Invertebrates in the garden this afternoon

Zo Clark said:

I havnt decided on the camara yet but I kept getting camaras that didn’t turn out to be as good as i thought when I was younger. iv got more than 3 compact camaras about 4 that don’t work properly and are poor quality when you take pictures and very short battery and quiet slow and not very good at distant objects or things like wildlife.  And for my phone and I pad I don’t want to keep going round in circles with my smart devices. Like the I pad and I phone. (Not the old one but that doesnt have much storage either. I mainly take photos of Wildlife so I need a proper camera and one that is good for Wildlife. 2 members have given me suggestions But im still going for DSLR or mirrorless rather than a bridge but im starting to consider mirrorless even though I was going to go for DSLR before. The DSLR is known to have good battery life and I need a camera with long battery life cause I can use my camera for a very long time up to an hour or 2. On a day trip more than that. And almost constantly Looking out for Wildlife Exspeacially ones that move. Even though sometimes I take pictures of wildlife when there still I take lots of action shots so a camera that is good with moving objects is another thing to consider when finding a camera. I also need a camera with a quiet shutter so that is another thing to consider. I have 100 pounds now so I have enough.  im thinking if I sell a game I don’t like or something I don’t want anymore I might be able to earn enough money to get one that comes with the things I need for the camera so I don’t have to buy them separately. When I go home Dad is going to see how much the things he’s going to sell will sell for that I don’t want at a shop so that I can get more money and then when I have more money Mum is going to get a DSLR or mirrorless camera for me

That's good, that you're still thinking it over.

There will be many reasons why some photos don't come out as expected, and if many DSLR and mirrorless users are honest, they too will say they have quite a large number of photos that get dumped.

When I bought the R5, and also when I bought my Sigma 150-600 lens, used my current camera to try it out before making the purchase. Then I was able to download and evaluate the photos before making the purchase. Though I did use an SD card that was new and still in the sealed package, and the sales person could see there was no risk of any infected files being transferred to the camera.

However, visiting a reputable camera shop will at least give you the chance to handle, learn and discover a camera's features. Most DSLR and  mirrorless cameras, if not all, will take an SD memory card, which don't cost a lot of money for one with enough space to take a few photos from the shop window, to take home and analyse the results before you make the purchase.

While many will take an SD card, most will use an expansion memory card, which is larger in size, usually similar memory capacities, but fast data handling speeds (ideal for record shots, the faster the data handling, the more shots per second the camera). But they can be more expensive than the equivalent capacity SD card.

With regard to battery life, on any device, it is relative to the amount of use it receives vs the capacity (how much charge it can store, and whether it is a large store or small) of battery, because not all batteries are the same size, nor will they all give a days use, though many camera makers will say the battery life is "upto X number of photos".

What many photographers do, but not all, is carry a spare fully charged battery which can be changed when the current one has no charge.

When you start looking into what you need, vs what you desire, the list of items soon grows, in no particular order of importance:

• Expansion card vs SD card
• Spare battery pack
• Carrying case
• Extra lens
• Flashgun (not often required, and may just be a nice to have rather than necessary)
• Tripod, for long exposures to get silky smooth flowing water photos or nightsky.
• Remote shutter release for those long exposures

This is where the opportunity to do some bargaining with the sales person in a shop at point of purchase, or even prospective purchase, to make a deal to bring the bundle price down, and entice you the buyer to buy from them. Not something easily done online, but online prices and evidence of those prices if cheaper can help (but not always) sway the sales person into striking a deal.

And hard it may seem sometimes, walking away and saying "I'll think about it" it can sometimes, but not always, encourage a better offer. Yes, you'll have the hassle of travelling back, but if you manage to strike up a good deal, that camera and whatever accessories you buy with it, will serve you well for a long time. More importantly, it gives you the time to evaluate the offer made vs what other deals you've seen, whether you feel the offer made is acceptable.

If you do go to a shop, it often pays to get the sales persons name, then you can continue the discussion with them, they will remember you, and if there's commission on the sale, which most sales personnel will get, they will be keen to make you a happy customer. They will often tell you what their day off is, to try and ensure they don't miss the opportunity to make the sale.

I know its not often possible, with most people working Mon-Fri, a weekday visit to the camera shop is often quieter than a weekend visit, that will take some pressure you and the sales person with a reduced likelihood of people waiting, and even worse, you waiting in a queue to be served.

These are the compact camaras it might not be the case for everyone but for me they wernt very good. The quick start one is quick to come on but not quick to take a photo theres usually a lag. The other camaras the resolution isn’t very good and the battery is very short these are some of the ones I had

I don’t know weather I should give some of theese to Dad 

to sell so that I can get more money to get other things with a dslr or mirrorless although I’m still thinking about morrorless

Generally compacts are good, they're just not designed for the type of wildlife photography that many of us here aspire to. But for general  holiday snaps, family gatherings, a trip to the local park, they're ideal.

As for selling them, if they're just collecting dust and on the verge of seeing the waste bin, why not. You may only get a few pounds after all the online sales costs and carrier charges have been paid out, and someone might just be looking for that nice little bargain.

When I have a clearout of clothing, mainly because I've upgraded and the items are still very good and I need the storage space, my wife puts them on her eBay acc.

However, if you are selling items of value, and those compacts I would class as items of value, you need to ensure they are delivered via a secure system. I'm not fully up to speed what is the best, but if you're using a reputable carrier and trading site, the info should all be there.

Obviously there will be an extra cost for the secure delivery arrangements if you do.

You might, and it is a slim might, get something for either the Kodak or Olympus compacts traded in against your next camera, but don't expect a lot, compacts are plentiful and with the easy access for snapshots provided by smartphones, which are lighter, slimmer and very good for basic photos, compacts don't have quite the same appeal.

Do your research, input the compact make and model followed by the word used, see what prices come up, even using an online outlet like eBay, see what looks the best option, whether to place the compacts online or otherwise, and make an educated guess from there.

Remember when you look at the prices a camera shop advertise, they will be far greater than the offer made to the person who they buy the camera from. After all, the camera shop has to make some money. But it wil lgive you an idea what to expect if you sell the compacts online.

Whatever you chose, make sure the compacts look clean, remove any labels, especially if they have any personal details on, and any marks the labels leave. There are many cleaning agents that will remove fingermarks, label marks and general dirt without damaging the outer surface.

Also, and just as important, if you sell the compacts with the memory cards in, Format the card immediately, to remove any personal photos, especially if any of the compacts have an integral GPS.

You can sell used memory cards, and again, before selling them, and at the risk of being repetitive, Format the cards, to ensure as much personal info is removed, and  again, especially if any of the compacts have an integral GPS.

If any of the compacts are faulty, they can be sold as "for spares or repair", that way you let potential buyers know there is a problem even if your don't know what the problem is.

SD Card formatting can be done either on a desktop/laptop or using the compacts own menu system.

Thanks Mike, sorry for the delay. Someone spammed  me with messages one after the other. Not publicly though. Yes my compact cameras. I don’t know how much they will sell for on the website Dad is going to sell on but Dad is going to see how much they sell for. I don’t know how to format with the cameras though and they don’t work properly

Zo Clark said:

Thanks Mike, sorry for the delay. Someone spammed  me with messages one after the other. Not publicly though. Yes my compact cameras. I don’t know how much they will sell for on the website Dad is going to sell on but Dad is going to see how much they sell for. I don’t know how to format with the cameras though and they don’t work properly

Spamming can usually be dealt with. If its a forum, many forums have a facility for you to block the person, contact the moderators, if its email or most social media sites, they can be blocked, and often reported. I'm sure your parents will help with that.

Back to the camera cards, if any camera is faulty, or even you're struggling to find how on the menus, the cards can be formatted easily using a computer. Most cameras today use SD (or micro SD) cards, and many computers today have SD card slots, which work in the same way as USB ports.

If your computer doesn't have an SD card slot, adaptors that plug into a USB port are easily obtainable, via the main online sites like eBay and Amazon, or even a mainstream retail outlet like Currys, for a very small outlay, typically around £5 or thereabouts. Most adaptors take both SD cards and micro SD cards.

My laptop doesn’t work so useing a computer might not work. Do you how to format it from the camara itself. I know iv tryed with one of my compact camaras but it won’t do anything when I press format

Zo Clark said:

My laptop doesn’t work so useing a computer might not work. Do you how to format it from the camara itself. I know iv tryed with one of my compact camaras but it won’t do anything when I press format

Formatting any external memory card can be done on any computer, or laptop.

On the side of all SD cards, there is a small slider which will lock the card to prevent any data from being deleted, or added to, that includes formatting. Check that slider isn't in the locked position.

For formatting via the compact, you'll need to search for the Format option, and once selected, it will then ask if you want to continue and format with a warning that "all data will be lost".

Michael B said:

hello Mike.  I hope your ok. 

Iv done a drawing for you