Digital Camera recommendations.

[CPFC2010ANDON]

Hello all,

I need a recommendation for a digital camera. Nikons have been the best - even on BBC CLick this has been proven, but I would like some up to date recommendations.

I am thinking the 7100 which is just under £400, I think. This would be my budget.

Thanks

[IW_Eagle]

I am also interested in a new Digital Camera and I am looking at the OM-D EM-5, have anyone got any views on this?

Thanks

[t_appletart]

I wouldnt say Nikon were the best to be honest... I'm a canon man...

[saul1664]

Thought you were skint and in debt. Anyway, you looking for a bridge or a DSLR?

[mrgins]

.

[BaldEagle96]

Always found Canon very reliable and user friendly. Love em.

[Halftime Gold]

Originally Posted by CPFC2010ANDON

Hello all,

I need a recommendation for a digital camera. Nikons have been the best - even on BBC CLick this has been proven, but I would like some up to date recommendations.

I am thinking the 7100 which is just under £400, I think. This would be my budget.

Thanks

It depends what you want really, if you want a bridge camera with a long zoom the Nikon is probabley the best as it goes to 200mm.

Personally though if I was buying a camera of that type in that price range I'd probabley go with the Fuji x10. The zoom range isnt as long only going to 110mm(generally long enough for most things but wildlife for me) but the sensor is larger for better image quality, the lens has a bright max appature(better at low light and can provide some shallow depth of focus for portraits) with a proper manual zoom action, it has an OVF when you've got sun glare on the screen plus it looks very nice.

[Isle of Wight]

Originally Posted by Halftime Gold

It depends what you want really, if you want a bridge camera with a long zoom the Nikon is probabley the best as it goes to 200mm.

Personally though if I was buying a camera of that type in that price range I'd probabley go with the Fuji x10. The zoom range isnt as long only going to 110mm(generally long enough for most things but wildlife for me) but the sensor is larger for better image quality, the lens has a bright max appature(better at low light and can provide some shallow depth of focus for portraits) with a proper manual zoom action, it has an OVF when you've got sun glare on the screen plus it looks very nice.

I spent AGES looking at this and ended up with a Fuji HS2O ESX bridge because as HTG says the sensor has a better image quality. It is also far better to have a manual zoom rather than an electric motor driven one. Just feels so much better and quicker. The final deal maker was when I found it at the Fuji referrb store for £179, instead of the normal £300+ I saw it for everywhere else

http://shop.fujifilm.co.uk/refurbished-digital-cameras

Then it Got even better by using the code P832A4V3T8MES another 10% off and free delivery. So for Just over £150 I thought I couldn't go wrong. Had it now a couple of weeks and love it. Got some great action pics of my lad playing football. One of the best buys I've made. Very please with myself

[CPFC2010ANDON]

Originally Posted by saul1664

Thought you were skint and in debt. Anyway, you looking for a bridge or a DSLR?

Got a temmporary job now in a grain store.

At least 7:30am-4:30pm everyday with most busy days meaning I will finish at 7:30pm+. It's 7 days a week starting next Monday until mid- September with another job to follow on from that doing lawn treatment work.

Will earn £3k as a minimum. Debts will be up to date.

Camera will be part funded by mme and two others for my business - we NEED it.

Also, Idk about DSLR. Please explain the difference.

Cheers.

[CPFC2010ANDON]

Image quality is a must because it's to be used to take photos and some videos of products which I sell in CHina for my business.

What are the Fujis like for taking photos in various light degrees.

Also, a big must is that I need intricate detail of text on products. Fuzzy is not acceptable.

Fujis sound good though.

More info reqd please.

[Maz]

No fuzzy cameras? Good idea.

[Isle of Wight]

Originally Posted by CPFC2010ANDON

Image quality is a must because it's to be used to take photos and some videos of products which I sell in CHina for my business.

What are the Fujis like for taking photos in various light degrees.

Also, a big must is that I need intricate detail of text on products. Fuzzy is not acceptable.

Fujis sound good though.

More info reqd please.

Macro is supurb for close up pictures my lad had a great time taking pictures of spiders and their webs, so text is a no brainier. The ESX setting means the camera adjusts to its surroundings to take the "best & finest" picture. Not just auto focus but depth sharpness colours etc. I'm sure their are better more expensive cameras out their but, even though I had a bigger budget, felt this gave me the best value for money.

[CPFC2010ANDON]

Originally Posted by Maz

No fuzzy cameras? Good idea.

Behave Maz, please.

[CPFC2010ANDON]

Originally Posted by Isle of Wight

Macro is supurb for close up pictures my lad had a great time taking pictures of spiders and their webs, so text is a no brainier. The ESX setting means the camera adjusts to its surroundings to take the "best & finest" picture. Not just auto focus but depth sharpness colours etc. I'm sure their are better more expensive cameras out their but, even though I had a bigger budget, felt this gave me the best value for money.

