Choose a camera so that my pictures pass quality control at the alamy

[Dionis]

6 hours ago, spacecadet said:

This may mean that the menus are in Japanese, but I'd be surprised if the language can't be changed- I bought my A58 from a Pole and changed the language. If you look for a manual in English (or your first language- I don't know what that is) you may be able to work out how to change the language if you can't read Japanese.

 

Yes, I agree with you spacecadet. I think I can find a manual for this camera on the Internet in my native language. Thank you)

[Dionis]

7 hours ago, Steve F said:

Mirrorless is better. Camera will be smaller, will have newer technology, less moving parts so less chance of things going wrong in theory. Need to take into account the sensor size and lens that comes with any camera you look at though vs any other options you are considering.

OK. Thank you Steve)

[M.Chapman]

6 hours ago, spacecadet said:

This may mean that the menus are in Japanese, but I'd be surprised if the language can't be changed

The eBay ad says Japanese only and the seller seems to sell quite a bit of camera gear so probably knows what they're talking about. Years ago whilst in Tokyo with a colleague we spent a happy hour or so trying numerous digital cameras in various camera stores. It was great, all cameras were on display and had charged batteries (unlike UK shops). Prices were great so we both purchased cameras. But some cameras were definitely Japanese language only so we had to be careful. Maybe a firmware update would have allowed more languages, but we didn't want to risk it.

 

Mark

[Dionis]

9 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

The eBay ad says Japanese only and the seller seems to sell quite a bit of camera gear so probably knows what they're talking about. Years ago whilst in Tokyo with a colleague we spent a happy hour or so trying numerous digital cameras in various camera stores. It was great, all cameras were on display and had charged batteries (unlike UK shops). Prices were great so we both purchased cameras. But some cameras were definitely Japanese language only so we had to be careful. Maybe a firmware update would have allowed more languages, but we didn't want to risk it.

 

Mark

Okay Mark. Thank you) One more question for you: Is it possible to determine by the name of the camera or by the title of the camera whether it is a DSLR camera or a mirrorless one?

[MDM]

If I were you, I would look at a DSLR like the Nikon 3300 which you can get on eBay in the UK with lens and battery for well within your budget. There are a few reasons for saying this.
 

One is you need to be able to see the shutter count (how many pictures have been taken with the camera). This gives you an idea of how much a camera has been used. Now I might be wrong but I don’t think you can tell this easily with Sony cameras whereas most of the  Nikon sellers on eBay are quoting shutter counts. So first of all look for a camera with a low shutter count, the lower the better obviously. 
 

Two is a lot of Nikon owners have been changing to mirrorless recently so there are a lot of very good Nikon DSLRs available with low shutter count on the market. 
 

Three is there are vast numbers of secondhand Nikon lenses that will be available for many years to come so you would have a huge choice of cheap lenses as you continue to learn and develop your photography. Nikon F Mount is a living system, still made, and the quality is excellent. Even really old Nikon lenses from 1959 can still work on modern Nikon DSLRs without adapters. I don’t know but I expect you would be able to find good old lenses really cheap even in Georgia as the brand has been around for so long. Lens choice is a very important criterion when deciding on a camera system, especially if you have a small budget. 

Four is your budget is very small and you would have a much smaller choice of mirrorless cameras available compared to DSLRs at these prices. There is no difference in terms of the quality of the photos you will get or in how well you can learn. 
 

Five is the difference in weight between an entry level DSLR and some of the mirrorless cameras is negligible. And a bit of weight in a camera is a good thing. The Nikon camera I mentioned is small in any case. 
 

Best of luck whatever you decide but don’t rush decisions. 

[MDM]

9 minutes ago, Dionis said:

Okay Mark. Thank you) One more question for you: Is it possible to determine by the name of the camera or by the title of the camera whether it is a DSLR camera or a mirrorless one?

