Newbie here please advice =)


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Janeth

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Jan 26, 2007
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I am a new to photography and planning to get one for CNY and overseas trip. My main concern is that I don't know which to get :dunno:

1) A710 IS, S3 IS, G7 or 2nd hand 350D these are what I am considering.

2) My initial thought was to get A710 or S3 as a kick off before moving on to dslr. I read a few post in CS saying that these 2 are good enough for scenery and potrait but there are also very negative feedback in dpview on this 2 cam. Flash lag, low resolution, flimpsy back cover and etc..

3) My friend who is a photographer advice me to get a G7 or 350D if I really want to obtain the good quality. But I feel that G7 is quite costly and receive a few of negative feedback also. Many people here says that 350D is good for entry lvl dslr but is it too bulky to use for normal events like gathering and graduation party? I hope to get some advice before I place my money on it.

Thanks :)
 

Firstly a warm welcome! Now, you have to decide for yourself what you want to get and ask yourself these questions. Do you need a PnS? Prosumer? DSLR? What's your budget? Are you ready to go into DSLR? Do you know what is involved in getting a DSLR?

If you want a small & compact camera go for a PnS which can produce very good pictures too.

If you are not ready to jump into the DSLR bandwagon, get a prosumer first which can give you the controls similar to that of a DSLR but you do not need to spend so much.

If you are ready for a DSLR, decide for yourself and try out the different models to see which suits you best. N supporters will recommend N, C supporters will recommend C. But it's still up to you to decide which is best for you.

It's the man behind the equipment that matters.
 

if you don't mind carrying a big camera bag then go for the 2nd Canon 350D or Nikon D40
if you mind then of course slip a smal small P&S camera in your pocket

btw i have both, sometime i just don't want to carry around a big camera.
 

welcome Janeth,

there is always a trade-off in equipment on whatever u choose. The bottom line is are u progressing your photography or mainly just for ocassional use.

I give u an eg....my relatives are always delighted by the photos I bring back from labs and show tremendous interest in macro, bird and nature shots. So I told her frankly, without some equipment to assist u, u cannot achieve or breakthrough certain point of photography results.

Hence I bring her to get a good SLR camera, 2 lenses, ballhead and tripod. End up she stock all of them up in the dry cabinet and not using it for years already.

I believe what she wants is basically to achieve good results but with minimal setup and investments or frankly - effort.

You just have to ask yourself this question - are u interested in photography and will u still be in a photo forum exchanging comments and experience years down the road like now. If the answer is yes, I would advice u to get a SLR, i.e those that u can interchange lenses for a bigger variety of applications.

A entry level DSLR will allow u to take something extra on top of other models that u have mentioned which are not lenses exchangeable or having limited choice.

On the other hand, if you are just interested in ocassional shooting and will not be investing too much money and effort, then many of the latest Digital P&S are good enough with basic features.

Back in the 90s in one of the photo forums which some of our moderators here may recall, we met a member who only shoot with a compact camera and shocked the whole forum when he posted all the photos taken by this P&S. He practically put us all into shame because our gears are all feature loaded and worth thousands of dollars while his, a hundred plus the most 2.

Hence going back to your dilemma, remember, a great photo is the result of the person behind, never the camera itself. Get something that u will use, learn and enjoy.
 

I am a new to photography and planning to get one for CNY and overseas trip. My main concern is that I don't know which to get :dunno:

1) A710 IS, S3 IS, G7 or 2nd hand 350D these are what I am considering.

2) My initial thought was to get A710 or S3 as a kick off before moving on to dslr. I read a few post in CS saying that these 2 are good enough for scenery and potrait but there are also very negative feedback in dpview on this 2 cam. Flash lag, low resolution, flimpsy back cover and etc..

3) My friend who is a photographer advice me to get a G7 or 350D if I really want to obtain the good quality. But I feel that G7 is quite costly and receive a few of negative feedback also. Many people here says that 350D is good for entry lvl dslr but is it too bulky to use for normal events like gathering and graduation party? I hope to get some advice before I place my money on it.

Thanks :)

Hi Janeth,

The canon s3 IS is a very decent cam, I used to use the s2 IS and have tried the s3 which a friend uses. It is an exceedingly flexible camera with excellent quality. The only drawback of such pocket cameras is their noisy high ISO performance. What this translates to is blurred/"grainy" shots when shooting indoors under artificial lighting. a dslr with a cheap prime lens like the 50f1.8 ($150-$170) easily outperforms the pocket camera

On the other hand, outdoors under good light, a P&S can easily achieve a very high image quality, esp when used at iso100.

Do note that to get the most out of a dslr, some degree of post processing may be needed, many of the "super sharp", "super smooth" shots you see are often the result of good post processing, which does take up some amount of time.
 

