UKC

I've been thinking about buying a nice posh DSLR to use for taking nice piccies of sunrises and my mates sketching out on stuff for a while now, but am a complete new-comer to photography. I'm willing to spend a few hundred quid and get something half decent that'll last, but from the research I've done cheap DSLRs sound like they can be a nightmare in the cold. What do people reckon or recommend?

Cheers in advance!

In reply to TomAlford:

I've got a D5000 which I've been playing about with since May (got offered it for not very much money from my old housemate and took him up on the offer). I've been really happy with it as a camera to learn on, pretty sure that any failure to take photos has been due to my incompetence rather than the camera's lack of capability. I haven't taken it out in mega cold yet, although I've decided I'm not keen on leading anything other than very easy ground (basically nothing I wouldn't comfortably solo) while carrying the camera. I'd suggest you think about the kind of shots you want to take and when before you buy any more lenses. Wide angle lenses are cracking for when you're abbing down 6 feet from your friend and want to get the scenery around them, but they're rubbish for showing them doing some gnarly move 100m+ away from you.

In reply to spenser:


I too had a Nikon D5000 which I bought in 2009. However I sold it plus all the lenses I accumulated over the years to a mate. This was nothing to do with the camera but more me wanting a dSLR type camera that could take 4K videos as well.

You would not go wrong with a second hand Nikon D5000 either. However if you wanted to go new then choose any of the main brand name cameras and you will not be disappointed.

Here is one suggestion to wet your appetite for dSLR. Its not the only option by any stretch of the imagination but for a first stab at dSLRs, its not a bad choice.

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/nikon/d3300-digital...

In reply to TomAlford:
Pick up a Canon 7d second hand and a short zoom. Solid as a rock.

In reply to TomAlford:

dSLRs and cold: I wear thin merino liner gloves, then put my thumbs through my fleece's thumb loops, then wear winter gloves over that. Can take outer gloves on and off quickly if I need to fidget with camera settings and keep some semblance of warm in my hands. Liner gloves don't impede using the controls.

Once you sus out your camera you'll barely be changing settings most of the time, and the one or two you do change can likely be down with the glove friendly knobs. I'd suggest a 2nd hand EOS 60d as a cheap way to get started with something decent that also has 3 rapid-select configurable modes.

The big thing to get the hang of for thick gloves is forcing the exposure you want when the (AE disagrees with you) without having to use a fiddle exposure adjust knob. I do this by half depressing the shutter on something brighter/darker then panning over to compete the shot; easy in gloves. Sometimes involves locking the focus first with the slider on the lens.

In reply to TomAlford:

Try D3300.
Rock solid DSLR for ur trip.

In reply to TomAlford:
How cold are the temps you're talking about for the camera to remain working in? I've used a couple of Nikons without any issue certainly just above freezing. (one of them was a D5000 as it happens)

In reply to TomAlford:
I have a 7D and it produces amazing images/video, but it's like a rock in your pack, and it is a faff taking it out all the time. Unless you're going on these routes specifically for photography then I'd get something that can fit in your pocket. Most of the best images from expeditions are the action shots your friends get with their little compacts because they don't have to stop and take their pack off to get the shot.

Oh, and just have two sets of batteries. When the camera isn't in use always keep the batteries in your pocket, that way you always have a warm one ready.

In reply to TomAlford:

I've used a 7D quite a lot in the cold and it's been fine - the batteries are plenty grunty enough to deal with it, unlike some smaller machines, and despite many attempts, I haven't managed to defeat the weather-proofing yet.

As purplemonkey etc points out, if the camera's in your pack, it'll barely get used - it's just too much faff. So don't keep it in your pack. There have been quite a few threads on here about how to keep the camera accessible so figure out a system that works for you.

In reply to TomAlford:

I use a Canon 700d with a 10-18mm lens.

For me, it's a good compromise between quality and practicality - it's not as heavy or bulky as the 5d/6d/7d or even the mid-range DSLRs (60d etc.) The quality of photos is not as good as those taken with a 6d + L-Series glass but that much is obvious. The whole setup cost me about £650 a few years back so should be cheaper now. A fraction of the price of a beefier camera.

I was concerned about the cold and moisture (cheaper Canon models are not weathersealed like the top-end models) but I've consistently used the camera for Scottish winter (i.e. cold and wet), Norwegian ice (i.e. extremely cold and extremely wet) and alpine winter (i.e. "why are we out here again" levels of cold). It's always been totally fine. Have dropped it in deep snow a number of times and never had issues with moisture. Keeping batteries in your chest pocket keeps them warm and makes them last longer.

