Affordable DSLR camera

lawrie28

It's all down to preference.

I like a long zoom, because I can get good candids from a distance, but do suffer in low light.

I have heard good things about the Panasonics/olympus/canon bridge cameras, but these all have a motorised zoom which eats battery power and takes time to be at the length you want. The Fuji on the other hand has a DSLR style twist zoom, so can be set and adjusted very easily and quickly - even with out the camera being turned on - and doesn't waste any battery power.

FUNKYDADDIO

Hi Folks, went to Jessops today and having given the helpful chap all of my requests for a camera, he concluded a DSLR may not be for me and recommended me a canon sx220 HS as an alternative....I really just want better shots than my current samsung es55 without having to bring a bag for different lenses etc......Anyone any thoughts on the Canon sx220 hs?? Thanks, Paul..

Dave_C_2

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Just a question...
I suspect a DSLR in the hands of someone who hasn't changed their camera in 10 years is going to spend a lot more time in it's increasingly dusty bag than it ever is taking pictures.

My previous film camera was a Pentax ME with 3 lenses and guess what? It was unchanged in over 15 years because it was just a damn good camera.

I finally went digital a few years ago with a Nikon D40 kit (Forerunner to the D3000) and that doesn't spend much time in the (clean) camera bag either. I also bought one of these, well worth the money, especially with the VR which compensates for low light.

This combination of body plus two lenses is far superior to any compact camera.

As usual, YMMV. Dave

closed

FUNKYDADDIO wrote: »

I really just want better shots than my current samsung es55

What's wrong with the photo's you have taken?

FUNKYDADDIO

They were very dark and lacked any quality when zooming into anything. The shutter in the canon seems much better as it stays open slightly longer to give more light and the zoom is much much better. Thanks..

jennylyn01

Many people who buy DSLRs never bother using any lens other than the standard included kit lens. Sometimes they cannot afford to buy anything better, and other times they simply do not know the benefits. Using these tips, learn how to shop for the best deals on great DSLR lenses for insanely cheap prices!

Steps:

Look for adapters. Many lenses can be adapted to just about any body with the right adapter. Pentax screw-mount lenses from decades ago, for example, can often be used on most newer digital bodies (of any brand) with the right adapter. These adapters can usually be found on eBay, but you'll want to make sure you buy from a reputable source. Buying a cheap adapter can result in focusing issues later on, and a lack of being able to focus at infinity. In terms of adaptability, Olympus and Panasonic 3/4ths mounts tend to have the widest range of brand compatibility due to the close distance the native mount has to the image sensor.

Hunt around on eBay. Make sure the lens you're buying is free of any scratches and/or fungus. With enough patience, you can often get amazing deals on lenses through eBay. To make the deal even better, consider looking for auctions for film SLRs that include the lens you wish to purchase.

Good Luck!!!

lawrie28

FUNKYDADDIO wrote: »

They were very dark and lacked any quality when zooming into anything. The shutter in the canon seems much better as it stays open slightly longer to give more light and the zoom is much much better. Thanks..

Hi, hope I'm not being rude, but the shutter speed on all cameras will change to suit the picture your taking. If the shutter is open for too long, then the photos are blurry as pick up any movement in the shot.

More than likely it has a larger aperture, which is the size of the hole that allows light into the camera, or just simply a better lens and sensor.

But I'm glad you found a camera that you like!

lawrie28

jennylyn01 wrote: »

Many people who buy DSLRs never bother using any lens other than the standard included kit lens. Sometimes they cannot afford to buy anything better, and other times they simply do not know the benefits. Using these tips, learn how to shop for the best deals on great DSLR lenses for insanely cheap prices!

Steps:

Look for adapters. Many lenses can be adapted to just about any body with the right adapter. Pentax screw-mount lenses from decades ago, for example, can often be used on most newer digital bodies (of any brand) with the right adapter. These adapters can usually be found on eBay, but you'll want to make sure you buy from a reputable source. Buying a cheap adapter can result in focusing issues later on, and a lack of being able to focus at infinity. In terms of adaptability, Olympus and Panasonic 3/4ths mounts tend to have the widest range of brand compatibility due to the close distance the native mount has to the image sensor.

Hunt around on eBay. Make sure the lens you're buying is free of any scratches and/or fungus. With enough patience, you can often get amazing deals on lenses through eBay. To make the deal even better, consider looking for auctions for film SLRs that include the lens you wish to purchase.

Good Luck!!!

Good tips, but be aware that using older lenses with adaptors on a modern camera may mean that you have to manually change the aperture and also manually focus the lense to get a sharp image. It's not going to be as point and shoot friendly as a lens made for the camera, but will generally give just as good, or better images.

If you have bought a Canon or a Nikon, then there are lots of used lenses out their, but buying something like a 50mm f1.8 lens will greatly improve your photos inside as the wide aperture allows in lots of light. Yes it does sometimes cause a focus issue as the focal depth is quite narrow so you have to get used to that, but it also creates nice blurry backgrounds.

Of course for someone who does not want to be messing around swapping lenses etc, a bridge camera will do the job nicely.

ukcarper

FUNKYDADDIO wrote: »

They were very dark and lacked any quality when zooming into anything. The shutter in the canon seems much better as it stays open slightly longer to give more light and the zoom is much much better. Thanks..

When are you getting dark pictures are they using the flash the symptoms you describe are common if you are not close enough to subject when using flash. The range of a built in flashgun is normally very limited may be less than 12 feet.

As for the canon it is similar to my panasonic and should give good results but personally if I had one camera I would want a viewfinder for those bright days.


As already mentioned the shutter speed is governed by the available light and the aperture of the lens.

ukcarper

lawrie28 wrote: »

Good tips, but be aware that using older lenses with adaptors on a modern camera may mean that you have to manually change the aperture and also manually focus the lense to get a sharp image. It's not going to be as point and shoot friendly as a lens made for the camera, but will generally give just as good, or better images.

If you have bought a Canon or a Nikon, then there are lots of used lenses out their, but buying something like a 50mm f1.8 lens will greatly improve your photos inside as the wide aperture allows in lots of light. Yes it does sometimes cause a focus issue as the focal depth is quite narrow so you have to get used to that, but it also creates nice blurry backgrounds.

Of course for someone who does not want to be messing around swapping lenses etc, a bridge camera will do the job nicely.

What you say is true but you must be careful with Nikon cameras (I’m not sure about Canon) as the cheaper DSLRs do not have a motor in body to focus older lenses.

I moved to a dslr about 5 years ago and rarely change the lens I’m not sure if the later bridge cameras are much better than they were 5 years ago but the dslr is the only digital camera I have been really happy with and that includes my new Panasonic compact.