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General => General discussion => Topic started by: justalex81 on 23 November 2012, 11:14
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Right so i know very little about proper photography. However, i like architecture and wildlife and i find myself frustrated with the poor quality photo's my compact camera produces.
I am looking at the samsung NX range of cameras as you can claim £100 cashback and you get a galaxy tab 2.0 for free. The top end ones also get great reviews. I like the idea of the wifi features and instant upload to sites such as facebook etc.
These are the two i'm looking at:
http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/camera-camcorder/smart-cameras/nx-cameras/EV-NX20ZZBSBGB
http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/camera-camcorder/smart-cameras/nx-cameras/EV-NX210ZBSBGB
The main differences from what i can see are:
1. The NX20 has a viewfinder.
2. The NX20 has a rotatable swivel screen
3. The NX20 has twice the shutter speed of the NX210. 1/8000 against 1/4000
The NX20 is £800. By the time you claim back £100 and get a free galaxy tab 2.0 worth approx £150. Total cost for the camera is £550.
NX210 is £529.99 at the moment. same deal as above. camera cost £280
Are the differences enough to justify the extra cost? or will a noob like me not notice the difference?
Do the differences justify the extra cost?
Is the 1/4000 shutter speed suitable for shooting animals and wildlife that may be fast moving?
your thoughts please gentlemen. Ta very much!
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1/4000 is more than fast enough to shoot animals, however it might be too slow on very sunny days.
I have a D3200 and a D300, the D3200 is limited to 1/4000 and the D300 to 1/8000; I had to add a polarizing filter (reduces the amount of light by about 2/3 of a stop) as 1/4000 was too slow for sunny days.
I think the question should be, is a free gift and cash back worth limiting your options?
Even with the "discount" you're still paying more than mid range (consumer) canon and nikon offerings.
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Firstly, ignore the free tab offer, that will only lead you to decide for the wrong reason.
Cashback is nice, but only if you remember to send the form back.
On your points:
1) I prefer a viewfinder for a lot of situations, especially in bright daylight outside when you'll struggle with screens.
2) rotating screen, very handy for taking photos at tricky angles. I love mine.
3) Shutter speed of 1/8000, you're very unlikely to ever go that high. I barely get up to 1/4000 when shooting in bright summer sun. Not a deal killer.
They are two differing styles of camera, an SLR-type or a compact type.
So you really need to go check them out in a shop, see how they feel in your hand as you will spend a lot of time holding them.
Do you want something small to fit in a pocket or are you happy carrying something bigger?
Never buy a camera just from reading the specs.
Go to Jessops (the easiest chain to find) and try them out along with a proper DSLR and compacts like a Sony NEX5, Nikon J1 and others, then decide.
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I am not committed to Samsung. However, i am not about to become an enthusiast photographer and my missus needs to be able to use it. The size of the SLR cameras put me off. I think i want a compact system camera.
Nearest DSLR camera in terms of specs to the NX210 is the Nikon d3200. The Nikon with an 18-55mm lens is £381 after cash back. That makes it £100 more expensive than the Samsung.
Can someone explain the differences between DSLR and The compact system cameras?
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DSLR has a mirror to enable an accurate viewfinder.
The compact interchangeable lens type cameras generally have a large-ish sensor on them and no mirror, which is how they keep the size of them right down.
As Dubfan has said - get into a good camera shop and have a good grope with a few different cameras to see how they feel in your hands (and those of your other half maybe!).
Although it's not inter-changeable lens you could also consider the Fuji X10 for around £300 - it's an excellent camera, with a good focal range and a fast lens. Mother has one and loves it.
Possibly also worth considering are the Canon G12/G1-X/G15 which are basically mirrorless SLR sensor camera with a really fast lens. Lots of pros use them for when they don't want, or can't take an SLR.
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Thanks for the info DH.
Whilst the cameras you pointed out look good, the resolution is a lot lower (i have a canon ixus with 14mp) than i was expecting. They are also rather bulky and look dated. Apart from the fuji, all the canons come in at the same sort of price as the Samsung NX20 after the cashback offer and free tab(i don't have a tablet and was going to buy one anyway). As such, i have to compare them to the NX20 which means they don't stack up against it.
I will go to jessops and have a play as suggested.
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Dont know if its of any interest but Argos have a deal on the Nikon D3100, Its down to £299
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Whilst the cameras you pointed out look good, the resolution is a lot lower (i have a canon ixus with 14mp) than i was expecting.
Ignore the resolution - all of these cameras will give you great shots.
They are also rather bulky and look dated.
Ahem - the Fujis are designed to look retro. The Canon follows a well-established form Canon have delivered on in their pro-non-interchangeable-lens cameras. I had a quick razz on the G15 last night as it happens - very impressed and it's significantly smaller than the NX20.
I did type out a long explanation of the value of F-stops on lenses. Save to say the G15 lens is F1.8-2.8 which is a very fast lens - even faster than the Fjui X10 which is GREAT in low light. It will deliver amazing shots because of this. The lens on the NX20 is the equivalent of the £60 worth of kit lens on basic Canon DSLRs and that is NOT a great lens.
The lenses are the key here, not the cameras.
Oh - have a look on Panamoz for the G15 - £310 instead of the £550 in UK shops. A mate ordered a Canon 7D body from them and it was with him in 4 days.
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Ok. I'm torn between a nikon D5100 DSLR or the samsung NX210.
What's the nikon like at shooting video? does it have an external mic input?
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http://lmgtfy.com/?q=nikon+D5100+DSLR+review
Crack on.
Try the DP Review link, maybe?
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Ok. I'm torn between a nikon D5100 DSLR or the samsung NX210.
What's the nikon like at shooting video? does it have an external mic input?
