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

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.

arch staunton

Kenny Logins wrote: »

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.

Thanks Kenny,

It just I am a novice to photography (just got the bug) and i want to buy a new camera and the Nikon D 5100 is in my price range at the moment and most of the reviews I read are good ,however I will now check out the canon 600d as u suggest Thanks

Kenny Logins

arch staunton wrote: »

Thanks Kenny,

It just I am a novice to photography (just got the bug) and i want to buy a new camera and the Nikon D 5100 is in my price range at the moment and most of the reviews I read are good ,however I will now check out the canon 600d as u suggest Thanks

It is an excellent camera, I really can't fault it, but I think the Canon slightly has the edge on it because the Canon has a healthier market for both second hand and new lenses and accessories, a cheaper 50mm f1.8 (must-have lens), manual exposure for video. I also think the Canon has a clearer status screen, which really helps when learning.


...in fact, I'm not sure I can remember why I chose the D5100 over the 600D now - it felt more comfortable in my hand...

pixbyjohn

Have a look here at this comparison.
Looks like the Nikon comes out on top.
http://www.digitalreview.ca/content/Canon-Rebel-T3i-EOS-600D-Compared-to-Nikon-D5100.shtml

M450

I think I've decided on the Canon EOS 1100D, cheapest price I've found so far is simplyelectronics.net
€409.95 with the 18-55 IS II Lens Kit which if I understand correctly would be favourable to the 18-55 DC III Lens Kit?

Just wondering if this would likely be the best price I'm going to find and want to make sure this site is decent! Cheers

comtech.com could be a good alternative to SimplyElectronics at €409 + €15 delivery to Ireland, not liking a lot of the posts about SE

ELJeff

Hey,
just thought I'd throw in my two cents,
The Nikon d5100 is my first serious digital camera and I must say I love it,
having used my brother's camera, a canon, I feel i prefer the Nikon setup but that seems to be down to personal opinion.
I really cant fault the camera at all, everything Ive thrown at it has come out beautifully. It has a nice weight and shape to it and the live view multi-angle screen is extremely hand. FOr me it was a toss p between the canon and the nikon and I'm personally glad I chose the Nikon.

ianoo

hi all ,i'm looking to buy a zoom lens for my nikon d5000 ,
a Nikon AF-S DX 55-300mm f4.5-5.6 G ED VR to be specific, after trawling the net the best dealseems to comes down to be either from simplyelectronics or comtech
.i havent heard great things about simplyelectronics and was just wondering if anyone has had any dealings with comtech and how they got on before i splash out any of my scarce cash

thanks
ian...

mayo.mick

ianoo wrote: »

hi all ,i'm looking to buy a zoom lens for my nikon d5000 ,
a Nikon AF-S DX 55-300mm f4.5-5.6 G ED VR to be specific, after trawling the net the best dealseems to comes down to be either from simplyelectronics or comtech
.i havent heard great things about simplyelectronics and was just wondering if anyone has had any dealings with comtech and how they got on before i splash out any of my scarce cash

thanks
ian...

I bought the nikkor 55-300mm af vr f4.5-5.6 from pixmania.ie a couple of months ago for €320, i think its gone up in price a bit since then, very happy with it. ( was delievered from outside paris and arrived at my door in less than 18 hours:cool:)
Here it is; http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/r/nikon-55-300-lens

M450

Any input on the IS II vs DC III Kit Lens for the 1100D?

Fizman

Guys, I just came across this gadget (http://gopro.com/hd-hero2-cameras/) via this YT clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUEZCxBcM78.

I'm in love. I was on a plane recently sitting next to this guy who was looking at vids of himself and mates doing xtreme sports using something obviously along the lines of this device. Seems like an incredible piece of kit to me, and quite affordable.

Anybody here in the know or have any experience with one?

Macinerto

Hi Everyone, this is my first post. I am interested in the canon 600d. I have been looking online and came across a site called
http://www.canonway.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=13215
They also trade as digital wave see link below
http://www.amazon.co.uk/shops/A2RB2WG464YJ22 has anyone dealt with these. Their prices are really cheap.
Ie. 600d plus 18_135 lense for 509 euro
I read some reviews for simply electronics and was turned off.
Big norman was another I was looking at good prices too
Thanks

hbr

Macinerto wrote: »

Hi Everyone, this is my first post.

Welcome to the forum.

Be very very careful where you buy and how you pay.

According to this listing, Canonway Ltd was dissolved years ago:
http://www.cdrex.com/canonway-limited-1166323.html

29 Harley Street is a 'virtual office' ie: a phone and fax answering service.
http://www.virtual-serviced-offices.co.uk/contact_us.htm

The Canonway website seems to be hosted in Turkey.

address: ISIK Bilgisayar Internet ve Yayincilik Hizmetleri
Dincer ISIK
Arama Sokak 14/4
06130 Ankara
TURKEY

sproutbrussl

Hi all,
I am an amateur photographer and i own a Canon 1000d which i love but the build in flash is terrible. I am not a big fan of flash but i find i need it a lot this time or year. Now like all of us this time of year i am on a budget, roughly 150 euro. I want to get a canon speedlite 240exii as it looks great for my needs and is compatible. But i have also thought of getting the older version 430ex as i have seen them on Ebay. I just want to make the right choice. The nissin ni622 mark 11 is always coming up with good reviews also. Anyone have any advice for me. I doubt i will get the Canon for a good price, would after Christmas be a better time to buy one. Bascially i doubt i will use half of the features on the flash but i would just like some good quality shots of my kids etc.
Any advice would be great as i cannot make a decision.
Thanks.:P

The Omen 666

Hi. Looking for lens advice. Previous user of slr cameras. Have an old eos 300 slr that came with 28-80 f4-5.6 usm and a 75-300 f4-5.6 usm. Ive been using a sony bridge camera for the lastfew years with full manual control. Hadnt the money to spend on a dslr.

Im now buying a canon 60d but wondering whether to pair it with the 18-135mm or get a 50mm f1.8 prime and the 18-55 is. Have approx a grand to spend. 60d + 18-135 is a shade over 1000 delivered frm onestop digital. The other combo is 948 delivered.

Thinking any xtra reach i need/want could b accomodated with the old 75-300. I like macro and wildlife photography. Some sports too. I know its not image stabilised but it never was and it didnt bother me b4. Thought the 18-55 is and 50mm prime may b of more use indoors with the wider apertures.

Any thoughts or advice. Should i look at a diff lens altogether. Or the 600d and spend savings on better lens. I know glass is king but dont want to upgrade body for a few yrs and faster fps and shutter speed would b useful.

Rew

Fizman wrote: »

Guys, I just came across this gadget (http://gopro.com/hd-hero2-cameras/) via this YT clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUEZCxBcM78.

I'm in love. I was on a plane recently sitting next to this guy who was looking at vids of himself and mates doing xtreme sports using something obviously along the lines of this device. Seems like an incredible piece of kit to me, and quite affordable.

Anybody here in the know or have any experience with one?

Yeah have one there 350 quid here, alot cheaper if you happen to be in the US and can pick one up). Hero2 is a decent improvement on the already fantastic Hero.

Id highly recommend them for outdoor sports, filming in wet environments. I've about 60 vids from mine on youtube of skiing, mountain biking, time-lapse of DIY projects at home, playing with my dogs and the garden hose etc.

There pretty bullet proof, friend of mine had a nasty wipe out skiing and camera didn't drop a frame. It can shoot in 720p at 60fps giving you nice smooth slow motion shots.

For example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he9IHvihBes

Macinerto

hbr wrote: »

Macinerto wrote: »

Hi Everyone, this is my first post.

Welcome to the forum.

Be very very careful where you buy and how you pay.

thanks for the reply hbr,
I found that first one alright. Just wanted to see if anyone had used them. They seem to have mixed reviews on amazon.
I dont like the fact that they are hosted from turkey. how did you find this out.
This seems a bit dodgey do you think

Thanks again
Ps Whats the best way to pay

Kenny Logins

Macinerto wrote: »

thanks for the reply hbr,
I found that first one alright. Just wanted to see if anyone had used them. They seem to have mixed reviews on amazon.
I dont like the fact that they are hosted from turkey. how did you find this out.
This seems a bit dodgey do you think

Thanks again
Ps Whats the best way to pay

I think he was saying 'don't' - €509 is a daft price for that gear, at least €250 less than the very cheapest I can find. 100% scam.

