idont know if i have posted it in the right section but i have a few questions here.let me intro myself before asking them. i am a 15yo(still schooling) and i like taking photographs. it give me the satisfactory when i take good photos(in my opinion). i am using my w800i to take photos. i wanna get a cam which suits me. so here are my questions. should i just get a p&s cam or smth better than that. altough i may not know anything about those dslr cams but i know that they produce good pics. so would it be a good choice to get a basic dslr to start with(around 2k) and start learning the techniques and lenses and stuff. or should i just get a normal p&s. you guys may think:"why the hell would a kid wan a dslr when he doesnt know a thing bout it" when to answer that question i would say that i will/should be using that cam for next 5 years or longer and not planning to change if not necessary. taking photos is kinda like my hobby too. so all gurus out there please help me decide. what cam what model what price? don flame me if i posted anything wrong.cheers

if u r new in photography...
and very interested...i suggest start with dslr...
i would suggest d40...
=)

wondering if you go dslr, do you have the budget to keep purchasing new lens and accessories? Your hands will start to get itchy after some time u know...

thanks for your reply guys...whoa... after hearing what you say..i also wondered...the cam itself de price is ok...but ltr still nid buy lens again...hmm... dunno ler... was looking for smth more than a p&s but not as complex as a 10k dslr=,=' as i wont even know how to operate the damn thing...haha... so you know...start off with a basic dslr...learn from scratch...

if that's the case...
start off with bridge camera...
PnS with SLR capabilities...
such as nikon p5000, canon g7...
olympus has a lot of bridge cameras too...
take a look at them...

just buy a fuji pns, F31fd, good image quality, cheap, can slip in a pocket so you can bring it everywhere with you, never miss any opportunity.

dslr is bulky, you have to carry it on the shoulder, very inconvenient.

well, but if you're really interested in photography, its better you start investing now on a DSLR system & particularly good lens since it will last you a lifetime (the lens, that is). If unsure, go for PnS with DSLR capabilities like Xandman suggested... Even when u decide to migrate to DSLR that time, you can still keep your PnS due to it's compactness and convenience.

If you've decided on a DSLR, next step is choosing the brand... nikon, canon, olympus, fujifilm, sony, pentax, sigma, philips (just kidding..haha), and many others.. choosing the brand might also help you learn about DSLRs when you compare the brands pros & cons...

Do you have the budget to go for a secondhand Nikon d80? <-- high on my recommendation list as a Nikon User!

hmm....let me see...i see the d80 features looks very complex ler... i guess bridge camera like what xandaman was talking about was what i was looking for as a start... PnS with SLR capabilities...if you give me a d80 now i also dunno much about the functions... what do you guys think?

This post has been edited by orenzai: Jul 26 2007, 03:53 PM

bridge is better i think for u...since u r still schooling...and i assume limited cash....also u have lots of time to practice shooting before u move to pro level camera...=)

haha...was scouting around waiting for people to answer my questions... ill get it after my pmr...then see results... if good then i get to choose lor... my budget around 2k or below...is this olympus 550uz good? i see reviews from book say not bad...also..its around 1.9k for a 7.1mp lens

i started out on prosumer (Sony H5) thinking a DSLR was too complex... regret-ed that since i sold it off a year later for a huge drop in price... (u can say i lost about rm1k, because i spent quite some money on its extras and the whole set isn't too second-hand value friendly)

The thing with me being a DSLR user, i still leave my compact on auto mode (majority of the time) since there's not much settings i bother to change other than the occasional ISO & White Balance settings. I don't bother playing with Aperture at all, as long as the shutter speed is what i need for the occasion.

(this is coming from a person who hasn't touched bridge cameras before and using Aperture Priority on his DSLR)

anyway a suggestion, the k810i camera is great and so handy (and is an upgrade from your current hp camera)...

i see...so you are saying that guy bought a dslr but only used the basics... buying a bridge cam is not worth as the price drop fast? oh ya...and my n80 is on the way from sing...waiting for my fren to bring it over...k810i button too funny and uncomfy...

i agree...
u can save a bit if buying a bridge...but some bridge are more expensive than dslr...
but...if u get a dslr now...u can save more in the future...
assuming u dun get poisoned by lenses...=)

hm...i see that i think the camera range such as g7,lumix l1, olympus 550uz range is what i am looking for... so any recommendations of good cams of this range?

Canon Powershot S5 IS? The G7 is probably better but the S5 IS is a pretty good camera to learn some stuff before jumping onto the dslr bandwagon.

Then again, do you really need a bridge? Nikon D40 is going for RM2070 now and the kit lens (18-55mm) is actually pretty good.

True that you might get poisoned to buy other lens but theres also the risk of buying a bridge cam and getting poisoned 6 months down the road to get a dslr. Its all about self control aint it?

If you can control yourself not to buy new lens, then I think the 18-55mm will give you some great shots. The D40 is also really easy to use, compact (for a dslr) and produces great shots.

In the end, if you are still looking for a bridge cam, my preference will be Powershot S5 IS.

a dslr is MORE flexible than any bridge..
juz like zio said...
it's up to u n ur self control actually...
n yes i have to agree the 18-55mm kit lens is pretty good...for the d40...=)

hmm...i dont mind buying a dslr...but the problem is that i don even know what lens is for what... and the functions...unless you all gurus out there would teach me?haha...if i were to buy a dslr do i need to have a choice of lens or sticking with one will do?

To learn, you need only just one lens. Because you will then learn about shutter speed, apperture, composition, white balance (something I am really bad at) etc

There are tons of websites you can learn from (just check the stickied thread).

My advise: Get the D40 with the kit lens and slowly learn from there.

so you mean the 18-55mm lens comes with the cam and ill just stick with it? also...i went to all the websites liao...but they all teach quite intermediate de?can you show me a link to smth meant for pure beginner de...like intro to aperture...compostion...white balance...all those...thanks...

This post has been edited by orenzai: Jul 27 2007, 03:52 PM

Yup, 18-55mm comes with the lens and you can certainly use it for a lot of occassions.

You can try this link:
http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/index.html