I'm new dont know what camera is best?

emma90

emma90

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Hi im new to the forum, my names emma im from the south east, i currently have a sony a330 but dont seem to be getting on with it too well. not sure if i need some lenses or whether its all the settings!
i have been offered a price for my sony so am looking into other cameras problem is i dont know what im looking at!
i mainly shoot flowers, reptiles, birds, so i need something that can do macro detailed shot and telephoto. but i dont use all of the manual adjustment settings thats on my sony. i basically use the turn dial (auto, landscape ect) and thats it.
i was wondering what camera would be best suited im guessing id need one with lens attathments to get what i want out of it by using different lenses, but i dont need all the setting options, just the basic turn dial options.
Iv been looking at the lumix (mainly because i like the screen) but its too expensive, by budget it £0-£400. any advice?
 
First of all, what problems do you have with the Sony one?
 
well i cant do what i want with it, i cant do the close up detailed shot nor the bird shots, but also i tried manually adjusting some setting after reading the manual, i got completely baffled by it all and ended up with blury shots, (ive got it back to normal now) basically i dont understand all the manual setting adjustments, so i cant get the best out of the camera. wanted to know if there was something that does all the work for you but can get the shots i want with different lenses maybe?
 
Hi Emma and welcome :)

To be honest you can't really go wrong with either Canon or Nikon (Although Olympus and Pentax and Sony also make good cameras the choice is better and the upgrade path is always there without having to change too much gear)

Look for models that have both the manual settings and the automated modes because it's all very well using the automated settings but as you improve you will more than likely start to come across situations where you want to control the camera more.

Second hand would offer you a lot more camera for your money especially since you want both ends of the lens range covering.

Go shopping and actually get hold of the relevant cameras and see which fits your hand and which you are most comfortable operating. You should have it a while so spend some time getting to grips with it and it does not matter if you do it more than once to be sure.

The best inverstment though would be to learn how to work the camera because none will truly deliver what you want it to unless you are the boss.
 
Depending on the problems you're having a new camera is not going to solve anything. I'd say you're better off learning to use the equipment you have properly i.e. stick it on M and experiment.

Edit - Just read your reply. Maybe a bridge camera would be cheaper and better suited? They nearly always have a VERY good macro mode and if you get one with a decent zoom too you're sorted. For macro on a DSLR I use a Raynox 250 adaptor (£30 but a Raynox 150 may be better for just flower shots) but to get good bird shots you need a long telephoto and even I can't justify the price you'd have to spend.
 
my problem is that i dont know what all of the different settings are, they completly confuse me, thats why i think i may be better off with an auto camera but with the ability to change lenses, even if i just get maybe a easier camera to use when it comes to setting adjustment. any recommendations?
the 0-£400 is just for the camera not lenses.
 
Ah.

For best macro shot results a macro lens is recommended. However it can be done using a "normal" lens too, but you need to know the nearest focus plane / distance of your lens for good results - in other words, how far/close you need to have the lens from your subject.

For birds, you probably want a zoom lens in the range 70-200 (at least). I'm not sure what's available for Sony cameras to be honest.

Another camera wont help you magically "do what you want"; other than just using the Auto mode. The other SLR's will have the same amount, if not more, of different settings to play with. So there's really two options, 1) Get a "simpler" camera or just use full Auto, or 2) learn the settings and get appropriate lenses.

There's a bit of a learning curve with SLR cameras, but once you get over it you'll have unlimited capabilities of capturing the shots you want.

Read up on; Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO. Then read the camera manual about the Av and Tv modes (or what ever the equivalent names are on Sony).
 
I think that another camera will only compound your problems.
Maybe better with a good book that explains all the basics.
 
Emma,

In your position I think I'd forget about buying anything for the moment and instead concentrate on getting a good understanding of the basics.

Maybe you could start by getting a good understanding of exposure and the implications of ISO, aperture and shutter speed settings and after some research and a good long play with your digital camera (and playing with digital gear costs nothing) you can then maybe look at processing issues such as sharpening and noise reduction.

Once you've got a good grip of the basics maybe then you can look at gear issues like macro and telephoto lenses etc.
 
Emma,

Understanding the settings will help you understand photography and the way you view the world every day of your life.
You can learn the basics online, from a book or enroll on a night school course. To not understand and instead let a point and shoot camera decide your shot would be a big loss.
 
Have a look in our tutorials section Emma, lots of good stuff in there including macro tutorials
 
ok i will stick with the camera and start doing some reading and button pushing!
can anyone have a llook at them lenses and tell me if there any good?
 
The thing is, Emma.. it doesnt matter what lens you have on the front, its still going to be wrong if you dont have the right settings on the camera.

Your shots will still be blurry if you have the wrong shutter speed for instance even if you have a £2,000 lens on the front.

As suggested before. The basics of photography are understanding shutterspeed and aperture and iso and how they relate to each other, changing one and changing the other too.. etc.

a good book for beginners is Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. I think you can probably get it from amazon.
 
so even if i got a macro lens and used it on auto function it wouldnt work?
 
Hi Emma

The camera you have is fine as all dslr's come with full auto through to full manual settings with everything in between. The thing with DSLR's is that you need the right lens for the job. If doing close up then a proper 1:1 macro lens is a must. If taking pics of birds 20 yards away then you need a zoom or telephoto (no idea what's the difference!)

You can learn all the lingo free on line so i would learn what everything means first and use the right lens for the right subject.

Have phun!
 
It does sound like you are struggling with the basics, which is holding you back, irrespective of the kit you have.

It's a steep learning curve, which some are able to master by reading books and following tutorials whereas others, and my wife is typical of this, need to be shown how something works and learns better from example.

Whereabouts in the south east are you Emma, as there are a few photographers on here in that region, and I am sure that if any of them are near by they would be happy to go over the basics with you.

Failing that, you could always go along to one of the meetings that happen in the SE form time to time to ask a few questions.
 
The two lenses you linked to will do what you want. 300mm is a good amount of reach for birds and the 30mm macro will get you started with close up work.

There are better lenses for both, but they come with much higher prices attached (and the same will be true whether you use Sony, Canon, Pentax, Nikon etc).

You do need to make sure the shutter speed is not too slow when using the camera hand held, at 300mm you should ideally be using 1/250th or faster, if you are trying to capture a bird in flight faster would be better. I don't use the preset modes but I imagine there is a "sport" mode on the dial which should keep the shutter speed fast for you.
 
AndyWest said:
a zoom or telephoto (no idea what's the difference!)
Click to expand...

A zoom is a lens that has a variable focal length. The Sigma 10-20mm is a zoom lens, but not very good for taking shots of birds in the wild. :)

A Telephoto lens is a lens with a long focal length.
 
emma90 said:
ok, can anyone recommend a good book for a beginner?
Click to expand...

Emma.. I recommend Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It's straightforward and gives you a series of exercises to follow to better understand how your camera works.

As long as you keep things simple it's not too difficult to get your head around camera settings.. there's only three basic ones to get to grips with - shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Take it steady and give yourself a few hours each week to practice.

A DSLR is a big step up from a compact camera and it's normal to feel like you've gone backwards instead of forwards until you understand all the options that a DSLR gives you.
 
What lens(es) do you have currently?

The best bet would, for now, be use whatever lens you have and try and get it right.

For now I'd take some pictures on full auto of a static object, see how they come out.

On your camera you'll probably have at least A P S M and Auto - next I'd put it to A which is aperture priority, which means your camera will worry about how light/dark your picture is, and then just play with settings, see what happens.

All the reading in the world won't be more useful than just playing with settings, even if it takes you a few hours to get a decent picture off auto. I found it impossible to understand how they all worked without seeing the results. It's all part of learning!



However, if you still find it difficult, it may be worth going into a couple of shops and trying others, not knowing Sonys the layout could just be more awkward for you, some people do get on with different cameras differently.

There's no definite answer really. If you post photos up on here with EXIF data in tact people may be able to say what's causing blurriness etc though :)
 
i have fixed the blurryness now it was the shutter speed combined with the auto focus (it was me playing around with settings that made it go wrong!). yeah i have macro, landscape and loads of other settings too, i have posted some pics in other section of snake using the camera, i just have the standard lens it came with.
 
for a macro lens i would recommend a sony 30mm f2.8 macro which should give decent close ups and then a second hand minolta 70-210mm for your animal shots, that should do for now and leave some change for a 50mm f1.8.

keep with the sony, there lovely cameras and its a capable beast for superb images so keep with it for now and read up on shutter, aperture and iso.
 
emma90 said:
i think i may be better off with an auto camera but with the ability to change lenses.
Click to expand...

I think you maybe just need to read a few posts on the basics of using an SLR, they can be daunting at first and can be unforgiving if they're not used properly.

Have you considered a lumix G1? I'm thinking about ditching my bulky kit for one of these, good auto mode so will serve you as a point and shoot but a choice of lenses if you want them.
 
Whereabouts in the south east are you? I only ask as I teach digital photography as an evening class in St Albans - Herts. My next cycle of classes begins tomorrow if you are close enough and interested. Failing that, look for classes run in your lcal area - possibly by a camera club. It sometimes helps to have someone explain stuff, show you which nobs and dials do what etc.
 
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