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RachelWaltham90

RachelWaltham90

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Rachel
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Hello everyone!

I've just joined the forum after recently relinquishing my interest in photography, have enjoyed taking impromptue snaps for a few years now but have never had a "decent" camera, well more"decent" than your average £100 quid digital camera from argos kind of thing, I've used photoshop quite a lot and managed to produce some good images in the past, see www.racheykins.deviantart.com
or www.flickr.com/waltham90

In the next few months I am hoping to invest (or persuade my fiance to invest ;)) in a digital slr camera, never had one before and we're not made of money yet so trying to stay around the £150 or less mark.
I'm quite keen on the Fujifilm Finepix S2950, does anyone have any advice on whether this camera or the fujifilm finepix range is any good? I'm not a true novice with cameras, but i'm no expert either.

Anyway I'm sure i'll have loads of questions to ask soon enough, and hopefully i'll seelots of photos to comment on!
For a more personal note, My names Rachel, im 21 and in my final year at Cardiff University studying Geology (no itsnot all just rocks), I also do poetry writing, and keep quite a few reptiles and am just starting to learn to play the drums.

So Hi! and hope to hear from you all soon :)
Hope everyone had a good christmas and has a good new year!:D
 
Just Dave said:
Hi Rachel :wave:

Welcome to TP :thumbs:

Look forward to seeing some of your work :thumbs:
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:) I wanted to post a few pictures on here, but my photobucket or deviantart links aren't working on here at the moment.
hmmm!!

But I do look forward to showing some of my work also :)

Rachel:thumbs:


Beautiful_Welsh_Scenery_by_RacheyKins.jpg


5453_116724241431_515066431_2860529_89335_n.jpg
 
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Hi Rachel and welcome to TP :)

I liked the images you posted - shows you have some talent at least. However I have to tell you that the Finepix S2950 isn't a DSLR - it's what's known as a Bridge camera (also called a superzoom) - but is a fine camera.

Have a great 2012 :)
 
Bristolian said:
Hi Rachel and welcome to TP :)

I liked the images you posted - shows you have some talent at least. However I have to tell you that the Finepix S2950 isn't a DSLR - it's what's known as a Bridge camera (also called a superzoom) - but is a fine camera.

Have a great 2012 :)
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Thank you!

I just found out to my embarassment in the equipment section :bonk: hehe thanks for the info though, im either going to still get the bridge camera for now or save a little extra and get a second hand dslr. Just really looking forward to having a camera to play around with again!

Have a great 2012 to you too!:thumbs:
 
Hi Rachel, welcome to the forum. :wave:
Just looking through your deviantart gallery, some nice shots there. :thumbs:
Proper little fan-club you've got going on there too. :lol:
Value for money you probably won't get much better than that Fuji and it should do you well but the AA batteries would put me off, Li-Ion battery pack every time.
I'd suggest save a little more for a used DSLR and kit lens then add accessories as and when you can afford to. ;)
 
Wozzaaah said:
Hi Rachel, welcome to the forum. :wave:
Just looking through your deviantart gallery, some nice shots there. :thumbs:
Proper little fan-club you've got going on there too. :lol:
Value for money you probably won't get much better than that Fuji and it should do you well but the AA batteries would put me off, Li-Ion battery pack every time.
I'd suggest save a little more for a used DSLR and kit lens then add accessories as and when you can afford to. ;)
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Thanks mate! Sadly I havent added much to deviant recently, my plain 12mp digital fujifilm has been a bit battered on geology fieldtrips so the lens is abit blurry :(
I'm definetely thinking more about a 2nd hand dslr now instead, just wondering what would be a good starter one to go for instead of a bridge camera? Im thinking 2nd hand £250 or less, any suggestions?

Thanks for checking out my deviant art too :) :thumbs:
 
Hi Rachel,

I'd recommend having a look at MPB Photographic for second hand kit - reasonable prices and excellent service from them.

I can only comment on Canon since that's what I'm familiar with, but for your budget they currently have a used 400D for £164 plus an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for £64 (that's the lens that usually comes with new Canons as the kit lens. Just make sure you pick the IS version). That would make an ideal DSLR starter set up for you and leave some cash over for a bag and memory cards.

I'm sure that others can help with equivalent combinations for other brands.
 
SarahLee said:
Hi Rachel,

I'd recommend having a look at MPB Photographic for second hand kit - reasonable prices and excellent service from them.

I can only comment on Canon since that's what I'm familiar with, but for your budget they currently have a used 400D for £164 plus an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for £64 (that's the lens that usually comes with new Canons as the kit lens. Just make sure you pick the IS version). That would make an ideal DSLR starter set up for you and leave some cash over for a bag and memory cards.

I'm sure that others can help with equivalent combinations for other brands.
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Thanks for that, funnily enough I was just looking at that camera thinking it looked a good deal! So I'm definetely considering it thank you :thumbs:
 
£250 is a pretty decent budget and as said, will easily get you a 400D and 18-55 IS lens and leave enough in the pot for a couple of spare batteries but another £50 would get you a Canon 450D and 18-55 lens or another £100 will get you a Canon 40D and 18-55. ;)
 
Hi Rachel and welcome

A couple of very nice shots there.

If your budget will allow, I would def recommend looking at the Canon 450D. It's a great camera and would last you quite a while, doesn't have the video function on, but this is a bonus as it keeps the price down some.
 
Wozzaaah said:
£250 is a pretty decent budget and as said, will easily get you a 400D and 18-55 IS lens and leave enough in the pot for a couple of spare batteries but another £50 would get you a Canon 450D and 18-55 lens or another £100 will get you a Canon 40D and 18-55. ;)
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andyred said:
Hi Rachel and welcome

A couple of very nice shots there.

