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Beginner Camera choice
- Thread starter Crabbie
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- 2,996
- Name
- John
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If you are not going to buy from the shop you should not abuse them by wasting their time and handling their stock.
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- Name
- Andrew
- Edit My Images
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I agree
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- Mike
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Err... What are we looking at... years of squinting at feint images in the dark room in hypo fumes, my eyes aren't all they were!
Cannon 750? Kit 1?-55? lens & a gadget bag, £450?
Gadget bag's mute 'bonus' but entry level kit in the ball-park entry price range, it's certainly a contender & would get you started.
did you 'fiddle' with display models? could you take a photo with it? Was it comfy to operate?...
I find Canons rather finikity TBH, too many buttons... I prefer Nikon which has a switch, a knob and a trigger and works more intuatively like my old film cameras rather than a mobile 'phone! BUT, it's whether you can get on with it that matters.
I take it suggestion of 'cheap' 2nd hand didn't gel with you then?
Sorry it's clear at my end and it was my first upload it's £575 with the VAT comes with lens and a bag and I just saw it by chance in costco. As for the 2nd hand I have always been wary of buying expensive electronic equipment 2nd hand as I wouldn't like to be left with paying X hundred and it only lasting a month or 2 with no warranty. But would consider with warranty.
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- Edit My Images
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IMHO I would look at a camera and a kit lens. Make sure the body is to your liking don't settle for I will get used to it. When you buy a DSLR you buy into a system make sure that system suits your needs. Get a short list and try them out. Then take lots of pictures you will soon know what other lenses you need.
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- Name
- Mike
- Edit My Images
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Curry's have the base model EOS 13000D up for £348, with £20 cash-back, with a few less pixies, but no great loss; and if I was going to buy into the Canon system, that would be my 'base-line'. I'd want to be sure any extra bought me features that were of any actual use to me. They are also offering the 750D at £599 with £70 cash--back,, so £530 then... and if I was sure THAT camera was worth it to me, and the warranty a clincher, and I was avoiding 'on-line' or 'grey import' for 'over the counter' convenience of a store that has a 'franchise' with the brand and, IF I had a problem, take the thing back and 'sort it' and not shuffle me about for an hour looking for a supervisor and then a manager who'd probably tell me "You'll have to phone or e-mail, Canon; we just sell what the warehouse sends us".. I'd stump up that little extra to buy from Currys, and get it back when I've sent off the cashback forms! ....
Actually... similarly wary when I gulped into widgetal and bought my D3200, that's exactly what I DID do!!! Thanks to the volumes they sell, they were, and still seem to be pretty keen on price, and it's only grey import or discontinued 'clearance' that you find much cheaper anywhere else on the entry level stuff.
In Nikon, Curry's are offering the D3300 for £329, which has the 24Mpix of the Canon 750, for the same 'sort' of price as the lower level 1300, and reputedly they have better low light performance... and to my mind easier 'handling'... as mentioned ;-) £450 would put you up to the D5300, which has a 'tilting' preview screen, and a bigger body, if that's important to you / makes handling easier.
Curious phenomena of the miracle of miniaturization in electronics.... my D3200, with a 'half frame' sized sensor compared to 35mm film, fills as much space in my camera bag as my old Olympus OM film camera did... with a motor winder making it 30% 'bigger'!! And YET the D3x00 range are vaunted as one of the 'most' compact DSLR's?!?! Bizare. Slightly off-topic; but I recall a magazine review way back when, when they introduced the 'Advanced Photo System' film format, that was the 'half frame' size to 35mm and with a magnetic strip on the film to talk to 'electronics' in the camera or printing machine was the 'stepping stone' to full digital, which is why most entry level DSLR's are describes as APS-C 'sensor' cameras; the early ones were APS film camera's with an electronic sensor where the film should be...BUT I detract... comment on APS Film SLR way back when was that for all they used the smaller film format, few makers exploited it to make a smaller camera! Apparently, marketing focus groups concluded that when people pay a lot of money for a fancy camera, they actually want and expect something bigger and more imposing! which probably explains it....
