Which Camera? **Please read OP first**

Bluefoam

Neames wrote: »

Hi,

My daughter (10) has taken an interest in photography and recording videos.

Obviously while I'd like to nurture this interest I don't want to break the bank by buying a very expensive SLR or compact system camera.

So, can someone recommend a good "beginner" camera that would be suitable for her to start this hobby?

A budget of €150 (but could stretch if there was something with serious value going for a bit more)

Neames

My response might be divisive... but if she's going to take it up and dedicate some time to it, then I'd advise a system camera... Having control over the functions of the camera allows for more creativity, as does the ability to buy new lenses and swap them out to allow different functions... It also allows you to upgrade your camera body when the time comes and keep your lenses from the old camera (if you buy within the same system), so the camera and system can grow with your daughters experience...

There are many types and brands:
Sony: Expensive, but great for 4k video
Fuji: Expensive, but fantastic for photography
Micro 4/3's: Accessible, lacks stabilization, but well regarded
Canon: Less expensive, simple, great photos...

I'd suggest the Canon M100 in this case. It's simple enough not to be intimidating to use, small form factor, allows your photographer to grow and upgrade as needed.

dinneenp

Neames wrote: »

Hi,

My daughter (10) has taken an interest in photography and recording videos.

Obviously while I'd like to nurture this interest I don't want to break the bank by buying a very expensive SLR or compact system camera.

So, can someone recommend a good "beginner" camera that would be suitable for her to start this hobby?

A budget of €150 (but could stretch if there was something with serious value going for a bit more)

Neames

I'd highly recommend a bridge camera- a jack of all trades- massive zoom (which a kid should love), macro capability (or very close to). No need to change lenses, has a viewfinder (even if not as good as a DSLR), not heavy.

A 10 year old doesn't want to get arms tired, have to change lens to take a different type of photo

I'd go second hand but you might prefer to buy new.
Have a look here for a good 'round-up' article.

cnocbui

Bluefoam wrote: »

My response might be divisive... but if she's going to take it up and dedicate some time to it, then I'd advise a system camera... Having control over the functions of the camera allows for more creativity, as does the ability to buy new lenses and swap them out to allow different functions... It also allows you to upgrade your camera body when the time comes and keep your lenses from the old camera (if you buy within the same system), so the camera and system can grow with your daughters experience...

There are many types and brands:
Sony: Expensive, but great for 4k video
Fuji: Expensive, but fantastic for photography
Micro 4/3's: Accessible, lacks stabilization, but well regarded
Canon: Less expensive, simple, great photos...

I'd suggest the Canon M100 in this case. It's simple enough not to be intimidating to use, small form factor, allows your photographer to grow and upgrade as needed.

Olympus m4/3 have better stabilisation than any other camera brand.

In answer to the OP, a used Olympus E-M5 can be had on ebay very cheaply and I think would more than serve the needs of your daughter. Small and light with advanced capabilities. An E-M10 II would also be a good option.

JohnBoy26

Bluefoam wrote: »

My response might be divisive... but if she's going to take it up and dedicate some time to it, then I'd advise a system camera... Having control over the functions of the camera allows for more creativity, as does the ability to buy new lenses and swap them out to allow different functions... It also allows you to upgrade your camera body when the time comes and keep your lenses from the old camera (if you buy within the same system), so the camera and system can grow with your daughters experience...

There are many types and brands:
Sony: Expensive, but great for 4k video
Fuji: Expensive, but fantastic for photography
Micro 4/3's: Accessible, lacks stabilization, but well regarded
Canon: Less expensive, simple, great photos...

I'd suggest the Canon M100 in this case. It's simple enough not to be intimidating to use, small form factor, allows your photographer to grow and upgrade as needed.

As cnocbui says the stabilization is excellent on olympus micro 4/3 compact systems and it's also very good on the Panasonic's nowadays also. The panasonics are also great for 4k video and video in general.

These systems also have very good autofocus and very good features whilst also having a compact form factor and the option to use a wide range of compact lenses with the most of them being excellent optically.

The canon compact cameras don't come close to the micro 4/3 offerings. The autofocus isn't near as good. The lens options are limited and larger than anything from a micro 4/3 and if you want to expand your lens options you have to buy an adapter and use aps-c size lenses which defeats the purpose of having a compact system.

