Nikon D80 with a 18-55 with an external flash and lightweight tripod.... is what I use.... gallery at http://www.jpgmag.com/people/bennystee..

Mikeb70 wrote:.

Just taken a year out and have many trips planned. All cities. I'vebeen using Sony DSC S600. First trip New York for 3wks end ofJuly. I want to capture lots of shots, architecture, people anssome scenic. Have immersed myself in books on "how to" and"Techniques" but what camera and lenses do I REALLY need?? Filters?Have MS so don't want to be weighed down with loads of kit but wantto take some memories so when travell isn't an option I will havesome great pics to look back on.Budget is Flexible but around 1200 all in.



While many here will try and talk you into a DSLR......I'm going to suggest a Sony H5..

Nice 10X zoom and optically stabilized. A couple of 2GB MS cards and an extra set of batteries..

Money left over you could even compliment it with an Olympus 770 which is a small waterproof to 33 ft, shockproof, and crushproof camera for those days in the weather, in the water or in the snow.Both light and easy to use.A member of the rabble in good standing...

Your main requirement seems to be weight. So with that in mind a few suggestions..

These are in no order, and you should give them equal weight - really just to give you ideas, with various weights, given we don't know your tolerance..

These are all just my opinions, so check them out and work from there..

(a) Canon Powershot A710 IS.

Pros : Small, Light, uses AA, 6x zoom, IS, uses SDsCons : Not many. Low light performance not great, but OK..

A capable all-rounder with a good zoom for a compact.

(b) Panasonic TZ3.

Pros : Very small but with a huge zoom and ISCons : Noisy photos.

Absolutely the smallest super-zoom you can get, but compromisedby a noisy sensor..

(c) Canon S3.

Pros : Good super zoom with IS and reasonably good noise levelsCons : Nothing bad leaps to mind..

A well respected and capable super zoom. Hard to fault..

(d) Fuji S6000/6500.

Pros : The very best low light performance and a nice lensCons : Heavy compared to most above. No IS..

Hard to fault as a general purpose camera with the best non-DSLRimage quality at all ISOs. Weight would be about 750 g. Very costeffective at the moment..

(e) Any DSLR.

A setup to consider is a K100D with something like a Tamron 18-250.This is a good travel combination, as it uses AA, the lens covers wide to longand the lens, of course, benefits from the K100D's in-camera IS.It a combo I've been considering myself. The advantage is that you don'thave to remove the lens. The weight may be an issue. It will be about a kiloor slightly more in total..

The E-400/410 offers a similar capability, because you can swap lenses withoutany worries about dust, and the weight is ( for a DSLR ) low..

StephenG.

Fuji S9600Fuji S5200Fuji F30Fuji E900Canon A710ISPCLinuxOS..

Thank ou for replies. I have been recommended Olympus e510. Any good? can carry upto 1.5Kg so body plus two lenses and bag ok.

Bennysteee wrote:.

Nikon D80 with a 18-55 with an external flash and lightweighttripod.... is what I use.... gallery athttp://www.jpgmag.com/people/bennystee..

Another vote in favor of one of those all-in-one camera with an electronic viewfinder and a good builtin zoom lens..

I have a Nikon 5700, which is a few years old find some modern version of this. Weighs very little, has rechargable battery, nice shapr lens..

BAK..

An Oly E-510 with the 18-180 lens would be a great all arounder if a DSLR is the way you insist on going. Though whether or not you can get that combo this early in the game is questionable. Right now they're selling it as a two lens kit, though nothing wrong with that if you don't mind changing lenses occasionally..

The camera has Image Stabilization in the body making the long end of that lens actually usable in most situations..

Image quality is excellent based on the gallerys that I've seen.A member of the rabble in good standing...

Mikeb70 wrote:.

Budget is Flexible but around 1200 all in. Buy here or in New york?.

I assume from the currency that you're in the UK. If so, you're much better off buying in New York. A camera that would cost 500 in the UK would only cost around $500 in the US. Just be sure that you buy from a reputable store like B&H, and not from one of the many scam shops that New York has...

Thanks, have been looking on there web site. Even if I declare and pay state tax still 400 saving against uk prices. Am looking at Olympus E510 body. 14-54 f2.8-3.5 and 50-200 f2.8-3.5. Good choice for architecture and panoramic shots of city?? Will I need filters? been a point and press picture taker before, this seems something I can grow into..

You say insist, I just want something I can take some good shots with and challenge myself to learn more. Going to have very busy year travelling and have keen nephew waiting in the wings for when i'm not using it...

You can put UV or Clear multicoated filters on the front if you want to..

Personally I think you're better off just getting used to always put the lens hood on. It protects the front element pretty well and you avoid glare and flare.The lens hoods reverse and stay on both those lenses so their always handy..

The only filter to own is a good multicoated circular polarizer from a reputable brand such as Hoya, B+W, or Heliopan. Plan on spending between $70 to $120..

Buy a second battery and more memory cards.A member of the rabble in good standing...

The Olympus E-510 is a nice camera, hard to fault..

The kit lenses are fine. Bare in mind that you can carry those lenses and change them as you want. The anti-dust system makes this far less of an issue. I suggest the kit because the 14-45 and 40-150 cover all the range you'll need. Bare in mind that the Olympus lenses have a factor of 2x to work out the 35mm equivalent. While the 14-42 covers 28-84mm, the 18-180 covers 36-360, meaning it does not cover a proper wide angle ( 28mm being a 'standard' wide angle ).



StephenG.

Fuji S9600Fuji S5200Fuji F30Fuji E900Canon A710ISPCLinuxOS..

Mikeb70 wrote:.

Thanks, have been looking on there web site. Even if I declare andpay state tax still 400 saving against uk prices. Am looking atOlympus E510 body. 14-54 f2.8-3.5 and 50-200 f2.8-3.5. Good choicefor architecture and panoramic shots of city?? Will I need filters?been a point and press picture taker before, this seems something ican grow into.

A circular polarizer is good for reducing reflections off glass and cutting glare on non-metallic surfaces. A clear protective filter is good if you're going to be somewhere with blowing dust or salt spray, since it's easier to clean the filter than the front of your lens...