Camera Labs

Hi,

I'm a new member to these forums.
I made a return to photography about a year ago after about a dozen years not even possessing a camera.

I first got a taste in photography as a sports spectator and started with a cheap Praktika SLR. Most of the initial shots were at a my local speedway track. Without trying to go into too much detail it would be fair to say that motorsports and airshows were the main subjects.

I progressed to an Olympus OM2N and remember that as being one of the best ever purchases I ever made in my life. It was easy to use, had a great bright and clear viewfinder. I had two lenses - one great for weddings etc (short zoom/wide angle) and one for sports/action etc (zoom).

For some daft reason and changes in life I wandered away from photography and sold the OM2N. What an idiot I was?

Now I'm back and am very keen to get back into the habit/hobby. I've invested in a Lumix TZ5 for general and holiday use, and I'm happy with that.

I'm now considering buying a digital SLR and would like some advice from those of you who are probably more familiar with the current market. My thoughts tell me I need a digital version of my old OM2N, with easy to use/quick to access settings, speedy focus, and capable of capturing fast action shots.

Any advice would be welcome on makes and model, lenses but also tips on what should perhaps be minumum specifications and good value kits that are out there.

Cheers

Hi jabisfab,

and many warm welcomes to the forum.

With every person having individual preferences when it comes to control-schemes, size, lens-selection, price, features etc. there is no universal answer to the ever-present "what's best" question.

Fortunately for us photographers, all the manufacturers make some very very decent DSLRs these days. But it also makes the selection process a little more complicated, because you have to weigh a gazillion factors against each other. They all have very competent and budget-friendly offerings and they are rather more similar than different, when you look at the big picture.

May I encourage you to have a loot at the "reviews" section (top-left menu choice on this page). There you can browse Gordon's excellent reviews - some assisted by video-narrations.

You will be pleased to find that Olympus has a few good offerings in the DSLR realm spanning quite a range.

Best of luck with your selection process and research. If you have specific questions about any one make or model, the forum sections dedicated to each manufacturer is a good place to ask other forum-members with hands-on experience.

Cheers

Welcome to the Camera Labs community

Yes, please do search the forums in the user reviews, buying a new camera, and dedicated manufacturer sections. I'm 100% sure that you can find everything you need to know through the various forums and there topics.

If you then have any questions, feel free to post in this thread. I'm sure over a dozen people will help you out

Best wishes,
-Sean.

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-Blog- || -My Flickr-

first of all, what is your budget?

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RadiantLite - Cameras and Lenses Comparison Reviews, buying guide, photo taking techniques and other tips
My Portfolio - Some photos from my work

Thanks for all the replies guys, and I was certainly not expecting an actual recommendation on a specific make / model.

In answer to what's my budget I think that too is variable.

Can I perhaps start with getting some general discussion going like . .

What would a newbie be advised as a standard spec and package to get themselves reasonably geared up with the right sort of camera to use in sport / fast action shots? What lens options might be appropriate to use at an air show, and would that be different for say a motorsport venue? Is there shutter speed standards you would set as a minimum or other special functions you would recommend that are worth the extra costs?

I suppose what I am saying is I've been out of the loop and lost track of the 'speak' and a lot of the jargon and digital terms are not ones I'm familiar with.

Cheers

One aspect of the sort of photography you are into is the fact that such venues are outdoors and at a fixed place and time. So you cannot be too picky about the weather for your shooting. So adequate weather resistance could be an aspect you might want to take into consideration.

Things like that help narrowing down the playing field.

Ben

A big one!

Sorry, just had too. I shoot an OM-2 with a couple of primes myself.

You really should get yourself a budget, and then move into a decent camera shop that's well stocked. Where do you live? B&H Photo in New York has seriously good stock.

Thing is, you need to go into one of the shops, and try out the cameras you can afford. At this moment in time, all cameras are very good, and all the systems are good. Go for the camera that feels nice in your hands.

I would suggest a camera that might fit your OM2n dream - the Olympus E-420. Add a 25mm f/2.8 pancake for it, and you'll work with a standard lens.

You could also add in a 14-42 kit lens. Olympus uses the fourthirds system, with a smaller sensor, which means you have to multiply the focal length by 2x to see what the equivelent focal lenght on a 35mm camera would be. 14-42 equals 28-84mm. The 25mm equals the field of view of a 50mm on 35mm film.

So you can understand how it works with the other brands:

Canon has crop 1.6x (100mm = 160mm)
Nikon, Sony, Pentax/samsung 1.5x (100mm = 150mm)

Also, in the higher price range, Canon has its 1D-series, with a crop factor of 1.3x (100mm = 130mm).

And of course, both Canon and Nikon offer cameras with a 35mm sized sensor, but those are very expensive if you buy a new camera.

But generally, get the camera that fits your hand the best in your price bracket.

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Olympus shooter and a calm voice of reason.

Hi, in addition to the above, the models we'd currently recommend are here:

http://www.cameralabs.com/buyers_guide/ ... eras.shtml