Thinking of a new camera, help needed please.

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for all their info and feedback and now i can honestly say hand on heart i'm more confused than ever, i think its me being a techno retard and not all the great advice being given.

I'm going to note down all the model numbers given and trawl the interweb for deals and info, i'm sure i'm going to bore you with a thousand questions if i find something.

Cheers all

Darren

[Guest]

Tony and Richard, re the last two posts, sorry I have to disagree.

SLR's unlike compacts etc use a real physical shutter system, all of which have a finite lifespan, they can be replaced but the replacement is very costly, usually more than the camera is worth, unfortunately there is (to my knowledge), no mainstream software to tell you the true physical actuations of a shutter, and as all can be reset by the user or set to reset every format of the card it's impossible to tell unless sent to the manufacturer or engineer to connect and check.

Out of habit I always set mine to continuous logging so it reflects the true shutter count as near as possible and as and when I sell a camera body I always add a note telling people this and advising I'll refund if they check and find it to be wildly inaccurate, lots of other people don't. (I haven't sold one since a 20D I had a few years ago mind as the 30D that replaced it is more than good enough for my needs).

This needs to be borne in mind with a potential DSLR purchase.

I'd also dispute the 'looking after' statement, enthusiastic amateurs like myself without masses of disposable income will look after their stuff, gadget freaks and people using them as proper working tools will not treat them the same way, they'll not typically deliberately abuse them but are more likely to 'put them in harms way' unfriendly environments and the like and they'll usually get knocked about.

I know people who have DSLR's and never use the lens caps, never bag them, walk in a plonk them on a shelf, precariously, etc, i'd never lay out good money for a camera from them.

A friend of mine, on the gadget freak front is another example, I recall a PDA i bought years ago to run TomTom on, the whole setup was well over 300 quids worth and while he was 'having a look' he was attacking the screen with the stylus hard enough to punch holes in it, he wasn't being malicious, just that that's the way he is even with his own gear, the same person decided to try 'chipping' his new Xbox having no experience with electronics etc, he wound up paying someone to repair his mess and chip it instead as well as voiding the warranty. (It sounds quite negative but truthfully he's a long time friend and a really nice guy, just making the point that you cannot guarantee anything)

If you want an SLR, you'll have to buy second hand so try and buy from someone you know or find a seller who, like me would be prepared for you to check and verify and refund.

You'll also have the added problem of good lenses and would need at least a good 50mm macro and a good everyday zoom, you could spend more than your budget to cover this.

I still say a bridge or Compact with good macro and a cheap tripod is your best bet.

[yak face]

Mike the camera i was on about is a hybrid dslr ,it doesnt have a seperate lense and body, and lets not forget in all this jargon and technical stuff, the poor guy has said hes just after a half decent camera suitable for someone who doesnt know much about photography.

[Guest]

Ian

Just to add to the discussion, if you are in the market for a Digital SLR then you cannot go wrong with a Nikon D70, They are an excellent camera and I used one for 4 years whilst working as a Scenes of Crime Detective up until money came into the equation and I was returned to other duties. That being said it is available usually second hand these days because everyone wants to upgrade. The camera itself is a great find if you can get a Nikon Lens an 18-70mm for general photography. The Camera has a built in flash, but if you do come into some more money then I recommend a Speedlight 600 flashgun. If you cannot find the D70 with the Nikon Lens then you can pick up a suitable Sigma lens from Amazon for around £125. I had to hand my D70 back, but bought the whole kit off evil bay for around £250 and also bought a few Flashcards as well. I use Lexar 512MB cards which store about 145 images on j-peg fine. Dependent on what you want the camera for the lens and the camera are great for all round photography. There is also a built in time delay which you can use a remote control as well. I am sure that there is something similar with other makes but the Nikon never let me down.

The choice is yours, shop around and speak to a camera shop if you are still unsure.

Andy

[Guest]

I agree with what you are saying m1ks and we have to beware when looking for such items. I guess I fall into the trap of thinking that every one looks after things as well as I do but obviously it pays to check out things such as cameras before buying and geting one from a dealer is probably the best bet. Thinking sensibly eBay is probably a potential minefield with such items as cameras.

I go back to my original thoughts and a good quality new compact might be a safer bet. The Olympus I have is very good and doesn't have a shutter speed or an apperture setting in sight!