First post on this forum

[MarkG]

Hi

This is my first post on the forum.
I would like to ask members advice on a camera that's able to take good macro pics.
Having looked on a few sites most advise lens way out of my price range and then there's the price of the camera on top of that. With new cameras coming out every year is there good camera that I should look at? By the way as you may have guessed I'm new to photography but have thought for sometime about nature photography.
I have read about the Lumix FZ45 on this forum is there any others that I should look at.
My price range is around £500.
Thanks
I'm so glad I found this forum!

[MikeOxon]

Always a difficult question to answer since it depends so much on your aims and ambitions.

If you want top quality photos of publishable standard, then you should be looking at a DSLR. The well-established systems are Nikon and Canon, which both cater for almost every possible need.

There's no need to go 'upmarket' for optimum photo quality - more expensive models are more rugged and have more external controls, with less reliance on 'menus', but photo quality is similar. I use Nikon, so will mention the Nikon D3200 body, which currently sells for about £250 (including 'cashback' offer) and they have an 85mm macro lens for £375. Whereas digital cameras soon go out of date, owing to advances in technology, lenses can last a long time, so are worth a greater investment. It's always worth considering second-hand lenses if your budget is limited.

If you simply want attractive photos for your album or to view on screen, then a 'bridge' camera offers tremendous versatility within a lightweight and compact package. Many contributors to these forums get excellent results from the Panasonic Lumix FZ series of cameras, which have quite good macro capability built-in and can be enhanced by use of a supplementary close-up lens.

Do try to handle a few different types of camera before you decide, as there are wide variations in controls between different makes, and you also need to assess the difference between electronic and direct-vision (DSLR-type) viewfinders.

Mike

[JKT]

And if you choose to go for DSLR, you should keep in mind that lenses tend to keep their value much better than the camera bodies do. A used body can be had for rather low price and it can be perfectly usable for a long time. In canon system something like 40D would likely fullfill your needs for quite some time. A used lens is indeed cheaper than new, but much less so than the body.

[Chris Jackson]

Welcome MarkG,

If you want a no-fuss, accessible cost, lightweight start to your new hobby, I agree with Mike (see below) and would recommend the Lumix FZ series:

If you simply want attractive photos for your album or to view on screen, then a 'bridge' camera offers tremendous versatility within a lightweight and compact package. Many contributors to these forums get excellent results from the Panasonic Lumix FZ series of cameras, which have quite good macro capability built-in and can be enhanced by use of a supplementary close-up lens.Mike

I'm quite happy with my Lumix FZ150 for the moment - it is quite forgiving and relatively idot proof, which is just as well for me
Chris

[MarkG]

Just to say thanks for the advice and info.
Looking at the Panasonic FZ range.

[Testudo Man]

Some good advice has already been given.

With a budget of £500, i think you could do better than get the FZ45 though that sort of money could get you an entry level DSLR, with a couple of basic lenses all in.
Dont get me wrong, i have owned the FZ45 for several years now, and probably took tens of thousands of pics with it...Im still using it to date, along side my Nikon D7000. The FZ45 is a great camera, and when you attach a Raynox 250 macro lens to it, then it can produce some pretty good results...But only in good light! once the light is not so good, and you go beyond 200 ISO's, that is when the FZ45(and many other bridge cameras) will fail to produce decent images. Thats when a DSLR comes into play, because even in poor light(with higher ISO's) you can still achieve good results, using a DSLR.
The FZ45 must be a couple of years old now, so a better option could be either the FZ150, or the FZ200?? both these cameras are a good choice, if what you are looking for, is a bridge camera, that is light to hold, east to use, and a good all round camera, that has a nice long lens, which comes in handy.
Another thing to consider is, what do you want out of photography? what subjects are of interest to you? I would think that most people on this forum, have and interest in other wildlife, not just Butterflies Therefore, that could determine what type of camera you go for?

Fuji and Canon have also been producing bridge cameras/super zooms for many years too, so check out a couple of their models...Read real camera reviews, written by "real people" too . It may well come down to, how does a camera suit your hand? how comfortable is it to hold?

Notes- Using a raynox macro lens(which attaches to your camera lens) is not that easy it requires a fair amount of practice, but the most important point will be- in order to focus, you will have to get within 6 inches of your chosen subject!...not an easy task, when it comes to butterflies


The FZ45 uses a 14 megapixel sensor(which shows its weakness in poor light)...Panasonic came to its senses, when they stopped chasing the megapixel race(with other big names) and dropped back down to a 12 megapixel sensor, for their FZ150/FZ200 models.

[Chris Jackson]

Some very sound advice from Testudo Man
However, I forgot to mention the main selling point of the FZ150 and 200, and that is the swivelling screen, that I'm not sure the FZ45 has!
The swivelling screen is excellent for ground-level, lateral and over-the-top shots.
I think that Casio proposes a swivelling screen bridge model but have never heard good reports about it.
Get one with a good dedicated lithium rechargeable battery. If you get one that uses disposable batteries (Fuji), it will cost you a packet in replacements!!
With my FZ150, I can take 400 to 600 shots easy on 1 battery recharge.
Chris

[Testudo Man]

Some very sound advice from Testudo Man
However, I forgot to mention the main selling point of the FZ150 and 200, and that is the swivelling screen, that I'm not sure the FZ45 has!
The swivelling screen is excellent for ground-level, lateral and over-the-top shots.
I think that Casio proposes a swivelling screen bridge model but have never heard good reports about it.
Get one with a good dedicated lithium rechargeable battery. If you get one that uses disposable batteries (Fuji), it will cost you a packet in replacements!!
With my FZ150, I can take 400 to 600 shots easy on 1 battery recharge.
Chris

Cheers Chris, no my FZ45 just has an ordinary fixed screen , it would appear that MarkG is going for the FZ200 now, which is a wise move on his part

[MarkG]

Hi

Well purchased an FZ200 today now look forward to getting sometime and see what it can do.
Jack advised me to get a 52mm acromatic +2 macro lens. I've search the web but cannot find any. I was looking for a Sigma lens. Just have to keep trying!
Thanks

[David M]

You've made a good decision, Mark. I'm perfectly happy with my panasonic though there ARE times when I wish I had 'the full gear' like many others do.