find me a cheap beginners camera

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erk

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Currently have a samsung WB500 which I get on with on a point and shoot basis, but on landscape shots I haven't got the adjustment I want. Could I get a basic basic slr for less than £100 to teach me the basics of camera adjustment/focus/aperture etc or am I in dreamland? Looking at second hand btw.
Oh and be gentle, I'm new here!
 
Honestly? For £100 you'd be in dreamland I'm afraid.

Why not concentrate on learning composure with your P&S. Play around with processing techniques and whatnot and save your pennies up.

For a decent starter kit with a couple of lenses, bag, second hand body, etc, £500 is probably nearer the mark.

Welcome to the forums :wave:
 
Welcome to the forums

Having started off myself with one of these Fujis I can say that they're a good beginner's camera (just my opinion). You may be able to pick one up for around the price you mention. Like Babs says tho' £400-£500 is probably nearer the mark.

Good luck in your search
 
Hi,

a used Canon 300D or similar for around £100 and then an 18-55 kit lens for around £35-£40 would be a decent start, won't lose much value if you decide it's not for you and would rather stick to a compact. However be aware that IF you do take to it then its a treacherous road to walk as upgradeitis gets us all :)

MPB photographic sell the 300d with 6 moths warranty for £124 plus postage ( without lens ) if you are wary of buying used privately.

You do not need to spend £400-£500 as a starter set up.

Mike.
 
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My first canon 300d was less than 100 although obviously that Is a used priced. Got some great shots and was more than capable of teaching the basics.
 
Have a look in the local paper classified ads. You might get lucky. I just sold a Sony A230 for £150 via the local paper, and that's a very capable camera, so you certainly don't need to spend anything like £500.
 
you can find some great deals but you have to keep a look out on various classifieds.

gumtree, loot etc are good pointers - but go and have a look at the camera itself in person rather than buying it online with those sites!
 
Whereabouts are you located ERK ?
As mani said above, its better to get "hands-on" any potential purchase to see if you can get on with it before committing yourself, especially when you're new to dSLR's.

Try a few different makes and models - there are some deals out there to give you a good start.

Pete
 
Hi I have been looking around, and I am still a bit bewildered really. Do all lenses fit all slr cameras, or is it each brand to themselves? I am in the midlands, any specialist camera shops that are worth popping my head in to, and having a look? Or are people like jessops etc any good? Thanks for everyone that has posted, lots of different opinions and ideas. I am now on the hunt for a bargain!
 
They all make their own lenses and they wont fit other makes... for example a Canon lens wont fit a Nikon. Some lens makers do make lenses for different bodies but a Sigma lens made for a Canon wont fit a Nikon etc...

... confusing but I hope you get it. :)

Jessops is a good start but their service can be patchy so I hope that you have a good branch near you.

If you are willing to give film a go you could pick up a manual SLR with a 50mm lens for anythng between £30 to £75, granted you'll have to pay to get your film developed but it's a fun and quite cheap way to go.
 
You can pick up near mint last gen film slrs with lens for £30 on ebay, film is so cheap right now jessops are giving away one free with every roll you process. Look for the Canon EOS 300, it has all the auto stuff a dslr has, only thing it doesn't have is immediacy but if you have your compact with you it's easy enough to take the shot you are planning on that and have a look to see if you like the composition or not.
I still think film is the best to learn on as it forces you to think about every single shot.
 
Erk, have you thought about picking up a 2nd hand bridge camera? They'll give you virtually all the controls and options of an SLR, but without the worry and hassle of deciding what lenses you need to get. If you're willing to stretch your budget a little you can get some real bargains for around £150 or so :)
 
Just been looking on gumtree and seen some olympus E-410 at around my budget. They talk about the four thirds system, am I right in thinking it is a universal lens mount system? Would things like auto focus work then? Also there seems to be a lot of dslrs on gumtree, with loads of spelling mistakes on the listing, and no chargers- bargain or stolen?
 
Davey_Pitch said:
Erk, have you thought about picking up a 2nd hand bridge camera? They'll give you virtually all the controls and options of an SLR, but without the worry and hassle of deciding what lenses you need to get. If you're willing to stretch your budget a little you can get some real bargains for around £150 or so :)
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So is a bridge camera considered the stepping stone between a POS and a dslr? What is a compact system camera? Learning loads here, thanks all.
 
Decca said:
You can pick up near mint last gen film slrs with lens for £30 on ebay, film is so cheap right now jessops are giving away one free with every roll you process. Look for the Canon EOS 300, it has all the auto stuff a dslr has, only thing it doesn't have is immediacy but if you have your compact with you it's easy enough to take the shot you are planning on that and have a look to see if you like the composition or not.
I still think film is the best to learn on as it forces you to think about every single shot.
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The thing that puts me off film cameras is taking a whole film of shots, getting them developed and finding out that each one is either woefully under or over exposed. I probably need to man up and get on with it lol!
 
erk said:
So is a bridge camera considered the stepping stone between a POS and a dslr? What is a compact system camera? Learning loads here, thanks all.
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Yeah, bridge cameras are definitely a stepping stone, and a good one if you're unsure whether a DSLR is for you (not you particularly, just in general). If you buy and use a bridge camera and become comfortable with it, you'll find the transition to a full DSLR pretty easy :)
 
To be honest I would avoid film. Yes, it will force you to think about every shot but if you are starting from scratch then playing around with things like bracketing, depth of field, focus points etc is very instructive and much much easier when you can review the results instantly while you still remember exactly what you did. Doing that with film requires a lot of patience and film.
That is based on my own experience with film and probably coloured a lot by the fact I am impatient and got a bad memory so I need immediate feedback ;)

Toby
 
brman said:
To be honest I would avoid film. Yes, it will force you to think about every shot but if you are starting from scratch then playing around with things like bracketing, depth of field, focus points etc is very instructive and much much easier when you can review the results instantly while you still remember exactly what you did. Doing that with film requires a lot of patience and film.
That is based on my own experience with film and probably coloured a lot by the fact I am impatient and got a bad memory so I need immediate feedback ;)

Toby
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One can only agree.
 
You should easily be able to get an old DSLR and rudimentary lens for £100, I do mean old though!

Quick glance at ebay shows, a bit over budget but it'd do yo, THIS Nikon D40
 
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