Upgrading dilema!

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Hi all,
I currrently have a fuji finepix S5000, making the jump from film to digital with that camera. However now i would like to move from the 'semi DSLR' to a full DSLR, however i dont really have all the funds to afford the body and the lenses. Now my old SLR 'film' body was a Olympus OM20, i have for that a 28mm, 50mm, x2 converter, and a telephoto lens.
My question to the fraternaty is can i buy i DSLR body that is able to use these lenses or is there no hope for me? for the record i havent a clue what fixings/diameter etc they are.... if someone knows or can tell me how to find out so you can make a better judgement then let me know.

I wait for your help.... ;)

Clawz
 
or is there no hope for me?

I'd imagine there is still some hope for you .;)

As for your olympus kit, I don't think so, sorry.

That's not good news from a finacial viewpoint as it will mean starting again and building up from scratch. On the bright side though, you do get to chack out all the different camps and see what's going to work best for you. Unlike most people here who probably went canon or nikon as that's the lenses they had already.

Having said that, you'd have to dig pretty deep to find a canon or nikon user that would openly say they wish they had the other. :LOL:
 
agreed with above. the cheapest at the min is the nikon d50 with 18-55mm lens for about £400. it performs well above that price tho :D

dazzajl said:
Having said that, you'd have to dig pretty deep to find a canon or nikon user that would openly say they wish they had the other. :LOL:
i dunno, id happily own a 20/30d but wouldnt swap brands for one. for a 1dmkII i probably would :) in my price range i just didnt get on with the 350d personally as good as it is.
 
I used to have an Olympus OM10 & OM20.......now a Nikon D70 & very happy with it. Worth the move in my eyes
 
It's a difficult one - once you've invested in a stack of glass for your 'wet' cameras it's a hell of a wrench to ditch it all - I did it years ago when I moved from Olympus (OM-1n based system) over to Nikon (F3 based system). I'm so glad I did it back then as I dread to think what it'd cost me now. I did the gradual upgrades through different lenses and bodies as I could afford it over the years, always with a bit of cross-over (F5 was used with m/f lenses for a while, for example and now I have the D2x bodies, I still own and use lenses that I bought for the F5 ten years ago).

You just have to bite the bullet and shell out. You may get some cash back by selling the Olympus kit, but the way things are going, I wouldn't count on it. Some student needing a decent film camera with manual exposure settings might take it, but otherwise?
If you buy new, the canon or Nikon at the low price point are almost identical interms of image quality - only the ergonomics differs as do some of the features. Handle as many cameras as you can before you decide on which one to go for.
I think both Canon and Nikon are fairly future-proof at the moment: Canon can rely on their extensive non-photographic range to subsidise them if things go bad for them and Nikon have invested heavily in supplying the Law Enforcement and Defence markets worldwide, so they won't be missing a few customers here and there.
 
So its either to be a Nikon D50 or the Cannon 350D, which i prefer the look off! :LOL:
I've looked in a few magazines at both the scores on them and them seem to be pretty postitive about them both. But what about running costs for them? (not batteries) things like lenses and memory cards etc... thought i'd ask as well, as you guys are more clued up than i am! ;)
 
Memory cards are getting cheaper and cheaper these days. You can get a 1GB card delivered now for about £20. The good thing is, one size fits all :)
 
i've looked around but can find which either of them accept??? what are they, i obvoiusly have the xd's for the fuji, which i cant use on anything other than olympus, so it also means buyin the new ones of them to replace the ones i have:crying:
 
clawz said:
But what about running costs for them? (not batteries) things like lenses and memory cards etc...
The 350D takes Compact Flash (CF) cards only, and I believe the D50 takes Secure Digital (SD) cards (not sure if it also takes CF cards).

When it comes to lenses, both Canon and Nikon make various models in different price brackets, but don't forget the other 3rd party lens makers, Sigma and Tamron amongst others make very good quality lenses normally priced a bit below the "main" brands.

