DSLR for £250 budget

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LeahP

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Leah
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Hello all. I have just made a thread and got some very useful advice, re buying my very first DSLR to learn photography on. I intend to learn the basics alone, and then do a course when I feel competent.

I can't afford to spend any more than £250 for the camera + lens so I am looking at getting a second hand camera.

I really am a newbie! Would people be able to suggest some good DSLRs I could look at within that price range second hand.
 
A Nikon D90 and 18-55 VR lens would be a great start.

Do you have family, or friends, that are into photography? If so, this may sway your decision regarding brand, as you may be able to borrow lens, etc.
 
Not sure where you are but if you have any half decent shops in your area, I'd visit them and see what they have for you to handle. Explain that you're on a tight budget and tell them what you want the kit for and they SHOULD be able to advise. IMO it's worth handling as many options as possible to make sure the rig fits you. I find a couple of brands uncomfortable so don't use them but they do make decent cameras. Don't forget you'll need at least one lens to go with your body - the kit lenses are generally reasonable value and will at least get you started.
 
Nikon D300 and a 18-55mm vr lens should get you on the rd for around that price, excellent camera to learn with and should last you quite a while
 
If you were to go for Canon I would suggest:

Canon 40D - approx £100
Canon 18-55 IS - approx £50
Canon 55-250 IS - approx £80
Canon 50 f/1.8 II - approx £60

So you might have to choose between the telephoto lens and the prime if you couldn't stretch your budget a little.Alternatively go for a 30D and you will probably get all of the above for the budget that you have stated.

This would give you most focal lengths between wide angle and telephoto and would also give you a prime for low light and/or very blurry backgrounds.
 
TG. said:
Nikon D300 and a 18-55mm vr lens should get you on the rd for around that price, excellent camera to learn with and should last you quite a while
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This is what I might opt for in that situation
 
going to also suggest the D300 its old but a pro body and can produce stunning images especially if you use it for action and sports etc, also it will help you learn how to use a DSLR camera in manual modes. would also say a 17-55 or a 50mm f1.8 lens to start you off...
 
Thanks guys, will look at the D300 and obviously let you know! Very excited to start learning. I am hoping mainly to get into newborn and birth photography.
 
LeahP said:
Thanks guys, will look at the D300 and obviously let you know! Very excited to start learning. I am hoping mainly to get into newborn and birth photography.
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Just bear in mind that with an older camera you're not going to get the same low light performance that the newborn/birth folk on LLF and the other social media feeds are getting using the latest and greatest gear. You may have to work around the limitations of the equipment to a greater extent. Don't get dispirited though.. just keep working at the basics and building sound knowledge and good technique.
 
I might have suggested an Sony alpha 58 + kit lens. More modern sensor, so better dynamic range and Minolta lenses are good value when adding to the kit later.
 
Canon 40d or 50d. They are old, but are perfectly good for most types of photography and certainly for what you would need. Buy a Canon 18-55mm stm lens and you'll be well on your way.
 
D90 or D300/S would be great to kick off with with possibly the kit 18-105 lens
 
Any old DSLR with say 10mpix or more. Make sure you have also the budget for a basic flash (this will help with the limited ISO capabilities of these old beasts). I bought an Olympus E-510 body+double kit zooms+TTL flash last summer for... 80€. That leaves budget for another couple of lenses or more other kit. Just don't worry about fast performance or high resolution, these factors don't come into play when you're just starting to learn the craft.
 
Newborns are likely to be asleep or slow movers, do i wouldn't be too worried about high iso performance, so long as you have a lens or body with stabilisation.

The D90 option is a good one with stabilised zoom lens, as is the 40D. Don't discount mirrorless cameras either, which can be lighter and smaller. You might be able to grab a used Sony Nex or Fuji x-e1 or x-m1 and zoom lens within your budget.
 
Try out some cameras and decide which you prefer. In terms of sensor performance Nikon are generally better than Canon for a given price point and therefore will generally give you better noise handling and dynamic range. However, there's far more to a camera and handling is much more important imo.

As mentioned already though mirrorless could be a good option.
 
I have gone with a canon 40D. It was a great price with a very low shutter count and a 12 month warrently. So I'm gonna enjoy learning on it, and then once I feel competent and know what I am doing, I'll be able to have a better opinion on what I do and don't like. Just excited to begin using it!
 
Agree with a D300. Its a great camera especially for the money and while its low light is not as good as todays models, its fine for 800iso and pretty decent still at 1600. Shooting newborns will be fine, either with lights or with natural.
 
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