SLR Camera advice or a noob?

[Rawns]

I've always had a interest in photography and enjoyed taking snaps of this and that with my compact Sony digital.

 

I'm looking into getting a "starter" SLR camera but not 100% sure on what I should be looking at and what features a good model should have? Do I need a built in flash? Do I need one with changeable lenses? What should I ensure a good SLR camera has?

 

Any advice on links to recommended cameras would be good.

[plexer]

An SLR by it's very nature has changable lenses, many different lenses from cheap to mega bucks but also some older lenses can be used on modern dslr bodies.

 

There's also the new sony ones which aren't true slr's as they don't actually have a moving mirror.

 

Ben

[mattx]

Canon or Nikon.

 

I use a Canon EOS 500D - see below, has the Canon EF 100mm f2.8 USM Macro Lens on as I was in taking some close ups over the weekend of snails............. what a fun time that was.

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5064803019_d67d244d57_m.jpg - shame part of the shell was over exposed. The snail was only about 3cm in length.

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/5064821475_2dc7c3bbc1.jpg

Edited October 12, 2010 by mattx

[Tricky_Dicky]

Just a warning before I begin, this hobby can get very expensive very easily and quickly. That said, it's loads of fun.

 

A proper DSLR will have interchangeable lenses otherwise it's just a compact camera. In my opinion you basically have two choice of makes, Nikon or Canon, the war between these two is not dissimilar to the row between windows and macs so the best bit of advice I can give is go and have a play with some and see which one you prefer in terms of look, feel and very importantly how well the menu system works. If you need to grab a shot very quickly and can't set the camera up in time then it's not worth buying.

 

Most (think all) SLRs in the starter bracket will have a built in flash which is about on par with the flash on most compacts so if you are going to be doing any internal work or night time stuff where you will need extra light then try and get an external flash. Again both Nikon and Canon do some excellent equipment depending on budget.

 

Try and avoid gimick features, I can not see the point in a swivel out screen, it just looks to me like it will get broken off. You want a camera that feels substantial in your hand, well made and takes a nice photo. You can improve a SLR easily with better lenses, but obviously this starts to get expensive.

 

For an idea in price, I bought a Canon 40D 3 years ago for about £1000, I've since bought a 580EX11 flash gun and a 24-70f2.8 lense which has made an average camera in to a nice bit of kit. Next step is a Canon 5DMk2.

 

Try out Warehouse Express for some very good pricing.

 

Have fun, Rich

[JJonas]

again Canon or Nikon, but Nikon lenses are more expensive. Im using a Canon 400D

[SteveBentley]

One of the main benefits of an SLR is that you can often get away without a flash because of the larger aperture and sensor - I very rarely use my flash gun.

 

In terms of Canon/Nikon/Sony/A N other whatever you buy now will influence what you buy for life, as you'll just replace the body and keep your lens collection for use with it. So it's not a case of buy cheap now and upgrade later. I like my Sony Alpha 200 btw!

[K.C.Leblanc]

Talk Photography™

 

Is a good place to have a look.

 

Both the cameras Gibbo has mentioned are a good starting point. I use a Nikon D60, which is basically half way between the D40 and the D3000 (a current model that's being phased out). Go to your local second hand camera shop, and try a few cameras and see what you feel comfortable with. I'd try to stick with Nikon or Canon. You're effectively buying into a system, Canon and Nikon offer the biggest choice of lenses (Sony are the next biggest, and can also be used with a lot of Minolta lenses). You'll also find it's easier to get advice on forums.

Edited October 12, 2010 by K.C.Leblanc

[sted]

Just a warning before I begin, this hobby can get very expensive very easily and quickly. That said, it's loads of fun.

 

yup the cost of the body is only the start im up to 4 lenses now though ive retired 1 (was a mistake to buy it) the kit lenses are usually ok but not great but are at least versatile beyond that it depends what you take pictures of as to your requirements but ive ended up with a 90-300 (this is my retired lense as without image stabilisation its not great), a 55-250 with image stabilisation probably my most used lense (i tend to do motorsports), a 50mm prime has a large f stop range and goes very low so its great for shooting in low light with shorter exposures, and the 18-55 mm kit lense

 

so you will quite prossibly spend more than the camera body cost you on lenses and other assorted parafanalia

 

for what its worth im using a canon eos400d but even my compacts were canon so ive just stuck there never really tried nikons

[K.C.Leblanc]

Oh and get a copy of Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.

