Hi, I hope you chaps can help.
My Dad retired from air traffic control last year and has been driving his whole family nuts! The problem is he needs a hobby so he doesn’t waste his retirement doing, well, nothing!
He’s always had a love of aviation and does enjoy taking photos, he still has quite a complex 35mm film camera and a bag of lenses, but for the last 10 years has prefered to use a Canon pocket-sized automatic jobby. It takes very good pictures for what it is but is, of course somewhat limited when it comes to airshows and that kind of thing.
I’ve shown him some of the work that’s regularly posted on this site and he drools, saying ” I wish my camera could do that”.
He’s got a very good eye for a photo but for this subject, his camera is useless.
Well the question is, what equipment would you recommend.
Criteria are:
Not too expensive (he’s a retired Nats employee after all)
Not too complicated to use (can you get semi-automatic cameras?)
Compatible with his old lenses (I think it’s a Canon too)
Digital or film? (he’s got a basic understanding of how to use the computer, but isn’t that confident)
Sorry,I know this is a lot of questions – I want to help him out, but I don’t have the knowledge.
I get the impression that the guy in the local camera shop will just sell him the most expensive box in the shop, so you lot are my first port of call.
Thanks in advance
Ewan
PS. is anyone going to the Pietenpol fly-in at Popham?
By: MattGarner - 13th September 2008 at 08:47
Thank you for the reply. I have been looking into the D40 more then the other camera, have you got any recommendations on a good camera bag? I searched but there is so many! 😛
By: Grey Area - 13th September 2008 at 07:57
This is probably the wrong forum to post…
Correct.
It’s in the right forum now.
There’s no such thing as ‘the best one’ when it comes to cameras and lenses, rather it’s a matter of what suits you the most within your budget.
First, decide how much money you have to spend and, within reason, stick to that limit.
Next, visit a few camera shops, try out the various ‘entry level’ DSLRS such as the Nikon D40 and Canon 1000D, ( not forgetting the Pentax K200 and the Olympus E420) and go with what feels most comfortable in your hand.
Lens-wise, a basic 70-300 zoom ( without frills, bells or whistles) and a basic wide-angle zoom (28-70 or similar) will keep you going while you build up your skills and experience. Tamron and Sigma build solid reliable reasonably-priced lenses, suitable for the beginner. A decent weatherproof camera bag is an essential, too.
Only buy the equipment you need, and learn to use what you have properly before you start to even think about spending more money on higher-spec equipment.
Finally, the most important component in any camera/lens combination is you. Money can’t buy you experience, and experience is the only way to improve your skill as a photographer. Once you’ve bought your gear, get out there and use it as much as you possibly can.
Good luck. 🙂
By: mrhenniger - 16th September 2004 at 01:58
As for editting software I would recommend Microsofts Picture It. It is loaded with excelant basic features aimed towards editing your pictures for making prints and is relatively low cost (~$80 CDN).
Regards,
Mike
By: Flood - 15th September 2004 at 23:59
Is his old Canon an EOS fit – or FD?
If it is EOS then he could get a digital body to fit; but if it is an FD fit then he is stuffed.
Flood
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September 15, 2004 at 10:46 pm