Is This A Good Camera?

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Mermaid

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We are looking to get our first DSLR camera and was going to buy it online today, is buying online the best way? What shop is the best to get them from?

We want a camera for close up macro shots of bugs and general other things. We want to take wildlife shots, birds etc and landscapes. - We know we will probably need other lenses for the last two there though. But.........

We were looking at this one from Jessops:

One we are looking at getting:http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/76113/show.html

also the one above says:
Canon EOS 500D with 18-55mm IS Lens £489

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/78164/show.html
this one above is exactly like it and says:
Canon EOS 500D with 18-55 DC Lens + FREE Velbon Tripod £449

>> What is a DC lens and a IS lens? What is the difference with the above two cameras?

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The 2nd one above is a bit cheaper and it says you can get the bundle deal with this one with which you get:
Bundle pack:
Canon EOS 500D with 18-55 DC Lens + FREE Velbon Tripod
+ Tamron 70-300mm f4/5.6 DI LD Macro (Canon AF) + Sandisk 4GB Ultra SDHC Memory Card + Jessops UV Filter 58mm + Jessops Trek2 Gadget Bag

all that and the camera for £629

But with the first one above you can also get a bundle pack with it which has this lot in it:

Canon EOS 500D with 18-55mm IS Lens
+ Tamron 70-300mm f4/5.6 DI LD Macro (Canon AF) + Sandisk 8GB Extreme HD Video SDHC Memory Card + Jessops UV Filter 58mm + Jessops UV Filter 62mm + Jessops Trek 2 Shoulder Bag - Large

all that and the camera for £699

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I guess my questions are:

1/ Is this a good camera that you could take some great (for this price range) shots with?

2/ What is the difference in DC lens and IS lens?

3/ Which of these cameras would you go for?

4/ Are the above worth the money? And are the bundle kits good value for money?

5/ With the bundle kits you get a Tamron Macro Lens:
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/66320/Show.html?cm_vc=PPZ2

Is this any good as a macro?

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If anyone can understand what I'm on about and can help me I'd be very greatful :)
 
Hi Mermaid,
I wouldn't call myself an expert but think I can help you a little.

1. Yes, provided you have a decent lens attached.

2. DC = Defocus Control. IS = Image Stabilization.
Not too sure about DC but I think you can alter the focus after you've taken the shot, eg to change the background shape maybe.
Advantages of IS helps you hand hold with slowish shutter speeds, about 3 stops difference I think. In other words it helps stop camera shake.

3. The 500D is a very good camera, but I think I'm right in saying that I wouldn't get the kit lens, maybe even get a good second hand lens, as much as you can afford.

4. Not too sure regarding this one, I would see how much you can get the 500D body only, and a good second hand lens if you are out of budget with new stuff.

5. Not sure about the Tamron.

That's got you going Mermaid, I'm sure someone else will improve on my help.
 
If the 500D is the camera you want, and it's a very good choice for the money (they're all much of a muchness pound for pound) then I would get that with the Canon 18-55 IS lens plus the 55-250 to go with it, and a Raynox DCR-250 macro adapter (£35 Amazon) for close ups. Leave it at that for now, and build your outfit one thing at a time. Best prices are here www.camerapricebuster.co.uk

That will give you a chance at what you want to do with decent quality at good value, but be aware that things like macro and landscapes and birding couldn't really be further apart in terms of both equipment and technique. Birding in particular tends to be very expensive on the lens front.

Those bundles are fine if you really need everything that's in them, but a cynic might say that they were just a way lumping together a load of high-margin stuff that you probably don't want, in order to show a big perceived discount.

Why don't you pop into Jessops and talk it over?
 
Hi

Ive got the 500D, had it about a year now and think its a great beginner DSLR.

If I was buying online today, I would buy the following from Amazon. Its overall slightly more expensive but Id say you are getting more for your cash. The first thing to see is a saving on the camera and kit lens, its £475 before the cash back, Jessops is £489 after the cash back.

There is also an option on a carbon fibre tripod if you buy at the same time. Its RRP is £130, on sale for £99 and you get another promotional discount of £25. It also has a quick release plate which is so much more useful than screwing the camera on to the tripod each time you want to mount it. It also comes with a free tripod bag. A cheap tripod is a waste of money, can be awkward to position the shot, camera might sway or at worst collaspe with £500+ worth of kit on it.

Anyway I would order the following;

Canon 500d + 18-55 kit
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Digit...LKF0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293456145&sr=8-1

Canon ef-s 55-250 IS lens
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-55-25...2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293457162&sr=1-2

Carbon Fibre Tripod
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Camlink-TPC...m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1P1ZZ94Y253ATS8TMPRD

DSLR Bag
http://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasic...rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=210413507&pf_rd_i=B0020MLKF0

Mem Card 16GB Class 6
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003UNL4HM/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

The above won't give you proper macro shots, but I would suggest spending some cash on a macro specific lens or even extension tubes if thats what you really want. There are a number of lenses from Canon Sigma Tamron etc.

