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ChatterBank1 min ago
new camera
8 Answers
sorry if posting in wrong topic, didnt know where else.
im getting a new camera for christmas but not sure which one is best. i have a normal camera so to speak but am wanting one to start a hobby. looked at cameras today that have a lens on the front that you twist to focus. some went up to 55mm. is this sufficient for a novice. i would love to take pics of vibrant coloured flowers close up and landscapes, sunsets. there is a sale on in currys though i dont think what i saw was in the sale. i liked the canon make, liked the grip which is always good and not a bad weight though in this day and age should i expect really lightweight? any advice on what i should have to start me off? i am wanting to take it on hols abroad so dont want anything too weighty or cumbersome.
im getting a new camera for christmas but not sure which one is best. i have a normal camera so to speak but am wanting one to start a hobby. looked at cameras today that have a lens on the front that you twist to focus. some went up to 55mm. is this sufficient for a novice. i would love to take pics of vibrant coloured flowers close up and landscapes, sunsets. there is a sale on in currys though i dont think what i saw was in the sale. i liked the canon make, liked the grip which is always good and not a bad weight though in this day and age should i expect really lightweight? any advice on what i should have to start me off? i am wanting to take it on hols abroad so dont want anything too weighty or cumbersome.
Answers
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I assume you're looking for a digital SLR? the starter range generally come with an 18-55mm lens as standard (you can buy different ones as you like.. ).
my daughter has the Nikon D3000 which is pretty good, the Canon EOS 1000D is comparable.
you really need to handle the cameras to see which one feels comfortable for you, and obviously a lot will depend on your budget.
my daughter has the Nikon D3000 which is pretty good, the Canon EOS 1000D is comparable.
you really need to handle the cameras to see which one feels comfortable for you, and obviously a lot will depend on your budget.
Well here's my advice:
Firstly, forget about the number of megapixels. Unless you're planning on printing enlargements bigger than A4 there's absolutely no point in having more than about 3Mp. (You simply won't be able to see the difference). Camera manufacturers like to make their cameras seem 'better' than those of their rivals by providing 8Mp, 10Mp or even 15Mp models but those models don't add anything to what you can get from a 3Mp camera.
What you really need from a camera is a decent zoom lens. Most manufacturers quote figures which aren't 'true' focal lengths but those which a traditional 35mm film camera's lens would need to have to produce the same results.
A simple 'point and shoot' film camera typically has a lens with a focal length of between 40mm and 50mm. A camera with a semi-wide angle lens might have a focal length of around 30mm. Once you get down to around 20mm you're looking at a 'fish-eye' lens. A 'short telephoto' lens (which is useful for portraiture work) could be around 80mm. A 'medium telephoto' lens (useful for taking pictures of your dog playing in the garden, without having to get too close) might be around 135mm. A 'long telephoto' lens (for taking general shots of a football match, without getting really close up) might be around 200mm. The really long lenses used by professional sports photographers start at around 300mm and go up to around 1000mm.
I'd normally recommend ensuring that your lens goes up to at least 100mm, and preferably up to 200mm or greater. However your requirements seem to be more centred around wide-angle lenses. So you need to ensure that the lens can go down to 30mm (or preferably lower) and, importantly, that it can focus at short distances. (That's often described as 'macro' or 'semi-macro' function by manufacturers).
Chris
Firstly, forget about the number of megapixels. Unless you're planning on printing enlargements bigger than A4 there's absolutely no point in having more than about 3Mp. (You simply won't be able to see the difference). Camera manufacturers like to make their cameras seem 'better' than those of their rivals by providing 8Mp, 10Mp or even 15Mp models but those models don't add anything to what you can get from a 3Mp camera.
What you really need from a camera is a decent zoom lens. Most manufacturers quote figures which aren't 'true' focal lengths but those which a traditional 35mm film camera's lens would need to have to produce the same results.
A simple 'point and shoot' film camera typically has a lens with a focal length of between 40mm and 50mm. A camera with a semi-wide angle lens might have a focal length of around 30mm. Once you get down to around 20mm you're looking at a 'fish-eye' lens. A 'short telephoto' lens (which is useful for portraiture work) could be around 80mm. A 'medium telephoto' lens (useful for taking pictures of your dog playing in the garden, without having to get too close) might be around 135mm. A 'long telephoto' lens (for taking general shots of a football match, without getting really close up) might be around 200mm. The really long lenses used by professional sports photographers start at around 300mm and go up to around 1000mm.
I'd normally recommend ensuring that your lens goes up to at least 100mm, and preferably up to 200mm or greater. However your requirements seem to be more centred around wide-angle lenses. So you need to ensure that the lens can go down to 30mm (or preferably lower) and, importantly, that it can focus at short distances. (That's often described as 'macro' or 'semi-macro' function by manufacturers).
Chris
Note that a 50mm lens is roughly equal to what the human eye sees.
Anything smaller than 50mm is showing more than the human eye can see (the lower the number the wider the view)
Anything above 50mm is showing less than the human eye can see, but brings it closer to you. The higher the number the closer it brings objects.
It you want real close ups you need one that does Macro.
Anything smaller than 50mm is showing more than the human eye can see (the lower the number the wider the view)
Anything above 50mm is showing less than the human eye can see, but brings it closer to you. The higher the number the closer it brings objects.
It you want real close ups you need one that does Macro.
I have a Fujifilm FinePix JZ300 and I love it. Not one single complain yet.
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http://tinyurl.com/2ehnbg2
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