Canon1000D, 50D, 500D.

ab2012

ab2012

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Been asked before probably but opinions welcome on how they rate.Or does much depend on the lens? It's hard trying to decide.Or a decent Nikon? About 4-500 budget...probably including a lens. Recommendations welcome.
Not fussed about video but assume the models mentioned all come with that facility.
A beginner.
Many thanks. Was going for a 350D but didn't materialise.So it's back to the drawing board.:crying::help: :)
 
Those are all very different models....

You really need to hit your local camera store and try them in your hands.

The 1000d is ok but fairly basic., plastic body no spot

The 500d is a similar body style but more advanced features (spot metering, resolution etc..)

The 50D is metal bodied, larger, different feel...

I think the 50D is above your budget if you want new, you could probably find a 40D second hand maybe?

  • what do you want to shoot?
  • what is important to you?
  • what is your experience level with photography?
 
1000D is quite basic and has the standard 18-55 kit lens, the 500D has better everything and comes with the 18-55IS kit lens which is better than the standard.
The 50D is out of your price range.
The Nikon D5000 is good but pushing the limits of your price range, the D3000 is a great beginner camera but not on equal terms with the 500D.

Best solution is to try a few in a shop and see what feels good to you.

The upside to the 500D is with the 550D in the shops the price is tumbling and serious savings can be had
 
I should have said 450D not 50D..typo.
My experience is of compact only.
I want to shoot, for example :
- landscapes
-portraits (in a loose sense)
-moving cars,planes etc
In fact a bit of everything.
What is most important to me is QUALITY of photo.
Thanks.
 
I believe the only camera mentioned on this thread that DOES do video is the 500D! Not sure if that's a deal breaker?

All of them are good cameras, and will easily last you a fair while, and give excellent quality shots. And to be honest, the lens will probably have more impact than the body in most situations! Personally for your budget, I'd be looking at getting a second hand 40D or 30D, I found the larger size to be much more ergonomic.
 
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It's funny, but many people use the smaller size of the 1000D, 450D, 500D etc as a negative point, but as I like to travel with my camera, I saw it as a selling point.

Am I alone in this thinking?
 
Thanks.Got the video facility wrong.
When you go into Jessops you see these cameras ask about them, try to come to a decision, but it's worse than choosing a holiday.I'm sure I'm not alone. And yes, the debate small v large.Personal choice,I suppose. (If anyone has anything for sale that might be appropriate, pm me....unless that's against the rules).
And what are " consumer lenses" ?
Thanks. 30D or 40D second-hand?
 
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Goody13 said:
It's funny, but many people use the smaller size of the 1000D, 450D, 500D etc as a negative point, but as I like to travel with my camera, I saw it as a selling point.

Am I alone in this thinking?
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It depends! I've got a 5DII, but I'm looking at getting a 450D (again) as a backup and for when I don't want to lug my whole kit around. :)


ab2012 said:
Thanks.Got the video facility wrong.
When you go into Jessops you see these cameras ask about them, try to come to a decision, but it's worse than choosing a holiday.I'm sure I.m not alone. And es, the debate small v large.Personal choice,I suppose. If anyone has anything for sale that might be appropriate, pm me....unless that's against the rules.
And what are " consumer lenses" ?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

It is indeed :LOL:. The thing that makes it so hard is that there are so many really excellent cameras out there. The fact of the matter is, people get truly awesome results from every camera you're considering, so it comes down to what you can afford!

Trading outside the classifieds isn't allowed, but I believe you can buy from them? I know you need 100 posts and been a member for 30 days to sell, but I believe you can still buy.

If not, by the time you've made up your mind you'll probably have enough posts :D
 
Goody13 said:
It's funny, but many people use the smaller size of the 1000D, 450D, 500D etc as a negative point, but as I like to travel with my camera, I saw it as a selling point.

Am I alone in this thinking?
Click to expand...

No not at all, I was fed up carrying something the weight of a brick around too, I "downgraded" to a plastic camera with no inbuilt focus motor etc etc. and now take it with me everywhere. No loss of IQ either.
 
Goody13 said:
It's funny, but many people use the smaller size of the 1000D, 450D, 500D etc as a negative point, but as I like to travel with my camera, I saw it as a selling point.

Am I alone in this thinking?
Click to expand...

xxxD is far too small to hold comfortably in my hand, so 40D / 5D body is smallest I would consider. Strangely, the forgotten cheapo 500N was fairly comfortable. Canon has done seriously good job designing less ergonomic entry level bodies over past decade :clap:. Did I mention a tiny viewfinder in the digital rebels?
 
Goody13 said:
It's funny, but many people use the smaller size of the 1000D, 450D, 500D etc as a negative point, but as I like to travel with my camera, I saw it as a selling point.

Am I alone in this thinking?
Click to expand...

