Advice/Questions on buying Cameras & Accessories. **Please read OP first**

Woolygloves

Tx, I meant that I have PhotoShop to try and compensate for lack of sharpness and light etc in pictures from a p+s . From what you are saying though a bridge camera would have better image quality so I may go with that. Was looking at the Panasonic lumix fz45 if you have any comments on that.

Can I ask is it the size of the sensor that determins low light performance and will this be obvious from camera specs?

I'll check out the other one you mentioned.

Gumbo

Hi, looking at getting my first DSLR.
Strongly getting pulled towards the Canon end of things and was considering this 450d - http://www.adverts.ie/digital-cameras/canon-450d-canon-18-55-is-sd-card-8gb-bag-only-couple-pics-taken-with-it/808099

Anything jump out at people?
No box, not so much a problem as he has all manuals and CD's etc ut he says he bought from eBay so is there any way to check its a genuine camera etc?

Will be mainly used for a good mix of things, family, cars and general shota of dublin city as i currently use a P&S camera for my job for these.

Have Adobe suite inc photoshop in work, so i can learn to tidy up some shots there, would the 450d be good enough, not enough or too good? or is it good for beginner / intermediate? ie. i want something thats good for beginner but can handle the next stage if i get there

Thanks,
Keith.

AnCatDubh

kceire wrote: »

Hi, looking at getting my first DSLR.
Strongly getting pulled towards the Canon end of things and was considering this 450d - http://www.adverts.ie/digital-cameras/canon-450d-canon-18-55-is-sd-card-8gb-bag-only-couple-pics-taken-with-it/808099

Anything jump out at people?
No box, not so much a problem as he has all manuals and CD's etc ut he says he bought from eBay so is there any way to check its a genuine camera etc?

Will be mainly used for a good mix of things, family, cars and general shota of dublin city as i currently use a P&S camera for my job for these.

Have Adobe suite inc photoshop in work, so i can learn to tidy up some shots there, would the 450d be good enough, not enough or too good? or is it good for beginner / intermediate? ie. i want something thats good for beginner but can handle the next stage if i get there

Thanks,
Keith.

A fine camera. It will take you a long way. Check the dp review assessment here

Good thing about adverts is you can normally meet up, view, decide, and optionally buy.

If they bought it recently (if this is a concern for you) i'm sure they will still have their eBay receipt, or be able to obtain it from their eBay account.

Normally these cameras are minded like babies so it is likely to be in great condition.

I think the 450d is an out of production model (though only recently so many will still be available new in the supply channels). This wouldn't worry me in the slightest if the price is good for you and you are happy with the spec. As I said above, it will take you far and certainly take you far enough before you would decide for very serious investment in such kit.

I don't see anything in the adverts post that makes it unusual or suspicious.

I'm never sure why people buy such great cameras and sell again very soon though i've come across people that a) just need to monetise the asset and get a few bob together for something or other, or b) are buying an upgrade very soon after they make the original purchase.

Do have a read of the dp review stuff. They are usually very thorough.

Good luck.

5uspect

Woolygloves wrote: »

Tx, I meant that I have PhotoShop to try and compensate for lack of sharpness and light etc in pictures from a p+s . From what you are saying though a bridge camera would have better image quality so I may go with that. Was looking at the Panasonic lumix fz45 if you have any comments on that.

Can I ask is it the size of the sensor that determins low light performance and will this be obvious from camera specs?

I'll check out the other one you mentioned.

It's a combination of the sensor size and the maximum aperture of the lens. A fast lens, better than f/2.8, would be ideal.

I can't tell you anything about that particular model. There are so many cameras out there it's impossible to say. You're best reading reputable reviews and hope someone here with one can give their opinion.

Woolygloves

5uspect wrote: »

Woolygloves wrote: »

Tx, I meant that I have PhotoShop to try and compensate for lack of sharpness and light etc in pictures from a p+s . From what you are saying though a bridge camera would have better image quality so I may go with that. Was looking at the Panasonic lumix fz45 if you have any comments on that.

Can I ask is it the size of the sensor that determins low light performance and will this be obvious from camera specs?