Yes depending on the brand. There are only really two brands of DSLR now on the market: Nikon or Canon. The Nikon DSLRs are all Nikon D so the D3300.  The Nikon mirrorless cameras are Nikon Z but well out of your budget. The Canon mirrorless have either M or R designation but again outside your budget. Sony don’t do DSLRs and neither do Fuji or Panasonic as far as I know so no chance of confusion. 

Edited July 23 by MDM

[Dionis]

5 minutes ago, MDM said:

If I were you, I would look at a DSLR like the Nikon 3300 which you can get on eBay in the UK with lens and battery for well within your budget. There are a few reasons for saying this.
 

One is you need to be able to see the shutter count (how many pictures have been taken with the camera). This gives you an idea of how much a camera has been used. Now I might be wrong but I don’t think you can tell this easily with Sony cameras whereas most of the  Nikon sellers on eBay are quoting shutter counts. So first of all look for a camera with a low shutter count, the lower the better obviously. 
 

Two is a lot of Nikon owners have been changing to mirrorless recently so there are a lot of very good Nikon DSLRs available with low shutter count on the market. 
 

Three is there are vast numbers of secondhand Nikon lenses that will be available for many years to come so you would have a huge choice of cheap lenses as you continue to learn and develop your photography. Nikon F Mount is a living system, still made, and the quality is excellent. Even really old Nikon lenses from 1959 can still work on modern Nikon DSLRs without adapters. I don’t know but I expect you would be able to find good old lenses really cheap even in Georgia as the brand has been around for so long. Lens choice is a very important criterion when deciding on a camera system, especially if you have a small budget. 

Four is your budget is very small and you would have a much smaller choice of mirrorless cameras available compared to DSLRs at these prices. There is no difference in terms of the quality of the photos you will get or in how well you can learn. 
 

Five is the difference in weight between an entry level DSLR and some of the mirrorless cameras is negligible. And a bit of weight in a camera is a good thing. The Nikon camera I mentioned is small in any case. 
 

Best of luck whatever you decide but don’t rush decisions. 

Thank you MDM) it’s nice to receive advice from professionals) I highly appreciate the answer of every person who answered me on this topic)

[MDM]

 

Just now, Dionis said:

Thank you MDM) it’s nice to receive advice from professionals) I highly appreciate the answer of every person who answered me on this topic)

No worries. You are obviously on a small budget so take your time. We all have different opinions here. 

[John Mitchell]

8 hours ago, Inchiquin said:

Ten years ago I bought a Sony NEX6 as a second camera to take out when I didn't want to lug my heavy DSLR gear around. I'm still using it regularly and photos taken with it sell on Alamy. It's small enough to slip into a large pocket (e.g. a jacket) and light enough that I'm hardly aware it's on my shoulder. Second hand ones should be cheap by now,

 

Alan

 

 

I'm still using my NEX-6 as well. It's a great little camera and perfectly fine for everyday photography and for Alamy.

 

However, the a6000 is even better. I'd say it's the best camera I've ever owned and a real bargain to boot.

[M.Chapman]

Much of the advice so far has concentrated on the choice of camera. I'd expect that most DSLR and mirrorless cameras with APSC or larger sensors from about 2010 onwards to be capable of producing images that pass Alamy QC but, only if the right lens, shooting technique and post processing are used.

 

Lens - The choice of lens is crucial, a budget 10x wide-angle to superzoom won't meet Alamy QC standards, but there are some good low cost 3x (e.g. 18-55mm) kit lenses that are fine. A good site for lens reviews is here https://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/reviews/ 

 

Shooting technique - selection of aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focussing are all important. Too high an ISO may give noise problems. Too small an aperture will cause overall softness (diffraction effect). Too wide an aperture may give problems with vignetting, corner softness and aberrations. Most budget lenses will give best results around f/5.6-f/8.0.

 

Post processing - Software and a computer will be needed to inspect images and make corrections. Many here shoot in RAW format and post process using Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One or DXO. But there are a number of free image processing packages that are available including DPP (for Canon cameras) and NX Studio (for Nikon cameras) which are also very good. Don't over-process or over-sharpen your images, they will fail QC. Downsize to 6MP if needed to improve sharpness instead.