Looks like I'll be going for this then.

Cheers. Will be on my pre-christmas list.

FTR, what do you do on IOW? I love it down there.

[Halftime Gold]

Originally Posted by CPFC2010ANDON

Image quality is a must because it's to be used to take photos and some videos of products which I sell in CHina for my business.

What are the Fujis like for taking photos in various light degrees.

Also, a big must is that I need intricate detail of text on products. Fuzzy is not acceptable.

Fujis sound good though.

More info reqd please.

I'm no expert but product photography but that would change my recommendations alot.

The #1 thing you should be looking at it is decent tripod, since your product is I'd guess not moving if you can keep the camera stable then long exposurers are possible although idealy you'd want to have it in a well lit room(prefferabley defused even light). It would also help massively with any video you take and make it look far more professional.

You also need to consider the effect of the lens your using. I'm not sure if you've noticed but as you take wider or more telephoto pictures it alters your perspective, for wider pics is enhaunces the effect of distance between objects and for tele pictures it lessens it. This is I'd guess not what you want for your products so if possible you want to stick with a lens that offers the equivlent of around 40-50mm which is close to the normal perspective of human vision.

The largest issue is going to be what you need in terms of image quality, if its just good enough to view full size on a PC screen then honiestly any recent compact camera will give decent results provided you use a tripod and a well lit room. What you'd be paying for with cameras like DSLR's is a larger sensor that offers the ability to either make large sharp prints(prints have a much higher potential resolution than monitors or TVs) or the ability to zoom into an image on a PC and look at smaller details.

More megapixels don't always mean better image quality aswell, a cheap compact with 16 megapixels will generally for example create a worse pic than a 12 megapixel DSLR, more noise in the picture and the lens will not be as good.

One confusing thing with DSLR's and other interchangeble lens cameras is though that unlike compact they don't always give you the "35mm focal lenght", what you see advertised on compact isnt there real focal elnght but rather the focal elgnth that would give a similar view on an old 35mm film camera. Most affordable DSLR's have a sensor thats less than half the size of 35mm film so even if they can use the same lenses as an old film camera the view(and so the perspective) will be different, you need to take the focal lenght and multiple it by 1.5(for Nikon, Pentax and Sony), 1.6(for Canon) or by 2(for macro 4/3rds cameras like Panasonic and Olympus). For for example on a Nikon DSLR a 30mm lens like the relatively cheap 30mm 1.8 DX will give you the equivlent view and perspective of a 45mm lens, just what you may need.

[Santos-er]

Originally Posted by CPFC2010ANDON

Image quality is a must because it's to be used to take photos and some videos of products which I sell in CHina for my business.

What are the Fujis like for taking photos in various light degrees.

Also, a big must is that I need intricate detail of text on products. Fuzzy is not acceptable.

Fujis sound good though.

More info reqd please.

With all due, there are loads of photography forums on t'net. Why not find one and ask there?

[fang]

I'm planning on buying my daughter the entry level Canon 1100d DSLR. She's developed an interest in photography and there is a large photographic element in the art course she will be doing next year.

Having checked online, the camera comes with a 18-55m lens. However, some distributors offer it with an f3.5-5.6 III lens, whilst others offer a more expensive option of an f3.5-5.6 ISII 'image stabilised' lens. Is the extra cost (about £40) of the IS lens worth it?

Also, we an old Canon EOS 500 SLR, with a 35-80m lens. Can this be used on a Canon DSLR?

[thefox]

Dean, Dean are you out there ? Can you offer some advice ?

[Halftime Gold]

Originally Posted by fang

I'm planning on buying my daughter the entry level Canon 1100d DSLR. She's developed an interest in photography and there is a large photographic element in the art course she will be doing next year.

Having checked online, the camera comes with a 18-55m lens. However, some distributors offer it with an f3.5-5.6 III lens, whilst others offer a more expensive option of an f3.5-5.6 ISII 'image stabilised' lens. Is the extra cost (about £40) of the IS lens worth it?

Also, we an old Canon EOS 500 SLR, with a 35-80m lens. Can this be used on a Canon DSLR?

Are you just taking about the 18-55mm kit lens with these specs? if so yes I'd say the IS lens is worth it, not only is it stabalished(allowed for easier hand holding) but its also sposed to be far better in optical performance.

Something else I might consider is buying used from somewhere like MPB or London Camera Exchange that offer 6 month garentees, for the price of a new 1100D you could get a used 550D. Thats a couple of generations improvement in sensor performance which would be help if she wanted to print to a larger size.

[saxoneagle]

Nikon DSLR, decent tripod and save some cash by buying a Tamron lens.