I know you said not batteries, but just in case you didn't know, I got 2 "non Canon" batteries from ebay, just as good as the original (in fact, they last longer) for £17... big saving!!
 
so sonsey... you use the 350d i see.. whats it like to use?
 
Yes mate, I've had it for about 10 months now and I don't really have a bad thing to say about it, the only real problem you might have with it is it's size. For a DSLR is is pretty small, I have quite small hands so it's no problem for me but it is something you should test before buying, and quick visit to places like Dixons etc. for a quick play should let you know if it's for you or not.

One thing to counteract this is adding the batery grip, it really does transform the feel of the camera alot, making it feel much more balanced and professional, along with doubleing the (allready very good) battery life... highly reccommended if you go for the 350D.

Other things that swayed me to it were:-

A couple of extra megapixels over the D50, not a big real life difference but every little counts when cropping and when making large prints (as I do quite often)

Excellent noise control at high ISO's, this was quite a big deal for me considering our weather for most of the year and that I like to shoot wildlife and often need fast shutter speeds for that.

And lastly, Canon's excellent range of lenses. I'm not in any way saying Nikon lenses can't match them, but when I looked at the lenses I would realisticly aspire to get, the Canon versions were better priced and in some cases better performing (according to reviews on the net).

That's pretty much it, to be honest whichever way you go you'll end up with a great camera for the money... good luck with your decision (y)
 
Think thats swung it to be honest! :LOL:

And i always wondered what that battery grip was/was for! :thinking:
I'll go off to few places then to see what i can see then.... may just buy it from the likes of Ebay thou, could turn out to be cheaper :) i can see the money emptying from my wallet now! :LOL: Another thing is the standard 18-55mm lens any good is it worth getting a 'pack' with more than one lens?



Oh... if anyone knows anyone whos selling one lemme know! ;)
 
clawz said:
may just buy it from the likes of Ebay thou, could turn out to be cheaper :)
Personally I'd steer clear of ebay for the camera body, just my opinion. One thing to mention is that Canon camera bodies do not have an international warrenty (the lenses do though) so if you buy a foreign one your stuck if something goes wrong. Online retailers are very competitive at the moment for DSLRs so I doubt you'd save much at all on ebay.

If you want to buy 2nd hand then don't forget to keep an eye on the "Classified Adverts" section of this very forum (as well as other forums), you'll tend to find some 350D's popping up as people upgrade. Also, the "Suppliers, Shopping and Bargains" section is a good for showing the latest bargains on the net.

clawz said:
Another thing is the standard 18-55mm lens any good is it worth getting a 'pack' with more than one lens?

Well that all depends on how much cash is burning a hole in your pocket :D The 18-55mm takes alot of flack on the net for being bad quality, but when stopped down it can produce some good shots (look out for pics posted by KenCo1964 on this forum, he get's results from the 18-55mm I can hardly believe! :thinking: (y) ), is it worth buying?, when I bought my camera last year the kit pack retailed for about £70-80 more than the body only so I didn't go for it and just put the cash towards a better lens... if I was buying now with the kit only going for £30-40 more than the body at some retailers I'd probably go for it, get's you started eh!

As for the more than one lens packs, well it's same again, depends on your budget. Even then, do your research on what lenses are available, e.g. the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG get's good reviews for a good bit less than £200. Plus it all depends on what you want to shoot, for example if all your interested in is taking landscape shots the Sigma might be a bit of a waste and you could put the money into a good wide angle.

Keep researching mate, you'll get there, hope all this helps you. :)

Couple more reviews you may have missed...

Canon 350D review:- http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/
Nikon D50 review:- http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond50/
 
Right i've been to Comet and had a play and now i'm in love with the 350D, thanks guys! ;)
Now i have to find the cash! :(
 
Don't know what prices you are finding but I've just seen the Dixons price for a 350D mentioned on a bargains group.