It was the deal breaker for me, I had to get rid of my previous DSLR and my collection of lenses for it etc as it was just too heavy to use and as my disability got worse I had resigned myself to compacts only along with their limitations, the low weight of the 500D has allowed me to use a DSLR again, though I do have to be careful on lens weight as some can be too much for me.
 
re: comments regarding video,
i have a d5000, which im pleased with, and it does video, but TBH, ive only used it twice, and i wouldnt bother looking for it on my next body.
i reckon the majority of folk feel the same too.
more important for me would be how easy i find it to use/ how it feels in my hands.
go to a shop and have a play, see what you prefer.
 
Its an age old question and each model has features and benefits better than the previous model.

I tried a 1000D and wasnt too keen so opted for a 500D in the end and am very happy with it. Though with hindsight I might of gone for a second hand 40D...
 
I would recommend the 500D. The 1000D for me felt a bit too cheap and plasticy, maybe this was a subconcious thing though. I also tried the comparable Nikons but they didn't feel right either, the menus etc didn't seem so well laid out.

As has already been said, with the 500D you get an IS lens and the ability to shoot HD video, although most people don't really use the video, still, its there if you need/want it.

As has also been mentioned, go and try the cameras you're thinking of. You will know pretty quickly which are not right for you.
 
Another vote for just go to a shop and try a few.

Whichever you prefer the feel of, buy it, and buy a decent lens to put on it. The lens has a far far greater effect on image quality than the body.

Whether it's a canon, nikon, sony, olympus or pentax, it'll have the capacity to take excellent photos.
 
Your questions on the cameras have all been answered I think. If you're on a budget, consider looking for a second hand 400D, 450D unit on here or other forums. Being honest, I've rarely heard anything about the 1000D that would make me want one. This would give you scope to possibly buy another lens. Ya see, you want to photograph pretty much everything. Now, the Kit lens can offer you ALL of that but with restrictions.

The 18mm is certainly wide enough for landscapes but you'll no doubt find yourself wanting even wider so then you'll need to think about a lens with a minimum FL of 10mm. However that is not so critical as other requirements.

You also want to shoot portraits. In my opinion, the kit lens doesn't open up wide enough at the respective FL's for effective portraits so your backgrounds probably wouldn't be as blurred as you might like. However, this is very easily fixed with a Canon 50mm F1.8 MK II for less than £80 new.

For your motorsports, planes etc., 55mm at the longest end of your kit lens is just not going to cut it so you're going to need a longer lens such as a Canon 75-300. Very budget, very soft for most of it but still able to zoom in. IQ will suffer with that lens though so a more expensive version might be needed.
 
IanClark said:
Your questions on the cameras have all been answered I think. If you're on a budget, consider looking for a second hand 400D, 450D unit on here or other forums. Being honest, I've rarely heard anything about the 1000D that would make me want one. This would give you scope to possibly buy another lens. Ya see, you want to photograph pretty much everything. Now, the Kit lens can offer you ALL of that but with restrictions.

The 18mm is certainly wide enough for landscapes but you'll no doubt find yourself wanting even wider so then you'll need to think about a lens with a minimum FL of 10mm. However that is not so critical as other requirements.

You also want to shoot portraits. In my opinion, the kit lens doesn't open up wide enough at the respective FL's for effective portraits so your backgrounds probably wouldn't be as blurred as you might like. However, this is very easily fixed with a Canon 50mm F1.8 MK II for less than £80 new.

For your motorsports, planes etc., 55mm at the longest end of your kit lens is just not going to cut it so you're going to need a longer lens such as a Canon 75-300. Very budget, very soft for most of it but still able to zoom in. IQ will suffer with that lens though so a more expensive version might be needed.
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I'd go for the 55-250 above the 75-300 any day.

50mm shorter, but it's much better value IQ wise. And the 55 short length is conveniently matching up to the long length of the kitlens, so you cover all focal lengths from 18 all the way to 250mm (or in 35mm terms 29-400).
 
:plus1:

Kit lens and 55-250 IS will cover you for pretty much all eventualities, and won't cost the earth. Then when you've been shooting everything you can find for a few weeks/months, you'll know whether you need something wider, faster, longer etc (y)
 
Good call Squishy. I'd forgotten about the 55-250 :)
 
Really helpful replies, especially re lenses.
I spent a while in Jessops this a.m. and after asking loads of questions, handling the 1000D (about£370 with kit lens I think), the 500D(bigger),and the Nikon D90 and the new Nikon(D310?) with NOT a 55 kit lens( 125?longer, at any rate), anyway, I went out the shop feeling a headache coming on!. Even going in and trying them, though helpful, still means one just has to bite the bullet at some point. With a lens like the 55-250 0r 75-300. sould I stil be able to geta decent close up of say, my car.The Canon 50 lens seems a good bet for people at close quarters?
Sorry to be a pain, but all your comments are most helpful(testified by my pages of written info taken from you !!:)
 
ab2012 said:
With a lens like the 55-250 0r 75-300. sould I stil be able to geta decent close up of say, my car.
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It depends how far away you are :D. For taking photos of your own car, you could probably use any focal length, as you can get close up as you like. A 55-250 would be useful for zoo trips for example, to zoom in on animals far away. (not that far away though, the guys really into bird photography often use 500mm, 600mm lenses, but they cost thousands).


