Help buying a camera

[flying_babyb]

I hate digital but this seems to be the way life is going. I want to go pro eventually. Im a photography buff who loves taking random photos. I would need somthing cheap (college student) that takes wonderful pictures. It would also help if it were easy to use. Right now I have a olympus that I paid $30 for at walmart. I dont know if I want film or digital but digital seems the way to go. What kind of camera would you recomend? Also keep in mind my main problems with digital are: The bateries dying ALOT, the fact they break so easily (im a daredevil photographer... Think of a college student on the top of a 16 wheeler taking a photo of a funnel cloud... I did it, then dropped the camera). I hope I can find something that wil do what I want. FIgured digital may save me money by not devoloping crappy pictures and mabey give me some new buttons to play with. I'm a sepia and b&W fan.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Do you want to be able to carry it in your pocket? How much do you want (or should I say, have ) to spend?

 

[flying_babyb]

under 200. Doesnt have to be a pocket camera.

 

[ukcatfan]

under 200. Doesnt have to be a pocket camera.

Do not expect to get a wonderful digital camera for only $200. You might want to consider a film SLR as you seem to be interested in learning more about photography, but do not have the budget.

 

[Octoberbabiesrus]

I will say, I am a camera snob... but under 200 is now pretty basic stuff. I would venture to say to save up your cash, dont be so daredevil without a nice camera strap and get yourself a SLR

 

[Pea-n-Me]

One option would be to consider looking for a gently used Canon S3 IS. I bought a used S2 IS (primarily for video and kids' use, already had an S3) on Craiglist. It was in mint condition, hardly used, in it's box with all original equipment, for $200. This is a very nice bridge camera (auto and manual capabilities) which will help launch you into the world of photography, and will hold you for a while until you can afford a dSLR set up. The other option is just to wait and save for a while if you really want one sooner. You need time, anyway, to research what the differences are and which one would suit you best. Good luck.

 

[mal325]

I'm not sure exactly what you are looking for, but we recently bought a camera. It's most definately not a SLR but if you ask me is still a pretty nice camera (my first digital). We got it in a bundle pack (only $180) It came with a card reader & case - without the pack the camera alone would be $200. Maybe you would be looking for something like that? After getting an extra battery & memory card it came out to be roughly $240.

 

[handicap18]

I hate digital but this seems to be the way life is going. I want to go pro eventually. Im a photography buff who loves taking random photos. I would need somthing cheap (college student) that takes wonderful pictures. It would also help if it were easy to use. Right now I have a olympus that I paid $30 for at walmart. I dont know if I want film or digital but digital seems the way to go. What kind of camera would you recomend? Also keep in mind my main problems with digital are: The bateries dying ALOT, the fact they break so easily (im a daredevil photographer... Think of a college student on the top of a 16 wheeler taking a photo of a funnel cloud... I did it, then dropped the camera). I hope I can find something that wil do what I want. FIgured digital may save me money by not devoloping crappy pictures and mabey give me some new buttons to play with. I'm a sepia and b&W fan.

Based on this description I don't think you'll find a digital or film camera that will satisfy your needs.

Something cheep that takes wonderful pictures? Your using a $30 Olympus from Wal-Mart. You got the cheep part no doubt. As for wonderful pictures, well that's going to add money. Granted sensors in small digital PnS camera's are much better than what they were a few years ago, they're still put in cheep camera's and the old saying is true.... "You get what you pay for".

I don't know which way I would recommend you go for a camera. The only thing I can think of is to be a little smarter about your daredevil part.

 

[Tickla]

I am also one who doesn't really like digital. I have 2 digitals (have had MANY more only to return them). I'm not sure what it really is about it that I don't like....I admit it's fun to instantly see the picture, not having to develop bad ones & stuff, but I just have way more fun using my old Nikon SLR--so last week, I decided to take it with us on a college visit trip to Duluth, Mn--we aslo took the northshore drive to Splitrock lighthouse & took 2 rolls of film and when I got them developed they were beautiful! I'm just happier with the way film captures everything. So I've decided to let my boys use the digitals themselves & keep using my trusty film Nikon. I know--I'm sooo strange!!!

 

[dr_zero]

I hate digital but this seems to be the way life is going. I want to go pro eventually. Im a photography buff who loves taking random photos. I would need something cheap (college student) that takes wonderful pictures. It would also help if it were easy to use. Right now I have a olympus that I paid $30 for at walmart. I dont know if I want film or digital but digital seems the way to go. What kind of camera would you recommend? Also keep in mind my main problems with digital are: The batteries dying ALOT, the fact they break so easily (I'm a daredevil photographer... Think of a college student on the top of a 16 wheeler taking a photo of a funnel cloud... I did it, then dropped the camera). I hope I can find something that will do what I want. Figured digital may save me money by not developing crappy pictures and maybe give me some new buttons to play with. I'm a sepia and b&W fan.

Hmmm tough call

If it was me I would buy a Nikon 6006 or a 8008s and lens for now and work on saving my money to get a used D50 or D80.

The Nikon 6006 has a small pop up flash which would be ok for point and shoot shots but would look to upgrade. The 6006 takes a odd battery though that is a con.
The 8008s is a very nice camera that takes standard AA batteries but doesn't have a built in flash.

You can look around ebay and find some really inexpensive set ups to get started we are talking camera and lens for less than $100 and some setups with with more than one lens and a flash for less than $200.

Then go out and shoot and learn and enjoy and when you save up the money you can get a Digital Nikon body like the D50 or D80 and move your lenses over to that body saving more money than having to re-buy all your lenses.

The prices on the digital bodies will be dropping as the new models come out and people want to upgrade but in the mean time you can be working on your skills with a film camera.

Crappy pictures is all about learning LOL we have all taken some pics that were crap forgot to change a setting or was out of focus etc etc its all part of it LOL

When you learn with film first I think it helps cause it makes you stop and think about what you are doing and what you want out of the picture and not waste the film. With digital some just shoot and shoot and shoot and maybe get lucky or can fix it in post processing but never really learn.

6006

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-N6006-fil...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-N6006-Fil...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikkon-N6006-AF...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

8008s

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-N8008-SLR...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-n8008s-35...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-N6006-Fil...ryZ15241QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Tanzanite]

I brought my daughter a nice camera 10mps fuji fine pix z its a loveley camera .it cost $160 takes good pictures very light Wolfs has it they recommened it to me.