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

FoxT

A new lens might not be the way to go...A lot depends on where she wants to take her photography.

There are loads of thing you could get , depending on your budget & what she likes..

- Flash
- Light tent
- reflectors
- tripod

The new iphone 4s could be interesting too, it has a decent enough camera, you can do interesting things with instagram or hipstamatic, and it is much easier to carry around than an SLR.


Wait for the 4s though, not the current iphone 4.

It is probably best that you ask her I think, especially if you are not into photography yourself.

If none of the above are practicable, then I second DGK's vote for a 50mm f/1.8. Great for low light & all kinds of creative stuff..

- FoxT

CabanSail

DeVore wrote: »

I have a F1.8, 50mm for portraits (which I never tire of recommending!) and I used to use my Canon kit lens for landscapes. Now my landscape photography always seemed flat and "far away" (no Fr Ted jokes pls )

I'm looking for recommendations for a landscape lens. Ideally something not to expensive as I intend to mostly use this for holiday snaps.

Should I just go back to something like the kit lens or is there something decent out there I dont know about?

DeV.
ps: I have a 550D (which I love!)

I have the old Sigma 10-20mm which I have given a lot of use. On the Nikon it's the equiv of 15mm on the wide side, and on the Canon it will still be equiv 16mm. These are not too expensive new & can be a bargain used. I like the drama the ultra wides can add to a scene.

marko93

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Nikon 55-200 is said to work well in addition to the kit lens, I've just ordered one so I'll let you know. Under €200.

That'd be great, could you PM with were you ordered it from, and your impressions?
Thanks,
Mark

Piglet1984

Hi,

looking for some advice here regarding lenses. I have recently purchased a Canon 600D DSLR (body only) so now I am looking at getting a lens. I am completely new to photography but very eager to learn.

I've been looking at Canon 28 mm - 135 mm - f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. The camera would be used for general photography, landscapes, travelling, family occasions etc so I suppose at the moment I am looking for a lens that could be used for all of the above. Would this lens suit the purpose? I probably will be buying more lenses in future but as I am just starting off I thought that for the moment an all-rounder would suit me better.

Thanks in advance!

Gumbo

Piglet1984 wrote: »

Hi,

looking for some advice here regarding lenses. I have recently purchased a Canon 600D DSLR (body only) so now I am looking at getting a lens. I am completely new to photography but very eager to learn.

I've been looking at Canon 28 mm - 135 mm - f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. The camera would be used for general photography, landscapes, travelling, family occasions etc so I suppose at the moment I am looking for a lens that could be used for all of the above. Would this lens suit the purpose? I probably will be buying more lenses in future but as I am just starting off I thought that for the moment an all-rounder would suit me better.

Thanks in advance!

heres a good video from a review of lens, for people that need that little extra instead of the 18-55 kit lens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm3f7eF4W3g

i'd also like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsL4Te8g_1k

Tommyrawr

So well
im over in lanzarote at the moment and i have spotted a few Canon 550D and 60D´s around and i wanted to get one anyway in ireland but they are way cheaper over here 550D is 300euro
60D is 350 euro
(want to get 60D as the screen can pull out and stuff)

Has anyone ever bought out here before and if i was to buy out here would i be covered in warrenty and stuff?And Anyone out in lanzarote which is the best place to get them? As i am in peurto del carmen.

Splinters

Wow thats an amazing price. I dont know if its the same but I spent a bit of time in Tenerife a few years back and for whatever reason theres no VAT on the island, its quite possibly the same there. Just double check you wont end up being landed with a VAT charge if you get caught bringing it back here.

Piglet1984

Thank you for your response! Will watch the video now. Think I'm on the right track Thanks again, really appreciate it!

Gumbo

Tommyrawr wrote: »

So well
im over in lanzarote at the moment and i have spotted a few Canon 550D and 60D´s around and i wanted to get one anyway in ireland but they are way cheaper over here 550D is 300euro
60D is 350 euro
(want to get 60D as the screen can pull out and stuff)

Has anyone ever bought out here before and if i was to buy out here would i be covered in warrenty and stuff?And Anyone out in lanzarote which is the best place to get them? As i am in peurto del carmen.

excellent price!
i recently bought a 550D for 473e online, brand new body only and that was cheap!

300 for the 550D is peanuts, and at 350e, i would go for the 60D.

My biggest worry would be knock offs/fake cameras/refurbs/second hand.

also, as the canaries are in europe, i would imagine you would be covered under european warranty, but im not 100% sure on that.

