Which camera to buy?

[Winnie]

Hey guys, after using our friends digital slr Nikon camera all weekend, Amy and I decided to get one for each other for Christmas.
Just want some advice on what to get? Looking around the $600 mark?

[Bigcol]

my missus is the camera buff

she has several Nikon Camera's

Coolpix P600 is a good point and click entry type

all the way through to her D3200 and D5500 which has the interchangeable lens's and she used when being more "artistic"

[4bye4]

Hey guys, after using our friends digital slr Nikon camera all weekend, Amy and I decided to get one for each other for Christmas.
Just want some advice on what to get? Looking around the $600 mark?

I also have several Nikons. My first was a D5000, then a D3200 and now I use a D7000. All are great caneras and is just starting into DSLR's I would suggest the D3000 series. I think it s up tp D3300 now. Cannon also make very good DSLR entry level cameras as do some other manufacturers, but Cannon and Nikon seem to be the more common ones here and therfor easier to find discount lenses etc for. Personally I use a Nikon as I have said, but its a bit like a Ford Holden thing with both both being equally capable. At the end of the day I use Nikon because I like the weight and feel of it.

[MudRunnerTD]

are you talking about getting 1 each? or 1 for you both? If your suggesting 1 each i reckon you'd be far better buy a Much Better one to share or adding another Lens for the extra coin.

[Winnie]

are you talking about getting 1 each? or 1 for you both? If your suggesting 1 each i reckon you'd be far better buy a Much Better one to share or adding another Lens for the extra coin.
Nah just one to share... That would be crazy! Haha.
Thanks guys so far

[Bacho86]

Hey the wife and I bought a canon D600 before a trip to USA a few few years ago, and it's a pretty good entry level SLR - comes with 2 standard lenses as well. $600 should see you in for a good entry level Nikon / canon camera.

We choose the canon purely because we preferred the look/ feel of it and use ability, but as others have said it's like a Holden / ford thing for some.

You may want to put some additional $$ aside for a decent camera bag to hold / protect everything and some lense covers etc


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[blocko05]

I have owned 2 Nikon cameras in the past. Could not fault them. My advice is to write down what features you are after and then do some research. Find out which models have all the options YOU will need and go from there. Like cars, what suites one person does not suite others.

[threedogs]

My son just brought a DSLR camera Ill get some details and prices, for you

EDIT;; its a Nikon D7000 new about $800 2nd hand $500-$700

[Hodge]

We have had a Nikon D40X since 2007. 10.2MP, which doesn't seem much compared to todays specs. However...
Even today it blows a lot of higher MP cameras out of the water in terms of picture quality. This thing has gone through hell and back .All over aus, over seas. Shutter count is somewhere in the 7000s, and it still works like it did out of the box... This gives me confidence of buying another Nikon no questions asked.
My 2c.

[Chimo]

These are with a Fuji HS 20 EXR I bought at Walmart. 24 mm to 720mm 30 x zoom wind out lense.

Lots of cameras that allow good pics

[threedogs]

You only need the high MP that some cameras offer
if you want to make posters from any of your shots
My sons is 12 MP I think,

[FNQGU]

Winnie, my 2 cents - don't go getting a good DSLR if you never intend to use its features and just leave it on Auto mode all the time. A quality point and shoot is cheaper and will do just as well.

And whilst I don't disagree with the choice of a Nikon or Canon, as they are most common, lens quality is probably more important. Olympus, Fuji, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony all do great cameras and have excellent lenses when compared to the 'kit lens' that comes with most entry level DSLR packs. Some also do fantastic video, which might be something you also want.

If you want simple and very portable then grab a good point and shoot with a good optical zoom. If you want better lenses and more features, then a DSLR with interchangeable lenses is the way to go. Personally now, I would pay extra for a better lens, than get a body with all the features under the sun and a huge number of pixels.

Budget determines everything as usual.

[Winnie]

Winnie, my 2 cents - don't go getting a good DSLR if you never intend to use its features and just leave it on Auto mode all the time. A quality point and shoot is cheaper and will do just as well.

And whilst I don't disagree with the choice of a Nikon or Canon, as they are most common, lens quality is probably more important. Olympus, Fuji, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony all do great cameras and have excellent lenses when compared to the 'kit lens' that comes with most entry level DSLR packs. Some also do fantastic video, which might be something you also want.

If you want simple and very portable then grab a good point and shoot with a good optical zoom. If you want better lenses and more features, then a DSLR with interchangeable lenses is the way to go. Personally now, I would pay extra for a better lens, than get a body with all the features under the sun and a huge number of pixels.