ab2012 said:
The Canon 50 lens seems a good bet for people at close quarters?
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The 50mm f/1.8 (there are 3 'Canon 50's, the 1.8 costing about £70, the 1.4 costing about £300, and the 1.2 costing £1000+) is often used for low-light situations, and is very cheap for what you get.

I'd recommend just buying the body and kit lens first. That'll give you a good idea about what focal lengths you're using, and what you use the focal lengths for. Set aside cash for the 55-250 and 50mm f/1.8, but if you don't need them, don't buy them. No point spending all the money at first, then finding you won't actually use them! (Unless you get a really good deal of course!)

Chris
 
Well that's just confusing, your post I replied to seems to have gone below mine :D

Edit: And so did this one :bonk:
 
If I was starting from scratch I think I might get a .... Sony.

They have in body IS and the latest ones are getting great reviews. They do their own lenses, Sigma and Tamron do lenses in Sony mount and all those legacy Minolta lenses will fit too.
 
Pictures of your car depend largely onwhat type of image you want of your car. Do you want a simple side view, front view, rear view? - All can be achieved with the kit lens.

Some dynamic wide angle style shots can be achieved with the 18mm end of the kit lens. You'd be up quite close to the car and could get some interesting shots. Go even wider and it becomes even more dynamic.

However others have given excellent advice. Settle first on what camera you want. Get IT, with the kit lens and get out there and photograph. Take lots of photographs. Experiment with lots of angles, focal lengths etc.

Then. you can buy more lenses when you know exactly what you're wanting to do.
 
You need to start excluding stuff....

If you can afford the 500d instead of the 1000D then I would advise doing so.

The D90 costs lots more so is probably outside your budget.

That kinda leaves you with the 500 and the 5000..

Getting either of these with its kit lens is not so bad a choice.

What did they feel like in your hands?

Did you like the feel of them ?

Did they feel easy to use?

The Canon / Nikon thing is really down to what you like and feel comfortable with.
 
I got a 1000D with 18-55 IS lens from Jessops online for £369. Arrived yesterday so this offer is still current. When I was camera shopping last weekend I found out that apparantly Jessops are the only place selling 1000D with the IS lens.

I havent taken many pics yet and am not an expert but was pleased to get a small/light camera with the better lens.
 
campergirl said:
I got a 1000D with 18-55 IS lens from Jessops online for £369. Arrived yesterday so this offer is still current. When I was camera shopping last weekend I found out that apparantly Jessops are the only place selling 1000D with the IS lens.
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All the 1000Ds come with the IS lens, don't they?! I'm assuming you mean IS v non-IS as opposed to kit lens v body only.
 
StuD said:
All the 1000Ds come with the IS lens, don't they?! I'm assuming you mean IS v non-IS as opposed to kit lens v body only.
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Jessops is the only place selling 1000d with IS 18-55 IS lens, other places selling with non IS lens.
 
I personally wouldn't get the 1000D.. the lack of spot would kill it for me...
 
Only selective places sell the 1000D with the IS lens.
Boots did for a while when I got mine from them.

Oh and please don't bash the 1000D to hard, it still performs reasonably well as a "general" DSLR if your not after loads of megapixels and fast frame rates.
 
D30 anyone? Seen one with lens at a decent price.
 
D30?

I presume you mean 30D. The D30 is a very old now 3 megapixel body. (It came before the 10D).
 
mipevo6 said:
I personally wouldn't get the 1000D.. the lack of spot would kill it for me...
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Why ? It has partial metering which is mostly good enough.

Spot metering is redundant in manual mode, and largely redundant with exposure lock.

I dont get all the 1000D bashing, its a fantastic camera for the price. Its virtually the same as the 400D, but with live view and auto dust removal. The only thing it doesn't have is spot metering, which like I say is no great loss.
 
Have a look in the classifieds, there's a couple of good deals on 500D's in there at the moment.
 
Lets confuse things a bit more...
Don't be concerned about getting an older spec model. Canon 20D / 30D, or nikon D60 etc will be cheaper, capable of excellent quality and spare you some money on lenses. Thats where the biggest change in quality will occur and when (not if!) you upgrade your camera, you've already got some decent glass.
 
theres a nice 450d with kit lens in the for sale area for 320-00 as well ef-s is lens
 
Can't see the 450D, but there's a 30D plus lens and a 500D.
 
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