In reply to Post #15
Wow! £1600 for a lens and £1200 for a camera. Is it only used for fishing or other activities? Just curious 🧐
Wow! £1600 for a lens and £1200 for a camera. Is it only used for fishing or other activities? Just curious 🧐
For what it's worth, I've recently upgraded from iPhone-on-a-bucket pictures and bought a camera so that I could A) improve my self takes and B) video diary my sessions.
I have zero experience, knowledge or even much interest in learning about photography beyond the very basics and so I wanted something simple and easy-to-use which would improve upon what my iPhone 17 Pro is capable of without introducing extra faff and complexity.
I settled on the Canon PowerShot V1 and bought the 'Vlogger Kit' which has a bundled tripod, memory card and microphone fluffy thingy. The only real con is that it's not waterproof, but Wex told me that's easily solved with a cover. It turns on instantly and just works. You can modify 100s of settings of course if you know what you're doing.
I've been blown away by what I've been able to achieve with it just by leaving it in auto mode and pointing it at things. I've even taken to taking RAW images and adjusting the colours myself on my computer, all extremely easy to do. It's so much better than what I was getting from my phone. Pictures just look so much more realistic. Side-by-side it's not even close - the phone looks so artificial. That's with just using it in noddy mode... I'm sure somebody who knows what they're doing could get much more out of it (that's true of my phone too I know...)
Anyway, hope this helps.
I have zero experience, knowledge or even much interest in learning about photography beyond the very basics and so I wanted something simple and easy-to-use which would improve upon what my iPhone 17 Pro is capable of without introducing extra faff and complexity.
I settled on the Canon PowerShot V1 and bought the 'Vlogger Kit' which has a bundled tripod, memory card and microphone fluffy thingy. The only real con is that it's not waterproof, but Wex told me that's easily solved with a cover. It turns on instantly and just works. You can modify 100s of settings of course if you know what you're doing.
I've been blown away by what I've been able to achieve with it just by leaving it in auto mode and pointing it at things. I've even taken to taking RAW images and adjusting the colours myself on my computer, all extremely easy to do. It's so much better than what I was getting from my phone. Pictures just look so much more realistic. Side-by-side it's not even close - the phone looks so artificial. That's with just using it in noddy mode... I'm sure somebody who knows what they're doing could get much more out of it (that's true of my phone too I know...)
Anyway, hope this helps.
Just as extra to these suggestions when using dslr's etc
If using a detachable flash use its bounce card if it has one , if not you can buy add on ones tat fix too your existing flash
point the flash upwards not at the fish and turn the power up
even a tissue or white cloth over any flash will diffuse the harshness and usually create a softer light
you can even have some white material (sheet etc) behind you point the flash into that and it will bounce some fill light onto the subject
If using a detachable flash use its bounce card if it has one , if not you can buy add on ones tat fix too your existing flash
point the flash upwards not at the fish and turn the power up
even a tissue or white cloth over any flash will diffuse the harshness and usually create a softer light
you can even have some white material (sheet etc) behind you point the flash into that and it will bounce some fill light onto the subject
Mirrorless dslrs are a good alternative, especially the lower graded versions. I've been using a Canon Eos M3 for a few years and with practice can take pretty good photos now. It doesn't have a decent viewfinder though, but does have a flip screen so you can take self portraits easily enough. Think they've been superseded now but still available for around £250ish. Probably pick up decent versions second hand and have plenty of money in your budget for a pancake lens, and/or decent light such as a Rhino light and self take set up.
Another option is a really good compact such as the Pentax MX1...not a very 'carpy' camera but one that takes brilliant self portraits. They are small and very hard wearing as the camera body is made of brass.
In fact, I wish I'd kept mine as I dropped my M3 last year and dented a bottom corner, disabling the function button 😱...the Pentax would have shrugged the same thing off...
Something to consider anyway
Another option is a really good compact such as the Pentax MX1...not a very 'carpy' camera but one that takes brilliant self portraits. They are small and very hard wearing as the camera body is made of brass.
In fact, I wish I'd kept mine as I dropped my M3 last year and dented a bottom corner, disabling the function button 😱...the Pentax would have shrugged the same thing off...
Something to consider anyway
An update on the post I made on 14th August in case it's useful for anyone browsing this and considering a camera.
In the end I returned the PowerShot V1 and bought a Sony A6700 with a Sigma 18-50mm lens. Why? For two reasons. Firstly, I very much enjoyed taking pictures (unexpected!) and wanted something that was focused on that with a much higher ceiling in terms of its capabilities and my learning of the craft. Secondly, it has an interval shooting feature which the Canon did not meaning for self takes I can set it to continually take pictures every X seconds for Y seconds, e.g., every second for 120 seconds. I'm sure that's available on any good photography-focused camera so you surely do not need to spend A6700 money.
Very pleased with the results with only a basic amount of knowledge and research.
In the end I returned the PowerShot V1 and bought a Sony A6700 with a Sigma 18-50mm lens. Why? For two reasons. Firstly, I very much enjoyed taking pictures (unexpected!) and wanted something that was focused on that with a much higher ceiling in terms of its capabilities and my learning of the craft. Secondly, it has an interval shooting feature which the Canon did not meaning for self takes I can set it to continually take pictures every X seconds for Y seconds, e.g., every second for 120 seconds. I'm sure that's available on any good photography-focused camera so you surely do not need to spend A6700 money.
Very pleased with the results with only a basic amount of knowledge and research.
In reply to Post #1
Your iPhone is good enough. Don’t over complicate matters - you just need appropriate lighting. The voice control feature on your phone (under Accessibility) will operate the camera flawlessly.
Your iPhone is good enough. Don’t over complicate matters - you just need appropriate lighting. The voice control feature on your phone (under Accessibility) will operate the camera flawlessly.
In reply to Post #21
Does anyone have tips on what settings to have your iphone on inorder to get the best images?
Unless I am in portrait mode I find them a bit meh, I have iphone14 pro.
Does anyone have tips on what settings to have your iphone on inorder to get the best images?
Unless I am in portrait mode I find them a bit meh, I have iphone14 pro.
In reply to Post #22
What do you find meh about them? Like, what is the problem you have?
What do you find meh about them? Like, what is the problem you have?
Iphone/ decent android - get the right self take and boom.