Which camera to buy?

[laltoofan]

I am looking to buy a digital slr camera that can take top quality photos.
Ideally it needs to be have options for manual focus and manual ISO settings

I am an artist and I often look for images that have dark shadows from bright lights (one light source etc.)

I am not a professional photographer but definitely need a good camera, I have recently been borrowing a nikon D40 from a friend which has worked out fine but the manual focus is not great.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[OsmosisStudios]

Any entry-level camera kit will work fine. Go to a nearby store and try out the following

Canon T3/T3i
Nikon D3100 and D5100
Sony A33/A35/A55
Pentax k-r

You could also try a mirrorless camera, like these

Olympus EP3 / EPL3 / EPM1
Panasonic GF or GH series
Sony NEX cameras
Samsung NX
Nikon 1 system

All these options will give you manual focus ability and manual ISO controls.

[laltoofan]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Any entry-level camera kit will work fine. Go to a nearby store and try out the following
All these options will give you manual focus ability and manual ISO controls.

Thank you for your advice. I have actually been looking at the Nikon D3100 and the reviews for it have been really good. But I will go to a camera store and check them out.

[inkista]

Just out of curiosity what was it about the D40 that you found to be problematic for manual focusing? As OS says, all the current interchangeable-lens models offer manual focusing options, but almost none of them are brilliant for manual focusing, because all the bodies and lenses are designed for automatic focusing use.

If you're serious about needing manual focus capability with a high degree of precision, that's a different question than just asking which cameras let you manually focus.

Like anything else, though, learning to autofocus a dSLR accurately takes a little time and technique. And chances are good that autofocus can do what you think you need manual focus for. The exceptions would be using extremely wide apertures, macro photography, or shooting through something (window/fence).

[laltoofan]

To be honest it is not that I found it problematic it was actually that a lot of forums and users said that it can be problematic to use manual focus as the lens isn't really designed for it and it can easily break them.

I will be using manual focus on the camera to take photographs where the main focal point is not in the centre. For example taking photographs of my work with the camera focusing on different parts of it (I am not great at explaining this so hope you can understand) Auto Focus is great and I used it a lot with the D40 but often when the light is low or there is nothing for it to focus on the camera will just not focus or take a picture at all, which meant I constantly had to keep focusing manually (I was taking photos in a Cathedral) I do not use flash in the pictures either as this changes the picture completely.

[veritasimagery]

Originally Posted by laltoofan

I will be using manual focus on the camera to take photographs where the main focal point is not in the centre.

I'm pretty sure that most, if not all "Enthusiast" grade DSLRs (not sure about all the entry-level ones) give you the ability to pick your focus point. Yes, low light can make this difficult, sometimes, but the same can be said for manual focusing.

[laltoofan]

hmmm... I think Enthusiast grade cameras will probably be a bit out of my price range unfortunately. Well I will go to the local shops and ask if I can test some of their cameras in the shop. Hopefully I will be able to find one that suits me there. To be fair the D40 was ok when I got all the settings right, was just a hassle. I just found the auto focusing really didn't work in low light. With manual focus and a bit of time I could get better images. And being an amateur at this I will need a camera that isn't too much effort.

As I said I heard good things about the Nikon D3100 and a review about the Cannon EOS 550D mentioned great for low-light, high-ISO shooting which I think is just what I need but it is also nearly £200 more expensive so will have to check the others out first!

Thank you everyone for being so helpful, you have all given me more to think about.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by laltoofan

To be honest it is not that I found it problematic it was actually that a lot of forums and users said that it can be problematic to use manual focus as the lens isn't really designed for it and it can easily break them.

Only if you forget to flip the switch between auto and manual focus. The higher-grade lenses, you don't need to flip the switch, but manual focusing, if done properly, won't break a lens, and is always doable. It just may be easier to use autofocus.

I will be using manual focus on the camera to take photographs where the main focal point is not in the centre.

Ah. This isn't a situation that really calls for manual focus if there's sufficient light. You can select a specific AF point, or, using the center point on your subject, half-press the shutter button to find and lock the autofocus, and then reframe. This typically will work as long as your DoF isn't razor thin.

