Which digital camera

If you’re not sure about your future with aviation photography, there’s no better way to introduce yourself then with a decent prosumer. Typically a 3rd of the cost of a full DSLR, add a teleconverter and you might get a couple of seasons or more before you feel the need to upgrade to the full kit and caboodle (or save yourself a bundle and decide it’s not for you after all).

Here’s what I achieved with my first prosumer – a Fuji Finepix S5000:

Of course, all the images have been edited in some way, but that’s normal with both prosumers and dslrs.

(The Fujifilm S5600, mentioned by Archer is a prosumer and is generally speaking a digital camera, similar to a dslr, but which doesn’t offer through the lens viewfinding ability – the image you look at when lining up the shot is displayed on an LCD display).

Anyway, here’s a link to pictures on my website which use the S5000 (an earlier version of the S5600).

My Website

sample pictures: –

This one is devoid of Men on Fences – but it was taken the day he was being chauffered around by it’s owner – 6th June 2004, at Old Warden:

Peter’s P51 Jumping Jaques

Ahhh – The Man on the Fence, himself – leaving

Choosing a camera is a bit like choosing a car. You’ll need to consider budget, needs, wanted options and the type of use it is going to get. Also you need to factor in that some buyers favour specific brands for different reasons. Try getting a Jaguar driver into a Toyota 😉

On the camera scale there are a lot of options these days, and that makes choosing difficult. First thing to do I think is to set a budget for yourself, consider what you would like to spend. If you find out at a later stage that your needs cannot be met by that budget, you could either lower your requirements, or re-evaluate with your bank/spouse/consience. For now it will narrow the field a bit, which helps.

Next thing is to evaluate your needs, what kind of photos will you be taking? If you’re into aviation photography then you will automatically need to think about a lens with a decent zoom factor. You can get this two ways: either go for a fixed lens camera with a large zoom lens (the ‘ultra zoom’ cameras) or go for an SLR. I would recommend the first option for a beginning photographer, and the dSLR for someone who already has some SLR experience, or the advanced amateur.

More megapixels does not always mean better photos. For a sensor size that stays the same, cramming more pixels onto them means that you will get more noise issues. Sensors are getting better each day of course, but the newest 11 megapixel compact would never be on my wishlist, as I very much doubt if it will deliver a smooth image. The next major quality issue (if not the most important one) is the lens. Bigger and better glass means better photos, it’s that simple. A small compact camera has a lens which rarely measures more than an inch across. Zoom this thing out to its longest setting and you’ll have a long dark tube that the light will need to travel through to find the sensor. Get a camera with a larger lens (diameter-wise) and a lot more light will get through, meaning better performance on cloudy days or indoors.

As for choosing a dSLR, you will find that there are Canon supporters, and Nikon supporters. Both can deliver a good camera that will take great photos, but each will have their own advantages and disadvantages. Argueing about this will never leave you with a firm “this one is better” opinion. Generally a more expensive camera will have more options, give better performance and also a more expensive lens will be sharper and takes better photos. This is why I mentioned the budget at the beginning! Once you have decided to go for a dSLR you will very quickly end up on the sloping road towards spending more and more on your camera gear but once you’re in this market segment there are no really bad cameras so a Canon 300D or Nikon D50 might be just as good a camera for your purposes as a top of the line 1D mkII or D2H. Read reviews, talk to people who know these cameras, try them out in shops and make sure you evaluate these cameras against your requirements, not just against the “it would be great to own one” argument. Also factor in the accessories you will need, the camera is the main part of the cost, but not the only one, especially with a dSLR where you might want another lens or a large flash.

Remember that you can still get a very nice camera without going the dSLR route. This is just an example, but a Fuji S5600 will give you a nice large 38-380mm (35mm equivalent) lens that will easily take a nice aeroplane photo. It sells for a lot less than a Canon 350D, and might therefore be a better starting point for some people.

And what you think about this one for a newbie? Sony DSC-W7

Great for family portraits or scenery.

Useless for just about anything else.

