Even experienced photographers can struggle to choose what camera lens best suits their purposes, so for new photographers or those who are interested in taking pictures as a hobby, the choices can be overwhelming. Luckily for you, this guide breaks down the array of lenses you might encounter and will hopefully give you a better idea of which suits your purpose.
Many people seem to be born with a natural ability to take a good photograph. They seemingly point their camera lens at an object and the resulting picture is always amazing. Then there are those of us who simply don’t appear to have the knack for capturing photographs; even still objects seem to stump us!
However, it is possible to take good pictures, and more often than not, there are reasons why your photographs don’t look great. Are you making some of these mistakes and ruining those perfect shots?
A couple of years ago, a good budget tablet cost about £120. It had the words “Tesco” and “Hudl” on the box and you could get one for half that price if you had enough Tesco Clubcard vouchers. Clearly the Hudl didn’t make enough money, so Tesco made a swift exit from the tablet business.
It would be easy to say you’re a fool for buying another tablet, but the Fire has one sticking point: it’s not an Android tablet. This isn’t a problem for a lot of people, but the fact that everything Google is conspicuous by its absence is a deal-breaker for others.
You can find out more about the pros and cons of Amazon Fire OS in our Fire review.
If you do decide that the Fire isn’t for you, the alternative is an Android tablet. iPads don’t fall into the budget category, so you’ll only find those in our Best Tablets roundup. Android is a great operating system, but it doesn’t follow that all cheap Android tablets are great. There are plenty of no-name brands out there, but as with most tech, you can’t buy one based on specifications alone. Quad-core CPUs and “high definition” screens might sound great, but what counts is how they perform in the real world. That’s where our reviews come in, as we run benchmarks to assess performance and battery life, and test a screen’s brightness, viewing angles and colours: none of which you can do by looking at an ebay listing or Argos catalogue. However, it does help to know what to look for when narrowing down your search. First, decide on screen size. Do you want a portable tablet with a 7in screen, or do you want something larger (and trade off portability)? We can’t tell you what’s best for you, but in general, a 7- or 8in screen is best if you’ll take the tablet everywhere, while a 9-10in screen is good if you only need to carry it around occasionally. Look for an IPS screen, as this technology is almost a guarantee that it will have good colours and viewing angles. It doesn’t say too much about brightness and contrast, but we’ve seen few IPS-screened tablets that we didn’t like. Resolution isn’t as important as you might think. Pixel density is a better guide: you need fewer pixels on a smaller screen and vice versa. Look for at least 250 pixels per inch. Storage You won’t get much storage in a budget tablet, but that’s fine if your chosen model has a microSD slot for adding more. Amazon’s (old) tablets don’t, which is one big black mark against them. The new range does, which is why we rate the £49 Fire so highly. Consider 16GB a minimum: 8GB without a microSD card is just too restrictive because half (or more) of this can be taken up by the operating system and pre-installed apps which you might not be able to delete. Most tablet cameras (let alone budget models) are relatively poor compared to the best smartphones. Don’t expect great quality photos or videos from any budget tablet, but if this is important to you always check reviews to see which tablet has the least worst cameras. Processor Don’t pay any attention to GHz numbers or even RAM. It’s easy to be fooled into believing a tablet will – or won’t – perform well based on numbers alone. Read our reviews to find out how each tablet performs in the real world. Software As we’ve said, pretty much every budget tablet around today runs Google’s Android operating system. This isn’t a bad thing though, as it’s very easy to use and just as good as Apple’s iOS found on iPads. It’s rare to find out without the Google Play store these days, but do check as it’s a pain if you buy something and find out it’s not approved by Google and you can’t access Google’s apps.Android tablets
Screen
Cameras
The operating system determines not just which apps are pre-installed, but also which you can download and use. The Google Play store has a massive selection and it’s rare to find an app that’s only on iPad and not available to Android users. But it does happen, particularly with apps for gadgets and smart home accessories.
They may be over a year old, but you can now pick them up for less than their original price, making some a better deal.
This isn’t a bad attempt at a budget tablet with decent build and almost stock Android. If you want 4G data on the go for simple tasks then the Vodafone Tab Prime 6 isn’t a bad choice with the PAYG option. However, if you’re not going to make use of the 4G then you’re much better off going for a tablet like the Tesco Hudl 2 which is cheaper and offers much better specs. It’s the screen which is the biggest let down here.
There’s little to get excited about with the Acer Iconia Tab 10 but that’s fine with a very affordable price tag of £179. It’s plain in appearance and quite heavy but apart from a few too many pre-loaded apps, the tablet offers good performance and decent storage plus a handy microHDMI port. Overall it’s a good choice if you’re looking to spend under £200 on a large Android tablet.
Asus’s Memo Pad 8 tablet is stylish, well-built and plenty powerful enough for most users looking to play casual games, browse the web and carry out basic productivity tasks. It is well-worth considering at £120 (you’ll find it for that price on Amazon) if display and camera quality aren’t top of your priority list. If you want to save a bit of extra cash and aren’t worried about loosing an inch off the display, we’d recommend opting for the smaller but very similarly specced Asus Memo Pad 7, which you’ll find for under £100 if you shop around.
For just £120, we’re really impressed with the Asus Memo Pad 7. In addition to a good-looking design and sturdy build, it also boasts hardware that rivals tablets with much higher price tags. A higher-resolution screen and front-facing speakers would add even more appeal, but if you’re looking for a budget tablet and have been considering the Tesco Hudl, Kindle Fire HD or even the Nexus 7, it’s worth investigating the Asus Memo Pad 7, too.
