New to Photography - What camera should I buy?

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David321

127 posts

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# 243776 31-Dec-2018 13:42

Hi all,

So my wife has decided she wants to get into photography, thing is she and I know nothing about it, like at all.

In fact while looking at cameras the only thing she looks at is the size and shape of the camera, not even the mega pixels etc. Id like to learn a few things myself before we spend a few hundred on a camera (looking to spend between $300 and $500 ish) I know that zoom and megapixels is important but that's it.

As for any info that may help all I could say is where are happy to spend between $300 and $500 possibly a little more if we have to, it cant be to big and it will be used for a broad range of photography (mainly for holidays).

Any info on what I should be looking at or anything else I should consider?

Thanks!

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Chief Trash Bandit
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# 2152635 31-Dec-2018 14:01

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/search?sf=dslr

DSLR for sure - in that price bracket, they're not the best out there, but a damn good starting point.

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timmmay

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# 2152698 31-Dec-2018 16:06

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I wouldn't buy a DSLR for a hobbyist now, too big and heavy, too expensive. Look for a mirrorless camera, something like micro 4/3 or another system.

A decent camera with a couple of lenses could cost $5K, even second hand won't save much on lenses.

I have a Nikon D700 DSLR I've been considering selling. Great camera even though it's a bit old now, I'd keep one I have and keep the other. I really like the Nikon, bit more difficult to use than a Canon but does a better job of focus IMHO.

tehgerbil

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# 2152718 31-Dec-2018 16:51

+1 Second hand DSLR or mirrorless system.

You'll not find a new mirrorless worth its salt or DSLR for that price.

However you would get a really good deal on a second hand one.

AS mirrorless is a newer technology and was eye-wateringly expendy at launch most mirrorless cameras you'll find that cheap would be early edition models and poor battery life. Something to note.

Personally, I'd look at something like a Nikon D7000, it has really good battery life and can take any Nikon lens (even the earlier/cheaper non focus motor variants as the D7000 has an onboard focus screw)

The cheaper Nikons (D5XXX) series only has manual focus on those cheaper/older lenses. Just something to be wary of.

I can't speak for Canons much, but the D5XX series would be worth a look for that price.

mudguard

789 posts

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# 2152734 31-Dec-2018 17:16

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Sony RX100 MK2 (they are up to MK6 now) will be around $500-$600 now. Great camera, not the most user friendly, but compact.

dejadeadnz

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# 2156032 8-Jan-2019 00:10

One thing that's been missed by most of the replies so far (except for Timmay and Mudguard's) is the OP's request for something that's not too large. So anyone suggesting older DSLRs (because that is all the OP will get at his price point unless he's willing to suffer the Canon 3000D, which can be had for under $500 new but it is appalling in so many respects) isn't likely to be advancing the OP's cause.

OP: Consider this auction. If you are willing to grab only a prime lens (i.e. fixed focal length and no zoom), the price of the body plus an excellent prime lens which will be great for street/holiday photography is under $500. If you must have a zoom lens, the Fuji 18 - 55 kit lens is by far the best of its kind. The lens brand new sells for just under $500 at the cheapest parallel importer on Pricespy, so it's excellent value. More importantly, with this package or something similar, if you grow into your photography, the lenses will continue to be assets.

Another one to consider is this. There are two lenses included and the telephoto (i.e. zoom) lens will give you a lot more, well, zoom. The image quality of these two lenses won't really compare to the 18 - 55 lens. It depends on your view of life -- the two lenses included in this package are lower quality and aren't likely to hold great appeal once you grow into your photography. But if you want the maximum flexibility and the lower cost, this package is great. Even though both these bodies are quite old, as someone with a partner that shoots Fuji (along with plenty of friends), I can say that Fuji's combination of photo quality, user experience, and much more desirable sizing is generally unmatched relative to any comparable contemporary.

You can also consider the Sony A6000 with its kit lens but you aren't likely to find one for under $650 even second hand. I'd also say that its kit lens is also far behind the quality of Fuji's kit lenses. And this is coming from an active Sony shooter.

David321

127 posts

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# 2156067 8-Jan-2019 07:28

Thanks for all the answers guys, I have looked into the cameras you have suggested, but with my wife being my wife she would prefer something new and shiny rather than second hand (even if it is better). You know how some women are right, its not all about how it works but how it looks also, I see her ogling the DSLR's in Noel Leeming quite a lot and know that she would like something from them, I also can get saff discount at Noel Leeming which is handy, so I guess id also like to know if there is any models at Noel Leeming which may meet her requirements also?

shk292

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# 2156081 8-Jan-2019 08:04

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David321:

Thanks for all the answers guys, I have looked into the cameras you have suggested, but with my wife being my wife she would prefer something new and shiny rather than second hand (even if it is better). You know how some women are right, its not all about how it works but how it looks also, I see her ogling the DSLR's in Noel Leeming quite a lot and know that she would like something from them, I also can get saff discount at Noel Leeming which is handy, so I guess id also like to know if there is any models at Noel Leeming which may meet her requirements also?

If you can stretch your budget to $850, you could get a Lumix GX850. I've used a Lumix G5 for a few years (slightly bigger but same sensor format and lens system) and it's a great compromise between "point and shoot" and a DSLR, certainly a huge step up in image quality from point and shoot.

