gjm
02-06-2007, 02:19 PM
Budget
* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible. £1000 limit all-in, to cover body, lens(es), and anything else required... Unless there is something for up to 20% more that genuinely is going to be so much better I couldn't possibly live without it. ;)
Size
* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you? It ain't what you've got, it's what you do with it! :D So long as its comfortable to hold and well-balanced, I'm not fussed. I have large hands and long fingers, so micro-mini cameras probably aren't good idea.
Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you? What do I need? :confused: Probably 6 or more.
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) I'm used to a 6x (35-210mm) and wouldn't want less.
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10) 9.5 - usability is very important too.
Do you care for manual controls? I'd like manual override for those creative moods.
General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for? General point'n'shoot, still life, landscape, family, cars.
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? I hope to print up to A3. Possibly larger in due course.
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? I will be shooting in exhibition halls and under artificial light.
Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? Some - depends what my daughter is doing!
Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate? I feel drawn to Nikon and find them easier to handle than Canon. However, no real preference.
Are there particular models you already have in mind? D200! Strictly too expensive, but maybe...
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD) Image stabilization
I've spent many years using SLRs - mainly a Pentax ME-Super with a variety of lenses, and have been using a Fuji Finepix 4900 Zoom for a few years. The Fuji takes some good images and is user-friendly, but is a 2.4Mp camera with a seemingly very slow shutter reaction time. Not good for action shots, or even taking pics of my daughter at the school sports day. :(
I'm very much a keen amateur who'd like to be able to sell some pictures once in a while. I don't change my kit often and anticipate keeping whatever I buy now for several years. I have no issues whatsoever with buying secondhand - generally much better value for money that way, even if the camera isn't quite the latest and greatest available.
I'd really appreciate some help. I must get on with this! I've been fussing over what to do for about a year...
Thanks,
Graham
* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible. £1000 limit all-in, to cover body, lens(es), and anything else required... Unless there is something for up to 20% more that genuinely is going to be so much better I couldn't possibly live without it. ;)
Size
* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you? It ain't what you've got, it's what you do with it! :D So long as its comfortable to hold and well-balanced, I'm not fussed. I have large hands and long fingers, so micro-mini cameras probably aren't good idea.
Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you? What do I need? :confused: Probably 6 or more.
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) I'm used to a 6x (35-210mm) and wouldn't want less.
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10) 9.5 - usability is very important too.
Do you care for manual controls? I'd like manual override for those creative moods.
General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for? General point'n'shoot, still life, landscape, family, cars.
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? I hope to print up to A3. Possibly larger in due course.
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? I will be shooting in exhibition halls and under artificial light.
Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? Some - depends what my daughter is doing!
Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate? I feel drawn to Nikon and find them easier to handle than Canon. However, no real preference.
Are there particular models you already have in mind? D200! Strictly too expensive, but maybe...
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD) Image stabilization
I've spent many years using SLRs - mainly a Pentax ME-Super with a variety of lenses, and have been using a Fuji Finepix 4900 Zoom for a few years. The Fuji takes some good images and is user-friendly, but is a 2.4Mp camera with a seemingly very slow shutter reaction time. Not good for action shots, or even taking pics of my daughter at the school sports day. :(
I'm very much a keen amateur who'd like to be able to sell some pictures once in a while. I don't change my kit often and anticipate keeping whatever I buy now for several years. I have no issues whatsoever with buying secondhand - generally much better value for money that way, even if the camera isn't quite the latest and greatest available.
I'd really appreciate some help. I must get on with this! I've been fussing over what to do for about a year...
Thanks,
Graham