First DSLR-£400 ish

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Greg.w

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Greg
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Hey folks

First post on here so go easy :)

I've had a fujifilm s9600 for a few years now and I'm now going to make the jump to a proper dslr.

Now since its my first I don't want to go spending £1000 to find its not for me and I want a compact lol.

So I'm budgeting around £400. That will be for a camera and a kit lens.

My question is, what would you guys recommend? I'd like to stick with one of the 2 big names(canon and nikon of course)because if I like it then ill stick with that to keep lenses the same etc, as most do.

Just a little info-I've read 100's of reviews etc and been to currys to have a feel of the cameras and the one sticking out is the nikon d5100. I much prefer the feel and weight of the Nikon to the canon, this does not mean if a canon is better I will not go and try it out again to see how I feel.

Thanks for reading

Cheers
 
Hi Greg - welcome aboard! I'm sure you're going to get some great advice and food for thought, all I'll kick off with is that you might want to keep used gear in mind - there's some great gear to be had without breaking the bank. Best of luck!
 
Current Canon entry levels are not as nice as some nikons...

But why don't you consider used? Even a 30D will be a light year leap from your compact. Get Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 and be happy. You will certainly find more opportunities to spend well over a £1000 if you get in it.
 
I'd like new tbh just because its my first dslr and I know how it's been treated etc.

I have considered it but much prefer the thought of a new one
 
Hi Greg, the D5100 is a good camera to start with, read some reviews and the D5100 owners thread on here for some opinions on it.

I wouldn't worry too much about buying second hand either, the way i see it is if you are into photography enough to buy an slr (as well as the costs involved) you tend to look after your camera and treat it as your pride and joy.
 
Bassit said:
Hi Greg, the D5100 is a good camera to start with, read some reviews and the D5100 owners thread on here for some opinions on it.

I wouldn't worry too much about buying second hand either, the way i see it is if you are into photography enough to buy an slr (as well as the costs involved) you tend to look after your camera and treat it as your pride and joy.
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First dslr can be a strange relationship. It can be outgrown very quickly particularly if another is more desirable. The learning curve may as well require some rough treatment, even if it only means a lot of shots taken for that sake of exploring the subject. Thus investing over the odds may make it harder to progress further.
 
Hi Greg, I have just purchased myself a DSLR with a similar budget to you and got myself a 6 month old D5100...
I too wanted brand new but then I saw how well people look after these cameras with being photography enthusiasts and got a great deal on a second hand one with 18-70mm lens and a 50mm 1.8 for £420. All original boxes and perfect condition :) My dad has a Canon 600D which is a contender to the Nikon but I just think the Nikon pips it to the post. I am by no means a Nikonian through and through and haven't got a bad word to say about the Canon's, It's just personal preference and what feels best to hold and use
 
Thanks the info folks :)

Higgy that sound like a great deal you got there :)

Where's best to look for used stuff? I can't access the classifieds on here for a while I don't think :(. eBay at a guess?
 
Two very good 2nd hand outlets which I have used: MPB Photographic as per header above and "The Photographer's Bag" which you can access via google or e-bay.

I would second the comments above. Buy used initially until you know what you really want / need and then you can upgrade. I bought a 2nd hand 20d from MPB and I am very happy, it takes beautiful pictures. And don't get too obsessed about pixies - 8-10 mill will be plenty.
 
Nikon d5000 - 12 mill pixies - in mint condition and an 18-50/55 lens £250 all in from MPB as above. All gear has a three month warranty. Another £50 for memory cards and you have £100 change and you are up and running.

Job's a good 'un!
 
Is the above eBay link not a good but aswell? The extra lens is £200 plus
 
Well I won the d5100 above with lot lens and a 55-200 aswell for £401:). Hope all is well with it
 
With your budget I'd buy a Nikon D3200, claim the £40 cashback and put the change towards a 35mm or 50mm fast prime lens. Personally I'd go for the AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G. Or maybe I'd wait a few weeks until Canon's new 100D is available. That looks like an interesting camera. I'm not sure what the street price will be though.
 
munkee said:
With your budget I'd buy a Nikon D3200, claim the £40 cashback and put the change towards a 35mm or 50mm fast prime lens. Personally I'd go for the AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G. Or maybe I'd wait a few weeks until Canon's new 100D is available. That looks like an interesting camera. I'm not sure what the street price will be though.
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Think I saw the 100D somewhere on pre-order for £569 or so. Seems a lot! But I'm sure it'll settle down a bit after a few months.

Good luck with the new Nikon Greg and welcome to the world of DSLR photography :)
 
Thanks for the post munkee but if you read the post above yours you'll see it was a little late lol.

So what lens would people recommend to add to the kit and 55-200 lens?

I'm sure ill enjoy getting to grips with the settings etc Graeme :)
 
Oops. Missed that. I'd still invest in a decent fast prime but which one depends on what you're planning to shoot.
 
with the kit lens and 55-200 you're fairly well covered.

go with those for a bit and see if you need to be longer / wider / faster to suit your type of shots.

I've got the D5100 with kit lens and the 55-300. My third lens is the 35mm 1.8. A good third lens due to its speed (large aperture), sharpness, light weight and price.

Between these three I have most bases covered. Sure there are times I'd like longer, wider and faster but budget dictates sometimes!
 
Brilliant purchase Greg well done. I got a 18-55mm and a 50mm 1.8 with mine which is by far my favourite, but just bought the 55-200mm lens. Between those three you can't go wrong
 
Greg.w said:
Thanks for the post munkee but if you read the post above yours you'll see it was a little late lol.

So what lens would people recommend to add to the kit and 55-200 lens?

I'm sure ill enjoy getting to grips with the settings etc Graeme :)
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Do you like wide angle shots? macro photography? portraits? it's all about what you like :)

35mm F/1.8 is must have lens in any bag (portraits,landscapes,low light photography, street photography and in general very sharp lens)
 
Yes I'm watching 5 or 6 on eBay just now, after a bit of reading the 35mm is the one to go for in most cases.

Is it worth buying second hand with lenses? Or new only?
 
Greg.w said:
Yes I'm watching 5 or 6 on eBay just now, after a bit of reading the 35mm is the one to go for in most cases.

Is it worth buying second hand with lenses? Or new only?
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i would get brand new 35mm 1.8 as they don't cost lots of many and saving minimal when buying 2nd hand.
 
graeme_ncl said:
Think I saw the 100D somewhere on pre-order for £569 or so. Seems a lot! But I'm sure it'll settle down a bit after a few months.

Good luck with the new Nikon Greg and welcome to the world of DSLR photography :)
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It just hit me that's D7000 money!
 
Just watched 1 that finished on eBay less than an hour ago. It went for £137 delivered. A new 1 is £150 brand new so unless I can get 1 for £100 second hand then ill be going new
 
I've just ordered a cpl and uv filter with another lens good and cover. Also ordered a mini hdmi lead and some screen protectors. Got basically everything to get me started now apart from a bag.

Anyone recommend a good but relatively cheap 1?

Cheers
 
depends how big you need? body + 3 lenses + flash ? or you thinking of getting more gear in near future? do you need to fit laptop in the same bag?
 
Nah body, 2 lenses plus the one on the body so 3 in total, extra battery, possibly flash and a few pockets for things like filters, charger etc.

Also the filters I bought were cheapo eBay ones. Will these do for now?
 
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