Camera discussion

[Vash01]

I went to Costco last night and the cheapest DSLR was for $1100. Others were around $1300-$1450, so the D5200 on Amazon seems like the best choice for me, for now.

Interestingly, I know all about the theory. For the first part of my career I worked as a Photolithography Engineer in the Semiconductor industry. Those 'cameras' (Steppers) were extremely sophisticated, but I never had to manually adjust anything. Everything was programmed. We did a lot of focus-exposure matrices, and resolution studies to print submicron circuits on wafers. I think the theory can be used if I could understand how to manually adjust all those features. I am definitely going to attend that one-day photography class.

 

[Jay42]

@Louis the Mirrorless Sony cameras are fantastic. Some of them can get expensive but Sony by far has the most accessories available for their Mirrorless line up. The size makes them easy to carry around and you would have the ability to use Zeiss lenses as well if you are so inclined.

Sony really took the Mirrorless market and ran with it. While Panasonic, Olympus and Fuji all have really solid Mirrorless cameras they haven't dominated it the way Sony has. Sony really set the benchmark in the Mirrorless world for what the cameras can do and they keep raising the bar.

 

[Vash01]

I finally ordered the Nikon 3300 DSLR. Got it on Amazon for less than $500. That's good enough for a novice like me.

What prompted me was a photography class I am about to take in April. It is just a one day class. They will teach me the basics and how to use my DSLR. I still love my autofocus Nikon, but when I adjust the focus too much on it, I lose the resolution. When I travel, I will probably use the lighter, autofocus camera (like in Boston in a couple of weeks) but if I am driving to some scenic places like the Grand Canyon, it will be nice to have the DSLR. There is also a strong possibility of me going to Alaska again this year, and I may want to use the DSLR there.

 

[genevieve]

I just bought my first DSLR and am really looking forward to learning more about photography. I've been doing a lot of reading on how to improve my photography, which has helped even with my phone's camera - but my phone is old and is increasingly limited. There is an intro to DSLR class that comes free with purchase - I spent last night just fooling around to take some sample shots and get comfortable holding an actual camera again. Very grateful this is all digital and I'm not paying to develop what would be a nightmare reel Right now I'm super intimidated by all the bells and whistles, and terrified that I will break it

And a quick question - people who wear glasses, how do you deal with it? it feels weird to put my glasses up to the viewfinder, but I don't trust my focus settings if I'm just looking through with my increasingly blind eyeball. It's also not realistic that I'll have the time/coordination to whip off my glasses every time I want to take a picture. I'm sure I'll get used to it...

 

[Reuven]

@genevieve, I don’t use my eyeglasses. My glasses have small enough lenses that I can look over the top of them to use the viewfinder. Most DSLRs have a diopter adjustment. You can adjust it so the focus boxes are sharp. Not sure what make you have, but my Nikons have a viewfinder grid I can turn off and on and I use those lines to adjust the diopter.

 

[Vash01]

My Nikon Coolpix 2700 ran out of battery last month. I tried to charge it on my computer but it wasn't charging. I asked a camera person at Costco and he said that I would need to use the charger to recharge the battery. I distinctly remember that in the past I was able to recharge using my computer.

Does it mean that after sometime a battery cannot be recharged by something simple like a computer port, and I must use a charger/ Or does it mean I have to buy a new battery?

I can't find my charger so I have to decide whether to buy a charger or a brand new battery.

 

[BigB08822]

Ahh! So we are going on an Alaskan cruise THIS summer. I think when I originally posted in this thread we were planning a Baltic Cruise but then we canceled that and booked an Alaskan for 2017 and now we are doing it this summer (and again in 2017). So I really want a decent camera soon but not looking to spend a lot since this cruise was booked last minute and needs to be paid for. Can anyone make a recommendation? Should I get the Nikon Coolpix I was thinking about before? I see the 610 is around $340 on Amazon. That wont break the bank. Is it easy enough to learn quickly and to carry around? What about steady shots if I am trying to zoom from a moving ship? I want something better than my darn phone for pics but I know the reality is I wont use the camera very often.

Edit: Or would I be better off with something like this? It is DSLR, which I've no clue what that means but I think it doesn't have the issue with lag times which is important on cruises trying to get a quick shot of ocean life or other wildlife. The price is about the same. Which would you go with? I don't see the zoom on this, how does it compare with the 60x on the 610? I would like a combination of great zoom and quick photo taking.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital...007VGGFZU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

[Jay42]

Vash: It's possible the Costco guy is thinking your cord might be broken, do you have a camera store you can go to and see if they might have the parts to at least test your camera and see if it is the cord or a faulty battery? My personal leaning is that your battery is fried but it's not that old of a camera so that would be a bit unusual. Do you have an iPad charger with the USB port that you can plug the camera into just to make sure that it's not your USB port on your computer acting up? I've had USB ports go crazy on me before.

BigB08822: I've never been on a cruise so I can't say 100% for sure. But my experience with the Nikon 610 was very positive when we carried it. It's a very steady, easy to hold camera. My right hand can get really shaky and I was still able to take good, clear pictures with it. Nikon is very user friendly overall. The menus are easy to navigate and where frequently with Canon it can be a struggle trying to find settings again, the Nikon settings are very easy to find again. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is zooming it out all the way from the boat. It really slows down the focusing time.

 

[BigB08822]

Thanks Nell. I may end up with the 610 but I am going to wait on someone to chime in about a DSLR and do more research. It seems I found one for a good price but you have to buy different lenses for different types of shots and they are very expensive. I don't plan on being a professional photographer so a 610 would probably work best but I am scared of the lag time on the focus feature.

 

[Jay42]

I don't blame you for being scared of the lag time on focusing. It's really not a huge deal unless you're zoomed out all the way though. It's probably rare that you would need to zoom to 60x optical anyway and I only found the focus lagged noticeably when I was zoomed out past around the 45x-50x area. Don't use the digital zoom or Dynamic Fine Zoom, whatever the companies decide to call it. All that does is crop the photo in camera and the results are never very good. You lose so much detail, you're better off just cropping it yourself on a computer or a non-Instagram app.

DSLR's are great but heavy, you could look into the mirrorless cameras, which are significantly smaller and lighter, but those can still get expensive and you still have to buy lenses. Since you already know that you probably won't use the camera a lot it's probably better to go with a superzoom or a bridge camera. Then you don't have to worry about buying a bunch of lenses you will never use.

 

[Vash01]

Vash: It's possible the Costco guy is thinking your cord might be broken, do you have a camera store you can go to and see if they might have the parts to at least test your camera and see if it is the cord or a faulty battery? My personal leaning is that your battery is fried but it's not that old of a camera so that would be a bit unusual. Do you have an iPad charger with the USB port that you can plug the camera into just to make sure that it's not your USB port on your computer acting up? I've had USB ports go crazy on me before.

.

I do have an iPad charger with a USB port, I think. I will try that. If that doesn't work, I will take it to a camera store I know. Thanks.

 

[BigB08822]

Thanks again Nell. I feel a lot better knowing the lag time isn't as much of an issue unless zooming out too far. I did more research last night and it appears you don't want to go too far on the zoom as it is because the pictures get grainy and blurry. I am leaning towards the 610 now.

 

[BigB08822]

Well I ended up purchasing a Nikon D3100 which is DSLR. It comes with two lenses, both with vibration reduction. It isn't the newest model but my research tells me that shouldn't hurt me and they end up discontinuing these cameras all the time to make way for the new models. I hope it ends up working for my needs. Hope to get it over the Spring Break but it doesn't have Prime shipping so not sure exactly.

 

[Jay42]

Well I ended up purchasing a Nikon D3100 which is DSLR. It comes with two lenses, both with vibration reduction. It isn't the newest model but my research tells me that shouldn't hurt me and they end up discontinuing these cameras all the time to make way for the new models. I hope it ends up working for my needs. Hope to get it over the Spring Break but it doesn't have Prime shipping so not sure exactly.

It's a couple of models back but the differences are mostly in pixels and the audio setup for the video. None of the camera companies have made any other significant changes to their entry level DSLR's in the 3 and half years I've been selling cameras. They save the big stuff for the mid-range and higher models and then trickle it down. Doesn't mean the cameras aren't good, but much like cell phones, having to release a new camera every year makes substantial innovation really hard to achieve.

 

[Reuven]

@BigB08822, the D3100 is a good camera, even if it is entry level. You probably have the 18-55mm and the 55-200 lenses. Very serviceable glass. Feel free to PM me with any questions. I've been using Nikon for a few decades, best camera out there.

 

[Vash01]

Today I was able to recharge the battery of my Nikon Coolpix 2700, using my home computer. Oddly my work computer was unable to charge it. I think it would have, had I used a different USB port. Anyway, I am just thrilled that I won't have to go to a camera shop to buy a new battery. I particularly wanted to carry this camera to worlds in Boston because of its small size. It will fit in my purse nicely.

 

[Jay42]

That's awesome! Name brand camera batteries are crazy pricey so it's nice to not have to buy one unless you really need too.

 

[Vash01]

I attended the much anticipated photo workshop conducted by Arizona Highways. It was excellent. I learned a lot, but will need to put it into practice very soon and very often, or I may forget what I learned. I have been taking photos with auto cameras for many years and had some success with it, but I really wanted to learn how to use a DSLR. Now I feel more comfortable about using the one I bought recently. Will have to wait till the weekend to shoot again though.

 

[DobrinFan]

I finally ordered the Nikon 3300 DSLR. Got it on Amazon for less than $500. That's good enough for a novice like me.

This is the camera I used during Worlds in Boston (with the 55-200mm zoom). I didn't have time to learn how to use it so I ended up taking photos on the "sports" setting. Worked perfectly for a newbie

 

[Vash01]

This is the camera I used during Worlds in Boston (with the 55-200mm zoom). I didn't have time to learn how to use it so I ended up taking photos on the "sports" setting. Worked perfectly for a newbie

That was smart. I am not sure I would have had the presence of mind to do that.

 

[Vash01]

I realized during my recent Alaska trip that my D3300 Nikon's 55mm lens is inadequate for wild life photos and will be so when I go for the aurora photos in the future. So I checked Amazon. They had a 50-200 mm Nikon lens for $169 which seemed like a good price. The customer reviews were good but they said that it cannot be used for autofocus. Currently I am using autofocus and manual focus, and would like to have that option to use both. I am wondering if there are affordable lenses without this limitation out there?

 

[BigB08822]

I don't know if there is such a thing as a good and affordable lens. They are just really expensive. I am happy that the camera I bought came with a 18-55mm and the 50-200mm I ended up using both quite a bit in Alaska but I really needed the 50-200 for wildlife and other shots. I would love to find one lens that has a huge range so I can avoid switching, it gets aggravating trying to change lenses constantly.

 

[DE93]

I realized during my recent Alaska trip that my D3300 Nikon's 55mm lens is inadequate for wild life photos and will be so when I go for the aurora photos in the future. So I checked Amazon. They had a 50-200 mm Nikon lens for $169 which seemed like a good price. The customer reviews were good but they said that it cannot be used for autofocus. Currently I am using autofocus and manual focus, and would like to have that option to use both. I am wondering if there are affordable lenses without this limitation out there?

Nikon has a very reliable 18-200mm lens that is not terribly expensive in the grand scheme of things. I'm not sure what your budget is, but you'd probably be able to find a used one for $400-$500, possibly less in USD.

 

[Reuven]

Nikon makes a 55-300 lens for DX cameras. But don't discount third party lenses from Tamron or Sigma. They make Nikon mount lenses that give Nikon a run for their money.

 

[sk8pics]

Personally, I think you need at least a 400 mm lens for wildlife. My 80-200 and my 300 mm lenses are woefully inadequate for birding. I get good results with my Coolpix P600, which has a 60x optical zoom, equivalent to about 1200 mm, though it's hard to shoot by hand zoomed all the way like that.

 

[Vash01]

Nikon makes a 55-300 lens for DX cameras. But don't discount third party lenses from Tamron or Sigma. They make Nikon mount lenses that give Nikon a run for their money.

I have heard of Tamron and Sigma on viewbug.com as they announce them as prizes in photo contests. I will look up the prices.

Personally, I think you need at least a 400 mm lens for wildlife. My 80-200 and my 300 mm lenses are woefully inadequate for birding. I get good results with my Coolpix P600, which has a 60x optical zoom, equivalent to about 1200 mm, though it's hard to shoot by hand zoomed all the way like that.

Wow! While touring Denali NP recently, one tourist in our bus had this HUGE lens and he was taking wildlife pictures. May be he had the kind of lenses you described. I am not that advanced. I am just a beginner. I like taking wildlife photos but I am an amateur and my interest is not really focused in that. So I think a less expensive lens may be right for me.

From what I am reading here, it seems that Nikon lens (55-300 mm) is not the way to go since it cannot do autofocus.

 

[Jay42]

From what I am reading here, it seems that Nikon lens (55-300 mm) is not the way to go since it cannot do autofocus.

You might be looking at an older version of the lens. The current version of the 55-300 can autofocus. I've demoed it on several occasions. Here is the page from Nikon's website for it.

It does say that it's backordered, you can probably find it on Amazon or some such place though.

 

[sk8pics]

@Vash01 You may want to consider something like the current Nikon Coolpix or the Canon equivalent. They will be much lighter and have a variety of pre-programmed settings to make things easier. And will cost less than a decent lens for your DSLR.

 

[Vash01]

@Vash01 You may want to consider something like the current Nikon Coolpix or the Canon equivalent. They will be much lighter and have a variety of pre-programmed settings to make things easier. And will cost less than a decent lens for your DSLR.

I have owned a Nikon Coolpix since 2013. I have a Nikon L840 as well. Both were before I got into DSLR. I have attended a one-day class on DSLR, so I have a little experience with it. Just need more practice. I am not new to photography; just to DSLR. I still use the Coolpix from time to time when it's a more convenient option.

 

[sk8pics]

I have my good Nikon DSLR, too, but for birding or whale-watching, anything you can't get real close to, my Coolpix is way better because of the zoom. I look around every now and then for a 400mm or 500 mm lens, but they're always pretty heavy and fairly expensive.