Digital Camera Advice

2065 Views 45 Replies 15 Participants Last post by xx1, Oct 10, 2006

bassbear81

Discussion Starter · Oct 8, 2006

Thinking at getting a new Dig Camera but have no idea what I want. Going on Safari next year and have been told a camera with a telephoto lens is a must.

Does this mean I need to buy an SLR and an extra lens or will a good compact with zoom be ok.

Im looking around £350 but may spend a little more if it will last me for years

1 - 20 of 46 Posts

BUDGET BUS

· #2 · Oct 8, 2006

the money your looking at try a fuji 9500zoom

or a canon 350/400D with a sigma 70-300f4
http://www.cameradepot.co.uk/mall/departmentpage.cfm/CameraDepot/78238/1/1

this package could cost you 450ish if you shop about.....add another 70 quid and get a 50mmf1.8
learn to use them aswell......

justbuggin

· #3 · Oct 8, 2006

Beat me too it! The s9500 is a sweet camera & will probably do just about everything you could ask of it. Has a built in 300mm (equ.) zoom too

Dub Man

· #4 · Oct 8, 2006

justbuggin said:
Beat me too it! The s9500 is a sweet camera & will probably do just about everything you could ask of it. Has a built in 300mm (equ.) zoom too

Agree. Sweet as!

BUDGET BUS

· #5 · Oct 8, 2006

justbuggin said:
Beat me too it! The s9500 is a sweet camera & will probably do just about everything you could ask of it. Has a built in 300mm (equ.) zoom too

plus it will stay dry and dust free......easy to get good results for a novice aswell.......do yourself a favour and get a few mags and get the lingo and the basic idea of whats apertures and iso's are and stuff.....you dont need much more just a basic understanding....take loads of memory aswell try
http://www.mymemory.co.uk/
uber cheap memory

go out tomorrow and get a copy of DCM digital camera magazine.....well worth a read

Odin

· #6 · Oct 8, 2006

What about the Panasonic DMC-FZ50? Hasn't been out long so I haven't had a chance to play with one, but on paper it looks a good bit of kit.
420mm equivalent zoom, image stabilisation, better screen than the S9500 and another megapixel. About £50 more expensive I think.

A dSLR probably isn't a good buy for you. You might get dirt on the sensor (although if you aren't changing lenses it's not likely), and £350 won't get you quality kit.

bassbear81

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 8, 2006

Bought a copy of What Camera yesterday, but finding it all a bit confusing. They seem to fault everything they review.

Is a macro lens the same as a telephoto lens.

Odin

· #8 · Oct 8, 2006

bassbear81 said:
Is a macro lens the same as a telephoto lens.

No, not really. It is possible to have a telephoto lens with a macro ability though. That's just an extra focus distance to allow for macro photography.

'Macro' basically means 'close up'.

justbuggin

· #9 · Oct 8, 2006

No, macro lets you go closeup for small objects. Telephoto is used to enlarge distant objects. Basically

bassbear81

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 8, 2006

Thanks.
Ive got a 2 mp Nikon at the moment which is fine except when I take picture of something moving fast, (ie a car) by the time it captures it, its gone, there seems to be a delay on it.

Are newer cameras better at this now days.

BUDGET BUS

· #11 · Oct 8, 2006

bassbear81 said:
Thanks.
Ive got a 2 mp Nikon at the moment which is fine except when I take picture of something moving fast, (ie a car) by the time it captures it, its gone, there seems to be a delay on it.

Are newer cameras better at this now days.

yes lots

Odin

· #12 · Oct 8, 2006

bassbear81 said:
Thanks.
Ive got a 2 mp Nikon at the moment which is fine except when I take picture of something moving fast, (ie a car) by the time it captures it, its gone, there seems to be a delay on it.

Are newer cameras better at this now days.

The shutter lag for a decent compact these days will be 1/100s or less.

BUDGET BUS

· #13 · Oct 8, 2006

Odin said:
What about the Panasonic DMC-FZ50? Hasn't been out long so I haven't had a chance to play with one, but on paper it looks a good bit of kit.
420mm equivalent zoom, image stabilisation, better screen than the S9500 and another megapixel. About £50 more expensive I think.

A dSLR probably isn't a good buy for you. You might get dirt on the sensor (although if you aren't changing lenses it's not likely), and £350 won't get you quality kit.

megapexel isnt the b all.......you dont really need over 8 for most things....what i like about the panasonic is the glass.....but over 300 mm zoom without Is is going to be hard to use
for 300 quid the fuji is hard to beat

funky munky

· #14 · Oct 8, 2006

S9500 will do the job standing on its head. If the telephoto isn't enough, you can still buy attachments, not endorsed by fuji, but still readily available

Odin

· #15 · Oct 8, 2006

BUDGET BUS said:
megapexel isnt the b all.......you dont really need over 8 for most things....

Selling things on megapixels is my pet hate dude, I was just summarising the spec.

I end up shooting with my little D50 more often than not - 6.1mp against a 350d with 8mp and I couldn't really tell the difference. I think the D50 was better.

budget bus said:
what i like about the panasonic is the glass.....but over 300 mm zoom without Is is going to be hard to use
for 300 quid the fuji is hard to beat

I haven't shot with a point-and-shoot in ages, so I can't give a decent personal opinion on these. I'm sure I read in the spec the Panasonic has stabilisation though?

bassbear81

Discussion Starter · #16 · Oct 8, 2006

Quite like the look of the Fuji and the Panasonic. Also just looked at the Nikon D50, or should I be sticking with a compact??

funky munky

· #17 · Oct 8, 2006

bassbear81 said:
should I be sticking with a compact??

How often will you go on safari, and will you kick yourself if you have a crap optical zoom?

Good zoom, good glass, and something that doesn't drain the batteries. make pixels the last thing you look at, and concentrate on what a camera is capable off.. Avoid statements like 'digital zoom'.. always bag a decent optical zoom... If you are going DSLR, then think realistically why you want it, and what kit you'll need to lug with you...

Odin

· #18 · Oct 8, 2006

bassbear81 said:
Quite like the look of the Fuji and the Panasonic. Also just looked at the Nikon D50, or should I be sticking with a compact??

I'm not sure you will need the extra features and abilities of the D50 over the compacts mentioned. In price alone, the D50 will cost about £350 for the body, and another £180 for reasonable quality 300mm glass.

Stick with an SLR-style compact, I say.

funky munky

· #19 · Oct 8, 2006

Odin said:
Stick with an SLR-style compact, I say.

I agree.

Orby1

· #20 · Oct 8, 2006

Yup.
Go for decent zoom and good quality lens. Getting a 20megapixel camera with a shite zoom is a waste of money and time. Make the MP the last thing you look for.
And read up on how to use cameras. You don't have to be David Bailey, just know how to use different shutter speeds, exposures, focal lengths etc to get the shot you want. It might seem daunting at first but once you get your head round it it's easy.

1 - 20 of 46 Posts

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