Anyone have ideas on a decent camera?

[Best]

What's the best digital cameras at moment? By this I mean, semi pro, or maybe pro camera.
As we know, some camera phones take excellent photos, but for really good quality photos capable of being enlarged to at least A4 size & also taking snaps of fast moving things, like in sports or kids, etc, a quality real camera with large sensor is best.
Been looking at the Sony A6000 but wonder should I go full frame camera?

 

[Alex Knight]

What's your budget?

£500?
£5k

 

[villa_tom]

You need to speak to mike Jackson

he is really into his photography and when he's not talking about poo, he posts up loads of photos that he's taken on his camera

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

budget first as they range from a couple of hundred pounds to over £25K. I met a guy and saw his £25K Phase One camera, decent bit of kit but looked like it was not worth more than £1000 to me until I saw the pictures, stunning. You need to know how to use it though

 

[Mike Jackson]

You need to be looking at a DSLR. As others have said we need to know your budget. My kit set me back over 10 grand in total but you can get a reasonable kit for around £1000.

 

[Best]

My budget is, ideally about £600 - £1000, but I would consider going to a max of £1500.
I don't want to make the mistake of not spending enough & then regretting it.
Most DSLRs have APS sensors - even semi pro types, so I am thinking a smaller more portable APS camera like the Sony A6000 that may take equally good photos, providing the lens is good.
Problem is a good lens is very expensive & it would make the Sony about £1200 - close to more professional but larger SLRs.
I understand a good camera needs a fairly large sensor, top glass & good processing, but I have little knowledge tbh.

 

[Ermintrude]

My sister uses cannon and some horrifically expensive stuff too. But when u need expensive stuff they will give it to you if they think your good-enough to make an example.

I like Nikon as u can use a 35year old lense on a new camera. Unlike others. U can get old lenses really cheap I used to love the secondhand bit at LOndon camera exchange.

 

[Best]

I like Nikon as u can use a 35year old lense on a new camera. Unlike others. U can get old lenses really cheap I used to love the secondhand bit at LOndon camera exchange.

I was told that about Nikon cameras & Nikon do seem better spec than Canon for similar money.
I was originally thinking large SLRs are becoming a thing of the past for amateurs & many pros due to the large sensor smaller cameras catching up. I thought a medium sized compact camera would be a great all rounder, as not a burden to carry, fits in a large pocket & discreet plus I wouldn't miss a lot of photos because I hadn't wanted to bring a large DSLR everywhere.
Now I am uncertain. If I get a compact camera, with interchangeable lens, I probably need a physically long lens which makes the whole camera nearly as ***bersome as a SLR anyhow.
I think the scenario of me going to an event where a big camera is a burden & maybe frowned upon, a camera that fits in the pocket will be handy.

 

[Ermintrude]

I just use my phone. Balls to all that clobber. Look like a tourist

 

[Dotty]

I got a Pansonic Lumix. Does me ok.

Well, I say I got it, the mother in law got sent it by mistake by Argos. They didn't ask for it back, I went and gt what she really wanted for a scoreand swapped it for the £300 camera. Result!

 

[Best]

Panasonic are really top spec, extremely well built cameras, but most reviews say the picture quality isn't always the best. I have a compact Panasonic camera with Leica stabilised lens, metal body all Japanese and frankly the photos are not always sharp enough. Canon Ixus much better & has to be a lot to do with processor.

 

[Ermintrude]

Leica look really plush but same optics as Panasonic (apparently)

 

[Best]

Leica look really plush but same optics as Panasonic (apparently)

Think Leica is just a tad out of my maximum spend at several thousand quid a camera! :smile:
Looks like I will just have to spend my money & probably learn from my mistake.
If I had unlimited funds I would consider the Nikon D800 full frame 30 something megapixel SLR or/and the Sony RX1 compact full frame.

