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

[NYCat]

15 minutes ago, Gervais Montacute said:

 

Paulette I think with the best will in the world you put far too much faith in people on forums. Most of them haven't got anything better to do. 

 

I have had real help here. And MDM has been one of the most helpful. Your post was OK with me. Some of the information here is not useful but some really is. It seems we can use our own judgment about who to listen to.

 

Paulette

[Jill Morgan]

I started long ago when it was just film.  First thing I did after buying a camera was take a night school course on photography.  Then I took a course on developing and printing my own film.  Ah, those were the days.  Sitting on the bathroom floor rolling the film drum back and forth.  I still have my old Vivitar 356 enlarger sitting in the driveshed.

 

You don't need to start with film.  And probably best to start with an older less complicated camera anyway.  There is still a lot to learn and you way become overwhelmed by the number of choices and settings there are.  My son found figuring out ISO the most challenging.  If you get the basics (aperture, shutter speed and ISO) then you can move on the the other setting on the camera that will help improve your photography.

 

As to wildlife, unless you can also afford a long telephoto, you won't have much success as most wildlife will not be within close shooting range.  Since your camera will have be a lower MP one, you won't be able to crop in tightly.  I shoot a lot of birds and use a 100-400 lens.  It cost me $1000 used.

 

Photography is a lot of fun.  It won't make you much money though.

 

Jill

[Michael Ventura]

42 minutes ago, Jill Morgan said:

You don't need to start with film.

 

I agree, even though not a bad idea, I have had plenty of young assistants who never shot film and have a passion for photography.  Having the love of the art is possibly the most important ingredient and the rest will fall into place.  Maybe not the money but the fun should fall into place.

[Dionis]

9 hours ago, Gervais Montacute said:

I thought that might be the case. Then I would say, based on the fact that 99percent of information you get on any kind of forum is generally crap, (this is because it's way too varied and almost impossible to be applicable to an individual or on any individuals requirement basis) read up a lot on cameras and watch YouTube videos and get your own personal consensus. 

Otherwise you'll be here forever.

No, sorry, but I don't agree with you. Forums are incomparably better than any YouTube. At least because on YouTube I cannot ask anyone specific questions that interest me, but here on the forum I can ask respected professionals a question and can get an answer to each specific question that interests me. Of course, YouTube is also needed, but here on the Alamy forum in just 2 or 3 days I received as much useful information as I would have had to search on YouTube for perhaps a month or two. And I am very grateful to all the caring people who gave me advice on this forum on how to make the right choice when buying an acceptable camera. I am especially grateful to Mark and MDM. And now I have information on acceptable cameras and eBay links and specific information about what criteria should be indicated in the search on eBay, what to pay attention to. If it weren’t for the respected professionals on this forum, it is quite possible that now I would have wasted money due to the wrong choice of camera. Now, thanks to information from respected professionals from the Alamy forum (and not YouTube), I can slowly study everything, weigh it, analyze it and purchase the right camera that is acceptable both for me (in price) and for Alamy (in quality)

[Rebecca Ore]

On 23/07/2024 at 12:01, John Mitchell said:

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

 

A number of us here have a6000 cameras.  I had two a7 full frames blow out either their shutters or motherboards and sold them to someone willing to go to Costa Rica or Panama to new parts.   My a6000's pop-up flash isn't working (stress on connections from using plastic bounce gismos?), but no trouble with the rest of it.  First cameras of a line tend to be either dubious or over-engineered.   I'll never buy another a7 original model at this point (one was used and one was bought new). 

[John Mitchell]

5 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

I agree, even though not a bad idea, I have had plenty of young assistants who never shot film and have a passion for photography.  Having the love of the art is possibly the most important ingredient and the rest will fall into place.  Maybe not the money but the fun should fall into place.

 

Definitely no need to start with film, but I'm glad I did (not that there was any other choice back in the 60's). Using a clunky manual focus camera teaches you to go slowly and be in the present. I still work like a film photographer, always sticking with the single shot and aperture priority settings. I also like to take my time. Mind you, I've contracted the instant-gratification bug just like everyone else. Not sure there's a total cure at this point, but I'm working on it. 🙃

Edited July 25 by John Mitchell

[John Mitchell]

26 minutes ago, Rebecca Ore said:

 

A number of us here have a6000 cameras.  I had two a7 full frames blow out either their shutters or motherboards and sold them to someone willing to go to Costa Rica or Panama to new parts.   My a6000's pop-up flash isn't working (stress on connections from using plastic bounce gismos?), but no trouble with the rest of it.  First cameras of a line tend to be either dubious or over-engineered.   I'll never buy another a7 original model at this point (one was used and one was bought new). 

