New Camera Advice

[alfred russel]

I recently went on a trip where I thought my pictures turned out okay, but then when seeing the pictures others took, realized I badly need a new camera.

I want a kick ass camera that can be operated by a noob (though taking a photography class is on my to do list), isn't too heavy, and isn't going to break my heart if/when it gets stolen.

Does anyone have any advice?

[Liep]

http://www.dpreview.com/camerareviews/

Best advice I can give is to look around there. I've been very happy with my hybrid camera with micro four thirds lenses (compact camera with digital SLR).

[Pedrito]

A good photography class comes way before a kick ass camera, as a means to get nice photos.
My best pics were taken with an old Olympus OM-1 and a twin-lens Rollei. The youngest of the two is 30 years old and completely manual. The oldest, well, it's *old*.

L.

[mongers]

A good photography class comes way before a kick ass camera, as a means to get nice photos.
My best pics were taken with an old Olympus OM-1 and a twin-lens Rollei. The youngest of the two is 30 years old and completely manual. The oldest, well, it's *old*.

L.

Hell, it still think the best photo I've ever taken was my first frame shot on a 110 film camera.   

Loved those twin lens 6x6, I had a big old mamiya c330, found the some sheets of slide I took with it, lovely emulsion type colours and all the detail is still there unfaded after decades. 

[katmai]

I recently went on a trip where I thought my pictures turned out okay, but then when seeing the pictures others took, realized I badly need a new camera.

I want a kick ass camera that can be operated by a noob (though taking a photography class is on my to do list), isn't too heavy, and isn't going to break my heart if/when it gets stolen.

Does anyone have any advice?

I got nuttin.

[mongers]

http://www.dpreview.com/camerareviews/

Best advice I can give is to look around there. I've been very happy with my hybrid camera with micro four thirds lenses (compact camera with digital SLR).

That's pretty good advice; I have a DSLR, mainly because I've a lot of nice glass lying around, and despite it being one of the lighter ones you can get, it's still a heavy thing, plus once you delve into the menus, they're pretty complex beasts to configure.

Four Thirds sensors aren't quite the size of DSLRs, but as you can see from this comparison, its a huge improvement over what are in compacts:

[katmai]

http://www.dpreview.com/camerareviews/

Best advice I can give is to look around there. I've been very happy with my hybrid camera with micro four thirds lenses (compact camera with digital SLR).

That's pretty good advice; I have a DSLR, mainly because I've a lot of nice glass lying around, and despite it being one of the lighter ones you can get, it's still a heavy thing, plus once you delve into the menus, they're pretty complex beasts to configure.

[mongers]

http://www.dpreview.com/camerareviews/

Best advice I can give is to look around there. I've been very happy with my hybrid camera with micro four thirds lenses (compact camera with digital SLR).

That's pretty good advice; I have a DSLR, mainly because I've a lot of nice glass lying around, and despite it being one of the lighter ones you can get, it's still a heavy thing, plus once you delve into the menus, they're pretty complex beasts to configure.

meaning ?

[katmai]

If i can do it, anyone can

DSLR are used with great frequency in production now a days.

[mongers]

If i can do it, anyone can

DSLR are used with great frequency in production now a days.

Well some of the options are pretty obscure; I was reading one of the in depth reviews the other day and the review was at a loss as to which of the two in camera sharpening processes what the best to choose. 

Frankly I'd be happy with a DSLR that replicated a fairly basic SLR, just give me aperture, shutter, full manual modes along with centre/spot, iso, white balance, auto-bracketing and a manual/auto focus switch and I'd be happy as larry. 

[alfred russel]

I recently went on a trip where I thought my pictures turned out okay, but then when seeing the pictures others took, realized I badly need a new camera.

I want a kick ass camera that can be operated by a noob (though taking a photography class is on my to do list), isn't too heavy, and isn't going to break my heart if/when it gets stolen.

Does anyone have any advice?

I got nuttin.

Damn it, I was counting on miracle advice from you.  What if I deleted the part about it breaking my heart if it got lost/stolen?

I don't understand any of the acronyms in this thread.   

[katmai]

I recently went on a trip where I thought my pictures turned out okay, but then when seeing the pictures others took, realized I badly need a new camera.

I want a kick ass camera that can be operated by a noob (though taking a photography class is on my to do list), isn't too heavy, and isn't going to break my heart if/when it gets stolen.

Does anyone have any advice?

I got nuttin.

What if I deleted the part about it breaking my heart if it got lost/stolen?

Then yes i might have some advice

and what is too heavy?

[alfred russel]

Then yes i might have some advice

and what is too heavy?

If I was going to do some rather rigorous hiking, I wouldn't want it holding me down. Say a camera I would be willing to take on a climb of Kilamanjaro (which is my ambition that will probably never happen). 

[Pedrito]

Briefly, but not so much:

SLR: Single lens Reflex, the good old non-compact camera: say Nikon, Canon, Olympus; Big pros: interchangeable lenses, plenty of accessories. Big cons: heavy, bulky, expensive (the glasses mainly). Film: 35 mm rolls, THE rolls everyone has shot in his life.

DSLR: the same, but instead of film, there's a sensor inside and instead of rolls, you have a sd card. Same pros and cons, the issue of sensor size is getting less and less interesting.

The new (a couple years ago-new) fad are mirrorless cameras: with a body the size and weight of a compact camera, packing a micro-4/3 sized sensor (re: image posted by Mongers), you get interchangeable lenses (way smaller than DSLR lenses), ease of use and of carry, and pretty nice quality (IF you've already had a photography class  )
Lately the camera seen as the best of the mirroless lot is the Sony NEX 7, but it's almost one year old. The new NEX 6 will be out in a couple of months. The Olympus OM-D EM-5 seems very good too.

Probably the best DSLR camera out now is the new Nikon D600 - full frame sensor, excellent system, movie mode, quite exorbitant price tag, and backorder list of six months.

If I were to buy a new camera these days, I'd go for the smallest, most portable I could get. I'm tired of trucking around kilos of equipment.
Next weekend I'll be in Paris and I'm planning to bring with me either my wife's Nikon compact camera, or my old twin-lens Rollei without any attachment.

L.

[katmai]

If looking for something under $1,000 i'd suggest the
Sony A65
The D600 Pedrito posted is a nice camera, but inferior for me in professional respects when comes to shooting Video, i'll stick with the Canon 5d Mark II or Mark III (though they are about $1,000 more expensive than his recommended D600)