... often when the light is low or there is nothing for it to focus on the camera will just not focus or take a picture at all,

Try M mode. The camera will let you screw up the shot six ways to Sunday when you're in a M mode. But the other trick nobody told you about is to either aim for an area of high-contrast (where black meets white, preferably with a sharp edge), or to use a flashlight to illuminate your subject for autofocus. Just out of curiosity, do you know if the D40's AF-assist lamp was turned off?

Another thing that's not widely known is that the maximum aperture of the lens will have an effect on autofocus ability. The max. aperture is what the camera uses to gather light to the sensor--which is also diverted to the AF sensors. The larger the lens's max. apertures, the more light the AF system has to "see" by. If you're shooting with an 18-55 kit lens, you may be limited to f/5.6. If you use a faster lens, like the 35/1.8, your autofocus performance could improve.

... I do not use flash in the pictures either as this changes the picture completely.

Depends on how you use flash, but that's a whole 'nother discussion.

Originally Posted by laltoofan

hmmm... I think Enthusiast grade cameras will probably be a bit out of my price range unfortunately.

Have you considered looking at used cameras? A good mid-range camera, one generation back from the current model, used, is typically about the same price as a new entry-level dSLR. A D90, for example, or a used 50D is in the $700-$800 range. Only looking at new models, what you say is true. But once you go to the used or refurbished market things can change drastically.

One big advantage of moving up to a D90 would be that AF lenses would autofocus for you.

[laltoofan]

Hey Inkista, Thank you for all that information. Just a couple of questions:

I have tried to do the focusing on something else with the shutter button half down and then moving to the subject but this still doesn't work for the camera. In fact often in just dimly lit rooms the camera has trouble with auto focus which I do not think is normal for a camera like this? Also what does 'DoF isn't razor thin' mean?

What I mean about using the flash is that I am always looking to take photos with natural sunlight etc. so for example the cathedral images have sunlight shinning in through the glass into a dark area with deep shadows (I am so bad at explaining stuff!).

But to be honest my main fault was not doing my research about taking photographs before I went, today with all your help I have been playing around with the camera and have had much better results. I think the one problem for me has been the auto focus in dim settings just not working. The AF-assist lamp was definitely on, just for some reason it wouldnt do anything.

I will look into all your other points, definitely somethings I need to think about there!

[inkista]

Originally Posted by laltoofan

I have tried to do the focusing on something else with the shutter button half down and then moving to the subject but this still doesn't work for the camera.

A lot of whether or not a half-press and recompose will work for you depends on how your AF system is set up. I shoot Canon, so the terminology I know is "one-shot" mode vs. a "servo" mode. You need to be in a non-tracking mode, and you should only have a single AF point active, not the entire matrix. Generally, using the center AF sensor point is best, because it will be the most accurate and most sensitive, particularly on an entry-level camera like the D40.

In fact often in just dimly lit rooms the camera has trouble with auto focus which I do not think is normal for a camera like this?

Actually, that's quite normal. P&S ,or dSLR, a camera typically needs more light to "see" by than the human eye--not less. Indoors, in low light situations, without a flash, nearly any camera/lens will have difficulty autofocusing, particularly if it uses contrast detection. Lower light, less contrast, harder to autofocus.

Also what does 'DoF isn't razor thin' mean?

DoF = Depth of Field. The focusing distance and the aperture setting you use can determine the depth of field of the scene, which is how far away from you things can be and still appear to be in focus. You can use a small aperture and focus on things far away and have tremendously deep depth of field where everything's in focus:


Canon XT, 18-55 kit lens, @18mm, iso 400, f/13, 1/125s.

Or, you can use a very large aperture and focus on things close by to have a tremendously thin DoF, where you only have a few millimeters of DoF:


Canon 50D, adapted Olympus Zuiko Auto-S SMC 50mm f/1.2, iso 100, f/1.2, 1/1250s.

The thinner your DoF, the more accurate your focusing technique has to be. The shot above was taken with a manual focus lens, and manually focused. The landscape shot above was autofocused.

What I mean about using the flash is that I am always looking to take photos with natural sunlight etc. so for example the cathedral images have sunlight shinning in through the glass into a dark area with deep shadows (I am so bad at explaining stuff!).

S'okay. I know what you mean. But you might want to look at this, and realize that it was done with flash. But, as I said, discussion for another time. Master ambient before you hit lighting.