Starting an interest in photography

[wookie]

Lately I've started taking some shots with my girlfriends Canon EOS Elan II 35mm camera. I'd never really used such a nice camera before and I was really surprised at the quality of the picutres I could get. So after spending $40 on prints this weekend I figured I'd look into a digital. I've done some research (mostly reading the great reviews on this site!) but figured I'd post and get some more advice

<using the guidlines from the sticky topic>


Budget: Cheaper the better of course, but I'd like to keep the cost under $300 used or new

Size: I'm not concerned with the size at all. In fact if I'd rather it be a little bit larger if it means a more sturdy camera.

Features

Megapixels: Don't know for sure, but I've been looking mostly in the 3.0 - 4.0 range

What optical zoom will you need: Again don't know for sure. I've been looking mostly at the ultra-zoom 10x -12x. Looking for advice if the 3x-4x models are sufficient for someone just starting out though.

How important is “image quality” to you: That's the goal isn't it? 10!

Do you care for manual controls: Absolutely! I'm a tinkerer type of person, and would really like to be able to learn the various aspects of photography on the camera I buy

General Usage

What will you generally use the camera for: I'll probably spend most of my time on nature shots and shots of concerts.

Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? Nah. If I get to the point where I'm getting enough shots that I'd want to make bigger prints, I'll look into upgrading the camera.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? Not so many indoor, but lowlight is a possibility. I go to a lot of concerts and I'd like to take some shots there.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? Never can tell, wouldn't want to rule anything out at this point!

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate: Nope, but I've had some friends advise against Fuji.

Are there particular models you already have in mind: Yes, I've been looking at the following most closely: the Olympus C-750, Canon S1-IS, Panasonic DMC-FZ3, Kodak 6490, and Fuji S5100 before getting the bad referals from friends.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD): Maybe IS, but probably not the rest.

I'd like to have a lot of access to manual controls so I can learn on the camera. Something that I can grow with a little would be nice too, like accepting conversions lenses and filters. A hot shoe or flash sync would be nice, but I think by the time I'd need something like that I'd look at upgrading the camera. The movie modes aren't really that important, but they're are a nice feature.

As for memory SD is slighty preferable as I have a laptop with a SD slot, but that's not really a huge deal with most cameras having a USB port.

For some reason I've been leangin toward the Panasonic DMC-FZ3, but I haven't made up my mind for sure. I started looking at some less expensive models, but was unsure if the optical viewfinder as opposed to the EVF would be a big disadvantage.


Sorry for the overly wordy post. I figure it's better to give lots of information to get the most relevant suggestions. Any help provided is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[PhilR.]

The FZ3 is a great choice, and it's fast lens and IS will help in those low light situations.

For every person who says stay away from Fuji, there is another who says they are just fine. I have two Fuji cameras that have performed quite well over the years I've had them, and would not hesitate to purchase another. The only problem with them is that they don't use the type of memory card that you would like (neither does Olympus).

I think that having an optical viewfinder instead of lcd VF is an advantage, rather than a disadvantage. However, not a big enough thing to be a dealkiller (obviously, since I have an FZ3).

Larger size does not mean sturdier. A Panasonic FZ20 will break just as easily as an FZ3 if dropped. Having a metal body doesn't guarantee sturdiness either.

Actually, any of the cameras you propose will do you just fine. Keeping under $300 will be a chore, as will be finding a new FZ3. If you can't find an FZ3, there is also the FZ4 and 5, and the larger 15 and 20. You might like the larger (slr-sized) size and manual focus of the 15 and 20. They will however be over the $300 mark. Also, there are a few mega-zooms from Minolta to consider as well....

PhilR.

[wookie]

Well I went out to Circuit City during my lunchbreak today and tried out several models. An Olympus C-765, a Fuji S5100, and a Kodak DX6490 (those model numbers are from memory, so they may be off). I really wasn't satisfied with any of them, but I did like the Olympus the best. I wasn't able to dial in anything like the shots I take with my canon film SLR...I'm sure that sound pretty obvious to most! After I was done looking in my pricerange I decided to go check out the Canon Digital Rebel.....wow....that's what I'm talking bout! All sorts of fun to be had with a beast like that! Unfortunately it's way out of my pricerange, but it has inspired me to adjust my search. I'm going to start looking at used digital SLR's on ebay and hopefully find a deal. This will lead me out of my price range for sure, but after the Circuit City trip....I think my budget was a bit skimpy for what I wanted to do.

Any suggestions on digital SLR models from a few years back to keep an eye out for on ebay?

[Rex914]

Even when considering used models, the Digital Rebel (new) will still come out the cheapest, unless you search for a used Digital Rebel. If you look around hard enough though, you could pretty easily find a brand new one, maybe even with the kit lens for $600-$700. I do believe though that this is the kind of camera you want based on how you introduced your post.

[jamison55]

Any suggestions on digital SLR models from a few years back to keep an eye out for on ebay?

The best DSLR deals out there right now are used Canon D30's. You can pick one up right now for about $350 to $400 without a lens. There are a few on EBay right now, and you might also want to check out the Buy and Sell forums on www.fredmiranda.com.

Factor in another $50 to $100 for a cheap starter lens. I'd recommend the Sigma 18-50 f3.5-5.6 to someone who only had $100 to spend on a DSLR lens. If you just want a cheap piece of glass to slap on front, you can do a search for used zoom lenses on Adorama (http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Used&cat2=Canon%20Auto%20Focus&cat3=Zoom%20Lenses&sf=Price) They have a bunch for <$50. Keep in mind, however, that the quality of the lens makes a HUGE difference in the image quality, so you probably want to save $300 or so more for a higher quality lens on down the road.

Best of luck!

[wookie]

Hmmmm those D30's aren't a bad deal at all! Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I can use the lens from the Canon EOS Elan II on the D30 (it's a canon zoom lens EF 28-80mm), and can buy lenses and filters that will be interchangeable between the two right? If so...sweet. I think the D30's where I'm headed.

[Rex914]

Yep, any EF lenses are compatible. That should hold you over until you save up a little money to get a nice, fast standard zoom.