New Here and New to Photography

[Cheyenne]

Hi All,

My name's Anne and I'm new here and new to photography :D

I'm just learning at the moment and trying to take as many different photos of as many different subjects as I can to improve my pictures :D

I currently have a Nikon Coolpix 3700 and am looking for a new camera at the moment.

I would dearly love a DSLR but just can't afford to spend upwards of $1000 on a camera.

Any suggestions on a middle of the road camera with good features and that would be good to learn on would be much appreciated looking to spend up to $500 and second hand is fine :D

Look forward to getting some great hints and tips and learning heaps :D

Anne

[taffography]

hi anne, welcome to the forum

there aint much in the dslr camera for $500 as far as i know, If it where me i would be putting my $500 as a deposit and giving myself something to look forward too, you will get a nikon d50 with lens for under a grand these days and i just love mine, i think there are only a few, nikon, pentax and the canon under $1000 but the pentax only shoots jpg so keep away from that one.
hope you find what your looking for !!! ( not many of us do ) ???

Taff

[xa-coupe]

Howdy Anne,
really, you have so many to choose from in the middle of the range it's not easy to recommend one.
I am a fan of canon cameras but there is nothing wrong with any of the others.. although I am not overly impressed with my Kodak ( or the Kodaks we have at work ).
If you are ok with second hand, perhaps a canon g5 would be suitable ( Olympus C5050 is about the same ). Before the 350D I used a G5 and loved it and still have it .. although I never use it any more :)

[Cheyenne]

Taff - I'm very new to the world of photography and would like a middle of the road camera to learn on and play around with first before getting a digital SLR. The camera that I have at the moment is just not good enough to really get any better.

Thanks for the info XA I'll have a look at the canon G5 :D

I've also been recommended the C5050 which looks great for my capabilities at the moment :D

Anne

[EarthSeaSky]

Hey Cheyenne, sorry for mis-spelling it earlier! :( I can't really speak for other brands that I've never used. It might have been me that recommended the Oly C-5050. It is still my beloved 'take anywhere' shoot anything from happy snaps to pro wedding stuff. Unfortunately I loaned it to Sandra to take to Antarctica and Machu Picchu and she won't give it back! lol As I said elsewhere, this cam is out of production but I noticed recently that they are still available from the US at, http://www.epinions.com/Olympus_C_5050_Zoom_Digital_Camera_Digital_Cameras/display_~latest_prices

You left a comment on Sandra's Antarctica4 (Landscape) and one of my Portrait threads, so you've seen what the C-5050z can do.

[Cheyenne]

Thanks Mark don't worry about mis-spelling my name I didn't even notice :laugh:

Yep it was you that recommended the C-5050 and it looks fantastic. I've had a look on ebay and there's actually on available which i have bid on so hopefully I'll be able to get that one :D

[snowygal]

hey anne and welcome to the forums.
For a middle of the range camera Id go with a kodak (have a dx7950) and its great..


10x optical zoom, and a exceptionally clear lcd.

cheers
amber

[EarthSeaSky]

Thanks Mark don't worry about mis-spelling my name I didn't even notice :laugh: Yep it was you that recommended the C-5050 and it looks fantastic. I've had a look on ebay and there's actually on available which i have bid on so hopefully I'll be able to get that one :D Good luck with Ebay Anne. If it's the one I saw this morning - if it's in as good a nick as claimed, and you get it, then you'll have a bargain. Please let me know if you are successful. :)

[Cheyenne]

Thanks Amber I've seen those and they do look like a great camera :D

Thanks Mark will definately let you know how I go :)

[Katarina]

Hi guys. New meber and photographer here
Nice to meet everyone...
Where to i begin with my photograhy fascination?? What kind of camera is best for a beginner and would a course in photography be essential?? Any information you can pass on would be greatly appreciated.

[xa-coupe]

Hi guys. New meber and photographer here
Nice to meet everyone...
Where to i begin with my photograhy fascination?? What kind of camera is best for a beginner and would a course in photography be essential?? Any information you can pass on would be greatly appreciated.

Hi and welcome aboard Katrina !
I always recommend a SLR if you want to get into your fascination properly. If you don't want to spend that much, the SLR look alikes are the best ( my choice being Canon then Olympus for both types but everyone has their opinion ) but they are close to the SLR pricing anyway.
A course in photography would be good but a basic understanding of your camera and a good eye for shots will get you a long way.

Jeff

[sue248]

Hi guys. New meber and photographer here
Nice to meet everyone...
Where to i begin with my photograhy fascination?? What kind of camera is best for a beginner and would a course in photography be essential?? Any information you can pass on would be greatly appreciated.


Hi Katarina,

I'm only new to photography as well. I have a Canon 300D, which is great, but it's taken me a while to learn how to use it.

As far as courses go....i'm doing a Foundation Photography course at Tafe at the moment. It's not too bad for the price ($158) providing you get a good teacher. I've also done a lot of reading and experimenting with my camera.

I hate to admit it but "The Complete Idiots Guide to Digital Photography" has helped me heaps!.....lol

There's also a lot of helpful people on this forum who will be able to help you out.

Hope this has helped some :)