Help & advice choosing first DSLR

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DavidBailey

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Hi Guys & Gels,
I need some help!

I enjoy photography particularly wildlife & have enjoyed using a LUMIX FZ-20 to good effect, with 12X zoom & image stabilisation in one easy to use package with live view etc!
In honesty I tend to shoot mainly in auto mode, but have been pleased with the camera & photos, although the autofocus is hard to pinpoint accurately on one wildlife subject!

I'm now ready to take the step into a DSLR, the main reason is to achieve better quality images, but I still want ease of use. Budget isn't a major issue & I am tempted by Canon 400D 0r 40D, Pentax K10, or maybe the Sony alpha, possibly with the Tamron A18 which would offer me 18-250mm in one lens so I can have a DSLR with compact style convenience! I won't consider Nikon as I have had terrible customer service over their totally crap underwater compact system.

What do you guys think, I'm a novice with DSLR's but want something that will last rather than swapping it each year.

Thanks in anticipation of your help(y).

DB
 
:thinking:
Well im sure most people will say ":naughty: I hope"

if money is not a issue then get the best you can afford.
out of those I would lean towards the 40d. but thats me ..

best thing to do imo is pop along to a few shops and have a feel and play with each .. you may find one feels wrong in your hands..

everyone is different with different sized hands..

hope this helps some..

md(y)
 
I'm sorry you won't consider Nikon, I have a D40 and have had absolutely no problems at all. The D40 produces excellent quality images and is probably the most user friendley of all the DSLR's (fantastic if your new to DSLR's). It's also the cheapest one out there leaving you more money to spend on lenses, don't forget your investing in a system and not just a camera body. One of the best things I like about the D40 is the fact that I can buy lenses to fit it that were made as far back as the 1950's (although most of these are manual focus). Alot of these old lenses are fantastic quality and are very cheap on sites like ebay.

The thing that put me off canon was that i just didn't like feel of the thing, and the kit lenses tend not to be as good as nikon ones.

The best thing to do is hold a camera and see if you like the feel of it
 
Thanks MonkeyD...... whilst I do appreciate the more you pay the better you get, I suppose I am asking will I as a newbie to DSLR's benefit from buying the 40d over the 400d... for example. I don't mind paying the extra if I'm getting a much higher quality picture, faster autofocus etc, but if the higher price is going on a whole range of highly technical features that I may not use & are likely to make the camera harder to use (for a compact junkie like me!) then I'd rather save some cash!

Rob.... I am sad to say I found Nikon's customer service appalling, this worries me should I have issues with a future purchase, I appreciate your idea of the D40, it does look like a great camera, but I would rather get something as good from another manufacturer if at all possible!
 
DB. As already posted go and physically get the feel of the camera. If you have large hands you may find the Canon 400d very small without the additional grip.
If you cut me in half I would read Canon, but as you don,t have any kit to migrate over I would give Nikon and others a fair crack. Its about the system and where you want to end up when you consider buying additional kit.

:canon:
 
DavidBailey said:
Thanks MonkeyD, whilst I do appreciate the more you pay the better you get, I suppose I am asking will I as a newbie to DSLR's benefit from buying the 40d over the 400d... for example. I don't mind paying the extra if I'm getting a much higher quality picture, faster autofocus etc, but if the higher price is going on a whole range of highly technical features that I may not use & are likely to make the camera harder to use (for a compact junkie like me!) then I'd rather save some cash!
Click to expand...

Buy the 40D of the two - and please explain the name unless you are 'the' DavidBailey???:thinking:
 
:thinking: i see what your saying ..


(y) ill give cobra a nudge he has just had a 40d upgraded from a 400d . he will/ would be the best person to ask if the upgrade would be worth it to a new user:naughty:

personally i went from a kodak slr style camera to a canon 10d which i am still learning with and i find its more than enough for me and will be for a while..(y)

md(y)





COBRA
 
DiddyDave said:
Buy the 40D of the two - and please explain the name unless you are 'the' DavidBailey???:thinking:
Click to expand...

Dave, the names just a bit of fun:), although he did snap my younger sister on a number of occasions!!!


Cheers MD...... I'll await Cobra


Thanks Retro.... I must pop down to Jessops & get gripping, although the Lumix FZ20 is pretty DSLR chunky I find that just right!
 
Funny & interesting - me being so old the other DB was famously doing Olympus adverts when I first got into photography - so everyone called me DB too just cos I had a 'real' camera (Zenith EM)

Simple truth is, buy the best you can afford at the time then stop looking for a few years! The 40D is very new technology, so is a better bet if pennies allow - and if so ONLY buy L glass too as if the camera is any good/brill/the best it can all be unravelled by cheap glass
 
You maybe surprised how small the 400D is - I certainly was when I actually handled one!

