shadowx 0 Report post Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) Just got a job and get paid in a few days, i do a lot of fishing and i love the outdoors so i really want to get a decent camera, im currently using my phone camera which is rubbish Anyhoo, the advert for the lumix G1 camera caught my eye so ive been looking into getting a DSLR camera, but im baffled by the terminology!Im not techno-illiterate, i like to think the opposite! But they keep talking about focal lengths, apertures, shutter speeds etc...So, if i say what i want it for perhaps someone can give me some tips about what sort of ranges to be looking at. PRimarily the camera will be used for outdoor shots, i have no interest in photographing people at all and no interest in indoor photography unless its some ultra special occasion. Most of my shots will be of me holding fish ive caught (dont worry, they go back live and healthy afterwards!) or of interesting scenes (sunsets, nice lighting, nice scenery) or of wildlife, primarily birds i expect but perhaps squirrels and other small mammals, in the UK its fairly rare to see an elephant stomping through the forest :(As for the distance id say for the wildlife could be anywhere between 10 and maybe 100ft (3-35m roughly) for scenery i guess it doesnt matter too much, as long as i get a nice fairly wide shot.I know the basics of lenses, Wide angle, telephoto etc... ideally id like two lenses, one for longer range wildlife photos (so i guess thats a telephoto lens? But what size?) and one for wide angle scenery (again, what size?)The camera itself id like to have between 6-10mp, if it has less than 8 then it needs to make up for it with a really good price of exceptional extras (like lenses).In terms of extra features im not sure what i need, i guess stabilization would be *very* useful as i wont always be using a tripod, in fact, most of the time i wont be... and some sort of auto shoot mode too, im fairly inexperienced at photography :angel:If anyone can give me a hand with what i should be looking for then that would be great!Itd also be useful if someone can explain how things like the aperture, shutter speed and such affect my photography, i wont be using them for large prints, only small prints and mainly on screen display on my laptop, but if i get an exceptional photo i might be tempted to frame it and its likely ill display them online on various sites. That brings me to another question, about mega pixels, as im not going to be using the images for large display im undecided about the number of MP i will need, i would like more than 6 for sure, id like 10 but do i really need that many? I know MP relate to image quality, but image quality is also related to scale... i wouldnt want to shoot with 100MP and only view it at 800x600 size or 96DPI, it would look compressed and shabby (i think? due to the pixels being dropped or merged) but equally i dont wanna shoot in 2mp and get an image i cant scale much about 400px or something so im guessing 8mp would be ideal? Edited June 25, 2009 by shadowx (see edit history) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlhaslip 4 Report post Posted June 25, 2009 I have never used a Digital SLR camera, but if they are like Optical SLR's, with interchangeable lenses, you shuld be able to find a combo lens to suit your needs easily enough. I had a 28 x 100 zoom that could be used with a 2X adapter, so it could do 28mm fish-eye wide angle, or zoom to 200X with the adapter. Also had a front lens adapter which carries various 'special effect' filters which was cool to use. Flares, screens, colours, polarization lenses all fit onto it.Check with Buffalohelp. I think he knows quit a bit about Cameras. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onscreen 0 Report post Posted June 26, 2009 I can help you on your options :angel: Doing outdoor photography, just like what i do. First of all, i am going to talk about lens since its something you will be using the rest of your hobby. First make sure you get your hands on a 50mm lens. The cheapest one is 50mm f/1.8 . If you have the budget, you can go for a better one, 50mm f/1.4. The high the aperture, the more light you capture and have the ability to freeze object beautifully. Why is this important? Its called the general lens or called the portrait lens. Its handy i can assure you Example : https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikon-50-1p4g-n15 Nikon 50mm f/1.4 Next lens you need in your inventory is a telephoto zoom, 70-300mm f/3.5 ~ f/5.6. This standard zoom is tripod friendly and its good for stationary subject capturing. If you think of capturing fast moving subjects like birds, hoping antelope, you need wider aperture for faster light capturing to free the moving subject, for example 70-200mm f/4 lens. Its expensive for hobby investment due to the fix aperture. No matter you capture from 70mm or 200mm the aperture stays at f/4, giving more light into your capturing. Example : nil Wide angle is something you might want to consider too. 28mm fixed is suffice. If you want to have more zoom choice, seek out the 14mm ~ 45mm wide zoom lens. It will still do the job perfectly. I cant comment this further since i am more into telephoto / macro outdoor shooting. Example : http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5~4.5 Camera body. Depends how much durability you are seeking. In my mind i would recommend you the Nikon D90 kit that comes with 14 ~ 45mm VR lens. Its the best option to date for outdoor shooting in the Nikon range due to its pricing .vs features. Dont worry on the megapixels as its huge in this Nikon D90, 12.9MP Review : https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/ You can do comparison within the price range of D90 with Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax etc... Stabilization, get a tripod. Its bulky, yes but even if your lens have a build in feature like Nikon's VR (Vibration Reduction) it only do 40% of the job to reduce hand shake where it most cases you will have to rely on tripod for a more firm stability. I would recommend you this http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ , that is a Joby Gorrilapod, with joints that form up the tripod legs for total flexibility. It allow you to put up the tripod even on the uneven surface or anywhere you can imagine. You can consider tripod brands like Benzo, Monfrotto, Gitzo for the height and firm support. I am currently using a Monfrotto one, almost 6 years now and still serving me Oh jlhaslip did mention about filter the most important filter to get is the polarizer filter and the UV filter. UV filter serves not much purpose but to protect your lens from harmful objects. Polarizer filter filters light reflections, flares, rays from mirror or glossy surface as well as in improving contrast of your photo. Thats all for now, brain dead for a moment shoot questions if any Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadowx 0 Report post Posted June 26, 2009 Did i forget to mention i was a millionaire! :(Im thinking of spending up to 400-500 pounds, ideally less because i only get paid just over 1000 and i dont wanna spend it all!I think the only difference between a digital SLR and an ordinary one is the fact it records to digital media and has little digital effects, so they do have interchangeable lenses which is good!Cheaper lenses should be fine i think, most of the wildlife i hope to capture will be fairly slowish (compared to a cheetah!) Id like a telephoto lens, id obviously like the biggest and best for long range shots! But in reality i guess something between 30 and 70mm, from what ive read this would give me the best balance between distance, field of view and price!Id like to get a polarizing lens/filter as i wear polarized sunglasses and it helps you see through the waters reflection, so often i can see fish but my camera cant! I have to shoot through my sunglasses! But in all honesty i think thatll be one of the many upgrades i do over the next year or so rather than buying it all right now!I assume, but im not sure, that the cameras have their own, in built, lens? So if i were to buy just the camera i can still take photos? In which case ill see what the camera's own lens is like and get a lens that covers other options (EG if its wide angle on the camera then ill buy a telephoto, if its not wide then ill get something that can do both). And when they say "body only" i assume that means the camera, charger etc... but no lenses?I get paid on tuesday so ill probably visit a few shops between wednesday and the weekend and make my final decision at the weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onscreen 0 Report post Posted June 26, 2009 (edited) Ok lets go step by step.I forgot to mention that you can get your lens in the second section of the camera shop. I cant remember the name of this shop in UK have a full range of second hand lens, good ones of cause.Its only the body of the camera that you need to buy it first hand so you can know how many clicks your camera can survive. I would suggest this for a start : https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/2 , the new D5000 kit with 18-55 VR lens nett-ing you @ Ł 799 suggested price and you might get it cheaper. The next step is you get the filters, UV and polarizer.Once you have enough saving again, hunt around a telephoto lens, 70-300 f/3.5~5.6 is the cheapest in the range and if you are considering buying D5000, it works fine too except that D5000 is limited to new lens range due to the lack of auto-focus motor in the body where it relies on the lens motor for auto focus. So any older auto focus or manual focus lens will not work fine in D5000.Yes, body only means the camera body, charger, software for PC control capturing. You should look for kits deal, its cheaper in that way as you saved yourself from the first lens purchase. Remember this, sometimes too cheap is too good to be true. I think the only difference between a digital SLR and an ordinary one is the fact it records to digital media and has little digital effects, so they do have interchangeable lenses which is good!The difference is huge actually. Partly is it have interchangeable lenses nut the truth lies on the vast accessories that the body could have, some have the ability to slot in a vertical grip, doing portrait shots at ease and even allow you to slot in extra batteries to extend your shooting session. Another noticeable difference is the total control on your shooting. From depth of field to flash positioning and lens effects (filters, zoom-in effect..etc). But all this comes with a huge price tag.Also DSLR have the capability to support super fast memory card up to 16GB (all depends on model) Edited June 26, 2009 by onscreen (see edit history) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadowx 0 Report post Posted June 26, 2009 Shows how much i know about cameras : What is your opinion of the G1? Is it all its cracked up to be?As i can get the G1 online for a stated price of about ?550, but i know if i go in a shop i can get it for under ?500 when i flash the cash So i reckon i could probably get the Camera kit (comes with a a sort of combo lens that has zoom and wide angle or something... i think its 15-45mm or something around there) and a standard tripod (tho i would like the gorrilla one) all for that ?550 price, if not lower. Might even be able to get a memory card too (any suggestions for size? For a standard 5mp camera id try to get 1gb but if i have a 10-12mp camera im assuming the images will be much bigger in filesize and perhaps a 2 or even 4gb card will be necessary?Also what is the UV lens for? Is it protective for the lenses or just better image quality?This is really helpful, at least i know roughly what im talking about in the camera shop now :angel: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onscreen 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2009 Not much of purpose except to protect your lens from harmful substance like sea water, rain, dust getting into your lens.The image size is all varied. You can set the size you want freely. Since the price of memory cards is dropping, i would go for SDHC 4GB for a start. Unless you are taking super high resolution in RAW format, then we are talking about 32GB hi-speed. Since all standard pictures will be save under jpeg format so size isnt a threat. 