hi,
im looking for a sub US$1000 digital camera, hopefully more maybe around $500 (basically the cheapest there is (for personal use, not professional). which has a manual focus ring (ie: twist the physical lens to focus), and preferably a similar iris control (if there is such a thing). also a custom white balance and optical zoom lens wouldn't go amiss.
ive been looking at the Nikon range, and am impressed by the D50, although the words they use in the tech specs go over my head and i cant work out if its a manual focus or not.
basically, whats a good digi camera with a manual focus ring at a cheap price? (i dont mind 2nd hand) in response to dodol, even most consumer cameras have manual focus, what im looking for is being able to twist the lens to focus it, not some half-baked button-ised version of it... could you please clarify.
also, i am currently attending a film and tv tafe, which deals a lot in video cameras (digital and film) so as far as using the stills camera ill be fine. its understanding the terminology in tech specs which i find difficult.
anyway, as i said, personal use, not professional. ive just been spoilt from using prosumer video cameras and used to the quailty level of prosumer compared to consumer The D50 has been discontinued and replaced by the D40. I recently bought a D50 because of it's added compatability with non S series lenses.
The Nikon G lenses now come without an aperture ring on the lens. For aperture control, you need to use a dial on the camera body. Every Nikon lens has a manual focus ring, often preferred in tough lighting and action situations. All one needs to do is switch off the AF.
Here's a D40 from a dependable Ebay vendor, starting at $430
http://search.stores.ebay.com/Cameta-Cam...
I hope this is helpful for you. well of course you can manually focus on a D50 - it's just one switch away. All of these type of camera (it's called DSLR) can do manual focus.
However since the D50 have been replaced by a newer model (the D40 and the D40x) you might have to look hard to find it. Or of course, you can just get the D40x (or the better one, D80) and I'm sure you'll be happy.
If you want second hand... try eBay.
One thing - you might want to attend a photography class or something if you want to fully use the potential of a DSLR. It'll worth your time and money.
In response of the additional detail you have:
Since you mentioned the D50 at the first place I narrowed my description down to a DSLR - and all DSLR have manual focus ring on their lens barrel so my answer is already relevant at the first place. But I'm glad we can straighten this up! :) Yes, you want a digital SLR. They can ALL be focused manually, but I think the majority of lenses available new have the aperture (iris) control done by dials on the camera. You can control that manually, though, and making the transition to doing it via a command dial instead of actually rotating the ring is very easy.
For your budget, you can easily find a Nikon D40. The only complaint people have about that is that it requires certain lenses (of which there are PLENTY available) for auto-focus, but since you are looking for manual focus, this will not be a problem. I talk about this in my stock answer, which it about to follow...
The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It has a few "consumer friendly" totally automatic modes that make it very easy to use - including a "Child Photo" mode - but still offers total photographic control when you are ready to take charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on.
Check out Nikon's "Picturetown" promotion, where they handed out 200 D40's in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown...
Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40...
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_revi...
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/cam...
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40...
I hate to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a "slight problem" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with "VR". There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) "out of print" lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: "If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed." (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/niko... for a list of AF-S lenses or see http://www.nikonians.org/cgi-bin/dcforum... for even more...)
The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.
There is no "Status LCD" on top of the camera, but Nikon chose to use the rear LCD for this information. This is actually a nice move, as the display is bigger than the top display and you aren't using the read LCD for anything BEFORE you take the picture anyway. This is not a step backwards and it actually makes sense to me.
You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $525 (June 2007). Add a Lexar Platinum (60X speed) card for $25 or 2 GB for $35. Or - get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for $750. This is a decent lens and it is very versatile. You will find it suitable for pretty much anything you want to do, other than really long telephoto shots. It will let you explore the range of focal lengths to decide where to start filling in your lens collection. If you don't want to buy any more lenses, this one will carry you through pretty much everything. B&H also have used D40's with the lens from $475. All of the major brands are good. Choose a brand that appeals to you. Then you have to think about getting a spare battery, what size memory card, if you want an extended warranty, how much you can afford, what size zoom, if you want manual controls, the size of the camera, finding a reliable place to purchase it, and the list goes on and on and on.......
The first thing to realize is that almost any digital camera will take good pictures. If more people would read the manual more than once, they would be able to take better pictures. Usually, the person assumes it is the camera when it could be them not knowing exactly what to do. Just give yourself more photographic knowledge by doing more reading on the internet.
I really believe buying a camera is an individual choice.
The person needs to read alot of reviews on cameras so they can decide on the features that they really want and need.
Go to the store and hold them so you can see if they feel comfortable in your hands. If possible, take some pictures in the store to check the quality of the pictures.
I can only give a suggestion of what to look for in a new digital camera.
Good Luck
my suggestion
go to yahoo shopping
digital cameras
digital camera GUIDE
be sure to check titles on the left side
the guide should answer your questions Look into a Fuji S9100 (or some of the lower models) it's an advanced digital with so much to offer the user and for the money, AWESOME value. A Canon EOS Digital Rebel like the XT or XTi are also on the top of the magazine list for DSLRs. Just over two months back I bought a XTi with a Tamron 18-250 and love the lens (I have a couple of Tamron lens for my Canon 35mm cameras), it's almost a ONE LENS DOES IT ALL. I do use a 50mm f/1:2 for Portrait work so I can eliminate the background completely.
Check out the demos, reviews, great prices, etc. at www.bhphotovideo.com I have been doing business with them for more then 25 years. |
