Hello everyone advice needed.

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corneliousreeve

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cornelius
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I'm a first time poster and need a little advice, I also need to point out I'm a complete novice.

At the moment I have a little Fuji point and click camera and take lots of pictures especially when hill walking, I also like to use my laptop to cut crop and enhance my many pictures.

I've been thinking of buying a new a camera for some time now and have been told my next logical step is a bridge camera, however, others have said I should go straight to a DSLR, I'm off to Jessop's this weekend to browse and maybe buy, could anyone here point me in the right direction of make and models please.
 
Welcome Cornelious. Very hard to point you towards a particualar make because we all have our preferences (Nikon for me). I would certainly recommend to you go down the DSLR route baecause they are the most capable of all digital cameras (they are heavier though, but plenty hill walkers use them.
Truth is that all the DSLR brands are very good. Decide on a budget. Go to a shop and try them in your hands. Makes a difference if your camera is comfortable to hold. E.g. I like largish cameras and dislike small fiddly controls.
 
Hi Cornelius, And welcome aboard TP, looking forward to hearing from you and maybe seeing some of your images on the various forums. "Enjoy".
 
Hi Cornelious I agree with Doug. Depending were you live I would recomend going to Calumet or London Camera Exchange. They have a much bigger range to try.
 
arclight said:
Welcome Cornelious. Very hard to point you towards a particualar make because we all have our preferences (Nikon for me). I would certainly recommend to you go down the DSLR route baecause they are the most capable of all digital cameras (they are heavier though, but plenty hill walkers use them.
Truth is that all the DSLR brands are very good. Decide on a budget. Go to a shop and try them in your hands. Makes a difference if your camera is comfortable to hold. E.g. I like largish cameras and dislike small fiddly controls.
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Thanks for the feedback everyone, I have been looking at the Nikon D3300 and it looks a decent package from Jessop's in Sheffield with the 18-55mm VR Lens + 55-300mm VR Lens at
£539.

Anyway I will get a feel for it when I visit the store on Saturday.
 
corneliousreeve said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone, I have been looking at the Nikon D3300 and it looks a decent package from Jessop's in Sheffield with the 18-55mm VR Lens + 55-300mm VR Lens at
£539.

Anyway I will get a feel for it when I visit the store on Saturday.
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You should be satisfied with that. Just be prepared to take a little time to get used to it.

Review here:-
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/ca...gital-slrs-hybrids/nikon-d3300-1212963/review

The manuals supplied by Nikon are not the most user friendly (esp. if it is your first DSLR). They do instruct how to do everything, but don't do much to tell you why. An independent book can be a worthwhile purchase. There is also plenty on the web for free.
If there is anything you cannot get your head around ask on here and you'll soon get an answer. (y)
 
corneliousreeve said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone, I have been looking at the Nikon D3300 and it looks a decent package from Jessop's in Sheffield with the 18-55mm VR Lens + 55-300mm VR Lens at
£539.

Anyway I will get a feel for it when I visit the store on Saturday.
Click to expand...
Hi

I had a friend that last week was on the same boat, after allot of searching she got the Nikon D5300 with the 18-140 lens from this seller on eBay, that carries 3 years warranty (and its UK, so no duty charges) and for the same price as a 3300 on Jessops

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=151385908521

The 5300 is a cracking camera, the added Gps and wifi plus swivel screen are a big plus

Good luck :)
 
NullMind said:
Hi

I had a friend that last week was on the same boat, after allot of searching she got the Nikon D5300 with the 18-140 lens from this seller on eBay, that carries 3 years warranty (and its UK, so no duty charges) and for the same price as a 3300 on Jessops

<deleted link>

The 5300 is a cracking camera, the added Gps and wifi plus swivel screen are a big plus

Good luck :)
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Grey import seller. Warranty doesn't appear to be backed by anyone.
 
Alastair said:
Grey import seller. Warranty doesn't appear to be backed by anyone.
Click to expand...

I know it came with a 3 year warranty card and instructions for warranty, Ill ask her to send me the details of who backs it.
 
Once you find out what camera you want, have a look on this site

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/

They keep up to date comparisons on where the cheapest place to buy equipment is from actual shops. For example, it says that Clifton Cameras is currently selling a D3300 with 18-55 VR and 55-200 VR and seems to come with a bag, SD card and cloth too, for £489. Then Nikon seem to be doing a cashback offer on top too.

Never thought I'd be helping someone to buy a Nikon... I must be ill :D
 
corneliousreeve said:
Does that mean the extended warranty or the manufactures warranty as well?
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Its a "Grey Import" - Nikon UK won't touch it - so the "warranty" is basically down to the seller "self insuring" the whole thing... So, if they "go out of business" next week (i.e. start trading under another name, from a different "accomodation address") your warranty goes up in smoke at that point.

You pay your money and take your choice.

As a couple of new members, you probably don't realise that the whole "grey import" issue is something of a bone of contention on here, and I'd like to appeal to all the usual suspects (on both sides of the "holy war" about Grey's) to not sidetrack this thread any further along that well travelled road... :bat:
 
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Carl Hall said:
Once you find out what camera you want, have a look on this site

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/

They keep up to date comparisons on where the cheapest place to buy equipment is from actual shops. For example, it says that Clifton Cameras is currently selling a D3300 with 18-55 VR and 55-200 VR and seems to come with a bag, SD card and cloth too, for £489. Then Nikon seem to be doing a cashback offer on top too.

Never thought I'd be helping someone to buy a Nikon... I must be ill :D
Click to expand...

What's your preference?:help:
 
corneliousreeve said:
What's your preference?:help:
Click to expand...

To be honest, the best advice I could give you is to go somewhere where you can actually handle the cameras - pretty much all the big name camera companies make cameras that take great pictures if you know how to use them. However, they all have different little way of working, different controls and locations of the buttons - the menus are different - and the cameras are different sizes. I have hands like a bunch of bananas, and can't get on with compact sized cameras - other people are the exact opposite. I swear by Canon's user interface, my mate, a photographer who's been at the game probably the same 35+years swears at it, and wouldn't use anything but Nikon.

Go try the cameras for yourself, make an informed decision.
 
TheBigYin said:
To be honest, the best advice I could give you is to go somewhere where you can actually handle the cameras - pretty much all the big name camera companies make cameras that take great pictures if you know how to use them. However, they all have different little way of working, different controls and locations of the buttons - the menus are different - and the cameras are different sizes. I have hands like a bunch of bananas, and can't get on with compact sized cameras - other people are the exact opposite. I swear by Canon's user interface, my mate, a photographer who's been at the game probably the same 35+years swears at it, and wouldn't use anything but Nikon.

Go try the cameras for yourself, make an informed decision.
Click to expand...

Thanks fella and to everyone else who have replied.

However, I'm really interested in this "Grey import" debate maybe you can point me in the direction where this is being discussed .
 
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I'd rather not throw fuel on the fire, but I'm sure if you put the word "grey" into the search box while in the "photo shopping" section you'll find lots of threads, mostly that have degenerated into outright slanging matches and the inevitable lock by staff... that's sort of what I'm trying to avoid in this thread :)
 
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Hi Cornelius and welcome :wave:
 
corneliousreeve said:
Thanks fella and to everyone else who have replied.

However, I'm really interested in this "Grey import" debate maybe you can point me in the direction where this is being discussed .
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The most relevant piece of information is that the warranty situation buying grey imports (or from eBay only sellers).

Carlos mentions a 3-year warranty and you automatically assume this includes a manufacturers warranty. Which is a normal assumption, but entirely inaccurate. The value you can place on a grey import warranty (that's not backed by a third party) is equal to the trust you can place in the seller. And in the case of third party warranties, the trust you can place in the third party. "No name" sellers and third parties are often difficult to place trust in.

There's nothing wrong with making an informed decision and then buying a grey import - but this is the Beginners welcome section and does not contain a high proportion if informed buyers. So my personal opinion is that links to such sellers have no place in *this* section of the forum.


Please Google the name of that particular seller. You may find the results more interesting than their eBay feedback (which can be manipulated more easily than Google's search results).
 
TheBigYin said:
I'd rather not throw fuel on the fire, but I'm sure if you put the word "grey" into the search box while in the "photo shopping" section you'll find lots of threads, mostly that have degenerated into outright slanging matches and the inevitable lock by staff... that's sort of what I'm trying to avoid in this thread :)
Click to expand...

Ah
nuff said.
 
Alastair said:
The most relevant piece of information is that the warranty situation buying grey imports (or from eBay only sellers).

Carlos mentions a 3-year warranty and you automatically assume this includes a manufacturers warranty. Which is a normal assumption, but entirely inaccurate. The value you can place on a grey import warranty (that's not backed by a third party) is equal to the trust you can place in the seller. And in the case of third party warranties, the trust you can place in the third party. "No name" sellers and third parties are often difficult to place trust in.

There's nothing wrong with making an informed decision and then buying a grey import - but this is the Beginners welcome section and does not contain a high proportion if informed buyers. So my personal opinion is that links to such sellers have no place in *this* section of the forum.


Please Google the name of that particular seller. You may find the results more interesting than their eBay feedback (which can be manipulated more easily than Google's search results).
Click to expand...

Thanks Alastair, I'm much better informed already.
 
Oops, did not meant to start any argument or mislead anybody **backing away from the thread ... Slowly**
 
All modern DSLRs, and most of the older ones going back over the last few years, are excellent. Canon and Nikon probably offer the greatest choice of OEM and third party lenses and accessories, but it's not a deal breaker. They also have very different ergonomics and controls, and many people have a strong preference for one or the other, but some of us get along fine with either of them and other brands.

Have you thought about buying used? New bodies depreciate quite quickly, and you'll normally get much better value in the used market. This could save you enough to put towards a better lens - which is far more important for photography than the body - and most dealers will give you some sort of warranty.

The whole debate about grey imports (aka international models) gets a bit heated, as others have said. From a warranty point of view, the manufacturers normally insist on proof of purchase from an authorised dealer in this country, so you're going to be in the seller's hands if it's a grey import. Some sellers - including those that import directly from Hong Kong - do offer their own warranties, but it's up to you to decide if you're comfortable with this.

One point that hasn't been mentioned is service for grey imports. I don't know how the manufacturers deal with this in the UK, but I spend a lot of time in South Africa. Canon SA will service and repair grey imports, but won't honour any warranty and you have to pay their normal rates, Nikon won't touch them at all. Someone else will probably be able to confirm how this works here.
 
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Thanks Martyn, I've not thought about second hand as I know very little about DSLR's so I was going to ultimately trust the wholesaler, and probably take an extended warranty.
 
Well got my first DSLR and went for the Nikon D5300 with the 18-55 mm lens.

I've been away to north Yorkshire recently and managed to get myself off full auto onto shutter or aperture priority.

I downloaded the software from Nikon to process the pictures taken in jpeg and Raw, although it seems a little basic.

I could now use some advice, do I learn to use the Nikon software or buy a better software for my processing and if so which is the best product?.

I would really appreciate any advice.
 
may I advise practice, practice, practice, get to know your camera settings backwards before PP

Some photographers are leaning towards "bang off any old shot and turn it into a masterpiece with PP"
 
kennethwfd said:
may I advise practice, practice, practice, get to know your camera settings backwards before PP

Some photographers are leaning towards "bang off any old shot and turn it into a masterpiece with PP"
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bang off any old shot?

Thanks for the input though.
 
I would suggest getting Lightroom and starting from the outset with organising, tagging ans labelling your shots as you download them to the computer. It's a hard habit to pick-up when you've spent too long being lazy about it ;)
(it's also a very good piece of processing software, and all the processing software that most people will need)
 
corneliousreeve said:
bang off any old shot?

Thanks for the input though.
Click to expand...
i was being a bit OTT in that one should always aim to get the photograph right regarding settings, exposure, composition etc right in camera. when I started photography, there was only film no PP so you had to do so

I did not say that the most important item of photographic eqipment is the lump of grey matter behind the lens, but a tutor in a DVD tutorial I purchased
 
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