newbie with old knowledge advice

[mellow yellow]

i'm looking to buy a camera for taking pics at shows, pics of my kids, landscapes etc.

i used to really enjoy photography at school but have no knowledge what so ever about modern cameras. all the stuff i used to do was with film and dark rooms.

i had a play with my brothers dslr the other week and got some really good shots of my kids at the park and have got the photography bug back again.

my budget is as cheap as possible for my needs so i'm looking for some recomendations or some direction for where to look.

all this mega pixel business goes over my head but i guess the larger the figure the better but what would be adequate for a newbie? i also like the manual focus and dont want to be confused with a load of options that i dont need...

i open to suggestions for anything from a good little compact to a beginners slr.

please be gentle with me as i'm just starting out again and looking for a basic knowledge to get me going again.

ps is jessops still the place to go? it used to be a long time ago?

cheers MY

[Ridg]

i'm looking to buy a camera for taking pics at shows

what sort of shows?  Car, air, exhibitions etc will dictate zoom or wide angle range

i guess the larger the figure the better

no, quality of the lens then quality of the sensor, bigger isn't always better.  As a guide for printing;
http://bythom.com/printsizes.htm 12MP is a good starting point.

my budget is as cheap as possible for my needs so i'm looking for some recomendations or some direction for where to look.

a pound range would be better as 'cheap' really doesn't help, what we talking sub £300, or upto £500, you budget is really going to limit you here as one would be a bridge the other an entry level DSLR so really dictates you ability to grow.

i also like the manual focus and dont want to be confused with a load of options that i dont need...

Digital cameras these days can be as complex or as simple as you like, if you want you can shoot in auto mode, however you'll never get the most from it, but it will ease you back into things.

ps is jessops still the place to go? it used to be a long time ago?

I personally rate Jessops, but they vary depending on the staff, they are meant to employ photography students / amateur photographers / pro togs but you'll find the quality of service varies, one thing for sure is that you'll be able to go in store and actually play with the camera first, you can get cheaper prices on the web but for me having a shop you can goto is worth a few quid if something goes wrong.

[mellow yellow]

welll....

shows will be car shows, so mainly close up shots, single car pics. etc and pics of the kids on days out etc

defo sub £300 but 2nd hand is not a problem.

i used jessops a bit when i was younger but obviously tech moves quick and i wanted to have some background knowledge from a neutral point of view before i go diving back in again and getting bamboozled in a shop. 

is there such a thing as a decent compact or would it be better to go straight for a bridge or dslr? what are the differences between the 3?

[Ridg]

is there such a thing as a decent compact or would it be better to go straight for a bridge or dslr? what are the differences between the 3?

compacts theres days are pretty good, they wont give you the same quality as a DSLR or 4/3 but they are pretty good.

Have a read through;

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311TravelZoomGroupTest/page17.asp

A compact is your basic point and shoot consumer camera, these are aimed at joe public, e.g. someone that wants to click away taking snap shots not photos, they are full of features and a multitude of auto modes, you can get quality images from them, however you often don't have the control that you do in a bridge or DSLR

A bridge camera is like a compact on steroids, they are the gap between a point and shoot and DSLR, they often look like a 4/3 camera / old film camera (lecia / pentax) in shape and style so you look more professional, they are more expensive but give you much more control over the images.  These are aimed at the prosumer market.

DSLR is basically just an SLR with a digital sensor instead of a film, these are aimed at amateur - pro level

Both compact and bridge wont be out of place in a pro's bag though as they are versatile and light and great for photo journalist / travel photography.

[Stronz]

If you can stretch your budget (or find a good second hand one) I really rate the Nikon D3100.

It's the entry level DLSR for begginers from Nikon (I am a begginer myself) and has a really good "guide mode" which helps explains settings and how changing them can adjust your pictures. I could see this working really well with the knowledge about photogrpahy you already have, and would ease you into the digital age (no put down intended). It really helps you build confidence to play about with settings and get out of the auto mode.

If you are heading to Jessops, well wort a look and a play with (And being entry level its thier cheapest DSLR I believe).

[mellow yellow]

that would be way out of my budget, tbh £300 would be my absolute max but would like to spend as little as possible. i.e. get the best balue for money. i want a good quality photo with a few extras for the arty shots etc.

i was always told the camera is only 10% of a good picture. but obviously the more help i can get from manual aids the better 

thanks for the links and advice above, defo gives me something to get on with and get researching.

[mellow yellow]

how would this rate as a starting point for me?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FujiFilm-Fuji-FinePix-S1500-Bridge-Digital-Camera-10MP-/170668092878?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item27bc9c6dce

[Winso]

I'd go with a second hand DSLR personally, start as you mean to go on! If you're willing to take a bit of time to learn how to use all the settings correctly you'll be fine and you can probably skip the 'bridge' camera stage.

In terms of what camera to go for, initially you'll need to decide to go either Canon or Nikon. Personally I'm a Canon man so that's what I'd recommend. Absolutely nothing wrong with Nikon kit though, it's really just down to personal preference at this level. I'm at work so can't see ebay to check prices but I'd suggest just searching 'Canon DSLR' and see what comes up in your price range. I sold my old 400d last year for a price well within your budget and that was still a perfectly capable camera even though it was a few years old.

[Diamond Hell]

Have a look at Canon G11/G12 and see what you make to them.  It's basically SLR quality, but without the prisms and suchlike.

If you want to 'get into photography' again you want to be able to control depth of field (F-stops), exposure and to be able to output to RAW file.  If what you're looking at doesn't tick those boxes go look at something else.

[Ridg]

Have a look at Canon G11/G12 and see what you make to them.  It's basically SLR quality, but without the prisms and suchlike.

If you want to 'get into photography' again you want to be able to control depth of field (F-stops), exposure and to be able to output to RAW file.  If what you're looking at doesn't tick those boxes go look at something else.

+ ¹/₂ (cos it's canon  )

My first digital was a G5 and an excellent camera to get you into photography, auto works well and had manual for when you want to step up, might be out of your budget though.