photography

[leon-b]

in the new year i am going to treat myself to a camera and it will probebly be the Kodak Z740, i will be photographing wildlife, landscapes and the estuary next to where i live
has any body had experience with the camera mentioned, what do you think of it ?
what accesories should i get for it ?
got any tips for photography
leon

 

[JonnyP]

I looked up that camera Leon, and it looks fine, its got a good zoom, built in anti shake and takes AA batterys so you can just get rechargables for it...I see it uses SD memory cards...You can get 1 gig ones of these from 7 day shop for £7.99....
Best accessory to get would be a good tough bag for it, oh and carry spare batterys too.....Happy shooting...

 

[fred gordon]

Leon,
I'm not familiar with that particular camera but I have done a fair amount of photography. If you are looking at landscape and wildlife you should perhaps consider a zoom telephoto lens,something like a 75-250. If a higher magnification then you would need to use a tripod all the time. Mind you a tripod for any photography is a good thing although it is something else to carry and they can be expensive. If you are looking at closeups (flowers, insects etc) then you need to consider a macro lens which will let you get in really close, within a few milimeters. If you are new to this kind of photography then a course is a good investment. The Field Studies Council usually have some available in various parts of the UK and you can see their programme on their website. My advice would be keep it simple, don't buy too many gadgets and get out and practice. You are likely to be disappointed with the results at first but don't give up just keep at it and you will improve. Most of all keep your eyes open. With wildlife you never know what might happen right before your camera! Good luck and lets see some of your results.

 

[ArkAngel]

Hi

I advise people on camera equipment on a daily basis, it's not the job i am employed for but people ask me while i am fixing their printers etc.

It looks to be a good spec. I have never been a major fan of Kodak cameras in the past i prefer one of the major camera manufactuers like Nikon or Canon (i am looking to upgrade to a D-SLR in the new year, probably a EOS-30). It looks ok with regards to the lens (which IMO is still one of the most important features of any camera as the light still has to go through quality optics to get a good picture irrispective of film or digital). 5Mp should see you right with enlargments up to A4 with a bit of scope to play with them in photshop or paint shop pro etc.

If you are into landscape stuff i would advise a tripod is your first buy. No "anti-shake" on that model.
A tripod keeps the camera still and allows you to use longer shutter speeds. This is important when playing around with apature and depth of field. if you are going outside a good bag to protect it would be a good idea. I got a Lowepro one for mine, was about £20 and has a few pockets for memory cards and importantly a built in rain cover.

 

[leon-b]

has the Kodak Z740 got a built in anti shake ?
the camera comes with its own image editing software which is good
first thing i am going to buy is a bigger memory card, and then a good bag and then a tripod
the Kodak Z740 does have a macro setting which i understand is used for flowers closeups ect
any more tips ?
where is the cheapest place to get a Kodak Z740 ?
leon

 

[JonnyP]

has the Kodak Z740 got a built in anti shake ?
the camera comes with its own image editing software which is good
first thing i am going to buy is a bigger memory card, and then a good bag and then a tripod
the Kodak Z740 does have a macro setting which i understand is used for flowers closeups ect
any more tips ?
where is the cheapest place to get a Kodak Z740 ?
leon

Leon.....Beg your pardon mate...I must of read the review wrong, ArkAngel is right, it does not have any anti shake, you will need a tripod for the longer range shots.....

 

[leon-b]

thanks, i will invest in a small tripod when i have some more money
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

For the cheapest price just shop around.
These days it doesn't really matter if you buy online or from a shop beacause if it goes wrong (always a factor to consider) then it will have to go back to Kodak to be repaired/replaced.

A good tip when using a tripod is to use the "self-timer". That way the camera counts down and takes the shot. If you try to press the button yourself then you may move the tripod or cause the camera to shake. The 3-10 second delay (depends on the camera for the length of time) allows everything to settle before the shot is taken or allows you to cancel it should you move the tripod.

One other thing to consider....are you planning to print out your photo's. If so the printer is just as important as the camera.

