My sisters wedding soon, and my uncle who lives abroad is coming over. Now he is a keen amateur photogropher and has a pretty high end Nikon SLR digital camera that cost him about 650 quid and has 11 megapixels.

What i want to know is how many MBs do SLR pics take up? Naturally it will be heftier than your standard everyday camera….but will a 1 GB card be sufficient for several snaps? We have one (with a high transfer speed) already…..but are wondering if we should shell out for a 2gb

Hi,

Lets assume a Nikon D90 (12.2mp) - your uncle’s camera may be a different model.

Page 262 of the D90 manual indicates RAW+fine Jpeg images are 16.9MB each and a highest quality Jpeg on its own is 6.0MB.

You can do the numbers your self, 1GB card holds c150, 6.0MB highest quality Jpeg images (I always reduce the nominal card capacity by 10%, so a 1GB card has 900MB of usable space, this accounts for different card types and the fact that the 1GB is "nominal" capacity only - do a "properties" in My Computer and see)

Nikon DSLR manuals are available online - just search on the model. I attach the D90 link as an example.

Cards are usually reliable, but I would strongly suggest taking at least 2 cards, one for around the church/registry office, and another for the reception - just in case anything does go wrong. Memory is cheap memories are not!

SanDisk is my fave card too - below is the compatibility link - not all cards work in all cameras so beware.

Have a great wedding!

Cheers
Charles

Ok, so I really want an SLR digital camera, but there are so many to choose from. I have looked at a 1000 reviews of different cameras, but I cannot make up my mind. The ones that I like the best are probably Sony DSLR A300 or Canon EOS 450D. But I don't know which one is the best, or if there is one that is better out there that is that same price range as the others I mentioned.

I would appreciate all help! thank you.

Before I start let me remind you to buy from reputable online dealers such as beachcamera.com, bhphoto, buydig, adorama, ritz camera, J&R, amazon, etc. NOT ebay. There are reputable dealers on ebay, however they also have a lot of “gray market” versions of cameras, that are basically non-US versions. Look around those sites I mentioned to get the best price. Just remember to check resellerratings.com and BBB.org to see the reputation of the vendor. There are a lot of scam artists online these days. I would stick to buying from a site that has positive resellerratings and/or a good standing with BBB.

Another thing to never forget, MEGAPIXELS DON'T MATTER, it's a marketing tool. Any photographer will tell you megapixels have nothing to do with image quality. Unfortunately a lot of people think the more megapixels the better a camera. Megapixels above 5 or 6 are more than enough for most purposes, more than those are helpful when making LARGE prints. Fortunately most cameras these days come with at least 6 so no need to worry about mp. When looking at zoom remember to ONLY LOOK AT THE OPTICAL zoom. Digital zoom means NOTHING. If you want to take another picture immediately after you take one, the prosumer point and shoots and dslrs are better at this than compact cameras (compact point and shoot vs prosumer point and shoot vs dslr explained later). So if you shoot a lot of moving things or sports, you may require a prosumer point and shoot or a dslr. However most compact point and shoots these days can do fairly well on that too, but nowhere near as well as a dslr would. Sure you lose the compactness, but a prosumer point and shoot is a slightly more serious camera, and then of course a dslrs are for strictly serious photographers or enthusiasts.

Here are my general suggestions in each range of cameras, organized by 3 groups, compact point and shoots, prosumer point and shoots (basically higher end and bulkier point and shoots), and dSLRS. These are the 3 different classes of cameras out in the market these days. In general also remember, IT’S THE PHOTOGRAPHER who makes the pictures look good and the PROFESSIONAL who makes the pictures look “professional”. An amateur will get better results with a point and shoot then they will with a dslr. You have to devote time to photography to learn, take classes and understand composition to take better pictures with your cameras. That being said, here are my suggestions for each of the 3 different kinds of cameras in the market.

