Samsung NX30
- Thread starter smr
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What and where will you be shooting? Paddock stuff? Media areas or from the stands with joe public will make a massive difference to the kit required!
Generally you'll want a dslr with great af and a long fast lenses neither of which the samsung system supplies.
Generally you'll want a dslr with great af and a long fast lenses neither of which the samsung system supplies.
I'll put my neck out as a) I don't know anything about the NX30 and b) I don't know much about Nikon kit... but:
It sounds like you need the AF performance from a DSLR and I would look at both these brands due to how well established and developed they are, plus they have an large ecosystem of lenses. When you buy a DSLR body you need to consider the system you are buying into (Canon & Nikon have different lens mounts).
You will have to invest in lenses, unless you are incredibly close to your subject the kit lens won't have enough reach.
For your requirement to shoot in Iceland the kit lens may be wide enough to get some good shots though.
Have a look at the EOS 700D with a kit lens (or even a second hand 600/650) + a budget telephoto lens. I'm quite impressed with the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens for the price.
Others will be able to suggest an equivalent Nikon model I'm sure. Both will perform closely in terms of IQ and AF performance. It will come down to preference and might be worth you checking which one you like to handle the best in a shop before buying.
It sounds like you need the AF performance from a DSLR and I would look at both these brands due to how well established and developed they are, plus they have an large ecosystem of lenses. When you buy a DSLR body you need to consider the system you are buying into (Canon & Nikon have different lens mounts).
You will have to invest in lenses, unless you are incredibly close to your subject the kit lens won't have enough reach.
For your requirement to shoot in Iceland the kit lens may be wide enough to get some good shots though.
Have a look at the EOS 700D with a kit lens (or even a second hand 600/650) + a budget telephoto lens. I'm quite impressed with the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens for the price.
Others will be able to suggest an equivalent Nikon model I'm sure. Both will perform closely in terms of IQ and AF performance. It will come down to preference and might be worth you checking which one you like to handle the best in a shop before buying.
Thanks Genoma, one of my customers is a professional wildlife photographer and rang me up earlier (needs his PC fixing). He advised me that a good choice would be a second hand Canon 7D which I think you can get for around £4-500 and that he'd be able to lend me his 100-300 lens for when I go to Formula 1. Thoughts? Or would a 700D be just as good a bet?
7D is getting on a bit now. The a nikon ad300 is an equivalent camera.
I would personally go for some thing newer. Nikon D7100 has professional 51pt autofocus, state of the art sensor and prices are extremely reasonable. The new canon 7Dmk2 is looking quite good.
I would personally go for some thing newer. Nikon D7100 has professional 51pt autofocus, state of the art sensor and prices are extremely reasonable. The new canon 7Dmk2 is looking quite good.
For anyone to recommend a specific camera & lens we need know more details about what you will be photographing and where you'll be standing - behind the fence or media pass, pit lane etc.
For instance -
If you're standing close to circuit and want sharp images of the cars then you'll need a sports camera with fast, accurate focus and a decent frame per second shutter. e.g. A Canon 7D - like you mentioned.
If you're sitting up in a Grandstand then focus speed is less of an issue. You'll be better spending less on a camera and more on a longer focal length lens. e.g. a Canon 700D and at least a 400mm prime lens.
It's also worth looking at renting a decent lens. Again, it totally depends on the quality of the output you want.
- Pro standard images - a 500mm F4 Prime lens
- Photos to show you've been there; any 70-300 cheap end zoom
For instance -
If you're standing close to circuit and want sharp images of the cars then you'll need a sports camera with fast, accurate focus and a decent frame per second shutter. e.g. A Canon 7D - like you mentioned.
If you're sitting up in a Grandstand then focus speed is less of an issue. You'll be better spending less on a camera and more on a longer focal length lens. e.g. a Canon 700D and at least a 400mm prime lens.
It's also worth looking at renting a decent lens. Again, it totally depends on the quality of the output you want.
- Pro standard images - a 500mm F4 Prime lens
- Photos to show you've been there; any 70-300 cheap end zoom
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Okay well I need a camera which will be mostly used for portrait shots, my sons Jenson and Ethan and every day things, landscape shots and day trips/Holidays mainly.
I only attend one or two Formula 1 events per year, usually one but sometimes two if I decide to attend one abroad so that would only be for two weekends of the year.