If your budget will allow, I would def recommend looking at the Canon 450D. It's a great camera and would last you quite a while, doesn't have the video function on, but this is a bonus as it keeps the price down some.
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Thanks for the advice both, seems canon is the preferred one, I'm liking the good deals on them! :thumbs: considering waiting a bit longer and spending the little bit more and having a camera that will last longer as andy said!:D
 
Hehe, Canon is the preferred one purely because most of us who've answered so far have Canons and like them. :clap:
Don't dismiss buying a *clears throat* Nikon, apparently they do build some good equipment. :naughty:
Save a little longer, the results you've got with whatever you've used so far are great so don't rush into buying something just yet.

Oh, and by the way....:canon:
 
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True, i've just had a plain and simply fujifilm finepix 12mp digital for the last few months, fair play to it for a cheap camera its taken some nice photos, but its battered and bruised now so doesn't take too good of photos anymore.

My fiances just been given a fujifilm s5500 camera for free though, not the newest of cams but trying to fiddle with the settings to try and get some alright shots from that for now!

p.s I hope I love canon in the near future too!:lol:
 
RachelWaltham90 said:
........I hope I love canon in the near future too!:lol:
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Oh I'm sure you will , you sound sensible :-)
Hahaha
 
RachelWaltham90 said:
Very sensible :nuts:
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Can't be that sensible if your considering a Canon :thinking: :D

Before you make a decision take a trip to your local camera shop and handle some of the cameras they have on display. See which one suits you best - how does it feel in your hands? Is the rear screen big/clear enough? Is the viewfinder bright enough? Is the menu system to your liking?

If you're going to take a lot of photos - and you will - then these aspects are far more important than the logo on the front.

None of the major manufacturers make a dud camera these days.
 
To echo the above post, go get you mits on some before you buy, i was dead set on canon before i found that the comparable nikons fitted my hands better
 
Bristolian said:
Can't be that sensible if your considering a Canon :thinking: :D

Before you make a decision take a trip to your local camera shop and handle some of the cameras they have on display. See which one suits you best - how does it feel in your hands? Is the rear screen big/clear enough? Is the viewfinder bright enough? Is the menu system to your liking?

If you're going to take a lot of photos - and you will - then these aspects are far more important than the logo on the front.

None of the major manufacturers make a dud camera these days.
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Mastachief said:
To echo the above post, go get you mits on some before you buy, i was dead set on canon before i found that the comparable nikons fitted my hands better
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Yes Masters:thankyou::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

I'm in Swansea at the moment, and there's a Jessops and another camera shop in the city centre, so they'll probably be my first port of call for having a feel of the cameras.
I'm not saying i'm definetely going to go for a canon, it depends on the closeness to my budget really, I'm interested in the Nikon D60 as well as 2nd hand it appears to be always close to my budget, so I'll definetely have a feel of the different brands and models.

:thumbs:
 
RachelWaltham90 said:
Yes Masters:thankyou::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

I'm in Swansea at the moment, and there's a Jessops and another camera shop in the city centre, so they'll probably be my first port of call for having a feel of the cameras.
I'm not saying i'm definetely going to go for a canon, it depends on the closeness to my budget really, I'm interested in the Nikon D60 as well as 2nd hand it appears to be always close to my budget, so I'll definetely have a feel of the different brands and models.

:thumbs:
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Rachel,

If you're going into Jessops then remember to treat everything the sales person says as being suspect - they have a reputation for not actually knowing anything about what they sell. This isn't true of all their staff or all branches but ...........

Let us know how you get on :)
 
Bristolian said:
Rachel,

If you're going into Jessops then remember to treat everything the sales person says as being suspect - they have a reputation for not actually knowing anything about what they sell. This isn't true of all their staff or all branches but ...........

Let us know how you get on :)
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I can only echo that. Always best policy to get a second opinion. I do however find Jessops to be extremely helpful when it comes to letting you demo cameras and lenses. It's worth taking a memory card too if you have one as you can take a couple sample photos.
 
Welcome.

I must add i find jessops very helpful and pretty easy to talk to, the people i have anyway, i guess its like anywhere really, a bit like halfords where the spotty teenager aint got a clue about anything.

Anyway good luck with your search for a camera and enjoy it.
 
aureolin said:
I can only echo that. Always best policy to get a second opinion. I do however find Jessops to be extremely helpful when it comes to letting you demo cameras and lenses. It's worth taking a memory card too if you have one as you can take a couple sample photos.
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That's a great idea, will definetely have to take my memory cards to remember what the shots came out like, thanks!
posiview said:
And I was just starting to like you...;)

Welcome aboard and I look forward to seeing some of your photographs.

Cheers.
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Thank you :P There's a few of them in the landscape critique forum if you did want to see :)
Happy new year!

Dexy101 said:
Welcome.

I must add i find jessops very helpful and pretty easy to talk to, the people i have anyway, i guess its like anywhere really, a bit like halfords where the spotty teenager aint got a clue about anything.

Anyway good luck with your search for a camera and enjoy it.
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Thank you :) Hopefully the Jessops near here has someone atleat who knows what theyre talking about! Happy new year!
 
The bargain of the century in my opinion has to be the Nikon D200. It's one of Nikons pro spec cameras, fully weather sealed, magnesium alloy body, and at lower ISO's beats the pants off many of today's cameras. MPB have these for £350 but I've seen them change hands for as little as £280 ( nearly £1300 when new). Still have mine and don't have the heart to sell it on. Some of my best landscapes were taken on this beauty.

TBH you can't really go wrong with any Nikon or Canon DSLR.
 
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