Camera what works out cheaper?

Question

What will work out cheaper in the long run, polaroid camera but heard the card films are expensive to buy online ? where can i consider buying in bulk and cheap £7 box of 30? Digital SLR are all above £100 but SMD cards are cheap, Holga/Diana cheap camera but expensive fes film shots.....
I'm lost like creative shots but can't go over £100. Need a new camera. cheers

Answer 1

Get a Sony Cybershot. No need for expensive film packs as opposed to Polaroid. No need to learn photography unlike if you bought a dSLR. No need to get frustrated with terrible pictures from a plastic toy camera like the Holga.

Answer 2

Under 100 pounds I'd go for a good, basic digital camera. You aren't in the DSLR range, but a decent point and shoot.

The polaroid film packs will run you about 30 pounds each. Definitely way more expensive than any other type of camera in the end.

You can probably pick up a pretty decent film SLR under your price range. 35mm film is still readily available and you will also pay for developing. In the end? Probably roughly the same price as purchasing an entry level DSLR at about 300 pounds or more. Only you aren't dishing out 300 pounds at once. Then there is lenses. You'll want more than just the one kit lens, so that's another expense to think about.

Holga/Diana cameras are great as add on types of a camera. If you want to shoot in their style 100% of the time, then they are fine as a primary I guess. I wouldn't want to be limited to only that, personally.

Answer 3

You could go on eBay and buy something like a Pentax P30T with SMC-M 50mm f/1.7 lens for way under £100 (obviously there are lots of other manual and auto SLRs from Canon, Nikon, etc too. I thought of the P30T as it was my first every SLR). If you like Holga/Diana stuff you can buy the lenses converted to work on an SLR too e.g. http://www.westendcameras.co.uk/hl-pentax-753-p.asp



The look at stores online like 7dayshop for film. It can be bought very cheaply. Even supermarkets like Sainsbury's sometimes have it on offer.



You can then have it processed very cheaply at Asda. I've used the 1 hour service with no prints and scans to CD for £2.97.



But....



Over time all these 'cheap' processing and film costs will add up. You could argue that a digital camra would be better in the long run as there are no film and processing costs involved. The issue is whether you can buy a camera for under £100 to satisfy your needs?



Also check out LCE. There's a link the the source box. They sell loads of 2nd hand equipment and the 35mm SLRs are VERY cheap.

Answer 4

Holga/Dianja cheap? Are you serious? The selling prices are AT LEAST 1 hundred times their production cost.

There are similar quality cameras retailing at £1/€1/$1.50 possibly made in the same chinese factories. That is cheap. bPaying $50 for the same 30 cent camera is stupid.

Answer 5

A Fuji Finepix (best), even Kodak (good) 10mp-14mp digital point & shoot is better than a polaroid