I am a camera!

[Cuddles]

Actually I'm not but I am a prospective camera purchaser.

I want to buy a digital camera, capable of still and video, for use in my role as a PR/internal comms consultant. So portraits, candids of groups (not that sort of group activity) and recording day to day business events.

As I will be purchasing the camera as a legit business eccie, I am reasonably flexible on price with the tax man having to make allowances.

I've done a recce and I like the look of the Pentax Optio 90X and the Panasonic Lumix G10/FZ38 series. These are currently on sale at £250 and I am minded to go for the Pentax.

Anybody got any relevant comments on these beasties or indeed any alternative candidates. I'm happy to go up to £350 for the camera but I am looking at a bundle of memory, accessories, bag and tripod for either of the ones I mention of circa £300. Which would do me nicely.

So alternates, advice on where to buy and any feedback would be much appreciated. Plus you get to say you know more than that fcuking know-all b4stard Cuddles too!

 

[DesktopCommando]

As an oldly do you know you can get mobile phones with camera's even cheaper. (you may even have one on your current phone )








...............................................................................................................................................................................................................runs_away

 

[Ravers]

I've got a Nikon D5000. It is the absolute bollox. I bought it from pixmania.com fairly cheaply, with a load of accessories.

Even a mong like me can use it to take pictures like this:

 

[Ravers]

Ravers the D5000 is a SLR, he didn't mention an SLR I don't think and they are outside his price range.

I know, I just wanted to brag that I've got one, that's all.

 

[leveller]

http://www.camerabox.co.uk/product1.asp?ProductName=Nikon-Coolpix-S8000-Silver-(£30-Cashback)&ProductID=11886
I recently bought one of these, more megapixels than my digital SLR! Really good piece of kit. I'd get Jessops' to price match though as camerabox had them listed as being in stock when they weren't.

Yep Jarrod's is a good choice, remember all those millions of megapixels are limited to your screen resolution and printer Dpi.

Ravers is a camera cock, what you couldn't see on his pics, was the bandy legged, hankerchief wearing, bright red face, with half a dozen camers and lenses and an adanoid problem.

 

[Ravers]

Ravers is a camera cock, what you couldn't see on his pics, was the bandy legged, hankerchief wearing, bright red face, with half a dozen camers and lenses and an adanoid problem.

Have we met?

 

[Cuddles]

I don't want to feck around with different lenses either Ravers...I can guarantee I would always have the wrong fecker on!

The Optio is looking favourite because of the range of capability the integral lens offers - plus it does macros, which the other one does not.

Oh and I know I have a phone with a camera but it isn't man enough for the number, type and quality of photo I'm looking to produce.

 

[mattrlc]

you can buy a sony ericsson satio off fleabay for less than the price of some cameras. 12.1mp and you get yourself a new decent phone thrown in too

 

[Gremlin]

Panasonic makes some of the best compact and bridge (the type that you are looking at) cameras on the market. The other Bridges in the same class would be the Canon SX20IS and the Sony HX1 , but they are £100 more than the Panny.

You then jump up to the super compacts such as the Canon G11 & SX120IS, the Sigma DP1 & 2, the Ricoh GRIII and finally the Goddess that is Lecia.

Unfortunately the Pentax is an update of the X70 which received very mixed reviews at the time of release and was criticised for slightly mushy picture quality.

You can do a side-by-side comparison here:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

and a price comparison of retailers here:

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/index.html

for example the differing costs of the FZ38:

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1206.html.

What Digital Camera has very reliable reviews and is worth a look as well, either online or the magazine itself.

Given the pricing and usage that you've outlined I would plump for the Panasonic as best for all round photographs, especially as it offers RAW mode if you decide to get more into Post Processing.

As for accessories, tbh I would wait. It's very tempting to buy all sorts of goodies for your new camera but most of them will end up in the cupboard with dust on.

The only real must have is memory. Unless you do some very specific types of photography, you are unlikely to need a tripod with a Bridge camera; and bags are a very very personal choice- you won't really know which type you want until you have used the camera for a bit. Other than most of the accessories that get pushed at you when you first buy your camera are cheap tat on which the retailers make their real margin. Stay well clear of the 'all you need for photography' kits, most of it will end up in the bin within 4 months as either pointless or not good enough quality.

The other thing that you will need is software on your computer to Post Process the pictures after you have taken them. PP is again a very personal thing and some people prefer to do very little whilst others do quite a bit. There is a vast variety available ranging from free on t'web to £1000+ for Adobe CS5, and when starting off free is probably the best option!

IrfanView is an excellent free download which will allow basic editing including colour adjustment, cropping and red-eye correction. Gimp and Picassa are also free, good but slightly more complex. Probably the best medium level editor is Photoshop Elements 8 at about £75, but get to know what you want to do on the free ones first!

If you've got any specific questions please feel free to ask or PM me, and if you get your camera in the next week or so click on my Sig Block to have a gander at this months ARRSE Photo Comp!

 

[Bollock-chops]

Fuji Finepix S200EXR bridge camera, within price range. Camera of the year for group last year. And its not a manbag camera.


http://www.isitetv.com/f1b603bcc48c4396a52d1af1a2e9ae31-p4.htm

 

[Gremlin]

The Optio is looking favourite because of the range of capability the integral lens offers - plus it does macros, which the other one does not.

They both have the same MFD* of 10mm, so they are both 'macro' capable.



*Minimum Focal Distance

 

[Gremlin]

Fuji Finepix S200EXR bridge camera, within price range. Camera of the year for group last year. And its not a manbag camera.


http://www.isitetv.com/f1b603bcc48c4396a52d1af1a2e9ae31-p4.htm

I missed that one off, and it's not a bad option. Not as good as the Panny- but certainly worth considering!