The Asus ZenPad C 7.0 is a fine tool for carrying in your bag wherever you go and using to check emails and social media and browse the web. Beyond that its functionality is limited, but what more can you expect from an £80 tablet? If you can stretch to the £99 Hudl 2 you will find a noticeable jump in performance, but the Asus is the more portable of the two.
7. Chuwi Hi12 
At under £200 the Chuwi Hi12 is a fantastic Windows 10 tablet with a large, high-resolution screen and capable – if not fast – performance. Battery life is excellent and the design is mostly good, but if you plump for the optional keyboard consider yourself warned about the trackpad.
5. Chuwi HiBook 2. Tesco Hudl 26. LG G Pad 8.3
The G Pad 8.3 is undoubtedly LG’s best tablet to date and at £199 it’s a bit of a steal. A nice selection of hardware and software make this a great choice for a small tablet. However, occasionally laggy performance means the Nexus 7 might be a better choice.
At £143.42 it’s difficult to find fault in a 10in tablet that can handle most tasks and offers both Android and Windows operating systems. We strongly recommend you purchase the optional keyboard for the extra functionality it affords, including two full-size USB ports, but even without it the Chuwi HiBook is a very decent budget tablet, with acceptable performance and a decent screen.
It isn’t perfect, but the HD 6 is really good value. Performance is well above the level you’d expect at this price, as is the quality of the screen. Some might find the 6in screen too small, though, so it’s worth trying to track one down before buying.
The 2013 flavour of the Nexus 7 is no longer available from Google. But shop around and you can find it in various online stores, at a great low price. Arguably the Hudl 2 offers a similar blend of value and quality, and may even be a bit faster. But you are unlikely to notice, and although the Nexus 7 is still lacking a microSD card slot, for many people will be the best 7in tablet around. It may even be the best value tablet there is.
One of the best budget Android tablets to date, Tesco has done the unthinkable and stopped selling its Hudl 2. It’s still a great deal where available, but be warned that many people are selling it at almost double its £99 price at Tesco – just because they can. If you can find one, and even with the complaints about charging and cracked screens, we can still recommend the Hudl 2. Tesco will continue to support its tablet, and the great screen, decent processor and microSD card slot make this an excellent tablet.
1. Amazon Fire
It’s certainly not perfect, and the lack of Google apps will still put some people off, but the Fire is excellent value at under £50. The latest Fire OS is so Android-like that it’s easy to use, and the Fire for Kids app makes it possible to limit what you kids can do and how long they can use the tablet. For some people it’s well worth paying double for the Kids Edition version as you get the bumper case and the great warranty. There are some sore points: the poor cameras, the sluggish performance at times, and the long charging time. But at this price it’s hard to complain. And you certainly won’t find a better tablet for the same money.
The bitter cold bites at unprotected fingertips as you walk determinedly. The sun isn’t up yet. The rest of the world is asleep. Not you, though: you’re on a mission to capture that famed golden hour. That special time of day when the sun hasn’t reached the height of its power yet and is softer for it in your photographs, bathing your subject in the kind of light that creates a flurry of butterflies in your stomach.
Some of our most beautiful photographs come not from land, but from underwater. With the play of light creating ethereal images out of ordinary objects- there are a couple of things to know if you’re searching to take that perfect underwater snap. (more…)
These days, there’s no need to fork out for a fancy camera full of the latest features when you’ve got the most accessible and versatile pieces of equipment sat in your coat pocket. With constant upgrades in mobile devices more focussed on their camera and photography features, people may be less inclined to invest in a clunky DSLR and current snappers may even be looking sell their Pentax camera for something slicker.
Photographs have always been an integral part of most people’s lives. From reminding them of childhoods that they can’t quite remember, to documenting memories of important events in their lives, it’s hard to think of a world where photographs didn’t exist.
With over 350 million photographs being uploaded to Facebook every day, it’s easy to see how popular taking photographs has become, and it’s no longer just a job for professionals… everyone can get involved.
The exciting thing about being able to capture a moment in a photograph is the power that a single image can hold. Think about it; you’ve just captured a moment in time in a still image that can be kept for a lifetime. We’d say that’s pretty powerful stuff.
With the recent trailer for the upcoming ‘Victor Frankenstein’ being released, it got us thinking about the use of cameras in film and how far they’ve come. While you might be wondering what the connection is between Frankenstein and cameras, you might be surprised to find out that both share an interesting history. As Camera’s got further in development, so did the Frankenstein films and you can credit nearly every camera in the history of film making being used to make one. So we thought, ‘hey why not pick a few faves and spotlight them here?’ So that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Here are the best Frankenstein films (from a camera perspective). (more…)
The camera exchange service we provide from our Camera Exchange Store throws out some incredible pieces of camera technology, so much so that it can be hard to believe our customers are willing to let them go! Having said that we don’t expect to be seeing the following piece of technology arriving any time soon…
Thanks to our extensive knowledge of the camera industry, we know a few cheats people use to get the best picture. In this day and age we’re bombarded with images of the perfect this and the perfect that. Glossy lifestyle magazines produce endless photos of stunning men and women showing off their best bits while motor head magazines show off show room cars in seductive lighting. Our Facebooks, Twitter and now the infamous Instagram are plastered with stunning, breathtaking and downright strange photos for our entertainment. But how many of these pictures are real and how many are simply feats of photography?
Photoshop
When it comes to digital alterations we can quite certainly point the finger at Photoshop and other computer systems dedicated to altering your photos image. Blemishes, wrinkle lines, age spots and prominent pores can all be erased and colour can be added with a simple click of a button. Where once photographs used to be our main source of evidence next to our own eye sight, thanks to modern day technology we don’t know if what we’re seeing is the real version of an image or an altered one. (more…)