 

[solutions]

Unless you are going to print physical pictures at large sizes say over A3 you wont need massive resolution. A 5 megapixel camera will print just short of A3 in size before image quality is lost and who other than professionals regularly prints over A3? The only other reason you might need higher resolution is if you intend to heavily crop or edit your image. Whenever you crop you effectively discard resolution. so if you dont start with a high megapixel picture and you crop up to a distant subject matter in the shot then you will limit your print size to whatever the remaining resolution can achieve. I worked as a manager for Jessops for several years after uni as they road the digital camera revolution bubble before the camera phone burst it. They got a bunch of ex Dixons directors in to run stuff and customer service just dropped like a stone They started wanting stores to push whichever dirt cheap camera they had managed to buy in massive numbers and effectively lie to the customer about how good it was. That was my queue to leave. We used to have a target to sell additional accesories to 25% of the value of the camera hardware being bought. Thats a hell of a lot of camera bags, lens caps, memory cards, and extra batteries. Cant complain it tought me how to sell now I use it for boilers,magnetic filters and powerflushing. I got to use a modern fuji chemical print processor which was quite fun. Used to get some funny customer prints come through some pretty rude ones too. I dont think most customers realised that almost every print was checked by an actual person. Had to hand some over to the police once when some idiot thought he would use us to process pictures of his weed farm. They were waiting for him when he came to collect his pictures.

 

[Best]

Thanks Solutions for that! I was sceptical about high megapixel cameras & see a lot of professionals say 16 meg is more than enough usually.
Your comments about rude pictures has reminded me of a true story I heard -


This guy was on a beach on holiday, probably with his family & two young women were lying in front of him sunning themselves. These girls got up after a while & headed over to the sea for a swim, leaving their stuff behind. Suddenly two young blokes came over & one looked through the girls bag. This man was about to challenge them but the guy got the girls camera out & took a quick photo of his mate who quickly dropped his pants & bent over. Camera hurriedly back in bag & they scarpered.
Love to have seen the girls reaction to that photo in the middle of their holiday snaps! :smile:

 

[newcastle phill]

Depends on what you want to do with the images.
More Mp means larger images, great if you have to fill a bill board...

If your a happy snapper or semi pro then look at reviews somwhere like DPReview, they have all bases covered.

Do you need good low light if so then you need something like a f1.4 up on a dslr.
Are you doing time lapse then you need a remote shuttter control and rock solid tripod.
The scenarios are endless

Personally a good all rounder is the canon powershot G series.

I shot canon dslr

Heres a one of the tyne on a 2 minute shutter with a 10stop filter

And heres one of an iconic newcastle landmark that some corrupt ba$tard gave permission to flatten.
Taken with a super wide angle 12mm lens on a full frame body. Hence the distortion to look like the hull of a ship.

 

[Best]

Thanks for reply, Newcastle Phill,
I want a camera that can produce images capable of fine detail if cropped or enlarged. Probably won't need any bigger than A4 size but possible. I also need a camera that takes distance shots using the lens & I want to be able to have manual control, plus built in wifi - so need better than a phone basic point & shoot camera.
I know the G series cameras you mention, the G11 seemed good when it first came out, but think I would prefer the GX1 model as it has larger APS sensor. Very cheap also, but mark 2 version is a lot more money.

 

[newcastle phill]

Its a compromise.
You will get an allrounder such as the fuji bridge cameras.
But they will always leave you wanting.
Compromises are slow lenses due to what they have to do. For example shooting at 200 to 400mm you will struggle to get faster then f4. Often f5.6.
Which means unless its a brilliantly sunny day your gonna struggle to get pin sharp detailed images hand held.

Also with a dslr shooting prime. There may be between 5 to 8 lenses/optics in the barrel.

With an all rounder with a huge do all lense there maybe upto 25 lenses to deal with the focal range and barrel distortions etc.
Then theres noise......

Personally id take a second hand eos 1ds mk2 or even mark 1 dslr body with primes over an all rounder any day.