Budget determines everything as usual.

Thanks mate, to be honest this will probably be the case.
I am looking at the Nikon P610 which is what we were using on the weekend. I will wait and grab the pics from it and see how they turned out.

[threedogs]

I have an olympic point and push in the patrol
but never use it as my Phone takes great pics.
But really must start taking more pics

[Winnies-missus]

Pics r awesome from the weekend and Chris should be a photographer

[garett]

i'm still using my nikon D40 it's about 8-9 years old and still like brand new. only got 6 megapixals but its still good enough for me

[Maxhead]

I'm using a Panasonic 24-600mm zoom with f2.8 all the way through the zoom range so it lets heaps of light through for fantastic pics.
We have few Canon and Nikon SLRs and most of the traveling shots are with the Pano for ease of use and zoom characteristics.

Edit- this is the model http://m.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz200

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[Cuppa]

If you haven’t already checked out mirrorless cameras as an alternative to DSLR’s I reckon they are worth a look. Interchangeable lenses, equal image quality to DSLR’s, great in low light but the real advantage is lower weight & bulk if wanting to carry them on bush walks etc.

I’ve only played with one, the now discontinued Sony NEX 7 (which was around $1500 just for the body at the time) & would have to say it was without a doubt the best camera I’ve ever used. They can be picked up second hand in your price range with lenses today. http://www.sony.com.au/product/nex-7



http://www.tomsguide.com/us/dslr-vs-mirrorless-cameras,news-17736.html

My experience owning a Sony high end compact camera (T1) was that it was a brilliant & dependable bit of gear. Very high quality results from a ‘point & shoot’ smaller than a pack of smokes, mainly a result of the high quality Carl Zeiss lense. It cost around $1000 at a time when you could buy a low end point & shoot from any of the manufacturers, including Sony, for $200 or less. Of course it was relatively limited compared to the professional mirrorless & DSLR cameras, but owning it gave me a great confidence in Sony as a camera maker. It’s portability (shirt pocket) meant that it captured many shots which would have been missed with anything more bulky. Unfortunately my T1 failed to survive being dropped down a Karijini cliff. I would have no concern about buying a used Sony professional camera based upon my previous ownership.

It will be hard to decide what to get when I upgrade my now 6 year old Canon ‘superzoom’ (SX10is) - Mirrorless or DSLR, but knowing that a camera which gets left behind at camp when going bushwalking isn’t going to capture any great shots will have me seriously looking at the mirrorless offerings.

If anyone here has had experience with both (my only SLR experience was with a pre-digital Olympus OM1) I would be interested in your thoughts.

[lhurley]

Just remember when you do make a decision about the camera, it's not the megapixels number that counts, it's the quality of the image processor (the bit that actually "takes" the photo, or where the film would go in old school cameras.)
A camera with 10mp and a good processor will take a better photo then one with 20 mega pixels and a cheap processor.

For the record, we have a canon 70d and it's great. Takes amazing photos and is fairly simple to use. I also know a few people with them as well.

[Stropp]

Yes I have a 10 yr old Sony dslr that takes awesome pics when I remember to use it instead of the phone 😜

[Winnie]

So we ordered a Nikon D5300 from Harvey Norman for a steal.
I did a photography course in high school years ago, and Amy's uncle is a professional photographer and has offered to show us a few things including editing software which we'll take him up on that offer too.

[4bye4]

I don't think you will be disapointed in the D5300. Only thing is it's like the Patrol mods. Now you can start buying lenses and add ons.

[rusty_nail]

You only need the high MP that some cameras offer
if you want to make posters from any of your shots
My sons is 12 MP I think,

actually picture quality comes down to a combination of lense quality and megapixels. there are compact cameras out there with high mega pixels and plastic lenses that will be beaten hands down by a camera with lower MPs with glass lenses. you take a look at the Nikon D700, which is (an older) full frame high end camera, it only has a 12.1 MP sensor, it takes bloody sharp pictures that you can blow up to 20x30 size photos of bigger.

winnie, as most has said mate, check out the Nikon DSLR they cant be faulted. keep an eye out for a twin lens combo, with camera, you should be able to pickup something for about the price you want. be wary of internet sales though, they will offer grey imported cameras which wont be covered by the Nikon Australia Warranty.

dont go away from nikon or cannon, they are the best on the market, that the majority of professional photographers use and there is a reason for that.

[rusty_nail]

So we ordered a Nikon D5300 from Harvey Norman for a steal.
I did a photography course in high school years ago, and Amy's uncle is a professional photographer and has offered to show us a few things including editing software which we'll take him up on that offer too.

well done mate i just made it down to this one. thats a nice bit of kit, it should serve you well

[Cuppa]

Winnie, your quest got me looking at cameras again. What I really want is a Sony A7 but at $2k I can’t see it happening. Your D5300 Nikon looks like a good choice & possibly a model I might be happy to compromise with if it’s not too bulky. It’d certainly be a step up from my current camera (which doesn’t have raw output). When you get it can you post a pic of you holding it so I can get an idea of it’s size.

[4bye4]

Winnie, your quest got me looking at cameras again. What I really want is a Sony A7 but at $2k I can’t see it happening. Your D5300 Nikon looks like a good choice & possibly a model I might be happy to compromise with if it’s not too bulky. It’d certainly be a step up from my current camera (which doesn’t have raw output). When you get it can you post a pic of you holding it so I can get an idea of it’s size.

Hows he gonna take the picture? LOL

[Winnie]

Sure Cuppa, we are picking it up tomorrow morning. Just FYI too we got it from Harvey Norman for $734 including the 18-55mm lens.
It is superceded by Nikon though by the D5500 but with the price we got it for we couldn't really pass up. The price from HN was in line with eBay pricing but HN are an authorised Nikon dealer so you get the full Nikon Australia warranty.

That price was a sale though and has now gone up to just over $1000

[BigRAWesty]

Great buy.
We got a cannon 550D and I'll probably never get its full potential even being a enrty to mod range dslr..
The wife did a "getting out of auto" class and her photos improved 10 fold.. I'd really suggest it as the pros stay up with all the latest gear with each company..
Your uncle may be just the man you need. But if he isn't a nickon man his input may be limited..
Anyway great buy.
Grab a good stand as that also helps with quality. Especially big shots like landscapes or night shots.
Enjoy it bloke.

[Winnie]

Great buy.
We got a cannon 550D and I'll probably never get its full potential even being a enrty to mod range dslr..
The wife did a "getting out of auto" class and her photos improved 10 fold.. I'd really suggest it as the pros stay up with all the latest gear with each company..
Your uncle may be just the man you need. But if he isn't a nickon man his input may be limited..
Anyway great buy.
Grab a good stand as that also helps with quality. Especially big shots like landscapes or night shots.
Enjoy it bloke.
Yeah we have a $100 Myer voucher too and they have a photography section so we will get a memory card and see what else we can get with our money... Gee even memory cards ain't memory cards.

[BigRAWesty]

Nope you want the quickest you can get. They ain't cheap.
Even a 3rd battery. As we found out at the pinicals

[BigRAWesty]

And a new 1tb hard drive minimum to put all these photos.

[Winnie]

And a new 1tb hard drive minimum to put all these photos.
Got one of those already luckily


Nope you want the quickest you can get. They ain't cheap.
Even a 3rd battery. As we found out at the pinicals
I might invest in a 2nd battery and see if 12V chargers are available?

[BigRAWesty]

Yea I've been looking for a 12v for the cannon and lappy. Now with the van and that

[FNQGU]

Ahh, you don't actually NEED the quickest and fastest Memory cards at all. Yes, if you are doing a LOT of video or using a lot of burst mode using large RAW files, (or Large File jpg) but otherwise don't stress about it and save your money for that better lens or that tripod. Memory cards of around 30Mb/s will do fine for most things. You also don't NEED huge size memory cards either. A couple of 8Gb cards will be cheaper and more efficient than buying much larger cards. Unless you are taking huge numbers of shots in one session, then don't bother wasting money there either. Downloading more often means less risk of losing photos too. :-)

I also don't necessarily agree with the advice to stick with Nikon or Canon. It is a valid opinion of course and they definitely have most of the market cornered, but Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Olympus etc. etc. all make excellent cameras and are just as good to use/buy as Nikon/Canon and all have a huge range of excellent lenses as well. After recently getting to try a Sony A7 II with a really nice lens, I was really taken with it. Downside was battery life, upside was features and size/weight.

That Nikon D5300/5500 is a great little unit, no doubt about it, but there are a LOT of other options in that same price bracket and as Winnie rightly mentions, price is as good a criteria as any other, maybe more so. Pick them up and hold as many as you can as some definitely feel better than others. You might find the size up or the size down suits you better. The more you get into it and understand your camera and its strengths and weaknesses, the more you will know what will suit you best. Besides ergonomics, and perhaps the specific features you want, I'm firmly convinced the body of the camera is less important than the quality of the lens you stick on it.