 

My a6000 has been very dependable as well. I never use flash, but I assume mine still works. The NEX-6 forerunner was also very well built. Mine is still going strong after a decade.

[Harry Harrison]

Hmm, but what lens for an A6000

[MDM]

2 hours ago, Dionis said:

No, sorry, but I don't agree with you. Forums are incomparably better than any YouTube. At least because on YouTube I cannot ask anyone specific questions that interest me, but here on the forum I can ask respected professionals a question and can get an answer to each specific question that interests me. Of course, YouTube is also needed, but here on the Alamy forum in just 2 or 3 days I received as much useful information as I would have had to search on YouTube for perhaps a month or two. And I am very grateful to all the caring people who gave me advice on this forum on how to make the right choice when buying an acceptable camera. I am especially grateful to Mark and MDM. And now I have information on acceptable cameras and eBay links and specific information about what criteria should be indicated in the search on eBay, what to pay attention to. If it weren’t for the respected professionals on this forum, it is quite possible that now I would have wasted money due to the wrong choice of camera. Now, thanks to information from respected professionals from the Alamy forum (and not YouTube), I can slowly study everything, weigh it, analyze it and purchase the right camera that is acceptable both for me (in price) and for Alamy (in quality)

 

Very well put Dionis. Exactly what I think myself. I do wish you great success. You are clearly very intelligent and your head is in the right place so you will definitely be able to learn photography and if that leads to making money then all the better. Above all enjoy the journey and feel free to ask photography-related questions when you get your camera. 

Edited July 25 by MDM

[Harry Harrison]

Hmm, but what lens for an A6000? Do they have a decent affordable zoom, or maybe someone else makes one, Sigma? With Fuji you'd have to be looking at a 16MP X-E2 but the 18-55 XF 'kit' zoom lens is excellent. Even that would be over-budget I think though it's an excellent 'Alamy' combination. I'm also inclined to think that the Nikon D3xxx series could be the way to go but I don't know about lenses for those either.

 

As someone else mentions though, you'll need a fairly recent computer/laptop with a decent screen if you don't have one already. For software there's probably Affinity Photo, especially if you get it it on a deal, I think you can get a long free trial at the moment. There's a pretty big learning curve for any software though.

[Dionis]

42 minutes ago, MDM said:

Very well put Dionis. Exactly what I think myself. I do wish you great success. You are clearly very intelligent and your head is in the right place so you will definitely be able to learn photography and if that leads to making money then all the better. Above all enjoy the journey and feel free to ask photography-related questions when you get your camera. 

Thanks MDM)

[Rebecca Ore]

25 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

Hmm, but what lens for an A6000

 

I had a 18-55mm that was the lens from an a3000, but that went with the a3000 when I gave it to a friend.   I added a Sony/Zeiss 24mm lens which is my go to, and have two adapted lenses, a micro 30mm, and a 35mm (equivalent to 50, and a 55mm FE lens (for full frame, will work on crop frames as a portrait lens.   The 55-210mm I bought used got serious fungus.   It really depends on what you shoot.  All FE lenses will work on the crop frame Sony mirrorless cameras, too.   Some people really like the adapted lenses with adapters, but they'll be manual setting and manual focus.   B&H sells a new model 16-50 for around $300.   The old kit lens was about that, and I don't see the 18-55mm for sale new. 

 

Zeiss makes a line of lenses for this Sony format also, the Touits (now with a macro lense).   Sony does seem to making more lenses for the a6xxx series cameras than when I last looked.

 

A number of other manufacturers also make lenses for the a6xxx cameras.  Zooms can be anything from fairly inexpensive variable aperture lenses to consistent aperture lenses for more. 

