Advice on body and lenses

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CrookedVulture

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Hi there,

Im looking to purchase a DSLR this following week and I just need a bit of advice on my purchase. Im doing Photography at A/AS level and I have been using D/SLR's on a regular basis at college. But I wish to have my own for my own studies/hobbie and for possible work.
My main interest is to start concert and sport photography but I also need to take into consideration just normal walkabout/general shooting for projects. So I have narrowed down to either the 40D/50D. I have a budget of around 900 for a body and lens ( will most likely get another lens after the christmas period)- so if you could reccomend another lens to put down on the list it would be appreciated.
So I was just wondering (with your knowledge) if you could help me coming to a better decision. I have taken forum advice and tried out handling both camera's and I have no particular preference - but i was wondering if either had better performance (especially in low light - as i have heard too many different views on this) for my needs.

Thanks in advance.
 
a better decision - go NIKON!

I don't know Canon equipment sorry!
 
Welcome :)

Ok so you are Ok with the camera, have you got a preference for that first lens? Zoom or prime?

How much of your budget do you want to allocate to the camera?

If you are looking for second hand, either the forum here or personally I can recommend MPB who advertise on here. Don't worry if they don't have what you are looking for, if you let Matt know he can usually help source it for you :)

Hope that helps but I do seem to have asked more questions than given answers.
 
awp said:
a better decision - go NIKON!

I don't know Canon equipment sorry!
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Well go for it! I have no equipment for either brand I just took to the canons - but if you were to give me an answer but with the Nikon equivalent equipment I would take it on board for sure :)
 
well concert/sport needs high end equipment - so the ideal is a D3 :) - if the budget doesn't go that far - how about the D300 - second hand - let us know your budget.
 
AliB said:
Welcome :)

Ok so you are Ok with the camera, have you got a preference for that first lens? Zoom or prime?

How much of your budget do you want to allocate to the camera?

If you are looking for second hand, either the forum here or personally I can recommend MPB who advertise on here. Don't worry if they don't have what you are looking for, if you let Matt know he can usually help source it for you :)

Hope that helps but I do seem to have asked more questions than given answers.
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Thanks :)

No real preference but if you were willing to give me some advice for both Zoom and prime then I will do a bit of research and decide which to purchase.

I wouldnt mind putting a large portion of it towards the body as, I have just got a job - student here:) , I am willing to build up and gain better lenses to put towards and compliment a better body.

Ok thanks for that - I was just a bit wary of second hand gear as I have heard alot of friends complain about having problems - but then again alot of internet community reccomend it highly so I will have to look further into it - I just dont want to get screwed.

Cheers.
 
awp said:
well concert/sport needs high end equipment - so the ideal is a D3 :) - if the budget doesn't go that far - how about the D300 - second hand - let us know your budget.
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Well as I said in the first post im looking at around a budget of 900 at the moment for a body and first lens - but with the view to start putting more funds towards lenses in very near future. So yeah I dont think that is going to stretch out to the top end :lol: but this is more to get me started then once I have an increased budget look to upgrade - but I want this camera to last a good while as while im at college cash isnt so easy to hand.
 
Forget about awp, that advice was unhelpful and he obviously did read you post on a budget. :D

My advice would be to to go secondhand, you can pickup a good body for reasonable money and still have a good proportion of your loot for a decent lens or 2. Check out Ffordes, Camtech, MBP (advertises on TP), Park Camera's, Mifsuds, London Camera Exchange, all will give you abit of piece of mind warranty on 2nd hand goods.

800/900 might be pushing it for a decent lens and a 40D/50D. 50D bodies are that on there own.

For Nikon have a look at a D80 or D70s, still great cameras and you're not limited on lens selection, as this will take all nikon lenses, including the primes that you'll require for motorsport and concert work.

For Canon have a look at the 20D, ok people might knock me when saying that, because its old in the tooth, but for £250, its great bargain, plus lots of dosh for a decent fast prime or 2.