Jump on YouTube and punch in the model you are considering, there is a tonne of material and hands on reviews to help you make up your mind.

Don't mean to sound like a 'know-it-all', I'm definitely not. Cameras are like boats and cars, there is no one model that does it all perfectly.

[Winnie]

Let's say for example I am shooting in RAW and JPG (which it sounds like a lot of people do, RAW is new to me and when I did my photography course we used film) roughly how many photos would I get on a 32GB card?
I was thinking about getting just a single 64GB card but sounds like multiple of lower storage is the way to go?

[Bacho86]

RAW is new to me and when I did my photography course we used film)

You sound so old!! Lol


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[Winnie]

No my school just could not afford digital haha

[FNQGU]

Winnie, your camera should tell you how many shots you can get on your card. I have one 32Gb SD card, two 16Gb cards and a couple of 8Gb cards. I just checked my camera readings and it says I can take 949 shots on the 32Gb card shooting RAW files for a 16.3Mp sensor on my camera. Should give you an idea. Your camera is 24Mp isn't it?

Shooting in RAW is the way to go if you intend to develop them, and or print them. RAW files actually come out a bit flat in terms of colour on a lot of cameras and need to be developed to get the most out of them. They have more data in them though, whereas a JPG has been compressed a bit.

Shooting RAW and JPG can fill up your card rapidly, and is really only done by some who might want to send off a JPG file quickly, or some other reason I don't comprehend yet. If you are going to post process your shots, then shoot in RAW. If you are just taking holiday snaps and will never really develop them to their full potential, then you might be fine with just JPG. Lots do.

[lhurley]

As mentioned shooting in both raw and jpg will fill your memory card up super quick. I think I can get around 1000 photos on raw (canon 70D 32gb?? Card), few hundred more with just jpg but can only take around 400 if I shoot in both.

For the record I primarily shoot in raw as I want the full potential of each image.



Finally my 2 cents on camera choice. Buy the one you will use.

No point buying a $10000 camera if it sits in a bag. Using a camera is the best way to learn. Make excuses to go and use it. Take it on walks, take action shots of your pup, annoy your missus and take low light photos playing around at home. Before to long it will start to become more natural.

[rusty_nail]

I might invest in a 2nd battery and see if 12V chargers are available?
There are just not Nikon genuine. Let me know if you want one. I can get you at a good price.

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[TPC]

Got one of those already luckily


I might invest in a 2nd battery and see if 12V chargers are available?

Do you have an inverter in your Patrol?

I bought a aftermarket 12v charger and battery for my work camera which is a Panasonic and found I could not use the charger with the original battery and the aftermarket battery was crap.
I have had problems with aftermarket laptop batteries too so am a bit put off buying aftermarket now.

[Winnie]

Do you have an inverter in your Patrol?

I bought a aftermarket 12v charger and battery for my work camera which is a Panasonic and found I could not use the charger with the original battery and the aftermarket battery was crap.
I have had problems with aftermarket laptop batteries too so am a bit put off buying aftermarket now.
No I don't, sounds like that might be the way to go though

[BigRAWesty]

No I don't, sounds like that might be the way to go though
He's an ideas man ain't he

[BSRT.Beast]

https://light.co/

Watch the video no more needs to be said.

[vapesob]

You only need the high MP that some cameras offer
if you want to make posters from any of your shots x8spedersapk (https://x8spedersapk.id/)
My sons is 12 MP I think,

I am also here for the suggestion

[growler2058]

I am also here for the suggestion

Huh?................

Go to a camera forum pal.

[Avo]

You got links.....
I bet ya do

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[Pete49]

These are with a Fuji HS 20 EXR I bought at Walmart. 24 mm to 720mm 30 x zoom wind out lense.

Lots of cameras that allow good pics
All modern birds now use icecream tubs for nests. :clapping:

[Wizard52]

Found on the web a bloke called Ken Rockwell who has heaps of interesting stuff.
Some people hate him probably because he is more successful and bit different but everything I have read on his site seems right. I am preparing for upcoming air shows and learning heaps and I thought I knew just a bit about photography. All digital cameras are much more complex than old film slr's and it appears all future R & D is going into mirrorless so dslr's days are probably limited.
He buys all his own equipment so is not bound to any manufacturer.
Most definitely worth a look. Just google him.

[Timmo]

ive given up on using my DSLR have now moved to the Gopro Max and Gopro 9, plus my DJI drone Mini and the Iphone 13 Pro max. still got my nikon just dont use it