There is very little to choose between any of the decent brand entry level DSLRs and all are capable of producing fine pictures. You need to get stuck in and have a looky see at what feels right in your hands. I went in expecting to by a 400D or a D40 and decided on a 30D (now superseded by the 40D) not only because of the extra features, but it felt good and comfortable. I also tried the Nikon D200 but it just didnt sit right - nothing to explain it, just I preferred the feel of the Canon but I readily accept that Image quality on the Nikon would be just as good. Dont be shy and ask to try the models you are interested in with battery grips too, as that can make a lot of difference!

There are a much wider range of third party lenses available for Canon and Nikon, so thats a consideration to bear in mind too.

Good luck choosing - let us know what you decide on!
 
DavidBailey said:
Thanks MonkeyD...... whilst I do appreciate the more you pay the better you get, I suppose I am asking will I as a newbie to DSLR's benefit from buying the 40d over the 400d... for example. I don't mind paying the extra if I'm getting a much higher quality picture, faster autofocus etc, but if the higher price is going on a whole range of highly technical features that I may not use & are likely to make the camera harder to use (for a compact junkie like me!) then I'd rather save some cash!

Rob.... I am sad to say I found Nikon's customer service appalling, this worries me should I have issues with a future purchase, I appreciate your idea of the D40, it does look like a great camera, but I would rather get something as good from another manufacturer if at all possible!
Click to expand...

The difference in image quality between the 40D and 400D won't be big - it will be pretty much the same as they use a similar sensor (both Canon's new 10.1MP but the 40D has a slightly more advanced version with larger microsensors).

Odviously the 40D is a far better camera, i'm just about to upgrade to one myself.

Better AF, LiveView, better build quality + size (if you like a bit of meat on your camera. The 400D is quite small, alot smaller compared to the 40D).

Has a load of other really usefull features. Better ISO aswel, goes all the way up to 3200 as well as less noise at higher sensitivity.
 
monkeydave said:
:thinking: i see what your saying ..


(y) ill give cobra a nudge he has just had a 40d upgraded from a 400d . he will/ would be the best person to ask if the upgrade would be worth it to a new user:naughty:

personally i went from a kodak slr style camera to a canon 10d which i am still learning with and i find its more than enough for me and will be for a while..(y)

md(y)





COBRA
Click to expand...

Here I is :wave:
As md rightly said I have just "upgraded" I haven't really had much of a chance to get out, but the early prognosis is very good.
It is a bigger camera (the 40) I have fairly large hands and the smaller 400D never caused me a problem, though some have mentioned that it is a bit of an "issue"
Had the 40D been around when I bought the 400D and I had the extra £300-ish pounds I would most definately gone for the 40D (y)
Though the 400D is a most capable camera, and has served me well, I would keep it as a spare but upper management has decreed otherwise, and "she who must be obeyed", must be obeyed ;)
I guess at the end of the day, which ever you ( we) decide to go for there is always that "little upgrade" just around the corner and just out of reach:D
HTH :shrug:
 
Cheers folks, appreciated.
Its not easy taking the DSLR leap:thinking:, I do like value for my money! £300 for the Lumix Z20 which has been great.... to £900 odd for the 40D with Tamron A18, just hope I can really "see" the extra quality in auto mode, otherwise I'd rather have gone mid-ground Pentax/Sony/Olympus!

I will also be taking the advice to get "touchy feely" with various cameras down the local Jessops to concrete future man & photo machine relationships!
 
Guys thanks for all your help, having taken your advice & got a feel for the camera in my hand I have decided on the Canon 40D, for a mix of feel, features & quality.

The Pentax was a very close 2nd, but was a little too big for me & I really also wanted liveview coming out of a compact zoom. The D300 was a step too far in size & weight & complexity, as was the Sony A700. I also liked the Canon 400D & Olympus 510 for their compact size & weight, but the 40D sort of fills the middle ground for size, features, ease of use, quality & price, so all I now need is a decent ultra-zoom (28-300 or 18-200 lenses to start me off).
Thanks again for your input appreciated.
 
DavidBailey said:
Rob.... I am sad to say I found Nikon's customer service appalling, this worries me should I have issues with a future purchase, I appreciate your idea of the D40, it does look like a great camera, but I would rather get something as good from another manufacturer if at all possible!
Click to expand...

This thread is only 2 days old, it just goes to show we're all pretty much in the same boat regardless of the manufacturer.
I dont know the details of your spat with Nikon service, but I do know, cutting my nose off to spite my face, does actually make me feel better:)
 
Good point, I have since contacted Canon for information & found them rather lacking, amazing seeing as Nikon & Canon are "supposed" to be premier top of the range brands!
BUT the D300 just felt too heavy & over sozed to me coming out an FZ-20, so Canon 40D still favourite at the mo!
 
Ive just upgraded to the 40d from a samsung and seems a good piece of kit, not had much chance to wield it in anger yet.If you are buying one why not get a price from kerso thats where i bought mine at a good price:D
 
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