Technology & Social Media Any photographers? Need help to find a camera ...p900?

Hi all,

I am looking for a camera as we are heading to africa for 3 weeks to go on safari and do some touring.

Looking for a little help as i have absolutely no idea when it comes to cameras or photography. Really want something that takes great high quality photos but you do not have to be a professional to use.

Is digital slr the go? Or has anyone used a nikon coolpix p900?

Cheers
Ardi

 

Going on a safari, then definitely slr. Even an entry level should be good. I have the basic Canon 550d with kit lenses and a 50mm lens. Great pictures.

 

+1 SLR

I'm not a photographer but my entry level digital SLR produces great results that I could never achieve with a point and shoot. The biggest problems with an SLR is the weight and the fact everyone will think you're a tourist (even when walking around near home) but you just can't compete with the image quality.

I've got a Nikon D40x with a Sigma 18-200mm lens, does all I need. Had it for 8 years and had zero issues.

For safari I'd imagine you're going to want a decent zoom or telephoto lens so that you can take closeup photos of lions from a safe distance.

 

SLR and consider hiring a decent telephoto lense.

A cheap, second hand Nikon D700 body should do the trick. Learn how to shoot in aperture priority before you go and you'll be fine.

Cheers

Jamie

 

Sony a6000 (unsure of your budget though). Don't go SLR these days. Go Sony and go mirrorless. Figure out a what decent zoom lens you want and your away.

 

Then get a camera that you can put in your pocket, or just use a phone. A good camera with a crap photographer won't get good results. Why not just buy a book or pictures off the internet of lions, rhinos et al. Use a camera to take pictures of you rather than something you see in travel brochure?

 

I have a Nikon D5100 and love it. My main lens is the Nikon 35mm F1.8, but I assume you will want some sort of zoom.

The 5000 series has the same sensor as 7000 series, but the 7000 has more pro features.

 

Great idea! Cheers, maybe i will skip the safari altogether and just surround myself with travel brochures

 

Depends on:

1. budget
2. how you intend to use it
3. what you want out of it
4. how you will use it after Africa

You may want a compact - easy to carry around, can find waterproof models, reasonably high definition (15MP+) - need to consider better resolution (optical zoom) vs weight (digital zoom)

An SLR will generally have it over a compact or phone - but heavier, more cumbersome. Choice of lenses, high definition, rapid fire etc.

Have a look at an entry level Canon or Olympus. Many SLRs come with 2 lenses - you'll make more use out of a 135-500 mm range (not all in one lense necessarily) - telephoto is best for distant shots.

 

Thanks Scott,

1. Pretty flexible with budget. Would prefer to pay a little more for quality. Would $1500 get in the right range?

2. Mostly outdoors, animals and landscape

3. High quality and reasonable ease of use without needing to be a professional photographer

4. Would like to have a crack as a bit of a hobby, likely outdoors landscape and some work (ug mining) photography. Need a hobby that is a little calming, this seems a good excuse to get outdoors and relax!

 

Not a bad idea if all you want to do is take pics and are a self confessed 'no idea' photographer.

If you want to take some great pictures then you will need more time than a drive by shot.

Might be worth getting some photography lessons before you go.

Are you going to shoot in RAW?

 

I agree with Ed. A no-idea photographer needs a no-brainer camera. Skip the DSLR and lenses and get a decent P&S.

If you do get a DSLR, learn and practise some basic photography, particularly in relation to focusing, depth of field, shutter speed to avoid camera shake, and exposure. Out-of-focus or blurred shots are garbage bin material. A certain amount of incorrect exposure is recoverable, particularly if shooting RAW and you know how to use Photoshop or similar, but lightening up really dark faces tends to show up a lot of noise and can look very unnatural.

Also, be warned, photography as a hobby can be extremely time-consuming if you want to get into all the post-processing stuff. You can easily shoot 2000-3000 photos on a few weeks' holiday, but then you have to look through them all, cull them, and learn how to process the keepers properly. And Photoshop has a significant learning curve.

GP

 

Definitely more compact than a typical DSLR. I believe the Sony A6000 also has excellent low light performance but that won't be of any benefit for a safari.

You can get most of the setup for ~$700 though.
Sony Alpha a6000L Mirrorless Digital Camera Kit with 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

But also have a read of the webpage below for the best possible choices.
12 Portable Cameras for Travel Photography

Best then to search for prices on the following site:
www.staticice.com.au

 

Couple of very handy links. Thanks Nick

 

This ^^^.

Taking good photos has far more to do with the photographer than the tools.
Im a semi pro photographer with all the good gear but when holidaying just take pics with the iPad as it's way easier, quicker, and more portable, and takes a great pic for holiday purposes including panoramas.

Setting up a DSLR to take excellent photos takes awhile needing a tripod, filters, right time of day etc etc. You get the picture

Photo using iPad Air in Hawaii :

 

I disagree. Most people don't try the DSLR because they think it is rocket science. Looking at the picture above, makes me push for the DSLR even more. Such good scenic place and iPad air ruins it.
It's a no brainer to carry a 'good' camera (not a phone or iPad) to a safari. You can define the 'good' part based on what you intend to do with the photos. But, based you original post, high quality pictures demand something better than a point and shoot.
I can't stress enough on not using a tablet or phone as a camera.

 

Nice shots!

 

whoops, i deleted as they didnt show on my browser

 

The ones you attached didnt, but the link to your flickr album did