Do I need a DSLR?

sean61

Hello everybody. I'm new to the photography forum so sorry if I'm asking a question that's answered every second day!

I've been doing a fair bit of sightseeing lately. Mostly because I've been heading off on my motorbike and ending up in scenic areas. I obviously like to take some pictures while I'm there and the camera phone is grand for the odd building and close up stuff but for mountains and lakes etc. its a waste of time. I also do the odd trackday and I've started going to road racing as well this year and again the phone is useless.

So my question is, what kind of kit would I need for that kind of photography? I'm not really interested in making money off it or anything but I'd like to be able take shots that actually capture the moment properly in good quality. Is there anything I could get for 400ish whether new or used that would be good enough?

colblimp

Looking at your needs, a DSLR would seem to fit the bill, although for what you want it for, your budget is a bit, er, limited. However, if you're prepared to trawl the 'net for 2nd hand gear and increase you budget, I'm sure you could pick up some nice gear that would do the job.

I'd recommend a Nikon D7000, 35mm f1.8 lens and some sort of telephoto for the track day stuff.

Tiriel

sean61 wrote: »

Hello everybody. I'm new to the photography forum so sorry if I'm asking a question that's answered every second day!

I've been doing a fair bit of sightseeing lately. Mostly because I've been heading off on my motorbike and ending up in scenic areas. I obviously like to take some pictures while I'm there and the camera phone is grand for the odd building and close up stuff but for mountains and lakes etc. its a waste of time. I also do the odd trackday and I've started going to road racing as well this year and again the phone is useless.

So my question is, what kind of kit would I need for that kind of photography? I'm not really interested in making money off it or anything but I'd like to be able take shots that actually capture the moment properly in good quality. Is there anything I could get for 400ish whether new or used that would be good enough?

Just as I see you are on a bike, you probably don't want to be lugging a lot of kit with you. A DSLR tends to be a fair bit bulkier than other options, simply because you keep wanting/needing more (lenses etc.)

I'd check out something more compact like maybe the Sony RX100? Or one of the Lumix series perhaps?

defrule

Cork_girl said it all.

Though I must add, if you go down the compact camera route, Canon ones have Chdk which turn them into beasts.

Consider this, OP:

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/1665420/Trail/searchtext%3ECANON.htm


I'm a pro photographer and I bought one of these to throw in the glove box of the car (incase I ever come across anything interesting or newsworthy when out and about).

It hasn't gotten much use,to be completely honest, but when it has come out, it's been a great little yoke. It has manual mode so you can get the most out of it once you learn the basics regarding settings, and it's a pretty good price off Argos at the moment (€115).


Here are two random photos taken with it:










(Both straight from camera, no editing, taken about 2 minutes apart, too, coincidentally). That was me just messing about with it though.


I don't really photograph much in the way of fast-paced events (track days, etc.) but assuming they're in sunlight/daytime I'd say this camera would have you covered (if they're at night or in darkness, you'd need to fork over serious money to do a proper job of them though, I'd say. Fast-paced, low-light stuff is where photography becomes pricy).



Just an idea for you. Also be sure to pick up a little camera bag/case to put it in if you do decide to buy it.

sean61

Thanks for the replies! That Canon powershot seems like it would be ideal to get me by for now and learn the basics of photography. It's cheap and I read some reviews there which were generally positive. It's probably best to figure out what I really need by playing around with something like that before spending big bucks.

I had been looking at older model dslrs like the Canon EOS 1100D which is only about 300 new and maybe a lens like this for the trackdays http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-75-300mm-4-0-5-6-III-Lens/dp/B00005K47Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403832107&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+eos+300mm

What would that combination be like? Reviews of the lens generally weren't great but to an amateur like myself would it do the job well enough until my ability improves?

Once again, thanks for replying!!

sean61

Or would this be even better than the sx170 for close ups at track days with its 35x zoom?

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Canon-PowerShot-SX30-IS-14-1-MP-Digital-Camera-Black-/321442486527?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item4ad77718ff