broc Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Nikon D70 & D70s are good cameras too, if a bit long in the tooth now. I have just swapped my D70 for a D300, it is a serious piece of kit, especially if you want something that gives you total control over what you are doing. It is not a budget camera though. Look for the fastest lenses you can afford, whatever system you go for. Fixed focal length lenses generally outperform zooms in terms of image quality (especially at extremes of focal length & aperture) but zooms are much more convenient. If you are looking for longer focal length lenses, consider image stabilised variants to help reduce image blurring. It is almost impossible to hand hold my D300 steady with an old Nikon 70-300 (non-stabilised) zoom lens at the 300mm end in anything other than brilliant sunshine.
webman Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Nikon D70 & D70s are good cameras too, if a bit long in the tooth now. I have just swapped my D70 for a D300, it is a serious piece of kit, especially if you want something that gives you total control over what you are doing. The D90 (which I've just upgraded to) is a good step down from the D300 if your pockets aren't that deep but I know a couple of people with 300s who are perfectly happy with it.
powdarrmonkey Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Of course, as you'll have gathered already, DSLR owners are typically extremely brand-loyal
SteveBentley Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Of course, as you'll have gathered already, DSLR owners are typically extremely brand-loyal Nah - they just have a load of lenses that won't work with anything else
Ric_ Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Of course, as you'll have gathered already, DSLR owners are typically extremely brand-loyal No... Canon is better than Nikon!
Busybub Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 I currently don’t know much about photography (other than the obvious) but would like to start taking some high quality pics while out and about. I’d like to buy myself a digital SLR anyone got any recommendations of a good starter camera, second hand is fine? I’m also going to look into an evening class. Any other tips would be appreciated. Cheers. What do you normally take pictures of? How much weight are you prepared to carry? Are you happy about frequently changing lenses? Everything has a compromise! If in doubt, buy Canon (widest choice of sensors and lenses, cheapish S/H stuff - though frankly it's all pretty expensive since prices shot up earlier this year)
cookie_monster Posted July 6, 2009 Author Posted July 6, 2009 What do you normally take pictures of? Probably be landscapes and so on. How much weight are you prepared to carry? Not loads. Are you happy about frequently changing lenses? I'll probably only have a couple at the most to start with.
elloyd69 Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Nikon D60 Great camera! gibboap on deviantART Flickr: gibboap's Photostream Yeah, I love my D60.........wanted the D80 but couldn't afford it!! Photography has been a passion of mine for years, I love it, just wish I had more time to indulge. xx
mitcheln Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 You might consider an Olympus E-620, which is a relatively compact SLR camera that has the advantage of an articulating, or swiveling, screen. There is a dual lens kit which covers a good range from quite wide to quite tele. Currently on sale around £700.
mitcheln Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 That's a shame. Maybe an E-420 or E-450. Both available in the dual lens kit mentioned above, but without the articulating screen. I'm recommending these because they're small. They're also at your budget point. You should nip into Jessops, or similar and handle them and others.
powdarrmonkey Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Jessops is great for advice and going in to have a play, but don't buy. You'll spend a fortune compared to a specialist, independent camera shop (who will also care that you get the most out of it) or mail order.
webman Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 In my local Flickr photowalk group, there's an ongoing battle between the Nikonians and Canons. Canon owners claim 'Nikons kill kittens' and the opposite claim that 'Canons kill puppies'. Take your choice
cookie_monster Posted July 6, 2009 Author Posted July 6, 2009 Would I be better off waiting and spending a bit more?
webman Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 I think it really depends on what you want to do as a photographer. And don't forget you're buying in to a whole system of lenses and accessories for your chosen area (Nikon, Canon, Sony..). If, for whatever reason, you don't continue with photography after a period of time, the money spent could be potentially wasted. On the other hand, if you start with an older model, you can upgrade the lenses as and when your creativity expands. As your confidence grows you can upgrade just the body, while still having full use of all the lenses you previously bought. A good resource is Digital Camera Review - especially the reviews, side-by-side feature comparison, and the forums. Six months ago I was in a similar boat, upgrading from a Panasonic "bridge" camera to a DSLR. Based on my requirements I started out with about 8-10 cameras and gradually narrowed it down to one using a mixture of feature details, reviews and user opinions.
