As a hobby, this could go either way

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MICHINA

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David
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My thoughts right now are mixed. Do I want to progress further than the point and shoot stage, Yes, I do, providing my 84 year old brain can absorb the necessary technical information . Of course that largely depends on how patient and how good you experts are at teaching an old fart like me. Okay, so my working background is not going to be of any help at all, and I've never possessed anything fancy in the way of a camera but if I get the bug then no doubt I could be testing the moderators resilience with my enthusiasm
 
Hi and welcome to TP

Age should be no barrier to your developing and enjoying your photography. There are some hereabouts that are 70+ including a number around the 80 mark.

So ask away :)

If you are seeking advise about 'which camera should I buy', you will find non too surprisingly that that is a common question. In that regard, perhaps list out your areas (subjects) of interest and also your budget.

For fear of stating the obvious, do tell us about your computer and software you use now and whether you are amenable to buying a more up to date computer and more current software.

Lastly, is your intention to use your images online and/or get them printed?

HTH :)
 
Oh believe me, age can be a handicap both mentally and physically, for example climbing trees or hopping over a walls to get that perfect shot is no longer viable. Advice on what camera and equipment to buy could be helpful but I've found with forums covering my other hobbies members tend to go overboard with what they consider necessary. When I look at family pictures taken by my daughters phone it makes me wonder if a Hasselblad could do any better. I'm sure there are many reasons why I should invest in a dedicated camera but when you ask my area of interest is there not a camera on the market suitable for all aspects. If photographic advancements is anything like the same as keeping marine fish then I could be in for a bumpy ride. So how much would it cost to buy a decent set up with all the accessories? or is that like asking how long is a piece of string. A cameras performance is obviously important but what the images are viewed and stored by is probably more so.. Its too early to answer your last question because at this point in time I have know idea. At the moment I'm wondering if anything I produce will be worth the outlay, I mean, I wear an expensive watch but all it does is tell the time, I could buy something much cheaper that does the same job plus the ability to do many other things like tell me when I'm about to die. I am completely out of my depth when it comes to photography so I hope you guys will teach me all about the pitfalls so I don't make too many expensive mistakes.
 
Hi David, And welcome aboard TP. "Enjoy"
 
A Big welcome.

I can understand your concerns regards digital, best advice I can give is don't think about it, just enjoy your photography.
 
Hi and a warm welcome to the forum, enjoy :)
One thing to consider is the physical weight of a camera and lens. When you sit down and draw up a shortlist of equipment, make sure you consider the weight, it’s hard work walking around with a 2 kilo camera hanging around your neck.
:fuji:
 
David,

I think you should think about what you really want to do and what you want to take pictures of. There are some things which will need practice, skill and lots of money... like bird photography, fast sports and maybe astro photography. Other things like taking pictures of interesting people and things when out and about maybe be less taxing on the brain and the bank account. So have a think. And don't be afraid to ask questions.

Cameras v phones. Mrs WW bombards me with pictures she and her friends have taken with their phones and on the phone and even on a tablet the pictures can often look nothing short of stunning but when I look at them on something bigger the issues are there to be seen. So far I haven't seen anything from a phone which could even begin to compete with a camera for image quality plus I just do not like taking pictures with phones as their ergonomics are non existent and I just don't like holding an oblong box 18 inches in from of my face and jabbing at it with a finger.
 
Welcome to the forum David. At the risk of stating the obvious, if you point your camera at the right subject, and shoot at the right time, that's all it takes. And that's the hardest thing about photography - the "seeing" part.

Back in the 1960s, I read The Dumpy Pocket Book of Photography. Small, 5/-, hardback, and it claimed to contain everything you really needed to know. I think the claim was largely justified. It started by stating that if you were setting out to buy the prefect camera, save your shoe leather - there's no such thing. The author (Denys Davies) advised buying the cheapest camera you could find and using it for a year to discover where it was limiting you, and then you could make an informed decision. My take is that camera is just a tool, and a precision screwdriver might be a very fine instrument, but perhaps not the best for driving nails into masonry...

A lot of technical information (and specialised equipment) is needed in some areas, yes; but for most people it's largely unnecessary. The camera can make the right choice most times; and spending more time thinking about the subject and being selective is probably a better use of effort than trying to control the technical stuff. When you can see problems that could be solved by changing settings or whatever, that's the time to start thinking about them, and probably not before.