The cost break down including your discounts and cash backs from Amazon are;

Camera + Kit...........(£475-30)...£445
55-250mm IS Lens....................£155
Carbon Fibre Tripod......(£99-25)..£75
Camera Bag..............................£30
Mem Card 16GB Class 6...............£16
TOTAL £721

If you want the lens filters, Ive got some Tiffens on mine. There is about a 50/50 split if you should use filters. Some argue that it decreases image quality too much, others argue it keeps their lens free from grit, scratches, finger prints etc. Personally I use them, and only if im after a very particular/special or the 'money shot' - Ill unscrew the filter, it only takes a minute.

Tiffen 58mm UV Filter £8ea
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiffen-58-U...ZCJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293458321&sr=1-1


Andy
 
1/ Is this a good camera that you could take some great (for this price range) shots with?
Yes it is a very good camera which will take superb shots

2/ What is the difference in DC lens and IS lens?
The DC lens (I dont know why they call it a DC lens ? Sigma lenses use DC to designate that the lens is for Digital APS-c cameras it is not a Canon designation so it means nothing) is the non IS version. IS stands for Image Stabilisation and you definitely want it the other lens is the old version of the 18-55 which is also optically inferior dont touch it

3/ Which of these cameras would you go for?
See answer 2 !

4/ Are the above worth the money? And are the bundle kits good value for money?
The bundle kit with the tamron lens is ok'ish value since the tamron lens has a macro facility but it is not true 1:1 macro and if you are intent on real close up macro work you will need a specifically dedicated macro lens. It does however give you a telephoto zoom for your wildlife stuff so its a compromise

5/ With the bundle kits you get a Tamron Macro Lens:
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/...tml?cm_vc=PPZ2

Is this any good as a macro?

See answer 4



In conclusion the second kit is a no-no because of the non IS kit zoom but ok'ish because of the telephoto zoom. The tripod is definitely not a deal breaker you would be better with a much sturdier tripod later on.

What would I do.
Well it would appear you are new to DSLR Photography and I think you should buy a decent camera body (the 500d is perfect) with the 18-55IS kit lens and then decide what is truly your most important criteria for what you intend to take pictures of. Let me explain.... Macro photography is tecnically skilful and requires patience. Many photographers like the idea of Macro, spend shed loads on expensive macro lenses then the novelty wears off quite quickly when they realise the time and effort that goes into doing it well (If your not prepared to do it well why bother ?) You can initially buy a supplementary close up lens for your macro or get a reversing ring and use your 18-55 lens reversed to get a feel for macro work before spending any more.
You also say you want to do landscape and wildlife, again these require a different set of techniques and equipment (and will require at the very least a telephoto zoom lens)

My best advice would be to buy the 500d with the 18-55is lens and get it in a bundle with the Canon 55-250is lens which is better than the Tamron for image quality and is Image Stabilised to help steady the shots (you will be glad of it at the telephoto end of the zoom) This lens is going for a great price even not in bundles and is incredible bang for the bucks.
Now that you have a decent start up kit with a good incorporated zoom range of 18-250mm you should now go out and take lots and lots of pictures and learn the camera and the lenses intimately. Make lots of mistakes and learn from them. After a couple of months sit down and rethink what you really want from your photography,
Do you still need that expensive macro lens?
Do you do more of one type of shot over another ?

Dont rush in!

OK started typing this when there were no responses and when I posted it I read the above and guess what? pretty much all the same advice what more do you need to know lol. Oh and I second not buying from Jessops there are much better deals out there
 
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You'd get better value using the For Sale forum on here .. but it wouldn't be new. If that's not important to you, then you'd get much higher spec equipment for a SIMILAR OUTLAY
 
Well Mermaid don't forget Ebay.
Three months ago I was in a similar position to you, looking for a Canon 500D + 18-55 + 55-250 lens. I scoured every suppliers website looking for the best deal. By chance I thought I'd have a look at Ebay.

I ended up paying £416:00 for the body and 18-55 lens from one supplier( he also threw in a four gig SD card), and £126:00 for the 55-250 lens from another, all of which were brand new, boxed and with Canon warranty. There are bargains to be had if you look. The level of service offered from both suppliers was excellent. Both suppliers were based in London and delivery was four/five days.

You do have to read throught the descriptions fully as some of the cameras are not new, they are returns probably that have had faults repaired and come with a limited warranty.
Just check the sellers feedback too, most of them are very good.

The camera and lens suit me fine, I just have to get a few decent images sorted next to post here for critique.
 
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Most "starter kits" for any hobby usually only provide the cheapest of gear. Give it a year or two when your experience grows and you'll want to upgrade for better quality equipment. I'm going through this process at the moment and in respect to the Tamron lens you'll get what it's worth, not a lot. However I survived with it for two years on my D60 so not all bad. Try reading some reviews of the equipment before committing.:)
 
definitely worth a look at the for sale forums on here as a fair few 500D's go for sale and usually have things like SD cards included. much better value IMO
 
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