[PoolBoy]

各位大大, 如果你地有時間既話,希望能夠睇睇,俾d意見.

我發覺我而家陪傻瓜機仔唔太夠我用...有好多好特然又好靚既moment我都相影得sharp d去留念. 所以我相買過部新相機,budget有$6,000 - $8,000 到啦. 但我對相機野一無所知...係個超新手,所以相你地俾d意見.

我諗緊咁既budget,我應該買一部高階既長炮DC,定一d入門級既DSLR呢? 我想知選擇2者我應該考慮d乜?

我既相機要求如下:
1. 我想影d高質數又好sharp既相(唔介意大file size)
2. 我要Zoom得遠,距離就似音樂會...係觀眾席中排影到台上表演者Close up.
3. 會影d 好快動作既shot,好似運動,同埋捕捉一d表演既定鏡,最好連拍功能好的.
4. 而呢d快動作既shot係通常o係黑d既環境度影...就好似音樂會咁 (所以我想部相機可以o係呢方面好d,少d Noise)
5. 最緊要係...唔太難上手,setting唔會太複雜...因為我真係影相白痴.

請問我仲需要買d乜配件呢(Battery, Lens, Flash etc.).

同埋呢...請問有冇d乜關係最基本的攝影技巧reference (甚至直接教我)可以suggest我? 因為我真係白痴到?數字(ISO, F, Shutter Speed, Flash/No Flash) 都唔識點set...

多謝你地既時間:)

[arafeva]

I seldom use any 高階既長炮DC, I only have a compact DC for snapshots and video, alongside with my DSLR. I've used the Ricoh's GX series before but their telephoto range are not exactly 長炮.

Considering what you've said though, your budget is just short of the current available DSLR that can take video. However, for general sharper and better quality pictures, I would say getting a DSLR would be a better choice.

For your 2nd and 4th points, with the DSLR, it can potentially be an more expensive option as you'll need a rather good lens for that kind of purpose.

Yet, getting a 高階DC (bridge camera), you get its whole package and that's it, you can really change or expand its capabilities; and that's where DSLR comes in (even with 入門級既DSLR).

I think most of the DSLR brands thesedays are all very user friendly and easy to use (apart from fuji in my opinion), therefore no worries there.

最基本的攝影技巧references can be found in dcfever anyway, so I'll be brief here.

Taking a picture is about controlling the light, at least that's the first thing you should do if you can.

the sensor in modern day DC replaced the film, the brightness of your picture depends on how much light came through the lens from the objects onto the sensor.

ISO - in film terms, this tells you how light sensitive your film is, ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800...etc But with sensor, instead of changing the film, we just change the setting in the camera. This is the same in DC and DSLR.

Lens - think of a lens as a tube that you can control the size of the hollow section. The bigger the hole, the more light can go through onto the sensor and the smaller, the less will go through; this is represented as F-stops. F stops numbers such as F1.4, 2.8, 3.5, 5.6, 8, 11.....etc tells you how big that hole is, which is the Aperture;
The smaller the number the bigger the aperture - F1.4 refers to the actual size of that aperture, think of it as 1/1.4, therefore bigger than 1/2.8.

Shutter Speed and exposure

Shutter Speed are numbers in Seconds. that is the time for the shutter (a moving screen in front of your sensor to control how long the sensor will receive light) from open to close. therefore the longer the shutter says open, the more light can be received by the sensor and a brighter picture.

Good exposure of a picture means, in simple terms, it's not too bright nor it's too dark. With the same ISO settings (or think of it as a row of film), for good exposure, you can get it with a few different combinations of F stops (Aperture) and shutter speed.

Different combinations of the F stops and shutter speed can get you different thing from the same picture, for instance:
好快動作既shot,好似運動,同埋捕捉一d表演, you need to capture the moment of something moving quick by using a very fast shutter speed; to freeze something, in general you'll need 1/500 second. Since this is a short time for the light to come through, you need a bigger hold of it, ie a larger aperture (smaller F number).

In general, a lens with a larger aperture available are more expensive, like F2.8 is considered to be large.

Take a look at those entry level DSLR kit set (that'll have everything for charging your battery and turning the camera on, software for you camera to talk to you PC/MAC and a kit zoom lens, of which does not zoom very far) for about HK$3000-4000, get an extra lens with the rest of you budget.

hope these help

[arafeva]

sorry typo...

'Yet, getting a 高階DC (bridge camera), you get its whole package and that's it, you can really change or expand its capabilities; and that's where DSLR comes in (even with 入門級既DSLR).'

I meant, ....you CAN'T really change or expand....

[andersc744]

我arafeva以上的英文論文都講得好清楚！
但小弟認為，PoolBoybudget只有$6,000 - $8,000 ，而又希望得到以下之質數：
1. 我想影d高質數又好sharp既相(唔介意大file size)
2. 我要Zoom得遠,距離就似音樂會...係觀眾席中排影到台上表演者Close up.
3. 會影d 好快動作既shot,好似運動,同埋捕捉一d表演既定鏡,最好連拍功能好的.
4. 而呢d快動作既shot係通常o係黑d既環境度影...就好似音樂會咁 (所以我想部相機可以o係呢方面好d,少d Noise)

最好都買部好DC罷！坦白講，$8,000 都唔夠買支小小白IS(70-200 f4有防震)啦！至於買支二手小白IS(70-200 f2.8有防震)都要過萬！

PoolBoy等你改名叫做Richman先再買DSLR啦！

[arafeva]

...以上的英文論文都講得好清楚！<----agree
(I know it's not brief at all =p kinda lost count when typing....)