Personally, I learned more about what I see as the important stuff from Ernst Gombrich's art history; but that's as much a reflection of my approach as anything. My advice, for what it's worth, is to look at images (whether photographs or paintings) and try to work out what you like and perhaps more importantly, don't like. There are "tricks" to constructing an image, but personally I like Edward Weston's idea of composition as "the strongest way of seeing".

I can't resist ending on an equipment related quote to be pondered:

"No photographer is as good as the simplest camera" (Edward Steichen).

P.S. My own favourite cameras are manual focus and without any built in meter, so I'm definitely not at the front edge of technology - although my absolute favourite camera is made mainly of aircraft grade aluminium...
 
Thanks for all your replies, I can see buying into the world of photography is really no different than buying anything else mechanical or electrical including televisions, motor vehicles etc. As a rule, the more expensive something is the better it is but in my experience that's not always the case, One of the family drives a Range Rover, nice looking car and very expensive but its been in the garage more times than my Skoda and not just for petrol. Televisions, don't talk to me about televisions I've had three in the last two years all costing over a grand and they've been nothing but trouble, I know I could have paid a lot more but for what? technology that I don't understand, A three grand set might well give a better picture if you want to check it with a microscope and count the dots. I've always believed the more bits and bobs there are the more likely something will go wrong. At my age I have to consider carefully what I invest in. By that I mean material things not so much stocks and shares. It would be pointless me spending thousands on solar heating because I wont live long enough to reap the benefit. My biggest outlay is probably holidays which agreed have no financial return but they do give fantastic memories and I've backed them up on occasions with some good under water photos My next door neighbour is a keen amateur photographer and I suppose it was her that sparked my interest. I've lived in the New Forest for 54years now and I think its about time I got off my backside, get out there and photographed what's on my doorstep.
 
I don’t believe that anyone needs to spend thousands on a camera. You can get perfectly good results from a used camera costing a few hundred pounds.
Visit a camera shop and handle a few different models, get an idea of your preferences and go search for a used version.
The New Forest, a lovely part of the world (y)
 
My question to you is this - you say you want to progress beyond a point and shoot.
Why?
I'm not wanting answers, but have you thought about what your current point and shoot does and doesn't do that you want to be able to.
This might be a good place to start before spending money. I'm sure a lot of us have spent loads on gear we didn't really need..
 
Welcome from a fellow "oldie".

II have an old DSLR which I like to use but have recently taken to use a Canon G10 because of the weight difference and my arthritic joints. As somebody else has said it depends on what images you want to take, I tend to take anything that catches my eye, so I post a lot of rubbish! Along with my ancient cameras I have an old version of Photoshop Elements, again sufficient to my needs!

Whatever you choose - enjoy!!

Howard
 
Well, at root it's just about having gear that you can play around with, which enables you to learn not just by research but also by doing and reviewing your results.

Most picture taking devices are general purpose - fine unless you want to specialise in certain fields (birds, sport, astro, whatever).

I'm pretty sure that the best method is to buy something budget - pre-owned gets more push for the pound - something that you like in the hand and also to view through. It's all an experiment.

Where it may lead depends on you more than the equipment. But try to transcend the shopping dimension and think about the work. As said, learn by doing & reviewing.

I may warn you that it can be a long road - but for an amateur there are no obligations except social ones, so be patient.

As for phone cameras - well they can be handy, but they don't really cut the mustard very deeply.

But want to take snaps? - then anything will do. Bothered about the qualities of those snaps - then it starts to get interesting. So just dive in (or not), at what in effect will be a random start point, and see what happens. Then ask when you stumble over what seems to be a problem.

Study & think about light - how it falls, and how the world receives & reflects it - that's a suggestion, not an instruction!

Then there's framing, composition, exposure, focus and the idea & reality of 'the picture space'. Keeping up?

Come on, man, you're 84, there's not much time left ...
 
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First find your niche ? The camera is the last item to think about .no good buying wide angle lenses if you need telephoto for wildlife/ birds etc . Once that’s sorted then think about what camera .older photographers tend to make weight of gear a major point .the best bang for bucks set up is Olympus for weight/ size/ costs. But the others are catching up .
You would also have to factor in processing I.e computer ,editing software etc it’s not easy or cheap but it can be done and btw I’m chasin* 80 and still get good shots
 
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