Dilemma?

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Natalie
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Hi Everyone,

Apologies in advance as this is yet another 'what camera' question.

I currently have a bridge camera but I am pretty unimpressed with it, in fact I do not think that it is any better than my P&S which is what I use to take most of my photographs.

I am a complete beginner but I love photographs so would really like to learn how to take better images. I have read through many threads on this forum and I am now thinking that the Nikon D3100 would be ideal to get me started as my first DSLR.

However, I am a complete beginner and I am unsure as to whether to get a DSLR now and use that to learn or to keep on with my bridge camera until I have learned all the functions and the 'rules' of photography.

Additionally, although I have been looking at the Nikon D3100 I am a bit confused about the whole lens/camera body stabilisation. Would it be worth going for a sony or pentax or would I be ok with the Nikon and stabilised lenses.

And one final question: If I plumped for the Nikon should I buy it with the kit lens or just go for the body and go for the 35mm 1.4 (or 1.8 not sure of the difference?). I will mostly be using the camera to take photographs of my children.

Sorry if some of the terminology is incorrect but i hope it makes sense.

Thanks.
 
Hi Natalie,
Like you I tried a bridge cameras (in fact I tried two) and was also unimpressed with the results. To be honest they generally use the same small sensors like the compacts, but have a few more functions and give you more control. Because of the poor quality of the results I got fed up trying and bought a secondhand DSLR. The results were mixed at first, but it didn't take long before I was happy with the pictures I was taking and it encouraged me to continue. I'm now very happy that I went for the DSLR and really enjoy my photography.

I don't know anything about Nikon as I am a Canon man, but both Canon and Nikon have a bigger range of lenses than Sony, so it might be best to stick with one of those two if you intend to progress your photography further than your children.
 
Get the Nikon. Or a Canon. If for no other reason that there is tons more stuff availaible for those brands on the used market. When you qualify for access to the for sale section here, it's a brilliant place to buy and sell. Most cameras are much of a muchness in terms of performance vs value. Just make sure you get on with it in terms of handling, and that ity has the features you want, eg video, flip-out screen, that sort of thing.

Get the kit zoom, and maybe a nifty-fifty - the 50mm f/1.8. It's cheap and great for portraits. It will give you a taste for real DSLR photography where shallow depth of field control (at low f/numbers) is a key part of the creative process. 35 1.8 is also very nice, but more money, and 35 1.4 is even more. I think you'll be better off with the 50, and it's so cheap you can hardly lose. I would also say that the kit zoom is very capable and will tackle most subjects. Maybe stick with that for a while, unitil you know which way you want to jump.

I agree about your bridge camera - they are a bridge to nowhere, just glorified compacts with a big zoom. Their small sensors prevent you from doing very much in the creative shallow DoF area, and they're laggy when shooting action with poor AF. Apart from not having the fundamental image quality that you get from the big sensor in a DSLR.
 
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You will not learn much from a bridge camera IMO.

Get yourself a SLR and get out and take loads of shots, that is the best way to learn.

You do not need to get the latest model and I would suggest that you get a slightly older model to begin with and see if you get into it.

If you are looking at Nikon then something like a D80 will take fantastic pictures and you could pick up one with a lens for around £220/£250. This will also let you use some older second hand lenses as the D80 has a motor built intot the camera which some of the newer cheaper Nikons do not; so this would open up a large number of lenses for you as you learn.

Just my opinion and there will be many more but the D80 is a fantastic camera, a lot of the newer ones have video etc which if you are looking to take pictures you do not need.
 
I agree with the previous 2 posts, I've tried bridge cams in the past and was always unimpressed. Initially I thought it was me, kept upgrading but then realized that no matter how much money you spend on a bridge there's a limit to what they can do.

Get yourself a proper DSLR; cheap 2nd hand ones should do to start with and a couple of good lenses to start with. If you're shooting portraits make sure you try the nifty fifty as mentioned earlier in the thread.
 
I had a bridge camera. It took better shots than the compact I had before. I switched off auto iso and stuck it on iso 100 and used up to 400 as a max as otherwise noise was a problem. Compact didn't have anything like manual focus or exposure compensation. Had choice of aperture and shutter priority modes as well as completely manual with manual focus and exposure choice.

A DSLR is the way to go if you want the shallow DOF.
 
Don't get hung up with Stabilisation either. It is useful sometimes but many shorter focal length lenses do not need it.

Stance and hold of the camera are equally important and no amount of stabilisation will help if you shutter speed is to low and you or your subject are not still enough.

I have quite a few lenses and only one has VR and for the most part that is off unless I know it will help.

Most of all go to the shops and try as many cameras as you can in your price range. But the one you feel most comfortable with.
 
I bought my first camera which is a 500D off eBay, I got it as a manufacturer refurbished unit (Canon seller) and they sell various other models with kit lenses.

LINK

There's a quick example, the 1000D usually go for less than £250.
 
bensambrook said:
I bought my first camera which is a 500D off eBay, I got it as a manufacturer refurbished unit (Canon seller) and they sell various other models with kit lenses.

LINK

There's a quick example, the 1000D usually go for less than £250.
Click to expand...


I have the 1000D, my advice is go for DSLR, you can't go wrong!
 
Hi Everyone.

Thanks so much for all your advice. It's looking like the DSLR is the way to go!

I'm glad it's not just me that found bridge cameras are not all they're cracked up to be. I was beginning to think that it was just my technique and was just about to give up on trying photography as a hobby but then I stumbled upon this forum. I ended up buying the bridge camera as in my hunt for articles about taking better photographs, many said that the camera is not as important as the technique. If only I'd found this forum first!

I was pretty pleased that I'd settled on a camera as I'm pretty indecisive at the best of times but I may look at the Nikon D3000 as one went on Ebay for £275 yesterday but I will also look at the other suggestions too.

My budget isn't huge but I noticed Jessops are doing the D3100 with a credit plan - I may go down that route to leave some cash spare for the accessories. I'm so impatient - I want one NOW!

Thanks again everyone.
 
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