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It's my dad's birthday in a couple of months and he's expressed interest in an SLR.
He used to have a PEN type camera many years ago, but the new Olympus PENs, although gorgeous (I really want one now, heh), are a bit expensive and have a complicated menu system.
So I'm looking for something that's not too complicated and at a reasonable price. What do you folks reckon?
Cheers.
Well I'd never used a SLR at all before, but I went ahead and bought one about a year ago and it was brilliant. Easy to understand, simple to focus, pretty easy to get some decent snaps with.
The camera I decided to go for was the Sony Alpha 330. It's a nice size, not heavy and boots up really quickly (which is one thing I really like about it)
Does he know anyone with an SLR already? If he know someone that he can share lenses with, get him one of them.
Get him to a store to try them out (and be wary of a salesperson trying to push a particular system). All makes have great SLRs for most budgets now, and they've all got 'not complicated' modes as well. However each of them feels different in the hand and there will be one or two that he's more comfortable using than others.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve
agree with Kalniel def get him down to a camera shop and try them out and look at the menu system. All the major brands have good starter dslrs
Alas the only problem is he's in Hull and I'm in Bristol, otherwise I'd do that!
This one, no question.
if he still has the lenses from the Olympus, then look at an Olympus body..
Get him to a shop, if you can't take him try and find a shop which you can ring up and arrange for a competent sounding person to show him round some models you shortlist.
You really can't go wrong with any of the DSLRs out there right now, its a case of which one suites him best.
How about looking at something like this:
http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/gxr/
they are really rather innovative in my mind, and I'm sawly tempted for having one for its portability. The image quality is most excellent and they come with a range of useful features (nice overlayed 3d digital spirit level been the simplest example).
On the newer ones you actually swap out the sensor and lens assembly so they are able to be used in really quite bad weather too.
looks like Olly have released a new 'affordable' digial PEN..
Sorry to bump, but I have a similar dilemma as steve.... is there any more suggestions for something inbetween a compact and a DSLR and if the folks like it then they can transition to a full DSLR?
The EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) cameras are looking pretty sweet now - they've all got nice big sensors. You do lose the viewfinder, but they're still serious cameras. The tech is very new though (or rather this particular arrangement of the tech is) so maybe wait a bit if you can? Most of the manufacturers still haven't released their first rounds.
Steve I'd be interested to know what you got him (if anything)? Been wanting to get started in the SLR side of things for ages.
You can either go for a compact that has full controls to get used to the idea of being in control, or you can go for an interchangeable lens camera that has compact-like operation.Quote:
Originally Posted by ma10
The former is much cheaper, but you still are limited by compact sensor restrictions, ie poor low light performance etc. I'm out of date with recommendations in that area without doing some research - at the time I was in that stage cameras like the canon A series were a good option.
The latter is more expensive, but the quality of the output is very good. Look at either mirror-less cameras like the olympus pen, panasonic GF1 etc. or DSLRs with good dedicated live-view options, like the entry level Sony alphas.
If you can get used to the idea of looking through a viewfinder then all DSLRS have very good auto modes, so don't worry too much about getting a bridge camera and instead get to a shop to handle different makes/models and see which you get on with best.
I would say one of these
http://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtes...lr.r34.500.jpg
:D
Doh... already been posted. I'll get my coat
I still like my canon 350d, personally. Bought it when my son was born, and it's still doing the job now.
Could do with a new lens.
Ah! Thank you! THAT'S what I should spend my birthday money on.