Digital photography

Thoughts: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130175167601&ssPageName=ADME:B:DBS:GB:1123

Hippy, friend of mine and myself have bought many lenses from Aperture for pro use and both happy. They rate the quality of them, and it's pretty easy to tell if a pro has used them cause as Mr Smith rightly says - they'll be battered!

Oh, and if you pay in cash you can haggle with them ;-)

Get that sigma.

Well from a profesional standpoint, you get what you pay for. Simple as that. Just like with bikes, and most anything. Depending on if you have already invested on lenses or not, you will go with Nikon or Canon for a DSLR. Point and shoot cameras are a bit different. I am a professional photographer and have been shooting for nearly three years now. I have used both Nikon and Canon for my daily work, and i have to say that Canon is a bit better. Glass is usually sharper, cameras are easier to navigate, and usually the colors are more brilliant and it takes better shots in low light. It used to be that Canon was the one way in front, but Nikon has started to bridge that gap with the release of their d200, d300 and some new lens'. Its really up to you, your preference, and what you like. I have a Canon 40D, a Canon 1D, and a Panasonic DMC-FX12, and its truly an excellent camera. I do a lot of work with it, and clients wouldnt know the difference. For some occasions, (strobe work, use of WA, telophot, action...so on...) you would need a DSLR, but for events such as getting into places where huge DSLR's are not allowed, a point and shoot is the best thing you have to work with. The Panasonic i have has been beat around for nearly a year, not too concerned about it because i have my other two primary Canon cameras. Its held up to a lot. Unless you plan on doing a lot of work with it and need the specialties of a DSLR, i would purchase a point and shoot. The Cybershot S70 is a good one, as well as Casio Exlim. Canon's Elph series is probably one of the best, and closest to a DSLR. Its more expensive, and even more here in Britain.

If you are dead set on a DSLR, get the 40d or the Nikon d200. either is great, but i have the 40d and can say its truly amazing. Shares a lot of the features found in the new MArk three, for a fifth of the price!

If ya need any more help, just ask.

I was completely set on my Nikon F3 SLR + Sensia 100 for 12 years.
I then got a digital Leica C-Lux. The quality is so outstanding that I take all my pictures
with it and even started to like the 800x426 30fps videos in prestine quality.
No need for a DSLR in my eyes.
Some of my pictures on http://www.bregler.net

i bought a digi-compact this summer after checking dpreview. the only compact they had in the "highly recommend' category at the time was the...
fuji finepix f31fd (c.135gbp august)
as i was in a rush i went to jessops (who are crap) to buy it. oh shit, they not only had this camera but also the updated version (f40 i think). so i took some photos on both and without doubt the f31 was way better (despite less pixels).
the camera is excellent for the simple reason that if you take pics in anything other than good daylight (i know you are going on a skiing trip but you may want to use it elsewhere after) you can change iso upto 1600 without the excessive noise you will get on cameras that are much more expensive (ie, ricoh, leica, panasonic etc). and at 400 iso the photos rock. check dpreview for anything you are considering as they are very comprehensive in their testing. they've added the canon g9 to the H.R. list but it is a bigger more expensive camera.

i checked the other day and the f31 is available now for just over 100gbp and is "the nearest thing to a modern classic that a digital compact is going to be". which is cool, because it looks crap.
if you really want the worry and the attention that a dslr will give you then the starter options are the canon 400d(?) or the nikon d40x. i've still got my fe2 and fm with ai lenses so not felt the need myself.

all the best.

dr.

A friend and my brother-in-law both have the Canon 400D and I have used it at my nieces christening for them it is an excellent user friendly camera, unfortuneately out of my price range.

I have been borrowing cameras since mine packed up the day before the TDF and I'm looking at a compact replacement with this in mind Panasonic DMC-FX10 what are the experts opinion on that??

I've had my eye on the Panasonic Lumix's for a little while, especially right now as I know someone in the states this week. I don't really want to spend more than 200£ now. Originally I was thinking about something which had a bit more of an SLR feel to it, because in the past I haven't liked tiny point and shoots which can be annoying to hold. But this thread seems to be advising against that.

Anyone else have anything to say about the panasonics or something equivalent?

These are pretty good if you're looking for a point and shoot -

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=102475

None in stock at 7 day shop, but check other places, you should be able to pick one up for a shade under £200

7 day shop are almost unbeatable for memory cards, FYI...

The Canon G9 at around £300 is amazing.