The image quality isn't any better on the canon system either.

fuji is great for portraits and street photography but poor for landscapes and sports. Fuji Lenses are great in general but expensive and suffer from the same issue as other aps-c based compact systems in that they are not really compact.

bluestripe93

Hi, I was thinking of getting a DSLR for travel photos (instead of phone pictures) specifically the Nikon D330 with the 18-55mm VR II Lens Kit.

How much of an difference would there be in photo quality between the D3300 and a OnePlus 5 camera? Or would the main difference be in the options of apeture and other settings?

And how much should I expect to pay for a used D3300 with the 18-55mm VR II Lens Kit?

dory

bluestripe93 wrote: »

How much of an difference would there be in photo quality between the D3300 and a OnePlus 5 camera?

That's an extremely specific question! Not sure how many people would have used that exact phone and camera. I have an iPhone and a Sony mirrorless camera and there is just no comparison whatsoever. All my instagram photos from the last year have been from my camera, the ones I take on my phone look awful in comparison.

In terms of travel photography, the main thing you need is wireless. I can take pics on my camera on a bus in Thailand, and it emits its own signal to send the pics to my phone so I can upload them as I travel. Way easier than waiting til I get home or looking for an internet cafe. Second thing you need is a handy size and I'm not sure that it is.

Also, having a screen that you can tilt can mean you can take a photos from your hip/stomach area which is often useful.

I did a comparison of that camera against the Sony A5000 (cheapest sony) and the Sony seems to beat it. Nikon are bringing out a mirrorless camera soon. Way easier to travel with! https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=sony_a6000&products=sony_a5000&products=nikon_d3300&sortDir=ascending

bluestripe93

dory wrote: »

That's an extremely specific question! Not sure how many people would have used that exact phone and camera. I have an iPhone and a Sony mirrorless camera and there is just no comparison whatsoever. All my instagram photos from the last year have been from my camera, the ones I take on my phone look awful in comparison.

In terms of travel photography, the main thing you need is wireless. I can take pics on my camera on a bus in Thailand, and it emits its own signal to send the pics to my phone so I can upload them as I travel. Way easier than waiting til I get home or looking for an internet cafe. Second thing you need is a handy size and I'm not sure that it is.

Also, having a screen that you can tilt can mean you can take a photos from your hip/stomach area which is often useful.

I did a comparison of that camera against the Sony A5000 (cheapest sony) and the Sony seems to beat it. Nikon are bringing out a mirrorless camera soon. Way easier to travel with! https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=sony_a6000&products=sony_a5000&products=nikon_d3300&sortDir=ascending

Thanks for your reply!
I went ahead and bought a Nikon D3400 with the 18-55mm VR II Lens Kit a few days ago! It's awesome:D
And it's got the Bluetooth Snapbridge feature for file transfers which should be useful!

dory

bluestripe93 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply!
I went ahead and bought a Nikon D3400 with the 18-55mm VR II Lens Kit a few days ago! It's awesome:D
And it's got the Bluetooth Snapbridge feature for file transfers which should be useful!

Very good. Enjoy! I saw online that the WiFi feature was optional. Was wondering how that worked. It's great to be able to transfer images on the road.

Damien360

dory wrote: »

bluestripe93 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply!
I went ahead and bought a Nikon D3400 with the 18-55mm VR II Lens Kit a few days ago! It's awesome:D
And it's got the Bluetooth Snapbridge feature for file transfers which should be useful!

Very good. Enjoy! I saw online that the WiFi feature was optional. Was wondering how that worked. It's great to be able to transfer images on the road.

We have that very model. The transfer is the jpeg only. But it is very intermittent. We have tried on iOS and Android. It works for first connection and after that never again. Remaking the connection from the start sometimes gets it going but more often than not it doesn't work.

GBX

This popped up on Facebook / Instagram earlier. Has anybody used or any feedback. More out of curiosity than anything ....

https://enhanced-earth.com/products/zentilt-1

Alanstrainor

This looks to be the same:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Professional-Camera-Flex-Tripod-Z-Pan-Tilt-Aluminum-Folding-Z-Tripod-BRACKET-Head-Solution-Photography-Studio/32820156022.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.2.422548bf8SwATb&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10065_10068_10130_10547_10059_10548_10696_100031_10192_10190_10084_10083_10103_451_10618_452_10307_10820_10301_10821_10303,searchweb201603_45,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=e2f397a2-b264-45e4-9d36-91fa90d82acc-0&algo_pvid=e2f397a2-b264-45e4-9d36-91fa90d82acc&priceBeautifyAB=0

At half the price... I would have my doubts about how good or useful it is. But at least the second option saves you some cash.

cnocbui

I prefer a bit more flexibility...

iwillhtfu

Typically those camera brackets on aliexpress are just about able to hold the weight of a gopro never mind a dslr

awec

Looks pretty flimsy.