 

The point I'm making is; Don't concentrate too much on the camera body. Lens selection is critical and will be influenced on what type of photography you intend to do. Also, if you don't understand some of the terminology used above (RAW, APSC, aperture, f nos, ISO etc.) then you'll need to learn quite a bit before submitting to Alamy.

 

Mark

Edited July 23 by M.Chapman

[M.Chapman]

BTW - Great advice from MDM above. 

 

Mark

[MDM]

26 minutes ago, M.Chapman said:

Much of the advice so far has concentrated on the choice of camera. I'd expect that most DSLR and mirrorless cameras with APSC or larger sensors from about 2010 onwards to be capable of producing images that pass Alamy QC but, only if the right lens, shooting technique and post processing are used.

 

Lens - The choice of lens is crucial, a budget 10x wide-angle to superzoom won't meet Alamy QC standards, but there are some good low cost 3x (e.g. 18-55mm) kit lenses that are fine. A good site for lens reviews is here https://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/reviews/ 

 

Shooting technique - selection of aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focussing are all important. Too high an ISO may give noise problems. Too small an aperture will cause overall softness (diffraction effect). Too wide an aperture may give problems with vignetting, corner softness and aberrations. Most budget lenses will give best results around f/5.6-f/8.0.

 

Post processing - Software and a computer will be needed to inspect images and make corrections. Many here shoot in RAW format and post process using Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One or DXO. But there are a number of free image processing packages that are available including DPP (for Canon cameras) and NX Studio (for Nikon cameras) which are also very good. Don't over-process or over-sharpen your images, they will fail QC. Downsize to 6MP if needed to improve sharpness instead.

 

The point I'm making is; Don't concentrate too much on the camera body. Lens selection is critical and will be influenced on what type of photography you intend to do. Also, if you don't understand some of the terminology used above (RAW, APSC, aperture, f nos, ISO etc.) then you'll need to learn quite a bit before submitting to Alamy.

 

BTW - Great advice from MDM above. 

 

Mark

 

Thanks Mark. I agree with what you say there. although I think the initial camera choice is crucial given the budget, as that will also determine the lens choices as well as other parts of a system. There may not be an opportunity to change brand so getting it right from the start is important. I'm thinking getting a major traditional brand (really Canon or Nikon DSLR) might make it easier to expand the system with cheap but good quality secondhand lenses. I know I'm biased towards Nikon as that is the system I'm really familiar with. 

 

Anyway Dionis has a lot to learn which is great really. It's a long road but a really exciting journey for anyone who really wants to learn. You never know where it might take them. 

Edited July 23 by MDM

[Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg]

On 22/07/2024 at 05:03, Dionis said:

I'm a beginner photographer...I would like to photograph nature.

Beginner?  $200US budget?
My advice is contrary to all other advice.
Get a new fixed lens Alamy-qualified camera if possible.
It will prolly be 50mm equivalent lens or wide angle equivalent.

Become proficient with your new single lens at single focal length.
Make enough Alamy profits with that to cover cost of more advanced system later.

Never blame camera for lack of sales or inability to be creative with single focal length...

I just took 3200 keepers over 24 days in your area, Mediterranean, including Croatia.
True, I use 28mm-600mm equivalent zoom lens, but of 3200, about 70% were wide angle...

Edited July 23 by Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg

[Dionis]

6 hours ago, Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg said:

Beginner?  $200US budget?
My advice is contrary to all other advice.
Get a new fixed lens Alamy-qualified camera if possible.
It will prolly be 50mm equivalent lens or wide angle equivalent.

Become proficient with your new single lens at single focal length.
Make enough Alamy profits with that to cover cost of more advanced system later.

Never blame camera for lack of sales or inability to be creative with single focal length...

I just took 3200 keepers over 24 days in your area, Mediterranean, including Croatia.
True, I use 28mm-600mm equivalent zoom lens, but of 3200, about 70% were wide angle...