 

 

[Harry Harrison]

46 minutes ago, Rebecca Ore said:

 

I had a 18-55mm that was the lens from an a3000, but that went with the a3000 when I gave it to a friend.   I added a Sony/Zeiss 24mm lens which is my go to, and have two adapted lenses, a micro 30mm, and a 35mm (equivalent to 50, and a 55mm FE lens (for full frame, will work on crop frames as a portrait lens.   The 55-210mm I bought used got serious fungus.   It really depends on what you shoot.  All FE lenses will work on the crop frame Sony mirrorless cameras, too.   Some people really like the adapted lenses with adapters, but they'll be manual setting and manual focus.   B&H sells a new model 16-50 for around $300.   The old kit lens was about that, and I don't see the 18-55mm for sale new. 

 

Zeiss makes a line of lenses for this Sony format also, the Touits (now with a macro lense).   Sony does seem to making more lenses for the a6xxx series cameras than when I last looked.

 

A number of other manufacturers also make lenses for the a6xxx cameras.  Zooms can be anything from fairly inexpensive variable aperture lenses to consistent aperture lenses for more. 

 

 

Thanks, a lot of possible options but very hard to keep within what is a very tight budget. 

[Rebecca Ore]

45 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

Hmm, but what lens for an A6000? Do they have a decent affordable zoom, or maybe someone else makes one, Sigma? With Fuji you'd have to be looking at a 16MP X-E2 but the 18-55 XF 'kit' zoom lens is excellent. Even that would be over-budget I think though it's an excellent 'Alamy' combination. I'm also inclined to think that the Nikon D3xxx series could be the way to go but I don't know about lenses for those either.

 

As someone else mentions though, you'll need a fairly recent computer/laptop with a decent screen if you don't have one already. For software there's probably Affinity Photo, especially if you get it it on a deal, I think you can get a long free trial at the moment. There's a pretty big learning curve for any software though.

 

Lots more lenses now that in the past with varying prices.   The kit lens that comes with a6000 cameras works.  Couple of decent affordable zooms in the $300-600 range new, both Sony and other makers, variable aperture generally 3.2 or so to 5.6..   Getting a used camera with the kit lens is a reasonable way to start.

 

 

[John Mitchell]

37 minutes ago, Rebecca Ore said:

 

Lots more lenses now that in the past with varying prices.   The kit lens that comes with a6000 cameras works.  Couple of decent affordable zooms in the $300-600 range new, both Sony and other makers, variable aperture generally 3.2 or so to 5.6..   Getting a used camera with the kit lens is a reasonable way to start.

 

 

 

I agree. The very compact 16-50 kit lens has its faults, but it is perfectly usable for walk-around photography.  I really like the Sony f/1.8 35mm "standard" lens (on the a6000) and find myself using it fairly often these days. However, it's on the pricey side.

 

Hmm ... haven't we had this conversation before had this conversation before. 🤔

[Ric Holland]

Deleted

 

Edited July 26 by Ric Holland

[Ric Holland]

Duplicate 

 

Edited July 26 by Ric Holland

[Ric Holland]

Another duplicate

 

Edited July 26 by Ric Holland

[Harry Harrison]

I remember that you had indeed discussed that topic before but the OP wouldn't have known that so I was hoping that you'd have it again.

 

I'm surprised there haven't been any Micro 4/3 recomendations in fact. I see the OP wants to photograph nature so that might have a bearing on the choice of lens, and format as well perhaps.

[Harry Harrison]

A possibly timely little article on the 2011 Sony NEX-7:

 

https://www.35mmc.com/26/07/2024/sony-nex-7-from-2011-revisited-sony-and-aps-c-part-3-of-3/

 

(deliberately intrusive ads but nothing harmful)

 

[Rebecca Ore]

7 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

I remember that you had indeed discussed that topic before but the OP wouldn't have known that so I was hoping that you'd have it again.

 

I'm surprised there haven't been any Micro 4/3 recomendations in fact. I see the OP wants to photograph nature so that might have a bearing on the choice of lens, and format as well perhaps.

 

I had a Panasonic GF1 (another excellent first of its line) in the past, and have licensed one picture from it.   The thing that's against them is the need to get the light and exposure exactly right and the files don't tolerate much cropping.   When I got the a6000, I gave the Panasonic GF kit to a friend who used it as an  entry into part of his duties as an ecological investigator until he had it go overboard in the ocean.  His employer replaced it with a entry level Nikon with some long zooms, so the GF I was good enough to get his foot in that door.