Photo finish wise I'm not after anything pro standard - just good high quality photos but they don't have to be to a pro / impeccable standard, just a lot better than a camera phone can do would be a good start. The kind of thing you could frame where the car is centred, in focus but probably wouldn't be able to sell is the standard I guess I'm after, although I do realise that everyone's standards vary from person to person.
At F1 events I'd usually have general admission tickets giving me the opportunity to free roam the circuits and stand as close to the fence / track as possible or away from it, sometimes it could be in the stands but sometimes on ground level or a grassy bank elevated slightly above the track (think Kemmel straight at Spa)...
But yeah for the other 50 or so weekends of the year it'd just be for taking photos of my boys, landscape and general every day things.
I only attend one or two Formula 1 events per year, usually one but sometimes two if I decide to attend one abroad so that would only be for two weekends of the year.
Photo finish wise I'm not after anything pro standard - just good high quality photos but they don't have to be to a pro / impeccable standard, just a lot better than a camera phone can do would be a good start. The kind of thing you could frame where the car is centred, in focus but probably wouldn't be able to sell is the standard I guess I'm after, although I do realise that everyone's standards vary from person to person.
At F1 events I'd usually have general admission tickets giving me the opportunity to free roam the circuits and stand as close to the fence / track as possible or away from it, sometimes it could be in the stands but sometimes on ground level or a grassy bank elevated slightly above the track (think Kemmel straight at Spa)...
But yeah for the other 50 or so weekends of the year it'd just be for taking photos of my boys, landscape and general every day things.
If you only do 1 or 2 sports events a year I would simply hire a modern body and good lens for the event.
Sports is very expensive to photograph, you really need the best bodies and lenses. Wildlife is similar.
For everyday photos and faim family pics then pretty much anything will do, the Samsung nx30 would be fine
Sports is very expensive to photograph, you really need the best bodies and lenses. Wildlife is similar.
For everyday photos and faim family pics then pretty much anything will do, the Samsung nx30 would be fine
Well in that case an NX30 will be fine and I'd advise grabbing a 30mm f2.0 pancake to go with it. They make an absolutely awesome combo or for something a little more portrait orientated I own a 45mm f1.8 which is also a fantastic little lens.
Budget wise as little as possible 
but seriously i think 400 would be ok. Could stretch to 550 tops i think.
Theres a fantastic eos700d bundle on ebay with 18-55 and 100-300 lens with two tripods and about 20 other accessories on the bay for 550ish, all brand new.
Seems a good deal? That way i could take better photos at f1 than the nx30? and have a brilliant everyday camera and landscapes / portraits etc. First landscape shoot will be iceland.
but seriously i think 400 would be ok. Could stretch to 550 tops i think.Theres a fantastic eos700d bundle on ebay with 18-55 and 100-300 lens with two tripods and about 20 other accessories on the bay for 550ish, all brand new.
Seems a good deal? That way i could take better photos at f1 than the nx30? and have a brilliant everyday camera and landscapes / portraits etc. First landscape shoot will be iceland.
Budget wise as little as possible
Theres a fantastic eos700d bundle on ebay with 18-55 and 100-300 lens with two tripods and about 20 other accessories on the bay for 550ish, all brand new.
Seems a good deal? That way i could take better photos at f1 than the nx30? and have a brilliant everyday camera and landscapes / portraits etc. First landscape shoot will be iceland.
The canon 100-300mm is a very old lens, stopped being made a long time ago and is worth very little these. You probably also want a lens better than the 18-55mm, even then there are many older cheaper versions of that which you may get in such a bundle.
In general I would keep clear of these eBay bundles with a million times of worthless cheap junk. You get 2 tripods, but why would you want 2, and the chance of either them being in anyway usable are remote. Pretty much everything else is just nasty fodder. Things like bags you will want to pick yourself. Memory cards from an eBay seller will be dirt cheap 3rd part ones or fake branded cards.
I would also be concerned about grey market gear, warranties, and used times. I'm sure that 100-300mm lens is second hand for example because you can't buy it new.
Buy from a reputable dealer www.camerapricebuster.co.uk
Hi D.P,
My mistake, it was a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens.... but anyway, after writing that post last night I did some searching on ebay and came to exactly the same conclusion... all of the bundled stuff is bottom of the barrel cheap stuff, like the tripods, flash guns, camera case etc.
I had a look last night and found much better quality gear, I think I'll go for the body with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Camera Lens, unless I should go for another lens?