BamesJond

Hi everyone,

It's my first time posting here so apologies if any of this is basic!

I'm planning on doing some traveling early next year. I'd like to get a decent camera sorted before this as I have limited experience and would like the time to build my experience and get used to the camera.
I'm thinking a bridge camera would included most things I'd need for my travels, but I'm hoping the vast experience that I see on here can give me some recommendations on a decent set up.

I've had a look online, I see numerous cameras on Amazon and Argos that seem to be ideal, but I'm wondering if say something like the below link is worth it it is I should be looking in another direction.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/7360468/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C14419436/c_2/3%7C50000477%7CCameras%7C50000490/c_3/4%7Ccat_50000490%7CBridge%2Bdigital%2Bcameras%7C50000491.htm

I'm open to all suggestions to be honest within my budget (max €400-ideally lower).

Any help on this would be appreciated!

cnocbui

I would recommend an Olympus E-M5, the original, not Mk II, as that would be too expensive, plus an Olympus 12-50mm 3.5-6.3 EZ Lens. Get both SH from ebay or classifieds for possibly half your budget.

That combination is very compact and very weather resistant.

Your budget is insufficient to get a decent camera new that is better than a modern phone.

wonski

awec wrote: »

Looks pretty flimsy.

And it is:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DB2ZFOzS-a8

uluwatu

cnocbui wrote: »

I would recommend an Olympus E-M5, the original, not Mk II, as that would be too expensive, plus an Olympus 12-50mm 3.5-6.3 EZ Lens. Get both SH from ebay or classifieds for possibly half your budget.

That combination is very compact and very weather resistant.

Your budget is insufficient to get a decent camera new that is better than a modern phone.

I am using the Olymus E-M5... not having any trouble and very satisfied!

will56

Can I ask for some help with lenses in this thread ?

I have a D5500
Lens wise I have
35mm 1.8
50mm 1.8
55-200mm 3.5 - 5.6
18-70mm 3.5 - 4.5

I love the two prime lenses but I need something for a good walking around lens

I'm now looking at the 18-140mm 3.5-5.6 from Nikon and the Sigma 17-50mm 2.8f

The sigma gets better reviews for sharpness and it has the 2.8 aperature but the 18-140mm will cover a better range ?

Should I get the sigma and carry the 55-200mm with me for when I want the longer range ?

If I'm out and about its usually with my wife and DD so its portraits with some landscape

Bacchus

will56 wrote: »

Can I ask for some help with lenses in this thread ?

I have a D5500
Lens wise I have
35mm 1.8
50mm 1.8
55-200mm 3.5 - 5.6
18-70mm 3.5 - 4.5

I love the two prime lenses but I need something for a good walking around lens

I'm now looking at the 18-140mm 3.5-5.6 from Nikon and the Sigma 17-50mm 2.8f

The sigma gets better reviews for sharpness and it has the 2.8 aperature but the 18-140mm will cover a better range ?

Should I get the sigma and carry the 55-200mm with me for when I want the longer range ?

If I'm out and about its usually with my wife and DD so its portraits with some landscape

I can't really comment with much insight on which are the sharpest/fastest/best autofocus etc. but looking at what you have and having shot with Nikon for many years I will offer this advice...

The Sigma 17-50 looks decent but still a mid-range zoom. The consistent 2.8 aperture is an improvement over what you have with the 18-70, and from reviews it sounds like this is a step up in build quality over the 18-70. Also, unless you're planning to sell the 18-70mm to help fund the Sigma, you're just doubling up on focal ranges. Swapping the Nikon zoom out for the Sigma seems like an easy choice that shouldn't cost much (could you actually make some money on that exchange?).

Personally, what I look for in a "walking around lens" is a versatile focal length on a body/lens that won't weigh me down. For me, that's a wide-ish prime lens such as the Sigma 24mm f1.8. You've stated you like the primes you have and everything you like about those you'll like about this, but I find anything around the low 20's (closest I have is the Fuji 23mm) is a fantastic focal length for a variety of subjects.