1) Compact Point and shoots: These are your small credit card sized cameras that most people think of these days when they think of cameras, available at any electronic store pretty much. Very portable and stylish. I would say these are the way to go if you are a casual photographer and just take pictures when you are out with friends, or go for trips, etc. In the compact point and shoot range I would suggest Canon SD 880 IS (comes in gold and sliver). This is one of the best point and shoot cameras out so far and costs around $250 I believe. The other good one, which is like an upgrade of the SD 880 is the canon SD 970 IS. That one costs slightly more. The reason I suggest these two is because canon compact point and shoots are the best there are in that class, and these two stand out from there other models because of their 3 inch lcds and fairly good optical zoom. Since most people who use point and shoot cameras don't use the view finder, these models got rid of that and put a huge and vibrant 3” LCD instead, a smart move. Also they have tons of features that are more than any casual photographer needs. Check them out on the canon website, then buy from reputable dealers.

2) Prosumer point and shoot: These cameras offer a lot more manual control than point and shoots and have higher zooms. They are a bit more advanced than the typical compact point and shoot cameras. They'll also be bulker and more expensive, around $400-600. If you are considering compact and want REALLY good zoom look at some of these prosumer point and shoot cameras, they come with 20x zoom while compact point and shoots usually have 3-5X. If you are considering compact point and shoot and you are slightly more serious about your photography and would like more manual control, I would suggest to consider these as well. In this class of cameras, I suggest Sony HX1 or Canon G10 or Canon SX1 IS. All three of these are excellent, you can compare them yourselves to see which one you like.

3) dslr: These are your really serious cameras, with interchangeable lenses. These will cost a lot! They have interchangeable lenses and offer a lot of flexibility and creative control. When you buy these you buy a system and will build on it with life by purchasing more lenses as you go, flashes, tripods, etc etc. Just one of the lenses alone will cost more than your point and shoot will, so they aren't cheap. Photography is NOT cheap. Don’t only look at the price of the camera body when buying an slr. Dslrs are expensive because you buy a system. Lenses are more important than the body and good glass will run you a lottt more than bodies will. Bodies don't matter, you can always upgrade them but lenses are with you forever. Here are my recommendations for dslrs.

-Entry level: If you’re a beginner, I suggest these and then after you learn everything you can upgrade if you feel it is necessary. I also suggest taking a photography class at a local community college. My suggestions for this range are Nikon D40, Canon Rebel XS (around $500 total or less with kit lens)

-Mid level dslr: Canon XSi or the New T1i ($700 for xsi, $900 for T1i with kit lens). I prefer these to the Nikon ones, however Nikon also has their D60 and their D5000 that you may want to look at.

-More professional models: Nikon D90 or nikon D300 or Canon EOS 40D, Canon EOS 50D ($1000 +). I would suggest these if you have experience in photography or with a film slr or previous dslr. Between canon and Nikon, it’s a personal preference. One is not better than the other.

-Full frame: these are the most expensive cameras in the world and will run around as much as your first car would for the whole system, so I won't recommend these because if you were in the market for these I'm sure you wouldn't have asked any questions here on yahoo answers, you'd be a professional taking photos for a living.

*NOTE: canon and nikon are the two biggest and best companies when it comes to cameras. Canon by far leads the way when it comes to point and shoots. In SLR, it's debatable but I prefer Nikon SLRs and I know many who prefer canon SLRs. Just remember when you buy dslr you get a system that you stick with. Lenses are a lot more important than the body, because body can be upgraded always but lenses stay with you forever. I do highly suggest sticking with Canon or Nikon.

**I guess the dslr part of this whole thing I wrote applies to you more. Between the sony and the 450D, you definitely want the 450d (rebel xsi). It's around 600 with a kit lens I believe, if you have 600 just buy it with the kit lens. And you need a lot more for additional good quality lenses. Off camera flash is a must as well. If you have a bigger budget and are more serious, I suggest you do this
1) buy the XSi BODY only
2) buy these 3 lenses, canon 70-200 f4 L IS, 85mm f1.2, 17-55 f2.8, 100mm f 2.8 macro
2) canon 580 speedlight

You will keep all that stuff forever, your xsi body you can upgrade when you outgrow it.

I am thinking of buying the Canon EOS Rebel XS SLR camera, while I have the "old" Canon film camera (AE1) with 3 camera lens: 50mm, medium zoom len and telephoto len.

Can I use these three old film camera lens with the new digital camera and, if so, what camera or len features I would lose, if any?

Thanks.

As you've heard, unforunately your FD-mount lenses won't work properly on the current EF/EF-s mount Canon camera. Canon made the change to the EF mount back in 1987 and it caused quite a bit of frustration for Canon users at that time. I know several people who moved to Nikon specifically out of anger at Canon's decision to abandon the FD-mount.

There are a few adapters to use FD lens on EF-mount bodies but there are some problems with this proposition. One problem is the fact the EF-mount is specifically an all electric mount so all actuation of the aperture and focus motor occur in the lens. This means the Rebel XS body has no way to control the aperture of the FD lens and it will have to be shot "wide-open." The second problem is the distance from the mounting flange to the sensor. The FD mount was only 42mm offset from the film plane where as the EF-mount is 44mm off the film/sensor plane. This means an FD lens would require corrective optics in the adapter to focus to infinity. At best, you could use the old lenses for macro work since the adapter would act like a lens extension.

For what it's worth, Canon's EF and EF-s lenses are worlds better than the FD lenses in many cases. The EF 50mm f1.8 lens can be had for less than $100 which makes the cost comparable to that of an FD to EF adapter to use your old FD-mount 50mm lens. The Rebel XS is often sold with 18-55 and 55-250mm kit lenses that are image stabilized and worlds better than your manual lenses. The point lurking here is that it may not be not worth your time to try to convert those old lenses.

I'm looking for a simple digital camera. I'm only 15 with limited pocket money, so my budget is about $160. I don't care about cool effects, but it has to be able to take decent pictures in different light. I want a digital SLR, but that's just a dream. Anyways, is there anything out there that meet these specifications? Personal reviews and examples are preferred. Thanks.
my suggestion
go to the links below for help

http://www.adorama.com/alc/

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

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camera-buying-guide

http://www.dynamicgraphics.com/dgm/Article/28819

I've been into photography for some time now, but for a few months i've been thinking of updating to a Digital SLR…I'm low on money, who isn't these days, so are there any recommendations? Should I buy the body & lens separately, or as one? Are there any brands better than the rest, or is it a personal preference? Is a built-in flash worth it, or is it puny? I'm still doing some research, and haven't made up my mind yet… as for megapixels, I don't NEED super fancy high-quality photos, just about medium quality; won't be printing much…
it is very confusing, I've been reading reviews, so I was just gonna see if you guys have an suggestions. help would be great?
Thanks!

I highly recommend visiting the store and holding the cameras. It could make a huge difference.

I wanted a Canon Rebel, it looked great on paper, and was all set to buy one until i held it. I felt like i was going to crush it (I'm big) if i held it too tightly. Then I tried the Nikon, and fell madly in love with it.

When my sister held my camera, she complained it was too heavy, so she ended up getting a much smaller camera.

Different strokes for different folks.

My camera was recently stolen, and I'm looking to buy another Canon because I loved my powershot so much. I really want to get a digital SLR, but I was just wondering if there are any possibly good cameras for under $500? I don't have a lot of money to spend on one and I was wondering if there are any websites you'd like to suggest or anything.

Question for someone who owns a Canon Digital SLR: do they have the same "fun features" as the regular powershots do? My powershot had a fun feature that made the whole picture black and white but you could pick out certain colors that you wanted to show up, like red or blue. I was just wondering if a slr could do that too.

thank you!

Check the Canon USA website for the DSLR line. It shows MSRP's for the DSLR so that puts the outside maximum you would have to pay for the camera. Most places sell for under MSRP, but be sure you reserve some money for extra batteries, case, memory card(s) and a UV filter (to protect the lens from bumps and scratches).