That would set me back about £350, and then I'll get a camera bag and any other things I need, then next Spring/early Summer I'll get a decent zoom lens for F1 and get practicing at taking some shots, Donington isn't far from me so that could be a good place to practice. Thanks for the advice!
My mistake, it was a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens.... but anyway, after writing that post last night I did some searching on ebay and came to exactly the same conclusion... all of the bundled stuff is bottom of the barrel cheap stuff, like the tripods, flash guns, camera case etc.
I had a look last night and found much better quality gear, I think I'll go for the body with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Camera Lens, unless I should go for another lens?
That would set me back about £350, and then I'll get a camera bag and any other things I need, then next Spring/early Summer I'll get a decent zoom lens for F1 and get practicing at taking some shots, Donington isn't far from me so that could be a good place to practice. Thanks for the advice!
Even the 75-300mm is quite old now and not of particular value.
I think it is best to get the camera and kit lens from a reliable company and then add on all the extras that you want and need as when you need them, making a fully informed choice over each addition.
You will need a memory card if you don';t already have an SD card. There are basically 2 choice: 1) good quality named brands that are faster and more reliable, e.g. Sandisk, Lexar, 2) Cheaper cards that tend to be less reliable and often slower.
For less critical work cheaper cards form Kingston/patriot or whoever are fine.
People tend to buy bags early on but I actually rarely use a regular bag. At home the camera sit on a shelf. If i'm out shooting the camera is around my neck. If I'm doing longer hikes the camera goes in a backpack and I don't bother with a special camera bag. If im doing a photography focused hike then I use a proper camera backpack that sits multiple lens and extras snugly. If i'm walking aorund town doing some street work I have a shoulder bag.
You don't really need anythign else to start with. If you make a bigger trip/holiday somewhere then you might want a spare battery or 2. Similar to the memory card, the Canon battery will be quite expensive but is the most reliable, there are then 3rd party ones from the likes of energizer that are way cheaper. These tend to be OK some of the cheapest Chinese ones have a tendency to explode! I also feel they hold their charge less despite often higher capacity claims, and have a shorter life time.
I think it is best to get the camera and kit lens from a reliable company and then add on all the extras that you want and need as when you need them, making a fully informed choice over each addition.
You will need a memory card if you don';t already have an SD card. There are basically 2 choice: 1) good quality named brands that are faster and more reliable, e.g. Sandisk, Lexar, 2) Cheaper cards that tend to be less reliable and often slower.
For less critical work cheaper cards form Kingston/patriot or whoever are fine.
People tend to buy bags early on but I actually rarely use a regular bag. At home the camera sit on a shelf. If i'm out shooting the camera is around my neck. If I'm doing longer hikes the camera goes in a backpack and I don't bother with a special camera bag. If im doing a photography focused hike then I use a proper camera backpack that sits multiple lens and extras snugly. If i'm walking aorund town doing some street work I have a shoulder bag.
You don't really need anythign else to start with. If you make a bigger trip/holiday somewhere then you might want a spare battery or 2. Similar to the memory card, the Canon battery will be quite expensive but is the most reliable, there are then 3rd party ones from the likes of energizer that are way cheaper. These tend to be OK some of the cheapest Chinese ones have a tendency to explode! I also feel they hold their charge less despite often higher capacity claims, and have a shorter life time.
Thanks for the advice 
Now after having done some reading on the Nikon D3300 I'm wondering if that would be better for me than the 700D...has 11 point AF system compared to 9 on the Canon and a 24mp camera as opposed to 18, but the ISO low level performance is better on the Canon... flippin eck it's hard work figuring all this out! 
Now after having done some reading on the Nikon D3300 I'm wondering if that would be better for me than the 700D...has 11 point AF system compared to 9 on the Canon and a 24mp camera as opposed to 18, but the ISO low level performance is better on the Canon... flippin eck it's hard work figuring all this out! Just bought the following
Canon EOS 700D Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS STM Lens
Manfrotto Advanced Gear Backpack, SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro 95MB/Sec SDHC Card + £50 Wex Voucher
For £539 reduced to £489 with Canon £50 Winter cash back, reduced to £467 with Quidco and linked paypal cashback.
Thanks for the advice guys!
Canon EOS 700D Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS STM Lens
Manfrotto Advanced Gear Backpack, SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro 95MB/Sec SDHC Card + £50 Wex Voucher
For £539 reduced to £489 with Canon £50 Winter cash back, reduced to £467 with Quidco and linked paypal cashback.
Thanks for the advice guys!