Finally getting my first DSLR - help needed!

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Pmj

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Hi guys :)

It's finally time to ditch the point and shoot and upgrade. I've wanted to do so for a while now but I just haven't had the money because my car won't behave! :puke:

Anyway, last Summer I was looking into entry level DSLRs and concluded for various reasons that the Canon 450D was the way to go - would you guys still recommend it? I based my conclusion on the fact that I found the menu easy to navigate, lenses are easy to get hold of and it had a £50 cashback offer.

I'm aware of the 1000D but I like the extra gubbins you get with the 450D, even if it does mean spending another £100.

My mind is pretty much made up but I just want to check with the experts (that's you guys :p) first! Has anything else come out since? Is there anything else worth looking at before I splash out or should I just go for it?

Thanks guys!
 
hi,
I expect you'll get a lot of response to this question!
If you are coming in fresh then you have the opportunity to look at all the systems out there. I recently concluded that both Canon and Nikon were charging a premium for their name ( to be expected really) and went with a Sony system after playing with a Nikon D60 and Canon 450D in jessops. Good luck in your search!
 
All of the current DSLRs are capable of of good results and if you have already checked the feel and operation of the 450, which you seam to hve have done, it is a good way to go. (y)
 
All the cameras look nice - but the best thing you can do now is stroll down to Jessops/Jacobs and try a couple of cameras out. The 450D is a fince choice, but make sure it is right for you before you buy
 
Usual advice, don't come to any conclusions until you have been to a shop and had a play with all the cameras that are in your budget range. See how they feel in your hands, how easy those menus really are to navigate and so on. Canon and Nikon have a huge range of available lenses both their own and after market and makers such as Sony and Olympus are becoming more popular too. Go in with an open mind, ask to se all options and don't let a salesman talk you into one you are not 100% sure you want. Good luck, which ever camera you chose, it won't be 'bad', they are all pretty good these days so its very much down to what sits you best. (y)
 
Good luck with your search and whatever you pick, I think Yv said it all with his first sentence. I'm sure you'll get great pleasure out of the canons as many do, but personal preference and comfort is key as I didn't feel comfortable with the canon system :)
 
Thanks guys, I'll get down to the shops before I go back to work (hopefully tomorrow) and have one more play, just to be sure.

:ty:
 
The 'go and try before you buy' advice is a good one.

I was advised to do this before i bought a few months ago, and it's surprising how much they vary in feel once in your hands. I ended up with the Nikon D60 simply because it felt much better and easier for me to handle.
 
i too am purchasing a 450 for my girlfriend. just curious though, which tripod would you recommend for this? she does nature photography?

thanks folks.
 
Remember when picking a DSLR, you are buying into a system. So look at all the various lens options to see which "system" would be the right one for you.
 
Sorry to but in!

Im looking at 1000d/450d, and have tried both + a Sony, at LCE.

I cant see enough difference between them to warrant the price difference. Is there?
 
I've just read a thread not too far from this one about somebody with a Sony who wants to get a Nikon. It's not the first one here with somebody who has a Sony/Olympus/Acme who wants to get a Canon or Nikon. I don't recall seeing anybody who wants to do the reverse though.
 
Well, moos3h has a thread on here wanting to move to Alpha from canon :)
 
Fair enough although there's a response in that thread from someone who has jumped from Nikon to Alpha now so it does happen. I was just trying to point out that people switch systems for all sorts of reasons and that Canon and Nikon are not inherently better than anyone else. They just have market share.

I was posting from an iPhone last night so couldn't elaborate my post as much.
 
bradleysmith said:
Fair enough although there's a response in that thread from someone who has jumped from Nikon to Alpha now so it does happen. I was just trying to point out that people switch systems for all sorts of reasons and that Canon and Nikon are not inherently better than anyone else. They just have market share.
Click to expand...

I can agree that Canon and Nikon aren't superior in every way. But unfortunately it's their market share which makes people jump on the bandwagon. In my film days in the 70s and 80s I went down the Pentax slr road, thinking they were at least equal to Canon and Nikon. I was sadly mistaken. Not being able to afford Pentax lenses and other accessories like their own flash, I had to choose from the cheaper Sigmas, and Cobra for the flash. But while Sigma were quick to release lenses for Canon, Nikon, and Minolta, I had to wait months for a Pentax version to appear. 18 months in the case of a Cobra flash.

Most Sony dslr owners may not know that they took over the Minolta brand. Those of us with roots in the film world will appreciate the value of the Minolta name and would hope that Sony are building on it rather than just acquiring a lens mount (I think their latest flagship model, whatever it is, shows this is the case). However, as I discovered with the Pentax brand, with Sony are you going to be limited in not only which third party lenses and accessories you can buy, but also the amount of genuine Sony stuff available to choose from on the secondhand market?
 
Put your wallet on the counter to show your serious and ask to fondle the goods. Take your time to make a choice.
Go armed with online price compare prices and then be merciless in negotiations. Don't be afraid to walk away. :)
 
Nikon Man said:
Put your wallet on the counter to show your serious and ask to fondle the goods. Take your time to make a choice.
Go armed with online price compare prices and then be merciless in negotiations. Don't be afraid to walk away. :)
Click to expand...

And don't be talked into that Tamron lens that's only £100 today (when you buy the camera) but is normally worth £200 (I had to tell my Jessops salesman to shut up in the end).

@ MrE : There is some weight in your argument but I see no reason to get less for your money right now on the basis of something that may or may not occur in the future. Sony are putting the lenses out, the old Minoltas work fine and all of them suddenly are image stabilised (unlike Canon or Nikon). Sigma lenses have a history of focus problems on Canon bodies etc. Basically you can argue for and against anything. I'm just advising the OP that buying something just because 'that's what everyone else has got' isn't necessarily a good enough reason.
 
Hey ladies and gents!

Sorry for the giga-bump but I just thought I'd let you know that I've finally bought my DSLR. I had to put it off again after posting my initial message on here because my money was needed for important, boring stuff. However, fortune finally smiled upon me and I came in to a bit of money :woot:

Just got back from town with it! Very pleased :D

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I went for the 500D because (apart from having more mega-pixies) I quite fancy the idea of shooting the odd bit of HD footage. Plus money wasn't really an issue (for once!) so I thought what the heck; I may as well strike while the iron is hot.

So yeah, I'm finally sorted! Now all I need to do is learn how to use the sodding thing / take decent pictures :LOL:
 
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