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

eyescreamcone

Looking towards an entry level dslr
After doing a bit of research I was leaning towards the Nikon D3100
But a guy recommended the Sony a35

Now I'm cofused

Any ideas about which is better???

Kenny Logins

eyescreamcone wrote: »

Looking towards an entry level dslr
After doing a bit of research I was leaning towards the Nikon D3100
But a guy recommended the Sony a35

Now I'm cofused

Any ideas about which is better???

Despite the lower overall score, on paper the Sony does look better to me...

http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon_D3100-vs-Sony-SLT-A35

mayo.mick

GBX wrote: »

Im looking to get a DSLR and have narrowed my choice down more or less to a Nikon D3000 or D3100 ... Argos seem to have great deals on these, €405 and €489.
I know most entry level DSLR come with and 18-55 lens but Ive been advised to look for a better lense. What advice can folk give me regarding a lense suitable for landscape/sports pics on a smallish budget?

I bought the nikon d3100 with 18/55mm kit lens from argo's myself. Was looking for a lens for football matchs, decided on the nikor 55/300mm af vr. Priced it in harvey norman and a local camera shop, both quoted me €438:eek: I bought it on pixmania.ie for €321 and it arrived at my door 18 hours later, all the way from paris:cool: Very happy with both camera and lens.

lou_s

Hi, I have been given a Nikon F60 camera body with some B&W rolls, I have never used 35mm and have no idea what lens to get for it. As i'm a complete beginner I would be looking for something cheap and cheerful as I would like to learn the basics to see how I get on. I would be using it for portrait pictures. Would really appreciate advice on lens to get and an idea of cost second hand,

Thanks, Lou

pixbyjohn

lou_s wrote: »

Hi, I have been given a Nikon F60 camera body with some B&W rolls, I have never used 35mm and have no idea what lens to get for it. As i'm a complete beginner I would be looking for something cheap and cheerful as I would like to learn the basics to see how I get on. I would be using it for portrait pictures. Would really appreciate advice on lens to get and an idea of cost second hand,

Thanks, Lou

Buy a 50 mm f1.8 lens You should get one on www.adverts.ie for between 75 and a 100 euro. Its a beautiful portrait lens for the F60
http://www.adverts.ie/lenses/nikon-50mm-f1-8d-af-nikkor-lens/1064551

lou_s

Thanks pixbyjohn, great help.

Lou

JohnDigital

I’m planning on buying a G12 and I have noticed feedback left online from buyers from some places are stating that the model they received was USA spec. Does anyone have one and can they tell me what the real-world difference is between it and the UK/European one. The spec sheet from Canon USA and that from Canon UK are laid out differently making a direct comparison really difficult. Price difference is considerable. Thanks

muffler

Guys/gals Im looking to buy a fairly basic camera as a pressie and Im on a budget of about €60 - €80.

Im not into photography and the person the camera is for is not heading in that direction either so something fairly simple like....

8/10/12 mega pixels,
aim and shoot so to speak - let the camera decide the settings for various amount of lighting
Anti shake mode if thats the right phrase
A bit of zooming
compact/slimline.

Would be used for just ordinary family stuff/ parties. outdoor snaps etc.

I was thinking of something along the lines of this but Im open to all suggestions.

Thanks in advance

alfalad

muffler wrote: »

Guys/gals Im looking to buy a fairly basic camera as a pressie and Im on a budget of about €60 - €80.

Im not into photography and the person the camera is for is not heading in that direction either so something fairly simple like....

8/10/12 mega pixels,
aim and shoot so to speak - let the camera decide the settings for various amount of lighting
Anti shake mode if thats the right phrase
A bit of zooming
compact/slimline.

Would be used for just ordinary family stuff/ parties. outdoor snaps etc.

I was thinking of something along the lines of this but Im open to all suggestions.

Thanks in advance

I would prob look at the entry level Canon if it's in your range as they are good value. The GF had a Fiji and while it was fine my old canon p&s delivered better results. But at the price range you will have to make compromises.

dinneenp

JohnDigital wrote: »

I’m planning on buying a G12

have you looked at the Fuji X10?
doesn't have a flip out screen but is competition for the G12

dinneenp

Hi,

It's a friends wedding and he's travelling to NZ & Oz for honeymoon so I'm thinking of getting him a wide angle lens (11mm minimum), he has a Sony Dslr. My budget is €150.

Anyone know if I could get a 2nd hand one for this price? I've checked Adverts, Ebay but only ones I could find are WAY above this price.

