Noobie looking for advice

[ArkieFlyGuy]

New to the forum and somewhat new to photography. I've taken pictures for a long time, but most of it has been "point and shoot" stuff with a bit of advanced techniques. Now I want to get more serious in my old age.

I'm looking to get into something digital, but not really ready for DSLR, but not a "shirt pocket" camera either. I've done a little research and I have a few ideas what I want. I will be doing mostly shots of family, especially my 18 month old granddaughter along with nature shots. I'm big into fly fishing, hunting, and just being out in the country and woods. I'll have my "pocket" camera for the fish pics, but for everything else I want something that I can reach out and get good, crisp shots. I want to take some classes and learn more about the settings and how to use them.

Any advice on something for a NOOB like me? I've got a pretty low budget right now. But Santa is quizzing me for ideas.... :thumbsup:

[Greg McCary]

I would be looking at the Canon G9 or G10.

[Skyman]

Have a look at our reviews under the tab at the top of the page. There are many great Hybrid slrs that have high quality lenses (although not interchangable) and full manual control as well as the ability to integrate with flash systems etc. There are plenty of great photographers on here who use them, so the reviews are well informed. Good luck with the search.

[ArkieFlyGuy]

Thanks for the fast replies!

I'll start doing some research Skyman...

Greg... I should clarify that I'm looking for something with a minimum 14X optical zoom... I need to get good shots of elk, deer, turkey, eagles, fish, etc. when they are out there a ways...

[adamsti]

Thanks for the fast replies!

I'll start doing some research Skyman...

Greg... I should clarify that I'm looking for something with a minimum 14X optical zoom... I need to get good shots of elk, deer, turkey, eagles, fish, etc. when they are out there a ways...

I know your not looking at a DSLR, but in order to get quality pics of wildlife, you need a DSLR, and serious long glass, like a 500 f/4L, or the Nikon equivalent. You can get ok snap shots with other cameras, but if you want something worth saving, or to hang on a wall, printed big, serious money needs to be spent. Sorry for the bad news, but I don't want anybody to give you advice that just is not true.

[another view]

with a minimum 14X optical zoom...

Hi and welcome - the above quote is really more of a marketing term than a camera spec. Look for zoom range in terms of focal length equivalent (it's an equivalent to 35mm cameras) like 35-200mm or something like that. The lower the first number starts, the lower the second (telephoto end) one would be at a given "x" range. And there's nothing wrong with the first number being low; I'm more of a wide angle fan myself.

One thing to realize is that it takes a lot of work and equipment to get really killer wildlife shots. Early morning light looks great and photographs very well, but there's less of it than at noon so there is more potential for the camera to shake. Image stabilization or anything else they call it helps, but a handheld camera won't give you the National Geographic type images. However this doesn't mean you shouldn't try and see what you can do with it. Seriously consider getting a tripod for this kind of work.

[ArkieFlyGuy]

OK... here's the deal. I'm a fly fisherman. I started about 8 years ago. I started with a POS rig and equipment because I was not sure I would like it and didn't want to invest a lot of money up front. Then I found I liked it and wanted to get better. Still, I didn't go out and immediately spend $800 - $2,000 for a quality rod, but settled for something more intermediate to help me get better. Now I'm at a point I am looking at a $500 rod.

Same thing with the camera. I'm past the Instamatic stage, into the basic digitals, and now want to get much better at how settings work and how to get the effects I want. I totally agree that DSLR would be best, but I don't feel I'm at that point yet. Just because I have a Titleist 975D in my hands does not make me Tiger Woods.

I have friends who have DSLRs and are very good with them. Then again, I've seen some shots from them that I know I could have taken just as good with my little Vivitar. I hope to get to the DSLR some day, but budget and reason don't allow that right now.

As for wildlife and getting close... I usually get close enough for the shots I want with the cameras I've looked at. Once I learn how to get those great shots like I've seen in some of the reviews here, I know I'll be jonesin' to go DSLR...

Thanks for the advice. I'm still looking, but have narrowed it down a bit.