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Position:Home>Visual Arts> Beginner's Camera?Question: Beginner's Camera!? I'm interested in photography!.
I don't have a camera of my own but I'm looking to purchase one!. I'm looking for features such as depth of field adjustment or exposure adjustment (sorry if I get the terms wrong!.) Price is very important to me!. I'm quite poor and because I'm looking for a hobby to get into, I think photography will suit me!. (I won't be buying thousands of dollars worth of lenses and accessories like that)!. Thanks for any suggestions!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Before you buy anything, get a book or two on beginning photography!. Don't just research online - the books you will have forever and will prove to be the most valuable resource you possess for this, whereas the online stuff can just go poof anytime if the site maintainer decides to remove it!. Yes, you should be looking at SLR cameras if you are serious!. These are truly the best to learn photography with!. While there are some consumer-grade cameras that have full manual control, as Edwin basically said those cameras have serious image quality concerns, as well as not being such a good choice to learn the mechanics on!. If you don't understand the mechanics and are using consumer-grade equipment, you will get poor results!. Poor image quality in your results (and how you feel about those results) can very well turn you away from this!. In order to really learn this and be pleased with your results, you need full manual control like that of an SLR and a willingness to stay away from any automation that camera may possess until you understand what the camera is actually doing with those automatic functions!. (This is sort of like knowing how to read a paper map before you get a GPS unit!. Paper maps are harder to use!. GPS units are more expensive!. But, maps don't need power and don't break, and they give you an understanding of your surroundings that a GPS unit just can't!. also, that understanding of paper maps makes the GPS a much more powerful tool for you than for someone who can't read a map!. The U!.S!. Navy still subscribes to this philosophy when it comes to navigation!. They have some of the best electronic nav gear in the world, and every navigator is still required to learn paper chart and whiz wheel use - because those don't need power and never break!.) Since cost is your primary concern, you need to consider several factors that affect cost!. Not just your initial expense, but ongoing costs as well!. The initial expense of a film SLR is generally lower than that of a digital SLR!. Film bodies are significantly cheaper (lenses cost the same regardless of format)!. Film cameras are also power-independent!. Unless you attach a motor drive or use a flash unit, they do not need batteries!. But, film SLRs have more in the way of ongoing costs than digitals!. Things like constantly buying film, paying to have the film developed (unless you want to go to the expense of building your own darkroom), paying to have contact sheets made, and finally paying to have your best images (as selected from contact sheets) made into prints!. You can develop your own film, make contact sheets, and make your own prints from film - if you build that darkroom!. Then you're looking at constantly buying chemicals and photo paper as well as film!. The ongoing costs of using a digital SLR are generally lower than film!. You don't have to buy film or pay for any kind of processing!. Instead, you buy flash memory (one memory card costs about the same as 10 rolls of quality film, and you only have to replace the card when it dies) and periodic battery replacement (one proprietary battery costs about the same as 10 rolls of quality film)!. Your processing costs are your time, electricity, photo paper, and ink (and those last two only if you choose to print anything)!. You will also have the opportunity to learn post-processing if you go digital, because you will be doing your own processing after you shoot!. also, you obviously already own or have access to a computer, which is another expense of digital photography (one you can already avoid)!. However, your initial expense will still be higher!. Not only are digital SLR bodies more expensive than film, there is software you will need!. If you shoot in RAW format, you need software that can read the file format and process it!. You need photo editing/processing software!. You may need noise removal software!. Another plus to digital over film: you can change ISO settings on the fly!. With a film camera, you have to rewind the film and change rolls, losing any remaining exposures on the partially used roll!. (Changing all the other settings can be done on the fly with both types!.) With film, you will need to take copious and meticulous notes of every shot to study the settings you used after processing (trust me, you won't remember that data later on without the notes)!. Digital cameras record all that information in the metadata with each shot!. With film, you can't format or delete a negative accidentally!. Storage amounts to labeling and boxing your negatives, or putting them in a filing cabinet!. With digital, storage means hard drive space at first, and ultimately a DVD burner and constantly buying blank discs and disc storage media to archive your images!. As far as the lens goes, Edwin's suggestion is excellent!. A quality 50mm (the 'normal' lens with no zoom - you zoom with your feet) with a very large maximum aperture (anything from f/1!.4 to f/2!.8 will do nicely) and pretty small minimum aperture (f/22 and beyond) will give you the most versatility for learning!.Www@QuestionHome@Com IMO, you are making a mistake by ignoring 35mm film cameras!. A Pentax K1000 with a 50mm f1!.7 lens and the Owner's Manual will help you learn about f-stops and shutter speeds and ISO!. Few digicams in your price range have the capability of manual settings so they are very poor learning tools!. The tiny sensor they have limits their capability in low-light and higher ISO performance!. Visit dpreview!.com and digitalcameraguide!.com and read reviews of cameras in your price range!. Go to the library and look for books on beginning photography!. Some self-education before buying will really help you make the best choice!. Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com I agree with Edwin!. The best camera to learn photography is the Pentax K1000!. It is easy to use, mechanical so you are not reliant on batteries and lenses are cheap and very good!. All digital cameras do too much for you to really learn photography!. You can probably find a K1000 for less than $100 on ebay!. Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com Okay, you want to be able to control aperture and shutter speed but you don't want to deal with interchangable lenses!.!.!. so get an advanced point and shoot!. I suggest either the Canon PowerShot G9 or the PowerShot S5 IS!. http://www!.usa!.canon!.com/consumer/contro!.!.!. DSLR's allow interchangable lenses!.!.!. I don't think you were too interested in this, but if you are interested in getting a DSLR then I suggest the Canon Rebel XTi!. http://www!.usa!.canon!.com/consumer/contro!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Personally i would not overlook a film camera either!. Since you're not looking for a film camera and have a tight budget, i would suggest an older DSLR like the Canon Digital Rebel XT!. It may be an older model (2 model older), but it's a good camera for a beginner!. Plus you can budget for lenses down the road!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |