New to DSLR Cameras. Need some serious help please :D

Chilt

Chilt

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Nick
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Need help on getting equipment :)

I have the compact Canon PowerShot SX210 IS which is a great little camera with its 14x optical zoom. But recently i have decided to move onto a nice DSLR.

The one i want is a nice Canon 550D. Now ive seen what this baby can do and im impressed. The video quality is superb! And the picture quality is very nice also.

But i dont have an amazing amount of money to spend. say like upto £800. What lenses do you suggest i get? Im gunna be mainly filming on it. But will be taking pictures when i have spare time.

Thanks for the help

Nick
 
What will you be filming and taking pictures of? Lens recommendations will depend on the subject and the situation.
 
snigg said:
buy a camcorder,it will be far better and cheaper.
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Not necessarily, DSLR video is actually very very impressive and great quality compared to alot of typical camcorders of the same price bracket also because it's an SLR you can adjust the aperture, shutter, ISO etc with ease and don't forget that huge APS-C sensor compared to the usual 1/1.6" ;)

As for Lenses I'd instantly recommend a 50mm f1.8 which is great for video, or you can purchase a Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 which will be a great usable range for APS-C sensors and it's about £300 new and £200 second hand. If you do opt for the 17-50mm then don't get the IS version as apparently the IQ isn't as great as the non-IS.
 
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Right so far this is great infomation! Thanks!

Ill be using it for like Movie style shooting. Like Sketches for on youtube and what not.

As for pictures. There going to be totally random. Just outdoor wild life. Cars. You name it.

Ive seen the 50mm 1.8 and the picture quality does look pretty impressive. But what ive noticed is that it goes out of focus a lot. Im not sure if thats just there settings of because its really upclose footage.

Thanks

Nick
 
I think you may mean the depth of field,that is how those type of pics are shot,with one point in focus and the rest out of focus,the 50 1.8 is very good for that.
 
Right okay, I defo think im going to go for the 50m 1.8 but what exactly does the 1.8 stand for? And what about far away shots? Should i go for the Canon 55-250mm?

Thanks

Nick
 
the f/1.8 without going into too much detail is the size of the aperture or hole in the lens that lets the light in,the smaller the number the bigger the hole,the bigger the hole the less DOF you can have,so say a flower in focus with the rest of the pic out of focus,if you have a small aperture which would be a big number say F/8 then the dof would be bigger so most of the pic would be in focus,as for which lens to buy,I would get the 50mm first and then you will get to understand what kind of shots you want and which would be a good second lens.
 
Ahh yeah. I understand it now! THANKS! So yeah. Ill probs get the standard lens that comes with the 550D which is the 18-55mm 3.5 -5.6 So then i have a zoom lens. And ill get the 50mm 1.8. Also ive wondered what does IS mean on the lens? But would you say what i suggest is a good setup for a beginner?

Thanks

Nick
 
is means image stabilization,so helps to keep the shot from blurring too much if you are hand holding your camera,and yes I think you have a very good starting point there,as there are so many ways of taking your shots,you will only know the way you want to go when you get out there but those two lens will cover a good amount of different shots/styles.
 
Ahhh i get it now. Right thanks for all the help everyone. I think i know what im going to do now!

THANKS!

Nick
 
Just a quick point, the IS on a Tamron is called VC.
Just to help you avoid any confusion.
IS is a Canon thing. On Sigma it is OS
 
Personally I'd discount the 500D. It has 1080p but only at a jerky 20 fps, and only a mono mic and no way of controlling exposure manually. The 550D, however offers Full HD and a much wider range of FPS - up to 60 in 720p I believe. Also can have an external mic and manual control over the exposure.
 
Given that the 600D was announced this week you might be able to pick up an end of line 550D a bit cheaper.
If you want a longer lens to go with the kit one go for the 55-250.
 
I'd even take a look at the 500D which isn't that far back from the 550D. And it's definitely cheaper.
 
jurat said:
I'd even take a look at the 500D which isn't that far back from the 550D. And it's definitely cheaper.
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Not if you are interested in video though... You really do want either 720p50 and/or 1080p24 support which I don't believe the 500D has (I think it's 1080p20 which is useless as that's not a standard format and 720p30 which is not used much in serious video work).
 
Craft said:
Given that the 600D was announced this week you might be able to pick up an end of line 550D a bit cheaper.
If you want a longer lens to go with the kit one go for the 55-250.
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You've mentioned an interest in wildlife - the 55-250mm is an excellent lens for wildlife photography for those on a modest budget. I've taken literally thousands of photos using mine.
 
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