I'll check out the other one you mentioned.

It's a combination of the sensor size and the maximum aperture of the lens. A fast lens, better than f/2.8, would be ideal.

I can't tell you anything about that particular model. There are so many cameras out there it's impossible to say. You're best reading reputable reviews and hope someone here with one can give their opinion.

Thanks for the help

C14N

Hi all,

First off as a disclaimer, I'm a complete newb to DSLR cameras. I've used digital cameras plenty but never DSLR.

I lost my beloved bridge camera recently (a Panasonic DMC-F28) and I'm looking to replace it. I had been using it for a few years so I decided I might test the waters of DSLR at last. I don't have a lot of money to blow though so I figured I would go with a fairly cheap, second hand camera just to get started and if I like it then maybe after a while I could upgrade to something a bit higher end. I was browsing on Adverts.ie and two of them in particular seemed to fit, the aforementioned Sony A200 and the Canon 1000D.

The Sony is cheaper (buyer will accept E200 vs E295) and the lens is a little stronger in terms of zoom (18mm-70mm vs 18mm-55mm) but additional parts for Canon cameras (like lenses) seem to be much easier to come by. The Canon also has a live view which might suit better as I normally used live view on my Panasonic.

I would like a lens with greater aperture than either of these cameras provide (f/3.5 in both cases) so that I could take indoor photos easily enough but I'm not sure how much that would generally cost. I've heard that f/2.8 can work with a reasonably fast shutter speed but I'm not sure really what I would be looking for.



Can anyone offer me any advice?

Pete67

As you have said, Canon fit lenses are more plentiful and hence easier to come by, especially second hand. If you want a fast lens for indoor use, you can't really get better value than the Canon 50mm f1.8. Although it may be slightly long as a general purpose lens on the 1000D, it makes a wonderful portrait lens. Often can be found second hand for a little as €60 (keep an eye out on adverts.ie)

There may also be a Sony/Minolta equivalent, I'm not familiar with the Sony range, perhaps others will comment.

creativedrinker

Hey, i was wondering if anyone had any experience on the best place to buy a GoPro HD camera?? i am looking at getting one with a few extra mounts/memory card/battery.....

I have checked gopro.com but my only thing against that is the added import charges and Ive checked conns cameras but there is a fair difference...

i was looking on pixmania but that site is separate sellers? are these sellers reliable??

Thanks for any info

Telchak

I emailed Gunns and Photocare yesterday to ask this, but didn't get an answer from either. So...

Anybody know about how much it costs to develop a roll of 120 film (8 exposures) to cd somewhere in Dublin?

AnCatDubh

Telchak wrote: »

I emailed Gunns and Photocare yesterday to ask this, but didn't get an answer from either. So...

Anybody know about how much it costs to develop a roll of 120 film (8 exposures) to cd somewhere in Dublin?

Try a pm to katiemaloe - she's in the know about them kinda things

the_syco

kceire wrote: »

Hi, looking at getting my first DSLR.
Strongly getting pulled towards the Canon end of things and was considering this 450d - http://www.adverts.ie/digital-cameras/canon-450d-canon-18-55-is-sd-card-8gb-bag-only-couple-pics-taken-with-it/808099

Have a 450D for just under 2 years. Great camera. Bought the "450D (XSi) 18-55mm IS kit" (camera body & 18-55mm IS lens) brand new for £439 which worked out at about €500 at the time. Maybe drop the seller that I used a mail at kerso1123@msn.com to see if he still sells them? You get a UK warranty with it (as his shop is based in Scotland, and he pays the VAT). Google his email to see many other happy people (which is what I did before buying my 450D).

Gumbo

the_syco wrote: »

Have a 450D for just under 2 years. Great camera. Bought the "450D (XSi) 18-55mm IS kit" (camera body & 18-55mm IS lens) brand new for £439 which worked out at about €500 at the time. Maybe drop the seller that I used a mail at kerso1123@msn.com to see if he still sells them? You get a UK warranty with it (as his shop is based in Scotland, and he pays the VAT). Google his email to see many other happy people (which is what I did before buying my 450D).

thanks, does he have a website or anything?
How did you find this guy?

dmg1982

Telchak wrote: »

I emailed Gunns and Photocare yesterday to ask this, but didn't get an answer from either. So...

Anybody know about how much it costs to develop a roll of 120 film (8 exposures) to cd somewhere in Dublin?

€13-15 in Gunns I think, but it's been a while since I've got any scans done.

vandriver

Kerso is an eBay power seller who also sells off eBay cheaper.PM me and I will forward his latest price list

C14N

Pete67 wrote: »

As you have said, Canon fit lenses are more plentiful and hence easier to come by, especially second hand. If you want a fast lens for indoor use, you can't really get better value than the Canon 50mm f1.8. Although it may be slightly long as a general purpose lens on the 1000D, it makes a wonderful portrait lens. Often can be found second hand for a little as €60 (keep an eye out on adverts.ie)

There may also be a Sony/Minolta equivalent, I'm not familiar with the Sony range, perhaps others will comment.

Yeah there's one going for about that price now. It might be good to stick to Canon because at least then I can buy lenses for it and when I upgrade I can hang on to them.

T0mmyM

Hi, Looking to get my first DSLR.

My budget is around €600

I've been looking at the Nikon D3100 and seems to be a good entry level camera?

Would really appreciate some advice

T0mmyM

T0mmyM wrote: »

Hi, Looking to get my first DSLR.

My budget is around €600

I've been looking at the Nikon D3100 and seems to be a good entry level camera?

Would really appreciate some advice

good camera but for 600e you could go one model up - nikon 5100 or canon 600d on www.simplyelectronics.ie . 5100 solid camera with articulated screen, better sensor. 600d better for video if you plan getting into that.

hot to trot

I have decided to get a nikon 7000 dslr
I have a 24mm, 35-70mm, 60 and 90mm macros from a previous autofocus nikon 801 slr. I lost my 70-210

Cant decide whether to buy body and a lens separately. It comes with a 18-105 but I am pretty much covered at that end of things I think.
Cant decide whats the best thing to do .

I really would like to support a shop here but online is better value as I wont be able to attend any free tuition offered due to location and could get a better or more appropriate lens for the savings I could make.

The tamron 70-300 seems to have good reviews and would pretty much cover me for the upper range. I would like to do a mixture of things until I get back into my groove, landscape and sport/action most likely.

T0mmyM

glasso wrote: »

good camera but for 600e you could go one model up - nikon 5100 or canon 600d on www.simplyelectronics.ie . 5100 solid camera with articulated screen, better sensor. 600d better for video if you plan getting into that.

Thanks for that. Probably makes more sense stretching out my budget and going for something like the D5100 that will keep me going longer.

What about lenses?

Should I just buy the body and buy a lense separately, or will the kit lense be sufficient?

FewFew

I'm looking to get a versatile lens, the daily workhorse etc.

Using a Canon 60D.

Looking at a

Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM

or a

Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM

Sigma is around €740 and the Canon is about €1130.

Both seem to do the same thing, image stabilizer, fast motor. Just a bit concerned about build quality. Somewhat wary of some of the Canon EF-S lenses, but at €1130 it's more expensive than some of the L-series. I have a sigma tele lens and I really like it, but I've never compared it to the equivalent Canon.

Just wondering if the difference between the lenses is worth the extra €400, or if there's any real difference to speak of.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

pixbyjohn

Consider going for a 24-70 EF lens as it will work with a full frame camera if you decide to upgrade in the future.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-24-70mm-f-2.8-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

kelly1

24-70 probably isn't wide enough on a cropped sensor.

pixbyjohn

kelly1 wrote: »

24-70 probably isn't wide enough on a cropped sensor.

Yes you are correct, it probably translates to a 30-100mm approx

FewFew

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Consider going for a 24-70 EF lens as it will work with a full frame camera if you decide to upgrade in the future.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-24-70mm-f-2.8-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

That's actually not that more expensive than the Canon EF-S above... and you make a good point about upgrading in the future (though the 60D is just new so I'll be keeping it for a few years at least.)
I might mess about with a stock lens and see if 24 will be wide enough. I'm usually in press scrums etc, but don't have the resources to compete with the lads who've a 1D with a 14mm and another camera with some more legs to the lens. Still, I've always craved that little red ring.

