Beginners Camera for around £150

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Just realised how long this has become!! In summary whats the best camera for £150ish?

Hi
As you may have seen if my other thread, my trusty compact is broken, and Im trying to decide whethe to fix it or not. I just keep thinking I could put the £65 its going to cost to repair into something better
SO...
My knowlege isnt great, Ive been looking around this site and seem lots terms which I have no experience with and therefore not sure what spec I should be looking for! One thing that I have played with on a friends camera is long time exposure which I would love to have.

Can anyone suggest what camera I could get for around £150? I seem to get the impression that the make determines what can be purchased later on, I dont really plan on buying exspenive lenses, so dont make matter? Or will be forced to buy more lenses?

Ive looked into beginners DSLRs like the Nikon D40 but they seem to go for around £250 used from what Ive seen.

On amazon Ive seen cameras in my price range, what are your opinions on these?
1 - Fujifilm FinePix S1500
Link - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fujifilm-Fi...7&pf_rd_r=063ZJR3YJQ4N8JZH7ZJY&pf_rd_i=560834

2 - Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD
Link - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294

3 - Fuji S1500 Digital Camera
Link - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467198433&pf_rd_i=468294

Also are Fujifilm and Fuji the same make? Or totally unrelated?

If anyone could give me some help as Im confused.com.

Thank you!!!
 
I would strongly recommend waiting for a bit and save for a DSLR. I had a one of the fujifilms you have sugested and I soon got stuck with its limitations and bought my Sony a200 and now I've just upgraded again to the A700.
 
What are the limitations you found? I just looked up the technical spec of the S2000HD, and ISO range seems good for example.

By the way what do you call those cameras I suggested?
 
They are called bridge cameras I believe. I just found you could be as creative with them and they are hard to work in manual in my opinion. I much prefer my DSLR and the picture quality is also so much better. Although the camera did its job of a holiday in kenya where i needed a compactish camera with super zoom on it.
 
for a start you'll be limited on lenses, to one. that lens will have comprimised image quality because it is a superzoom and you'll just regret not picking a DSLR. i would save up for a DSLR.

fuji and fujifilm are the same
 
Thank you for the quick replies
OK so what DSLR would you suggest that is fairly cheap?
 
I suggest Sony, they are cheap and good image quality. But people with Nikons and Canons would recomend one of them. Go to Jessops or similar and hold and feel the cameras and find what ones suit you best.
 
Yeah good idea, what models were you thinking of as Im trying to work out how much extra Im looking for a dslr?
 
You could get a second hand Nikon D40 with kit 18-55mm lens for your budget. Its a great starter DSLR, I have just upgraded to the D90 from the D40.
 
Canon EOS 350D + 18-55 is a fantastic starter kit from Canon, and you could pick one up for around £200 I reckon. They are great cameras, and I am a Canon lover, so I would strongly recommend that!
 
Just look around ebay, in the sales section on here ect and get an idea for the prices. Then decide on a couple you like the look and price off and try finding somewhere you can have a hold of them and decide what one you prefer.
 
bartoszwozniak said:
Canon EOS 350D + 18-55 is a fantastic starter kit from Canon, and you could pick one up for around £200 I reckon. They are great cameras, and I am a Canon lover, so I would strongly recommend that!
Click to expand...

I agree the 350D has excellent IQ , I still use mine even though I have the 40D as well

Pete
 
A 350D just went on ebay for £227 posted. Its quite alot of money and Im just not sure I can go that far for a USED camera :eek:
 
Go for the D50 (used from eBay) over the D40 or D60. It has an LCD screen on top, and more focus points.
 
The correct answer, as has been mentioned a few times is a used D40 and the 18-55mm kit lens.

THE perfect beginners setup for their first steps into the world of DSLRs.

You'll probably need to save up a bit more money, but that camera and lens will do you perfectly for many years.
 
backstage pass said:
The correct answer, as has been mentioned a few times is a used D40 and the 18-55mm kit lens.

THE perfect beginners setup for their first steps into the world of DSLRs.

You'll probably need to save up a bit more money, but that camera and lens will do you perfectly for many years.
Click to expand...

agreed - and dont forget that if and when you are "better off" and want to upgrade, you will get almost ALL the money you spent buying the original entry-level camera

a Nikon D40 of course...:lol:
seriously you will get your money back as they are always in great demand
 
The FUji Bridge range is quite varied, if that is what you like the look of.
I think the limited use of these comes from the lower end of the range, with a motorised zoom. The limitation is obviously how fast (slow) the zoom is and how much battery it eats.

I would look at the S9*** range - the S9500, S9600, s100FS, S200exr.
I have the S9600.

