A typical "What camera next" type thread!

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dest

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Hi, I have joined up as I want to take the plunge into the world of DSLR :D
I already have toe in the water in the form of a micro 4/3rds Panasonic Lumix G1 with kit lens and 45-200mm too.
Ive used this for a couple of years now and have thoroughly enjoyed it, apart from getting frustrated with it struggling in low light.

I borrowed my brothers Nikon D80 with a Tamron lens to see how I got on with a full size DSLR and loved it!

This brings me to my current situation and options:
1)I could buy the D80 from him for £250 and sell the G1 and put the money towards another lens (budget would only be approx £250 though)
2)Pass on the D80, sell the G1 and buy something like a Nikon D5100 http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/nikon-...-4-5-6g-telephoto-zoom-lens-12635505-pdt.html
3)Or a Canon 550D http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/85580/show.html?cm_re=Home-_-Rotate3-550dtlk-_-060712
4)Keep the G1 and get a new lens for it (but they are expensive and the choice is small)

I'm currently thinking #2, as I loved the articulated screen on the G1, and would definitely miss that.
My only concern is, are the lens that come with it any good?

Thanks in advance for any advice :)
 
Welcome to TP, fellow Northamptonian!

I know nothing about Nikon's, but if you are talking about low light performance I'd recommend getting a body-only and a single fast prime. You can add other lenses later as required.

The first question is 'What are you most interested in photographing' and I'll advise from there!

Phil
 
Ive started posting a few shots in various sections to get some feedback to give an idea of the type of subjects I usually have.
I would say mainly motorsport (static and moving), some nature in and around the garden/countryside, pets, candid portraits. Id say a bit of everything really :)

Some examples
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=430469
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=430473
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=430471

Ive not put one up for motorsport yet (I dont want to appear to be flooding the forum so soon!) but these are a few examples of the sort of shots I usually take

Foxfood.jpg


P1030509.jpg


P1080571.gif


tintin.jpg
 
Hmm - all comes down to budget I guess. I'd start with something like a secondhand 40D or 50D (£250-£400 depending on condition) and add a Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM (about £200). When finance allowed I'd then put a 200L f/2.8 into the mix (£400 secondhand) possibly adding a 1.4x converter later on to give more reach.

These two lenses are super-sharp and will cover much of what you want to do. You can then add a wider lens (Sigma or Canon 10-20mm ish) later on.

HTH

Phil
 
Have you got a shot handy that you took with it?
I like the price thats for sure :)
 
petersmart said:
Also don't forget the super cheap yet incredibly sharp 50mm f1.8 (available brand new at up to only £90.00).

Always in my lens choice.

.
Click to expand...

dest said:
Have you got a shot handy that you took with it?
I like the price thats for sure :)
Click to expand...


It is certainly sharp for the money and will give you a thin depth of field for some interesting selective focus shots. I'd much rather go for the Canon 1.4 version or the Sigma 1.4 version if you can stretch to £200-£300

Phil
 
dest said:
Hi, I have joined up as I want to take the plunge into the world of DSLR :D
I already have toe in the water in the form of a micro 4/3rds Panasonic Lumix G1 with kit lens and 45-200mm too.
Ive used this for a couple of years now and have thoroughly enjoyed it, apart from getting frustrated with it struggling in low light.
Click to expand...

Although the G1 can produce perfectly useable ISO 1600 and indeed 3200 shots with care when shooting and when processing the higher ISO performance isn't up to the standard of newer APS-C DSLR's but you biggest problem in low light is going to be the aperture range of your current lenses. Go for a DSLR and use similar slow zooms and you'll still be struggling in low light.

There's a couple of way to get better low light performance, go for a wide aperture (f1.4/1.8) lens for you G1 or go for a DSLR and wide aperture lens.
dest said:
Keep the G1 and get a new lens for it (but they are expensive and the choice is small)
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that the cost of wide aperture primes for MFT is that more than for APS-C but if you want to do it on a budget you could try a 50mm f1.7/1.8 legacy lens. I paid £19 for a Minolta 55mm f1.7 and MFT adapter and I'm very happy with it, gives a 110mm FoV on MFT so that's something to keep in mind but if you are happy with the FoV you can get a low light legacy lens for little money.
 
