Beginner Another what Camera thread

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Adie C

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Adrian
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Sorry for what is almost certainly a common topic and one I have already search on here.

I am a raw DSLr beginner with no previous experience although my brother is a proficient user. I have read countless reviews on Canons and Nikons and dazzled by the choices and options!
So basically I would like sudgestions on what I should look for feature wise and maybe a few recommendations?? My brother has been a die hard Nikon user until recently he tried a Canon and was suitably impressed to say that if he purchased another DSLr then it would probably be a Canon.

My budget would be £450 max and whilst I potentially don't have an issue with second hand it is something I would be concerned about buying a lemon from an unscrupulous seller.

I am a Carp fisherman so my photography would be trophy shots of my own fish (eventually self takes) and my mates along with landscapes of some of the beautiful lakes etc I visit. I am also off to Cuba latter this year so hope to have some good opportunities for pictures there.

My limited knowledge has the Canon 750d jumping out at me as the flip screen would appear to sound useful for my needs ( self takes ) I hope to progress to predominantly using manual or ' priority' settings to get the best from the camera. My brother is trying to educate me to going 'body only' and a better quality prime 50mm lens whatever manufacturer I chose.
Hopefully I have provided enough information and once again apologies for what is a almost certainly a repetitive topic.
Cheers
Adie
 
Adie C said:
My budget would be £450 max and whilst I potentially don't have an issue with second hand it is something I would be concerned about buying a lemon from an unscrupulous seller.
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We all thought that in the beginning but, tbh, all I mainly buy now is Used from mpbphotographic, Wex or Harrison cameras.

You can buy their 8 or 9 graded stuff (which I've never had a problem with, it's always arrived like new to me) which saves you lots of money (y)
 
Thank you Wezza13.
Out of interest have I put this in the wrong forum or is just the type of thread people are sick of? I'm not asking what camera I should buy but more what I should look for.
 
image.jpg image.jpg The type of pictures I take ATM with simple phone or compact but I don't have any landscapes to hand.
 
Personally, given your uses a DSLR seems a bit overkill really, they are big and heavy and don't offer better image quality than most mirrorless cameras. They are good for sports and birds in flight but then you're not shooting them :)

A Sony A6000, Fuji or Olympus/Panasonic might suit your needs much better.

Caveat: I'm a mirrorless convert - having gone from Pro Nikon cameras to Olympus so I would give this advice but honestly.

If you do want a DSLR and think you will only every buy the one (i.e. not get hooked and start spending thousands on lenses etc) then look at Pentax cameras. There are currently some cracking deals on Amazon and they are very well spec'd for the money, importantly they introduce weatherproofing at a far lower cost than Canon/Nikon which might be important for a fisherman. Their kit lenses are very good too.
 
From my years of trying different systems for the sake of playing around with the tech, if you plan to buy additional lenses but don't want to invest as much you can go for DSLR, great variety of Used models good quality, not as tech packed though. If you are planning to stick to the kit lens I would definitely say Sony a6000, great set of functionalities, nice kit lens, small body, good video for the money
 
Thank you Nawty
I said I've never start spending on Carp fishing but I hope when I'm dead my wife don't sell it for what I told here I paid for it!
I'll take a look at the Pentax but think I would prefere something a little more mainstream if that's the right way to say it.
 
Adie C said:
... Canon 750d jumping out at me as the flip screen would appear to sound useful for my needs ( self takes ) ...
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A good compact camera with flip-forward screen would be a lot better for you than a DSLR, surely.
I'm serious.
I have an e-pL7 m4/3rds camera right here with flippy screen for selfies but this package with viewfinder and good lenses quickly soars above £450 ... and I'm not even taking photos of fish!
You can do the job on £150 I'm sure.
 
My camera phone does an adequate job but can be taken no further or expanded a upon I feel, and there not just 'fish';) but thank you. It seem that size is the stumbling block here. It could be said that a compact would suit most needs out side of professional but we all know that's not true or the case.
 
Yes, but many many pros, other than sport or nature 'togs, are switching to mirrorless.
 
Don't limit yourself to DSLRs. But decide by function and size preferences. For example whether you need interchangeable lenses or not.
 