[mtdmitchell]

You dont need to go spending thousands at first, start with a basic SLR like this one.

 

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290L with 18-55mm lens SLR Digital Camera Reviews and Best Price Guarantee

 

 

Sony are fairly new to SLR market and offer very good features for the money, the A450, A500 ranges offer very good features for the money:

 

Sony DSLR-A450L with 18-55mm lens SLR Digital Camera Reviews and Best Price Guarantee

 

My wife has worked as a full time Photographer for two years now and she loves the Sony Range, Accessories are cheap too, Batteries FLash etc can all be purchased fairly cheap from ebay.

[Rawns]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Defiantly gives me something to start with.

 

Out of curiosity, I've seen one or two cameras that have fixed lenses. Do you think that it's worth maybe starting out with one of those for a beginners camera, or is it worth spending a bit more cash and going straight for one that has the changeable lenses?

[gibbo_ap]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Defiantly gives me something to start with.

 

Out of curiosity, I've seen one or two cameras that have fixed lenses. Do you think that it's worth maybe starting out with one of those for a beginners camera, or is it worth spending a bit more cash and going straight for one that has the changeable lenses?

 

no no no no no no. i did this and regretted it for years, only just got round to buying a good camera (450d), i hated the lens (lots of vignetting), also on the camera i had it had lcd eye piece and viewfinder. terible for low light.

 

get a canon and a cheap 35mm 1.8 for low light, this will give you a lot of scope. tripod is also very useful!

[6Foot2]

Have a look at this thread:

 

Link 1: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/jokes-interweb-things/61795-photography-course.html

 

The website mentioned there may be of use to you?

 

There is a section there about comparing Digital SLRs

 

Link 2: DSLR Camera Comparison

Edited October 12, 2010 by 6Foot2
Add detail to the post.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Defiantly gives me something to start with.

 

Out of curiosity, I've seen one or two cameras that have fixed lenses. Do you think that it's worth maybe starting out with one of those for a beginners camera, or is it worth spending a bit more cash and going straight for one that has the changeable lenses?

 

If it has a fixed lens it's not an SLR, simple as.

 

What's the camera you're looking at. If it's got a full set of manual adjustments it might well be a good step up over your current compact.

 

However bare in mind the two cameras Gibbo mentioned are availabled used (neither are current models) for around the £200 mark.

 

EDIT: I'm sure someone will be able to argue my first point by sighting some obscure camera from the '60s. But really it's not relevant, if however someone knows of a current digital camera with an opticle viewfinder that works through the main lens I'd be interested to know about it (just make sure you give Rawns some advice as well, it's his thread after all).

Edited October 12, 2010 by K.C.Leblanc

[plexer]

Sony are fairly new to SLR market and offer very good features for the money, the A450, A500 ranges offer very good features for the money:

 

 

Whilst the Sony branding on their DSLRS is I suppose a relative newcomer to the market the tech they have behind them with the minolta brand is not new and thus provides a wealth of experience and equipment.

 

Ben

[sted]

no no no no no no. i did this and regretted it for years, only just got round to buying a good camera (450d), i hated the lens (lots of vignetting), also on the camera i had it had lcd eye piece and viewfinder. terible for low light.

 

get a canon and a cheap 35mm 1.8 for low light, this will give you a lot of scope. tripod is also very useful!

 

depending on how you intend to use a camera a tripod is a must and not that expensive im using a £15 from argos Buy Adjustable Tripod - 147cm. at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for . one does everything i need it to do and seems fairly indistructable. Monopods on the other hand ive got one and rarely use it they seem to be more hassle than they are worth to me but other people probably disagree and are probably more use if you have a whacking great lense on the camera and have it attached to that rather than the camera body itself

 

do canon even do a 35mm f1.8? the 50mm f1.8 is a god lense and can be had for <£100 new

Edited October 12, 2010 by sted

[localzuk]

I bought a 350d second hand with a selection of lenses off someone on here, and love it. I'd say take a look on ebay, find yourself a 350d/400d etc... and go from there.