If you want to shoot video on a Nikon then you want either the D3200, D5200, D800 or D4 the previous gen Nikon cameras only have a pseudo manual control meaning you can't properly override the exposure during filming. The current gen allows you to set the aperture and then change the shutter speed / iso whilst filming.
The D5100 has external mic as do the D3200 up, I expect you've been drawn to the articulated display on the D5100 you'll need to go to the D5200 if you want this feature, however the cheaper D3200 has HDMI so you could connect an external monitor for filming.
I've got a D3200 as my second body, video quality is great as are the stills.
If video is a must then look at the canon range, they were quicker to marker with advanced video functions but the still IQ wont be as good as the Nikon equivalent.
Also consider micro four thirds
NB If you're planning on shooting film on a CMOS sensor then you might want to read up about rolling shutter;
http://www.diyphotography.net/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-rolling-shutter
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Thanks for the info ridg. I'd love to get the d5200 but my budget won't allow it (according to the missus).
I have read up on rolling shutter. Nearly all of the cameras i was looking at have a cmos sensor so i guess i don't have much choice. I was planning on getting someone to shoot my wedding with it next year, that's why the external mic was important. I doubt the rolling shutter would come into it for that would it?
Apart from that, it's primary use will be wildlife and architecture photography.
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Thanks for the info ridg. I'd love to get the d5200 but my budget won't allow it (according to the missus).
I have read up on rolling shutter. Nearly all of the cameras i was looking at have a cmos sensor so i guess i don't have much choice. I was planning on getting someone to shoot my wedding with it next year, that's why the external mic was important. I doubt the rolling shutter would come into it for that would it?
Apart from that, it's primary use will be wildlife and architecture photography.
External mic input is not important.
Firstly a lot of DSLRs don't allow you to adjust the mic recording level once you're recording, which is pretty useless for an event.
Secondly if you're filming a wedding, then as the camera moves about the church, the sound will vary massively. If the camera is close to the couple, you'll be able to hear them do the vows, but if you move away, their voices will be lost in the church/room. Also if you turn up the mic to make the vows louder on your recording, you'll have to turn it down again when singing/music starts.
Most churches/function rooms have a sound system that will be set up to capture and amplify the voice of the vicar/registrar and the couple. Take a portable audio recorder and connect it to the venue's sound system, then you should get much better sound. Then when you come to edit, you can sync up the sound from the recorder to the sound from the camera and maybe mix the two if need be.
Secondly you'll get a better recording with an external unit anyway.
Alternatively, if you just want a memory of the day, you could do something like this. Filmed by a pro photographer friend, his first video on a Canon 5D Mk3. http://vimeo.com/43695907 (http://vimeo.com/43695907)
As said, if you're serious about video, go for a Canon, but if (once the wedding is done) you're more interested in stills, then go for your favoured stills camera with video functions.
If you don't lean either to Canon or Nikon, go try both and see which one works better for you.
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Thanks for the input guys. The wedding is in a registry office with fairly good acoustics. I'll just set the camera up as close as possible. Not looking for professional quality, just want to capture the memory.
Last question!
Most cameras come with an 18-55mm lense. What other lenses would you guys consider essential for my needs?
As mentioned i'll be shooting wildlife/animals, probably from distances up to 30m away but also very close up. I'll also be photographing cathedrals and similar buildings etc.
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Thanks for the input guys. The wedding is in a registry office with fairly good acoustics. I'll just set the camera up as close as possible. Not looking for professional quality, just want to capture the memory.
Last question!
Most cameras come with an 18-55mm lense. What other lenses would you guys consider essential for my needs?
As mentioned i'll be shooting wildlife/animals, probably from distances up to 30m away but also very close up. I'll also be photographing cathedrals and similar buildings etc.
realistic list (for your budget).
35mm f/1.8
50mm f/1.8 (or faster) I personally think the 35mm is a better choice for a crop sensor
18-200mm
what you actually want :laugh:
11-16mm f/2.8
35mm f/1.8
50mm f/1.4
24-70mm f/2.8
70-200mm f/2.8
some of the lenses in the second list cost more than the camera (well most of them do) but the glass is where the really IQ comes from. In terms of value the 18-200 is a steal, it's not that fast not it does everything from wide angle to tele so you can shoot your cathedrals and then zoom into the wildlife, great place to start. I'd recommend getting a fast prime (fixed focal length) these are good for low light, video work and for teaching you composition.
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i'm not buying that lot!!!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
i was thinking the 35mm and the 70-200mm to start with?
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i'm not buying that lot!!!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
i was thinking the 35mm and the 70-200mm to start with?
Those two along with your kit lens (18-55mm) will probably cover you for most of what you want to do.
I have 3 lenses, an 18-50mm (albeit an f2.8 Sigma), a 50mm f1.7 and a 70-210mm f4. Which is enough really, although I'll always be looking for another. It's a bit addictive, lens buying.
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won the samsung nx210 for £350 brand new on ebay. gonna give it a bash. if it's no good i'll sell it and buy a dslr. Just need to learn how to take photos now!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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won the samsung nx210 for £350 brand new on ebay. gonna give it a bash. if it's no good i'll sell it and buy a dslr. Just need to learn how to take photos now!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Seriously? That's some bargain if it's legitimate. Does it come with everything, lenses and all?
Good luck with it.
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won the samsung nx210 for £350 brand new on ebay. gonna give it a bash. if it's no good i'll sell it and buy a dslr. Just need to learn how to take photos now!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Seriously? That's some bargain if it's legitimate. Does it come with everything, lenses and all?
Good luck with it.
still sealed. comes with an 18-55mm lense and a flash thingy. :smug:
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i have it!!!
may have bought one or two extras for it :whistle: :whistle: :whistle:
so what do i do again???!!! :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: