Camera / Photography Clubs

[dekadent]

Hi All

I was looking at the camera for beginners thread & thinking that I would love a new camera, I even did some "shopping", but then I thought, maybe I should go home & have another look at my camera at home so:

I have a Finepix S5600 it's an old camera & i think just a point & shoot type one, but the book says it does a lot more, it's only a 5mp (my phone has more than that lol) but it does have:

Exposure settings: about 8 of these

Shutter settings - or are these the same things

Macro setting

& some more stuff that I really don't understand, not that I understand all of the above, quite the contrary!

So my question is, should I go out & buy a new camera ( I have a very limited budget) or learn how to use my current one, oh & just so that you have a better understanding of what I'm looking to do, I would love to be able to take some absolutely awesome photo's at my daughters wedding in September, she's getting married in the South of France, we're then spending a few weeks roaming around France / Spain as our 20th anniversary pressie to us, so heaps more photo opps, then when we come home, I have horses & dogs & would love to take some really nice pics of them too, as well as some good family pics. I have absolutely no interest in selling any of my photo's if I take a good one of someone I get great pleasure in sharing them, but I really want to be able to take great hotols, with the animals I'd love to be able to take photos with movement that aren't blurry.

If I don't purchase a new camera, can someone suggest a good short course on how to use my current camera, I'm in the Yarra Ranges & I've had a look online, but the only classes I've been able to find are all in the city & there are no listing for camera clubs in my area either.

Thanks everyone for any advice

[PossumCorner]

Camera Clubs run good basic courses for members - membership is around $50, good value. It's probably worth looking at a DSLR, kit lenses are fine for general use as you are speaking of. You could stick with the Finepix but put some honest time into getting the best from it - the book "Understanding Exposure" has been a basic starting point for quite a few of dol's good photography people.

For clubs, depends where you are in the Dandenongs or the Valley. The Knox club is excellent, their website is

http://www.kps.org.au

and there is a link there showing where other clubs are located. Used to be one in Lilydale, one out Healesville way, one in Ringwood.

If you can get to Croydon, visit Camera House in main street, it has good staff - ask some advice, they won't oversell to you, they do run basic classes not too expensive, and in general they are very helpful - also discounts to Knox club members and excellent printing, much better than the Kmart or HarvNorman machines (for when you get home). (They do a lot of wedding stuff for professional wedding photographers).

The trip you are doing (even aside from the importance of the wedding) is too good to not be able to get the best out of your gear, not long to go either.

[dekadent]

Camera Clubs run good basic courses for members - membership is around $50, good value. It's probably worth looking at a DSLR, kit lenses are fine for general use as you are speaking of. You could stick with the Finepix but put some honest time into getting the best from it - the book "Understanding Exposure" has been a basic starting point for quite a few of dol's good photography people.

For clubs, depends where you are in the Dandenongs or the Valley. The Knox club is excellent, their website is

http://www.kps.org.au

and there is a link there showing where other clubs are located. Used to be one in Lilydale, one out Healesville way, one in Ringwood.

If you can get to Croydon, visit Camera House in main street, it has good staff - ask some advice, they won't oversell to you, they do run basic classes not too expensive, and in general they are very helpful - also discounts to Knox club members and excellent printing, much better than the Kmart or HarvNorman machines (for when you get home). (They do a lot of wedding stuff for professional wedding photographers).

The trip you are doing (even aside from the importance of the wedding) is too good to not be able to get the best out of your gear, not long to go either.

Thank you so much, I just went & had a look at the site & it's exactly what I want, hopefully I'll be able to get a mentor & they'll be able to point me in the right direction, I so want to have some great memories of this trip, the last time we went overseas, someone stole one of our bags, just had to be the bag with all the discs full of photo's