Digital camera users - kit advice please

[beanzontoast]

Andy - that's one heck of a lens!

Thanks Simon - the Fuji cameras do seem nice. The S9600 has manual zoom too which kind of appeals to the old fasioned purist in me. The sample photos I've seen from it look very good, and the indoor lighting performance is pretty decent too.

Am thinking it might be a good half-way house between my existing compact and a dSLR in the future. Back when I had loads of time for photography, I had several lenses with my SLR (wide angle, telephoto etc), and carrying and juggling them was part of the fun. Just at the moment, the idea of a simpler one-lens-does-most-things-reasonably camera that's a step up from the compact I've been using really appeals.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

If you're after a "bridge" camera, you could do a lot worse than the Panasonic Lumix DFZ 7. Click on my signature to see loads of shots from one of these.

 

[beanzontoast]

Nice pics!

Anyone with opinions / experience of the Pentax K100D / K110D as another possible?

 

[andyoxon]

Nice pics RT.

beanzon, a bit of Panasonic superzoom model history:
RT's FZ7 was the first FZ5 (my camera) upgrade, then FZ8, and currently FZ18.

Andy

 

[andyoxon]

I've just bought a Nikon D200. Very good indeed, and they've just brought the D300 out to replace it so you should be able to pick a D200 up reasonably cheaply soon. Mine was £700 (body only) brand new.

RT by the way (as a minor diversion), what lens have you got/did you have in mind for your D200?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Nice pics!

Anyone with opinions / experience of the Pentax K100D / K110D as another possible?

The K10D is much better than the K100 - my dad's got the K10D and my brother's got his old K100. Both are good though and they're both good value at the moment. the K10D is a ten megapixel model, on a par with the Nikon D200.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

RT by the way (as a minor diversion), what lens have you got/did you have in mind for your D200?

At the moment I've got two Nikkor lenses, the 18-55 "standard" lens and a 55-200 zoom.

 

[arranandy]

I got a refurbished Canon 350D about 4 months ago and its a great camera. Saved a bit cash by going for a refurbised one instead of new but it doesn't have a mark on it and came complete with a 18-55mm lens and various other accessories. Takes great pictures but I've still to use a lot of the features on it.

I would thoroughly recommend it

 

[laurence]

Nice pics!

Anyone with opinions / experience of the Pentax K100D / K110D as another possible?

i've just got a pentax 100d. they have stopped making them (after it won loads of awards) and made the 100d super, which is more expensive. however, Tesco Direct have the 100d for a smidge less than £300. bargain! my friend's got one and it's a lovely camera, but i'm no expert.

L

 

[bof]

http://www.dcresource.com/ is IMO the best of the camera sites.

You probably want to be clear in what you want the camera for. For instance my Pansonic DMC-FX10 is excellent for static subjects and macros as the lens is terrific, but its slowish shutter and processing time means its pants for action shots and I do not have full manual control, which is OK most of the time, but sometime frustrating.

Also when I first bought a digicam, I thought I have all these Pentax lenses and I must reuse them - found however lens technology on digicams is just about good enough not to now bother carrying a huge great thing around any more.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Is there any Nikon DSLR that will use the Nikon AF Nikkor lenses ?

My D200 does.

 

[Panter]

Is there any Nikon DSLR that will use the Nikon AF Nikkor lenses ?

As does my D100, and the D70 and D50 do too.


In fact i think its only the "X" that can't although they may have released some newer bodies that don't either. Its been a while since I've looked at the new ones.


Edit: Oh, and the D40 too. Linky here

 

[Rob S]

As does my D100, and the D70 and D50 do too.


In fact i think its only the "X" that can't although they may have released some newer bodies that don't either. Its been a while since I've looked at the new ones.


Edit: Oh, and the D40 too. Linky here

All Nikon dSLRs can use Nikon AF Nikkor lenses though some won't be able to meter properly using its fanciest metering modes and a few specialist lenses will sit too far in to the mirror box and foul it.

The Nikon DX lenses that are designed for the smaller sensors of cameras like the D70 and D40/50/80 cannot be used on the new models that use a full frame sensor such as the D3 or the normal film based cameras.

 

[Panter]

It'd be fine.

You may end up with a smaller angle of view as the CCD is smaller than 35mm but its not a problem.

Except, on a telephoto, although you get more magnification, it does "wobble" a lot more.

still, its cheaper than buying a new set of lenses

(I use all my F65 lenses on my D100)

 

[beanzontoast]

Many thanks to all who offered advice.

I've decided to go for a FinePix S9600 as a bridging camera for a while. If I've still got the photography 'bug' that I used to have years ago, I'll probably look at dSLR some time next year - when I've saved up again, that is! - and either keep the S9600 as a second camera or pass it on to wife / son / daughter.