Help me!!

[shoot_me]

Hi, like a lot of people i am new to photogarphy and would like some direction. at the moment i have a standard Samsung L730 which i paid £80 for from Asda last year (dont laugh), as some of my hobbies take me to wonderful places around the country i find myself taking a lot of photos which i am really enjoying but im find my camera is not up for the job.
as i do loads of mountain biking and golf i would really like a camera for action shots this is where mine fails!! i also like taking photos of my suroundings so a bit of an all round camera im looking for. i dont no much about camera and there seems a lot you need to know about what camera you need so this is where i nedd your hel p please.
i got £200-300 for the camera plus i got other money for extras, the camera will need to be able to fit in a rucksake for when im biking though. please help!!

Chris

[chris-p]

Hi Chris

I would suggest you go for a "bridge" camera. Generally speaking they pack SLR type controls and a huge zoom range into a relatively compact body and you can get a lot for the higher end of your budget.

Have a look at things like the Canon Powershot SX120 IS, Canon Powershot SX20 IS, Fuji FinePix S2000 HD and the Olympus SP-590UZ.

If you would prefer something smaller the best 2 compact superzoom type cameras on the market are the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 and the Canon Powershot SX200 IS

[shoot_me]

bridge camera???
i like the look of the first Canon, could you also tell me what else i will need to buy so i can kit myself out for the winter

Ta

Chris

[chris-p]

The idea of a bridge camera is to "bridge" the gap between traditional compacts and SLRs. A "normal" compact will have no manual controls, little in the way of more advanced photographic features (like metering modes, faster frame rates etc) and a relatively modest zoom range (3x or 5x).

A bridge camera provides all the manual controls of an SLR as well as the automatic, semi-auto and scene modes. They also have faster capture speeds (in fps or frames per second), much more in the way of customisable settings and much much longer zoom ranges (up to, and above, 20x).

It's really a case of what you can afford.

As for other things you will need I would suggest a case or bag, memory cards and batteries to get you started. In the case of the Canon SX120 IS that you like, it takes 2 AA batteries so I would consider a charger and 4 AA batteries if you don't already have any.

As for memory cards, the camera takes SD (secure digital) or SDHC (secure digital high capacity) cards. Personally I like to have several smaller memory cards rather than 1 large one because it means if I loose or damage a card, or it gets corrupted, I haven't lost all my photos. Also, SDHC cards are relatively new and many older card readers don't recognise them, even though they are the same shape. This may or may not be an issue for you.
Decent ones aren't expensive. For example you can get the Sandisk Ultra II 2GB for £6.99.

As for cases, simple small cases are also not expensive. A couple of good ones would be the Kata DP-415 and the Lowepro Apex 30 AW both of which would fit the Canon SX120 IS and are only about £15

[shoot_me]

cheers Chris most helpful i must say,.
i have just been on the phone to a shop in cardiff and he was a bit offish i all he was saying is i will have to come into the store!! lol
what about a trypod????
and would it be an idea to take classes?????

Chris

[chris-p]

Dare I ask which camera store and what you were phoning about? If they're being a pain in the proverbial then take your business elsewhere. You'll probably find everything is cheaper online but it can be a good idea to go into a shop and actually have a look at the camera and see if you like it.

As for tripods it really depends on what you're likely to be taking pictures of. I wouldn't think it's a "must have". Looking at your original post the first thing you mention is action photography and a tripod would be more of a hinderance than a help there. It probably wouldn't fit in your rucksack either (although it depends on what tripod and how big your rucksack is!).
A tripod really comes into it's own when you're shooting in low light or doing things like multi-shot panoramas or HDR.
Places like Jessops *sharp intake of breath* do sell cheap tripods for around £20 or £30 but I was never very impressed with mine and barely used it. I've now got a much better one and it gets a lot more use but then I have a much heavier and larger camera, and carry around a lot more gear.

As for courses it really depends on how serious about photography you are. I've never been on one and (at the moment at least) have no inention of signing up for one. I found that most of the information I've ever needed has been easily available on the net or via a forum like this.
There is a lot of jargon and a lot of terms which don't make sense to start off with but reading magazines, forums and other websites answered all of my questions. I even found I learnt a lot from reading the in depth camera and lens reviews on DPReview. Their blogs are pretty good too for some of the more technical things.

If you're after a camera that you can learn with the Canon would certainly be better than your current one as you have the PSAM modes (or P, Tv, Av and M as Canon call them). Everyone is different and courses work for some people and not for others but I've found that I've learnt the most be going out and taking pictures. Also, I've spent so long in lectures and Universities that I'm sick of classes!!
There are some very good books which might help. Bryan Petersons book Understanding Exposure is about £12 and explains a lot in simple terms, mostly relating to perspective, metering and stops.
In short, there is no right or wrong answer here but I would recommend seeing how you get on with the camera and if you want to learn more or not. You never know, you might get bitten by the bug and be wandering around with a big SLR and several lenses in a couple of years or you might still have your bridge camera 5 years down the line but give yourself a chance to try it before you throw all your money into it.
I started off with a predecessor to the SX120 IS (the Powershot S3 IS) and bought an SLR within a year as I was thoroughly addicted but I'm glad I started with my S3 and gave myself the opportunity to see.

[shoot_me]

cheers again chris, i called Cardiff Camera Centre in morgan arcade, the bloke was a bit of an ***. i think if he told me want i asked which was "what bridge cameras do you have in stock" i would of gone down tomorrow and picked it up but nevermind could just be having a bad day!! lol (love him)
im liking the look of that 1st canon one you linked up, iv checked on ebay and there are some good deals on there!!

[chris-p]

I would be a little cautious of some eBay sellers.

A lot of the time they are not UK sourced items and anything that comes from Hong Kong or China etc (in fact pretty much anywhere outside of the UK or EU) won't be a UK specified model. Also, if it comes from HK etc. you won't have a valid warranty.

If you know you're getting a UK model thats new and original then go for it but shop with caution!

[ether]

Originally Posted by chris-p

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If you know you're getting a UK model thats new and original then go for it but shop with caution!

Echo that Chris
the other thing to be aware of is that if you get caught for import tax then the prices are not as good as they look as the courier adds some for collecting it

Ed

[shoot_me]

cheers guys but i wouldnt buy form abroad so thats ok. just looking for a good deal, plus that guy from cardiff narrowed down my opptions lol is there many good online stores???