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Posted on 17/10/08 5:18:32 PM |
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The Mad Lep
Four-Leafed Fantasist Posts: 323 Reply  |
Camera Suggestions Needed
Hi folks! 
I need a bit of help with something, and I think you're the best people to come to. 
I don't own a digital camera at present, and I want to remedy the situation. Only thing is, I know nothing about them. I loathe complicated gadgets, so what I'm looking for is a simple, idiot-proof camera that I don't have to pay a fortune for. I don't want a load of extra gadgets or add-ons or the partridge in the pear tree if possible; just something very simple and straight forward that I could get used to. The saga behind this is a disastrous week in London in April, in which I took a heap of photos which all looked great, and then turned out to have pink streaks across the white areas in every photo. The camera also ate the batteries up, which cheesed me off big time, so if anyone knows of a handy little camera which is easy enough on batteries that'd be great. Thanks in advance to everyone for any suggestions or ideas! Celia (P.s. Sorry if I posted this in the wrong section!) |
Posted on 17/10/08 5:54:31 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7068 Reply  |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
I'm sure many people will want to weigh in on this one, but seeing as I got here first let me lay out your options: 1. Cheap pocket camera. Casio, Pentax, Panasonic etc - the kind of thing you can pick up for under £200 and slip into a pocket or handbag. Not bad quality, up to around 8 megapixels. Most come with rechargeable batteries that charge in the dock. 2. Pentax or Canon digital SLR. These start at around £450 and you'll find yourself investing in new lenses. Good quality, but bulky and can be tricky to learn. 3. Canon G9. I've just bought one of these little beauties - £275 from Amazon - and it's fantastic. 12 megapixels, which is way more than most people really need, but the best thing is that it shoots in RAW mode, which gives you far more control over the finished image. Bulkier than the pocket cameras, but bag sized and great value. Use in manual mode if you want to learn that stuff, or fully automatic. Now I'll let the real photographers have their say... |
Posted on 17/10/08 6:00:56 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply  |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
The Sony A200k is a very cheap starter DSLR which comes with a 18-70mm lens a really good range as you have to plus in the 1.5x factor for the sensor size giving you an effective range between 27-105mm it also has a built in popup flash as well as Image Stabilisation giving you greater control and has good features so that the better you get the more you'll get from the camera. Don't be worried about not knowing too much about Photography as there are very many tutorials, magazines and books that will bring you up to speed but to start with just put the camera into Automatic mode and use it as a point and shoot camera. What you don't want to do if you're tight on a budget is buy a camera that you'll soon out grow, however the ones Steve mention are all really great cameras with good features. |
Posted on 17/10/08 7:41:34 PM |
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cy98
** Posts: 104 Reply |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Simple and digital cameras are not to be said in the same breath. In auto mode they are pretty much a point and shoot however. Everyone has their biases because of the types of pictures they take. I like like wildlife as well a scenery so I prefer a zoom ratio of 1:5. This gives me from wide angle to medium telephoto. Bought my wife an Olympus FE 340. It is very compact and works well. Only complaint is that the auto ISO (ASA) does not change until the shutter speed is below 1/30. Would rather shoot at 1/60 at 400 than 1/30 at 200. Can manually change ISO however. I use a Nikon digital slr. Shutter lag was a real problem with my first digital, so for the next one I checked shutter lag with website below. It is a good site as it gives a quick test report of each of the cameras for ease of use, quality of lens, color distortion, etc., as well as physical specs. Check it out at http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/shutter-lag-comparisons.cfm |
Posted on 18/10/08 05:10:29 AM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply  |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Hi Celia I'd endorse Steve's view here. The G9 is a real gift at that price. It offers 6X optical zoom (steer away from digital zoom) and, as said, the ability to capture RAW, which gives great flexibility. The reports I've seen are full of praise. And, it's even small enough to go in Steve's handbag!. Nick |
Posted on 18/10/08 12:45:42 PM |
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The Mad Lep
Four-Leafed Fantasist Posts: 323 Reply |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Thanks a million for all the help everyone, I knew I could count on you for great info! 
I'll have another shop around and see what I can find, now that I have more to go on. Unfortunately Amazon does not ship electrical stuff to Ireland!  Do you know of any good online sites for buying cameras?
