Please explain canon to me

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bx338

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john
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Hi to all.

Could someone please take the time to guide me through buying my first canon camera.

I am just about to get started on learning photography, i have made my mind up to go with a canon, but not sure which one will be best for what i am wanting. There seems to be so many to chose from.

As for budget, im after something around £500, (open mind as to new or used)

I am interested in wildlife, so thats what i intend to be using it for.

Please bear in mind that its all new to me, so keep things simple, :lol:
john.
 
For that budget you are looking at xxxD or xxD ranges.

A secondhand 40D would fit the bill, lets say £300-350 ish for the body.
I'll guess you are usually some distance from the wildlife when shooting, so a telephoto is on order, 55-250 will fit the budget (just) at about £170-180 new, you won't get better for the budget I don't think.

If a wider lens is needed maybe the sigma (or is it tamron?) 17-50 which is well regarded I think? Not sure on cost.
 
Well, for a beginner a used 400/450/500/550d will do, but if it's wildlife you're into, youll need to spend at least as much again for a suitable lens.

You could get a used 400 or 450d and a used Canon 70-300 IS for about £500 (don't get the 70-300 IS confused with the far inferior 75-300), or the Canon 55-250 IS but you may find both, as good as they are, too short for wildlife.

What sort of wildlife are we talking about?
 
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bx338 said:
I am just about to get started on learning photography, i have made my mind up to go with a canon, but not sure which one will be best for what i am wanting.
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I'm not looking to start a brand war here, but I'm curious as to how you have decided upon a make of camera without first having a good understanding of your own needs and which models (across all makes) would fulfil them.

Camera manufactures rarely pitch models in the same price point/market segment as a competitor so you rarely get like for like options to compare, rather staggered models where one of two or sometimes three models from all of the major makes could fit your requirements.
 
NorthernNikon said:
I'm not looking to start a brand war here, but I'm curious as to how you have decided upon a make of camera without first having a good understanding of your own needs and which models (across all makes) would fulfil them.

Camera manufactures rarely pitch models in the same price point/market segment as a competitor so you rarely get like for like options to compare, rather staggered models where one of two or sometimes three models from all of the major makes could fit your requirements.
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+1

Don't set your heart on any brand just yet.

It's well worth going to a camera shop and getting your hands on as many cameras as you can to see which is the best suited to your hands.
Many people on here have stories about how they set off to a camera shop intending to buy X then got their hands on Y and found it suited them a lot better than the model they had set out to buy.

For wildlife, I'd look at spending as much money as you possible can on the lens rather than the body. Wildlife requires long focal lengths and getting close to the subjects, and long lenses are expensive (because they need a lot of glass).

Personally I'd consider a used sigma 120-400 OS. Nothing else you can get for that price has the same focal lengths + fast autofocus + good stabilisation + decent image quality like the sigma.
+ a body that might be stretching your budget a bit, but if you save for a bit longer and get something like this I think you'd be better off.
 
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welcome to TP

Have to agree with the above

I always say

always say

Go to the shops and try as many as you can.

Don't forget Nikon, Sony, Pentax all make cameras.
Buy the one that feels most comfortable in your hands, after all you will be holding it.
It will be the camera you find has the most intuitive button layout and control menu.
The price will be suited to your budget.

Don't forget to include in the budget a memory card and a bag if not included in a package.

Remember all the cameras can take good picture's, it is you however that make them great.

Never buy on the basis of other people saying "this one is great". It may be for them but not always for you. Buying a camera is a very personal choice.
 
+1 for Craft's suggestion above. I've recommended/purchased 40Ds for three of my friends (mixed shooting subjects) and all are DELIGHTED with this body.

Maybe go for the 70-300 if you have a few more pounds to spend ?

Good luck with your selections.
 
40D used as said, or a 500/550D new. I'd probably buy new just in case you buy a dud second hand, unless you get a great deal. I wouldn't bother handling every camera under the sun or going through loads of menus either, it's much of a muchness.
 
NorthernNikon said:
Camera manufactures rarely pitch models in the same price point/market segment as a competitor so you rarely get like for like options to compare, rather staggered models where one of two or sometimes three models from all of the major makes could fit your requirements.
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This is a fair point. There's rarely a like-for-like comparison to be made between the different brands. But personally I wouldn't get too hung up on it, because the camera you buy now is unlikely to be the last one you'll buy. Remember, you're buying into a system, not just one camera.

squishy said:
It's well worth going to a camera shop and getting your hands on as many cameras as you can to see which is the best suited to your hands.

Many people on here have stories about how they set off to a camera shop intending to buy X then got their hands on Y and found it suited them a lot better than the model they had set out to buy.
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PsiFox said:
Go to the shops and try as many as you can.

Buy the one that feels most comfortable in your hands, after all you will be holding it.
It will be the camera you find has the most intuitive button layout and control menu.
Click to expand...

This is good advice. I'm a Canon user but I wouldn't recommend people buying Canons just because I like them. (There are good reasons for buying into the Canon system, but there are also good reasons for buying into other systems.)

When I bought my first DSLR I found that the Canon entry-level model worked exactly as I'd expect it to work, and the Nikon equivalent was bizarrely unintuitive. Five years later, I own three Canons and two Nikons and I still find that to be the case. But I know people who have tried exactly the same cameras and reached exactly the opposite conclusions. It's a surprisingly personal thing.

squishy said:
For wildlife, I'd look at spending as much money as you possible can on the lens rather than the body. Wildlife requires long focal lengths and getting close to the subjects, and long lenses are expensive (because they need a lot of glass).
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More good advice.
 
Thanks to all for your advice.
I decided to just stick with one make, (canon) just to keep my options to a minimal, otherwise i would have my head scrambled with even more choices.
It looks like the 40d will fit the bill for what i am wanting from a start up camera for about £350. Buying a good lens will be something else to look at once i get to grips with the basics.
Thanks again
john.
 
I went into my local LCE and held the different bodies to make sure it felt right for me. I had a leaning towards canon anyway, but after holding Nikon bodies (too heavy for me), Sony (this was my second choice), and Pentax (comfortable, but not really 'me').

I then went away and thought some more, before going into Jessops and coming out with a EOS 600D! I bought the bundle (camera, kit lens, Tamron 70-300, bag, memory card, 2 filters), plus a spare battery and 3 yrs insurance all for under 1k. Still a LOT of money, but i figure this will see me through for ages until I get better, then can get more lenses, a flash gun etc etc etc...

There is some really good advice here, but as someone has said, the only good camera is one you feel comfortable with and will use, and also to repeat another reply, the camera will take good pictures, the lenses will enable you to capture the shots you are after, but ultimately its the tog who makes the images great.
 
SJD2011 said:
I went into my local LCE and held the different bodies to make sure it felt right for me. I had a leaning towards canon anyway, but after holding Nikon bodies (too heavy for me), Sony (this was my second choice), and Pentax (comfortable, but not really 'me').

I then went away and thought some more, before going into Jessops and coming out with a EOS 600D! I bought the bundle (camera, kit lens, Tamron 70-300, bag, memory card, 2 filters), plus a spare battery and 3 yrs insurance all for under 1k. Still a LOT of money, but i figure this will see me through for ages until I get better, then can get more lenses, a flash gun etc etc etc...

There is some really good advice here, but as someone has said, the only good camera is one you feel comfortable with and will use, and also to repeat another reply, the camera will take good pictures, the lenses will enable you to capture the shots you are after, but ultimately its the tog who makes the images great.
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2 filters? Out of interest, what type?
 
I'm sure they will be UV filters, something that no togs lenses should ever be without. :naughty:
 
Yeah, they are UV filters - one is a 58mm, the other a 62mm? I have no idea what they are about - being a novice to this whole photography/equipment thing?

Needless to say, they are still in the packaging.

Am getting the impression that thats where they should remain? I wasnt really interested in them in the bundle to be honest....they were just there!
 
As you can see opinions vary on UV Filters..

The "for argument" is that should you drop the camera in any way it means the lens is protected, the filter might smash or get scratched but thats easy to replace, a lens isn't as cheap.

The "against" argument mainly centers around image quality - some believe that they impair image quality (which would be logical enough) and that they aren't really needed, especially if you use a lens hood which will provide a little protection for the lens.

Ultimately its personal choice, whilst I don't think I've ever seen image quality problems when using one I don't think I'd go out of my way to buy them now.
 
Thanks for clearing that up for me Mark - I guess its a matter of personal taste.
I have only just seen one, let alone use one. I think maybe I will put one on one time, and see what I think of the image results....then make my mind up then.

Thanks very much again
 

That's why I didn't specifically mention them, lol!
 
SJD2011 said:
Yeah, they are UV filters - one is a 58mm, the other a 62mm? I have no idea what they are about - being a novice to this whole photography/equipment thing?

Needless to say, they are still in the packaging.

Am getting the impression that thats where they should remain? I wasnt really interested in them in the bundle to be honest....they were just there!
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Jessops are always trying to flog cheap UV filters at over inflated prices.

I have to ask, why did you agree to buy them? You don't need them for digital cameras (they were made for film) but some people use them for protection, though you are better off using dedicated protection filters for that.
 
Jim - I didnt buy them, they came in with the bundle? To be honest, I was only interested in the camera, bag & memory card, but when I worked it out, it was more expensive to buy these separately than in the bundle with a couple of things (i.e. the filters & a 'lens cleaning kit (which consists of a wet wipe, a dry wipe & a piece of cardboard!) that i didnt want?

AsI said, I went into LCE and only went into Jessops to compare prices and ended up with the bundle!
 
Ah as long as you didn't have to pay for them!
 
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