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Ive just been outside to have a proper play with the D80 Ive borrowed.
One thing I instantly noticed that really annoyed me, was that after taking a shot, I had to review it using the LCD screen.
Where-as, on my G1 you can review it in the view finder.
I don't mind reviewing it on the screen, but found it was a lot harder to see it clearly and accurately, and also struggled in bright sunlight to distinguish really dark or light areas well.
I'm guessing most DSLR's do not have the option to review in the viewfinder?
I would REALLY miss that feature!!
 
DSLR's have optical view finders, so no, you can't review shots through them. You can only review shots through the VF if you have some sort of screen in there like you do with a compact system camera and its EVF.
 
dest said:
Hi, I have joined up as I want to take the plunge into the world of DSLR :D
I already have toe in the water in the form of a micro 4/3rds Panasonic Lumix G1 with kit lens and 45-200mm too.
Ive used this for a couple of years now and have thoroughly enjoyed it, apart from getting frustrated with it struggling in low light.

I borrowed my brothers Nikon D80 with a Tamron lens to see how I got on with a full size DSLR and loved it!

This brings me to my current situation and options:
1)I could buy the D80 from him for £250 and sell the G1 and put the money towards another lens (budget would only be approx £250 though)
2)Pass on the D80, sell the G1 and buy something like a Nikon D5100 http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/nikon-d5100-digital-slr-camera-with-18-55mm-vr-zoom-lens-and-55-200mm-f-4-5-6g-telephoto-zoom-lens-12635505-pdt.html
3)Or a Canon 550D http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/85580/show.html?cm_re=Home-_-Rotate3-550dtlk-_-060712
4)Keep the G1 and get a new lens for it (but they are expensive and the choice is small)

I'm currently thinking #2, as I loved the articulated screen on the G1, and would definitely miss that.
My only concern is, are the lens that come with it any good?

Thanks in advance for any advice :)
Click to expand...

If you're struggling with low light shots using a G1 then I think a D80 would, if anything, make matters worse, they aren't much cop at anything over 800 iso and really you want to stay below 400 if possible.
 
After considering all the pros and cons, Im going to go for a G5
 
sorry for it being late but here is a photo from the canon 50 f1.8:


IMG_0113.jpg by ChristianJ-R, on Flickr

pretty nice right?

I can also recommend the 70-200 f4l usm as well, along with my 500d it gave me this:


IMG_0333.jpg by ChristianJ-R, on Flickr

they are both really sharp for there price
 
One of the main reasons is being able to review shots in the view finder.
Im no expert yet, and like to review what Ive taken so I can adjust settings to get the final shot. I find it impossible to view them in detail on the rear monitor, especially in bright conditions
 
For low light you want lenses with at least an aperture of f/1.8 or lower. Canon and Nikon both have excellent cheap 50mm 1.8 lenses but Nikon also have an awesome 35mm 1.8 lens for crop sensor cameras. None of the cropper bodies will have amazing low light/high ISO performance though.
 
dest said:
One of the main reasons is being able to review shots in the view finder.
Im no expert yet, and like to review what Ive taken so I can adjust settings to get the final shot. I find it impossible to view them in detail on the rear monitor, especially in bright conditions
Click to expand...

The reason I ask because that is not really much of an upgrade according to the reviews I read. It's almost the exact camera.

The live view screen can be set up and controlled very easily. The brightness can be adjusted and you have a much larger area in which to examine your results on live view vs the small eye port that you are referring to. I'm assuming you are referring to examining your focus because exposure would be very hard to see in the view finder. (Imho).
If you are examining exposure than I would point out that not all but most people use their histogram for this. Once you get use to using it you wont turn back because it is a valuable tool. I also wanted to point out the (blinkies) on the live view. This point out the points on the exposure that are blown out (over exposed) another great tool that the view finder has.

With the back screen live view you can zoom way in to any area within the frame. Much more detailed than a view finder could be. I use this in almost all of my low light shots when the auto focus doesn't have enough light to focus on it's own. I can honestly sat I would be lost without this option.

I hope this helps. It's your money, likes and dislikes. My advise to you is to ask a whole lot more question on this site before you make up your mind. Search what to look for and what makes a difference. Look for post by Hoppy and Phil these guys know a whole lot about photography and a very generous with helping others. There are others but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck.
 
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