And what you think about this one for a newbie? Sony DSC-W7

i dont think you could get the sort of pictures im after with a compact. A digital slr has to be the way forward

well maybe you can
with a canon powershot pro 1 or a nikon coolpix 8700

It’s a little cheaper than the SLR type… minus the lens that is…

i dont think you could get the sort of pictures im after with a compact. A digital slr has to be the way forward

Fairly useless for any ambitious, meaningful avaition photography to be frank. I wouldn’t consider an SLR to be too advanced, they generally have an “idiot mode” for care free operation. Then it’s up to you to learn how to “advance” your skills as you feel the need (or not). 😀

Hey… watch it! :diablo:

Anyway, I’m not one for “meaningful photography” anyway, so this does me fine. It should arrive in the coming weeks, I’ll post a few pics up to see the result it produces.

Apparently, it produces this type of photos. If that’s the case, I’m more than happy…!

http://www.dcviews.com/reviews/Sony-T7-Nikon-S3/SamplesS3/sampleS3_01.JPG

SLR cameras are too big and advanced for my liking. I’ll stick with a compact one, Nikon Coolpix S3.
Not half bad.

Fairly useless for any ambitious, meaningful avaition photography to be frank. I wouldn’t consider an SLR to be too advanced, they generally have an “idiot mode” for care free operation. Then it’s up to you to learn how to “advance” your skills as you feel the need (or not). 😀

SLR cameras are too big and advanced for my liking. I’ll stick with a compact one, Nikon Coolpix S3.
Not half bad.

EOS350D

I had occasion to use an EOS350D just before Christmas and, for the money, you would have to go a long way to beat it.

I could give a fuller account but the review at Digital Photography Review says it all really.

The only thing that I did was to add the Battery Grip BG-E3 which improved handling for my large hands!

:confused: thankyou for the advice APC104. I have also been considering buying a Nikon. The airshow season is getting ever closer and im still witout a digital camera!! I make up my mind and then i get more great advice. Maybe i’ll flip a coin :confused:

www.wingsandwheelsphotography.fpic.co.uk

I’m using a D70s. Great camera. I’m travelling at the moment, use it everyday for everything from pictures of vultures and paragliders to darker-than-hell indian temples and have had no problems with the results so far.

I read in a number of reviews that the menus on the Nikons are supposed to be hard to use. I read the manual ( takes a while) and can find my way around no probs. There are a lot of button short-cuts that by-pass the need to use the rear screen and therefore save power. On that point, the battery last a long time, while a few Canon users I have met ( birders) have commented on the need to carry several spare batteries.

I’ve met alot of other people on the road using mainly the D70s or 350D, and the main differences are the megapixel count, size (can be an issue when your in down town Beijing and don’t want your camera to get knicked) with the D70s having eaten all the pies, and the performance of the AF-S function – cheak this out as you will be using at the airshows.

Some one on this forum was gave me wise advice – budget not for the camera, but for the lenses!

Good luck!

im still not sure wether a 10d would be better than the 350d.has anyone got any opinions???

Personally I think a 10D is a better choice. Other than more pixel there is really no advanatge. The 10D is actually better in bulid quality, faster continous shoot rate and a better view finder. Of course the 350D is lighter due to more use plastic but remember the real reason for using plastic is to cut cost.

The 350d is the best budget DSLR currently on offer. I have had the fortune to test all the models side by side, and the Canon gives far more consistant results, and has the 8-MP resolution advantage over the likes of the Nikon D70s. As Jur suggested, the DPReview website is VERY comprehensive. The latest issue of my magazine (February issue of Which Digital Camera?) contains a head to head feature on the EOS 350D v’s the Nikon D70s, so you may wish to get a copy.

Thanks N Darby, you saved me the time and effort of putting the same thread up here…lol.

I too am interested in purchasing a suitable camera, based on my photos from the previous thread…

Am I right to presume from the comments that the EOS 350D is the best camera to go for?

I would be interested to know what anyone else uses?

Thanks in advance.

thankyou Jur i will check out the review..

im still not sure wether a 10d would be better than the 350d.has anyone got any opinions???

I’m not very familiar with Canon DSLR’s, but have you checked this site http://www.dpreview.com ?

In the review of the EOS 350D a comparison is also made with the successor of the 10D, the 20D. A quote from the conclusion: “Image quality is just as good as the more expensive EOS 20D, if you can live with the differences between the two the money saved could buy you a very nice lens.”

im still not sure wether a 10d would be better than the 350d.has anyone got any opinions???

Larger the MP the better!

Not necessarily so. Other camera aspects like its processing algorithms, noise reduction, etc. are equally important. Sometimes a camera with less MP gives better results than another camera with more MP’s. Read camera tests; e.g. at this site http://www.dpreview.com/

Larger the MP the better!