If zoom is what you want though, then I'd be more inclined to stick with one zoom to cover the range you're interested in, instead of carrying two big zoom lens and having to switch them over and back. The Nikon 18-140mm looks a solid lens at a good price for that. Again, I'd consider selling one or both of the other zooms to help fund the new zoom. No point doubling up on the focal lengths. Another option would be the Sigma 18-300mm. You cover much more at the long end of the zoom (which you might like) and the price is still competitive.

will56

Bacchus wrote: »

I can't really comment with much insight on which are the sharpest/fastest/best autofocus etc. but looking at what you have and having shot with Nikon for many years I will offer this advice...

The Sigma 17-50 looks decent but still a mid-range zoom. The consistent 2.8 aperture is an improvement over what you have with the 18-70, and from reviews it sounds like this is a step up in build quality over the 18-70. Also, unless you're planning to sell the 18-70mm to help fund the Sigma, you're just doubling up on focal ranges. Swapping the Nikon zoom out for the Sigma seems like an easy choice that shouldn't cost much (could you actually make some money on that exchange?).

Personally, what I look for in a "walking around lens" is a versatile focal length on a body/lens that won't weigh me down. For me, that's a wide-ish prime lens such as the Sigma 24mm f1.8. You've stated you like the primes you have and everything you like about those you'll like about this, but I find anything around the low 20's (closest I have is the Fuji 23mm) is a fantastic focal length for a variety of subjects.

If zoom is what you want though, then I'd be more inclined to stick with one zoom to cover the range you're interested in, instead of carrying two big zoom lens and having to switch them over and back. The Nikon 18-140mm looks a solid lens at a good price for that. Again, I'd consider selling one or both of the other zooms to help fund the new zoom. No point doubling up on the focal lengths. Another option would be the Sigma 18-300mm. You cover much more at the long end of the zoom (which you might like) and the price is still competitive.

Wow thanks for the detailed reply.

I had planned to sell the 18-70 if I bought and liked the Sigma to avoid building a collection of lenses that sit round gathering dust.
Same if I got the 18-140mm

Its hard to decide what I want to have on the body to cover whatever random situation I end up taking photos in

Firblog

Hi folks,

Have come across these two black Friday offers, a Nikon and a Canon appreciate your views as to the 'better' camera - want to use it as a beginner, dipping my toes in photography - or just taking a better quality photo than my phone allows

GBX

Firblog wrote: »

Hi folks,

Have come across these two black Friday offers, a Nikon and a Canon appreciate your views as to the 'better' camera - want to use it as a beginner, dipping my toes in photography - or just taking a better quality photo than my phone allows

Both good entry level cameras. Have a look at this comparison. No video mode with the canon.
At entry level there is not huge differences. Id go with the Nikon if it were me. Some people prefer Canon. But there wrong just kidding

https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Canon-EOS-4000D-versus-Nikon-D3400___1234_1105

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Canon-EOS-4000D-vs-Nikon-D3500

ED E

Wait, they stripped the video from it? Stingy buggers, basically same hardware as the "bigger" brother. Wonder can ML re-enable that.

Could anyone recommend a camera bag? I'm about to buy the cheapest one off argos. How bad could it possibly be?

https://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&searchTerms=CAMERA+BACKPACK&authToken=

bren2002

That's far from bad. Check out amazon basics camera bags

bren2002

bren2002 wrote: »

That's far from bad. Check out amazon basics camera bags

Ended up going for this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MCRTITT/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item

will56

Firblog wrote: »

Hi folks,

Have come across these two black Friday offers, a Nikon and a Canon appreciate your views as to the 'better' camera - want to use it as a beginner, dipping my toes in photography - or just taking a better quality photo than my phone allows

I had the Nikon, great camera, got me hooked on shotting with a DSLR
Get a 50mm 1.8 with it and your set

DARK-KNIGHT

Hi folks

Looking for advice on a good camera to buy

Im currently looking at photography courses and am looking to buy a camera new or used but i don't want to buy a camera i will want to upgrade fairly quickly

So what is out there value for money wise and what camera would be best to have for a couple of years at least?

Im not too sure on budget just hoping to pick up a great camera at a good price

Sheeps

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Hi folks

Looking for advice on a good camera to buy

Im currently looking at photography courses and am looking to buy a camera new or used but i don't want to buy a camera i will want to upgrade fairly quickly

So what is out there value for money wise and what camera would be best to have for a couple of years at least?

Im not too sure on budget just hoping to pick up a great camera at a good price

Define good price. What's your budget?