I Finally Bought a Camera...

[A2ON]

Dont see the point in an SLR if you leave it on Auto all the time .

I have a Olyimpus 400 and it was great but left it on auto all the time so pointless

 

[shurm]

I had a SLR but found it to bulky to take everywhere I now have a Panasonic Lumix TZ10 and I find it excellent and carry in everywhere without feeling conscious I'm carrying a camera and looking geeky :thumbsup:

 

[Tom]

What sort of SD card should I get?- Sandisk Extreme 30MB/s 8Gb

Do I need a specialist SD for HD pictures?- Nope but the above one is good for HD video also.

Will 8GB be enough for a weekend of trigger-happy-snapping?- Most definitely

Its a Canon 550D we have FYI. Its awesome.

Cheers for that man. Very helpful.

Dont see the point in an SLR if you leave it on Auto all the time .

I plan on getting a full understanding for this camera...

I had a SLR but found it to bulky to take everywhere I now have a Panasonic Lumix TZ10 and I find it excellent and carry in everywhere without feeling conscious I'm carrying a camera and looking geeky :thumbsup:

I don't get too hung up on what strangers think of me TBH - as for bulk - that is a concern, but I think it's something I will learn to live with I think.

 

[shurm]

Yeah I understand, we do a lot of walking and I always take the camera but it's something I can just keep in a pocket now and we find we take it everywhere, before I used to have to think where and when I could get the SLR out.

Hope you get plenty of enjoyment out of whatever you decide on getting.

 

[Tom]

Yeah man, I understand.

I used to be just like that before I got my iPhone. The cameras on smart phones are becoming so good I stopped using my snap and shoot. Eventually, when I got the latest iPhone and the video and picture quality was better than my snap and shoot I just sold up.

So I need something that opens the gap between casual photo taking (iPhone) and purposeful photo taking at events and such (DSLR).

Cheers for your input man. Much appreciated.

 

[rich27]

If bulk is a bit of a concern. I've got a GF1 which is pretty capable. Slightly smaller sensor than most DSLRs and the Sony you posted first, so lenses are smaller and cheaper in some cases. Since then panasonic have brought out GF3/5 which is relatively tiny (pocket sized) and GX1 which is similar but improved. There's alot of adapters out there for old manual lenses (cheap and great for creative shoots), and their standard lenses are generally half the size/weight of DSLR equivalent. Video is also great, and battery seems to last forever.

 

[Tom]

Cheers man, but the choice is made... About to leave my flat for Merry Hill to buy my new Canon EOS D600 with accessories.

 

[A2ON]

pics lol

 

[Tom]

At the weekend.

 

[Tom]

So I picked it up on Thursday last week.

I got the 600D and saved a load of money.

The 600D was supposed to be £600 (£150 off), making it only £50 more than the 550D.

The guys in Jessops told me they were having a £50 cash back scheme from Thursday onwards. So, I figured they would put the prices up when the cash back came into place and I pre-ordered on Wednesday to pay and collect on Thursday.

Come Thursday, they had ramped up camera price by £30 like I had guessed. However, my invoice wasn't showing this and because my collection was on Thursday I was entitled to the £50 cash back as well as the initial reduced price.

I also used a voucher code for 12% off FILTERS which was clearly broken, as it took another £30 off my entire order lol.

This confused the staff and they weren't prepared to honour the deal. So I told them a competitor store was and they soon did me a "managers special" haha. (This was actually true BTW - I was playing two stores off each other for the duration of the week, knowing they would need the sale before the end of month figures or something like that lol.)

Finally, I used a website called topcashback.co.uk where I am due another 4% of my entire transaction back which is another £36ish.

On the day, in store, I also did a sh*t tonne of bartering as they tried up-selling me things, to get myself a free tripod bag, a polarised lens, a tripod for a tenner, etc.

All in all I got a 8GB HD SD, a spare battery, a bag, a polarised filter, a UV filter, a cleaning cloth, a tripod, a tripod bag and 3 years insurance.

Total list price: £913
What I paid £694

Skillzzz!

As for the camera - it's amazing. There's a massive learning curve involved, but I aside from the occasional frustration, I am really enjoying it. I want to learn everything there is to know and then some!

I've really enjoyed playing with the manual mode and that's where the dial tends to stay. I have a lot to learn, as many of my shots are coming out over or under exposed. It's not been a week yet though, so I've got a long way to learn.

Since Thursday, I've taken over 800 pictures - I absolutely love it! All I've got to do now is get good!

Thanks for the sound advice everyone - here are few crappy pics that I've taken.

The last one is WAY too over exposed, but the first part of the problem is identifying it!.. As I said, I've a lot to learn and I'm very keen.

 

[Rogue]

I use topcashback for anything I buy on line. It's just plain useful!

Well done on the savings!

Pictures look decent also. Not that i'd do any better whatsoever lol

 

[Tom]

Yeah, Top Cash Back is ace - I've made over £120 of free money so far. Can't grumble!

Cheers man, I've got a lot to learn...

 

[N0ddie]

Very cool camera Tom. I've had our SLR for over a year now and still yet to "crack" it.

 

[rich27]

Nice, read up on auto bracketing it's useful for iffy lighting situations.

 

[Tom]

Very cool camera Tom. I've had our SLR for over a year now and still yet to "crack" it.

I think this thing has more functions than a Plane! Cheers for the advice man.

 

[Tom]

I've been tatting with this for a couple of weeks now and think I am really starting to "get it". I rarely shoot outside of manual settings, which I am pleased with.

Here's a shot from my trip to "Dream" in St. Helens on Saturday.


Dream, St. Helens by Tom Cash, on Flickr