New To This - Please Help!

josieowen

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Josie
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Ive just started a college course doing photography... Where i got recommended a Canon G10 camera to buy. I am now looking for lenses to experiment with. I have found that you need an adapter so as the camera is able to take them, but you can get a Telephoto lens, a Wide-Angle lens (Which has also got a Macro lens) and a Fish-eye lens. I have been on ebay and have found some for cheaper than the retail prices, but they are not made by Canon... do you think this will matter? I have heard that the ones made by canon do not attatch properly... Can anybody please help? As i do not know which ones to go for.
Thanks in advance.
Josie :) xx
 
Welcome to TP :)

I find it hard to understand why you have been recommended to buy a Canon G10 for a photography course. It is a fixed lens compact, with a tiny sensor. Sure you can get lens attachments for it but they are not very good, even if a camera with such a small sensor was capable of offering much in the way of creative potential to a photography student.

Basically, don't get a G10 or any other compact unless you are given some very good, and unusual, reasons for doing so. All other things aside such as image quality and noise, the small sensor does not allow you to experiment with depth of field, a fundamental creative technique, and the range of lenses you can get - also fundamental - is very limited.

You want a DSLR, either Canon or Nikon. Entry level cameras can be had for about the same budget as you are looking at for the G10. They will blitz it for image quality and photographic potential. For example, Canon 450D, 18-55 IS kit lens, 55-250 IS longer zoom, a set of Kenko extension tubes for close up, and a decent flash such as the Canon 430EXII. Then think about a 50 1.8 to experiment with very shallow depth of field, and a super-wide such as the Sigma 10-20 for landscape and exagerated perspective effects.

TBH, you might be better off just getting the body and kit lens first. Get to know that inside-out before spending more.

What kind of course are you doing? I can't believe a G10 is being suggested for a serious photography course.
 
Its just a beginners evening course, teaching about studio work, appature, shutter speeds etc... The g10 was the recommended camera as it does everything needed for the course, especially as i prefer to be able to put it under my coat and go everywhere with it.
However, i do appreciate your recommendations and i am thinking about getting a 'proper DSLR' once i am more experienced and have more money.
 
Its just a beginners evening course, teaching about studio work, appature, shutter speeds etc... The g10 was the recommended camera as it does everything needed for the course, especially as i prefer to be able to put it under my coat and go everywhere with it.
However, i do appreciate your recommendations and i am thinking about getting a 'proper DSLR' once i am more experienced and have more money.

a secondhand entry level slr is g10 money

if it's recomended by the tutors they probably have a good reason, I'm guessing this is an entry level course?

any chance of a link?

(the g10 does have a few tricks up its sleeve and can outperform a lot of expensive kit under a few sets of conditions but they are fairly advanced)
 
The best thing to get for your G10 is a Lensmate, that'll allow you to fit the macro and telephoto adapters to your camera. Canon do their own version, but iirc it's plastic, whereas the Lensmate is metal and far better quality, for the same sort of money.

As compact cameras go the G10 is the best one for using for studio work as it will flash sync right up to around 1/2000 second, unlike most dslrs which only go to 1/250 (probably one of the "advanced" features that David was alluding to)
 
The best thing to get for your G10 is a Lensmate, that'll allow you to fit the macro and telephoto adapters to your camera. Canon do their own version, but iirc it's plastic, whereas the Lensmate is metal and far better quality, for the same sort of money.

As compact cameras go the G10 is the best one for using for studio work as it will flash sync right up to around 1/2000 second, unlike most dslrs which only go to 1/250 (probably one of the "advanced" features that David was alluding to)

while trying not to be confusing, well ok I was trying to hold myself back from posting a load of strobisty links :D

it's also pretty good at getting dead close, at some point I'll pick one up to keep in the lighting bag :D
 
Its just a beginners evening course, teaching about studio work, appature, shutter speeds etc... The g10 was the recommended camera as it does everything needed for the course, especially as i prefer to be able to put it under my coat and go everywhere with it.
However, i do appreciate your recommendations and i am thinking about getting a 'proper DSLR' once i am more experienced and have more money.

Okay Josie - no disrespect but that's not what I understood by student ;)

Choice of camera really depends then on your photographic apsirations. For regular everyday snaps the G10 is fine. So long as you don't want to make bigger enlargements, experiment with depth of field, use longer lenses, use a super-wide, shoot any kind of action, play with filters etc etc. Also, a G10 with any lens attachment will be as big as a DSLR.

Just be aware of its limitations.
 
The best thing to get for your G10 is a Lensmate, that'll allow you to fit the macro and telephoto adapters to your camera. Canon do their own version, but iirc it's plastic, whereas the Lensmate is metal and far better quality, for the same sort of money.

As compact cameras go the G10 is the best one for using for studio work as it will flash sync right up to around 1/2000 second, unlike most dslrs which only go to 1/250 (probably one of the "advanced" features that David was alluding to)

What use is that in a studio? If you want high speed sync, you get that with any decent flash gun - such as the 430EXII I suggested above.

I'm still stunned that someone looking to take photography seriously is being recommended to use a camera with a toy sensor, and all the fundamental limitations that go with it :eek:
 
a secondhand entry level slr is g10 money

if it's recomended by the tutors they probably have a good reason, I'm guessing this is an entry level course?

any chance of a link?

(the g10 does have a few tricks up its sleeve and can outperform a lot of expensive kit under a few sets of conditions but they are fairly advanced)
A link of what? The course? Or the lenses?
 
The best thing to get for your G10 is a Lensmate, that'll allow you to fit the macro and telephoto adapters to your camera. Canon do their own version, but iirc it's plastic, whereas the Lensmate is metal and far better quality, for the same sort of money.

As compact cameras go the G10 is the best one for using for studio work as it will flash sync right up to around 1/2000 second, unlike most dslrs which only go to 1/250 (probably one of the "advanced" features that David was alluding to)
Ah okay cool thank you :)
 
Okay Josie - no disrespect but that's not what I understood by student ;)

Choice of camera really depends then on your photographic apsirations. For regular everyday snaps the G10 is fine. So long as you don't want to make bigger enlargements, experiment with depth of field, use longer lenses, use a super-wide, shoot any kind of action, play with filters etc etc. Also, a G10 with any lens attachment will be as big as a DSLR.

Just be aware of its limitations.
Okay thank you :)
 
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