|
|
Advice on digital cameras
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Advice on digital cameras // Roundtable
Post by JimB // Jan 28, 2009, 10:01am
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
I need a new camera for general purpose use but would want to use it for photographing texture material as well,so any advice from you photographers out there welcomed.Oh I have a limited budget but would prefer an SLR :)
Jim |
Post by RAYMAN // Jan 28, 2009, 10:15am
|
RAYMAN
Total Posts: 1496
|
Limited budget is a variable.
But if your not that limited I have an awsome camera probably
the best i ever had and i had a few dozens its the D700 Nikon.
you can almost use it in the dark. up to 3200 iso for everyday use
is the usual rather then the exeption.
If you are much more limited in budget a d90 Nikon is a good buy
but the d700 is 2 classes ahead.
in between there is the d300 but it will be replaced pretty soon ....
I would wait for just after the PMA .....
Some people will direct you to Canon which is good too but I have Nikons now for 30 Years and am very happy....:D(its the dark side.....) |
Post by JimB // Jan 28, 2009, 10:22am
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
Thanks Peter.
Jim |
Post by parva // Jan 28, 2009, 10:36am
|
parva
Total Posts: 822
|
Canon EOS 1000D :) |
Post by RichLevy // Jan 28, 2009, 11:03am
|
RichLevy
Total Posts: 1140
|
OK, ya heard from the Nikon guy :) now here comes the Canon guy :D
Any of the middle range DSLR's will provide you great performance. Canon and Nikon get tossed around lots because of the market saturation they each have. Either have good and bad things to consider. If I were buying today and did not have over 5K in lens to consider, Nikon would be a pretty awesome camera to consider.
What I would consider:
High resolution:
Nikon is still using lower Mpixel sensors on the midrange to lowerpro cameras
Sony has a 22Mpixel camera for a resonable price (about 2500.00 USD). Very good camera, decent lowlite.
Canon 5DMKII, 21Mpixel exceptional low lite, Movie mode, shoots full HD movies.
Hedium resolution:
All of them, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Canon, Olympus
Nikon is the low lite king, provides a great all purpose camera in either the D300, or the D700 . Expect to pay in the 1500 and up r5ange here
Consider the glass, DSLR's are great cameras, the bodies are expensive and depreciate very quickly... the glass will last much longer. When you buy into a camera brand consider the glass carefully. Can you get good fast glass, are there professional quality options. How much resale potential does it have?
Because I my glass collection, I will be with Canon cameras for quite some time. It would not be worth switching for me. Far too much effort selling the older glass and having to purchase another camera manufacturer's equivalent.
Now the real question... do you really need a DSLR? Canon makes a pands G10 at 10Mpixel that is getting rave reviesws. The camera is ,compact, a decent focal range has decent low lite to noise ratio and is in the 500.00 USD range.
DSLR's are bigger than PandS cameras, perform better (assuming you do your homework and pick out good performing glass), are bigger, more ackward to hold and carry. They are far more versatile... and let's just face it, they look cool :)
If you have friends that are camera people, they have DSLR's and have a range of glass to use, consider purchasing the model/brand that they have... why? Sharing lens is a cheap easy way to exp[and your glass collection or get free lens rentals :) Plus you get to see and feel the cameras before purchasing your own.
It is not as easy as asking what to buy, you really need to consider what you want to shoot, what type of file sizes you would consider manageable in your computer (10-15Mpixel are fairly manageable), Does your computer have the hardware to support these types of pictures. Photo editing software, photo cataloguing software. The types of photography you are really interested in doing... time lapse, night photography of cities, night sky, nature scenery, animals, birds, landscapes family, portraits...
They all have different rewuirements and may mean a different choice of lens/camera.
Always fun searching and learning :) and mwith something as important and as expensive as a DSLR, you really need to spend the time researching to find what you may like.
HTH
Rich |
Post by RAYMAN // Jan 28, 2009, 11:06am
|
RAYMAN
Total Posts: 1496
|
Thanks Peter.
Jim
Your welcome.
dont foreget that you are buying into a system.....
a more expensive camera can be a cheaper system in the long run
if you can use old but good glass on it. A full frame camera like the d700
lets you use all the fantastic glass that was used with the film typ cameras
a few years ago.You might want to buy into a few macro lenses for
very good maps and Nikon glass that you can use goes back to 1977
and with little mechanical modification back to 1959 !
Millions of used good lenses to choose from..
Peter |
Post by JimB // Jan 28, 2009, 11:24am
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
Thanks Rich you've given me much to consider,I will be using the camera for photographing buildings and interesting subjects for using as textures for models.Last years photos of Windsor and Stonehenge really brought it home to me that I need a better camera,I wont mention the camera I have at the moment as I would die of embarassment :D
Jim |
Post by Steinie // Jan 28, 2009, 11:47am
|
Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
|
Check this site out before you decide.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm |
Post by JimB // Jan 28, 2009, 12:00pm
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
Very interesting thanks Steinie.
