Any Camera Buffs On Here??

@Old Jock

 

I went entry level Canon SLR a few years back. Be very aware that you'll get a basic 18-55mm lens that you'll grow bored of quick. Then it's £200 on your first proper zoom lens, then some prime lenses and it all starts mounting up from there [emoji6]

 

@JenC I'm not really that up to speed. I'm a great fan of Fuji Cameras but on another forum there are some good mates who are, Cannon fans etc:

Let me ask there and come back to you if that's Ok, because much as I love Fuji there may be better stuff out there, I know for instance some of the Sony models get great reviews especially optics (Fuji's are good too, close if not as good as Leica).

Do what I can, sorry was out on the push bike and going out tomorrow on the Duc as the weather is promising. Might be the last ride of the season. @finm if I'm up yer way I'll drop by, but no real plans yet.

As @JH_1986 says it can get seriously addictive and VERY expensive, but its great fun.

Also if its airshows your going to need long focal length and that's where the costs will start.

Let me also check some Bridge cameras too. Although SLR are very flexible and take superb images, you may grow tired quickly of lugging around a bag full of lenses.

 

It's when you're trying to catch the fast bikes at a race meeting and because it's not 35 degrees of African sunshine, you can't get enough sunlight in the lens (aperture) to work. That's when you realise you need to go pro and get one of those huge lenses.

I straight away decided canon or Nikon as all old and new lenses fit and that makes for a good market for 2nd hand lenses when you want to go ebaying for your next lens.

 

I have three film Pentax and assorted lenses to dispose of.......one virtually unused.

Worth shite now.....

 

2nd hand lenses definitely hold their value a lot better than the cameras. I pad £500 for my SLR. Not worth a lot now but suits my amateur needs and I won't be upgrading it, just getting better lenses.

 

As others have said you could be opening a very large and expensive can of worms. A good quality compact is probably a better camera than an entry level DSLR.

I rarely use my Nikon DSLR these days, I prefer my Panasonic LX5, now obsolete but still a superb camera which I usually just leave in Intelligent Auto mode, occasionally using aperture or speed priority.

To get good in air shots at airshows would require serious investment, quality long lenses cost thousands and the compromises in the cheaper versions quickly become apparent.

Plenty of time to do your research before Xmas

 

DMC-LX7 LUMIX Compact Cameras - Panasonic

In budget, a superb camera, and I would take it over any entry level DSLR. It is always about the lens and this is a good one. Check out the reviews elsewhere.

 

If you want to take airshow pictures the processor speed of the camera will be important, take advice from a decent specialist dealer, I don't personally think there's much to choose between the main brands, try a few and see which you like best, read a few reviews and try not to go too far over your budget.

 

Damn you JenC... You've now got me looking for a lens that, as johnv said, will cost me about a grand. [emoji20]

 

A friend of mine bought one of these a while ago and I was very impressed with it. It has a massive zoom (perfect for airshows) and would be an ideal compromise of big lens performance/reasonably compact/great value for money.

Sony HX400V review | TechRadar

 

Not worth much I'll agree but still usable, you at Silverstone the weekend? I'd be interested in giving them a good home.

As far as the original post goes I'd say buy the best you (or the hubby) can afford then stretch yourself (him) a little for decent lenses. You really can tell the difference if you spend a little extra. I started on an entry level body with a kit lens and when I bought my first pro lens I was blown away. Never looked back.

But.......learn to use any camera in more of manual mode by understanding what the settings do and you will get much better results. Digital allows you to do it as you can just experiment and see instantly if it's working for you. You'll soon be able to exploit the technology to your advantage, especially if light is less than ideal. Physical kit will still limit you a little but you'll be surprised at what can be achieved with even basic kit.

 

As has been well said already - to do it 'properly' is a seriously expensive undertaking and will see many thousands spent - simply to get the decent wide aperture long lenses.

Within your budget I'd say look at what are known as Super Zoom cameras, here's what a £200 one is capable of: