Beginner Setup

RichM

RichM

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Rich
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Hey everyone, this is my first post here. I've tried to use the search function but it hasn't brought up any great results so i'm about to make my first post :)

Basically, i'm looking for a good setup for a beginner in photography. I'm currently looking for routes into the photography industry (finding it quite difficult actually, given that i am 19) and would like to know what sort of setup i would need to begin with. I am willing to fork out the cash if the gear is of good quality.

I'd just like your opinions on beginners cameras, since the only real knowledge i have is that i should be looking for a Digital SLR which is a dauntingly saturated market, it seems.

Thanks in advance for your time,

Rich
 
Hi Rich and welcome to TP. This is a great forum and there are huge amounts of knowledgeable peeps on here that will help you out, both with spending your cash and with giving advice on your photos.

Regarding a beginners DSLR, there are probably 3 main contenders, being Canon, Nikon and Sony. Then of course there is Pentax and Olympus as well. For a beginner cam you are probably looking at the max £500 range, which will get you a perfectly functioning camera with which to learn your trade and hone your skills.

The best bit of advice is to get yourself down to your local Jessops (Currys have quite a considerable camera section too) and pick them up and see which one is most comfortable. They will all have pretty much the same features and menus, but in different places and the cameras will be ergonomically different too.

At that price you will get yourself a kit lens included, probably something near 18-55mm and that is where your journey to being skint really begins!!

You will then decide what it is you really do want to take pics of and what road you want to go down and then you can start to build your lens collection from there.

Hope that helps and enjoy the shopping!!


**Edit ** Nice linky Yv, better than my ramblings!!!
 
Wow, thanks a lot for the swift responses guys, i'm reading the Link as we speak. Also, £500 sounds like a good budget to me. Jessops here i come i guess :P
 
RichM said:
Wow, thanks a lot for the swift responses guys, i'm reading the Link as we speak. Also, £500 sounds like a good budget to me. Jessops here i come i guess :P
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agree with swag72
They will all have pretty much the same features and menus, but in different places and the cameras will be ergonomically different too.

but shop around before you buy

f.fordes [no connection] and others have good quality used equipment, so if you are starting out - consider used quality then, as you progress, your experience will guide you to the "right" model for you

maybe too basic for you - but I bought a as-new zero shutter-count NikonD40 with kit 18-55mm for £230, then a 55-200mm VR £130, a 35mm f1.8 for £120 - all AF-S and a SB400 Speedlight for £70 - so all mint for £550

a good basic kit I think to get started
 
Great, thanks for the response Yardbent, i'll look into the 2nd hand stuff.

Just a quick question on the subject though, if i was to buy second hand and it did go wrong, obviously without warranty it's likely to be expensive to repair, right?

**EDIT** After browsing around for a few hours, i seem to be hearing good things about the Canon EOS 450D. It's generally being sold with a 18-55mm lens and it's around the price im willing to pay, Yay or Nay?
 
RichM said:
Great, thanks for the response Yardbent, i'll look into the 2nd hand stuff.

Just a quick question on the subject though, if i was to buy second hand and it did go wrong, obviously without warranty it's likely to be expensive to repair, right?
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you can always ask for the "shutter-count" on a used camera

I bought from members here - all-in-all a trustworthy lot....:cool:

just go for those described as "mint" then ask to see some photos of the lens and even with the lens if you know what to look for ........:thinking:
 
The 450D is a good choice but I would look at a 40D first before deciding.
After using an xx (30D, 40D etc) series I would never go back to the xxx series (400D, 450D etc.)
 
Thanks again Yardbent, i'm assuming "shutter count" is a measure of how much the SLR has been used?

Also, Micloi, i'm looking at the 40d now :)

**EDIT** i can't seem to find any 40D available for sale, have they been discontinued?
 
micloi said:
The 450D is a good choice but I would look at a 40D first before deciding.
After using an xx (30D, 40D etc) series I would never go back to the xxx series (400D, 450D etc.)
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why is that? what more do the xx have to offer?
 
Hi Rick. I am a relative newbie myself so I won't presume to advise you on what equipment to buy.

However, step one is to look at a review site (e.g. dpreview.com) and see what they say about various models. I would agree with the earlier post that you are probably looking between Sony, Nikon and Canon. Don't be afraid to go back a couple of years to the older models if you need to limit your expenditure while you are just getting going.

I also would suggest you go into a good camera shop (i.e. not a high street UK-brand-name shop, but a local new and second-hand camera shop that the pros and professors use) and ask to hold and try the different cameras that you feel might suit you. You mention the 450D (which is what I have BTW), but I bought it over the Nikon D-something or other, because the Nikon was too big and heavy for my smaller hands and it does what I need it to do within my budget. It may be the opposite for you.