T0mmyM

T0mmyM wrote: »

glasso wrote: »

good camera but for 600e you could go one model up - nikon 5100 or canon 600d on www.simplyelectronics.ie . 5100 solid camera with articulated screen, better sensor. 600d better for video if you plan getting into that.

Thanks for that. Probably makes more se
nse stretching out my budget and going for something like the D5100 that will keep me going longer.

What about lenses?

Should I just buy the body and buy a lense separately, or will the kit lense be sufficient?

start with kit lens I would say. maybe consider the 135mm over 55mm if u need extra zoom ability

pullandbang

Daily workhorse really depends on what your daily diet is.
Landscapes? Go wide - 17-40 f4 L or EFS 10-22.
Walkabout? 24-70 f2.8 L or pick up a 28-135 IS lens.

Best of them all? 50mm f1.4 and zoom with your feet.


Ok, now I know your in the thick of it, get a 16-35 f2.8............

FewFew

pullandbang wrote: »

Daily workhorse really depends on what your daily diet is.
Landscapes? Go wide - 17-40 f4 L or EFS 10-22.
Walkabout? 24-70 f2.8 L or pick up a 28-135 IS lens.

Best of them all? 50mm f1.4 and zoom with your feet.


Ok, now I know your in the thick of it, get a 16-35 f2.8............

Yeah, see I'm regularly in poor lighting, so the f2.8 is a must, unfortunately as it seems to drive up all the prices, but sure that makes sense.
I have a 50mm f1.4, and I love it, it's definitely my lens of choice but isn't flexible for work.

16-35 f2.8 is kinda pushing outside my budget at the moment. The 24-70 is at my upper reaches, have to weigh up if the 16-35 is worth the extra moola.

Currently using the borrowed stock lens off a 1000D and its owner is waiting its return... but I've tried working with the 50mm and it's near impossible in settings with limited control, so I'm going to need a replacement soon.

hbr

Fewcifur wrote: »

I'm looking to get a versatile lens, the daily workhorse etc.

Using a Canon 60D.

Looking at a

Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM

or a

Canon EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 IS USM

Sigma is around €740 and the Canon is about €1130.

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 non-stabilised version. It is sharper than
it's stabilised sister (VC) and the Sigma lens you were considering.
In terms of sharpness, contrast, colour and distortion, it is as good
as the Canon 17-55mm at most focal lengths. I paid €276 for mine
a couple of months ago.

It doesn't have IS/OS/VR/VC, but this isn't much of a disadvantage
on a fast and relatively short lens.

http://pix.ie/corkpix/album/416187

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-17-50mm-f-2.8-XR-Di-II-Lens-Review.aspx

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=400&Camera=474&Sample=0&FLI=2&API=2&LensComp=398&CameraComp=474&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=3&APIComp=1

FewFew

hbr wrote: »

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 non-stabilised version. It is sharper than
it's stabilised sister (VC) and the Sigma lens you were considering.
In terms of sharpness, contrast, colour and distortion, it is as good
as the Canon 17-55mm at most focal lengths. I paid €276 for mine
a couple of months ago.

It doesn't have IS/OS/VR/VC, but this isn't much of a disadvantage
on a fast and relatively short lens.

http://pix.ie/corkpix/album/416187

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-17-50mm-f-2.8-XR-Di-II-Lens-Review.aspx

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=400&Camera=474&Sample=0&FLI=2&API=2&LensComp=398&CameraComp=474&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=3&APIComp=1

I was looking at that badboy alright. The review of the Canon 17-55 2.8 (on the digital picture.com) is really positive though, didn't realise it had L-series grade optics in it, explains the price. €276 is a tasty price though.

roguey

Just got my first film camera (Nikon f801) Does anybody know where is the best place to buy film, hopefully in Ireland, or somewhere that accepts Laser. Black and White too. Thanks