However... worth noting, when it comes to ease of handling that added size of the Canon's and the higher level Nik's may 'feel' better.. but bear in mind lugging up a hill with on a shoulder strap it banging on your belly or hip, or swinging it around at a family 'do' or taking up space on the table!!! In that respect the more compact D3x00's can be easier to manage. Other thing 'The Girls' (Dainty fingers Daughter & O/H), both found them easier to operate; daughter especially, coming back from school complaining about the school and other student's 'fiddly' Canons, especially apreciated it. I have bunch of banana fists, though.. I cant actually work a touch screen 'phone! I sort of launch all the apps at once if I try and press one! Curious then that I found the smaller body Nik easier to operate, too. BUT it is a personal 'thing'.. but worth keeping in mind.
For Second Hand? I was recommended to MPD Cameras when I was hunting for an electric picture maker for the daughter for her school O & A level photography. All their used cameras come I believe with a 6 month warranty. They have a Canon 1300D 'body only' for £244, add an 18-55 lens for £44 and it's no 'saving' over new; BUT, they have 'older' bodies that to all extents and purposes, are as good a place to start as any, from as little as £40.... Prices on Nikon are 'similar' and again, older entry bodies start from as little as £40; They actually have D3200's like mine, for £150, and kit 18-55 for £50, so you can still get a pretty up to date camera for £200, BUT. Camera plus lens for under £100? with warranty? at that 'sort' of money, you can almost treat it as 'disposable', and it's certainly as good a starting point as any other; those 'older' cameras were good enough to get going with only a hand full of years ago, what newer offerings have over them, wont make for much better pictures, nor any extra learning! That's still down to you! Better photographer's take better pictures, not better cameras!
If you have the cash to buy new, though? Why not. At this level of the market, savings buying 2nd hand aren't so enormous. If you push up the price range, you do start to get higher end 2nd cameras for entry level new prices, and you can 'mix and match' to get better lenses more suited to what you want for your budget; but that's probably more appropriate if/when you get round to pondering 'upgrades'. & I'll confess, when I did my 'homework' before gulping in to Widgetal SLR's, the plathora of offerings, the checking specs and reviews of so many different models, trying to fathom what was what... I 'gave up' and went new! After 25 years of 2nd hand film cameras, thought I'd treat myself, and save some 'agro' into the deal! It IS daunting.
SO!!!!, Curry's tend to have cameras on the pedistals for you to play with.. so TBH... I'd go into the closest shop and fiddle, see which I was happiest using (as I did, and chose the Nikon!) That Canon EOS 1300 or the Nikon D3300, within a quid of each other on price, would get you going about as 'cheap as' with least hassle / risk. and added pixies and the more compact body of the Nik would make it a strong contender, if you like the handling. Canon 750 or Nikon D5300 likewise nie on identical price, but upping the anti £100 for the gizmos.. there's NO clear winner on paper between them, it's just whether you want to pay that extra for the higher model, and then between the brands which you are more comfy operating & carrying.... Take your pick, and then try to dodge the "Would you like Fries with that?" School of marketing, at the till, and the 'extended product insurance'!!!
Actually... similarly wary when I gulped into widgetal and bought my D3200, that's exactly what I DID do!!! Thanks to the volumes they sell, they were, and still seem to be pretty keen on price, and it's only grey import or discontinued 'clearance' that you find much cheaper anywhere else on the entry level stuff.
In Nikon, Curry's are offering the D3300 for £329, which has the 24Mpix of the Canon 750, for the same 'sort' of price as the lower level 1300, and reputedly they have better low light performance... and to my mind easier 'handling'... as mentioned ;-) £450 would put you up to the D5300, which has a 'tilting' preview screen, and a bigger body, if that's important to you / makes handling easier.
Curious phenomena of the miracle of miniaturization in electronics.... my D3200, with a 'half frame' sized sensor compared to 35mm film, fills as much space in my camera bag as my old Olympus OM film camera did... with a motor winder making it 30% 'bigger'!! And YET the D3x00 range are vaunted as one of the 'most' compact DSLR's?!?! Bizare. Slightly off-topic; but I recall a magazine review way back when, when they introduced the 'Advanced Photo System' film format, that was the 'half frame' size to 35mm and with a magnetic strip on the film to talk to 'electronics' in the camera or printing machine was the 'stepping stone' to full digital, which is why most entry level DSLR's are describes as APS-C 'sensor' cameras; the early ones were APS film camera's with an electronic sensor where the film should be...BUT I detract... comment on APS Film SLR way back when was that for all they used the smaller film format, few makers exploited it to make a smaller camera! Apparently, marketing focus groups concluded that when people pay a lot of money for a fancy camera, they actually want and expect something bigger and more imposing! which probably explains it....
