Simviation Forums

So i asked for a camera for my birthday and i'll get a better chance of getting it if i give my parents all the details of price ect.  So this is where you guys come in, I want to do photography of aircraft (both in sky and on the ground) So what would be a good camera, what type of zoom do i want, and is it uner $250?

From my limited experience, you'd be able to get a decent point and shoot for under $250.. Not to great for air shots, but pretty good for ground shots. Note my MAAM threads, they were taken all with a Nikon 5900 point and shoot.

There's a Kodak DX something-or-other very similar to mine (DX7590); I've seen it retail for about $250. You're not usually going to get what you want with a 10x optical zoom lens, and digital zoom usually looks crappy... but it's a little better than most smaller cameras of the same price, and if nthe planes are flying low, it'll do very well.

i mainly want to get shots of planes landing at my local airport, so i imagine that would be enough

Hard to tell what the prices are in the US ( for me as a European!  ;) ) But if you'de have the posibility to put in an extra 50 - 100 bucks, you should be able to pick up a nice bridgecamera or superzoom ( Panasonic FZ7 - Konica Minolta - Canon cybershot etc...)

I have a Panasonic FZ5 and I'm loving it!

Also, check out www.dpreview.com to read about the camera's your interested in. I find their site very informative and objective!

Cheers,

Omag

Don't just think of new products. For that sort of money, you could probably get a good second hand reflex camera and a long lens togo with it. I have a Nikon F2A with an asortment of lenses ranging from 25mm to 600mm. All bought second hand over time. You will be amazed at the deals than you can find gathering dust in the second hand corner of a good camera shop.

Matt

Don't just think of new products. For that sort of money, you could probably get a good second hand reflex camera and a long lens togo with it. I have a Nikon F2A with an asortment of lenses ranging from 25mm to 600mm. All bought second hand over time. You will be amazed at the deals than you can find gathering dust in the second hand corner of a good camera shop.

Matt

I was just thinking the same thing. Yeah, you have to load the film and have it developed, but for the quality it can't be beat(well, it can, but you'd have to spend at
least $900 US).
I still have and use to film type SLR's-Canon AV-1 & Minolta Maxxum 5000i-and enjoy the quality of the photographs.

How are the developping costs nowadays? Keep in mind that more and more photo-shops go out of business due to the digital revolution. I've heared of people who pay hundreds of euros for a single roll of film...

getting film developed is still rather cheap, but if i did that i would have to buy new film all the time, go get it developed, and it costs money which i dont get much of. And im trying to save for a new computer for FSX, so i want to be able to take a picture, load it onto my computer and take more, free.  ;D I will tell my dad to look into second hand, as for as i know hes looking at new.

I've heared of people who pay hundreds of euros for a single roll of film...

Mind introducing me to those people? I have a plot of land on mars I need to sell.

Dag Nab it Craig......


You promised that plot to me....  :(


I still have the printer running to make the money to pay you off......

I thought 10,000 buckazoids was cheap for that....

Now I see how you are.....  ;D


The best digital still can't compare to a 35mm film camera as far as quality. Sure you have to develop the film but thats relativly cheap. In my area of the US it runs $6.99 to get double prints from a 24 exposure roll.

Before you go buying a camera you need to evaluate how you are going to use it. Things like..

Are you going to be doing a lot of shots?

Are you going to be blowing them up and selling them?

Film cameras, while relativly inexpensive can be money hogs in the long run. The average cost, including development, for a roll of film here is $8.00. And you can never tell what you shot until you get the film processed.

So 10 rolls = $80
and 100 rols = $800

Soon you start talking about serious money. If you are selling your prints then the cost is well worth the expense. If you are just out  to get shots for yourself you might want to try and get a digital. The nice part about a digital is you only print the shots you want and keep the shots that are good. The downside is the price for a good one.

I had a better offer

No wonder the reciept was on toilet paper....

Are you going to be doing a lot of shots?

yes

Are you going to be blowing them up and selling them?

no

Im not a good enough photographer to sell them yet, I just want to be able to take pictures easly, for my own use. I have an old Cannon AE-1 film camera and I love it for when I do take pictures with film, I have no zoom lens for it however, and I want to get into digital photograhy.

Now stop trying to change my mind  ;D

Check these out:
Olympus SP-350 Digital Camera-8MP, many features
Casio Exilim EX-Z60 Digital Camera-6.0MP,3X Zoom
Nikon Coolpix S5 Digital Camera- 6.0MP, 3X Zoom
Canon PowerShot SD30 Elph Digital Camera-5MP

Personally, I like Olympus-Good Zoom lens with Normal/Super Macro, Adjustable Aperture, 30 shooting modes, lots of add-ons. Prices range from $222-$370, so it's in your range.