Canaries are well well know for people to get stopped coming back through the airport due to smokes etc and the customs swoop straight onto the canary flights in the baggage terminal.

me personally, i would take it all out of the box and carry it through as hand luggage and may fold up the box and post them home prior to leaving the country.

Kenny Logins

I'd say that's too cheap, and asking for trouble, I wouldn't risk it.

550D should be almost double from a trust-worthy shop -

http://visanta.com/catalogo-listado.asp?ristra=550d

Tommyrawr

Yeh going to head up to visanta later
got 2 ds´s last year here they were grand were 100 euro cheaper than ireland but didnt bring the box home so we didnt get the charged at home for em.

yeh i was wondering could it be a fake ect Wondering how can i tell now :P
And theres no vat over here so im wondering is that the reason why they are so cheap.
Also The 60D is american isnt it?

Kenny Logins

Tommyrawr wrote: »

Yeh going to head up to visanta later
got 2 ds´s last year here they were grand were 100 euro cheaper than ireland but didnt bring the box home so we didnt get the charged at home for em.

yeh i was wondering could it be a fake ect Wondering how can i tell now :P
And theres no vat over here so im wondering is that the reason why they are so cheap.
Also The 60D is american isnt it?

I think the Rebel branded jobs are US, don't know if the 60D is renamed for different markets.

600D has the articulated screen too and only about €50 more.

I'd stick with Visanta, I'm pretty sure they're legit and give European warranty cards.

EDIT: Sorry, just realised you were probably talking about the 600D all along..

Danbo!

Be very wary. Lanzarote has a lot of camera/ tech shops that are renowned for scamming people. You'll see them everywhere with their mp5 and mp8 players in the windows, along with genuine dslrs an high end point and shoots. The scam is usually performed on unsuspecting folks who try out a camera, agree to buy it and the shop owner packs it up and throws in a free memory card or case to distract you, you get home, open the box and it's an inferior camera. Local police won't do much to help and the shop owners deny anything.

Another scam is after you pay they tell you they don't have it in stock and cannot sell you the display model so try to get you to pay more for a 'better camera'. Ive also heard stories of people using credit cards and being charged multiple times after returning home

I'm not sure how it works when you know what you're talking about, I wanted to buy a sigma 10-20 there but decided it wasn't worth the risk after the shop owner dropped the price from 450 to 150 as I was leaving the shop.

There is probably plenty of reputable places there but do your research first. I know the above seems like scaremongering but I've been there 3 times and my parents go there every year and have done for 15 years, they've heard it from a lot of people.

Danbo!

Danbo! wrote: »

Be very wary. Lanzarote has a lot of camera/ tech shops that are renowned for scamming people. You'll see them everywhere with their mp5 and mp8 players in the windows, along with genuine dslrs an high end point and shoots. The scam is usually performed on unsuspecting folks who try out a camera, agree to buy it and the shop owner packs it up and throws in a free memory card or case to distract you, you get home, open the box and it's an inferior camera. Local police won't do much to help and the shop owners deny anything.

Another scam is after you pay they tell you they don't have it in stock and cannot sell you the display model so try to get you to pay more for a 'better camera'. Ive also heard stories of people using credit cards and being charged multiple times after returning home

I'm not sure how it works when you know what you're talking about, I wanted to buy a sigma 10-20 there but decided it wasn't worth the risk after the shop owner dropped the price from 450 to 150 as I was leaving the shop.

There is probably plenty of reputable places there but do your research first. I know the above seems like scaremongering but I've been there 3 times and my parents go there every year and have done for 15 years, they've heard it from a lot of people.

I'd echo the above post. I've heard many a horror story from people buying from these stores.

That said, if you are very careful, very diligent and ask to carry the camera out of the shop so you can take photos on the way home (so you'll be holding the actual camera on the way out of the store) then you should be OK I reckon?

If it looks genuinely branded Canon and it feels like a proper piece of Canon kit, then it'd surely have to be okay, I imagine, but at the same time, I just heard too many negative stories to ever bother trying to purchase electronics there in the first place (though truth be told, they could be all genuine shops, but you always hear the bad stories and rarely ever hear the good ones).

Cameraman

Lots of clever, experienced scammers out there. Be very very careful if you do buy.

Tommyrawr wrote: »

So well
im over in lanzarote at the moment and i have spotted a few Canon 550D and 60D´s around and i wanted to get one anyway in ireland but they are way cheaper over here 550D is 300euro
60D is 350 euro
(want to get 60D as the screen can pull out and stuff)

Has anyone ever bought out here before and if i was to buy out here would i be covered in warrenty and stuff?And Anyone out in lanzarote which is the best place to get them? As i am in peurto del carmen.

funkyouup

Hi, ive been looking at getting a point and shoot compact ish camera, just wondering what your guys think of panasonic cameras?
Im considering getting the Lumix FS35 as it seems to have the best spec for the money.

funkyouup

funkyouup wrote: »

Hi, ive been looking at getting a point and shoot compact ish camera, just wondering what your guys think of panasonic cameras?
Im considering getting the Lumix FS35 as it seems to have the best spec for the money.

they are ok cameras. interest on this forum is more to do with slrs or enthusiast cameras. there are 100's of point and shoot cameras - unlikely that someone will know that model. general problem is small sensor size (the size of the sensor capturing the image - not the megapixel count) which means that camera won't be great in low light and other limitations. canon s95 is the most recommended camera in that point and shoot class here.

Liisa

Hi all,
I have recently had the pleasure of using a Canon 5D and fell in love with it. Only thing is, I have nowhere near the budget to buy one. I was wondering if anyone could advise me on a cheaper camera and kit that gives close to the same results? I would want one that has the high quality filming function, as I'd be using that as much as taking stills.


Cheers

the_doctor199

What is your budget?

I'd probably recommend a 600d Link

Gumbo

My advice would be to go into the Camera shops and hold a few and see which one feels ok in the hand.

You say you liked the Canon, so maybe your preference i that, so try a few Canon versions.

550D and 600D does HD movies.

Canon 550D - http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/CanonEOS550D/
Canon 600D - http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/CanonEOS600D/

Liisa

Cheers, my budget would be about 600 euro and I would want to get another lens. That one looks great actually, the HD movie function is key for me. Has anyone had bad experiences buying 2nd hand cameras/lenses, for those on a tight budget?

Liisa

Thanks too kceire. That's a good idea as the more compact it is the better too

brownej

Liisa wrote: »

Thanks too kceire. That's a good idea as the more compact it is the better too

If you're looking for interchangable lenses but want to keep the size down then a mirrorless system like the Sony NEX-5 camera might be something worth considering.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonynex5n/
They are getting good reviews and feedback. I don't own one myself so can't speak from first hand experience but I know someone who moved from an SLR to one and is very happy with the results.
All the other manufacturers are either bringing out or have brought out similar SLR quality cameras but without the mirror so keeps the size down. Canon is the notable exception but I belive they have one coming too eventually.

godarraghgo

hi all i am heading off on a world trip soon and hope to do a lot of surfing and swimming ,so looking at getting a waterproof camera.
i see one advertised second hand that gets great reviews but i dont know if i can really acess its condition just buy looking at it .the case looks in excellent condition,but is there anyway to check if it a good camera?
or if anyone can reccomend a good point and shoot waterproof but also good for the usual holiday shots
thanks
darragh

ThOnda

Personally, I look at dpreview for any tests and assessment.
Only way to test the camera is to shoot with it, all focal lengths, all modes and stick it under water for few hours, if it survives.
Buying new you would have warranty, could be useful.

the_tractor

Pentax make water proof P&S camera's, I remember reading a story of some guy who lost his in a river, and it was found in the river months later and returned to him, slightly worse for wear, but it survived, as did the photos.

ThOnda

These are with Pentax P&S, only don't know which one. I had borrowed it from my ex-colleague.

The Dagda

Hi,

I'm hoping for a bit of advice, this offer is available on Pigsback;

http://www.pigsback.com/pages/3/587/3235.aspx?pbq=6899,6899,VOVMD&referer=http://www.mydealpage.ie/

and I'm in the market for a decent camera for casual use.
It's only for the usual family occasions, out hillwalking, etc. so I'm wondering if the people here in the photography forum would recommend this camera?

Thanks in advance

Kenny Logins

The Dagda wrote: »

Hi,

I'm hoping for a bit of advice, this offer is available on Pigsback;

http://www.pigsback.com/pages/3/587/3235.aspx?pbq=6899,6899,VOVMD&referer=http://www.mydealpage.ie/

and I'm in the market for a decent camera for casual use.
It's only for the usual family occasions, out hillwalking, etc. so I'm wondering if the people here in the photography forum would recommend this camera?

Thanks in advance

I know nothing about the camera, but the price isn't great.

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1728.html

nedd

Hi,

Thinking of spending approx €800 on a DSLR and wondering what people recommend.

I'm a total newbie but want something that will combine ease of use with good quality.

Thanks in advance.