what's the best digital camera for aspiring professional photographers

mgp3702
By mgp3702

Any suggestions particularly best buy model for nikon cameras and where to buy?

By coaspak• 11 May 2009 12:21
coaspak

I would like to add one more thing about lenses.....

Everyone starting out gets carried away with having a big huge zoom. We all want distant things to be closer, its natural. However, I have learned the hard way that it is better to invest in a wide angle lens first. It opens up new areas of photography that one never thinks about.

If you are more interested in portraits or capturing sports, or aircraft (like me!) then you want a to look at the zooms.

INK

By kimd• 11 May 2009 11:54
Rating: 5/5
kimd

I've been looking around for my son for his GCSE art class and the best SLR for beginners I've found so far are Nikon D40 and Sony A200. The A200 is available for around QR2100 in Carrefour. HTH

By coaspak• 11 May 2009 11:36
Rating: 4/5
coaspak

I took up photography as a hobby about 6 years ago and here is a few bits of advice that I can offer:

CAMERA:

I first started out by buying a second hand camera. However with bodies so cheap today you don't have to worry. Just remember that its never the camera or megapixels which matter.

Canon is what I use. I use a EOS40D, but for someone starting out you can buy a 450D or 500D, which will grow with you as a photographer. The base model is called 1000D and is a great way to get into SLR photography without breaking the bank.

LENS:

This is where you should not compromise. Set a budget, buy a cheap body but excellent lens. The "kit" lens they give you with the camera is good for beginners but will not give you really sharp images, which is what most people expect when they buy a SLR camera.

If you are buying Canon I highly recommend buying a 50mm f1.8 lens, which is about $100 and extremely sharp.

TRIPOD:

Get a good sturdy one. Buy one from Salam - Velbon is a good brand. Make sure the legs move independently.

WHERE TO LEARN AND SHOW OFF

Go to photo.net to learn

Go to flickr or pbase.com to show off.

WHERE TO BUY:

Within Qatar you can purchase SLR cameras at Carrefour, Virgin or Salam. There are other retailers as well.

Salam is overpriced and I don't recommend buying anything from it.

I would buy the body here, if they sell body only. This way you have a warranty to cover your investment.

Then buy the lenses from the US.

Visit www.adorama.com or www.bhphoto.com

I have ordered from these places, very professional and prompt service. Much cheaper than buying it from here.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anymore suggestions.

By baldrick2dogs• 11 May 2009 11:04
Rating: 2/5
baldrick2dogs

If you are an "aspiring professional" then by now you should be at least an accomplished amateur and should be able to do your own research!

Your choice of camera will depend on what you want to shoot, so furnish us with more info and we'll see what we can do.

If you want to be taken seriously as a pro photographer you will need a good protfolio. Do you have some pictures posted anywhere for people to look at?

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