Beginner New Camera Advice

Alex Greenhalgh

Alex Greenhalgh

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Alex
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Hi All :)

I'm totally new to photography using an SLR only previously using small compacts on Auto modes. So wanting to upgrade for a while I have just purchased in a 'lightning deal' Black Friday thing on Amazon a Canon 1200d with 17-85mm lens kit as it was reduced from 599 to 349 so seemed a good deal. So with no proper research or real knowledge it was a spare of the moment thing but All I want to know is , is this package a good starter set-up and value for money or would my hard earned be better off spent on a different option, as I can always return this.

Thanks

Alex
 
The price varies, but you've got a good deal at £350. The canon 1200D is the entry level body, but its got a solid set of features to help your photography grow and will take a decent image, it's a good camera to start with and at an affordable price. The 17-85mm lens ok, much better than the kit lens 18-55mm, but not as good as its replacement the 15-85mm. This setup will get you started and take some great images. Read the manual, but best advice is take lots of images and readup and understand about the relationship between aperture, shutter speed and ISO
 
thanks lads had a bit of a play around today and it looks good. got a lot to learn and looking forward to it
 
Don't expect miracles from the 17-85mm lens in the current overcast conditions - it's a lens that really only performs in very good light (strong sunlight). For indoor portraits (a common pastime at this time of year) it really does need a bit of help from a flash.
 
I agree. You may, and probably will, want to upgrade at some point but this is a very sound choice.

The 17-85mm covers a useful range, and can produce far better results than some of the negative reports suggest. I wouldn't pay full retail, but it's selling for about £350 on Amazon, which is about the same as you paid for the camera and lens package, so you got a good deal. Mine came as a kit lens too, and I intended to sell it on and buy something better, but I still have it several years later!

Couple of suggestions. Buy a lens hood. You don't need the expensive Canon OEM version, and there are plenty of generic ones available for much less. It protects the lens and helps to prevent stray light from causing flare. This lens also suffers from serious barrel distortion at the wide end, but you can correct it in the DPP software that comes with the camera, so check this out. DPP is also a decent raw converter - if you want to shoot raw - and has adequate post processing capabilities to be going on with, unless you prefer something else.
 
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Thanks again folks,

It was the negative reviews I found that made me question it really,

But as I'm not that well up on using SLR cameras and lenses I didn't think it would be a big issue as a first camera.

Some great advice on here, im going to get out tomorrow for some walking so ill hopefully have some decent shots to put on.

fingers crossed :)
 
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