Moonlight
03-16-2007, 03:45 PM
Budget
Max budget is £700 UK (for everything). I guess this is max budget of $1200-1400 US
Size
Love the portability of a small compact but also for some of my work this won't matter much
Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you? Want to easily do good A4 prints so I guess from some of charts I've seen I gather 7 or 8 MP should be plenty. Obviously more is good if it doesn't mean too much more noise.
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
Mostly standard but want to eventually try my hand at wildlife so will need more in the future
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
Pretty important. I particularly hate noise and washed out highlights (who doesn't though!). So I'd say 8 out of 10
*Do you care for manual controls?
Yes I want manual control, I'm still learning but I enjoy trying different settings to see if I can improve my shots
General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Main uses: Abstract, macro, landscape, some basic still life, indoor (often without flash if I can)
Sometimes I might use camera for: Wildlife, travel, night shots
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Rarely, would only need A3 and bigger if I get really good!
*Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Not loads but a fair few
*Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Rarely
*Are there particular models you already have in mind?
In compact I have my eye on the versatible Olympus SP-500UZ
In SLRs I have my eye on the Canon 400D maybe with a Sigma 17-70 instead of the kit.
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My situation is I have owned a Minolta Dimage S414 (4MP 4x zoom) for 3 years and enjoyed learning the basics. But since starting a photography class I found my ability improving from basic snapper to an amateur with an interest in really "seeing" how if I isolate something from a scene how different it can look, thats why I love abstract and basic macro. I also enjoy trying to different landscape compositions and also candid shots of people (portraits and posed shots just aren't my thing, hence why I prefer avoiding flash if I can).
I'm now considering getting a DSLR simply for its versatility, accessible controls and better noise + low light performance. But I do wonder if I really need to spend on a full SLR and whether a great versatile compact would be enough.
My reading suggests to me the pros of each of my top choices (vs each other) are:-
400D (Rebel XTi)
+ Full manual control (not so many menus like a compact)
+ Speed (In switch on, focusing & shot-to-shot)
+ (Much?) better in low light + less noise + option to use prime lenses
+ Better image quality
+ Easier & faster to use zooming
+ Versatile due to ability to change lenses
+ Great TTL viewfinder
Olympus SP-550UZ
+ Size & weight (great for holidays and as carry around)
+ Wide range of zoom with I gather good quality, all in one
+ Much cheaper
+ Has spot metering (can't believe the 400D lacks this)
+ Can compose on LCD
+ No risk of dust on sensor
+ Image stabilisation
+ AA batteries which I already use and have
So my BIG question is not what the benefits of each are as I think I've nailed those but opinions on whether the benefits of an SLR such as the 400D are great enough in terms of image quality, accesible controls and low light performance to warrant the extra cost and loss of portability?
Ideally I'd like both types of camera but I cannot afford both types now, so I have to find a way to work out what is best to get first for my abstract, macro and landscape shots.
Max budget is £700 UK (for everything). I guess this is max budget of $1200-1400 US
Size
Love the portability of a small compact but also for some of my work this won't matter much
Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you? Want to easily do good A4 prints so I guess from some of charts I've seen I gather 7 or 8 MP should be plenty. Obviously more is good if it doesn't mean too much more noise.
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
Mostly standard but want to eventually try my hand at wildlife so will need more in the future
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
Pretty important. I particularly hate noise and washed out highlights (who doesn't though!). So I'd say 8 out of 10
*Do you care for manual controls?
Yes I want manual control, I'm still learning but I enjoy trying different settings to see if I can improve my shots
General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Main uses: Abstract, macro, landscape, some basic still life, indoor (often without flash if I can)
Sometimes I might use camera for: Wildlife, travel, night shots
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Rarely, would only need A3 and bigger if I get really good!
*Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Not loads but a fair few
*Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Rarely
*Are there particular models you already have in mind?
In compact I have my eye on the versatible Olympus SP-500UZ
In SLRs I have my eye on the Canon 400D maybe with a Sigma 17-70 instead of the kit.
-------------------------
My situation is I have owned a Minolta Dimage S414 (4MP 4x zoom) for 3 years and enjoyed learning the basics. But since starting a photography class I found my ability improving from basic snapper to an amateur with an interest in really "seeing" how if I isolate something from a scene how different it can look, thats why I love abstract and basic macro. I also enjoy trying to different landscape compositions and also candid shots of people (portraits and posed shots just aren't my thing, hence why I prefer avoiding flash if I can).
I'm now considering getting a DSLR simply for its versatility, accessible controls and better noise + low light performance. But I do wonder if I really need to spend on a full SLR and whether a great versatile compact would be enough.
My reading suggests to me the pros of each of my top choices (vs each other) are:-
400D (Rebel XTi)
+ Full manual control (not so many menus like a compact)
+ Speed (In switch on, focusing & shot-to-shot)
+ (Much?) better in low light + less noise + option to use prime lenses
+ Better image quality
+ Easier & faster to use zooming
+ Versatile due to ability to change lenses
+ Great TTL viewfinder
Olympus SP-550UZ
+ Size & weight (great for holidays and as carry around)
+ Wide range of zoom with I gather good quality, all in one
+ Much cheaper
+ Has spot metering (can't believe the 400D lacks this)
+ Can compose on LCD
+ No risk of dust on sensor
+ Image stabilisation
+ AA batteries which I already use and have
So my BIG question is not what the benefits of each are as I think I've nailed those but opinions on whether the benefits of an SLR such as the 400D are great enough in terms of image quality, accesible controls and low light performance to warrant the extra cost and loss of portability?
Ideally I'd like both types of camera but I cannot afford both types now, so I have to find a way to work out what is best to get first for my abstract, macro and landscape shots.