2nd hand DSLR Body recommendation

Fla5h

Fla5h

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Tony
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Looking for a 2nd hand DSLR

Budget £150 but may stretch to £200 and will have to be a Canon (I've already got Canon EF and EF-S Lens)

So in mind I've got the Canon 20D

TIA
 
Fla5h said:
Looking for a 2nd hand DSLR

Budget £150 but may stretch to £200 and will have to be a Canon (I've already got Canon EF and EF-S Lens)

So in mind I've got the Canon 20D

TIA
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You won't go far wrong with a 20D.....but if you can push to £200, you should hunt around for a 30D. Lots of small improvements make it a much better camera for not a lot more dosh!! (y)
 
20D is a great camera. LCD is a very small though, as they mostly were then.

Can you stretch to a 40D? Just a bit better all round. Can hold its own pretty well today. £350-ish?
 
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1100D is the entry level canon model now so second hand should be quite cheap, or the older canon 1000D as the entry level or as you say move up to 400D, 450D, 600D
and then to pro consumer 20D, 30D, 40D
 
vaizki said:
I'd rather take the 40D than the 600D myself :D
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I'm curious about this as I've looked into it myself. Spec wise, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the xxD and the equivalent xxxD. Must be something I'm missing?

I've only bought a 550D as my first DSLR so I'm a long way away to even think about an upgrade but wanted to ask the question out of curiosity.
 
techno79 said:
I'm curious about this as I've looked into it myself. Spec wise, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the xxD and the equivalent xxxD. Must be something I'm missing?

I've only bought a 550D as my first DSLR so I'm a long way away to even think about an upgrade but wanted to ask the question out of curiosity.
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imho (and basing my opinions more on comparing the 350D to the 50D but having some limited experience of the 40D & 600D - enough, I feel, to understand the principle difference to XXXD models and [pre 60D] XXD models) , the build quality of the 40D is far superior to the 600D - metal body, some weather-proofing (I think), parts designed to last longer, shutter life of 100,000 actuations and fast speed of 1/8000s, higher burst-rate, brighter viewfinder (pentaprism vs. pentamirror of 600D), bigger size (easier for me to hande) and much easier controls - top lcd screen, rear wheel, 'joystick' etc.etc. From what I've seen, the IQ is very good too especially with low-noise - but I cannot compare this to the 600D. If you want to explore menus, customisations and features, I expect there are some that are just not available on XXXD models.


If you're used to a XXXD model - when you pick up a 30/40/50D - you will notice an immediate difference, particularly in weight, size, controls and build-quality.
 
30D arrived yesterday

Get an error code when trying to format flash card "Err 99":(
 
techno79 said:
I'm curious about this as I've looked into it myself. Spec wise, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the xxD and the equivalent xxxD. Must be something I'm missing?
Click to expand...

weybourne said:
... build quality... last longer... 1/8000s ... burst-rate ... brighter viewfinder... bigger size ... top lcd screen, rear wheel, 'joystick' etc.etc

If you're used to a XXXD model - when you pick up a 30/40/50D - you will notice an immediate difference, particularly in weight, size, controls and build-quality.
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Yes yes yes. And when you are used to a XXD model, it's not easy to go back. The 600D probably has superior IQ especially at high ISO but a 40D will help me get the shot I want. Which is much more important to me.

It's not all in the specs.
 
Fla5h said:
30D arrived yesterday

Get an error code when trying to format flash card "Err 99":(
Click to expand...

Just had a little google and found this (but there are lots of other references on teh interweb):

One of our participants in the long comment thread below (Tom) got this in a message from Canon USA. It may help some of you isolate the problem before you post a comment/question.

To isolate the cause of the issue, we suggest that you do the following:

1. Turn off the camera.
2. Remove the lens, battery, and CF card.
3. Allow the camera to sit without power for approximately 20 minutes.
4. Insert a fully charged battery, and turn on the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.

Does the “ERR 99″ message appear? If it does, then the camera should be
serviced. If it does not, then please proceed to the next set of steps:

1. Turn off the camera.
2. Insert the CF card.
3. Turn on the camera.
4. Format the CF card in the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.

Does the “ERR 99″ message appear? If so, then the CF card is the most
likely source of the issue. Try using a different card.

If the message does not appear, please complete the following steps:

1. Turn off the camera.
2. Clean the lens contacts by gently rubbing them with a pencil eraser
or soft cloth. Be careful that you do not let any debris fall into the
camera body.
3. Reattach your lens.
4. Turn on the camera.
5. Depress the shutter button as you would to take a picture.

If the “ERR 99″ message only appears when one particular lens is attached, then that lens should be examined by a service technician.

If you see the “ERR 99″ with a different Canon lens attached, then the camera should be serviced.

Update #3

Thanks to Alyssa for this tip from Canon tech support.

If you have a later model Canon DSLR that has Automatic Sensor Cleaning try turning that feature off to see if it stops the error. If it does, test to see if manual sensor cleaning still works. If it does you’re all set. If it doesn’t you should probably have your camera serviced to have it fixed, although you can shoot without this feature if you don’t change lenses much.

You’ll find the control of that feature in the camera’s menu system.
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Cheers Adrian,

Think it is the actual CF card as I cannot even see using a USB reader

The auction included a 2GB but is wasn't in the parcel :( so I found an old 512MB knocking about

Contacted seller and they were very helpful and going to send me a 4GB one :)
 
weybourne said:
imho (and basing my opinions more on comparing the 350D to the 50D but having some limited experience of the 40D & 600D - enough, I feel, to understand the principle difference to XXXD models and [pre 60D] XXD models) , the build quality of the 40D is far superior to the 600D - metal body, some weather-proofing (I think), parts designed to last longer, shutter life of 100,000 actuations and fast speed of 1/8000s, higher burst-rate, brighter viewfinder (pentaprism vs. pentamirror of 600D), bigger size (easier for me to hande) and much easier controls - top lcd screen, rear wheel, 'joystick' etc.etc. From what I've seen, the IQ is very good too especially with low-noise - but I cannot compare this to the 600D. If you want to explore menus, customisations and features, I expect there are some that are just not available on XXXD models.


If you're used to a XXXD model - when you pick up a 30/40/50D - you will notice an immediate difference, particularly in weight, size, controls and build-quality.
Click to expand...

I guess it's more noticeable when you migrate from model range upwards. I've only just got onto the SLR scene so quite happy with the xxxD range at the moment. I'm sure an upgrade to xxD range will be justified in a year or two.
 
techno79 said:
I guess it's more noticeable when you migrate from model range upwards. I've only just got onto the SLR scene so quite happy with the xxxD range at the moment. I'm sure an upgrade to xxD range will be justified in a year or two.
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Personally, if I'm truly honest, my upgrade boiled down to indulgence. I was very pleased with the 350D and didn't really have any grumble with it, other than it being a bit long in the tooth. I sold my 350D with the kit lens and picked up the 50D body second-hand - so it wasn't a massively expensive indulgence. I'm much more aware of the benefits of the 50D now than I ever was of the cons of the 350D then. What I really want now is something on the lines of a 30 or 35mm f1.8 or f2 prime - so that I can still take my camera out when it's not the summer, thereby not letting that xxD body lay idle ;) :D The missus never understands :shrug:
 
Yeah a 350d upgrade to 50d seems a lot more justifiable. It's entirely possible the 550d would do me for a long time too. Guess one step at a time.
 
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