depends if you mean fire and forget or something you can work with like an slr

trouble is i dont know whats available in SA

are you wanting to use effects filters ?

id suggest looking at second hand slrs in the local press as many ppl are moving to digital should be able to pick up a decent nikon,canonar pentax fully aotomated for a reasonable price (assuming the same market forces as in uk ie noone wants film anymore) from someone who no longer needs it

cant go wrong with cannon, nikon or pentax, they do wonderful film slrs, you could also look at contax, and waaay at the other end of the price spectrum are liecas ( me wantee )

Listen to ff, he knows his stuff.

As for me, my favorite camera is my phone.

steve and i dont ......................cheers mate

Thank you for your advice, I'll be sure to take it up. I'm afraid we're still very film-orientated, but I'll have a look around. I'm not sure about the effect filters...I think that might be just a level above what I'm looking for , but I won't count it out for a later date.
And no, I'm definately NOT looking for a "fire-and-forget"! Any advice on photography? I'm sure it can be an expensive, at-times-frustrating and time-consuming process for beginners (which I really am). What should I give particular attention to (techniques or effects)?

Tuks

only reason i asked is if you want to use filters you would find an slr really has to be your target camera

go with a Canon or Nikon or Pentax like the boys say (I use an old Yashica FX-3 for my film photography and it still takes better pix than any digital I've had so far, but spares are harder to find now 'cos Yashica had a funny mount)

you need a reasonable selection of lenses, I use a wide angle zoom and a telephoto zoom as well as a standard lens with macro. However choice of film stock is also very important - choose the wrong type of film and no amount of kit will rectify it. I use strictly Kodacolor 64 for all bright detailed work and Agfacolor 400 for motion/action shots, and Ilford FP4 for monochrome.

You also need a decent adjustable flashgun, bounce and fill flash is very important, unless you just want to point and shoot, in which case you shouldn't even be thinking of SLR photography.

edit - I thought this thread was entitled *chimaera* at first, I'm so used to seeing threads about our long-eared mythical hopping colleague.

Edited by - Tawakalna on 1/29/2006 6:42:45 AM

Which specific Nikon, Canon or Pentax camera would you recommend for taking photos that will just come out decently (i.e. including the effects you tried to photograph - especially lightning/shadow variations - indoors or weather-conditions)? [A camera that can for once focus!
I'm pretty new at this - this will be my first camera, so please recommend something not too expensive, but just right for art (NOT needing professional pics though, just decent). And if I would need to acquire lenses or special lenses (filters you call them), please specify which ones and what they do. All I need to do is take close-ups, out-of-focus shots, lightning-variations.
I don't want something fancy, just something basic capable of doing the job.
I know it must be frustrating explaining these things, but please be patient...

Thank you for your help
Tuks

ok first off, are you looking for a film or digital camera? sounds like you're also quite settled on an slr

Hello Frighter Fighter!

Definately NOT digital at this stage (besides, you should see their prices over here!). Film will do fine. I'm a beginner at this and would prefer something that's easy to use. I'd just like to learn to settle in for now, without much hassle. Please refer to my previous posts on the subject (well, I think you did...) and if there's anything else you'd like to know, just ask

Tuks

well, film it is then you really cant go far wrong with pentax, canon or nikon, yashica are good too.

be careful though, if you find yourself looking at something dirt cheap, its probably russian ( avoid at all costs, they're rubbish )

try and look for something with TTL metering ( usually a needle in the viewfinder that moves up and down showing how much light is falling onto the film )

my msn address is in my profile, contact me if you like, you could also try taw, he's a fountain of knowledge on such things

personally i'd recommend canon...if you're looking for a cheap starting slr, you can usually pick one up on ebay for around £50 with lens.

Yes, to gromit you listen hmmm.

Thank you all for your advice and assistance.
Today, I got my camera. It is an Olympus Superzoom 700 DX. It came at a really reasonable price (a little over $100) and it was made in Japan. I couldn't find anything better (which wasn't in excess of $1000), so I took it. I'm really impressed, though. It has many features and is just right for my needs. I'm just going to learn how to take decent photos now. Later, when I am more experienced and financially able, I'll consider the more "sophisticated" types.

Again, thank you very much for your participation. If you have any comments to make, I'd like to hear what you think.

Nicola