DSLR over digital compacts provide you with easier eye & hand control over camera body. it has a bigger glass and a bigger sensor, hence better performance in some areas. versatility is enhanced with interchangeable lens. surely one who optimise use of one lens alone can still produce good photos, but can one achieve the same variety as those who bring out 4 lens, a tripod, a flash during travelling? so when you start to get "greedy" with wanting more shots in all their best, DSLR is the way to go.

but the sheer bulk and weight of the item alone, or with its accessories, is the primary concern. nothing else matters more than that. esp if you have the desire to but never make it out there with a DSLR either becos you are shy to use it in certain circumstances or it is too heavy and bulky.

if the interest is still heavy, get one of the lightest DSLR with a kit lens. you can upgrade later. enthusiast will always advice you to get better camera body and lens, because they are already confirmed on the pathway, but you may, or may not.

if the weight and bulk is truely worrying, then get a prosumer. but for one thing, i've never used a prosumer before. so this part is just what i always hear from others.
 

hi,

i am a newbie for digital photography too so can't comment much but i will give you my earnest reply to your thread...

hmm i bought a canon ixus 850 PNS camera and was greatly satisfied by its functions and picture quality(i recommend it if u wana try a PNS camera) but somehow some of the pictures i want to take need functions like Aperture priority or shutter priority(which most DsLRs usually offer) so i bought Canon EOS 400D with kit lens and 'wow' is all i can say about my new baby....i mean you can manipulate the settings and play with them to get the picture you want....

so if you don't want to waste alot of brain cells and just want to take good pictures with lesser input from you...get a high-end PNS camera

but if you want to play around with the setting to get the kind of pictures (like some of those picture you see from professional photographers) you want in your head...then get Dslr....and remember about the amount cost and effort and time dedicated to get the quality of a good image out of your camera...

think through it....and decide what you want....

chee kiang
 

First of all, thanks for the warm welcome and useful personal experience shared by CSer. My main concern will be on the quality because I hope to see life in my pictures but I also bear in mind that a great photo is the result of the person behind. =)

I am trying to convince myself on getting P&S (maybe A710 or S3) because of the size but I am afraid that it could be a let down. At the same time saving for a 2nd hand 350D which I feel that nothing will go wrong with it. I will take all your advice into my thoughts to make the right decision. Once again, really appreciate all the advices by the CSer.

Cheers!
 

First of all, thanks for the warm welcome and useful personal experience shared by CSer. My main concern will be on the quality because I hope to see life in my pictures but I also bear in mind that a great photo is the result of the person behind. =)

I am trying to convince myself on getting P&S (maybe A710 or S3) because of the size but I am afraid that it could be a let down. At the same time saving for a 2nd hand 350D which I feel that nothing will go wrong with it. I will take all your advice into my thoughts to make the right decision. Once again, really appreciate all the advices by the CSer.

Cheers!

a second hand canon 300D, 350D, nikon D50 or D70, with kit lens, or even 2nd hand DSLR for the olympus/pentax/KM should be good enough to play with at the start. but before you invest into more expensive lens, decide between the parties
 

hi there ..

these days, a normal P&S camera can achieve what most dslr can do.

many bros here have given their opinion. dont jump to dslr because it looks cool or cause everyone's doing it or because you have that wow, nice pics! i wanna do it too.

DSLR needs patience , trial and error before you can achieve that certain level of nice photography.

for entry level dslrs, try : canon 350d or nikon d50. canon 300d or nikon d40.

important is not the brand, but how you feel when holding the camera. i tried canon and nikon. i was impressed with the canon but somehow, the nikon just felt so right in my hands. the camera has to bind with your soul :p before you can achieve thigns.. thats just my opinion

getg 2nd hand or best, rent out a DSLR for a few days and see how it's like. not many people here will agree with me , but i started out by renting and then jump to dslr.

i was using a prosumer , fujifilm s5500, was sick of using auto mode so tried out the Manual, A-Focus, S-focus modes and found it interesting. from there i ventured into DSLR and not looked back. however, i still do have a P&S camera (or should i say CAMERAS...2 infact)

sometmies, a dslr is too attention seeking especially in some shots which require a hit and run scene like candids
 

if you aren't so sure that you're willing to big bucks it
just get a canon powershot a series with manual control first
these are good even if you decide to back out halfway

then next you can jump to prosumer like me
or you can go straight to dslr
do keep in mind that you'd probably have to spend A LOT more for dslr because of lenses, and maintenance is definitely slightly more of a hassle too.
 

just to add on...whatever u get..do get it soon...u should play around with it before you go...

else u'd just be fumbling ard with the cam during ya trip

:D
 

CNY is abt 2 wks away only if you wanna get a new camera and esp so for a trip, get it this weekend. Esp for dslr, you need time with lots of shoots to get familiarize with it.
 

hey all!

I think I am going for 350D ;) Cant find any good bargain in B/S but its ok! I will use my relative as my white rat!! Very good information for a newbie like me, thumbs up CSer. Thanks!
 

DSLR's value is good and tend not to get so obsolete fast, that is why your mindset of bargain price have be tuned.
 

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