Most DSLR's (Canon included) don't consider the camera as a fun toy to share images within the camera. You can do everything that point and shoot cameras do in terms of image manipulation but it will have to be done on your computer after you transfer the pictures from the memory card.

Canon includes Picture Style Editor, Image browser and Digital Photo Professional with their DSLR's either on an included CD or as a download from their website.

Also be aware that running around with a DLSR around your neck isn't nearly as fun as swinging a little point and shoot camera from your wrist.

Someone recently just stole my new Canon Powershot SD1100, and I was just going to buy another one of those but I've always wanted to buy myself a digital SLR camera, and Canon would probably be my number one pick since I really liked my Powershot, so I was wondering which SLR people recommend?
I also don't have a lot of money either to be spending on a new camera… so I'm hoping to at least get a nice camera for a good price!

Thank you!

it really depends on what you want. there are a lot of cheap SLR's from other brands that are available won't have as a good of a selection of lenses as canon or nikon if you ever decide to go further into photography.

but if you want a canon, i suggest you get either the XS or XSi. if you feel like spending a little bit more, they just released a new one called the t1i. the cameras have 'live-view' which allow you to shoot from the screen just like from your SD1100. if you don't feel like spending that much money and if you can handle shooting through the viewfinder (holding it up to your eye), get the XT or XTi. even though they don't have live view, they are canon's most bought dslr's. i personally have a XTi.

but if you don't feel like getting a canon, you can go on the other side of the spectrum and buy a nikon. i'm not a nikon user myself but from what i've heard, the D40 or the D60 give you the best bang for the buck. they don't have live view like the XS or XSi does though. the D90 does have it though.

I'm looking at the following:

1. Olympus evolt 520
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0307124

2. Canon EOS rebel XSi
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0282239

3. Sony alpha 350
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/digitalcamera/product.asp?pid=239860&productFamilyID=922

I've been reading reviews and my head is spinning. I just can't seem to figure out which camera is the best.

Any help would be great, also if you got a good deal, please let me know the website.

Thanks!

Selecting a DSLR is a very personal choice and each of the cameras you have selected will give you excellent results if used properly. I recommend going to the web site below which is designed to help people evaluate the choices and understand what the terminology means -

http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/

I am a former camera salesman and had a lot of experience with various cameras when I selected my first DSLR about 4 years ago. I chose an Olympus camera for a variety of reasons but mostly because I knew they are an innovative company that make extremely high quality optics and electronics. I have not regretted my choice and am considering starting a photography business as a retirement career. I am quite certain I can get professional results with my Olympus cameras.

Here is a link to my Flickr page. Nearly all of the pictures (except scanned 35mm and Examples sets) were made with Olympus DSLR cameras and Olympus lenses.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robs-photo-memory/sets/

HTH. Good luck!
Email me if you have more specific questions.

My dad's regular SLR is a Pentax, and he has the regular 18-50 mm lens that came with it and also a Tamron 50-200 mm lens that's compatible with the Pentax. My question is can these lenses be used with any Pentax digital SLR, or would I have to buy a certain model?

Thanks.

Fortunately for you, Pentax DSLR cameras still use the same K-mount first introduced around 1975.

There are steps you'll have to take to use the older lenses. You can find this information at http://www.shutterbug.com by typing Pentax K100D in the Search box. I rather doubt anything has changed since the K100D was reviewed in Oct. of 2006. The procedure for the K200D or K20D should be the same.

I really want a nice digital SLR camera. I can spend about $800. Does anyone own the Nikon D60? If you do, do you like it?

If you don't, can you recommend something else in that price range? Thanks!

The D60 is a good entry level DSLR. I am a Canon user and have never used the D60. I have used the D40, D80 and D300 cameras though. Nikon makes very good cameras and lenses. You can't go wrong with any of them. If you want to look at a comparable camera check out the Canon Rebel XS or XSi. These are the Canon models closest in price and performance to the D60. When it comes down to it they are very similar. It really depends on which one feels best in your hands and has the features you want.