Camera Advice

[reptileKev81]

Hey APS'ers

For the longest time I have been in awe of some of the great photos I've seen on these forums and others and have pined to own a DSLR camera, if not for the $1000+ price tag.

I know absolutely nothing about photography or cameras and at the moment am using an Olympus fe4030, which is just your average point and shoot which sometimes takes sucky macro shots.
Anyways, walking past the hockshop today, I noticed a 2nd hand Pentax DSLR going for $350 which I thought was a bargain. I didn't get all the details on it, as I was trying to rush and catch my bus.

Plan on going back tomorrow to have a proper look at it. What should I look out for? And should I pay $350 for a used DSLR? Or am I better off trying to save my pennies until I can afford a new one.

I enjoy taking photos of animals, plants, landscapes and storms(haven't been able to get a decent lightning shot yet with my camera lol), family and anything that catches my attention really
Any suggestions you guys have would be great!

Thanks for any advice or guidance you more experienced photographers can lend
Kev

 

[omg_a_gecko]

Wombat in Burrow

Green and Golden Bell Frog, Litoria aurea

Lewin's Honeyeater

- - - Updated - - -

Crow Butterflies

Yabby / Crayfish

Burtons Legless Lizard, Lialis burtonis

- - - Updated - - -

Kev, have a guess if it was an SLR or a Point and Shoot for each of the above beasties.

 

[SteveNT]

Love the Burtons tailless lizard. What lens are you using?

OP, just get one! Upgrade as you go along. You can get excellent DSLRs from overseas at half the cost of in Oz.
I'm a nikon fan but I hear Qlympus is good too. Once you have the camera you soon learn what lenses you really need. Just get one and blaze away!

 

[Kareeves]

DSLR cameras are the best i have a old canon. When you go back the only thing you want to check is if there is any dirt in on the reflector. All you should have to do for that is take a few shots with the camera and then on its small screen zoom right in if there is any specks in side you should see them.

 

[reptileKev81]

Kev, have a guess if it was an SLR or a Point and Shoot for each of the above beasties.

What kind of camera did you use, they look great!

You can get excellent DSLRs from overseas at half the cost of in Oz.
I'm a nikon fan but I hear Qlympus is good too.

Any examples of what to get and how much to pay? I get a little worried importing from OS ever since I bought an expensive car stereo online and ended up having to pay customs tax on it.

DSLR cameras are the best i have a old canon. When you go back the only thing you want to check is if there is any dirt in on the reflector. All you should have to do for that is take a few shots with the camera and then on its small screen zoom right in if there is any specks in side you should see them.

Great, thanks for the tip. I will be sure to check any used camera's I look at

 

[SteveNT]

Check out Eglobal. Excellent reputation, 1/2 the price of Harvey "if you're not buying Australian, why not" Norman. My nikon D90 was at my door 2 days after purchase. Have also bought lenses from them since. If it's under 1k there is no GST.

 

[Chris1]

im using eglobal too for my new camera!!
just type into google 'compare prices on....' (that model) and it will give u loads of options of cheap online shops.

 

[Tassie97]

im using eglobal too for my new camera!!
just type into google 'compare prices on....' (that model) and it will give u loads of options of cheap online shops.

what camera are you getting?

 

[omg_a_gecko]

What kind of camera did you use, they look great!

Some using an 8mp Panasonic PNS, others using 18mp Canon DSLR. But can you tell which is which?

 

[Chris1]

what camera are you getting?

Canon 5D mark 2 with the 24-105 lens kit, plus a 16-35 lens,...the macro lens will have to wait, ive run outta funds!!

just paid, SOOOOOOO excited, i cant wait for 3-5 working days to be over!!!!

 

[thomasssss]

OP, just get one! Upgrade as you go along. You can get excellent DSLRs from overseas at half the cost of in Oz. away!

My dad got a cannon 50D from an os website as it worked out a lot cheaper , only problem was that the manual came in japaniese and as a result none of us could use the thing to it's potential ,I'm starting to get better but still gotta hunt down an English manual

 

[Tassie97]

Canon 5D mark 2 with the 24-105 lens kit, plus a 16-35 lens,...the macro lens will have to wait, ive run outta funds!!

just paid, SOOOOOOO excited, i cant wait for 3-5 working days to be over!!!!

wow, way to go! *sigh* I can dream hehe

 

[omg_a_gecko]

Love the Burtons tailless lizard. What lens are you using?

Always a treat seeing Burtons, and was with 8mp PNS, ..cant change its len :b

 

[thomasssss]

Some using an 8mp Panasonic PNS, others using 18mp Canon DSLR. But can you tell which is which?

I'll have a stab , wombat p.n.s , frog and the bird shots DLSR , butterflies p.n.s and the crayfish DLSR

Thats just a stab in the dark with a little thought behind it though so probs way off

 

[omg_a_gecko]

I'll have a stab , wombat p.n.s , frog and the bird shots DLSR , butterflies p.n.s and the crayfish DLSR

Thats just a stab in the dark with a little thought behind it though so probs way off

100% nailed it. How did you tell?

 

[thomasssss]

Omg-a-gecko , it was the Fine detail , I noticed when I got my cannon 50 D that it picked things up like fine strands of hair better that any p.n.s ever could

I'm kinda proud now

 

[reptileKev81]

I almost got em all right, only one I got wrong was the butterflies which I thought was a dslr. Very good detail on them, though the wombat looked very grain IMO. But still great photos!

Earlier in the year I decided to learn the piano and bought a very expensive midi controller keyboard. I gave up as it was harder than I thought, didn't have the time or the money for professional lessons. So it's still in pristine condition sitting in the spare bedroom, lol. I put an ad up on Gumtree for it. Hopefully it sells, and when it does I will put that money towards a DSLR purchase.

Oh and thanks for the website. Haven't checked it yet, but it sounds great!

I'll update if I ever do get myself a DSLR, then some of you more seasoned photographers can give me some tips

Cheers
Kev


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[reptileKev81]

Oh yeah, any advice on which lens's I should get, since I know absolutely nothing about them hahahah

I would love to take some close up macro shots of my animals, so a suitable lens for that.

And another one for just taking portraits of the family.


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[Leeloofluff]

Hey guys, i thought i might offer something too
I went looking for cameras awhile back, and looked at the nikon 3100, with a few different lenses to take photos of my and wild critters. But i kept shopping and decided on a fujifilm finepix HS30EXR.
Its an all in one magic macine! Does everything i need it to do, without being too costly. Theyre around $500. I still want an slr down the track, but this is working great with abit of practice.
You dont need to change lenses, and it does macro, super macro ( which gives me amazing scale detail!) , panoramic, hd movies, 30x zoom and animal face detection.

Im reaaly happy with it, so just wanted to also ad it to the mix

 

[Snotty]

Just my 2 cents but I would hold out for a Canon or Nikon. Unless things have changed a lot in Oz I would personally go for a Canon - Nikon used to only have one agent and it all had to go back to Japan, anyway the lenses are arguably better these days. If you look around you should be able to pick up a good DSLR at an ok price, 40D, 50D etc. They are still nice cameras and will take great pics, and there should be lots of second hand ones around in good nick as people sell them to get the latest version. Not the latest and greatest but good place to start. Lenses are another issue altogether, but in general get the best you can or you will be dissapointed.

And to just contradict that, if you are short of the cash I would stick with a good compact. One problem is that you get the DSLR, but really without good lenses it is like having a car with no wheels. There was a thread on here the other day which shows the results a nice compact can achieve these days. Plus you can just stick it in your pocket.

Really these days the image quality difference between a good compact and a low/medium DSLR is minimal. A DSLR will however give you far more control - the catch is that it is much much easier to mess things up.