I've done my intro ... now advice please !

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GingerNinja

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Hi,

As I said in my intro post, I'm new to SLR's.

I've been offered a EOS400D with bag, card and lens for £270, it's around a year old ..... however .... would I be better going for the Sony A230 kit which I can get for £349 less the £50 cash back from Sony ?

I'm just looking for a good starter camera to get me going.

Thanks

Just found this http://www.crazycameras.co.uk/sony-...image-stabilization-and-18-product_80425.html

£310 for the Sony but no mention of cash back :shrug:
 
The canon is a good starting camera, I can't really comment on the Sony as I've never used them! Generally speaking, Canon and Nikon are the two main competitors (although sony is doing a pretty good job considering how new they are to the DSLR market). It's important you try to hold both (or their equivalents now), as one might be better on paper, but if it feels terrible in your hands, you'll never get on with it.

And I think I'm right in saying 'crazycameras' are a bid dodgy, there were some threads about them on here not too long ago!

Chris

Edit: Here's a thread about crazycameras.
 
They are similar in spec, personally I would go and hold both camera's to see which one suits you, I don't like the compactness of the xxxD range, but that's down to personal experience and why I bought the 20D instead of the 350D.

Both are good camera's to start with, the canon offers a wider selection of lenses, especially longer zooms to choose from, at the end of the day, its the one you feel comfortable holding and using.
 
The A230 is great - played with one the other day and was seriously impressed. Found it much better to use than the 400D or the older D40 and D60 from Nikon. Then again, if you're not used to SLRs in the first place, either will be a good buy.

I know my mate got his from Jessops the other day for £349 with £50 cashback but Jessops will price match on new gear.

The key thing is to actually test them in the flesh. It's amazing how holding a camera can sway your decision - if it doesn't feel comfortable then don't buy it unless you have to.
 
GingerNinja said:
I've been offered a EOS400D with bag, card and lens for £270, it's around a year old ..... however .... would I be better going for the Sony A230 kit which I can get for £349 less the £50 cash back from Sony ?
Click to expand...

when you move up, and you will, a Canon or Nikon kit will have a wider market appeal

whatever your budget - dont sink it all into the body and kit lens, cos you will soon be looking for a zoom, then a 50mm prime, then flash, then tripod and on it goes...:D
 
I've got the 400D, love it. Only comments to make RE usage, it is about as small as DSLR's are likely to come. You might see that as being a good or bad thing, for me as a noob to DSLR's I think its great, extremely portable. Best advice is go and hold one in a shop. If you like how it feels you won't have any other problems with it.
 
Yardbent said:
when you move up, and you will, a Canon or Nikon kit will have a wider market appeal
Click to expand...

There will be more second hand stuff (such as in the section on this website) available for you if you go Canon or Nikon :)

But any SLR will do just fine for a beginner. :)
 
The 400D seems good for the money.

My only consideration would be what lens system you want to adopt - you don't want to be changing all your lenses if you swap brands for example.

It's one of the main reasons that Canon fanboys stick with Canon gear and Nikon fanboys stick with Nikon - the money they've spent on lenses :cool:

Do some more research though... have a look at second-hand cameras such as the Nikon D70 or the D200 if you have a bigger budget. Alternatively the Canon 30D which is built much better than the 400D. Either of those systems will give you access to some cheap 3rd party and high end lenses.

Hope that helps :)
 
From my own very limited experience (got my first dslr for Xmas) I very strongly recommend that you follow the previously mentioned advice and hold any camera you are considering.

I had settled on a Canon EOS500 as my first camera but while I was trying it in Jessops I asked for a quick look at its competitor - the Nikon D5000. That alone changed my mind - the Nikon felt so much more comfortable to me. Not only to hold but in terms of the layout of the controls.

As for the technical comparisons, I'm sorry but I don't yet know enough to help.

Have fun, whichever way you go:thumbs:
 
Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I'll go to my local Jessops in the morning and hold a few.

I've now read a few reviews on the Sony and every one comments on how uncomfortable it is to hold. They also mention it's not that great for sport.

I'll be taking general family photo's of my kids running around will 2.5 frames per sec be enough ?

Thanks again.
 
It has been mentioned about the compact size of the 400D, my first DSLR was a 400D, and I found having a battery grip on it made an absolutely massive difference to the feel of it.

A grip also reduced the overwhelming feel when a decent sized lens was used.
 
I've narrowed it down to ......

The Sony A230 @ £299 after claim back
The Nikon D3000 @ £359 after claim back

Or the second hand EOS400 for £270

Lastly VR or no VR ? £10 diff on Nikon
 
Just a note on the side although not a big issue. 400D production ceased in December 2007 so the one you've been offered is actually over two years old. It may well have been held in stock somewhere prior to its initial sale though.

Bob
 
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