2GB ~ 4GB is sufficient but as i suggested above, 4GB is the best to go.https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicdmcg1/2 the Panasonic Limux G1 is a good starter DSLR but only limitation you will face currently is the available of its type of lenses.4/3 is a CCD format and Panasonic ones is call Micro 4/3 where is opposed to 4/3 standards by Olympus. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadowx 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2009 Well i bought the G1 last night, the only one left was a display model and i got the camera, a gorrila SLR pod and a 4gb card all for ?507, the camera itself is ?489 so thats alright. Got all the bits with it and when i opened it up to my card in i found an 8GB card already inside as they had been using it in the shop, bargain! Thats ?50 on its own! So ive got 16gb of effective storage :(So far really pleased with the camera, the customizable shutter speeds are really good, got some nice car light trails and a nice water effect from the tap! The resolution is brilliant, average image size using a large JPG file in high quality is 4mb. The time from flipping the on switch and the LCD and camera being ready is virtually instant. You could hapilly walk around with it off and as soon as you see that rare animal you can flip the switch and take a photo, no need to carry it turned on etc... The intelligent auto mode is great for beginners, point it, click it, sorted! and the tracking mode in IA mode lets you select objects almost, so i pulled the camera away, held the shutter half down to track a ?2 coin, then moved the camera in to get the blur effect from the background and it looks really professional. I know there are other ways to achieve that effect but this way works good too.The close ups are really good, the only thing is the shutter speed seems a bit low in macro mode but you can change that. Overall its excellent, the only thing i would say is the shutter is a bit slow, so if you wanted to film high speed fairly close stuff like swooping birds, a game of tennis or the F1 from the sidelines you might struggle with the shutter speed on the standard lens, but you can always buy other lenses.Low light photography is good too, and the electronic view finder is good!I may well post a review later on, taking it out over the country park for a test drive tonight, see how i get on! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onscreen 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2009 Shutter is slow due to the aperture. The smaller the number, the slower the shutter it will be. The bigger the faster your shutter.Close up shots is all based on your light source too. Since the lens that come with it is for general use, so that is the trade off. Its all about timing and scene condition. Play around with the camera, give yourself a few weeks to sort things out and learn :angel:Love the gorillapod? I have just got mine 2 days ago, hanged my 1.8kg DSLR upside down from a tree brunch while doing a commissioned photography. Wicked fun i had on that day The intelligent auto mode is great for beginners, point it, click it, sorted! and the tracking mode in IA mode lets you select objects almost, so i pulled the camera away, held the shutter half down to track a Ł2 coin, then moved the camera in to get the blur effect from the background and it looks really professional. I know there are other ways to achieve that effect but this way works good too.Welcome to the world of depth of field, a great way to focus your subject with blurring out the background / foreground. Do post up some photos you have taken with the camera, would love to see how vibrant is the color produced by the G1. I am still waiting for a demo unit to reach my hands for play. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadowx 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2009 What a camera! Took it over the country park, the sun was pretty low so that restricted me to shooting with the sun behind or to the sides as it was really strong, i got some nice close ups like i described with the depth of view (uploading a 4mb file to a photo sharing site... bad idea.. ill keep typing...) also got some nice telephoto shots and wide angle scenery. Really impressed with the size and weight of the camera, it fits perfectly in one hand (i had the strap on) and is comfortable to hold, its also nice and light and everything is small enough to fit in nicely, and yet large enough to be able to press individual buttons without miss-hitting.Battery life is very good, took over a hundred photos without loosing a single bar of battery (admittedly it only has 3 bars but i took some photos in the morning, after work and then once i got to the park and almost all of those used the LCD display, so fairly battery intensive). These photos i have compressed and scaled with the program that comes with the camera:http://i39.tinypic.com/2vn3oty.jpghttp://i44.tinypic.com/rs7mh1.jpgThis one i really really like due to the depth of field but i did blur it a bit probably from hand shake or slightly out of focus so its not completely perfect but i really like it, it has a soft feel and the colour of the other flowers behind add to the depth IMHO!Im still uploading a full sized original image from the camera, ive set it to 99% quality to try to get the file size down but its still 3mb so its taking a while. Ive set the camera to shoot in large, hight quality JPEG files which are 4000x3000px and about 3-4mb in size so even with the standard lens it looks small on the LCD but when you get it to 100% size on the computer you can crop the parts you want (eg a bird, tree etc...) and the size/zoom is really impressive!The last image is finally ready!http://i40.tinypic.com/2lj4ac4.jpgIts at 99% quality but i dont see any loss there, i really like the colours and lighting from the sun! Off to bed now and going to try a long exposure at the sky, see if i can pick out any stars, its good fun using a long exposure on the road and capturing the car light trails! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
