By 'budget' what sort of initial outlay are you considering? £500, £1k, £2k?
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
General Photography thread
- Thread starter SeagullSongs
- Start date
By 'budget' what sort of initial outlay are you considering? £500, £1k, £2k?
Wardy's twin
Well-known member
- Oct 21, 2014
- 8,867
always difficult to say with out seeing the camera data. It is also posted in folder 903 on that page where there are other similar ones taken by others. It's not impossible at all.
Wardy's twin
Well-known member
- Oct 21, 2014
- 8,867
As Bodiam says you need to set your budget and then you work out what is in that range.
I have bought and sold a lot of cameras over the last 10 years so have been through brands (sony, olympus, pentax, panasonic) and types (compact, bridge, mirrorless, dslr) and all size sensors (compact, 1 inch, micro 4/3, aspc and FF). Pretty much all of these were bought on EBAY and I have not had any issues with the quality of the kit or payments ( edit I had one issue with a lens but as i did not use it for a while had no comeback, focus seemed hit or miss ) . Most of the kit was later resold on EBAY and no complaints including the one dodgy one mentioned earlier as I described it accurately. If you go the EBAY route just follow the old maxim , if it looks took good a bargain and the seller has never sold before then avoid.
You need to see what the course content is , my daughter did A level photography and used old film cameras and a 35mm lens only.
You also need to see what he might want to do with it outside. My problem is i like to photograph anything so night sky, wildlife, macro , family etc so needed a range of lenses.
One thing to take into account is that some systems don't have inbody stabilisation so old lenses needed careful and steady handling e.g. the original sony A7 full frame
If you like wildlife the olympus omd range is good and because of the crop factor they have 2X you can get a small, lightweight 600mm zoom they also do a range of nice affordable primes, a 14-140 (28mm to 280mm equivalent) walkabout.
My pentax gives better images but is twice the weight and the zoom is only half the range...
I have bought and sold a lot of cameras over the last 10 years so have been through brands (sony, olympus, pentax, panasonic) and types (compact, bridge, mirrorless, dslr) and all size sensors (compact, 1 inch, micro 4/3, aspc and FF). Pretty much all of these were bought on EBAY and I have not had any issues with the quality of the kit or payments ( edit I had one issue with a lens but as i did not use it for a while had no comeback, focus seemed hit or miss ) . Most of the kit was later resold on EBAY and no complaints including the one dodgy one mentioned earlier as I described it accurately. If you go the EBAY route just follow the old maxim , if it looks took good a bargain and the seller has never sold before then avoid.
You need to see what the course content is , my daughter did A level photography and used old film cameras and a 35mm lens only.
You also need to see what he might want to do with it outside. My problem is i like to photograph anything so night sky, wildlife, macro , family etc so needed a range of lenses.
One thing to take into account is that some systems don't have inbody stabilisation so old lenses needed careful and steady handling e.g. the original sony A7 full frame
If you like wildlife the olympus omd range is good and because of the crop factor they have 2X you can get a small, lightweight 600mm zoom they also do a range of nice affordable primes, a 14-140 (28mm to 280mm equivalent) walkabout.
My pentax gives better images but is twice the weight and the zoom is only half the range...
No - not impossible. It's just the head of the fish doesn't seem to be in the same focal plane as the mouth of the bear. However, having now watched this - it's clear that they don't always catch the fish, so they could well be offset
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSSPDwAQLXs
Fignon's Ponytail
Well-known member
I honestly have no idea what we are looking at for something that will give him a decent (but fairly cheap) set up tbh as I've never owned a camera in my life, & have no idea which brands are any good etc. Probably £500 tops, which will mean the ebay route as Wardy's Twin has mentioned. He will probably be doing quite varied stuff, but will have to see what the programme is like when its sent over before looking at extra lenses etc.
Yes - definitely e-bay to begin with then, or a reputable second-hand store, as they're more likely to give you something like a 6-month warranty.
Wardy's twin
Well-known member
- Oct 21, 2014
- 8,867
I know jackstraw has published something on these already but these are one of my favourite creatures and from a photography point of view are quite a challenge as they rarely stop moving and when they do they are gone before you get focus. Seen them off and on for last 20 year in the garden but maybe twice a year and sometimes not at all. This year I have had one come visit quite often in the garden (say twice a week in last 8 weeks) usually in the evening when the light has low as well making it harder still to photograph. This is from Sunday.... it visited twice....
Edit: Today I have seen it 3 times today dodging the showers and on my fuchsia which it had been bothered with when it was hot....
Edit: Today I have seen it 3 times today dodging the showers and on my fuchsia which it had been bothered with when it was hot....
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,233
A little update on progress with my Lumix TZ200. A point and shoot compact with 15x zoom and a 1 inch sensor.
I'm still learning how to use it, but here's a selection of shots to be going on with.
Apologies for the over indulgence, but I've just discovered that if I transfer them via wi-fi directly from the camera to the phone then they upload here straight away. Presumably that action must compress them.
All pics are without any post processing.
I'm still learning how to use it, but here's a selection of shots to be going on with.
Apologies for the over indulgence, but I've just discovered that if I transfer them via wi-fi directly from the camera to the phone then they upload here straight away. Presumably that action must compress them.
All pics are without any post processing.
1066familyman
Radio User
- Jan 15, 2008
- 15,233
Park Cameras in Burgess Hill seem to come up cheaper than equivalent on MPB for secondhand gear that also comes with a 6 month warranty.
I've dealt with them a couple of times - really helpful, and really friendly.
Jack Straw
I look nothing like him!
I found this Privet Hawk-moth caterpillar walking along a country lane in Somerset. I carefully put it on top of a gate in front of trees to get it in front of a smokey background. The bloody thing just wouldn't keep still!
At the end of his photo-shoot, he was carefully placed under a Privet hedge.
Full res. image here;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128321708@N03/52299814882/in/photostream/lightbox/
At the end of his photo-shoot, he was carefully placed under a Privet hedge.
Full res. image here;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/128321708@N03/52299814882/in/photostream/lightbox/
Attachments
darkwolf666
Well-known member
I know this is normally somewhere people show off their latest photos, but I'm hoping it's also somewhere questions can be asked too.
We are off to the Lake District next week and I really want to get some good landscape pictures.
In particular I would like to get front to back sharp focused pictures, but don't really want to take a tripod, as the wife moans enough when I get my camera out, let alone setting my three-legged friend up!
Any tips? *
* no, not get a new wife...
We are off to the Lake District next week and I really want to get some good landscape pictures.
In particular I would like to get front to back sharp focused pictures, but don't really want to take a tripod, as the wife moans enough when I get my camera out, let alone setting my three-legged friend up!
Any tips? *
* no, not get a new wife...
Lovely Bokeh
The sun is apparently meant to be shining from Thursday onwards - that's your best bet. Otherwise, f8-f11, and turn image stabilisation on if you have it. In my view, tripods are over-rated for landscapes unless it's gloomy. If your camera has a strap, pull it tight on the back of your neck - that stabilises it quite well (or lean against a tree / wall).
Hand-held, Lake District, sharp enough for me https://www.flickr.com/photos/nick-thorne_bodian-photography/48383042387/in/photolist-2gHrJRZ-25SdWDd-Gv6bVH-Dkhzfc-WgXDYW-2giADFk-TCFN1U-2ehB7rp-2aqMasN-25tA4xL-239XSmU-2h5BWhY-XVYx9U-XpF9RG-24d4UbC-Xw8fpC-UjCEy8-WJ3LcK-W8K19Y-Gv64w4-J3848R-PEBbTd-N2nsCA-Etwvem-JCjxeB-LQF79R-quaXLj-VikCiv-TejeB8-Q1u4hz-Tn7BvE-WwVUug-VVsPry-Nr3HXD-MZpSFf-Rqjft8-D1J8Au-NcAJrX-MeTjvF-QHNSww-EnBKZp-HjQXPj-212VmAQ-BNPANm-JLqTdA-Je9rci-KTxFRf-SEw9av-24pxRD2-qLKqqX
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nick-thorne_bodian-photography/35793277855/in/photolist-WwVUug-VVsPry-Nr3HXD-MZpSFf-Rqjft8-D1J8Au-NcAJrX-MeTjvF-QHNSww-EnBKZp-HjQXPj-212VmAQ-BNPANm-JLqTdA-Je9rci-KTxFRf-SEw9av-24pxRD2-qLKqqX-qLKevv-qLFcrW-qLAchM-qJsxyS-qujLgM-qubeJb-pPKjU5-qLzQVp-qJsgf9-qLJVQF-qJrREy-qLJycF-qLEhBN-quiWkB-pPXi8e-ixL3vf-qJrBEQ-ixL44R-qLJewK-E2dPMA-zpTrp5-qJrorL-qLDUdj-quipwH-pPHQ3u-qLHT8P-qu9BGJ-D79XM6-quiccH-qu9w5m-ixLuyg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nick-thorne_bodian-photography/52003163875/in/dateposted-public/
darkwolf666
Well-known member
Really nice photos - can I ask, where did you focus for each shot? Did you go for the third of frame?
Jack Straw
I look nothing like him!
I really like this one of yours. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nick-...Je9rci-KTxFRf-SEw9av-24pxRD2-qLKqqX/lightbox/
A little dickie-bird told me that you may have used a tripod!
PS. Watch out. You're being followed!!
darkwolf666
Well-known member
I spotted that one too, nice shot, definitely taken with the assistance of a 3 legged friend
Probably a bit less than that. I've never really worked out whether they mean 'a third up' or a 'third of the distance'. I did once try using a hyperfocal distance calculator thingy, but gave up as it was too complicated. Then someone told me that at f8 with an APSC (non full-frame) camera with a normal sort of landscape length 16-25mm, if you focus on roughly twice your height away, nearly everything will be okay. So that's what I do! Pretty rough I guess, but seems to work out okay.
darkwolf666
Well-known member
Thank you for the help, I look forward to being able to return some similar photos...!