EDIT
A tripod doesn't have to cost a fortune. The camera will not be too heavy so something like this would suffice:
http://www.jessops.com/Store/s28544...d/details.aspx?&IsSearch=y&pageindex=2&comp=n

 

[British Red]

Leon,

I have just been looking at what else might suit you

You might try a Nikon Coolpix S4

Or a Fujifil S5600

Or a Panasonic F27

Red

 

[leon-b]

most of the photos will remain on my computer with the odd one printed out, i have a dell printer ( i dont know the exact one )
what have the other cameras got that the Kodak Z740 hasnt ?
leon

 

[leon-b]

i like the price of the kodak z740 lol
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

Leon,

I have just been looking at what else might suit you

You might try a Nikon Coolpix S4

Or a Fujifil S5600

Or a Panasonic F27

Red

I would second a Nikon. I have a coolpix 8800 at the moment and it's a fabulous camera. Nikon have been in the camera game a long time, they know their stuff!

 

[leon-b]

i like the look of the Nikon Coolpix S4, what can you tell me about this one ?
at 6 mp it is 1 mp better than the z740 and i know nikon is one of the best manufactures around
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

i like the look of the Nikon Coolpix S4, what can you tell me about this one ?
at 6 mp it is 1 mp better than the z740 and i know nikon is one of the best manufactures around
leon

Everyone gets hung up on megapixel ratings these days.....it's not that important unless you are thinking of blowing things up to A3 or beyond. A lot of it as i said is still down to the quality of the lens. A lot of these 10mp cameras are "interpolated" that means they are actually only a 4 or 5 Mp and internal software enhances the image up to 10mp.
IMO a quality lens and a true 5-6Mp are sufficiant for most users.

The Nikon's lens would be beter than the Kodaks IMO and the recharable battery would be useful too. The same optical zoom (mine is x10 optical too and that is sufficiant for most situations) forget about digital zoom the quality drops off too quick.

 

[leon-b]

does the nikon have anti shake ?
would i just plug the camera strait into the mains to charge it up ?
what do you think of this package, it includes the camera, 1gb memory and a tripod ?
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

does the nikon have anti shake ?
would i just plug the camera strait into the mains to charge it up ?
what do you think of this package, it includes the camera, 1gb memory and a tripod ?
leon

Depends on the camera. My battery comes out of the camera and has a separate charger. The tripod would be useless outside as it looks about 6 inches high
No anti shake on this one, as far as i know you have to spend a bit more money before you start getting vibation reduction on cameras. Mine was £500 new, i have not seen many "cheaper" camera with anti shake in them.

 

[leon-b]

ok but at that price it doesnt really matter if the tripod is rubbish, do you think that is the genuine article ?
what does antishake actually do ?
leon

 

[ArkAngel]

The anti shake is either a computer program in the camera or a lens mounted on gyroscopes that sorts out camera wobble. A x10 optical zoom lens in a good comapact camera is usually 35mm-350mm.
Now as someone who did a HND in photography at college and have had years of use with a camera it is difficult if not nearly impossible to hand hold a camera with a focal length over 210mm at slower shutter speeds without shaking the camera and giving blurred shots. It may not be much if you are good but it is annoying. This is where a tripod comes in useful.
The other way which is normally found on expensive SLR lenses is one of the lenses is actually mounted on small gyroscopes. These move the lens minute distances compensating for your "wobble". This allows you to hand hold for longer lengths.

My Nikon goes from 35-350mm and with the vibration reduction on i can hand hold right up to 350mm and still be pin sharp.

The deal looks genuine but i am no e-bay expert. I don't use it much at all these days....too many briggands on there.

 

[leon-b]

tell me everything usefull you can about the Nikon Coolpix S4 (pretty please) as i am really interested in it, i think the swivel design looks really cool aswell
i cant wait, actually i will buy it out of my xmas money
leon

 

[mojofilter]

I personally wouldn'd touch Kodak compared to Nikon, Cannon, Fuji or Panasonic.

Thae fact that it comes with image editing software is irrelevant, cos it'll be crap.

IIRC, Argos were doing some pretty good deals on Fuji stuff...