Help please!

[richardh8828]

hi!
im interested in buying a good camera...i love taking photos but i dont know whats good or bad..
max spending price is £450
i want something thats good for landscapes eg sunsets etc..i love scenery...but also fairly good up close eg raindrops on a leaf..
something thats a must must is variation in shutter speed...i love slow shutter speed photos where theres lots of traffic..i love those!
i pretty much want a good all round photo which is suitable for someone whos still learning yet wont force them to buy a new camera in a year..
and a good variation in manual control but also some pre set would be handy..
ive been looking at nikon D60...sony A200...canon 450D and 400D
im not sure whether i want a DSLR or a compact camera with full manual controls..

help me please

thanks

[richardh8828]

im tempted with the sony A350 and canon 450D
the sony more though

[yelvertoft]

I wouldn't get too hung up over which particular model to go for, there's no such thing as a bad dSLR out there at the moment. Whichever you chose, of the models you've listed, they all offer the degree of manual, and fully automatic control you need. Go into a shop, take a look at the models you're interested in, have a play with them, buy the one that you get on the best with. You are the best person to decide what you like best once you've got it in your hand.

Duncan

[richardh8828]

thanks for the info..
well a friend has the A200 and he likes it...does the job..and another the canon 450D and she likes that..
to be honest after reading reviews its down to sony A200 (if i go cheap) and sony A350 and canon 450D if i go expensive..
is it worth spending the extra £130? or is the sony A200 fine? the only difference between it and the more expensive ones is less megapixels (not alot) and no live view...

any more feedback?

[Birdsnapper]

Hi, Richard, try googling dpreview to get reviews of different cameras. Don't get concerned about megapixels - more is not necessarily better (in some cases, worse). However, being a Canon user, I'd go for the 450D.

[richardh8828]

thanks guys for the feedback...
im going A200...it may no have all the features the other two have but its a good camera...especially for a newbie like myself..
it can be my learning camera ...plus it takes some pretty sweet photos..my friend has one..
and also..whats the point of me having an extremely good camera but not know how to work it...and therefore not take good photos..
i think at the minute easier the better...and its still a good camera so its ok..it has everything i could need...
and the money i save im getting a tripod and bag..as..i love hiking and rambling...and i love photos which require slow shutter speeds...eg photos of sunsets..moon..stars...lights...traffic etc...

what you think?
plus any good decent tripods? i saw a sony one for £20 that seems aight

[gordon g]

Before buying a tripod, think about how you will use it - will you be carrying it, if so, how (on rucksac, in hand, in its own bag...), how far will you carry it for, what height range do you want, will you need to set the legs at different angles, eg ground level or on uneven terrain, what weight camera/lens combo it will support. Also think about a head for the tripod - again considerations of weight, how heavy the camera/lens is, intended use, quick release plates (would recommend one with a quick release plate - this can stay on the camera and makes setting up much easier). Three-way heads are a good general purpose head, easily adjustable. Ball heads are very compact, but not everyone likes how they handle. (I use one most of the time, but that's my preference)
Another thing that might be worth considering for tripod based photography is a cable or remote release, especially for long exposures where even your finger on the shutter button might introduce too much camera shake. If your camera cant use one of these, then self-timer would do, but that introduces a delay in shutter opening that you might find annoying if timing is critical.
It's worth spending a bit of money on a tripod that will do the job properly - there are lots of brands, but manfrotto/bogen is a good mid-range starting point.

[yelvertoft]

Richard, take Gordon's advice. It is worth spending a bit of money on a tripod. I wouldn't get a £20 tripod. A quick release plate is a very good feature.

As for:
"plus it takes some pretty sweet photos..my friend has one.."
It's your friend that takes the sweet photos, not the camera. You can give the best camera in the world to a bad photographer, and find it very capable of taking bad photos. Get a camera that you are comfortable using, and get out there and use it. there's no substitute for experience, regardless of which model you choose.

[richardh8828]

yea..i see what you mean..
well i will be carrying it far when hiking or going to the beach etc and it will be on uneven terrain..
i want it to be able to look up vertical for sky photos..

i totally agree!...thats why im going for the sony A200 over the A350 and the canon 450D...its easy to use and about £150 cheaper yet still has good features....
it was my friends first camera also...
i know a fair bit with exposure and ISO and what not...ive just never put it to practice as my camera is just a crappy compact thing

[postcardcv]

Originally Posted by yelvertoft

I wouldn't get too hung up over which particular model to go for, there's no such thing as a bad dSLR out there at the moment. Whichever you chose, of the models you've listed, they all offer the degree of manual, and fully automatic control you need. Go into a shop, take a look at the models you're interested in, have a play with them, buy the one that you get on the best with. You are the best person to decide what you like best once you've got it in your hand.

You read so much fanboy nonsense on various websites when the 'which camera' question gets asked, this statement should be copied and added to every such thread.