Hey, Im new and just about to purchase my first DSLR!

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james-bailey

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Hey all, Im James, 23 and about to purchase my very first DSLR!

Ive read DLSR for dummies book cover to cover and think im getting to grips with the difference between Aperture & Exposure etc but never held a DSLR camera in my hand before!

So all exciting new ground!

My budget is between 600 and 700 pounds.

Its for general use at first- i.e sunsets, things in the garden, family and friends and maybe some scenery shots of the mountains where I live, but im pretty serious on learnin the inns and outs of the whole hobby.

*One camera* has taken my eye but thought it would be a good idea to have suggestions from you folks before I mentioned it.

My future goal is to capture shots of Low Level Military Aircraft, pics like the ones in the Transport forum on here, as they go over my house pretty much every day!

PS, looks a very friendly forum!

Regards

James
 
Hi James,

get to a shop & handle some different ones then ;)
There isn't a bad current production DSLR but they will handle differently in terms of ergonomics & user interface. The one that you will use the most is the one that you are most comfortable with (although you can adapt to pretty much anything over time).

P.S. it's also worth looking at some s/h models.
 
Welcome to the forum James!
One tip before someone else jumps on you for it; adding a location to your profile will help you no end in the forum. Often you'll find people in your area willing to help you out in some way such as allowing you to handle their gear to see if it suits you.

On to the question...the best thing you can do is to handle all the cameras within your price range. They all feel quite different in the hand and what works for some doesn't work for others.
Secondhand may not seem like an option at first (I know it wasn't for me until recently) but you can get much nicer gear for a lower price and you'll often find that people treasure their gear so much it's in as new condition.
Do as much reading as possible before you make a purchase so you don't make a mistake, there are loads of reviews around to help you out. Photography is an expensive hobby and the last thing you want is to spend money on something that isn't worth it.
Final word, go for better glass before you spend all your money on a better body. You'll get better quality pictures that way.
 
heidfirst said:
get to a shop & handle some different ones then ;)
There isn't a bad current production DSLR but they will handle differently in terms of ergonomics & user interface. The one that you will use the most is the one that you are most comfortable with (although you can adapt topretty much anything over time).
Click to expand...

I quite agree - reading reviews and getting opinions will help a bit but it's no substitute for trying them for yourself.
 
If you are looking into aviation photograph (as a next step), would probably stick to a cropped sensor camera. As heidfirst suggested, go to your local camera shop and try a few out, that's the important thing.

The difference between the main brands (Nikon / Canon) and the rest is accessories, i.e. choice of lenses. Personally I would avoid the Nikon D40, 40X and D60 camera's due to the limitations of no focus motor in camera body, they will limit you as to what lenses you can use. Canon don't really have that problem, apart from the EF-S lenses not working on full frame and 1D series camera, but they do have a vast selection of EF lenses anyway.

The Nikon D70s or D80 are great camera's, so don't rule out the second hand market, as is the 350D or 20D which go for around £200/250 mark (bodies only) and will still get you very good results.

The lens is always the important purchase, as these will far out last the camera body and investing in a good lens will pay off big time with you photography.

Peter
 
:wave:

Hey James.

The advice about physically handing differnt camera's is very good advice.

Welcome aboard!
 
Thanks for ya input folks!

Definitely going to go to a shop and have hold of a few.

The camera I am looking to buy is the Canon 500D, which I can get for 614 from amazon with a EF 18-55 mm IS Lens Kit included.

The question is: Am I likely to out grow that lens too quickly?

James

PS, anyone know how to get the Pound sign on a keyboard that puts an # instead when hitting shift + 3 lol?
 
18-55mm will get you started. You can save up for your next lens.
 
Nikon D90 with a 18-105 VR lens.

£799 at Currys which is a bit over budget, but you won't regret buying that baby.

Possibly cheaper elsewhere but £799 is a great price. Same kit is £820 at Amazon.
 
#11 - I havent cosidered a Nikon as yet Bud, but will investigate!
#12 - Wow what a website that is!
 
budfox said:
Nikon D90 with a 18-105 VR lens.

£799 at Currys which is a bit over budget, but you won't regret buying that baby.

Possibly cheaper elsewhere but £799 is a great price. Same kit is £820 at Amazon.
Click to expand...

That's a good recommendation. The zoom range of 18-55mm is a little limiting when you're just starting and and trying to find what type of photography interests you.
Don't set your heart on one camera before testing it. Best to try this things without bias first.
 
If you go the D90 18-105 route check prices in Dixons duty free shop, the price will be nearer your £700 limit, if only you could stretch a bit further :cool:

They may also have deals on the 500D, you can phone shop before flying.
 
James,

If you settle on the Canon 500D, you should consider what Kerso is offering. Look here on For Sale forum: **BRAND NEW CANON 50MM 1.8 £80** POSTED OFFER FOR ALL TP MEMBERS***ALSO MORE OFFERS . (Sorry, can't seem to get a clickable link).

I've just bought a canon 500D and 18 - 55 kit lens from him for £519 including RMSD.
 
Gazza - Just looked on the for sale forum and found him. Sent a PM for a current price list, seems to be considerably cheaper than the high street shops - How is it done?
 
james-bailey said:
My future goal is to capture shots of Low Level Military Aircraft, pics like the ones in the Transport forum on here, as they go over my house pretty much every day!
Click to expand...

Hey James

If this is your goal then you should really be looking at a prosumer body, 30D or 40D as a minimum, I don't know the equivalent in other makes sorry.

The handling and speed of changing settings is worlds apart from an XXXD body, there are some sweet second hand deals out there too at the moment too.
 
james-bailey said:
Gazza - Just looked on the for sale forum and found him. Sent a PM for a current price list, seems to be considerably cheaper than the high street shops - How is it done?
Click to expand...

High street shop = Rent, Rates, Insurance, Staff, Holiday pay, sick pay, Refurbishment blah blah blah on and on the costs keep hitting you.

On line sales = postage :LOL:
 
For my first DSLR I was going to go sony a350, then oly E520, 620 but finally settled on Nikon D90. The 18-105mm lens was a significant factor, but I also found it excellent to hold & just use. it felt great.

You can currently get it for £749
And if you go via topcashback.co.uk you can get 4% off
so about £719

But remember you also will need
lens cloth/pen
filters - optional (I have UV for protection, CPL for water)
bag/case
memory cards
strap - optional (I found the basic one too uncomfortable)
Flashgun

You may find you need to cut back on the body to get everything you really need
I would echo what an earlier posted said -- we're talking minor niggles/personal preferences really. All the current camera look like pretty decent pieces of kit.
 
As well as my post about the D90/18-105mm from Currys you might consider blowing most of your budget on the lens and getting a second hand body.

As it appears you'll be wanting a long lens, consider the Nikon 18-200 VR lens which is about £500. That's one massive zoom range, and whilst it isn't the absolute fastest/sharpest lens ever made, it will hold it's value far far more than the camera you buy.

You could therefore buy that lens and probably a 2nd hand Nikon D50, which is still a fine camera. Ought to cost around £150 on eBay etc...

After a few years when you wish to upgrade to better kit, that lens will still sell for £400 and the camera body for £100.

Thought I'd just throw that option at you.
 
O think the D90 would be your best choice with the 18-105, which gives significantly more reach than and 18-55 kit lens.
 
PerfectSpeed said:
Hey James

If this is your goal then you should really be looking at a prosumer body, 30D or 40D as a minimum, I don't know the equivalent in other makes sorry.

The handling and speed of changing settings is worlds apart from an XXXD body, there are some sweet second hand deals out there too at the moment too.
Click to expand...

(y) Secondhand mint condition are selling at around £450, definately worth considering.
 
Your first decision is camera... Canon or Nikon? The only person who can answer this is YOU!! Its purely about feel, comfort and control for you. The best way is to go to a shop and handle the cameras you are considering. You must also handle the cameras you would probably consider upgrading to, IE. D300 or D700 from the Nikon range - my personal choice!
 
PerfectSpeed said:
High street shop = Rent, Rates, Insurance, Staff, Holiday pay, sick pay, Refurbishment blah blah blah on and on the costs keep hitting you.

On line sales = postage :LOL:
Click to expand...

plus the fact that he's importing from the US rather than selling UK stock, he would not be able to undercut by these margins with UK stock regardless of overheads.
 
Yes, I think important thing is US stock, so I think what is sometimes referred to as "grey market". Most importantly, not illegal. In this case, goods carry a warranty that is valid in the UK. So up to you really. I'm certainly not a salesman for Kerso, but there are in excess of 100 happy customers on TP so I didn't think this was any great risk at all.

As for selection, for some reason or other I was a bit fixed on Nikon. Started looking at this site and saw a s/h Canon 350D. That got me looking at other Canon models and I thought I might go with 450D. Then saw Kerso's 500D price and concluded that it was similar to 450D with video thrown in. Now I've got to learn how to use it!!
 
gazzag said:
Yes, I think important thing is US stock, so I think what is sometimes referred to as "grey market". Most importantly, not illegal. In this case, goods carry a warranty that is valid in the UK. So up to you really. I'm certainly not a salesman for Kerso, but there are in excess of 100 happy customers on TP so I didn't think this was any great risk at all.
Click to expand...

I wasn't meaning to imply that there is anything dodgy about it, I am sure it is all legal and above board. I have used Kerso a few times and have always been happy with the service, I'd happily recommend him. However Canon's attitude to imported cameras seems quite variable so I wouldn't risk buying an imported one (not an issue with lenses). Given that Canon's trade in deal is still running you can get a 500D from a UK shop for not much more than the imported one. http://www.canon.co.uk/eostradein/
 
Didn't know about the current trade-in. I'd tend to agree that a competitive UK shop price less the £75 brings it quite close to what I paid - only about £50 in it. Saving £125 seemed worthwhile; for the £50, not so sure.
 
Welcome james

with a bit of hunting around you can get a nice canon/nikon/sony DSLR body
the kit lenses are okay but budget. the nifty fifty is something you'll see bandied around here which is a nice lens for family shots. for low level aircraft photography you'll need some zoom...so look at 70-300mm lenses and see what you can find
all without 700 quid?? it's possible if you get moderate kit like the sigma apo 70-300mm etc
 
Ive received Kerso's price list, and the Canon 500d does look very tempting at only 499 with the 18-55mm lens included.

A Question I am asking myself though..

The 500d vs a second hand 40d....similar price hmmmm - is the 40d really that much better? In a nutshell what makes the Canon a 'Pro-sumer' camera?
I have tried comparing specs on the Canon website but with me being a newbie the figures and description seem a bit confusing!

Regards,

James
 
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