Thanks again! |
Posted on 18/10/08 1:54:54 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4057 Reply  |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Celia, Try Park Cameras. They are based in a town called Burgess Hill, Sussex just a few miles from me. Their prices are about as competitive as you are going to get. Steve's suggestion of a Canon G9 is a good one and you can get it from Park for £279.99. Really the camera that you buy is very dependent on what you will be using it for. Decide what kind of images you want to take then pop round to your local dealer and play with some of their demo models until you find something that suits you. My main suggestion is that you get one with an optical viewfinder as this will save on battery power. those little screens drain batteries at an incredible rate. You might find that the G9 is a little bulky so you might want to go for something a little smaller. I hesitate to recommend anything in this category as there are so many to choose from, but something by Canon/Nikon/Sony/Pentax will be perfectly ok. If you are not a reasonably experienced photographer you may want to avoid the digital SLRs as they are expensive (but some cheap ones around, particularly second hand) and you ought to know the relationships between aperture and shutter speed and how they affect your photographs in order to get the best out of them. Gordon _________________ Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. |
Posted on 18/10/08 2:24:05 PM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Picking up on Gordon's point, there are some good mags out there, which will help you with basics, i.e. shutter speed, depth of field, focus, ISO and the relationship betwen them. I've subscribed to Digital Photo for some time now and that's good for this sort of information and photoshop / Elements advice, but have a look around. If you can stretch to an SLR, then do so, because they offer much more flexibility and control. Nick |
Posted on 18/10/08 7:05:25 PM |
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Paul 2007 thru 2010
Lego Legend Posts: 361 Reply |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 for my "carry everywhere" camera. It's about the size of a packet of cigarettes (quite typical for it's class). Anything bigger than this and you will be standing at your front door thinking "should I take my camera or not". Even the smallest DSLR or DSLR style is too big as a take everywhere camera. You'll be leaving it behind more often than not and missing out on photo opportunities. If you find later on that you need something with more control then get a DSLR but keep your point and shoot as they both have their strengths. |
Posted on 18/10/08 7:38:01 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
I agree with Nick the relationship between Shutter Speed and Aperture can be critical but these are things that can be easily learnt - I too subscribe to Digital Photo and it's fantastic for giving you the low down on DSLRs without the mumbo-jumbo. A DSLR doesn't always have to be 'only for the pros or the ones in the know' Automatic Mode will effective make it a point and shoot, and Program Mode is like Automatic Mode only you can choose the Aperture/Shutter speed combos yourself. DSLRs can be daunting if you jump right in and buy a semi pro/ prosumer camera straight off. But the Nikon D40, Canon 450D, Sony A200 or the Olympus cameras are all very good beginner cameras - so there is no need to 'work your way up' like it was the case when DSLRs started out. The choice at the end of the day is purely down to Mad Lep's personal needs - but all of the suggestions here are very good information on getting started in Digital Photography. But what I don't want to see is people being put off DSLRs because it's seen as 'Out of their league, start with something smaller' not only is that going to cost more in the long run but who knows Lep may well be the next David Bailey and we could find he takes to Photography like a duck to water. Size and portability is a factor but if you know you want to shoot something then planning a trip out with the DSLR is no less convienent than having a small compact in your bag/pocket the only difference is that with a compact you might be able to get more spontaneous snaps if you just happen to have the camera on you at the time. But really Photomontage isn't really about spontaneous photography but collecting a good stock of images you can use later. Anyway Leprechaun good luck with your search. |
Posted on 19/10/08 12:23:27 PM |
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The Mad Lep
Four-Leafed Fantasist Posts: 323 Reply |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Thanks everyone, those are some very helpful suggestions. I'll let you know how I get on. |
Posted on 22/10/08 07:17:53 AM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply  |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
I can remember how confused I was when I was buying my first digital camera. I found http://www.dpreview.com/ really useful for comparing different cameras. Also when you have got an idea of what you want, go into a camera shop and have a look at what you are interested in, and then check the web for best prices. Good Luck |
Posted on 06/11/08 10:11:02 PM |
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videoC
* Posts: 3 Reply  |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Celia, The G9 is a very good camera but I would go for a Canon digital SLR and start in P (program) mode where the camera will set shutter speed, aperture etc automatically for you. Once you gain confidence, and you will very quickly, you can start experimenting with other more creative modes. I started with an Ixus and quickly became fed up with the lack of options and the shutter lag so then splashed out on a SLR. The IXUS is great for snaps but my SLR produces outstanding photos. Good Luck! Clive |
Posted on 07/11/08 09:17:33 AM |
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The Mad Lep
Four-Leafed Fantasist Posts: 323 Reply |
Re: Camera Suggestions Needed
Thanks Clive and Vibeke! I have loads of good suggestions now. All I need is to recover from buying my laptop and I can go camera shopping, lol. 
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