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I have decided to take up photograpy as a hobby and am a little confused as to which camera outfit would be best for me.
A friend suggested the Canon AE1 series as a good starting point. Should I be buying second hand or new? I would like a 35mm SLR camera preferably that gives me complete control and is simple to use. I would like to be able to buy different lenses and accessories in the future and cost is an issue. I think I could spare about 150 for a body and one lens.
Any ideas?
Thanks
There are two routes, manual focus or autofocus. Most new SLR cameras sold tend to be autofocus and have a flash and motordrive built in. They have auto exposure modes but most have manual overrides too. They are more expensive than your budget, but second hand ones can be found (new AF lenses tend to cost much more too). Going down the secondhand route and picking a camera like the Canon AE1, suggested by your friend would be better option. Buy from a reputable dealer and you get a six month's guarantee. There's are many camera's worth considering. For cost of accessories, Pentax, Minolta or Canon tend to be the least expensive. Look around the dealers for the AE1 but also consider the Pentax ME-Super and Minolta X700.
The minolta X7000, is the better option. i have had mine for the past 6 years & i have subjected it to all ranges of exposures [hot & cold], dropped it number of times & its tough as boots, previously before i owned it, it was my uncles, who had it for just under 20 years. It has point & shoot settings, but i learnt to use the manual ones as the years past by. Its very easy to use, switch between programs etc, i would not be the photographer i am today if it wasnt for that camera- minolta was on to a winner when they made it.
Any questions email me at
tushutterbug@yahoo.co.uk
Sheradon
I started out with an AE-1 in about 85. It worked well, surviving a lot of heavy use. I reckoned it to be a good camera to learn on. Its shutter priority and simple to operate. One thing avoid the 35-70mm polycarbonate zoom lens produced in the early 90s. My one expired two years ago with an intermittent electrical problem, but they are generally considered reliable. I must admit I did kind of use that as an excuse to buy something else!
For aperture priority I have used an Olympus OM-2n, also a good camera to learn with. The Olympus has the advantage of being slightly smaller and lighter. There is also the OM-1, but thats manual only and although some would say good to learn on, can slow you down a bit too much if you want a quick shot.
Thats about all I have experience of.
You should be able to pick up a nice example of either with a lens within your budget.
I found myself in your shoes about 18 months ago and the best sadvice I can give is find your nearest little photography shop, tell them what you're looking for, how much you can spend, and try things out. When I went shopping for my first camera, the dealer gave me a selection of manual focus cameras and told me to try them out and to go for the one that feels right, because at the end of the day, it's no good buying a camera that isn't comfortable to operate. I followed his advice and have never regretted it.
Minolta X700,Pentax me super,Canon AE1 are all good choices as a first camera but i would recomend the Oylmpus OM2 or Contax 139. Both can be bought for under 200 with 50mm lenses.
The OM2 is good as the viewfinder changes from a shutter speed display in aperture priority to +/- display in manual.
Both models come with very sharp 50mm lenses which are cheap to buy (50mm 1.7AE Carl Ziess for Contax and 50mm 1.8 made in Japan version for Oympus).
True some of the bodies and lenses for Contax are expensive but a handfull are not (28mm 2.8AE, 50mm 1.7AE, 85mm 2.8AE second hand). I am only advising on gear i have used, i owned a Contax setup before moving up to Pentax 67 and found the 139 model to have a better viewfinder than my Contax RX.
Any make of camera canbe expensive to repair more so new auto focus units.
Quick tip- Fit a broken match in the program lever on the RX,ST and 159 you can use AE lenses in program and shutter mode with smallest aperture selected.
If you are serious about wanting to learn photography and your eye sight is good get the best manual camera you can afford with the fastest standard lens you can afford. Take pictures using the meter first giving priority to the lens shutter then a series giving priority to the aperture. Learn to use the depth of field scale on the lens barrel. make a note of all your shots. On getting them back from the processors study them against your notes.
This is a good way to get an early insight into what cameras can do. Do not buy another lens until you have exhausted the possibilities or at least learn to use the standard lens then you can think about specialising. The more you learn about the basics the better you will become. I would say you it is difficult to learn on automatic cameras. One other thing might help learn how to use the screen most have several aids to help you get your pictures sharp.
If you are serious about wanting to learn photography and your eye sight is good get the best manual camera you can afford with the fastest standard lens you can afford. Take pictures using the meter first giving priority to the lens shutter then a series giving priority to the aperture. Learn to use the depth of field scale on the lens barrel. make a note of all your shots. On getting them back from the processors study them against your notes.
This is a good way to get an early insight into what cameras can do. Do not buy another lens until you have exhausted the possibilities or at least learn to use the standard lens then you can think about specialising. The more you learn about the basics the better you will become. I would say you it is difficult to learn on automatic cameras. One other thing might help learn how to use the screen most have several aids to help you get your pictures sharp.
I agree with most of the recommendations, an SLR with aperture priority and manual overide will do all that most people need. However I would go for a 28 or 35mm and an 80 to 100mm lens pair rather than the 50mm standard unless you take lots of low light shots and need the widest aperture. I find that a 28 or a 100mm nearly always gives me a better picture. The Pentax ME Super with these lenses is very portable.
If you give a beginner in photography such a bewildering amount of equipment, I am of the opinion which is based on my own experience, they will never learn to use any of it well. This is particularly true when it comes to automatic cameras. I feel it is fine to use an automatic camera with aperture priority metering when one has first learnt what aperture priority means and the best way to learn this is with a a manual camera.
Photography is primarily about light. Wide apertures allow you to exploit the available light, that's the point about fast lenses. I have given beginners in photography zoom lenses to use and had them look carefully at the results. Most of the pictures they take are around the 40-50 mm mark, this is because it is the angle of view of the human eye. This is why I recommend students of photography first learn to use a so called standard lens.
Pentax have made some fine cameras. I had a spotmatic for many years.
Regards,
William Graham.
If you are beginer and ready to learn fundamentals of photography, you should use a manual camera, as many people suggested you. But, after some time you will wish more...
So my opinion is: buy used autofocus camera, and in the learning period use it in manual mode. Later you can use many features that camera has.
I purchased used Minolta 7xi, with zoom lens, and paid them about 150 Eur, on Ebay. This is a semi-profesional camera, with excellent autofocus, and possibility of working in manual and multi-automatic mode.
Try to visit these sites, and look for your choice
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