These all have a DSLR style "twisty" zoom, which means that you can zoom just like a DSLR.

The advantage of these cameras is you can do pretty much any type of photography, from sports (motor racing, football) to portraits, landscapes to Macro all with one camera and one lens.
Ok, they will not be up to the same quality as a DSLR is some cases, but most of them will be more than acceptable.

When you have got to grips with the bridge, you then have a steer as to what area you want to focus on, and can get the kit that suits you best.

One advantage of the bridge is that you can't swp lenses, which means you aren't out there thinking about what lens to buy next.

The s9600 takes a flashgun, filters, has a 300mm equivalent, will do super macro, take video, has a flippy out screen, takes AA batteries.

you can probably get one for £150, although this should come down as Fuji are just releasing the HS10, with a 720 MM (yes 720mm!) equiv zoom on a bridge, which looks awesome and is only £400 from amazon.

Remember it is not the camera that makes the photo, but the person using it - you!.

I would say that for your budget a bridge will give you more satisfaction because you will not be limited on focal length and you can take awesome shots. There are some in my gallery which I am pleased with, other not so much, but they give you an idea of what you can do.
 
Though there is a 350d for £170 on the for sale section...
 
I'm with Lawrie on this one...

It's all very well saying "a bridge camera is limiting - get a DSLR" but if you only have so much money to spend then you are going to end up with an entry level DSLR camera body, the kit lens and not much else... which is also pretty limiting. A bridge camera is very flexible and you can get a feel for what kind of photography you like without having to shell out ££££'s on different lenses.

OP - If you want another option for bridge camera's other than Fuji then Panasonic do a good range. I have the Panasonic Lumix FZ8 which is an old model but served me very well.
 
After seeing scottcambell's post yesturday I was thinking of buying the D50 instead due to it being roughly £80-90 cheaper.

There is a few differences that I have found but I dont see any of them being a problem for someone like me, or do you think its worth spending the extra (which is quite abit of money to me) and getting the D40?

Differences Ive found are below, you probably are all already aware Im sure.
D40 is:
1) Smaller - There already big cameras to what Im use to so not bothered really

2) D40 has better and 0.5inch bigger screen - Surely as along as you can see the picture has the right ISO level etc then it doesnt matter?

3) Larger ISO (3200 compared to 1600) - Not a clue how important this difference is? Is 1600 high enough for most day+night shots seing as shutter speed can be 30secs?

4) D40 has incamera photo editing tools - Anyone with a D40 use these?

Whereas the D50 is:
1) Cheaper - Fairly important to me (student here)

2) Has a lens motor - Nice if I do decide to get lenses

3) 5 AF points - Im sure 3 is enough really, so is that useful?

4) Can lock exposure on flash (FLock) - Not sure again on this, never heard of it till now?!


Ahh so confused. Im definatly going to get a dslr though, thanks for your help and getting me off the idea of a bridge camera!!
 
I wrote that above without seeing your reply lawrie, I will have a look into that line. Thank you
 
Specialized said:
After seeing scottcambell's post yesturday I was thinking of buying the D50 instead due to it being roughly £80-90 cheaper.

There is a few differences that I have found but I dont see any of them being a problem for someone like me, or do you think its worth spending the extra (which is quite abit of money to me) and getting the D40?

Differences Ive found are below, you probably are all already aware Im sure.
D40 is:
1) Smaller - There already big cameras to what Im use to so not bothered really

2) D40 has better and 0.5inch bigger screen - Surely as along as you can see the picture has the right ISO level etc then it doesnt matter?

3) Larger ISO (3200 compared to 1600) - Not a clue how important this difference is? Is 1600 high enough for most day+night shots seing as shutter speed can be 30secs?

4) D40 has incamera photo editing tools - Anyone with a D40 use these?

Whereas the D50 is:
1) Cheaper - Fairly important to me (student here)

2) Has a lens motor - Nice if I do decide to get lenses

3) 5 AF points - Im sure 3 is enough really, so is that useful?

4) Can lock exposure on flash (FLock) - Not sure again on this, never heard of it till now?!


Ahh so confused. Im definatly going to get a dslr though, thanks for your help and getting me off the idea of a bridge camera!!
Click to expand...

Do you mean exposure rather than ISO? The ISO you normally only need to set once depending on the environment (ie for bright sunlight, 100-200 ISO depending what you're shooting, indoors 400-1600 depending on light levels) the rest is all down to exposure (shutter speeds).

I'd go for the D50 tbh as the lens motor makes the available lenses cheaper - and you WILL need to buy additional lenses, but you can buy these as and when you can afford them. A D50 with the kit lens will still give you much better results than a bridge camera when used properly. But I would recommend getting a decent photography book to go with it!
 