Kenny Logins

sproutbrussl wrote: »

Hi all,
I am an amateur photographer and i own a Canon 1000d which i love but the build in flash is terrible. I am not a big fan of flash but i find i need it a lot this time or year. Now like all of us this time of year i am on a budget, roughly 150 euro. I want to get a canon speedlite 240exii as it looks great for my needs and is compatible. But i have also thought of getting the older version 430ex as i have seen them on Ebay. I just want to make the right choice. The nissin ni622 mark 11 is always coming up with good reviews also. Anyone have any advice for me. I doubt i will get the Canon for a good price, would after Christmas be a better time to buy one. Bascially i doubt i will use half of the features on the flash but i would just like some good quality shots of my kids etc.
Any advice would be great as i cannot make a decision.
Thanks.:P

Speedlights.net has great reviews and alternatives.

hbr

Macinerto wrote: »

thanks for the reply hbr,

I dont like the fact that they are hosted from turkey. how did you find this out.

traceroute and whois

traceroute takes me on a long and tortuous journey to Turkey via Bulgaria.

This is not necessarily dodgy, but it does seem strange for a
supposedly well established UK company.

This seems a bit dodgey do you think

I would be slow to call anyone a scammer unless I had very
good evidence. I would agree that they do seem dodgy for
the following reasons:

1 website hosted outside the EU.

2 domain registered 25/11/2011

3 contact via a virtual office

4 lower prices than most if not all UK dealers.

5 Claims on their "about us" page".

"Canonway is the UK’s premier Canon photographic retailer operating from 17 stores and an on-line shop."

I can find no evidence to back up this claim. I can't even find a single store
in the UK or anywhere else.

Thanks again
Ps Whats the best way to pay

Before you pay anyone, check, check and check again to ensure that
the seller is genuine. Check the internet search engines. Check web
forums like boards.ie to see if you can find comments from previous
customers. Check the sellers ratings on independent rating sites
like resellerratings.com.

Once you are satisfied that the seller is genuine, only pay by
credit card. If possible, use PayPal and use a credit card to
make the PayPal payment. This gives two layers of protection
against fraud. This isn't an absolute guarantee that you will get your
money back, but it is certainly worth having.

Never pay by bank transfer or cash transfer services like Western
Union.

Kenny Logins

Scam.

Macinerto

Thanks hbr and kenny, for the great advice regarding the tracing of companies and payments and it seems to be a case of "if its too good to be true it definitely is" .
I will use these tips on a few sites i have in mind. I have been looking for ages and prices vary considerably. I'll let you know how i get on

Thanks again

nedd

Just to say, I was looking into getting a camera, either the Canon 600D or Nikon D5100. Posted some questions here, took opinions on board, tried the camera out for fit and ordered the D5100 from bignorman.com. Got a great deal compared to the shops.

The camera arrived this morning, so thanks everyone who helped me out with advice on cameras and for suggesting bignorman.

I'm sure I will have loads of questions about lenses and settings over the next few months as I get to grips with the camera.

Kenny Logins

Onestop-digital have great prices and fast delivery, they'll refund customs charges too (if they're added on this end).

Nowhere close to €500 for a 600D 18-135 though unfortunately...

Kenny Logins

nedd wrote: »

Just to say, I was looking into getting a camera, either the Canon 600D or Nikon D5100. Posted some questions here, took opinions on board, tried the camera out for fit and ordered the D5100 from bignorman.com. Got a great deal compared to the shops.

The camera arrived this morning, so thanks everyone who helped me out with advice on cameras and for suggesting bignorman.

I'm sure I will have loads of questions about lenses and settings over the next few months as I get to grips with the camera.

