Investing in a camera

Life1234

Hi There,

Myself & my boyfriend are going to be doing a lot of travelling this year. We want to invest in a good camera. We will be doing Europe this year & we will be taking scenic pictures during our travel.

We previously went to Iceland & we could have really used a good professional camera there for the Northern Lights.

We will be heading back there at the end of the year actually so we would need a camera that could capture that type of view.

We are looking into cameras at the moment. Our price range is say €600. We found (what we think) is a really good one - Nikon D3400 non-vr.

We are completely unsure of what to be looking for as we dont know a lot about cameras! If anyone who is experienced in this kind of thing & can point us in the right direction that would be great.

Thanks,
Leanne

CabanSail

What are your photography skills? Will you be shooting in manual modes or leaving the camera in Auto?

When you say a "good professional camera" what do you mean?

Are you expecting to get photos directly out of the camera or will you be post processing your images?

5uspect

You invest in good lenses. Cameras today are mostly just consumer electronics that will be obsolete in a few years — unless you’re going for a full frame professional body.

It sounds like what you need is a basic body, a good walk around lens and a compact tripod. You’ll have to consider your data management while travelling too.

You’ll also want to take the time to understand how it all works, having a ‘good’ camera isn’t just about pressing a button to get amazing shots. A work colleague recently borrowed a very high end Nikon SLR to shoot pictures of his kids and complained loudly that his phone was so much better. He hadn’t a clue how any of it worked but was driven by pure arrogance that he was some sort of technical genius.

My head nearly exploded...

Dinarius

I'm a professional and the only way I'd take a DSLR on holidays is in a car! Way too much to carry.

As has already been pointed out, you must then invest in lenses, or owning a DSLR is a waste of time.

My carry-round camera is a Sony RX100 Mark l (they're on the Mark V now, I think) It's the size of a packet of cigarettes, and it produces better images than any film camera I ever owned, except for my 4"x5". But, the zoom lens is very limited and, being a Sony, it's expensive.

From what I read, Panasonic seem to have made serious inroads into the compact market. Their choice is mind-boggling, but the TZ90 and TZ100 look interesting.

D.

Ps. Whatever you buy, buy a spare battery. Haggle, and they might give it to you free when buying the camera.

CabanSail

When I am traveling light I take my Canon Powershot G12. Not sure what they are up to now but that is a solid series and very versatile.

wersal gummage

Dinarius wrote: »

My carry-round camera is a Sony RX100 Mark l (they're on the Mark V now, I think) It's the size of a packet of cigarettes, and it produces better images than any film camera I ever owned, except for my 4"x5". But, the zoom lens is very limited and, being a Sony, it's expensive.

.

I'm thinking of getting one of these (or something similar). Canon yesterday announced something similar but bigger, it has the sensor from the 80d. Do you think something like that would be worth the extra bulk over the Sony?

Also have full frame and a bunch of good quality glass, but just looking for something that would fit in a pocket and offers manual control, raw etc

Dinarius

wersal gummage wrote: »

I'm thinking of getting one of these (or something similar). Canon yesterday announced something similar but bigger, it has the sensor from the 80d. Do you think something like that would be worth the extra bulk over the Sony?

Also have full frame and a bunch of good quality glass, but just looking for something that would fit in a pocket and offers manual control, raw etc

I presume that this is the Canon you're talking about...

https://www.dpreview.com/news/6883343466/canon-powershot-g1-x-mark-iii-puts-dslr-power-in-compact-body

Looks nice, but it's pricey. (and I use Canon, so I'm biased)

If I were buying now, I'd consider this...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1280826-REG/panasonic_lumix_dmc_lx10_digital_camera.html

Looks suspiciously like my Sony RX100 series (exactly the same Leica lens?) for a lot less money. Gorgeous piece of kit.

For what it's worth; viewfinders are a waste of time (electronic or normal). Just like with your phone, you compose photos better on a screen than in a viewfinder. The only catch is when you have difficulty seeing the viewfinder in bright sunlight. But, that has never bothered me.

D.

wersal gummage

Thanks very much for your views on this. And sorry to person originally asking.

Yes, that's the Canon (also Canon myself). It doesn't look like a job for a jeans pocket anyway. I just wonder whether the larger sensor would offer better quality photos.

Will look at that Panasonic, thanks again.

Do you find that the Sony is able to create out of focus background in a portrait shot? Is it only at the very long end of the zoom and with the background being miles away, or does it create it a bit easier than that?

dory

OP, check out the sticky at the top of the forum called 'What camera' or something to that effect. I do a lot of travel photography. My current camera is a Sony A6500 and I also have a Sony A5000. It's great, but at the moment I'm looking for a good flash and I have to order online as none of my local shops do Sony. You won't get a professional camera for €600 but you'll get a decent one alright.
Have a look at the travel blog called Lost with Purpose. They've a blog post all about travel photography and which camera/ lens to get. I found i very helpful.

PopeBuckfastXVI

I'm going to be controversial here.

Buy a light point and shoot and leave the 'professional' pics to the professionals. Snap away at the Northern Lights, or the Alps or wherever you are, the most important thing is your composition, and the only composition you need to worry about is getting one or both of you in the shot. Maybe even buy a selfie stick.

Come home and google image search the landmark you were at and buy a professional pic of it if you want something for your wall, but if you want memories of your travels put yourselves in the shots.

A professional camera won't get you professional pictures, even a lot of photography knowledge and skill and a professional camera won't get you professional pictures. In addition to the above you need some local knowledge, lots of planning and loads of time, time, time. If the photography isn't the focus (pun intended) of your trip then you won't have the above, and you won't get 'professional' pictures. And that's ok.

In 30 years time when ye are looking back at pics from the trip are you going to want to see some landmark that's been photographed a million times by a thousand professional photographers, or are you going to want to see your smiling faces? You don't need a 6000 or 600 euro camera and a load of lenses for what's really important to you.

dory

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

I'm going to be controversial here.

Buy a light point and shoot and leave the 'professional' pics to the professionals. Snap away at the Northern Lights, or the Alps or wherever you are, the most important thing is your composition, and the only composition you need to worry about is getting one or both of you in the shot. Maybe even buy a selfie stick.

Come home and google image search the landmark you were at and buy a professional pic of it if you want something for your wall, but if you want memories of your travels put yourselves in the shots.

A professional camera won't get you professional pictures, even a lot of photography knowledge and skill and a professional camera won't get you professional pictures. In addition to the above you need some local knowledge, lots of planning and loads of time, time, time. If the photography isn't the focus (pun intended) of your trip then you won't have the above, and you won't get 'professional' pictures. And that's ok.

In 30 years time when ye are looking back at pics from the trip are you going to want to see some landmark that's been photographed a million times by a thousand professional photographers, or are you going to want to see your smiling faces? You don't need a 6000 or 600 euro camera and a load of lenses for what's really important to you.

I completely agree. I've been travelling and taking lots and lots of photos for over 10 years. When I look back now I wish I'd just enjoyed it. Unless you're a pro they'll look awful later and no one will want to see them only yourself. I'd buy a Sony x100 or something and off you go.