 Eileen Lee Lavergne |
Buying a new camera Hi. Can someone advise me if I'm better off at a higher-end digital camera or an SLR? I was using an SLR Nikon F50 for several years (since 1998) until it broke down on me recently. Was very happy with it while it lasted though. I have thought about repairing it but as all technology goes, it's probably more value for money to buy a new one. My dilemma is that I received a small digital compact Sony Cybershot DSC W12 almost a year ago and have discovered the pleasures of shooting digital images (plus the camera is really a dream). My only gripe is that the compact digital has zoom lens limitations and general lens manipulation and being so light and compact, my hands are not stable enough to ensure blur-free photos. I've also been told that nothing beats the accuracy and resolution of film for print. So, I would appreciate some views taking in mind that my budget is reasonably tight.
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Kerry L. Walker |
Film vs digital. Here we go again! LOL Seriously, the question is whether to pay now or pay later. If you buy a digital SLR, you will pay a lot more now but pay nothing for film and less for processing. If you buy a film SLR, you will pay a lot less now but will have to pay for film and a little more for processing. If you want a debate on the merits of film vs digital, do a Q&A search. You will find plenty of debates, some more rancorous than others.
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Eileen Lee Lavergne |
Thanks Kelly for the tip on searching old Q&A. Sure didn't think of that silly me. DSLRs aside, anyone got ideas for a right old-fashion SLR in the mid-range? I have a tamron 200mm lens that fit my old Nikon F50 which I'd like to be able to re-use.
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Will Turner |
"anyone got ideas for a right old-fashion SLR in the mid-range" If you mean by that, something relatively well-built that stands a good chance of lasting a few years: Nikon FE2, FM2n (manual focus)
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Kerry L. Walker |
I second Will's post. I don't think you could go wrong with any of those choices.
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Eileen Lee Lavergne |
Thanks. I'm going to look it up.
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John P. Sandstedt |
Used: Minolta X-700 [semi-automatic] Canon AE-1 [semi-automatic] Pentax K-1000 [if you can find one (a real workhorse)] Of course, you should consider the Nikon N-50, N-60, N-80, etc. since it would appear you have at least one Nikon lens.
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Philip Pankov |
Please do consider getting medium format camera - they are very cheap now as all pros are going digital. Regards,
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Bob Cammarata |
I too can vouch for the older Nikons for their solidly built construction, and the line of great manual-focus AI Nikkors still around. They rank among the sharpest lenses in their price range. Philip, Bob
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Philip Pankov |
Hi Bob, I ended up buying Nikon Coolscan 9000 scanner this summer to scan my MF films. Great investment but at a price of 2000 USD. I still feel it’s worth it as it effectively gives me an equivalent of 50-70 mega pixels of resolution from 6x9 negs. I feel it makes sense for me to stay with film for a long while. I am sure others will disagree. Regards, Philip Pankov
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