Busybub Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 I'm looking ideally at less than £500 This is coming from somebody who recently sold off an entire system including 2 Canon L lenses so take this with a pinch of salt: If I was starting again with your budget and intending to learn photography I would look for a second hand Canon 300D (£130) and either an EF28mm/F2.8 (£120) or 35mm/F2 (£150-160) lens. Your budget doesn't get you a decent wide angle lens without severely compromising your choice of camera body and short-tele lens options. You can't get a single lens which covers all shooting options. You can't get a decent mid-long zoom without compromising on lens quality or speed. If you're going to be compromised, you may as well do it with a decent bit of glass which you can flog later without losing much (if anything). You can vertically stitch images for landscape (which is a useful learning experience in itself). You can add a cheap (and frankly not very good) long range zoom whenever you like, if you feel the need, or go for a 50mm/F1.8 for portraits, and still be well within budget. Otherwise, the best thing I ever did (as a landscaper) was buy a decent tripod and polarising filter (58mm thread with step up rings for the lenses). I learnt more from using a tripod and fixed lens than anything I ever got from the camera with a zoom. When you've figured out what you are missing (ie what you need), you can flog the whole lot and expect to lose no more than about 10% on what you paid, possibly breaking even as you'll already have paid rock bottom prices. 1
john Posted July 6, 2009 Posted July 6, 2009 Nah - they just have a load of lenses that won't work with anything else Agreed, and thus why I am a loyal Sony Alpha person I have a bag of Minolta Lenses and accessories that all fit the Sony Alpha, and I love my A200, took the leavers photos with it for the Y11 and its great they are loving them on Flickr Great camera and wouldn't swap it for anything. 1
cookie_monster Posted July 7, 2009 Author Posted July 7, 2009 I think it really depends on what you want to do as a photographer....If, for whatever reason, you don't continue with photography after a period of time, the money spent could be potentially wasted. The thing is i'll be sharing this with the GF so it's hard to say exactly but i'd be pretty sure one of us will keep it up, probably both as we'll use it while out walking and so on. @ john - are the minolta lenses a good price, I already have a Minolta digital camera that i've had for a while and love it.
broc Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Nah - they just have a load of lenses that won't work with anything else There's more than a grain of truth in that I bought most of my lenses 10-12 years ago, to go with a Nikon F100 35mm SLR. They all continued to work with the D70 & they work fine with the D300 so I was able to protect my investment in lenses & still take advantage of the 'digital revolution'. That is the advantage of buying systems from the big players like Canon or Nikon. Most older Nikon lenses still work with their DSLRs, although you may have to use some manually..... I think the results from most digital SLRs are good enough to satisfy most users, personally I would choose a camera based upon how it 'feels' when you are using it, especially how balanced it is & how accessible the controls are to your fingertips. If you have big hands then some of the super compact DSLRs may not suit you, if you are looking for a lightweight camera a semi-pro DSLR with fast lenses may be too bulky/heavy. I remember in the late 1990s switching from a heavy Canon SLR to a lightweight Pentax, I didn't keep it very long as it was too light; that is when I switched to the Nikon F100. I have grown used to Nikon but I did recently try Canon as well as the Nikon D90 before choosing the D300, which handles more like my old F100. My advice to a novice would be to decide on your budget, decide is you want fixed focal length lenses or zoom and take a look at what is available. Make sure you have a good play with a few cameras and keep an open mind as to brand until afterwards. Canon and Nikon offer the most choice, but don't rule out the other brands until you have looked yourself.
Ric_ Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 (edited) @cookie_monster: Busybub's advice is good but if you keep an eye on flea-bay you can spend a lot less. I've just got rid of my Canon EOS 10D for £120 - much better build quality than the 300D/350D/400D and a good mix of basic and advanced functions. The 10D is also made of metal - thus it is a little more weighty which helps steady your shots. Another piece of advice is don't buy a 'kit lens'. These are the ones that get bundled with bodies. They are generally poorer quality and just feel cheap and unsatisfying to use. Things to look out for when buying second hand (I'm particularly talking about Canon here) are the following: The mention of mould (or lack of it) on lenses - mould is bad Number of actuations a body has done - recorded in the picture metadata Good quality photographs of the body if it's an Internet sale - this will let you know if the camera has been looked after Reason for sale - again, lets you know that the equipment has been cared for Also, if you sudddenly trip over a large wedge of £20s, I have a EF 35-350mm f3.5-5.6 L lens to shift Edited July 7, 2009 by Ric_ 1
webman Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Also, if you sudddenly trip over a large wedge of £20s, I have a EF 35-350mm f3.5-5.6 L lens to shift Does it have mould?
danrhodes Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 I do alot of Photography, I've been featured ina few mags also, what digital camera, practical photography. My website is DRP.com Dan
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now