Buying a camera

[Timmay]

Didn't know they had electricity, let alone 350Ds all the way down your end AY.

[Lee]

Oh I dunno. Digital cameras have reached the point of being non-specialist now - even my parents bought one the other day, without consulting me - so just go down to Argos, find one that looks nice and fits in your hand, and suits your price, and buy it.

At least you can take it back within 15 days if it's shit.

Oh, really? Are all the cheap ones pretty much the same then? Hm... OK then, might pop into Argos tomorrow if I get time. Cheers for the help. (and yours in the other thread, Frinky)

[Almost Yearly]

Didn't know they had electricity, let alone 350Ds all the way down your end AY.

Oi ain't stupid, oi went for the deisel one becuz oi knows a farrmer.

[Timmay]

For Lee:

There's a review of cameras in this months PC Plus. In the budget group, the Olympus FE-120 came out "tops", with a 6MP sensor, 3X optical zoom, and 1.8" LCD screen. They quote £115 inc VAT for it. I say it came out tops, but it only got 3/5.

For a bit more, in the ultra-compact group, they gush over the Nikon Coolpix S3. For £185, you get a 6MP sensor, 3X optical zoom, a 2.5" LCD screen, and this comes with rechargeable Li-Ion batter, where the Olympus takes AAs. It got 5/5. Oh, and it's tiny.

[Frinky]

As a heads up, though, MP ratings in this price range tend to mean shit all apart from large, poorly captured images. They just use high MPs as a selling point, not unlike games consoles and "bits" (although that's a dead practice now, I think). Optical Zoom/the compression they use is probably what's important to you.

[Timmay]

Indeed. Although the recommendations I gave are based on reviews, which actually test resulting image quality. They loved the output of the Nikon.

As an addition, they reviewed the 350D in there too, and rated it best in class, with 4.5/5.

[terminallyrelaxed]

Its also 2 more megapixels than the 350D but that makes fuck all difference to anything really.

Eh? Both my 350D and ladyslim's 20D are 8.1Mp, same dimensions to the maximum size shots and same resolution settings.

Sorry, the 300D was 6 megapixels, I keep forgetting that the 350D and 20D are the same, as I was originally intending to buy the 300D.

[sproggy]

The Nikon D50 looks like a good all-rounder and not a bad price.

It also has some interesting features such as:

Seven automated Digital Vari-Program selections, including new "Child" mode for capturing memorable pictures of the little ones with ease

WTF is a 'child' mode?  A big fluffy bird shooting out of the flash perhaps?

[sproggy]

I had a lovely long chat with the man at Jessops today and we compared the Canon 350D against the Nikon D50.  He provided some really useful and impartial advice and we both decided that the Nikon suited my requirements and pocket.  The Canon seemed a little fiddly, especially when being man handled with my pig-titted fingers, and the viewfinder was smaller.  I was also advised that the Nikon range of lenses was somewhat superior (but this was the point at which he informed me he owned several Nikons)  Needless to say we discussed costs, which was a mere formality as they wouldn't budge on price or offer any other goodies, and bid him good day and thanked him for his help.

I ordered from here.  And their memory cards were about half the price of high street shops.

[Almost Yearly]

I saw fit to leave my camera and case on a rock on the beach today. That's £563.99 to replace, then. How do I feel. How do I FUCKING feel.

[sproggy]

You muppet.

[Almost Yearly]

That's not strong enough. I'm going to bed.

[slim]

Oh shit. Any chance it'll be there if you go back?

You never know, someone kind might've found it and handed it in to the local nick.

[gazzyk1ns]

Try to scam the cash out of your contents insurance people.

[Timmay]

Oh shit. Any chance it'll be there if you go back?

Or will it be floating out to France?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast/tides/southwest.shtml

Maybe it's time to look at what mook found...?

I've just bought a Canon 20d, the kit comes with a EF-S 18-55 lens, I got it for £799 from a local retailer.

[terminallyrelaxed]

I've been there loads of times, its an excellent shop...

[Almost Yearly]

Try to scam the cash out of your contents insurance people.

This did of course occur, but would make the world worse.

You never know, someone kind might've found it and handed it in to the local nick.

The cops called this morning and said that's exactly what appears to have happened, albeit handed in to Newquay police station 40 miles away (?!). Since I described the Zorb-It silicone sachet stuck to the lens cap, it must be my camera they've got, I suppose. I find out Wednesday when it's been brought back down here under woo-woo escort. If it's mine I shall make sure I return the kamra carma some time. And the world will be better.

[mothman]

If you had a toothbrush in your bag, don't use it before checking the photos on the camera first.

[sproggy]

It's good to know there are some decent people out there.

You lucky boy.

[falafel]

If you had a toothbrush in your bag, don't use it before checking the photos on the camera first.

Infinite Jest?

Now, I have a particular problem.

Well, not really a problem.

I have a Fujifilm Finepix e550. 6.3 megapixels, very good consumer camera. I'm thinking of buying the optional lens adapter and wide angle lens, as well as a couple of filters (mainly a polariser) for my trip to Australia. Thing is - well, here's the thing.

It's relativly big, compared to most consumer cameras at the moment. Got it last summer for... £180 I think. I wonder if I could somehow trade (ebay?) it in for a smaller model with equal quality BUT hopefully also one with equal expandability. Don't think I can go for an SLR cam, I'm trying to save a bit of money at the moment - the thing is, ideally I'd like to have a pretty good but little cam  that I can shove in my pocket., or an awesome camera the size of which is outweighted by the potential for goood photography. At the moment what I've got is somewhere inbetween, because it's really quite good without being spectacular and it's a little too big to put in my jean pockets without looking and feeling a little elephantitis-like. I suspect I'm just being covetous. Can anyone recommend some good alternatives? I might be persuaded to go SLR if you can show me something awesome I could do with it... on the other hand, it's not really a good idea to take an SLR bakcpacking anyway is it?

Oh, I don't know.

[Timmay]

The cops called this morning and said that's exactly what appears to have happened, albeit handed in to Newquay police station 40 miles away (?!).

You never know, the police and insurance company may not speak to each other, and you may have something to eBay soon. Or sell to Lee. :)

Oh, you did tell the insurance company it was a 20D, didn't you...

[slim]

Yay for you, Yearly. That's marvellous news.

[Frinky]

Yeah, do the insurance scam thing, we're all beyond Karma, and I could do with a new camera.

[Timmay]

No, I could do with a new one. You did say it was a Canon 1D didn't you AY...?

[Almost Yearly]

No, fuck you all very much for your concern. I operate on bare minimum (might as well not be there) insurance, so they'd either wriggle out of it or bump my premium by £513.99


Christ you feel so shit when you do something that shit don't you. Sorry for the derail.

[John Self]

It's good to know you've got your camera back Yearly, but a small part of me was actually disappointed, as I was fairly sure that someone would chance upon it and take it home and post a thread to his online forum asking the other posters what they thought he should do with it (I'm assuming there were pictures in it already taken: if I'm wrong, please don't tell me), and that eventually you would receive, through the post, a collection of hilarious, interesting and uplifting songs based on your escapades with your nearest and dearest. Ah well- it's their loss.

Plus I'm not entirely sure how they'd have got your address: hadn't thought it through I guess


Christ you feel so shit when you think something that shit don't you. Sorry for continuing the derail.

[sproggy]

I've just watched the gadget show on C5, they tested the Nikon D50, Canon EOS 350D and the Olympus e500 and the Nikon came out tops.



Yay!

[slim]

Alright, little man, keep a lid on it. You're looking at several owners of 350Ds here, some of whom are quite fond of their cameras.

PHOTO SHOWDOWN!


My best ones are in my loft folder though, so you can't see them.

[sproggy]

Yes I did detect a slight bias towards Canon on here.

My best ones are in my loft folder though, so you can't see them.

Your o.k. they're probably perfect, so nobody needs to see them anyway.

[zozman]

I bought a 350D on Saturday.  Nothing to report (yet).  I just wanted to mention it, feel like a big man, etc....