 

A good deal on either a Panasonic GX line or one of the Olympus cameras would be worth considering, but it's had to crop the photos taken with it.   24 MP cameras have a bit more wiggle room.   The other possibility would be a Sony a3000, 20 MP but APSC sensor, and takes all Sony lenses, but it's very plastic and durability would be an issue.  I think a better deal would be a Nikon D300 which opens up a range of very good old manual Nikkors plus all their recent ones, but it's also APSC .   Probably see what the best deal is on any of the above locally.   Larger frame cameras have the advantage of shallower depth of field if that's something that's important to a photographer.   The Micro 4/5s have the advantage of getting 600mm equivalent angle of view to full frame with a 300mm lens.   The Sony a6000 is not much larger than the Panasonic GF1 and allows for selective focus with a fast lens and also has more reach with shorter telephotos.   Nikon D300 is a tank of a camera, but Nikon has some amazing lenses. If everyone is going to mirrorless Nikons, the older DSLR Nikons and Canons might be affordable, just check shutter count.

 

Best thing to do is look at used cameras, take test shots, and see what works well.   KEH gives rough ideas of what prices for what are reasonable, even if one doesn't live in the US.

 

I think several of us have Sony a6000's so recommending that seems to be the easy suggestion. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Martin L]

21 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

 

As someone else mentions though, you'll need a fairly recent computer/laptop with a decent screen if you don't have one already. For software there's probably Affinity Photo, especially if you get it it on a deal, I think you can get a long free trial at the moment. There's a pretty big learning curve for any software though.

There is also the free stuff so no cost  e.g. Canon's DPP (for Canon and good as a simple starter), NX Studio (Nikons offering, however never used it so not sure if it is any good) and free open source ones like Darktable and RawTherapee (probably a little harder to grasp for a beginner but very powerful).

GIMP is also a free open source offering as a PS alternative.

Edited July 26 by Martin L
Grammar

[IKuzmin]

21 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

As someone else mentions though, you'll need a fairly recent computer/laptop with a decent screen if you don't have one already. For software there's probably Affinity Photo, especially if you get it it on a deal, I think you can get a long free trial at the moment. There's a pretty big learning curve for any software though.

A legally purchased software? In Georgia? You are kidding. He will get all newest stuff for free.

As for a computer, people use successfully self-assembled or shop-assembled devices, cheap and strong enough, no need for calibrated display at this step... I believe every family if not every person have such computer for various needs. Even though I was in Georgia last time 12 years ago, I did not hear about  much changes since that.

Edited July 26 by IKuzmin

[MDM]

55 minutes ago, Rebecca Ore said:

 

I I think a better deal would be a Nikon D300 which opens up a range of very good old manual Nikkors plus all their recent ones, but it's also APSC .  Nikon D300 is a tank of a camera, but Nikon has some amazing lenses. If everyone is going to mirrorless Nikons, the older DSLR Nikons and Canons might be affordable, just check shutter count.

 

 

The D300 is a 12MP camera, is pretty old and more likely to have had a lot of usage, quite possibly heavy professional use which is not a good idea. A low shutter count camera used occasionally is a much better bet in my opinion. Similarly with the D700 which was an excellent full frame camera but also 12MP, also giving much less room for cropping than the 24MP D3300 or similar.

 

The D3300 may not take some manual focus lenses (not sure about this) but there is a huge range of cheap Nikon autofocus lenses on the market. 

 

 

[MDM]

20 minutes ago, Martin L said:

There is also the free stuff so no cost  e.g. Canon's DPP (for Canon and good as a simple starter), NX Studio (Nikons offering, however never used it so not sure if it is any good) and free open source ones like Darktable and RawTherapee (probably a little harder to grasp for a beginner but very powerful).

GIMP is also a free open source offering as a PS alternative.

 

NX Studio has been vastly improved in the last few years and would be ideal as it's free and legal. Produced by Nikon, it takes advantage of various Nikon-only features as well which are not accesible through other software. It used to incredibly slow but it is much better now than it used to be. I would recommend it for initial learning for sure. 

Edited July 26 by MDM