newbie's dilemma

[hawie]

hi all,

eversince i posted on the buy&sell section for a 2nd hand cam to start off with...to learn the basics
i've received so many replies from owners of minoltas to canons and the ubiquitous nikons...
i am really in a dilemma as to which shd i go for?
i dun have dat many needs or special requirements...but i dun wanna settle for a flimsy and cheapo cam which wldnt last...but becos of my lack-of-depth knowledge in cams...i've a big problem in deciding which izit dat i shd go for...wat izit dat shd come along with the body of the cam...lenses? wat kind? bags? tripods? flashes?

i'm quite sure a number of lao-chiows here must have gone thru this same patch...
could u offer some advice...

thx a million

regards

 

[chelsea]

If u ask a canon user, he will tell u canon is the best.
if u ask a nikon user, he will tell u that nothing but nikon.
if u ask a minolta user, he will tell u only minolta makes real camera.
so, why ask!?!

ok, joke aside, i think u shld list down all your restriction and then, make your decision based on that.

1. budget. how much can u spend on this new hobby? strike off all the camera body that fall outside your budget.. see, ur list gets shorter immediately!

2. are your friends into this hobby too? if yes, which brand? it's better to start off with something that u can get help easily. and on top of that, u can share lenses, flash, remote, etc! that can help to save a lot of money.. and experience sharing is also alot easier

3. now to something more of a personal opinion.. if u take a look a the buy/sell, u will notice that canon items are the most common, followed by nikon. so, if u were to look for accessories in the future, u shld have a easier time if it's canon. BUT, on the other hand, if it's minolta items, u won't be facing stiff competition from other buyers! of cos, tht's only when there's minolta items for sale

4. body alone can't take any pics. u need to have lenses. start off with the kit lense cos normally it's free. if not, get a standard lense, something like 28-105mm. shld serve u well for some time.

5. camera bag is also preferred but not a must. u can always use your normal backpack. nothing wrong with that except that u might scratch the items when moving about. esp when the items are not properly secured.

6. tripod and flash can wait. both items are mostly use for night photography so if u are just starting off, maybe u can give them a miss 1st to cut cost. also, the camera shld have built in flash. this shld last u for a while..

having said all that, set your budget and decide on the brand noW!!

 

[Adam Goi]

Attend SEED?

 

[Obzervr]

If u ask a canon user, he will tell u canon is the best.
if u ask a nikon user, he will tell u that nothing but nikon.
if u ask a minolta user, he will tell u only minolta makes real camera.
so, why ask!?!

Very True ... 99.99% of the time ... (might as well go to a sales agent for these brands ... they can give a more comprehensive list of 'why you shouldn't get a *****')

Some very sound advice from chelsea though. Esp your photog buddies, which brand are they suing ... oops sorry using?

When I was a student at NYP, my mentors there were using ***** so made it very easy to adapt.

regards

 

[wacko]

chelsea gave real good and sound advice. :thumbsup:

 

[Caspere]

Actually...It can be very enjoyable going thru all the new/used equipment and researching. :bsmilie:

Please cherish these moments. Cos when you decided on one, you will turn into one of those members; who would inadvertantly be pissing one brand and exhalting another. :devil:

 

[patch17]

i agree with chelsea, if you've got friends who are into photography, ask them if you can try out their gear. Don't fall into the "branded" trap. You'll be surprised to discover that most cameras (nikons, canons, minoltas, pentaxes, etc.) have very similar performance. Try to find something that your comfortable with.

As for lenses, a general zoom will suffice for starters, say 28-80, or a 24-70, or maybe even one of the newer 28-100. Don't need to get one with constant aperture, f3.5-5.6 will do fine. Should you later decide, you can always build a lens system around the body. (no point spending tons of $$ on serious primes and stuff if you're just starting out.)

Another consideration would be a bag to keep all the stuff and maybe a tripod for low light shooting.

enjoy your shooting.

 

[chyeo]

i think what you can do is look at your budget, then filter out models. then go cathay or camera workshop to play around with all the models that fits your budget... once you've taken a liking to one of them, it's easy to choose...

however, i only recommend canon, nikon and minolta (although i'm hardcore canon user) coz easier to find accessories and lenses.

 

[frisky]

Yup, avoid picking any other brands of flim camera,
the options are rather limited.

Nikon with its huge range of legacy lens allow you many
different options esp if you would like to do it the manual way.
It also offers manual apperture control which some swears by.

If you have no concern for the legacy accessories or old lens, canon is
a good choice, with a big selection of lens and accesseries too.

Minolta while somewhat less popular than Nikon and Canon,
still offers a very good selection of lens and accesseries,
often at a significantly lower price. With the savings you might
find yourself being able to afford more/better lens. 2nd hand lens are more difficult to find than canon or nikon, but still appears reasonable frequently, and generally won't get snap up the minute they appear.
A good choice for the bargain hunter.

Personally I think it is also a good idea to think about what is the lens
selection you are likely to use and then see which manufacturer offers
the selection close to what you want (and at what price).

The feel of the camera in the hand is also a major factor. If it doesn't feel comfortable or the controls don't feel to be in the right place, you will have a hard time getting use to the camera. Try it out before deciding.

 

[scud]

let's not confuse him, it's up to him to decide the level entry.

but you must firstly understand your needs and draw the budget from there. i think all of us here had been there and experienced the dilemma. thus, i must say that all the xperienced that we went thru can serve as a guide, but definately not the deciding factors.

anyway, enjoy the moments that comes and it may well be useful in future when someone needs your advice.

 

[pcwe68]

How newbie are you, it will help to tell us your experience.

Sometimes, using a more advance point and shoot camera can also learn basic and cheaper and less complicated. Let you concentrate on the basic and skill of photography not features of the camera.

Then as you progress then you realise maybe point and shoot have limitation then you will appreciate why other people use SLR or DLSR camera (more expansive and expensive since must buy lens and again some lens can do only some function so must buy more lens, then there are the better pro lens and the cheaper not so pro lens, the original lens and the not so orginal third party lens )

Prosumer Point and shoot camera would be a good start, then proceed to SLR-type then use point and shoot as backup (money not wasted).