what to buy?

[hucknall]

hi all, have decided to buy my first dslr but am unsure where to start, have been reading the review sites and am more confussed than when i started. I am keen on wildlife and views so would like to hear any ideas on what camera to buy. I have a limited budget of around £350. thanks for taking time to read my thread

[EdBray]

Pity really, I recently sold a mint boxed Nikon D70 body with 18-70 lens for £250, this with a 70-300 lens would have covered all your requirements giving a 35mm equivalent 27-450mm.

You can pick up a nice Sigma 70-300 APO for under £80 and a mint body and standard zoom lens shouldn't be too hard to source for the remaining £270.

[dod]

welcome aboard, shifting this to equipment where you'll get a better response :)

[dod]

maybe not, have a bump :lol:

For what it's worth have a look around for a second hand 10D or 20D, both very capable and the lenses Ed has mentioned should get you started.

[DinoS]

Maybe a second hand 30d for £325 and a canon 18-55mm lens.

;)

P.s Check forsale section ;)

[PsiFox]

Go get a feel for which brand of camera suits you best in a shop.

Then look for what you decide on that is in your budget.

[dazzajl]

Hello Hucknell,

The trouble with this is that wildlife and views are kinda opposed in terms of what kit is most suitable..... and then the trouble choosing kit these days is that it's pretty much all really good.

I have no need to be buying anything at all right now and I can't see that I'd ever swap makes anyway but I have a real hankering to get my hands on some of the new Pentax machines. They look a company on the up again and producing some really good value cameras.

[StewartR]

One thing I'd suggest is taking a look at the lens ranges that are available for different brands of camera, to check there's something for you.

For example, whilst there's generally little to choose between Canon and Nikon in terms of price, functionality or quality, it's noticeable that Canon offer a much more comprehensive range of telephoto lenses (e.g. 300mm f/4 L IS, 400mm f/5.6 L, 100mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS) than Nikon, which might be important if you wanted to shoot wildlife, birds and/or aircraft.

[brianfarrell]

Do you have any photographer friends?

They might let you have a go with their kit...

... also they might have lenses you could borrow when you've made your decision :thumbs:

[hucknall]

thanks for all your help, going to my local jessops so i can hold all the cameras

[Outlaw]

Don't forget Sony A200 with kit lens around £270 new should beable to pick up telephoto lens with the rest, maybe secondhand from ebay. Also Pentax k100d super can be had for £250 from argos leaving you £100 for telephoto. Pentax only 6 meg though. as advised go and have a play.

[Outlaw]

Also Olympus E410 twin lens kit can be had around £300ish and the kit lenses cover 28-300mm and also they are amongst the best kit lenses on the market. Plus its got live view if needed.

[Baz007]

Hucknall, as has been said, check the forsale section, theres plenty in there!

Your idea of getting hold of the different cameras is a good one. Somebody is selling a 30D and I'm selling a 20D, neither of which you will find in Jessops but the feel is exactly the same as the 40D, just a couple of features missing and a lot, lot cheaper.

Oh and don't worry about asking questions, everybody here is friendly