However... worth noting, when it comes to ease of handling that added size of the Canon's and the higher level Nik's may 'feel' better.. but bear in mind lugging up a hill with on a shoulder strap it banging on your belly or hip, or swinging it around at a family 'do' or taking up space on the table!!! In that respect the more compact D3x00's can be easier to manage. Other thing 'The Girls' (Dainty fingers Daughter & O/H), both found them easier to operate; daughter especially, coming back from school complaining about the school and other student's 'fiddly' Canons, especially apreciated it. I have bunch of banana fists, though.. I cant actually work a touch screen 'phone! I sort of launch all the apps at once if I try and press one! Curious then that I found the smaller body Nik easier to operate, too. BUT it is a personal 'thing'.. but worth keeping in mind.
For Second Hand? I was recommended to MPD Cameras when I was hunting for an electric picture maker for the daughter for her school O & A level photography. All their used cameras come I believe with a 6 month warranty. They have a Canon 1300D 'body only' for £244, add an 18-55 lens for £44 and it's no 'saving' over new; BUT, they have 'older' bodies that to all extents and purposes, are as good a place to start as any, from as little as £40.... Prices on Nikon are 'similar' and again, older entry bodies start from as little as £40; They actually have D3200's like mine, for £150, and kit 18-55 for £50, so you can still get a pretty up to date camera for £200, BUT. Camera plus lens for under £100? with warranty? at that 'sort' of money, you can almost treat it as 'disposable', and it's certainly as good a starting point as any other; those 'older' cameras were good enough to get going with only a hand full of years ago, what newer offerings have over them, wont make for much better pictures, nor any extra learning! That's still down to you! Better photographer's take better pictures, not better cameras!
If you have the cash to buy new, though? Why not. At this level of the market, savings buying 2nd hand aren't so enormous. If you push up the price range, you do start to get higher end 2nd cameras for entry level new prices, and you can 'mix and match' to get better lenses more suited to what you want for your budget; but that's probably more appropriate if/when you get round to pondering 'upgrades'. & I'll confess, when I did my 'homework' before gulping in to Widgetal SLR's, the plathora of offerings, the checking specs and reviews of so many different models, trying to fathom what was what... I 'gave up' and went new! After 25 years of 2nd hand film cameras, thought I'd treat myself, and save some 'agro' into the deal! It IS daunting.
SO!!!!, Curry's tend to have cameras on the pedistals for you to play with.. so TBH... I'd go into the closest shop and fiddle, see which I was happiest using (as I did, and chose the Nikon!) That Canon EOS 1300 or the Nikon D3300, within a quid of each other on price, would get you going about as 'cheap as' with least hassle / risk. and added pixies and the more compact body of the Nik would make it a strong contender, if you like the handling. Canon 750 or Nikon D5300 likewise nie on identical price, but upping the anti £100 for the gizmos.. there's NO clear winner on paper between them, it's just whether you want to pay that extra for the higher model, and then between the brands which you are more comfy operating & carrying.... Take your pick, and then try to dodge the "Would you like Fries with that?" School of marketing, at the till, and the 'extended product insurance'!!!
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- 16
- Name
- Keith
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Absolutely! I agree 100%. This is always happens to me and so, as well as having a good pro DSLR, I also have a canon EOS M3 mirrorless which is easier to carry and fetch out at such times.. I don't want to fall into that "Oh I will just use my iPhone" trap
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- 5
- Name
- Marc
- Edit My Images
- Yes
Starting out, pick either canon or nikon (for arguments sake I prefer nikon at the low end) buy a D3300 with the 18-55mm lens (or sometimes you can get a twin lens kit for not much more) and a 35mm 1.8, memory card and bag should come in around £500 or so
Stick the 35mm on, move your legs and take some photos, YouTube is a good place to learn the basic setting but try not to get bogged down, modern cameras are very good at determining lots of your settings
Have fun really, the worst that can happen is you find you don't like it, chuck your kit on eBay and get 75% of your money back
Stick the 35mm on, move your legs and take some photos, YouTube is a good place to learn the basic setting but try not to get bogged down, modern cameras are very good at determining lots of your settings
Have fun really, the worst that can happen is you find you don't like it, chuck your kit on eBay and get 75% of your money back