Thanks Jeffrey)

[Dionis]

7 hours ago, M.Chapman said:

The point I'm making is; Don't concentrate too much on the camera body. Lens selection is critical and will be influenced on what type of photography you intend to do. Also, if you don't understand some of the terminology used above (RAW, APSC, aperture, f nos, ISO etc.) then you'll need to learn quite a bit before submitting to Alamy.

Yes Mark I don't understand a lot of things. That's why I need advice from professional photographers. And now I’m also interested in your opinion about this camera: https://www.ebay.com/itm/141947258008?norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=141947258008&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=21082097482&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=&merchantid=5300608838&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwtNi0BhA1EiwAWZaANFDUNcidGaif-VujEuMPhEr8z1F63ieJU36VFTK56yPdK9V8U-QtGBoCVLMQAvD_BwE

 

I can't figure out is it 10x or 3x lenses? Will Alamy accept photos taken with this camera?

[Steve F]

38 minutes ago, Dionis said:

Yes Mark I don't understand a lot of things. That's why I need advice from professional photographers. And now I’m also interested in your opinion about this camera: https://www.ebay.com/itm/141947258008?norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=141947258008&targetid=&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=21082097482&mkgroupid=&rlsatarget=&abcId=&merchantid=5300608838&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwtNi0BhA1EiwAWZaANFDUNcidGaif-VujEuMPhEr8z1F63ieJU36VFTK56yPdK9V8U-QtGBoCVLMQAvD_BwE

 

I can't figure out is it 10x or 3x lenses? Will Alamy accept photos taken with this camera?

 

No, it's not suitable, not unless you want to go hardcore retro. This is a single lens reflex (SLR) film (non digital) camera. You want a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) or a mirrorless camera.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_850

Edited July 24 by Steve F

[Steve F]

12 hours ago, MDM said:

Sony don’t do DSLRs

 

Not anymore. They had the Alpha Series SLRs like the A350 and then the SLT (single lens translucent) series like the A77ii.

Edited July 24 by Steve F

[Steve F]

Good advice from MDM above. Your choice of mirrorless cameras will be really small for your budget.

[Dionis]

1 hour ago, Steve F said:

 

Ok. Thanks Steve

Edited July 24 by Dionis

[Dionis]

1 hour ago, Steve F said:

 

No, it's not suitable, not unless you want to go hardcore retro. This is a single lens reflex (SLR) film (non digital) camera. You want a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) or a mirrorless camera.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_850

Ok. Thanks Steve

[Dionis]

1 hour ago, Steve F said:

 

No, it's not suitable, not unless you want to go hardcore retro. This is a single lens reflex (SLR) film (non digital) camera. You want a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) or a mirrorless camera.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_850

Steve How about this camera: 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166027452915?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=166027452915&targetid=325425753764&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=19979172374&mkgroupid=148603244112&rlsatarget=pla-325425753764&abcId=&merchantid=114825888&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqf20BhBwEiwAt7dtdRYOPpRnbryrpHl-Lq3PhvaL4ayKGffbxEJMi-s5Y7LhEwjWVAkmihoCaMUQAvD_BwE 

 

or this

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/395242999151?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=395242999151&targetid=325425753764&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=19979172374&mkgroupid=148603244112&rlsatarget=pla-325425753764&abcId=&merchantid=6296724&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzIK1BhAuEiwAHQmU3pGqFxNnIHZzGDEiyoDYfXowFFyEfendyw1Kb_zjYsChAD_14QKqoRoCKZoQAvD_BwE

 

[Dionis]

14 hours ago, MDM said:

If I were you, I would look at a DSLR like the Nikon 3300 which you can get on eBay in the UK with lens and battery for well within your budget. There are a few reasons for saying this.

