photography

[g4ghb]

I've had a slr camera since I was young (used my dads old zeneth for years) and perhaps it sounds silly but a slr camera 'feels right' It is just natural to hold for me.

Now I guess I could have gone for a full slr but as I don't need at present the ability to change lenses this seemed a good compromise

the main downside but i'm getting more used to it each time I use it is the digital vewfinder

what i like is the large zoom - 28mm-300mm slr equlavalent in the space of my old 35-70mm slr and it also has a 2x digital magnification on top of that!!

The fact that with no need to change lens the unit is sealed so ther is no problem of dirt getting into the delicate inside

I also like the fact that you do have the option to use the screen on the back (it also tilts up or down) insted of the viewfinder - this is NOT possible (apart from a few models eg olympus e300?)
Another benefet I find with this style of camera is that it tends to make you think more before taking the shot rather than just pointing and shooting with a compact

 

[leon-b]

thanks for that g4
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

I don’t know about “most Epson’s” as I have only owned three in the last 10 years as Epson just don’t seem to break down, but my Epson has 17ml in the black and 3x 10ml for the ‘three colour cartridge’.
Personally, I can understand why the cartridges of the Canon pixma ip4300 are so much bigger; at max resolution they use 33 times as much ink as my Epson. They also cost £11 each so that’s 5X11=£55, where as my Epson use just two at £7 and £16 (cheaper inks are available for the Epson )
My Epson prints enprint sized photos at photo quality, which is good enough for me.
So I’d say it’s all about what you use it for and what it costs to run. The Epson will cost more to buy I’ll grant you. The comparable printer to yours is the Epson R380 which costs about £30 more but in the long run it costs about 25% less per photo print.


No, the older Nikons did, but newer ones, all seem to be without. It also doesn’t have a hot shoe for separate flash and battery life is not that great,

By "most modern epsons" i meant the latest available models. There are newer models that use the 3 colour cartridge system but the problem as i see it is that one tank will always run out before the others in a 3 colour system (this is also the problem with HP lexmark/dell machines) therefore yes the cartridges may be cheaper but you will never get the full use of the cartridge.
Pretty much all epsons (even the high end A3 R1800 and R2400) interpolate{sp?} their printing, it requires a number a passes along the same stretch of paper to produce the same results therefore useing more ink than the Canon which will do it in one pass when set to best photo. Yes the Canon uses more ink to produce the same results but the printhead is finer and will still produce more prints per cartridge than any other machine that i have tested.
As for their durability well that is down to experience. I fix machines for a living and obviously only see them when they are broken . On a repair ratio in my experience epson outnumber Canon at a ratio of about 5 to1. Due to their design the Canons are also easier to repair and service. This maybe because Epson outsell Canon i do not know but all of this advice is from personal experience. We have customers who will swear by their Lexmark printers for photographs, personally i wouldn't waste shotgun cartridges on them

As for mine, i am a glutten for punishment I have a Canon i9950 which has 8 ink tanks in it and will print A3+. It useage of ink is still far less than any other epson printer (we have customers who bitch constantly about how much ink their R1800 and R2400's use).

It's down to personal choice in the end. I have owned 3 Epson printers in the past and all have performed flawlessly . That said as things stand at the moment i personally would not buy one.

 

[leon-b]

what do you think AA, fuji finepix s5600 or the canon coolpix s4 ?
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

At the end of the day mate the choice is yours.

As previously suggested, get out there and play with them in the shops if you can. Play with all the switches and dials.

My advice/things to look for would be.....

How does it feel in your hand?
Are the dials/switches postive or feel loose, they won't get any better with use!
Are there any switches, catches or anything on the camera that looks like it sticks out too much and would either catch when using the camera or break off if caught on anything.
Does it do what you want it to do, with regards to zoom lens, anti shake, amount of (toys) on it. Do you think you will need an external flash in which case look for one with a hotshoe.

There are a number of options out there and a good number of them suggested on this thread. I'm sure all would take good photographs and as others have said the camera is only one part of that, you are the most important element in the equation.

It is your money mate and i am not going to spend it for you. Have a look round and a good play with a few models...go have a coffee or something, think about the pro's and con's of each camera (take a notebook and make a list if you want, the shop assistants are there to sell you something, don't feel obliged to buy straight away, take your time) and then make you choice with the one you are happiest with.
It's your camera, you will own it for some period of time and YOU have to be happy with it.

 

[leon-b]

thanks AA, i will have a look at the two and play about with them and then i will make my choice, hopefully tommorow i will come home with a camera
will the camera plug strait into the canon printer or will i need a computer in between ? i am going to store my photos on my computer anyway but i was just wondering
if i do get the fuji i will need to purchuse a bigger memory card as the fuji has hardly any, i will get a 1gb that should do me
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

thanks AA, i will have a look at the two and play about with them and then i will make my choice, hopefully tommorow i will come home with a camera
will the camera plug strait into the canon printer or will i need a computer in between ? i am going to store my photos on my computer anyway but i was just wondering
if i do get the fuji i will need to purchuse a bigger memory card as the fuji has hardly any, i will get a 1gb that should do me
leon

A 1GB should be sufficiant for either of those cameras.
If the camera is "pictbridge" compatable then yes it will plug direct into a socket on the front of the printer. Otherwise no it would still have to go through a PC

 

[leon-b]

i think i read somewhere that the fuji is pictbridge compatible
leon

 

[g4ghb]

i think i read somewhere that the fuji is pictbridge compatible
leon

It is mate - but if you are going to use a pc that isn't a huge issue...... a pc is far more adaptable, you can crop and manipulate photos before printing them. (I beleive that it is possible with some pictbridge printers but i have no experience)

To be honest I print very few photos but then the act of takeing the pic is the best bit for me! so I guessIt's best not to pay too much attention to me

 

[leon-b]

yes most of my photos will not be printed only the odd ones that my family would like or something like that
the fuji finepix is on amazon for £136 at the moment and they have got a xd 1gb memory card to go with it for £16, i might order it off there but i would like to have a look at them first
leon

 

[ozzy1977]

A friend of mine got a Fugi Finepix S5600 last year and he can not fault it, he was also looking at most of the others on the market but the Fugi just felt right, proberbly as he was used to useing a proper SLR before.

Great thread by the way.

I recently got a Nikon D50,a couple of lenses, bag and 1gig card, and am having great fun just shooting everything, as it has been said before it dont cost anything, and if you dont like the pictures hit delete.

A decent tripod, flash and printer are on the wish list (along with getting my series 3 landy working again)

 

[ozzy1977]

Leon-B have a look in the camera shop on St Mathews street, the blokes in ther realy know there stuff, but I got mine from Currys digital on tarvern street as a package, a lot cheaper than I found on the net or anywhere else.

But the best advice is to hold and fiddle with as many as possible.

 

[leon-b]

tagnut havent seen you on here for ages
my mum and dad dont really want to go into the town centre just places like curries, bennets etc, i will make sure they let me hold it so i can decide for myself what one i would like
its great having someone living right near you as they know all the good shops lol
leon

 

[Long Stride]

Hi Leon,

I got the Fuji Finepix S5600 last Xmas. Just over £200 for camera, additional xd card, re-chargeable AA batteries and bag. I would assume it is a lot cheaper now.

For that price I was really pleased with the way the camera performs.
It is a bit fiddly to operate when you first start using it but your fingers get used to all the buttons. It is probably slightly bigger than the other cameras mentioned but it feels solid and comfortable in your hand which helps stability.
It has a quick start up time and can be used as a simple point and shoot ( fully automatic ) or go into manual mode and take the time to try out the different settings.

I am no pro ( this is my first " decent " digital camera ).

I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a camera but wanted a zoom lens and I am really pleased with the results I get from the Fujipix S5600.

The only downside is the cameras size - it doesn't fit in your pocket. ( I can squeeze it into the lower pockets on my M65 jacket )

As a lot of people have said a camera is a very personal choice.

Its a lot of money to spend on a bit of kit that you might not like when you get home.
Take the time to chose something you like and feels comfortable in your hands.

Remember, they all do the same thing - take photographs.

 

[Bigman]

The range of digital camera's available these days is phenominal and it's all down to personal taste as to which one's we prefer to use.

I started digital photography with an Olympus 350z compact and now have a Cannon EOS 300D which has been around for a couple of years now, in the new year I will be getting an EOS 5D.

As for printers my personal favourite are Epsons, I have an R1800 which allows me to print up to A3 pictures and has been faultless in the last three years since I bought it.

For using image editing software I recommend Picasa2 as it's free and is is a great way to get started.

For doing a more things with editing software I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 I bought a used one and saved money.

I do have Adobe Photoshop CS2 but this is expensive software.

 

[SowthEfrikan]

I'm always trying to lighten my load - no chance of ever seeing me with an axe in my pack - and settled on the Canon Powershot SD Digital Elph. It's tiny, weighs ounces, and produces great pictures. Exactly what is needed on long-distance hikes where weight is important.

 

[leon-b]

i went out today and bought the fuji finepix s5600, the lowepro rezo 140 aw case for it and 512 mb extra memory
tommorow will be a day full of testing out the camera and posting the results on here
leon

 

[WhichDoctor]

i went out today and bought the fuji finepix s5600, the lowepro rezo 140 aw case for it and 512 mb extra memory
tommorow will be a day full of testing out the camera and posting the results on here
leon

Cant wait to here your opinion , the fuji looks like the best one I've found so far. I'll go round town in the next couple of days and see if I can have a look at it and some other similar ones.

 

[JonnyP]

i went out today and bought the fuji finepix s5600, the lowepro rezo 140 aw case for it and 512 mb extra memory
tommorow will be a day full of testing out the camera and posting the results on here
leon

Well done Leon....I have seen some great photo's from the finepix range....Looking forward to seeing some of your work.....

 

[leon-b]

yes, it seems well built
leon