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

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Ardi, 20th Apr, 2016.

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  1. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    Unless there is a sale
    Got mine with two lenses (the normal one and zoom lense) + SD card for $800
     
    EN710, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #41
  2. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    What sort of zoom would that be? I'm talking about a serious zoom lens which would be enough for a safari. 200mm won't cut it. 500mm equivalent would be a minimum; a 50x zoom is 1200mm equivalent; a lens that size would be quite unwieldy on a safari, especially with shorter lenses required. (I'm assuming a group safari on a bus or truck; if you had your own vehicle that may not be a problem).

    The picture of the leopard I posted previously was shot handheld from a truck.
     
    geoffw, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #42
  3. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    Not a camera expert here -_-
    But pretty sure they gave me the cheapest of the A-range, looks like this
    http://www.sony.com.au/electronics/camera-lenses/sal55300

    I want something stronger but they're expensive :(
     
    EN710, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #43
  4. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    55 to 300mm. It's a nice range but the small aperture doesn't allow for low light shooting. As a general purpose daytime shooting lens (on a reasonable camera) it would be ideal. It could be ok for safari though I'd personally go for the compact ultra zoom for that situation.

    The P900 with 90x zoom can be bought for $600.
     
    geoffw, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #44
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  5. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    What's considered a big aperture?
     
    EN710, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #45
  6. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    geoffw, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #46
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  7. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    EN710, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #47
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  8. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    Completely non zoom ;-)
     
    geoffw, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #48
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  9. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Is that a lens in your pocket?
     
    Ed Barton, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #49
  10. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Whether you end up with the Kodak Brownie eco or the Brownie El Grande don't skimp on batteries or storage.

    You don't want to run out juice or film just as a lion's about to rip off a Zebra's head.
     
    Ed Barton, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #50
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  11. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    geoffw, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #51
  12. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    A very good point.

    If a spare battery is possible buy it.
     
    geoffw, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #52
  13. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Inappropriate jokes aside, this and all the other camera gear will use up a lot of carry on allowance. Assuming there is no gold plated travel insurance you'd want to carry that on board.

    There's been a lot of discussion here about lens requirements, but little about how many mega pixies are required.
     
    Ed Barton, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #53
  14. Ardi

    Ardi Well-Known Member

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    Is there a basic say 5 things or minimum specifications that you would recommend a camera must have?
     
    Ardi, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #54
  15. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    That's perhaps a piece of string question.

    Super zoom might be of more value to you than aperture. For some people the best possible quality picture is important. For others a pocket zoom might be the most appropriate. RAW may or may not be important. Or it may be price.

    No one camera has everything. It's really a matter of looking at all the features and pocking the camera which has what you want. Online reviews by camera publications can be helpful though they can confuse.

    Btw @Ed Barton the p900 has 18.2 mega pixies.

    Btw if digital zoom is quoted ignore it. Unles it's hugely improved recently it's a waste of time.
     
    geoffw, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #55
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  16. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    and film. Lots of film. The processing facilities in Africa may be lacking..
     
    Ed Barton, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #56
  17. Ardi

    Ardi Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Geoff! Think I have just been overloading on the camera reviews and comparisons.
    With regards to the zoom, there are different types stated (optical, digital, true, etc.) What is the best to look at?
     
    Ardi, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #57
  18. GreatPig

    GreatPig Well-Known Member

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    Ignore digital zoom. You can do the same thing by cropping on a computer. You want optical zoom (don't know what true zoom is).

    There's a lot of focus on the safari here, and the requirement for long zoom. Unless this is the trip of a lifetime, and you want to optimise the camera for the safari at the expense of everything else, then also consider what you want to do with the camera afterwards. Superzooms like the P900, and mirrorless like the A6000, get their benefits by sacrificing other things, like image quality. I think a good DSLR with decent lenses is more flexible and better quality, but you'll likely pay more, have more bulk and weight to carry, and need teleconverters to get the long zoom (or go for really big glass).

    I've never used anything other than SLRs and basic P&S cameras, but I think if I was wanting to get into general photography as a hobby, and didn't have special requirements for needing small and light, I'd still go for a DSLR. But I'd also spend time learning how to use it before heading off on a safari or any other sort of holiday.

    For general travel and landscape photography, which is my main use, I don't often use long tele lenses. I have 16-85mm and 70-300mm zooms for a Nikon DX camera (currently the D7200, but the D90 before that), and the 16-85mm is on the camera probably 98% of the time. I even forgot to take the 70-300mm one time, and didn't really miss it. Also, haze can make using long lenses pointless.

    Also consider whether you want to get into post-processing or just use JPEGs straight out of the camera. For post-processing, it's much better to shoot RAW, and expect to spend far more time at the computer than behind the camera. And if you think there's a lot to learn with taking photos, wait till you start post-processing them. If you get Photoshop, there's heaps of good info online, but that's a lot of reading or video watching. While some functions have auto buttons, they usually won't give you the best results.

    GP
     
    GreatPig, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #58
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  19. LibGS

    LibGS Well-Known Member

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    I have one of these that I use as big lens. 900mm focal length.
    ed120-eq5.jpg
     
    LibGS, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #59
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  20. Touristy

    Touristy Active Member

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    Sorry dude. A6000 doesn't sacrifice image quality at all. Amazing little camera for that beginner price range. Has nearly all the benefits of a dslr without the weigh/bulk and what people need to realise is that carrying around a dslr gets old quickly. Small Sony mirrorless means you take it more often, take more photos, get better and enjoy your hobby more. The full Sony mirrorless range is the best cameras around IMHO and thats where the technology is heading. Slightly qualified to answer as i am a professional photographer using FX Nikon and will move to Sony soon. Wish i had know how good the Sony was before i brought my last dslr.

    Like i said earlier. A6000 and figure out one or two suitable lenses etc and have some fun.

    I wouldn't worry about photoshop and just look into adobe lightroom for photography. Very easy to use and can do 95% of what youll ever need.
     
    Last edited: 22nd Apr, 2016
    Touristy, 22nd Apr, 2016
    #60
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