Camera recommendation?

[Cordaline]

I want to invest in a 'proper' camera but don't know where to start. It's a minefield of choice out there!
I've been using a little Fuji digital up until now but it just doesn't cut it for zooming in on anything long distance. ie:- birds.
Therefore, whatever I get, needs to be good for that & Macro aswell (as I love my close ups), without being too technical.
I'd like to avoid one of those 'paparazzi' length lenses if at all possible. (Although I've got nothing against a large one if that's what's needed!)
I've got a fair bit to spend but don't want to get rediculous.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, along with advice on the best place to make such a purchase without a Sales person ripping off a poor, unsuspecting little thing like me! (Haha!)

[Badllarma]

Camera wise you will not buy a better one for the price of a Canon 550D we use 7D's (twice the price) and have just a couple of 550D due to the fact my partner likes the lighter bodys

There is no difference in quality of image between the two although there is not quiet as much control as the 7D but you get what you pay for as the saying goes.

550D is a cracking camera and will serve you well.
Lenses you will need something in the 400mm + range for birds and then you should shop around for the macro they are made by most of the top manufacturers.

so a my choice would be price wise
Canon 550D £600
Sigma 120-400 £600.00
Macro £350.00
Then I'd add a wide angle for landscapes 17- 35 or soemthign you can pick these up second hand for around £100.00

Plus spare battery and memory cards and bag, possible tripod I'd say a spend of £2000.00 - £2500.00 will get you a cracking kit to get you going

[Cordaline]

Thanks Badllarma,
However, erhem (clear throat), I wasn't thinking of spending quite that much.
Isn't there one out there that already has it all on it for less?
£2500.00 is out of my budget!
After all, this is my new found hobby, not my job.
Thanks anyway.
C.

[Martin Dyer]

Hi Cordaline,

If you could give a budget range that you could stretch too, it would help with recommendations.

Martin

[Gill Catton]

What about a bridge camera you can't change the lenses but have greater reach and macro ability than your little fuji. I had one for years before moving up to a micro 4-thirds system (similar to a DSLR), and I loved it so much that I have kept it.

Something like a Panasonic FZ30 or I think FZ50 is the new version. You can get one for around £300 or less - or if you're really lucky a second hand FZ30 on Ebay for less than £100.

Bridge cameras are a lot easier to walk with all day and you don't have to worry about carrying several lensesetc....

[John D]

Originally Posted by Cordaline

Thanks Badllarma,
However, erhem (clear throat), I wasn't thinking of spending quite that much.
Isn't there one out there that already has it all on it for less?
£2500.00 is out of my budget!
After all, this is my new found hobby, not my job.
Thanks anyway.
C.

Unfortunately Cordaline it does get quite a bit expensive if you go down the 'DSLR with appropriate lenses' route. However it can be the best and most flexible way to go. I think you will find that most eventually choose this route but not before spending on alternatives that at the end of the day didn't provide the desired requirements.
I was one who initially did just that and spent needlessly.

Give it careful thought before buying. You don't have to buy all the equipment at once. Take time to choose what lenses etc you really need. They can serve you for a very long time.

John D
Zenfolio | John's Wild World

[Swift Fox]

I must admit i too use the Canon 550D and have found it to be an excellent camera. Although if you are looking for a cheaper DSLR you might want to look at sony, if you can still find an A200 they are a good start and they are very good for the money. I got one for about £300 and i managed to get the sony 75-300mm lens when they had the cashback offer running, so for the price of a canon zoom lens you got a camera body and two lenses. Although i must admit i do like Canon, Nikon is also a good alternative but it depends how much you have to spend.

[Cordaline]

Thankyou all! Food for thought indeed.

I don't want to be spending more than £500 really.
Other things are taking priority at the moment.
Good zoom, macro & anti-camera shake are the important features to me.
My little pocket Fuji has produced some lovely pics but it is the zoom that fails it. Unless of course, being blonde, I'm using not using it correctly!
The macro's fine (took me 4 months before I realised I had such a feature!) but I do have the shakes so end up deleteing alot of what I've taken.

Where are the best places to go to look at any of the equipment you have all mentioned?
I don't like buying online, as I'm the type of person who likes to touch what I'm getting before I part with my money.
Most of you will understand that I'm sure. I certainly don't want to get stitched!!!!

[squishy]

Even with anti shake, handheld macro is still a bit hit and miss with a flash.

I'd recommend getting either a tripod or a separate flash gun if you want to do macro (on camera flash is generally ineffective at such close range).

Flash is better for being able to take photos with short exposures in dim light, whereas if you want nice natural light photos, you need a tripod to support the camera for the long exposures that are often necessary.

I can suggest a couple of routes to go down:
One: you get a bridge camera within your budget (panasonics and fuji's are good), this will do everything, large zoom, reasonable macro, landscape, BUT it won't do any one of those things particularly well. You can get excellent pics for the price, but not really the same quality you get from a DSLR and dedicated lens. Also the ISO performance won't be as good (though on more recent models it isn't that bad) as a DSLR. You would probably also have some budget left over for a Raynox macro attachment and tripod or basic flash gun.

Two: Buy an older generation DSLR, like a nikon D40/D40X/D60 or canon 350D/400D, and buy a second hand macro lens (something like the tamron 90mm f/2.8) and a cheap kit lens. This would restrict you in that it wouldn't let you do long zoom shots, BUT you would be able to take far higher quality macros, and it would be a step into the DSLR world, so you could add other lenses in at a later date, should you wish. So if you think you could leave off on the long zoom photography, you would be able to make that step much easier some time in the future.


I went down the bridge camera route, and it's proved to be a great learning step and I've got some photos I'm very satisfied with. But I've now got hooked, and am saving up to spend an unreasonable amount on a DSLR and macro.

I found that the zoom on my camera was only really useful for record shots to help ID birds I couldn't nail in the field. It is really too short and too soft at the long end for good bird pics. But my model is getting on a bit now, and the newer generation have longer zooms, so I can't really comment on that.

You would probably be better off buying online. Some high street camera retailers seem to have very variable prices (sometimes competitive, sometimes over charging) and not very good service. Not naming any names though *Cough* begins with 'J' *Cough*.


Hope that's helped.

[nigel_b]

Two: Buy an older generation DSLR, like a nikon D40/D40X/D60 or canon 350D/400D, and buy a second hand macro lens (something like the tamron 90mm f/2.8) and a cheap kit lens. This would restrict you in that it wouldn't let you do long zoom shots, BUT you would be able to take far higher quality macros, and it would be a step into the DSLR world, so you could add other lenses in at a later date, should you wish. So if you think you could leave off on the long zoom photography, you would be able to make that step much easier some time in the future.

I'd go with this option and forget about excellent quality bird photos for the moment, they really do need expensive kit in my opinion.

I took some acceptable shots with a Sony A100 and Minolta 70-210 beercan lens before I upgraded to Nikon. Take a look at my photos. The A100 was £100 and the beercan lens £130 both secondhand and now passed on to the next generation of wildlife photogs!