Get a 50mm f1.8 G, mine arrived today, fantastic lens.

paddykelly6

Hey guys,

Looking for a Tripod for gf's Dad. He has a Nikon D40 but will prob upgrade to a Canon 600 at some point. He mainly uses it for family/holiday photos but he's always either leaving himself out of the photo or trying to rest the camera on a table with a timer. I reckon he'd love a tripod and he's retiring in a few months so might get some additional use from it then.

Anyway budget is approx €100 and have been looking at these Manfrottos:

http://www.berminghamcameras.ie/store/index.php?target=categories&category_id=304
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/80929/show.html
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/82276/show.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-7303YB-Tripod-Ball-Head/dp/B001TK3EJO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1322668825&sr=1-2

If anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it.
Also can anyone tell me the difference between the RC1 and RC2 head?

Cheers

savagecabbages

Me again

Looking at a lens for xmas for my Pentax K-x.
I intend to get the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Lens and its for sale here http://www.onestop-digital.com for €168 with free delivery. Seems a great deal, can anyone give onestop digital a vote of confidence? I'm always wary of buying online...

Better yet show me somewhere cheaper -or a better lens for the same price;)!!

I'm interested in using the lens for motorsports, and probably a good bit of macro work down the line. I've used these lens's coupled to a Canon 350D before and found them to be an excellent budget all-round tele lens. Unfortunately budget is one of my main concerns...

Jackmcg

I'm looking to buy a new battery and charger. Very tempted to take the cheap way out and buy a generic charger and universal battery somewhere online, has anyone got experience with these? Is the difference in quality really worth the difference in money for the branded ones? Bearing in mind I'm amateur and won't be using the camera that often.

(Im sure this has been covered somewhere in the last 30 pages, sorry for repeating!)
Thanks

platypus

Hi,

I 'm looking for a good digital camera to buy for my wife for Christmas. Doesnt need to be a specialist type at all, just looking for something to take good quality pictures of kids, family events etc. Looking around the 150-200 budget, would go a bit higher if I thought it would make a difference.

Some of the cameras I have been looking at include:

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS Digital Camera - Silver (16.0 MP, 5x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch TFT LCD
Canon IXUS 115 HS Digital Camera - Silver (12.1MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD
Panasonic Lumix FS35 Digital Camera - Black (16.1MP, 8x Optical Zoom) 2.7 inch LCD
Canon Ixus 220

Tbh not even sure what I should be looking for, these may not be what I need at all. Also something user friendly would be important, both of us know very little about photography. Any help would be appreciated, sorry my question is so vague but Im basically clueless on what to look for

littlesophie

Hi,

I'm planning to buy a flash for my Nikon D5100, my budget is between 100 - 200 euro. I'm not very good with tec specs and all that and I'd really appreciate if someone could recommend a good flash for my camera. I was looking at Nikon own brand and they're a bit pricey, any ideas?

Thanks a mill.

Kenny Logins

I've just ordered a YN-467 with wireless trigger/receiver, around €100 for the lot. I know it is a very basic kit but I think a great place to start, at a great price.

http://speedlights.net/2010/09/10/yongnuo-yn-467-speedlite-review/

Macker1

Having posted in this thread a while back I'm looking to get some help/advice after finally deciding on a DSLR camera for my daughter as her Xmas present. After much deliberation we have decided upon the Nikon D3100 which is above my original budget (€450) but certainly appears to be worth the extra cash.

It can be sourced at various stores

http://www.berminghamcameras.ie/store/index.php?target=products&product_id=4452 €550

http://www.connscameras.ie/nikon-d3100/p-018208919529pd.html

€600 this is bundled with a bag and 4GB Memory card

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=13352&langId=111&searchTerms=nikon+d3100&authToken=

€490 but out of stock at present.

I do have the option of going up north to do some shopping and no doubt can get a good deal on the camera. A quick check has the following option at Jessops

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/ShoppingCart/show.html

works out at €530 this includes 8GB Memory card

Being honest I would like to get this bought asap as I'm getting a headache with all the research online.

Any good options / stores that people can recommend.

PS..... The only issue is that I won't be getting paid till the 16th Dec and ordering online would not really be an option unless I can guarantee delivery before 23rd Dec.

All advice welcome