The Mk1 may be "only" 11mp lol.
But each and every one of those is beautiful and detailed and to die for

 

[newcastle phill]

Just some examples of whats do'able with a DSLr.
Most of those would just be unobtanium with anything else.

As I said horses for courses.
I used to go mountain biking all over with 2 grands worth of camera gear in my back pack. Used to weigh 16 pound and keep me fit lol.

Ps with the strawberry shot that isnt a hair lol. Just managed to drag the stylus on my phone while cutting and pasting from an album

 

[Best]

Nice & sharp photos Phill, - What SLR camera model did you use?

 

[newcastle phill]

1ds mk2
Can be had for peanuts now.
Still a top top camera

 

[wetdrip]

Grab this with both hands:
Digital Photography Masterclass By Tom Ang | eBay
Buy his Month by Month book, too.

Prior to purchasing a dslr, buy a second hand Samsung NV7 only 7.2 mp, but quality lens and marco plus super macro which is up there with the best. Purchase 42mm filters.

 

[Ermintrude]

http://m.clare-louise.com/#!Services|page

Go to a lecture -
http://www.mpaprofessionals.com/

 

[tolly]

Best, im no expert in photography but I do a fair bit of it for my fishing trophy shots. The lens just as important as the body. If you want a dslr then without spending a fair bit of money you wont get a full frame sensor so bare that in mind when you get lenses as the crop factor from the sensor will change the focal length. I would go for Nikon or Canon. As said before you don't need loads of megapixels. I use an old Nikon dsl with 6mp and this is fine unless you want to blow up huge prints. Most of my pics are portraits so I use a fixed 35mm f1.8 lense and get great pictures.

Bare in mind that old Nikon lenses wont autofocus on the newer bodies if you go down the Nikon route

 

[Best]

Tolly. Thanks for that advice - I really appreciate it (& also for everyone else's help).
I am still thinking it over about what camera, but the advice on here & from others, has been DSLR & preferably full frame although full frame apparently not essential for me.
Only major problem with that is a large camera will be a no no to carry to a great many places & I will miss a lot of photo chances.
When I get a few quid in, I will get something decent as weather is nice at moment for outdoor photos.
Really down to cost, - if I was rich, I would have probably bought a brand new camera or two without much thought.

 

[newcastle phill]

Yes that is the down side the size.
I also had a powershot g not to draw attention to myself lol

 

[solutions]

Tolly. Thanks for that advice - I really appreciate it (& also for everyone else's help).
I am still thinking it over about what camera, but the advice on here & from others, has been DSLR & preferably full frame although full frame apparently not essential for me.
Only major problem with that is a large camera will be a no no to carry to a great many places & I will miss a lot of photo chances.
When I get a few quid in, I will get something decent as weather is nice at moment for outdoor photos.
Really down to cost, - if I was rich, I would have probably bought a brand new camera or two without much thought.

Once you see what you get from a half decent dslr you will carry it eferwhere. The size will suddenly not seem like such an issue and then you will feel naked without it round your neck. My wife picked up a canon eos 1100 on ebay for less than £160 with a case an 8gig high speed sd card and image stabilised 18-55 canon lens. By no means a pro camera but perfectly capable of achieving great photos. Its the photographer that creates the shot not the cameta that takes it. Having said that you do need something where you can be actively in control of the shot your taking. So full manual, shutter speed priority or f stop priority are all esential controls that your average snap camera and smart phone will at best simulate. I love the accesibility of digital but I am glad I learnt on a film slr and developing my own prints there is true magic involved that is lost in the digital age. I used to cherish a frame of film and was much more discerning of what i chose to shoot. Now you can shoot as many frames as you like. But there is just plain more skill in getting the shot you want with a rifle over a machine gun. Perhaps not the best analogy. I hardly take photos anymore but I do on occasion miss the days of my photography gcse and the darkness and red lights of a developing lab.

 

[newcastle phill]

Im being drawn toward wide format.
Really want a fuji 617.
Really more into landscape / Cityscape.

Nice one on ebay

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131094683253&alt=web