| Author | Thread |
|
|
11/15/2005 02:35:11 PM · #1 |
For the past 3 years, i've been very into film photography using my dad's old pentax SLR camera. I'm looking at buying a digital camera. I've done some research and decided that a DSLR is more than i want to pay for a camera, so i've been looking into SLR-like cameras. My aim is to get something that has similar operation as an SLR. I've been seriously looking into a Fuji S5200.
Is this a good pick?
Also, I recently discovered that wide angle and telephoto lens converters can be attatched to this camera. How well do these lens converters work? (Click hereclick here to see what i mean)
The S5200 seems to have the features that i want, but is there a similar camera that might be better?
Message edited by author 2005-11-15 14:38:04. |
|
|
|
11/15/2005 02:53:54 PM · #2 |
How old is your Dad's film camera? What lenses does he have? Can you "borrow" those lenses indefinitely? The pentax *Ist might be a very good possibility for you; very small dSLR body, accepts pentax-mount lenses, great build quality, low end of the price spectrum for dSLR, MUCH better imaging than that Fuji...
Robt. |
|
|
|
11/15/2005 03:10:43 PM · #3 |
Both the *ist DS, *ist DL, *ist DS2, and the *ist DS can use previous Pentax lenses.
The *ist DS and *ist DL can be had for less money then the other 2. Just buy the body and you can fit the Pentax lenses onto it.
Teleconvertors, wide angles will degrade picture quality if they are not the the finest ones made. Some of those can get pretty expensive, especially the ones made for a particular camera.
|
|
|
|
11/15/2005 04:19:33 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by hamsandwich:
For the past 3 years, i've been very into film photography using my dad's old pentax SLR camera. I'm looking at buying a digital camera. I've done some research and decided that a DSLR is more than i want to pay for a camera, so i've been looking into SLR-like cameras. My aim is to get something that has similar operation as an SLR. I've been seriously looking into a Fuji S5200.
Is this a good pick?
Also, I recently discovered that wide angle and telephoto lens converters can be attatched to this camera. How well do these lens converters work? (Click hereclick here to see what i mean)
The S5200 seems to have the features that i want, but is there a similar camera that might be better? |
Yes, that Fuji is a very good camera. It will serve you well as an introduction to digital photography. However when it comes to accessory lenses you'll do better if you stick to the ones made by the camera's manufacturer. They will cost you more but it's worth it. Third party wide angle and tele converters for non-DSLR cameras are a notorious way that sellers make a package look good as they jack up the profit margin with goods of dubious quality. Most of the time a buyer comes out ahead by getting the camera only and then selecting the accessories you really need.
|
|
|
|
11/15/2005 04:28:08 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by hamsandwich:
Also, I recently discovered that wide angle and telephoto lens converters can be attatched to this camera. How well do these lens converters work? (Click hereclick here to see what i mean)
The S5200 seems to have the features that i want, but is there a similar camera that might be better? |
The teleconverters were mostly designed originally for video apps, and have too much chromatic abberations and distortion to be used and get the sharpness that you would from an SLR telephoto lens. (the ones directly from Fuju/Konica/Canon might be the exception)
I'd buy the Nikon D50, I saw it in the store at Ritz the other day for $699. If I had the money, I'd buy the Minolta Maxxum 5d, If I had more money, I'd buy the Canon 20d, even more and I'd get the Nikon d200.
If nothing else, go to a camera store and check out the abilites in your hand, If you're used to an SLR, you'll be sorely dissapointed by the slow focus and limited ISO ranges of these "prosumer" P&S biglens cameras. Save your money and get the real thing. My camera is good enough, but I wish I had spent more of my tax return on a dSLR instead of blowing it on other stuff.
Message edited by author 2005-11-15 16:28:51.
|
|
|
|
11/15/2005 04:37:25 PM · #6 |
Have you looked at the Panasonic FZ5?
Imho it's the best camera in it's class. Just love the speed/colors/weight/handling... pretty much everything. |
|
|
|
11/15/2005 04:41:48 PM · #7 |
As others have alresady suggested.....if budget is a concern and quality is the primary objective then you'd be much better off with a Pentax dslr and using your dads lenses.
bazz. |
|
|
|
11/15/2005 05:42:59 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by k4rp:
Have you looked at the Panasonic FZ5?
Imho it's the best camera in it's class. Just love the speed/colors/weight/handling... pretty much everything. |
I've looked at all of the ones in my class of cam and my previous comment stands. Poor low light focus (the exceptions being the sony's DSC-H1 and V3), and the the complete inability to go above ISO400. 400 is even too noisy on all of them, and that's color noise, not luminance. There's only so far that you can push those tiny sensors, thus the new Sony 10mp cam using an APS sensor.
Get an SLR.
|
|
|
|
11/15/2005 06:07:19 PM · #9 |
I was going to go with a SLR-like camera. I'll be getting a dSLR on thursday- hopefully it will be here by then!
After all the advice I gathered here, all the talking I did with a friend of hubby's who is a professional photographer, and spending many hours looking at different cameras and going to different stores I decided to save my money and just get the dSLR because I knew I'd probably want to upgrade later on. No point spending that money twice- at least that's how I see it. A very dear friend actually bought the camera for me.
ANyhow, I'd go look at the Olympus E-500 or the E-300. I had my mind made up on a Nikon D70 till I finally found the EVOLT and it just felt more comfortable in my hand and I liked the way it was set up.
Someone here tipped me off on Best Buys policy for beating comepitors prices and I ended up getting the E-500 for 799. They are selling it for 899 but Circuit City had it for 809 so they beat the price by 10%.
now if it wasn't for my friend I would have to wait to purchase this camera and I'd probably be waiting till after income taxes are done.
Like many told me here, shop around, go hold them, play with them, go to more then one store, and figure out what you really want to do with it. I plan on taking some classes and getting into this so I figured I'd might as well spend the money now. Or I should say my friend spend the money lol. |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 08/23/2025 08:05:08 AM EDT.
