Photography for beginners

sid-180

sid-180

sid-180

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6 Nov 2009
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551
Need some advise i would love to get into photgraphy and have around £400 - 500 to spend on a camera, so any advise of cameras would be great.
 
Assuming you want to go down the DSLR route then I would recommend pushing your budget ever so slightly and getting a Canon EOS 550d (just seen for £519 on Amazon brand new) either brand new or second hand.

If not then you need to decide whether you want mirrorless, compact etc first.
 
can't go wrong with the 550d excellent dslr camera to start out on. but if you can push your budget and don't mind waiting another few months the 600d will come down in price as canon have only just lauched the 650d. now reason why i say go for the 600d is it has few extra little thing which the 550d doesn't have. for example the 600d has a rotatible lcd screen that folders out and rotates which can be very handly if you hooking it up to a telescope or taking low angle shots on a mini tripod/bean bag/low angle tripod.
 
Okay i spoke with Jessops and they advised me to go with the Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens.

Checked out the reviews and write up by tech radar and seems like a good options for me to get started on and then in 2 years down the road upgrade to a better camera once i have gained some expereince.
 
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D3100 or D3200 gets my vote! D3200 improves on the D3100 in almost every way, although the bigger file size (esp for RAW) might be a negative for some.
 
sid-180 said:
Need some advise i would love to get into photgraphy and have around £400 - 500 to spend on a camera, so any advise of cameras would be great.
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With that budget would seriously consider secondhand either from somewhere like the MM here or TalkPhotography.

Would allow you to buy an entry level SLR camera (Canon xxxD range or Nikon equivalent) that is a couple of generations old with a couple of lenses and accessories. This would allow you to experiment with difference subject/styles to find what you actually enjoy to shoot.

Then after that 'if' you find you don't enjoy it you could sell the kit with minimal loss (much less that what you would lose on a new camera), or alternatively if you really do enjoy it and decide you want a bigger/newer camera you can also sell on without losing too much.

As for what camera brand to buy get yourself down the shops, pick them up and see what feels comfortable in your hands.
 
sid-180 said:
Don't really want second hand as it will be my first SLR based camera lol
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Thing is if you decide you don't like it after trying it you'll probably not lose much money on second hand kit, you will on new though

Also the second hand kit is a lot cheaper than buying new and if you get it off someone that has cared for it you'll hardly know the difference
 
I know what you are getting at. It's just i love photography and this is now my time to own something that i will love and look after. Thanks for the advise.
 
sid-180 said:
It's just i love photography and this is now my time to own something that i will love and look after. Thanks for the advise.
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This is what most feel. For that reason, 2nd-hand in photography (particularly lenses, which most tend to treat with kid gloves) is generally a far safer bet than most other things 2nd-hand.
 
Okay well i finally got my Nikon d3100 and i must say i am very pleased with the results of some of the pics i have taken.
I will be playing around the settings more in depth over the next 2 weeks or so before i post any pics.

Thanks again everyone.
 
sid-180 said:
Only got the camera this morning through the post, had around 4 hours of use and so far pretty impressed.
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Remember to take it out of auto :D

If you want to learn how to make the most of your camera have a look at the AdoramaTV channel on YouTube. The Digital photography one on one vid particularly good.

http://www.youtube.com/user/adoramaTV

A lot of the fundamentals are covered in the very early lessons. Like this one on exposure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnVzXVsKdXU&feature=plcp
 
Orange said:
I am thinking of getting the Nikon D3100/nikon j1.
How do you find it to use?
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My girlfriend has the nikon J1 and I use to own the D5100, which is the version above the 3100 but similar to it. The J1 is a great little piece of kit, yet in manual its not the easiest of cameras to use as you have to go deep into menus to change the ISO unless you leave it on one of 3 automatic ISO modes.

The ISO performance on the J1 is pretty damn good, as is the vibration reduction which is sensor side, not lens. The lenses however can be pricey and to really get the most out of the camera it requires the F mount adapter, which is around £140. That enables all of the other nikon lenses to fit the J1, giving you some insane reach for very cost effective prices. Thats a MAJOR plus for wildlife photographers especially.

Downside is there is no viewfinder, the autofocus system takes some getting use to (has over 100 points!) and it can feel very odd to hold until you get use to it as the ergonomics seemed to be an after thought.

The D3100 is a nice starting DSLR which has vastly easier full manual controls when compared to the J1 system. Also the lens choices are easier to understand and you get better bokeh with this camera over the J1 due to the sensor size being bigger. Downsides to this camera compared to the J1 is mainly the autofocus system which isn't a patch on the CX format one, yet its good enough for everyday tasks. It definitely isn't a wildlife camera though, especially if you want to take photos of birds, although it CAN do this still, just means you need to lay out more cash on greater focal length lenses to get the same level of magnification the J1 system has.

D3100 has a crop factor of roughly x1.5 whilst the J1 is roughly x2.6. I'd say the ISO performance on the J1 is possibly better than the D3100 as it really surprised me, even at 3200 iso!

Definitely go to a shop and try both of them though before you remotely consider buying either of them as they are completely different systems with big strengths and weaknesses.
 
If you want a DSLR, you won't be picking up a J1.

I've owned a 3100 for a few months now, really enjoy using it. Finally shooting in full manual now too.

The kit lens is OK, but I would certainly look at getting yourself either the 35mm or 50mm 1.8 prime whenever you can afford to and feel comfortable enough with the camera.

"Understanding Exposure", by Bryan Peterson is an excellent book, covering the fundamentals of making a great image, I'm only a few chapters in and have learnt so much.

You might also want to subscribe to "FroKnowsPhoto" on YouTube, as Jared has hundreds of fun and informative videos aimed at beginners and up. There are also a few 3100 specific videos too which will be of interest to you.

Have fun :)
 
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