Fully expecting a response from Molgrips here 🙂 but also interested in other peoples experiences.

With the closure of Jessops are the two remaining camera shops (well specialist ones anyway) any good for a beginner with an interest in photography looking to take it more seriosuly and develop skills?

I’m hoping for somewhere that can proivde some impartial advice and not try and flog me the most expensive bit of kit. Can really afford new kit so any prospective camera related purchases would be second hand too.

🙂

Actually I’ve not really bought from them much. I can’t remember which is which though. Both are in the arcades, one is a long thin shop rammed full of old camera gear in the window, and the other is a very small normal looking shop. I went in the small one (cameraland I think, not sure) on the off-chance they had any four thirds stuff (this was 3 or so years ago) and the guy all but sneered at me for having a ‘dead’ system. Old skool guy came over a bit patronising and superior.

The other shop (cardiff camera center) is very agressively priced, and they do have quite a lot of stuff in there. Don’t know if the beginner advice is good or not though – they seem keen to shift stock.

Given that they are both quite close, your best bet is to go into both, ask the same questions and see what you get. And then come back here and tell us what they recommended, we’ll let you know if it’s good advice or not 🙂

Also I can have a chat if you like, free currently for short lunchtime rides etc 🙂 Where in Cardiff are you?

Given that they are both quite close, your best bet is to go into both, ask the same questions and see what you get. And then come back here and tell us what they recommended, we’ll let you know if it’s good advice or not

Ha ha yes, not a bad shout 🙂 Going by first impressions and other internet reviews the first shop you mentioned seems a bit haphazard but I’ll scope them out. Being a bit of a camera novice I’m wouldn’t necessarily be able to pinpoint if I received bad advice or not…

I’m based fairly central (Canton). Not managed a lunch time ride yet as usually take a half hr break but generally free all other times. Still need to try my hand at night riding some point too…

Well I popped into the Camera Centre (in the Morgan Arcade) on my lunch break today.

I wasn’t in long but the chap seemed very helpful. Explained I was going to take a camera course but wasn’t sure whether I would use an SLR much outside of a course due to the large size. He suggested CSC or 4/3rds (same thing?) as alternatives, and in particular the Lumix or Sony models over the Nikon due to a larger sensor size.

So far so good on the advice front?

Compact system cameras are like SLRs but without the optical viewfinder, and are consequently smaller and lighter. Micro four thirds is one such system (used by several companies). Four thirds is a larger system for SLRs that is not very popular these days.

CSC is a good option, I might well have one now if I hadn’t happened upon my current camera as a bargain. They were expensive when I was looking. I would go for the micro four thirds ones because there are more lenses, and lots of second hand stuff around. The Nikon one is not so great for picture quality, but it does have better autofocus in theory.

CSC aren’t quite pocketable unless you fit a slim prime lens (means no zooming in or out), they are still a slightly awkward shape, but still much easier to fit into a general purpose bag and if you take one riding you’ll certainly appreciate that they are a lot lighter. However you DO still have the option of a thin prime lens and the pocket. Many people like using primes.

Camera size is pretty much a personal thing. I think you need to hold each model and have a fiddle and see what you like. Personally I don’t mind the bulk of an SLR and for hand held shots at slow shutter speeds, eg at night, more mass is good as its easier to keep stable.

Cameraland: excellent service; great prices.

for hand held shots at slow shutter speeds, eg at night, more mass is good as its easier to keep stable.

For me the opposite. Heavier cameras are harder to keep stable.

Thanks for the comments.

From previous camera threads you’re a Olympus fan aren’t you Molgrips? 🙂 What have you got?

The new ELP models look nice but are quite pricey.

I guess I do really need to try and hold some different models. To me the best camera is the one I’d use or have with me the most and I wondered whether an SLR would be too cumbersome, hence the Q’s regarding CSC.

The only possible issue is budget. It seems you can get a pretty decent starter SLR 2nd hand (maybe D3000 or Sony A55 – that sort of thing) but the CSC’s aren’t too common on the 2nd hand market.