts of money but ideas and links would be great.. or names of products so i can check.

thanks.

This might be a good place to start -

http://speedlights.net/flash-for-canon-ettl-speedlites/

pirelli

Whats a good digital camera to buy these days in the 14 - 16 MP range.

Is Kodak any good, Are canon any good, Are fuji any good. Good being quality of picture. Olympus and Samsung Seem cheaper than say Kodak.

Are they all the same?

Rainbowsend

There are hundreds and hundreds of cameras to choose from, I have always found Panasonic and Fuji to be great little cameras, but then thats all I have tried, you will find similar specification cameras are much the same, so it is down to personal choice and money, you can spend €80 on one in Lidl and be delighted with it and you can spend €380 in Curry's or somewhere like that and be equally delighted.

Dpreview do fairly good comparisons you can select as many cameras as you like and the pro's and con's are set out for all of them. Good luck with your hunt,

magicbastarder

why do you specify 14-16MP?
if you're buying new, resolution is rarely a primary criterion on which to choose.

deadlast

I wanna get the OH a new camera for christmas, and haven't a breeze about them. She has an old one but my iphone seems to capture colours much better.

Anyway, budget is €150 for something compact that captures colours well. Anyone any suggestions?

arch staunton

WOULD ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS CAMERA GOOD OR BAD PLEASE.THANK YOU

hbr

No need to shout!

The D5100 is a very fine camera. It is one of the best in it's class.
It uses the same Sony image sensor as the more expensive Nikon D7000,
so you can be sure that it will produce excellent image quality. If you are
looking for an entry-to-mid range DSLR, this is definitely one to consider.

M450

Hey guys,

I've just transformed from student/bum to working professional and have decided to treat myself to a DSLR. It's something I've always wanted to get into but could never afford.

From searching online I've come across the Canon EOS 1100D and Nikon D3100. What other entry level cameras would you recommend I take a look at? I plan to get into a shop and try them out soon.

To be honest I'm already leaning towards Canon as I've been using their compacts for a good few years and would like to think that the extra control in their manual settings is what's driving me to learn more about photography.

Any insights into accessories that I'd need to get from the start too would be helpful so I can factor them into the overall cost. I'm thinking things to protect/prolong the life of the camera like a bag, UV filter etc. I'd like it all to come in under 500 euro if possible.

Cheers,
Darren

Kenny Logins

arch staunton wrote: »

WOULD ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS CAMERA GOOD OR BAD PLEASE.THANK YOU

It's excellent. ...but do look at the Canon 600D too.

pixbyjohn

deadlast wrote: »

I wanna get the OH a new camera for christmas, and haven't a breeze about them. She has an old one but my iphone seems to capture colours much better.

Anyway, budget is €150 for something compact that captures colours well. Anyone any suggestions?

The Canon Ixus range seem to be a great buy and they capture colours very well.

zoby

quick question about DSLRs and maintenance


i have a Canon 350d which is five years old. I asked in the shop where it was bought about getting it cleaned or serviced and they told me i would be better off buying a new one.


Any guidance would be great

hbr

zoby wrote: »

...and they told me i would be better off buying a new one.

And you should buy it from them

They don't really need any servicing. As long as the mechanical bits
like the shutter and reflex mirror are working properly, you can carry on
shooting.

The sensor only needs cleaning when there is an unacceptable
amount of dust appearing in your images. If it does need cleaning,
you can do it yourself, or pay someone to do it for you.

Cleaning the focus screen nearly always makes it dustier
than it was before you started poking at it.

Be happy. Enjoy your five year old Canon. Get a new one when it dies.

Rainbowsend

zoby wrote: »

quick question about DSLRs and maintenance


i have a Canon 350d which is five years old. I asked in the shop where it was bought about getting it cleaned or serviced and they told me i would be better off buying a new one.


Any guidance would be great

Hah....I bet they did! If you are happy with your camera, and it is not giving you any problems, then stick with it, you can clean the sensor yourself very easily plenty of easy clean methods out there, if there are no visible signs of dirt on your sensor, ie spots on your pictures, then there is no need to clean it, as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

pixbyjohn

zoby wrote: »

quick question about DSLRs and maintenance


i have a Canon 350d which is five years old. I asked in the shop where it was bought about getting it cleaned or serviced and they told me i would be better off buying a new one.


Any guidance would be great

Are you having any problems with the camera ?

arch staunton

Would anybody have any thoughts on this camera,good or bad all help appreicated .Thank you all in advance.

pixbyjohn

arch staunton wrote: »

Would anybody have any thoughts on this camera,good or bad all help appreicated .Thank you all in advance.

It is an excellent camera and fairly priced.

Kenny Logins

Good.


Sorry, but what exactly do you want to know? Very difficult choice between it and the Canon 600D, TBH if I was to choose/buy again I'd probably go for the Canon.

zoby

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Are you having any problems with the camera ?

It takes an age to connect to my laptop to download the photos - which is a pain but i can live with it.


Sorry I dont really have a handle on the proper terminology to explain but somethings not quite right - eg. photos of the dogs in the garden on a sunny day were always very sharp with great detail but now the grass is too dark and my white dog too bright

I did do a "get to know your digital camera" nightcourse to try and educate myself and try and find out if it was a camera problem or an operator error When we went on a night-time exercise my camera didnt produce the colours of the dramatic night sky and after lots of faffing around by the instructor (who didnt manage to capture the sky either) i was none the wiser :mad:

Of course now that i have found this lovely corner of boards i hope to not only learn the correct terms for lighting etc but also to actually be able to explain myself


In the meantime i was thinking of the Ixus 115 to have in my bag all the time - any opinions??

ThOnda

Cameras are usually slow to transfer the files, get a decent memory card reader. And you'll save the batteries too.