 

As others have said, it can get very expensive, depending how far you want to go, but it is a great hobby. When you're out stood on a hill-top at dawn taking shots of sunrise etc... it'll be worth it

[jamin100]

I got into SLR photography about 6 months ago. I brought a used Nikon D3000 which is fantastic. It cost me £300 with the kit lens. I have now sold the 18-55mm kit lens and brought a 35mm 1.8 and its fantastic! really does produce some amazing shots.

 

There is really only one place i look for photography tips and thats froknowsphoto.com he produces really good videos every week on everything related to photography and also has a pretty decent forum.

 

On Fridays he has a beginners video which he uses a basic setup of a D3000 and 35mm 1.8 lens

[browolf]

the reg did a review of "budget" DSLRs

 

Budget DSLR Cameras ? reghardware

 

my current camera is the odd looking yashika f521

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_C8Dz6RfvNhM/S578DCB-QFI/AAAAAAAAB94/TxXlAQy_5s4/s320/Yashica-EZ-F521-01.jpg

[capncrunch]

Talk Photography™

 

Is a good place to have a look.

 

 

I will second that motion I also use talkphotography, there is a massive wealth of experience on there. And a good place to get critique on your pictures.

 

As for looking at which camera to get i would recommend Digital Cameras: Digital Photography Review, News, Reviews, Forums, FAQ plenty of reviews and run downs of all the specs of each camera.

[timzim]

Find out if any of your mates also have SLRs: if they've gone for either Canon or Nikon and you buy the same brand you may be able to swap/borrow lenses, etc from each other. I bought a Nikon D40x a few years ago then discovered all my mates had Canons. The kit for either brand is incompatible with the other. Was also informed fairly recently that very few Nikon lenses will fit my D40x as it was a bit of an intermediate stage in development, whereas apparently most Canon lenses fit most Canon cameras. Grrr.

Having said that, I bought my Nikon purely on feel - the Canon felt too small to grip comfotably, the Nikon is v comfy & I'm still very fond of it...but try before you buy!

[webman]

Digital Cameras: Digital Photography Review, News, Reviews, Forums, FAQ

 

Also consider Micro Four-Third format cameras - they have interchangeable lenses too like SLRs, but are similar in size to compacts.

[London_Geek]

I bought a Canon 450d just over a year ago, and have absolutely loved it since the day it first arrived. Sturdy and robust without feeling too heavy. The weight of the camera is certainly something you'll want to consider too, as you'd be surprised how heavy they can feel after carting them around for a day on holiday etc...

Mine arrived with both the EF-S 18-55mm, and the EF-S 55-250mm, both with IS. I've managed to capture some cracking shots with both, and until I reach a time when money permits upgrading, then I shall be more than happy to stick with these.

 

Sure, the initial cost is a little steep, however the paybacks are so worth it. I hope you enjoy whatever you chose to purchase!!

[edutech4schools]

I used to work for Canon and by far the most important thing is the lenses. If money is tight get a cheap body and spend the money on the lens you will see a big difference in sharpness / quality. Canon produce the glass for lots of other company and grade them all. I would think they keep the best back for their own lenses.

[Rawns]

I popped into two separate camera shops at lunch. One local independent shop and Jessops.

 

I had 2 different sets of info from each sales chap. The local guy did not really point out much or advise on what cameras were good. He showed me an Olympus E450 which looked and felt 'OK' and seemed to have a few features that don't mean alot to me at the moment! The zoom was not too bad but it did not feel "right".

He also said an internal lithium battery is better then AA batteries.

 

The guy at Jessops seemed to me that he knew more about cameras. He asked what I wanted to use it for (landscapes, close ups, wildlife etc), what experience I had, price range etc and showed me a Fujifilm Finepix HS10. He said a fixed lens would be better as a starter to see how I go on. The camera had a auto mode for straight forward "point & shoot" but also had a lot of other customisable options for when I became more "experienced" with different settings, lens shut speeds etc. The zoom was a manual 30x zoom and felt more controllable then the automatic zoom on the Olympus.

 

The camera itself seemed very nice. I'm just wondering if AA batteries are a good option, and if Fuijifilm is a good make to go for?