Jim |
Post by jayr // Jan 28, 2009, 12:03pm
|
jayr
Total Posts: 1074
|
try this one as well:
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/ |
Post by JimB // Jan 28, 2009, 12:11pm
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
Thanks jayr
Jim |
Post by RAYMAN // Jan 28, 2009, 12:41pm
|
RAYMAN
Total Posts: 1496
|
the main digital site around is dp review its the largest..;)
http://www.dpreview.com/ |
Post by JimB // Apr 18, 2009, 10:07am
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
Its been a while but I finally bought a FujiFilm FinePix S1000fd it has 10.0 mega pixels and a 12X Optical zoom,and picture stabilisation.
Thanks for all your help guys. :)
https://secure.fujifilm.co.uk/shop/consumer/digital/digital-cameras/d-slr-long-zoom/finepix-s1000fd-119757?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=s1000fd |
Post by Jack Edwards // Apr 20, 2009, 9:55am
|
Jack Edwards
Total Posts: 4062
|
I use a Nikon D40 and am very happy with it. You can get those really cheap these days.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/471716-REG/Nikon_25420_D40_SLR_Digital_Camera.html
$350
Edit:
Doh, I see you've already made your purchase. Congrats on your new camera! :) |
Post by JimB // Apr 20, 2009, 10:06am
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
Thanks Jack ,its back to Stonehenge soon for another try at getting some good photos :)
Jim |
Post by Steinie // Apr 20, 2009, 12:01pm
|
Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
|
I bought the FujiFilm FinePix S1000fd for my daughter to take Sports pics for the School paper. She loves it. I'm sure that zoom was a major selling point. It takes very good pictures so we will expect free textures from you soon?;):)
Good luck with it. |
Post by jamesmc // Apr 20, 2009, 12:41pm
|
jamesmc
Total Posts: 2566
|
This appears to be a nice one.
Canon EOS 50D (http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras/canon-eos-50d_reviews.html) 15 megapixels; JPEG and RAW file formats; Canon EF/EF-S lens mount; DIGIC 4 Image Processor; ISO levels expandable up to 12800; 3.0-inch live view LCD display; Lithium-ion battery....
I saw one on the back of a truck for a very special price (cough). |
Post by Rafa // Apr 20, 2009, 6:03pm
|
Rafa
Total Posts: 95
|
I always recomend a site that know more about cameras than the manufacturers will ever explain:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos1000d/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond60/
Example pages.
30 pages of tests of every camera... wow.
Pages and pages of comparasions, tests, specifications... |
Post by JimB // Apr 22, 2009, 12:39am
|
JimB
Total Posts: 341
|
I bought the FujiFilm FinePix S1000fd for my daughter to take Sports pics for the School paper. She loves it. I'm sure that zoom was a major selling point. It takes very good pictures so we will expect free textures from you soon?
Good luck with it.
The zoom is handy giving that little extra reach,the picture quality is good enough although the edges of a scene tend to blur a little.
I will post some pics soon
thanks Steinie :)
Jim |
Post by RichLevy // Apr 22, 2009, 5:39am
|
RichLevy
Total Posts: 1140
|
The beauty of some of the highend P&S cameras is that portability and good image quality for an affordable. A DSLR camera is only as good as the lens you use with it. Many people purchase good DSLR cameras and than wonder why the 100-300 dollar lens they got for it still produces crappy photos.
You made a fine descision Jim, I wish I had the expendable cash flow right now.
Rich |
Post by brotherx // Apr 22, 2009, 10:26pm
|
brotherx
Total Posts: 538
|
I had a fairly decent digital camera (fuji, reasonably small) but it was slow and often missed the shot so I got a canon DSLR with the standard lens...it's amazing and takes pretty good shots. I also invested in a nice 75-300 lens which set me back about 200 sterling at the time - not expensive for what it is but it's a great lens - the only downside is that it weighs as much, or more probably, than the camera itself and it's not great in low-light - you have to have a tripod for those shots but in daylight it is brilliant.
The good thing about a DSLR is you can get decent shots in low-light without a flash and you can set absolutely everything from shutter speed to ISO settings and DOF. You do have to spend money on them though getting a lens so 500 sterling for a basic lens and camera package then you need another 2-300 for a long lens as the standard ones are usually have a short focal length, 18-55mm in the case of the canon. not too bad for wide-angle tho.
The beauty of the lenses tho is if you upgrade to a more expensive body of the same make you can just use the lenses you have until you have the cash to get a better lens for it.
I knew a guy who was a professional photographer for a newspaper (gave it up to get into IT) and he bought a fixed lens camera because he didn't want to worry about dropping it while paragliding but he got rid of it and got a cheap DSLR as it was too slow in taking shots - took beautiful shots like. |
|
