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| Beginner photography questions The place those new to photography can come to get advice. No question is too trivial. |
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#1
06-11-10, 08:41 PM
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Advice on new camera please !
Hi
I've currently got a little Nikon CoolpixS550 and I've just printed up about 250 photos dating back to the birth of my 16 month old daughter so they're quite special and even though I saved to disk after trying to do my best on contrast etc, I am seriously disappointed with the quality of a lot of them. I'm particularly disappointed with indoor shots which either seem to be drowned in a harsh flash, no matter what setting, or dim and fuzzy if no flash, again, whatever indoor setting I choose. The video is pretty naff too unless I turn on all the lights in the room and sellotape my hand to something immovable  I'm going to have another baby in March and I want better pictures of my girls as they grow up together and I feel this means getting a better camera. I'm toying with the idea of an SLR and going on a steep learning curve ! Is it worth it if I'm not producing pics as anything more than family/hobby ? Should I try to go for the best up to date compact instead ? I'd really appreciate your views on this, I'm reading lots of reviews etc but getting a little lost. Thanks in anticipation. Vanessa 
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#2
06-11-10, 10:10 PM
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Quote:
Essentially, you can't beat an SLR camera for picture quality. Although compacts have come a long way in recent years and can be very handy by being small enough to fit into a pocket or handbag, they can never really rival the optical ability of an SLR, with its interchangeable lenses. With my old Kodak Easyshare, like you I either got blurry, grainy images or over exposed ones. A lot of that can probably be attributed to my lack of knowledge with cameras back then but equally, the compact cameras definitely have their limitations. There aren't a huge amount of pictures of my siblings and I growing up, which was a major reason I got into photography, as I wanted my nieces and nephews to have hundreds to pass onto their children and not just the out of focus or poorly lit snapshots that I used to take with my compact. A DSLR doesn't have to be all that expensive, indeed some of the entry level cameras are only a couple of hundred quid more than an expensive compact. A lot of the latest models also have video on them too, which for some people is a very handy feature and an abomination for the purists lol. This would allow you to take decent photos as well as record things like your childrens first words, or their first steps, parties etc, etc. There are a variety of makes and models to choose from, which offer very good value for money and excellent image quality. You may want to take a look the Nikon D3100, which is the company's latest entry level offering. It is review here. My advice would be to look at the all the various entry level camera models (and maybe semi profressional ones) by the major manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic and see which ones have the features that you require. Make a note of those models that fit the bill and go to a camera shop and try them out to see what feels the best in your hand. Once you have chosen the body you want, the next thing is to choose the lenses. The standard kit lenses are commonly in the 18-55mm focal lengths. This means that it can do wide angle shots to close portraits at the 55mm end (roughly what you see with the naked eye will be the same size looking through the camera). Personally, I'd recommend you go for something that's got a little more pulling power. My Nikon D90 came with the 18-105mm VR lens, which covers a nice range and has produced some excellent shots. The only other lens I would really stress you get, would be a 50mm f/1.8. They are capable of producing some really professional looking shots, due to their shallow depth of field, which creates the nice out of focus backgrounds. If you have a look through my gallery you will see that virtually all the photographs of my nephews are taken on either my 18-105mm VR or 50mm f/1.8D. Unfortunately though, if you were to opt for the Nikon D3100, you would not be able to use the 50mm f/1.8D in autofocus mode, which with fast moving children is pretty much essential. You'd require the 50mm f/1.8G which has the focus motor built into the lens. The price difference is about £200 more! My only other advice would be to take your time and fully research each camera you find suitable as there are pros and cons compared to other makes/models. Some will have features that you will probably never use, others may lack features that would be beneficial. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand any terminology or why certain features are preferable over others. Eventually (hopefully) you'll arrive at the camera that is right for you. Hope that helps, Aaron
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#3
06-11-10, 10:36 PM
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#4
06-11-10, 11:57 PM
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You haven't mentioned price. What has been posted above makes sense and I guess it depends how much you want to spend and if you intend to take this any further as a hobby, If you do, I'd suggest the Digital SLR route, this is because all camera's have sensors in them to record the image, anything that isn't an SLR has a tiny tiny sensor in it, therefore the quality isn't as good.
However, if you are mainly sharing photo's over the web and just printing small prints this isn't really something you should worry about too much. If on the other hand you'd like to do some enlargements and bigger prints for family and friends then perhaps it is something to take into consideration. Other camera's I'd suggest are Canon G11 ( soon to be replaced by G12 ) so possible bargains to be had, Nikon coolpix P7000 ( nikon's answer to canon's stunning G11 ). Or if you can wait until after christmas and want to go down the Digi SLR route the Nikon D5000 ( it's fairly basic for a newcomer and has video, but is getting a bit old now so you can probably pick up a good sale bargain. If you can post budget allowances and if you want to go any further we can probably be more specific with where we point you. Hope that helps
__________________
If in doubt just nod and smile !
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#6
16-11-10, 01:33 PM
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Last edited by Bodhi78; 16-11-10 at 01:35 PM. Reason: sp mistakes
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#7
16-11-10, 06:37 PM
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Last edited by Dagwood; 16-11-10 at 06:43 PM.
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#8
24-12-10, 12:50 PM
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Last edited by chris-p; 22-01-11 at 09:06 PM.
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