Camera advice.

[ph88]

Hello. This is another thread about an amateur buying his first 'proper' camera. My budget is roughly around £300-350 (similar to many other people I have noticed). The camera I eventually purchase will mainly be used for referencing wildlife (because I am studying scientific illustration) as well as for 'general' photographing - such as trips to NYC etc. I am a student and £300 is a big deal to me, so it is vital that I chose the right model and I am not disappointed with my choice. I have done quite a lot of research, and I realise that for £300 a Digital SLR isn't really an option. I have looked at some of the cheaper SLR models, and I don't believe that I should purchase a badly built, low-end SLR product with many flaws when I could get the very best standard Digital camera that will suit my needs just as much. I also notice that the different lenses are really expensive, which could be a problem as it isn't often that I have £300 just lying around. It is the expensive lens prices that are putting me of an SLR.

The camera I am swaying towards is the Canon PowerShot G7.

Canon Digital Cameras from Warehouse Express
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I like the 'retro' look, and the build looks excellent. The specs seem impressive - and the price range is ideal (just under £300 without any accessories). As the lens is not replaceable, initially, I was worried that I would struggle taking close-up shots of small wildlife (such as insects) but after realising that you can buy lens ‘accessories’ or add-ons (I am not sure what the correct term is) my worries were squashed. Plus, they seem quite cheap. Overall, the camera, plus accessories (inc. carry case, screen protector, memory, extra lense add-ons etc.) as well as the delivery cost will total to roughly £350-380.

I thought that it would be wise to ask for any feedback before I go through with the purchase. I am still not 100% certain. Is there a better deal that suits both my needs and budget? If I can drastically get a much better camera for an extra, say £100, then I may get back to saving. So do not worry about mentioning something that is a little over my current budget.

(NOTE: I just noticed after I finished writing this that there are some ‘refurbished’ Digital SLR’s that a drastically cheaper than their normal RRP available online. Has anybody had experience with buying one before?)

Many thanks for both your time and any comments.

[Boddie]

(NOTE: I just noticed after I finished writing this that there are some ‘refurbished’ Digital SLR’s that a drastically cheaper than their normal RRP available online. Has anybody had experience with buying one before?)

A refurbished item is usually in mint condition and could have been returned to the supplier for a number of reasons.

You can get yourself a real bargain by buying refurbished

[matt_xyz]

Hello and welcome to WAB. The following thread will answer some of your questions;

Supose I couldn't afford a DSLR.

the consensus around these parts is that the Panasonic FZ50 (and its previous version the FZ30) are probably the best non-DSLRs for wildlife photography. The zoom is a fair bit longer than on the Canon and you can also add a teleconverter (for around £70) which extends the zoom even further. With a close-up lens added you can also take excellent macro images.

Matt

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

Hello and welcome to WAB. The following thread will answer some of your questions;

Supose I couldn't afford a DSLR.

the consensus around these parts is that the Panasonic FZ50 (and its previous version the FZ30) are probably the best non-DSLRs for wildlife photography. The zoom is a fair bit longer than on the Canon and you can also add a teleconverter (for around £70) which extends the zoom even further. With a close-up lens added you can also take excellent macro images.

Matt

although saying that the canon G series are quite tasty too - ( I have a G4 i bought off ebay for 80 notes) they have a good macro function without an adaptor , and the swivelling screen makes low down shots easy ( I use mine largely for fungi) - they can also take macro and tele adaptors on the screw thread (with the right size adjustment ring) - my only reservation other than price if buying new, would be the robustness of the screen swivel - if it had a lot of hard use i would imagine it would break quite easily if knocked - but then thats true of any camera to some extent