And some on my gallery (having looked) where taken with my older camera, the konica dimage z10 - 3.2 mp but 8 x zoom. Without cheating (exif) can you tell?
 
lawrie29 said:
The FUji Bridge range is quite varied, if that is what you like the look of.
I think the limited use of these comes from the lower end of the range, with a motorised zoom. The limitation is obviously how fast (slow) the zoom is and how much battery it eats.

I would look at the S9*** range - the S9500, S9600, s100FS, S200exr.
I have the S9600.

These all have a DSLR style "twisty" zoom, which means that you can zoom just like a DSLR.

The advantage of these cameras is you can do pretty much any type of photography, from sports (motor racing, football) to portraits, landscapes to Macro all with one camera and one lens.
Ok, they will not be up to the same quality as a DSLR is some cases, but most of them will be more than acceptable.

When you have got to grips with the bridge, you then have a steer as to what area you want to focus on, and can get the kit that suits you best.

One advantage of the bridge is that you can't swp lenses, which means you aren't out there thinking about what lens to buy next.

The s9600 takes a flashgun, filters, has a 300mm equivalent, will do super macro, take video, has a flippy out screen, takes AA batteries.

you can probably get one for £150, although this should come down as Fuji are just releasing the HS10, with a 720 MM (yes 720mm!) equiv zoom on a bridge, which looks awesome and is only £400 from amazon.

Remember it is not the camera that makes the photo, but the person using it - you!.

I would say that for your budget a bridge will give you more satisfaction because you will not be limited on focal length and you can take awesome shots. There are some in my gallery which I am pleased with, other not so much, but they give you an idea of what you can do.
Click to expand...

I'd say thats a disadvantage!! The simple fact is with a bridge, you dont get the creative freedom you get with a DSLR or the picture quality. They are brilliant at what they do, but the OP, as I did a few years ago, seems to have reached the limit of the bridge camera.
 
Personally, I'd find a good used Canon D30 or D60. Well made and normally very cheap now.
 
I started off with a Fuji bridge camera and would say it's a good way to get into photography. The disadvantages for me were slightly soft images when on full zoom, poor high ISO performance, fiddly when on full manual as you have to faff about to change the settings and the small sensors mean that it's hard to play around with depth of field. The advantages are its compact size (I still have the camera and use it and it'll fit in my coat pocket) and it's cheap to buy plus the large zoom. As someone else said above, it's the person taking the photo that matters, some of may favourite photos have been taken with this camera.
 
Get a Canon 30D for about £150 with a lens.
 
Specialized said:
Just realised how long this has become!! In summary whats the best camera for £150ish?

Hi
As you may have seen if my other thread, my trusty compact is broken, and Im trying to decide whethe to fix it or not. I just keep thinking I could put the £65 its going to cost to repair into something better
SO...
My knowlege isnt great, Ive been looking around this site and seem lots terms which I have no experience with and therefore not sure what spec I should be looking for! One thing that I have played with on a friends camera is long time exposure which I would love to have.

Can anyone suggest what camera I could get for around £150? I seem to get the impression that the make determines what can be purchased later on, I dont really plan on buying exspenive lenses, so dont make matter? Or will be forced to buy more lenses?
Click to expand...

It really depends what the OP wants.

1. £150 budget
2. Doesn't what to buy expensive additional lenses
3. What a camera with long exposure capabilities

Does he want
Long zoom
12x MP
Image stabilisation
Obviously manual capabilities due to wanting exposure control
wide angle capabilities
pocket size
etc etc

So suggesting a DSLR, come on guy's common sense here, I'm assuming the OP has a limited budget, so pushing him down the route of a DSLR, even 2nd hand when adding lenses + other bits, you've 3x or 4x his budget.

None of you have asked what he takes photographs of, is this just a general snap camera, or does he intend to develop his photographic skills.

OK, the P&S or Bridge camera's have their limitation, but perhaps the OP wants something all wrapped up in a nice little package like the 3 camera's he suggested.

So would it be better to think what he really wants rather than push him down an avenue that could cost him quite abit of money he may not want to spend.

Perhaps he should have a go at something like the Find the best camera for you page on the website below.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/
http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/camera/inputSummary.do?referrer=ir
 
Thanks Peter for the reply. Just been on that best camera you linked me to, its so hard to answer those questions now I have learnt what the capabilies and specs of a bridge and DSLR cameras are!
I understand why everyone is pushing me to get a dslr and I know everyone is trying there best to help me buy the right thing! I came on here planning to spend £150, looks like its now up to £200ish, I can handle that as Id rather spend an extra £50 and get something that will last!

To answer some of those questions
Mainly shooting - Action such as car racing, and stationary cars at shows.
Doesnt bother anymore about how many MP, I know its done to the lens and aperture etc
Dont need insane zoom
Doesnt need to be pocket sized

What Im after is a camera which can take good quality photos, and I can play around with the setting so it can work at night/on fast moving objects.
Also not HAVE to buy lots of lens, I could handle it not being the best it could be with whatever lens I have

Ive been reading up on the D50 as Ive said before, what I cant work out is what its lens aperture is in terms of F rating? And will I be able to do depth of field shots? How much circle of confusion is possible?
 
I'm extremely new to DLSR cameras - in fact I have only just purchased one today and it wont arrive until Wednesday HOWEVER my understanding of DOF and aperture are: the higher your aperture the deeper the dof meaning more of whats in the picture is in focus, the smaller the apperture, the more shallow the dof meaning foreground items or a particular object or person are in focus with the mid and back ground blurred - is that incorrect?

Of course it is also dependant on your chosen aperture and then the distace you are from the actual object(s) you intend to photograph as to how it turns out..

I could be wrong though - so please don't quote me..
 
Specialized said:
To answer some of those questions
Mainly shooting - Action such as car racing, and stationary cars at shows.
Doesnt bother anymore about how many MP, I know its done to the lens and aperture etc
Dont need insane zoom
Doesnt need to be pocket sized

What Im after is a camera which can take good quality photos, and I can play around with the setting so it can work at night/on fast moving objects.
Also not HAVE to buy lots of lens, I could handle it not being the best it could be with whatever lens I have

Ive been reading up on the D50 as Ive said before, what I cant work out is what its lens aperture is in terms of F rating? And will I be able to do depth of field shots? How much circle of confusion is possible?
Click to expand...

Quick question, did you use your previous P&S to take action shots?

There are a large number of P&S camera's that allow you manual control of the aperture and shutter speeds, but they are limited, especially on the AV settings (most only allow upto f8).

As for a P&S to take action photography, thats where they also fall down as well. Its all due to the time it takes for the camera to focus and then take the image, P&S camera's ain't quick in that department.
 
The more I look into the cameras the more I think the D50 is the one.

However can anyone tell me the answers to the following?
What its kit lens aperture is in terms of F rating?
Will I be able to do depth of field shots? How much circle of confusion is possible?
Can I have a remote flash (like have the flash 2 meters from me)?
 
Specialized said:
The more I look into the cameras the more I think the D50 is the one.

However can anyone tell me the answers to the following?
What its kit lens aperture is in terms of F rating?
Will I be able to do depth of field shots? How much circle of confusion is possible?
Can I have a remote flash (like have the flash 2 meters from me)?
Click to expand...

The aperture range of a lens refers to the amount that the lens can open up or close down to let in more or less light, respectively. Apertures are listed in terms of f-numbers, which quantitatively describe relative light-gathering area
Click to expand...
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-lenses.htm

So you kit zoom lens say its the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 (18mm aperture is f3.5, at 55mm aperture is f5.6) so that's how big the aperture is through the zoom range (physical), so the larger the aperture (smaller the f number) the faster the lens is at taking an image. (example a 50mm f1.4 would be better at taking an image indoors than a 50mm f5.6 lens because the shutter speed can be made faster for the same exposure with the faster lens)

A smaller aperture means that objects can be in focus over a wider range of distance (DOF), however, the shutter speed is slowed down to compensate.
So this lens won't be able to have a aperture larger than f3.5, however, it can have apertures smaller than f5.6, but that will depend on the camera.

Have a read of the tutorials, there's alot of useful info in them.....
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

As for flash(es), yes you can have one on the camera and a remote one, or a remote one with a transmitter connected on the camera to trigger the flash, but I think you're getting way head of yourself.

My best advice if you seriously now what to get a DSLR is, don't make any rash decisions, there are several very good beginner camera's out there on the market, go to your local camera shop (leave wallet at home) and try a few out, but be warned, £200 ain't nowhere near an affordable budget to buy a camera body, a decent landscape lens, motorsports lens, indoor lens (motorshows), flashgun and tripod, even if your buying 2nd hand.

I think you need to do abit more research and field testing and boost your camera budget significantly before taking the plunge

Peter
 
If you want to take motor racing action shots then the kit lens on a dslr won't have a long enough zoom and so you won' get close to the action. A bridge on the othe rhand...

Being honest, I owuld like a DSLR, but know to take the photos I like owuld have to spend a bundle, hence the bridge. Buy want you feel is right, but ty not to be bundled into either bracket, cos if it doesn;t do what you wnat, it is a waste of money and puts you off photography.
 
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