DSLR choice

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nugget

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russell
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having reralised i have bought the 'wrong' camera as a starter, i am now looking for advice for a good camera for my needs.
I keep Japanese Koi in my garden pond and want to take very good quality snaps of them.
can anyone advise me of a few models that might suit my needs ?

would a Canon EOS 350D be a good choice (£150 - ebay). :thinking:

Russell.
 
Any DSLR should do what you want but you'll want a circular polarising filter on the lens to cut out the reflections from the water.
 
i have gone out & bought a filter set for this camera (Fuji) includes a circular polarizing one. just not getting to use the camera due to it shutting down with flat batteries before i can even settle on a subject. ( fish swimming in a pond). :bang:

just seems that i made a poor camera choice to begin with. :(

Russell.
 
What is it about the pics you don't like, can you post up some examples?
 
For the best shots of your fish IMO I would use a camera underwater.
 
i bought some KODAK - Zinc Chloride Xtra heavy duty AA's thinking they must be good for cameras as they are from KODAK, they were pants.
I also have some Duracell rechargeables - DX1500 NiMH 1.2v/2000mAh 's they were a bit better, but not much.
 
i have bought the 'wrong' camera as a starter
Click to expand...

Russell, which camera do you have, and what makes you think it's "wrong"?

I have a DSLR, but also use a Samsung s850 compact camera which used to positively eat batteries...I now use Camlink Ni-MH 1.2v-2100 MAH rechargeable batteries which last for days rather than just hours. I hope that technical info made sense...I just copied it off the battery!

If you could post some pictures, perhaps someone on here could help you get the best out of what you've got, rather than having to spend money on a new camera?

Janet
 
i bought a fuji finepix S602Zoom , i have recently been told (on here) that it isn't actually a DSLR. i thought it was when i bought it. I was advised to buy a DSLR for my needs.

Russell.
 
i have been offered a Canon 20D with a Sigma 17-70mm and other two lenses : 28-80mm and 80-200mm for £375.
then i compared on E-bay and saw this : Sigma 17-70mm that I used all the time before I upgraded it this Spring. The other two lenses are not the greatest (28-80mm and 80-200mm) but you are welcome to them.
i suppose the diffference would have to be in the lenses. ?

i would be wanting to take pictures like this:

can't upload pics / links.


which is the better option. ?

Russell.
 
Why not try a set of Energizer Lithiums in your Fuji, they were about six quid in Superdrug for 4+2 free last time I bought them.
Think you will be surprised how long they last, many times longer than Alkalines and lighter weight too

One other thing i should mention, check to see what type of battery your battery level meter is calibrated for.
I had a Nikon compact many years ago that shut down even when the batteries had juice left in them.
It needed a firmware fix to correct the fault,not saying that is the problem, but give it a google and see if anyone else is having problems.
 
AA batteries last seconds when powering a digital SLR.

I attend weddings and use the batteries specifically designed for the cameras (Minolta 7D, Sony A700, Sony A850, Sony A550) and they all last ages when powering the cameras during long haul wedding photography assignments (Sometimes 12 hours in a day).

I have an AA clip for the Minolta 7D and remember buying some Duracell (Top end) batteries for it as backup should the conventional batteries power die during a wedding.

On one occasion it happened, so in went the Duracells... Within about twenty minutes they had died... I don't think that AA batteries are the best option for digital cameras as the power drain is just too much (Especially if you shoot as like a complete mainiac like I do at weddings!!!)

I suggest going on to ebay and buying some batteries that are designed for the camera. Be careful though, because some of these are rubbish and won't last long... The last few I've bought for my Sonys are VERY good however and easily last throughout a wedding, when I may shoot over 1000 images with a certain camera!

Tom.

Where memories are made http://www.atmosferik.com
 
okay, the battery case mod seems to have worked , thanks guys . :)

I am now able to take pics even 48hrs after a fully recharged set of batteries were fitted.
There is one little niggle .... in between taking each picture the camera seems to need a short 'rest' before being ready to take the next one. Is there any way to prevent this or make it take shorter 'rests' ?
 
Sanyo Eneloops are very good and widely used by many photographers. I use them in my flash gun and they last ages.

The problem with standard AA batteries is they don't have a high capacity for a camera such as the S602Z you have. That model is also classed as old now and power consumption technology has come on in leaps and bounds in the last 3-4 years. The camera you have is a prosumer, or bridge, camera which means that it gives you the control of a DSLR without the bulky lenses and attachements. Unfortunatley there are downsides such as the batteries and awkward accessories. If memory serves me correctly you can get an adapter to fit over the lens so you can add filters. AA batteries don't last as long but are readily available from many shops.
 
Hi Donald fancy meeting you here :wave: , LOL . i suppose i should have guessed.

I'll take the 'Z' along to the BBQ on Sat and Rich is doing a photography workshop.
if i really can't get this thing to do the business then i will have to reconsider my options. this week was a bad time for wanting a new camera as my lads B'day cost me over £300 yesterday :bonk:

i am liking the idea of a Canon-(insert number)-D, but a garage conversion and pond & garden renovation are further up the list

maybe i can manage with the Z for a while. :shrug:

Russell.
 
nugget said:
There is one little niggle .... in between taking each picture the camera seems to need a short 'rest' before being ready to take the next one. Is there any way to prevent this or make it take shorter 'rests' ?
Click to expand...

This 'rest' period may be down to the camera processing the image just taken and storing it in memory. This will be a physical limitation that you won't be able to do much about. I used to have a 6900Z that I got rid of because of the time taken between pressing the button and the shot actually being taken.
 
yes Mac, that is another issue. because i am taking pictures of fish swimming around a pond i can't get the pic i want becuase they move from where they are between the time i press the button to the camera actually taking the shot, maybe .5 of a second or something.
didn't know whether this is something in the settings ,like focussing etc.

are other camers , like the Canon, quicker at doing this ?

Russell.
 
I was very pleased when I first got my 6900Z and was getting some (what I thought) nice still shots. But then I took it on holiday and tried to get some pics of my sons doing watersports, jet skis, parachutes off the back of a boat etc and got fed up with trying to predict when to press the button and stiil missing the shot.

As Donald says go for the 20D kit if you can afford it.
 
nugget said:
yes Mac, that is another issue. because i am taking pictures of fish swimming around a pond i can't get the pic i want becuase they move from where they are between the time i press the button to the camera actually taking the shot, maybe .5 of a second or something.
didn't know whether this is something in the settings ,like focussing etc.

are other camers , like the Canon, quicker at doing this ?

Russell.
Click to expand...

The delay is generally referred to as 'Shutter Lag', and should be practically zero on a DSLR.
 
so its probably down to the fact that this is not a DSLR ? :(
 
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