G9 comes out a bit over 200 on amazon in the US.

Anyone know any sites in the US which are good for electronic stuff and likely to be cheaper than Amazon?

you will pay import tax (duty) and vat plus a processing fee from the carrier if you buy from the usa.

I know someone in NYC this week who i can get it shipped too

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Pentax+/+*ist+DS&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I have one of these and bulletproof it is, it caught on my handle bars when i was rummaging in my bag and got literally flung across the road. the only thing that is wrong is a little corner of the lcd has 'bled'. i got it cause i have pentax manual lens, but its got a great lens with it and they seem cheap now too.

Also a tip: put your camera in a plastic bag, ziploc one would be great *before you go back inside. It'll stop the lens, chip, viewfinder fogging, sort of like a climate chamber.

runcible rakan I've had my eye on the Panasonic Lumix's for a little while, especially right now as I know someone in the states this week. I don't really want to spend more than 200£ now. Originally I was thinking about something which had a bit more of an SLR feel to it, because in the past I haven't liked tiny point and shoots which can be annoying to hold. But this thread seems to be advising against that.

Anyone else have anything to say about the panasonics or something equivalent?

I'm on my second Panny. I have the LX2, previously the LX1.

Highly recommended.

"Well from a profesional standpoint, you get what you pay for. Simple as that."

so what do amateurs get for their money? less? or more?

:-)

i was in Best Buy in New York last week and they had the Canon 400D for $525 with 18-55mm(?) lens - if you knw someone in NYC ask them to buy it for you maybe and then ship it personally?

runcible rakan I've had my eye on the Panasonic Lumix's for a little while, especially right now as I know someone in the states this week. I don't really want to spend more than 200£ now. Originally I was thinking about something which had a bit more of an SLR feel to it, because in the past I haven't liked tiny point and shoots which can be annoying to hold. But this thread seems to be advising against that.

Anyone else have anything to say about the panasonics or something equivalent?

The Lumix is great. The best compact I've ever had.

Thanks everybody... im going to try and decide tonight ;)

I'm in the process of getting something for my missus for Christmas - after trying to subtly ask her photo questions the G9 is probably out of the running due to it's size - it's no brick by any means, but too big to put in a pocket (approx 100mmx70mmx40mm). Might be worth considering if you're going to ride with it a lot.

I think I'm gonna get her the Panasonic, or the Canon Ixus 70

Good luck!

Which Panasonic were you thinking of Sano?

Ixus be nice.

This one.... Mmmmm... Leica lens... mmmmm

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=103296

Ixus be nice, for sure. My flatmate has one and it's a cracking little camera

My friend in Aus had this little beauty.

Samsung NV7.

skoota http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Pentax+/+*ist+DS&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I have one of these and bulletproof it is, it caught on my handle bars when i was rummaging in my bag and got literally flung across the road. the only thing that is wrong is a little corner of the lcd has 'bled'. i got it cause i have pentax manual lens, but its got a great lens with it and they seem cheap now too.

Also a tip: put your camera in a plastic bag, ziploc one would be great *before you go back inside. It'll stop the lens, chip, viewfinder fogging, sort of like a climate chamber.

Hmm i'm looking at the pentax k100d super at the moment, mainly because it's cheap and Cnet recommends it. I haven't found anything about the ist ds, i think it might have been discontinued?

i've been a photography student, and i'd highly recommend not bothering with DSLRs.

I have a 10 megapixel Canon powershot A640. bloody brilliant. It has this large flip out screen so you can get pictures in all sorts of places that you would never get an SLR.
It takes a while, but once you're used to the settings and how you can fiddle with it, I think it gives you almost all the stuff that an SLR can do: I often use it to take long exposures of stars, and other nighttime stuff, and get great results: it has a maximum of 15 second exposure, and you can change the "film speed" from ISO 80 to 800, and you can even change the flash output. In the manual function you can change the shutter speed to anything you like, from 15 seconds to 1/2500 and the appature from f.2.8 to f.8.0

it even makes AVI movies of a really good quality!

the focus is amazing too: i can focus perfectly on objects as close as 1cm. and it's got 4xoptical zoom.

it's quite compact: fits in a pocket, but is a bit weighty: it takes 4 aa batterys, but this means it's really reliable unlike a lot of other point and shoots.

I'll shut up now.

if you do choose canon, then never forget to check their own ebay store.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Canon-Outlet

as you were.