Wanted your opinion's on buying a new camera.

I have noticed that allot of members here on this site are not only talented guitar players, but are also artistic in other ways such as photography.In the post your pic's section Captain spasm, SteveG and Blues Player just to name a few posted great shots of their family's and scenic shots as well.And my question is this.

What is a good medium range digital camera to buy?.I have a Sony 7 meg compact but would like better overall sharper pictures and thought a good auto SLR camera might do the trick.here is the model i am looking at it's a brand new Fuji slr and runs about $429 CDN.






18x optical zoom with true wide-angle to telephoto
Face Detection technology
NEW Instant zoom function
CCD-shift image stabilisation
13 scene modes
2.5-inch LCD monitor
AA batteries with up to 400 shots
Super Macro Mode


Fujifilm are delighted to introduce the FinePix S8100fd; following in the footsteps of its predecessor the FinePix S8000fd, this model offers advanced features and huge zoom range at an affordable price.

Continuing on the success of the FinePix S8000fd, the 10 Megapixel FinePix S8100fd integrates a Fujinon 18x wide angle optical zoom fixed lens (27mm-486mm equivalent), while new Zoom Bracketing and Instant Zoom modes give the user more flexibility than ever before.

All this is housed in a stylish, lightweight yet sturdy body that proves to be an affordable alternative to the more complex DSLR system.

The camera you suggest sounds great . You mentioned me in your post :) shucks . But im really a complete novice although i do get a little anoraky when i hold a camera .
I don't know that much about them to be honest , but what i do know is high mega pixel is not necessarily a good thing . Its all about the software and how the image is processed . So a 5 mega pix could be better than a 8 . Also high Zooms are good but like using Binocs you need a very steady hand or tripod otherwise you may get blurry images .

Its all i know .

I don't know very much about them either.

My brother-in-law asked his friend who is into them, what he should get as an entry level camera.

He suggested a Nikon D40, which is what he went for.

When I get some money together, I will buy one as well as it has to be one of the easiest cameras I have seen in terms of useability, and it just takes brilliant results, everytime. Not that I have seen many cameras, mind.

But when you consider that I paid £300+ for my Sony digital camera, this is cheaper and absolutely wipes the floor with it. It only has 6 Mega Pixels, but it produces high enough resolutions for blowing up to canvas and zooming in, which echoes what bluesplayer said here.

He has used it for weddings, on holiday, snapping pics of my little girl, and I have to say, he has captured some beautiful shots, which is why I am going to get one, as I am sick to death of missing shots due to the long time it takes my Camera phone or Sony digital camera to actually take a shot. By then, everyone is bored and has gone home. This thing takes 2.5 shots a second, which is much better than the 10 seconds or so it takes between each shot on my sony or camera phone.

Much easier to get that perfect shot that is otherwise missed with what I currently use.

Anyway, hope this helps...

:thumb:

Well a high optical zoom is good, Optical actually zooms in, where as digital zoom just blows up the image, so it loses quality.
The above camera looks great, i think it would definately serve you well, 18x Optical zoom should really come in handy, i've been looking at similar cameras too, BP mentioned you'd need a steady hand, but in all honesty at max zoom you'd need a camera stand (a tri-pod).
I used to do quite bit with my camera back in the days of 35mm, and if you're going to use the zoom alot, or take photos at night (which i think is the best kinda photos) a camera stand is a must, it eliminates handshake and the need for faster shutter speeds, allowing you to take pictures in almost any conditions.
Obviously abit has changed with digital cameras (not least that they only take a picture when they feel like it :lol: ), but the basics are still the same really, the more you invest the better the pictures, but there are some very good cams about in all price ranges, and its just a case of picking the right one for you.
Try googling for reviews of the above camera, you might find some ppl using them and what there opinion is of it, which can always be a handy preview of what you're purchasing.
Hope this is of some help mate :)

A few years back I bought a Fuji S20pro, which I was pleased with, as this was my first digital camera. but easter gone I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ3 with a Leica lens. Its small and fits in the pocket which was what I was after. The picture quality took me my surprise, very sharp and clear, (which I put down to the lens) every bit as good as film. Its automatic with plenty of scene modes, but doesnt have manual over ride, like the Fuji I had. But I just want things easy now.
I spent about 13yrs taking weddings and childrens photos for a living using top quality cameras and lenses, so at first I found digital quality not as good. This little Panasonic is great, I believe there is a new version out now.
Good luck with your choice mate.

All been said ... was a time I would have ripped your arm off to get my hands on that camera, these days it would be too big for me, mine fits nicely on my belt and only takes a few seconds to get into action.Its an aging Olympus, only 3.2 MPixels (same as my phone :lol:) but takes better shots than Wendy and Shannon's 7Mp cameras. I am planning to replace it as the battery life is pathetic now and I could do with a bigger screen (failing eyesight) but will probably wait 'till I can pay a bit more and get another Olympus.
The lens on that camera is going to help a lot compared to a compact, seems a good choice if you want to get a bit more serious.

Thanks to all you guy's for taking time to give me good information what all of you have said seem's to make good sense.
The idea that more megapixles is not necessarily better helps me in the decision process.And it was interesting to find out that the pictures that i so admired that you took were on cameras that are basic models not high end SLR type cameras which i thought was the case.

So it just goes to show that good pictures are more about the len's and software and not the amount of money spent......damm i like that idea.:woot:

So in short : stick to good name brands like you guy's mentioned Cannon,Olympis,Lumix, and look more for overall capability and len's.

Thanks again to all.:)

Park