Don't dismiss the other brands either, they are slowly catching up the main 2 and offer to affordable alternatives, but remember that GLASS is the key, you'll replace camera bodies, but a lens is an investment for a long time, so keep a good proportion of the budget for that.

Peter
 
:clap:

I'd also consider the 20D, in fact I was nearly temped by some at MPB earlier today as a backup :) £220 is a lot of camera for the money :)
 
AliB said:
:clap:

I'd also consider the 20D, in fact I was nearly temped by some at MPB earlier today as a backup :) £220 is a lot of camera for the money :)
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Thanks AliB, there wasn't a great deal of difference between the 20D and 30D apart from a large LCD screen, and OK the 40D might have the edge on ISO performance, but the 20D still a good camera, I still use mine for motorsport.

Taken on a 20D with a 300mm f4 + 1.4x TC at Brands Hatch
IMG_2002copy1.jpg


Peter
 
pete.rush said:
Forget about awp, that advice was unhelpful and he obviously did read you post on a budget. :D
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OK I missed the bit about budget - but i was not being unhelpful - I was being honest. What you NEED for these subjects is fast glass and a D3. If he can't do that then a D300 second hand IS possible with some reasonable glass. D300 still shoots well at high ISO.
 
awp said:
OK I missed the bit about budget - but i was not being unhelpful - I was being honest. What you NEED for these subjects is fast glass and a D3. If he can't do that then a D300 second hand IS possible with some reasonable glass. D300 still shoots well at high ISO.
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Problem is, budget of £800/900 won't get you a 2nd hand D300 or D3 and/or a good lens for that money, a used D300 is £900, so your suggestion doesn't suit his budget. :bang:

It might get you a D200, although that camera suffered from high end ISO noise.
 
Well I'm not a retailer and I'm not in the market for a camera so I'm maybe not up-to-date on prices - but the basic advice is get a camera with a good high ISO capability. If you can't afford it - wait and save! Or maybe find something easier to shoot. :)
 
From Kerso...

NEW*** CANON 50D body £649 ****

Secondhand Tamron 17-50, or new from Onestop and your kicking your £900 budget.
 
awp said:
What you NEED for these subjects is fast glass and a D3.
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Absolutely. It is simply NOT POSSIBLE to do this kind of photography without a D3 and fast glass. That's why you NEVER saw ANY decent concert photos before 2007, because you NEED a D3 and NOBODY had a D3 before that.

Or perhaps not.

To be fair to awp, I imagine that if you want to be a top professional in this (or any other) area, then you do need the best kit, because you'll be competing with other top professionals who have it and you can't afford to be in a position where they'll get the shots and you won't.

But back in the real world: A camera which handles high ISO well helps. Fast glass helps. And technique helps hugely. A good photographer with decent equipment will get better photos than a poor photographer with top-end equipment.

pete.rush is right when he says that lenses are more of an investment than bodies. And therefore you might want to do some research into what the different manufacturers offer, because their lens line-ups change much more slowly than their bodies, and you're about to buy into an entire system, not just the latest gee-whizz body.
 
Ok thanks to all those who have replied - really it is much appreciated.

So for example - say I took the decision to get the 40 or 50D and I then had around the 400 mark to spend on a first lens is there anything in particular you would reccomend while start to seriously look at lenses over the next couple of days? This more so I can just keep an eye for personal reccomendations and take them into account.
 
You can get a Nikon D90 with a Kit lens within the budget if he want new and it's a nice camera i'd buy one if i could afford it.

But you do need to hold and basically try these cameras as at 1st i thought the d90 was heavy after a few tries i felt more comfortable with it. Just saving the pennies now.

1p.......2p.....4p get there soon :)
 
I have had the Canon 50mm f/1.4 reccomended to me quite a few times for concert photography - is this a good suggestion? or not so?
 
Have you actually been to a camera shop and handled any of these cameras yet, you will be amazed at the different feel each has. There is not a bad dslr out there atm, so my reccomendation is to try as many as you can and then come back and talk lenses.
 
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