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this yet, but if you want to take good photos in the mountains, I consider a super wide-angle lens essential. I used the kit lens (18-55m) that came with my camera for a long while, but my photos improved significantly when I bought a wide angle. The 10-18mm is one of the cheapest lenses Canon make but it's stood up to a lot of my abuse.

Another important consideration is a carrying setup that will allow you to actually use the camera while climbing. Carrying the camera in the top of your sack and promising yourself you'll be disciplined and get it out on belays just never works (in my experience). I use a modified LowePro pouch mounted on a chalk bag belt and clipped to my harness with a screwgate. The camera inside is then attached via a cord lanyard so I can't drop it.

Hope this helps!

In reply to TomAlford:

Forgot to say; invest in some captive lens caps. These have a little cord around them that also loops around the end of the lens. It's that or rooting around in deep snow for something surprisingly hard to find...

In reply to TomAlford:

As a first camera any DSLR from a Nikon D5000 to newer versions, or any of the canon 18 mp DSLRs would be an excellent starting point. I personally would not buy one with a standard 18-55mm lens ,not because of the picture quality they produce but I think you will find the 55mm end to be frustratingly short. I would suggest a 18-135 18-105 18-140mm as a better choice a little more expensive but worth it.
Nothing wrong with Pentax either.

In reply to TomAlford:

I ended up worrying about water ingress which is terminal,for digital cameras very quickly) so ends up,buying a md range Pentax which made a pitch for its extra sealing and water resistant lenses. It's also got a titanium body which feels satisfyingly solid. Haven't regretted it, it takes quite a lot of punishment in its stride. Only down side is a slightly poorer range of aftermarket lenses.

In reply to colinakmc:

I've come to the conclusion that if the weather's wet enough to potentially damage your camera it's probably too rubbish to take any good photos anyway! This said, if you don't have a group of mates who would be willing to lend you lenses and you don't get a really good offer of a camera from another brand a Pentax could be a good shout, an old school friend of mine bought a Pentax K7 about 7 years ago, he seems to have got on really well with it, although he does shoot a lot with the old screw thread lenses rather than modern lenses.

In reply to TomAlford:
Depending on your budget, I'd recommend taking a serious look at some of the CSCs or micro 4/3 cameras (eg, Panasonic Lumix GX8). They are lighter and smaller and performance can be up there with some of the good DSLRs. I have a Lumix GX1 (early CSC) and a Nikon D7100 DSLR. The GX1 is fairly old by CSC standards and the D7100 is a much more capable camera, but I generally take the GX1 with me because it's so much lighter. Had I not invested so much in the D7100 (plus lenses, etc), I'd have upgraded the GX1 by now and be using that alone.

Many thanks for your replies, certainly food for thought. I'm going to head into London Camera Exchange tomorrow and try some stuff out, see what I like and what feels good under gloves. I like the ethos however that if the weather is really bad then the photo will usually be crap anyway, especially as that'll save me a few hundred bob!

Cheers guys

In reply to TomAlford:

I use a Pentax K3 and K7, the latter of which can be picked up used for a good price. These bodies are very robust and weather sealed, and Pentax has a line of weather-sealed lenses as well.

In reply to poppydog:

Another Pentax K3ii user. Excellent weather seals. If you are new to cameras their k30 and k50 are slightly simplified versions of the k3 and k5. Most importantly quite a lot cheaper. Good range of lenses upto 300mm then as mentioned that's about it. If you look at SRS they usually have used kit lenses in very cheaply - make sure you look for WR in the title.

In reply to TomAlford:

Another satisfied Pentax owner here. I use a K50 with a weather resistant 18-55mm kit lens with a polarizer attached. I also have a selection of older K manual lenses which I use at times for non-outdoor pix. I never think about being too careful with the camera when I'm scrambling around. Last weekend I took it into -5C snowy terrain and had it slung over my shoulder all day --- no problem.

In reply to loose overhang:


Yep, I bought the K7 as NOS specifically to take pics of my son playing rugby where I used it in pouring rain with a WR lens and it performed brilliantly. Also used it during Scottish winter ascents in near white-out conditions with no problems. Doesn't have the quickest autofocus, but outstanding durability makes up for that imo.