Adie C said:
I am a Carp fisherman so my photography would be trophy shots of my own fish (eventually self takes) and my mates along with landscapes of some of the beautiful lakes etc I visit. I am also off to Cuba latter this year so hope to have some good opportunities for pictures there.
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Ulfric M Douglas said:
A good compact camera with flip-forward screen would be a lot better for you than a DSLR, surely.
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It's hard to beat a good quality compact with a flippy screen for fishing photos. Especially self-takes. I've used bridge cameras, compacts, DSLRs and micro four thirds and the one I keep coming back to is my Nikon P7800. Canon also make suitable models, make your choice on zoom range and/or sensor size - I've seen great results from the Canon G1X.
 
What does your brother use ? I ask as he is likely to have a couple of lenses and you can get to use them from time to time. (My bro-in-law & I both shoot Canon and borrow each other stuff).

As a carper myself, my worry would be about keeping it safe/dry and even more weight to carry around. As mentioned, for what you want to do a good compact may be a better choice.
 
I've just bought a 750d and it's brilliant. Only took a few pictures so far but couldn't be happier with it. Anything you would like to know about it just ask :)
 
Jelster said:
What does your brother use ?
.
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He keeps going back and forth with a D40 Nikon, he had a mirror less compact but if I'm honest I found I got a lot of camera shake when I tried it, I put down to its small size (hands like medium size dustbin lids). I must eat a few words and say that after looking at the Pentax Ks2 they would be a fair consideration due to the weather proofing, but the lens and JPG quality gets some slating! The cheaper Nikon 3300 also seems to stand out in my general searches. Not sure which off these is the safer bet.
Cheers
Adie
 
ianp5a said:
Don't limit yourself to DSLRs. But decide by function and size preferences. For example whether you need interchangeable lenses or not.
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I'm not necessarily but it does seem that people think taking a picture of a fish may only justify a compact camera. Some of these fish are older than I am and only come once a year if that and if I was fortunate I like a little better than a snapshot. I may not need interchangeable lenses but as I said in my first post I take pictures of fish and have the opportunity to try and capture some great landscapes and sun set/rise. Will a compact do this? Mirror less? Can I blur back grounds, create moods.
I thought my first thread ask what features should look for in a camera ?.
 
Adie C said:
I'm not necessarily but it does seem that people think taking a picture of a fish may only justify a compact camera. Some of these fish are older than I am and only come once a year if that and if I was fortunate I like a little better than a snapshot. I may not need interchangeable lenses but as I said in my first post I take pictures of fish and have the opportunity to try and capture some great landscapes and sun set/rise. Will a compact do this?
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Lensflare on here uses a P7800 compact professionally for photographing fish and fishing scenes. https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...remium-compact-conundrum.600990/#post-7022572

I use one for my blog, and I've used crappier cameras to illustrate articles in fishing magazines. It's surprising how blurry you can get the background with a fast lensed compact. Maybe not as blurred as with a DSLR, but a lot of people take that to extremes. It's not all about how fast a lens is. ;) A £400 compact is damned near as good as a £400 DSLR for fishing and fishy landscapes - I've used both. But nobody on here ever listens to what I have to say about gear. :D

One of these is from a P7800, one from a D750...

_7510133.jpg


DSCN4065.jpg
 
The first is the DSLR.:)

High end compacts and mirrorless can use filters. The choice really comes down to size and weight, and whether you need interchangeable lenses. Any decent camera will give you the control required to take great pictures - if the photographer is up to the task.

What I would say is that the lower end models of all types of camera involve more menu diving to change settings than the higher end ones which usually have more physical controls. That's why I ditched a Nikon D5200 in favour of the P7800 for fishing. The flexibility is better, from close ups to a longer zoom all in a small package, whereas a DSLR would require two or three lenses to do the same thing. If I really feel the need for a DSLR (for low light shiots where compacts do struggle) I take a higher end model with me, but mostly I don't bother.

MIrrorless probably offers the best compromise of features and smallness. It would be a good idea to try and handle a few different cameras if you can.
 
Adie C said:
I'm not necessarily but it does seem that people think taking a picture of a fish may only justify a compact camera. Some of these fish are older than I am and only come once a year if that and if I was fortunate I like a little better than a snapshot
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Adie C said:
t could be said that a compact would suit most needs out side of professional but we all know that's not true or the case.
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It's not other people dismissing your subject, it's you making the error of assuming compact = snapshot. The quality of the image is 90% the skill/experience of the person holding the camera, and there are many "compacts" that would knock spots off many DSLRs in terms of image quality. And a camera you can hold and is small enough to carry everyday in a pocket will *always* beat a camera left at home because it's too bulky.

Get rid of your preconceptions and read what people are writing.
 
Alastair said:
Get rid of your preconceptions and read what people are writing.
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Fair play! But playing devils advocate my post was asking about DSLr features to look for, I don't think I mentioned Compacts or mirror less hence my dismissal; I respect all the replies but should I say I don't want a compact! Maybe we should leave it there.
Thank you.
Adie
 
Adie C said:
Fair play! But playing devils advocate my post was asking about DSLr features to look for, I don't think I mentioned Compacts or mirror less hence my dismissal; I respect all the replies but should I say I don't want a compact! Maybe we should leave it there.
Thank you.
Adie
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As per other similar questions, which I'm sure you've searched for and read on the forum before posting yours...

It doesn't really matter what DSLR you buy, there are no dud models these days. Paying more, and getting a more recent model generally gets you better lowlight performance but that's about it. You budget isn't even close to the level where the differences between models start to count. The most important thing is that it's comfortable for you to use - the right size and with a button/control layout that falls naturally to your fingers. The lenses are where the difference comes.

For your budget you will get a better premium compact than you will DSLR/lens combination. If you really want an interchangeable lens camera, go mirrorless - either Fuji, Panasonic/Olympus or Sony.


Photography is not like fishing, the best featured rod to a budget doesn't automatically land every fish in a beginners hands. Pretend that skill, experience and knowledge of the waters mean that a skilled fisherman uses the tools right for the job regardless of price tag/reviews in magazines and comes away with the catch he aims for... ;)

.
 
If you are dead set on a DSLR then I wouldn't get a 50mm lens for it for trophy shots, certainly not on a crop sensor. 35mm or 24mm would be better IMO. No need to go silly-wide for the pinhead-sausage-fingers look! A mid range zoom would be more versatile though, and if you take shots at night a decent speedlight will improve results over the in-built flash (although they're not as bad as the geeks make out).
Then there's a tripod and release for the self takes, and things are already mounting up in cost and weight.

If you get serious about it you'll end up wanting to take a body and at least two lenses, maybe three. But I guess as a carper you have a big barrow, so that won't matter! :D
 
Adie C said:
I could debate being my area of some knowledge but I won't
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I only hope you spotted the parallel to your own question...
 
Adie C said:
I'm not necessarily but it does seem that people think taking a picture of a fish may only justify a compact camera. Some of these fish are older than I am and only come once a year if that and if I was fortunate I like a little better than a snapshot. I may not need interchangeable lenses but as I said in my first post I take pictures of fish and have the opportunity to try and capture some great landscapes and sun set/rise. Will a compact do this? Mirror less? Can I blur back grounds, create moods.
I thought my first thread ask what features should look for in a camera ?.
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One way to help choose it to pick a sensor size first. that will dictate the quality of the results you get.
(You can find different sized sensors in most of the various camera types still.)
After that decide if you want interchangeable lenses or not.
Then you can go on to choose the size and weight and viewfinder type.
Oh yes, then the price! :-)
 
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I see what you attemped but let's say a proficient angler will catch and land fish with the most basic of equipment. Now I'll ask can a pro photographer archive the same results with a £30 compact as he can with a £10000 pro set up? It's not quite horses for courses as if the toys are not there you cannot exploit or experiment with them.
In my ignorance I would review that my choices are:
1. By £450 compact and have excellent quality but limited flexibilty to expand/experiment??
2. Go mirror less if possible in my budget with the benifit a of small size and still interchangeable lenses although at a premium price and limited viewfinder options??
3. Go any beginner DSLr as there all much of a muchness but excluding the weight and size the world is an oyster to experiment and expand with a good second hand market. Excluding changing brands any expansion within reason can be moved onto a better quality body??
Of course I openly admit to knowing nothing. If only I could trust spotty teenager in Jessops.
Cheers
Adie
 
If you want a DSLR a Nikon D5300 or D5500 might suit you with their flip screens. The D5500 would be over budget with a lens but a D5300 would be £459 from WEX with an 18-55mm. I'd also suggest something like a 55-300mm lens for travel and landscape photography, but that would add another £270 on top, or I'm sure MPB/WEX/eBay will have used bargains.

I won a Nikon 1 S2 compact system camera with an 11-27mm lens a couple of years ago, recently sold but it was great fun especially when travelling - had manual control, RAW shooting and certainly didn't limit creativity, so a compact can work well but having said that, I only ever felt it was a back up to a DSLR. Wish I knew more about the mirrorless options
 
Thank you scirocco_09 informative. My apologies if I've upset the roost with my comments.
Cheers
Adie
 
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