Help with my first camera

[Mattiasthephototaker]

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• Mattiasthephototaker
• 2 Jan 2019

Hey guys, I'm a first time poster -as I'm so petrified of how bad my photos are I've become somewhat of a closet photo taker that finally wants to come outside.

I've been taking photos with my hauwei p20 pro for ages as the camera isn't actually too bad! above is am example of a photo I took on a recent trip.

The thing is i really want to get better and learn what actually makes us a good photo and I've been looking for a new camera but it's all a bit much looking at specs when I openly admit I don't have a Scooby do what I'm really looking at.

I was looking at two different camera as beginner cameras. The Nikon D3500 Dslr and The Panasonic G7 Mirrorless.

I like the idea of being able to use vintage glass with the Panasonic if which I have a few from the old film days lol and the ability to shoot 4k video if I want too although In not too fussed about that.

I noticed that the Panasonic is 16mp compared to the Nikon which is 24mp. I know it's really not all about pixels but how big would I be able to make a print on the 16mp?

I would love some advice if anyone has any? Im sorry if this is so basic, I'm just super keen to learn and have no idea where to start.

cheers
Mattias

 

[Baloo]

I had a G7 the biggest prints I did with it were A4 which were very good. I would say that if using old glass you might want to look for a MFT with inbuilt image stabilisation. The G7 is a great camera with image quality that I could not fault when compared with the Sony A68 apsc 24mp sensor.I cannot comment on how it compares with the Nikon as never used one. I just think if you are going to go mirrorless it is worth getting one with image stabilisation.

Edit, I had the Panasonic GX 80 which was a brilliant camera but for me was just too small for my hands.

 

[mark.roper]

I had the Nikon D3300 (which is an older version of the D3500) and now have an Olympus EM1.2, which is several times the price and no real comparison, but now I have a mirrorless camera there's no way I'd go back to a mirror'ed DSLR, having an EVF (electronic viewfinder) compared to OVF (optical viewfinder) and IBIS (in-body image stabilisation) has been a revelation and I'd never, ever go back to a camera that didn't have those.

As for pixels, the D3300 was 24Mp, the EM1.2 is 20Mp, I don't notice the missing pixels, I used to print at A3, I still print at A3.

 

[Harlequin565]

The 16Mp camera will print to A3 at 300ppi which would be more than acceptable. I suspect it would make a decent A2 print too.

My old Canon 350D at 8Mp gave me acceptable (to me) A3 prints, so the rule of thumb here is that pretty much any "new" camera with interchangeable lenses is likely to be able to print easily to A3. The only concern is if you're shooting and selling fine art A2s - where your buyer may want to get his/her nose up to the print, or if you want to go bigger than A2. It doesn't sound like you're anywhere near that though from your OP.

Your phone camera has dealt well with a tricky lighting situation, so one thing to be wary of is that the types of cameras you're looking at may require a bit more work than the phone to get a final image. Your basic compositional skills look pretty good to me, and you've created an interesting image. Also, if it's landscapes you're interested in, consider a tripod as part of your budget.

Above all though, I'd physically try the cameras you're interested in. I found Panasonic menus unintuitive, needlessly fiddly, and annoying. Touch screens are something I turn off, because I use viewfinders and not screens to compose (and my nose was always causing problems!). Weight and ergonomics are important too - do you have big hands? Go to a shop and handle them. As soon as I picked up an X-T2 I knew I wanted it just from the ergonomics and button layouts.

As you're starting out, I think you'd be hard pushed to find a "bad" new camera out there. And if you're a fast learner (or full of enthusiasm) consider going 2nd hand for something with less than ideal specs. Once you've got the hang of the basics, you'll start to understand where you're being limited by your equipment and can make more informed choices about your next step. You can sell your kit for less of a loss or trade it in for something that you're more confident will meet your needs.

Oh - and welcome to TP!

 

[woof woof]

Mirrorless cameras are in my opinion the way forward if you want to use old lenses and focus manually. But...

I've had a G7 and would advise caution as that model can induce shutter shock in some susceptible lenses when using the mechanical shutter. This manifests as a slightly blurred or even a slight double image. If you are looking at Panasonic cameras it is in my opinion an issue that's worth avoiding completely by going for an unaffected camera such as the GX80, GX9 or G80 or anything later.

You could also take a quick look at the original Sony A7 which is a "full frame" mirrorless camera and ideal for using old film era lenses with. They're up to MK3 now so the original MK1 cameras which are still being made are relative bargains and are in my opinion good for anything other than perhaps fast action shooting as the auto focus system is relatively relaxed by some standards It's a good camera for general shooting though and I often use mine with manual lenses.