Cheers,

JohnDigital

dinneenp wrote: »

have you looked at the Fuji X10?
doesn't have a flip out screen but is competition for the G12

Thanks, yes I have looked at the X10 and I know it’s a bit better spec but the camera is a present for my wife who has had a few different powershot's and really likes them. If it were me despite the fact I’m not mad about the looks of the X10 I’d choose it over the G12.

Dilbert75

I was looking at this as a potential replacement for my Fuji S9600 bridge. Any thoughts?

I'm not much more than a beginner and I'm finding it a bit of a trawl through the websites - I did find someone mentioning how to identify whether the Canon lenses have image stabilisation built it but I can't remember what it said (I think it was a matter of II vs III but I'm not sure which way).

I have a particular reason (gift voucher) for wanting to buy it through Currys, hence this link (I'm sure it can be bought more cheaply elsewhere but...). It doesn't seem to be a bad price though.

Opinions welcome.

AnCatDubh

Dilbert75 wrote: »

I was looking at this as a potential replacement for my Fuji S9600 bridge. Any thoughts?

I'm not much more than a beginner and I'm finding it a bit of a trawl through the websites - I did find someone mentioning how to identify whether the Canon lenses have image stabilisation built it but I can't remember what it said (I think it was a matter of II vs III but I'm not sure which way).

I have a particular reason (gift voucher) for wanting to buy it through Currys, hence this link (I'm sure it can be bought more cheaply elsewhere but...). It doesn't seem to be a bad price though.

Opinions welcome.

A good step up and a fairly natural progression. You aren't going to go far wrong with Canon (or Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax) but particularly Canon and Nikon have extensive support in local retail outlets. The lens combination will be fine to get you going but ultimately if continuing your photographic journey you will begin to acquire lenses of better quality. I'm not terribly familiar with the Canon price range to be expected but I think the price looks quite good for what appears on offer.

GBX

So I took the plunge and bought the D3100 .. started messing around with it today. Will read the manual and hopefully throw some nice photos soon.

dinneenp

dinneenp wrote: »

Hi,

It's a friends wedding and he's travelling to NZ & Oz for honeymoon so I'm thinking of getting him a wide angle lens (11mm minimum), he has a Sony Dslr. My budget is €150.

Anyone know if I could get a 2nd hand one for this price? I've checked Adverts, Ebay but only ones I could find are WAY above this price.

Cheers,

sorry but these sort of lens are expensive new. lens also hold their value second-hand. 350 second-hand I would guess is what you'd have to pay.
(I stand to be corrected...)

plonk

Going to pick up an 1100d tomorrow as its only 333 euro new with lens from mediamarkt. Bargain imo

nedd

OK, so I have been doing some research and finally decided on either a Canon Eos 600D or Nikon 5100.

Was in a shop today and had a hold of both and I think I prefer the feel of the Nikon. I asked the lady in the shop which she preferred and she said the Canon is selling better that the Nikon. She also said that she is a Canon person herself (there seems to be a lot of this brand loyalty with photographers)

So what do people here think? Can anyone actually give me specific reason why one is better than the other, and not just because you prefer one brand over the other?

I was thinking of a Sony A55 but anyone I know who have DSLR's all have either Canon or Nikon.

Thanks

nedd

nedd wrote: »

OK, so I have been doing some research and finally decided on either a Canon Eos 600D or Nikon 5100.

Was in a shop today and had a hold of both and I think I prefer the feel of the Nikon. I asked the lady in the shop which she preferred and she said the Canon is selling better that the Nikon. She also said that she is a Canon person herself (there seems to be a lot of this brand loyalty with photographers)

So what do people here think? Can anyone actually give me specific reason why one is better than the other, and not just because you prefer one brand over the other?

I was thinking of a Sony A55 but anyone I know who have DSLR's all have either Canon or Nikon.

Thanks

go with what you like. I have a canon myself but if you prefer the Nikon after holding and testing it then go for it.... 5100 and 600d very similar in capabilities. some reviews say that 5100 takes better pics in fact.

Kenny Logins

nedd wrote: »

OK, so I have been doing some research and finally decided on either a Canon Eos 600D or Nikon 5100.

Was in a shop today and had a hold of both and I think I prefer the feel of the Nikon. I asked the lady in the shop which she preferred and she said the Canon is selling better that the Nikon. She also said that she is a Canon person herself (there seems to be a lot of this brand loyalty with photographers)

So what do people here think? Can anyone actually give me specific reason why one is better than the other, and not just because you prefer one brand over the other?