MDM, What if I buy a camera body and then buy lenses for the camera separately? Will it be cheaper? 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285969126096?epid=215368289&itmmeta=01J3HRSKKTFXD66EXVJHWFQQVH&hash=item42951692d0:g:PEcAAOSwA-Bmms1g&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4ED8HObEVsXaam1tVv4H%2BnoB1ct023muAZVlJ1nHyuTSApHoY%2FyTtSqa7Hiz%2FRuFucCnr38WvnOpaP743FJSjwlvjBlM0CeHqkJ65eW1GNi%2BAL9VffHN%2B1kOgRuf%2B6qg3zEnzlY2lCiNxuC%2Bqbtt8iKzHcejWm6xM61LF5hLTsaK1TwZxDhbS6k2edMb1yw89r%2B9h6ULY%2BIGSt5JEOwjCN87j7m1w9kVXAORyYSzE1ridsrWqgahcbKXXcRJ6k85KlqOjhDzDhBkuPqAvBesMhilS6iaptzbIhaf9crTcCpZ|tkp%3ABk9SR_655ricZA

[Inchiquin]

10 hours ago, M.Chapman said:

 

Lens - The choice of lens is crucial, a budget 10x wide-angle to superzoom won't meet Alamy QC standards, but there are some good low cost 3x (e.g. 18-55mm) kit lenses that are fine. A good site for lens reviews is here https://www.imaging-resource.com/lenses/reviews/ 

 

 

This is one reason why I went for the NEX6 as my second camera. The Sony 16-50 is small enough to enable the camera to go in a pocket with the lens attached, but crucially also has that extra couple of mm at the wide end while other kit lenses usually start at 18mm. Having used a FF 24-105 on my Canon DSLR for many years I find this invaluable.

 

Alan

[Steve F]

53 minutes ago, Dionis said:

Steve How about this camera: 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166027452915?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=166027452915&targetid=325425753764&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=19979172374&mkgroupid=148603244112&rlsatarget=pla-325425753764&abcId=&merchantid=114825888&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqf20BhBwEiwAt7dtdRYOPpRnbryrpHl-Lq3PhvaL4ayKGffbxEJMi-s5Y7LhEwjWVAkmihoCaMUQAvD_BwE 

 

or this

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/395242999151?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=395242999151&targetid=325425753764&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=19979172374&mkgroupid=148603244112&rlsatarget=pla-325425753764&abcId=&merchantid=6296724&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzIK1BhAuEiwAHQmU3pGqFxNnIHZzGDEiyoDYfXowFFyEfendyw1Kb_zjYsChAD_14QKqoRoCKZoQAvD_BwE

 

Hi Dionis,

No no no!!! 🙂

You've misunderstood. The Canon EOS 850 is a film camera. DO NOT GET/BUY/PURCHASE/OBTAIN THIS.

 

Film:

:

 

 

Edited July 24 by Steve F

[M.Chapman]

54 minutes ago, Dionis said:

Steve How about this camera: 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166027452915?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=166027452915&targetid=325425753764&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=19979172374&mkgroupid=148603244112&rlsatarget=pla-325425753764&abcId=&merchantid=114825888&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqf20BhBwEiwAt7dtdRYOPpRnbryrpHl-Lq3PhvaL4ayKGffbxEJMi-s5Y7LhEwjWVAkmihoCaMUQAvD_BwE 

 

or this

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/395242999151?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-167022-208922-4&mkcid=2&itemid=395242999151&targetid=325425753764&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9069845&poi=&campaignid=19979172374&mkgroupid=148603244112&rlsatarget=pla-325425753764&abcId=&merchantid=6296724&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwzIK1BhAuEiwAHQmU3pGqFxNnIHZzGDEiyoDYfXowFFyEfendyw1Kb_zjYsChAD_14QKqoRoCKZoQAvD_BwE

 

No those are both film cameras (not digital). May I suggest you need to spend some time learning more about photography and cameras (books and online resources). Given the large gaps in your knowledge, it will be more efficient than asking questions in a forum like this.

 

Mark

Edited July 24 by M.Chapman