Once you have seen a camera you like the look/feel/spec of, then see what price the shop will do it for. Ask them if they are expecting any 2nd hand gear in soonish. Then, google the online places that are often mentioned on this site (and any other photo forum place) e.g. camera price busters, london camera exchange etc. and see what they have on offer new or 2nd hand. If you get it from a shop 2nd hand or refurbished then you should still get a bit of a warranty. If you are buying from a private individual then take the advice offered earlier and find out the number of shutter releases and aim for someone who contributes to a forum etc. as they are less likely to be out to con you. At your type of budget I would avoid the grey imports from that online bay of bargains as you're probably not going to be saving that much.

IMHO a new 450D with one kit lens for £470ish may be a bit expensive for a beginner, if that is your realistic starting budget. I don't know how much of a beginner to photography you are, but if you get going with photography then you will probably upgrade the body sooner rather than later, so consider the cheapest functional body of the brand that you want to go with. Older models can be vg value for money, which then gives you the funds left over to buy a couple of different lenses (which you will carry over when you upgrade) and might enable you to hone your skills more extensively. The 450D new with more than one lens (plus spare battery, camera bag, tripod, photoshop programme, memory cards etc. etc) is probably closer to £700+. Although, you don't say what equipment you already have.

Consider perhaps waiting until after Xmas when all those people who got new cameras/lenses from Santa will be flocking :) to offload their gear.

Edit -- Sorry, this thread has moved on a bit since I started my reply - and I see you have moved on to different things. However, my main point is not which camera is best e.g. 450D vs. 40D but which range of kit you can realistically get for your skill level and budget.
 
mtracerz said:
why is that? what more do the xx have to offer?
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Better, sturdier construction, easier to select different functions, can get a dual battery grip for them and much more.

Have a look here for comparison of different Canon cameras:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

The 40D is discontinued but you can find 2nd hand ones (maybe even refurbished ones) if you look.
 
Thanks a lot Ali, thats a very helpful post. With regards to what kit i already have, the answer is none. I'm starting completely from scratch. I know of a local camera shop which i might be paying a visit to soon, and like you say it's a small business rather than a chain store. I'd be more than willing to pay for a 450D from what i've heard. I'll be looking more into this i think.
 
RichM said:
From what i can see, there's very little that the 40D has that the 450D doesn't. Also the 40D is quite a bit heavier. By sturdier do you mean significantly so?
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Read the full review, do not just look at the rough specs, if you are really interested and also go to a shop and hold a 450D and a 50D (very similar to the 40D) to understand how different they feel :thumbs:

Good luck with your search ;)
 
micloi said:
Read the full review, do not just look at the rough specs, if you are really interested and also go to a shop and hold a 450D and a 50D (very similar to the 40D) to understand how different they feel :thumbs:
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Okie dokie, thanks again, there's another i've spotted now, EOS 1000D so i'll compare the 3 :)
 
The 40D specs are similar to the 450d (the 450D has a higher pixel count and liveview, but the 40D has faster autofocus/shutter speeds), and both would be more than suitable. The 40D is definitely a more comfortable camera to hold, and has a better build, but the 450D is just as good IMO! :)
 
candlestick said:
The 40D specs are similar to the 450d (the 450D has a higher pixel count and liveview, but the 40D has faster autofocus/shutter speeds), and both would be more than suitable. The 40D is definitely a more comfortable camera to hold, and has a better build, but the 450D is just as good IMO! :)
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Thanks for the advice :)
 
Don't get tied up on Canon too fast, there are other cameras out there!


Arthur
 
Ambermile said:
Don't get tied up on Canon too fast, there are other cameras out there!


Arthur
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That's probably good advice. My problem appears to be that i've used a Canon before and i don't really have any experience with other brands. What would you suggest as an alternative to the Canon 450D?
 
Umm, I may be the last person you should ask, but I have just (today!) upgraded from a 300D to a Nikon D1x, and I am rather pleased with that decision. However, I suspect alot may depend on what you want to do, I mean I know the Canon system but am prepared to step over to Nikon because it has what I want (robustness and bigger LCD screen among other things). Maybe get yourself a list of wants (then cross them out and do one with needs instead!) and go from there.

Arthur
 
RichM said:
I'll have a browse at some Nikon DSLRs, then :)
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Have a look at nikon D90 (current model) or D80 / D70s (previous models), reason's why, because I think the nikon beginner models D40/40X/D60 are too limited because they rely on an inbuilt motor in the lens rather than the camera, so your limited to a select range of lenses. The D70s/D80/D90 bodies will allow for a great choice of quality lenses.

Don't dismiss the 2nd hand market and if you use rep dealers like Ffordes, Camtech, Mifsuds, Park Camera's, MBP or London Camera Exchange, then you guarantee at least a 3 months warranty.

Best advice is try before you buy
 
Im a beginner too and I found it really hard to choose my first camera away from point and shoot.

So just to put the cat amoung the pigeons......i bought a Panasonic G1 back in the summer, and i absolutely LOVE it....easy to use and alot smaller than most DSLRs so a great step in DSLRs from point and shoots, great menus and options and really good standard kit lens!! Im so pleased with it that i rave about it to everyone who asks what camera i have when they look at my pics.....Ive let friends and friends of friends look and 4 have now bought them. I really cant say how much i love this camera......lol ......just food for thought???

Good luck :D
 
pete.rush said:
Have a look at nikon D90 (current model) or D80 / D70s (previous models), reason's why, because I think the nikon beginner models D40/40X/D60 are too limited because they rely on an inbuilt motor in the lens rather than the camera, so your limited to a select range of lenses. The D70s/D80/D90 bodies will allow for a great choice of quality lenses...
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all good advice so far...........:cool:

the reason i suggested a Nikon D40 was to build a 3lens outfit for £500/£600 - but the above is true - if you can afford more, the Nikons with the auto-focus motor INSIDE the body will give you a greater choice of lens

dont know your financial limits but dont spend too much of your budget on the camera, as you will find additional lens will soon add to your spending...:thumbs:
 
Great, thanks for all the responses, i'm looking at the Dxx series now. I'll also take a gander at the G1. As far as my budget goes, i'm perfectly willing to spend 500-600 on the camera because i can sink a few hundred every month into buying the extra kit (lenses, tripods, spare batteries etc.) Suppose that's the benefit of living with your parents and working :)
 
go for the Nikon D90 its amazing for the money, im so pleased with mine and IMO feels so much nicer than the 450D or 40D, best thing you can do is goto a showroom and decide there as you cant go by other peoples opinions you need to see which is better in your hands and which you prefer, for whatever reason..

Ben
 
I'm really gonna have to see these things in the flesh soon. I've looked up the D90 and it seems like it has a higher pricetag with little or no technical difference.
 
+1 for the 450d here! i was in the same position as you about 8 months ago, read alot of reviews untill my head nearly exploded! but the 450d kept popping up on top! so in the end i bit the bullet and went for it. first thing i did do *** was get a grip for it as it felt a bit like a toy, but with the grip it feels more of a camera. fantastic functions and pic quality, but low iso performance make me want to upgrade now....but ive decided to stick with it for now and concentrate on upgrading my glass.

so all in all a fantastic beginner camera.
 
I just picked up a Samsung GX1l with two lenses (18-55 and a 50-200) for £300 odd. Exceedingly nice camera and much better VFM than the big named counterparts (even the Pentax camera it is basically exactly the same as)

The main reason this camera was such a good choice is that the lenses that come with the camera (schneider kreznauch branded, but exactly the same as the pentax ones I think) are superb. I think the 'kit' (included) lenses on the other cameras in the pricerange paled in comparison - and I for one think the lens is far more important than the body at this price range.

Cheers
ped
 
Hi and welcome :wave:

Just a few of things that might be helpful:

1. Don't forget that you will need to factor in the cost of at least memory cards / bag when you first get the camera. Obviously you might want to add a tripod / more lenses etc later but without a memory card you won't be taking any pictures and a bag is a must for protecting your new toy. Camera bags don't come particularly cheap either...

2. Consider the system you are buying into as well as the camera body - I ruled out Olympus based on the price of the lenses even though the small camera size was perfect for my tiny hands. It is true that the entry level Nikon cameras need lenses with motors in to autofocus but there are plenty of Nikon AF-S lenses available and also offerings from Sigma / Tamron so I didn't see that as a huge issue when I chose the D60. You might not feel the same way though so it's best to be informed...

3. Easy for me to say but try not to get too caught up in the intricate technicalities - I wound myself in knots trying to choose a camera and I really wish I'd just picked one sooner because I'm sure they all do a good job.

Good luck :thumbs:
 
Sorry for bumping an old post, thanks for the advice. Pretty much decided on the EOS 450d now though. Been to the local shop and had a play with it so i'll be picking one up on wednesday hopefully.

On the subject of the bag/tripod/memory cards, i'm going to try and haggle some deals out of the guy i spoke to the other day. If i pick up a lens while im there, i think he'll give me a slight discount.

I'll let you know how it goes :P
 
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