I was thinking of a Sony A55 but anyone I know who have DSLR's all have either Canon or Nikon.

Thanks

There really isn't much in it, I spent a couple of weeks trying to decide between the two.
Nikon takes slightly higher quality images... Canon is better for video (has manual exposure)... Canon 50mm f1.8 costs half as much as the Nikon version... Nikon has longer battery life...

I chose the Nikon because I prefer the thumbwheel, but TBH they're so close in almost every feature that the decision is very difficult.

Pick one and you'll be very happy with it. Forget about the other.

kfish2oo2

nedd wrote: »

OK, so I have been doing some research and finally decided on either a Canon Eos 600D or Nikon 5100.

Was in a shop today and had a hold of both and I think I prefer the feel of the Nikon. I asked the lady in the shop which she preferred and she said the Canon is selling better that the Nikon. She also said that she is a Canon person herself (there seems to be a lot of this brand loyalty with photographers)

So what do people here think? Can anyone actually give me specific reason why one is better than the other, and not just because you prefer one brand over the other?

I was thinking of a Sony A55 but anyone I know who have DSLR's all have either Canon or Nikon.

Thanks

Really, I would make the choice based on feel, especially with those two models. Their capabilities are so evenly matched that only the most eagle-eyed of pixel peekers would be able to see any difference.

Also, if you have any friends with DSLR's, that might sway you one way or the other. Being able to borrow and lend lenses can come in very handy.

dinneenp

As above.
I have Pentax and would love if some friends had too. It'd mean that I could borrow lenses from them. If you want to try out all types of photogrpahy- macro, sports, landscapes/wide angle etc then if a few friends have a good selection of lenses from that manufacture it's a big, big plus.

So for me I'm wondering would I like a wide angle lens (10mm min). So my options are buy myself a lens. Which is expensive just to try it out. Or borrow a camera and lens from someone. A friend might give me a loan but it's a different camera design, interface and also it means he's/she's without her camera for a period of time....

Macker1

Folks,

Looking at buying my daughter the following camera this christmas. Just wondering how suitable this model would be for a beginner.

Nikon D3000

http://www.connscameras.ie/nikon-d3000/p-018208916566pd.html

I would be purchasing with AF-S 18-55 VR lens.

If this is not suitable what other models should I be looking at.

Thanks for any help......:)

Gumbo

have you read through all the stickies first?
I only bought my first DSLR last month, and read through every stickie as there is a wealth of info in there, things that i didnt even know i needed to consider such as future prrof, cropped sensors, what lens does what etc etc

also there is an advive thread that this question would be more suited to, and ive seen the D3000/D3100 pop up a few times in there.

Gumbo

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056399555

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

http://www.dpreview.com/

PCPhoto

any DLR is suitable for a beginner .... IF the beginner is interested in photography and willing to learn about how the camera functions.

if the person is only interested in taking snaps of friends/family... they might be better off with a compact or a bridge camera.

yes its a bit of a sweeping statement and a bold one - but if there is no interested in photography a DSLR will be like a fad and the camera will be on the shelf collecting dust after a few weeks.

pixbyjohn

Not knowing how old your daughter is or if she has already got a camera but I agree with what PCPhoto and kceire says. The other point you should consider is that SLR cameras are not small units that one can carry around in a handbag or pocket so for general use they are cumbersome. What I am trying to say is that unless your daughter is really into more serious photography than taking photos on nights out with her friends and taking photos for facebook etc then a compact camera would be a better buy for her.
Most people starting out in photography are shy to carry a larger type of camera around with them.
I hope whatever you decide on that she gets as much enjoyment out of the hobby as I have.

rocky

Was looking at the d5100 and 600d myself and in the end bought the canon. Better movie control, better menu (less awkward to use than the nikon), cheaper 50mm lens, possibly better uwa lenses for architecture shots. I also have a canon A620 and it's been great.

Anyone order from bignorman.com? they were 50£ cheaper than amazon, but are based in Gibraltar. They say vat and taxes are paid by them, so the price on the website is the final delivered price.

zero19

Can anyone recommend a good brand of rechargable AA batteries? I've heard Eneloops are great but are there any others anyone can recommend?

Kenny Logins

zero19 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a good brand of rechargable AA batteries? I've heard Eneloops are great but are there any others anyone can recommend?

Do you want ones that aren't as good as Eneloops...? They're excellent. £11.50ish for 4 with a charger on Amazon.