...坦白講，$8,000 都唔夠買支小小白IS(70-200 f4有防震)啦！至於買支二手小白IS(70-200 f2.8有防震)都要過萬！<-----agree to that too

It's an impossible budget to work with for what Poolboy wants.
But I think one needs to understand that you'll sometimes have to compromise with the fact it is difficult to get everything in one go.

At least getting an entry level DSLR would provide the opportunity to learn what sort of quality you are after and how sharp the photo needs to be if you are getting them printed, if at all. (when I first moved into DSLR from film, my D40 with the kit lens take sharp enough pictures, still do now, for A4 prints)

I think Poolboy will get a better chance to get better pictures with an entry level kit DSLR over a high end DC as learning the 'how-to' with a DSLR is easier.

[PoolBoy]

Thank you both of you for the valuable replies especially arafeva's detailed descriptions, I have now understand a lot more about those numbers.

I totally understand that it will be a lot more expensive if I buy DSLR, but generally DSLR has higher expandability than DC, right? So I guess I may turn to high-end lens later when I adapted to DSLR, and has more budget.

As suggested by you, I have also browse through the web, and found some elementary knowledge of DSLR, like apeture size vs shutter speed, 深淺景...動態等, but I still have a little bit more questions wish you could give me some more ideas.

Can you tell me more about lens? especially the types of lens and the condition they are used. Some lens code like , IS, USM, what do they mean?
Also, is the build-in flash good enough to take "我要Zoom得遠,距離就似音樂會...係觀眾席中排影到台上表演者Close up.", if not, what kind of flash should I buy (if it is over-budget, it's okay, i will buy later).

Lastly, actually I am interested in the coming CANON EOS 50D (I could raise my budget for it), but I want to ask if I am too quick to buy this mid-level DSLR? or should I try entry level first?

Wish you could give me a reply when you have time, thanks for your valuable time :)

[PoolBoy]

ah...also...定焦 vs 變焦, I am not sure which one should I buy, as I have no knowledge about it...

[andersc744]

首先，你係唔係對攝影有興趣先？繼而，你對相片是否有要求呢？
如兩皆是，小弟建議你買二手canon 40D，大約$5,200HKD - $5,500HKD，相信呢部機都可以滿足你的要求，因新的50D起碼要過$10,000HKD，所以剩番錢買多幾支好鏡仲好啦！
你所指場景，多數都用唔著閃光燈，所以好的鏡頭是非常重要的！
至於40DSpec.，都係留番你自己去啦！

[arafeva]

你所指場景，多數都用唔著閃光燈，所以好的鏡頭是非常重要的！<---agree

I've been using the nikon film stuff on day 1, I dunno too much about canon.
But the Canon 40D is fast for its level if not the fastest, sth like 6.5fps, very good for sports and a very good all round body.

just a suggestion here.
Get a nikon D40 kit (with a 18-55mm F3.5-5.6[max aperture of F3.5@18mm, and F5.6@55mm] EDII<---dun worry too much about this, think of it as a magic thing from nikon that makes your picture better)

I think you can still get it from new for around about 3000HKD?
That leaves you with about 5000HKD.

Stop here first, try it out and learn your trade with it, it should cover most of the things you'll need for learning. However, this won't help too much with 我要Zoom得遠,距離就似音樂會...係觀眾席中排影到台上表演者Close up.
(There are lots of Pros out there doing this all day long for a living, and there's a very good reason for that, the Lenses they use are very expensive.)

Later, when you are feeling more comfortable of making a picture and have more understanding of why things turned out good or bad, I suggest the nikon 70-200mm F2.8 AF-D(as of 2008, there are 5 generations of this lens), note that this won't auto focus with D40.

I eventually got mine for roughly 5700-6000HKD (from abroad)

You'll need a good body, yes, but I think investing on good lens is for a long term good, only if you realized that you do like photography.

As for you Questions

IS and USM are both Canon's terms for Image Stabilization and 'motor in the lens that works quietly -USM'
Nikon calls theirs VR (second generation is VR II) and SW respectively.

Basically, for AF(autofocus), sth needs to move the lens and there goes a motor. In most cases, the motor would be built in with the body, for nikon DSLR, like the D80, D90, D300, D700, D3... Entry level ones like the D40, D40x and D60 don't have motor for cost cutting and save weight.

For nikon, AF lenses with motor inside are the AF-S lenses, third party lenses like Sigma calls their in lens motor HSM, ie Sigma AF lenses with HSM written on them will AF on D40, D40x and D60.

Remember, a larger Aperture (big F number), like F2.8, F1.4 allow the use of fast shutter speed, which helps to freeze up an action.
VR and IS help best when you are using a slow shutter speed as you tend get your picture blurred, but they don't freeze up action, only help you to be 'less shaky'

We usually call the mounting of the nikon lenses to nikon body the F-mount.

[pcdaniel]

according to poolbay's requirment, Nikon D300 and Tamrom F2.8 70-200mm would be the basic equipment for you. your burget is far below to your requirment.

[wilson111a]

根據Poolboy的要求係可遠攝又足夠清晰, 唔係玩影景深. 加上佢好有自知之明係未曾掌握基本技術. 比靚野佢用都有點浪費.
而佢得$6000-8000. 可以有兩種選擇
A. 買部Nikon P80玩住先, $3000左右, 先掌握基本技術. 而且18X Zoom = 27-486焦段, DSLR要玩到咁長, 得果$8000跟本唔足夠買鏡頭
B. 二手DSLR直接玩起. D80 約$4000. 加枝70-300 VR影遠攝約$3300, 再有閒錢再補番枝18-70果段的鏡頭