Best camera to start with?

[Fast_falkon]

Hi all,

im new to this forum , and to taking bird pictures.
and now i would like to know,what camera is the best to start with, and what does it cost?

thanks in advance

~Falk

[Fast_falkon]

12 views, no replies? am i asking something stupid?

[Perry Grin]

12 views, no replies? am i asking something stupid?

Hi,

I'm not a photographer so maybe not the best person to give advice, but maybe you haven't had a reply because your question is quite broad.

Do you want to digiscope or not? If you do your choice of camera will depend on the scope you are using. If not you'll be looking at a DSLR. The next question will be how much do you want to spend. Entry level DSLR's like the Canon 400 (which seems pretty popular by the amount of members that use it) will set you back about £400 (600 euros?). All the manufacturers do a similar spec body for a similar price, the Nikon equivalent also seems popular.

If going for a DSLR, the last questions is choice of lens and focal length. Again this will depend on how much you want to spend and what you will be photographing.

If you could answer these questions, I'm sure you get a lot more reponses.

Perry

[alan_rymer]

As well as the DSLR there are the high zooming"Prosumer cameras" like the Canon s3 IS. Panasonic. Fuji, and Sony do these types too.

[RAH]

I agree with Alan - a "super-zoom" like the Canon S3IS or S5IS is a good way to start. Other models are made by Olympus, Lumix (Panasonic), Fuji, etc. You can get a Canon S5 for about $350.

You should do some searching on this forum. I think one reason that folks aren't answering too much is because this topic has been rehashed (and rehashed) over and over. Not that it's a dumb question - it definitely isn't. It's just that answers abound on this forum. You could try searches for "beginner," "super-zoom," "starting out", etc., or just browse earlier posts.

[Fast_falkon]

Thanks to all of you :D i got enough time, because i get it for my Bday, wich is in March. So i'm going to research the following month's :) thanks all

[mooreorless]

A friend on another forum has a Sony H9 and he posts very nice shots and I was very interested in this 15X + zoom camera. I went with a Pentax K100D Super instead because I have a few older lens from a Pentax K1000 film camera. In the U.S. the H9 and the Pentax K100D Super are very close in cost because of Pentax $100 rebate. The pictures he sent me, I could tell I would of been happy with this Sony H9.
Regards,Steve

[David Smith]

[QUOTE=RAH;
You should do some searching on this forum. I think one reason that folks aren't answering too much is because this topic has been rehashed (and rehashed) over and over. Not that it's a dumb question - it definitely isn't. It's just that answers abound on this forum. You could try searches for "beginner," "super-zoom," "starting out", etc., or just browse earlier posts.[/QUOTE]

I agree with RAH who speaks a lot of sense. If you search under the Olympus section you will see lots of threads/comments about the Oly super which I purchased. It's a great camera to get you started-no where near as good as a DSLR setup but at the price it's great. Since I bought mine technology has moved on and I'm sure things have improved.

[Tero]

I agree with Alan - a "super-zoom" like the Canon S3IS or S5IS is a good way to start. Other models are made by Olympus, Lumix (Panasonic), Fuji, etc. You can get a Canon S5 for about $350.

You should do some searching on this forum. I think one reason that folks aren't answering too much is because this topic has been rehashed (and rehashed) over and over. Not that it's a dumb question - it definitely isn't. It's just that answers abound on this forum. You could try searches for "beginner," "super-zoom," "starting out", etc., or just browse earlier posts.

I also had a related question. If I have a sparrow 20-30M away and take a picture at 12X, or 15X with a Sony or Canon PowerShot, will I be able to make anything of the 6-8 Megapixel image with my computer, to crop and enlarge? I know I can see something at 20x on my scope, I have never digiscoped with it.

[Robert / Seattle]

12 views, no replies? am i asking something stupid?


Patience, my friend, it's a big question. That said ...

I'd "start" with a good all-purpopse 10x or 12x "fixed" optical zoom advanced amateur digital camera. Almost any brand will suffice. At that level, they're all great learning tools, provide more than decent imagery, and will serve you well in learning the technology. By the time you are up and running, the consumer options will have changed anyway, and you will be in a better position to choose the next level "up". Look at a Leica V-Lux or equivalent for starters; it won't hold you back and when you master that level you'll be in position to be giving the advice, and with good reason. After that, the DSLR of choice will be unlike any on the market today.

Good luck,

Robert / Seattle

[RAH]

I also had a related question. If I have a sparrow 20-30M away and take a picture at 12X, or 15X with a Sony or Canon PowerShot, will I be able to make anything of the 6-8 Megapixel image with my computer, to crop and enlarge? I know I can see something at 20x on my scope, I have never digiscoped with it.
Well, for starters, a 12x super-zoom camera does not give 12 power magnification, because, unlike a scope, it starts at less than 1 - i.e. it starts at wide-angle, usually about 36mm equivalent (e.g. a 10x zoom lens goes from 36mm to 360mm).

TO find out the true magnification power, divide the top zoom number by 50. For example, the Canon S5 goes from 36 to 432. Divide 432 by 50 to find out the power (about 8.5).

A sparrow at that distance would be pretty small in the image. You can add a teleconverter (e.g. Olympus TCON-17) to get more magnification (1.7x in the case of the Olympus).

[Tero]

Thanks, I had a teleconverter on my last video camera, the one I used for all the pictures in the gallery I have there. I now have a JVC video camera, for which I could not find the extra lens.

[nick the grief]

I've got a Fuji S9600 and it's a super Camera and even I can take a half decent shot with it but it's one draw back is it only has a 10x zoom (300mm) and I find that it just runs out a bit. I think they are looking to bring out a new one with a 12x or more zoom whit would make it an even better starter camera then.

If you want to photograph smaller stuff then the Macro function is really good with focusing from about 1cm which is what I bought it for really to take shots of cacti flowers.

Also it runs on standard AA batteries so if the worst should happen & the batteries go flat you can always stick some ordinary AA's in to get you by. That said I have 3 sets of rechargeables and they last me quite a long time as the zoom isn't powered like it was in my old Fuji camera.

Hope that helps you.

[Tero]

I checked out some top end point and shoot models, 12x to 18x. If I plan to work with the raw photo, the little screen at the back or the digital viewfinder told me very little. An SLR digital would give me a better feel as I am taking the photo, of what the potential is. I just like the optical view.

[greensnakeman]

I have a Fuji S5000 with an olympus 1.7 and it is pretty good. The only problem is LONG turn on speed and picture load so I miss a lot of shots. Here's some pics.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee41/greensnakeman/K_DSCF8029jpg-8.jpg
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee41/greensnakeman/K_DSCF8122jpg-7.jpg