I doubt the NL staff discount will be worth much on a camera because pricing is so competitive, but certainly worth asking and it should get you around 50% off case, memory card etc.

dejadeadnz

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# 2156127 8-Jan-2019 08:38

SHK292's recommendation of a GX850 is a great one IMO. But don't buy it at Noel Leemings, unless your staff discount can make it cheaper than the $668 that it is available for at Photogear (authorised Panasonic reseller and a great bunch). If you can make it to one of PG's two shops and show that you are serious about buying, from actual experience I know they will be happy to take the camera out of displays and let you have a play.

OP: I am very surprised that your wife is looking at DSLRs if she is also serious about wanting a small camera. The beginners DSLRs available at NL (again they are bound to be overpriced - check on Pricespy) aren't likely to be very recommendable. The Canon 3000D is just very old technology and terribly cheaply constructed - think plastic lens mounts. Someone who knows more about Nikons can comment on the lower priced Nikons. But DSLRs, especially at the lower range, are just yesterday's technology and you should move to mirrorless. Not only are the latter smaller, they typically also feature live-view LCD viewfinders (note however that the GX 850 doesn't have a vierwfinder and you will have to compose your shots using the LCD screen only) that show the effect of your exposure adjustments unlike the DSLRs. But on the GX850 you get 4K video capability and pretty good image quality. Your budget (even with some add-ons) leave you at an awkward space where you must make a lot of compromises, especially if you insist on buying new.

Expert Infotech (I normally don't recommend buying cameras at parallel importers due to variable understanding of camera issues and likely long repair times but given your price consciousness, it is worth considering) has the Sony A6000 with a kit lens available at less than $800. The advantage of the A6000 is that it has a viewfinder and better stills quality (especially better low light performance - although you are never going to get much shooting just with kit lenses) than the GX850. But Sony's menu systems and layout are notoriously crap and does not operate by the touchscreen, unlike Panasonics. The Sony also only shoots 1080p videos.

shk292

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# 2156140 8-Jan-2019 08:58

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Some great comments above.

One point I hadn't considered - no idea how old the OP or his wife are, but once you get to the age of needing reading glasses, a viewfinder with dioptre correction is a "killer" feature. I can no longer focus on the camera screen while the strap is around my neck, but have the viewfinder adjusted so that I get a perfect image.

dejadeadnz

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# 2156147 8-Jan-2019 09:12

Great point re: the viewfinder. But even if older age doesn't apply, the OP must still understand the limitations of not having a viewfinder. People sometimes go on about "If he's used to shooting with a phone, no viewfinder is no issue!". Not always. Remember, your average phone screen is much better than the LCD screen on the back of a camera (especially if you use a flagship phone) and is much larger. That said, if you mainly shoot still subjects and street photography, the limitations of LCD-screen only shooting are far easier to work around.

Batman

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# 2156153 8-Jan-2019 09:30

I can guarantee you that if you are asking this question, an Iphone XS will take better photos than ANY d-SLR you can buy on the market today.

Why? because a camera has to convert 2xgreen/1xred/1xblue signals into an image that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

A dslr has incredibly basic operations to convert these signals and the photos do not appear pleasing, assuming you shot with all the correct settings. Even auto settings is pretty unsmart.

An iphone XS however, understands all that language. Shoots with the best settings, and using what they call AI, photoshops every single image and every frame of your 4K 60 FPS video to make it look amazing, more often than your dslr will. Unless they now have AI programmed into dslrs but I am not aware of any.

Now, after recommending not to buy a dslr, i have no other recommendations.

My cameras are - wife's iphone, my huawei (poor images), full frame Canon DSLR.

Involuntary autocorrect in operation on mobile device. Apologies in advance.

floydbloke

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# 2156155 8-Jan-2019 09:33

If optical viewfinder is not a must-have, then at that price-point why not go for a decent point-and-shoot with full manual options to bring out and experiment with your creativity. Something like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ80.

If it turns out photography is your and your wife's thing then you can spend a bit more down the track and 'upgrade' to mirrorless or DSLR. You can keep the PnS as well and you'll have a camera each to play with.

Whatever you end up with, I do highly recommend buying a second battery at the time of purtchase or pretty soon after.

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shk292

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# 2156156 8-Jan-2019 09:35

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Batman:

I can guarantee you that if you are asking this question, an Iphone XS will take better photos than ANY d-SLR you can buy on the market today.

Why? because a camera has to convert 2xgreen/1xred/1xblue signals into an image that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

A dslr has incredibly basic operations to convert these signals and the photos do not appear pleasing, assuming you shot with all the correct settings. Even auto settings is pretty unsmart.

An iphone XS however, understands all that language. Shoots with the best settings, and using what they call AI, photoshops every single image and every frame of your 4K 60 FPS video to make it look amazing, more often than your dslr will. Unless they now have AI programmed into dslrs but I am not aware of any.

Now, after recommending not to buy a dslr, i have no other recommendations.

My cameras are - wife's iphone, my huawei (poor images), full frame Canon DSLR.

So why do professional photographers use DLSRs? Simply because they don't understand what you've explained above?

Why would a photographer spend $10k upwards on equipment and lug around all that gear if an iPhone is going to give better results?

Batman

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# 2156157 8-Jan-2019 09:38

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the quality of your photos depend on the quality of your camera's smartness (AI) and the size of the light sensor.*

when buying a point and shoot, i recommend an image sensor size of as close to 1" as possible if not larger. (this won't make any difference in bright conditions, might make a difference shooting non moving things anywhere but it will make a difference when shooting moving things)

*and the lens of course ....

Involuntary autocorrect in operation on mobile device. Apologies in advance.

freitasm

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# 2156160 8-Jan-2019 09:44

The Fujifilm X-T100 is a nice camera but outside your price range. Have a look at Geekzone Price for a selection of cameras.

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