I've not checked any of this so have no idea if it is a good deal......

http://www.dixons.co.uk/product.php?sku=605693

And there are voucher codes for money off


Currys

£15 Discount on orders over £200 - use CURRYS1506
£40 Discount on orders over £500- use CURRYS4006
£65 Discount on orders over £800 - use CURRYS6506
£120 Discount on orders over £1400 - use CURRYS12006


Dixons

£20 Discount on all orders over £250 - use ONLINE20
£40 Discount on all orders over £500 - use ONLINE40
£60 Discount on all orders over £700 - use ONLINE60
£100 Discount on all orders over £1500 - use ONLINE100
 
RobertP said:
Don't know what prices you are finding but I've just seen the Dixons price for a 350D mentioned on a bargains group.

I've not checked any of this so have no idea if it is a good deal......

http://www.dixons.co.uk/product.php?sku=605693

And there are voucher codes for money off
Seems like a good deal to me as it includes the kit lens at that price... also you could effectivly get the Lowepro Rezo 140 bag to hold it for a fiver, as adding to the price allows you to use the larger £40 voucher (y)
 
Good find RobertP, thanks very much! :) and MUCHO thankyou for the discount codes! ;)
Not sure i'd pay the 59 notes for a 1gb CF card thou... in my eyes, thats very steap! esspacially when you can pick up a 2gb for a fiver less :thinking: from here: http://www.mymemory.co.uk/Compact-Flash-Cards

so 'i've taken that off left the bag on, and now i'm at £497.35 :bang: 4 damn quid short! :bang: :bang: :LOL:
need to find somethin else now!

edit: (which batteries do you use on it, i cant seem to find the ones that fit, or am i just bein dumb!) :LOL:
 
Can I add my 0.02?

I use an EOS 350D with an adapter ring I got off ebay that allows me to use my dads old Nikon lenses. This works even better than using old MF nikon lenses on Nikon cameras, as the canon's will meter, so you can use it in Av mode. That means that you can spend your time concentrating on focussing :D

Anyway. The 350D is a great camera. For me, its a little small, but I plan to add a grip soon to take the size up to a usable dimension. (well...its usable right now, but I want a grip for a number of reasons as well (AA Batterys, use 2 batterys at once, handstrap loop etc) so I'm prepared to spend the money :)). Apart from the size (which is OK) I'm happy with it.

How much is it at dixons? I paid £480 about a month ago.

Leo
 
clawz said:
4 damn quid short! :bang:
Oops, did my sums wrong, didn't realise the bag was allready discounted when added to the basket... sorry :thumbsdown:
 
I'm also at the same point as you Clawz in terms of wanting to upgrade but not having loads of money.

Been looking at the Dixons link posted by RobertP - and so body and kit lens for 454.86 with the £20 voucher, but what do folks think about the 3 year coverplan for an extra £109 - Is this worth it / Necessary?

Any thoughts

Allan
 
No i dont think they are.... its been proved many times over that extended warrenties aren't worth the money their printed on!

Choosing the camera and the bag brings it too the 497 i was on about, a pack of spare batteries (which i cant find the right ones) will make you elligable for the 40 squid discount! ;) and you should only JUST go over the 500 quid threshold! :)
 
I wouldn't take the cover plan. I refuse most of them point blank. We took one on the TV, but not much else. If cameras have a fault it tends to show up early on and you have 12 months warranty anyway.
 
CT said:
We took one on the TV, but not much else.

Ditto CT! and i'm glad i did! 13-14months after the initial purchase and 3-4 months out of the 'out of box 12month warrenty' my 36" WS TV developed a VERY anoying buzzing when the tv went above a certain volume!, ending up costing me nothing cos i took out the extended warrenty! :naughty:

I think if the camera went wrong.... just check you home insurance policy.... MAYBE its covered... if it went wrong you could MAYBE acciedently drop it down the stairs! :thinking: ;) (but that can be slightly dodgy, so i'm NOT condoning it, and i doubt the mods would either, so you have been warned!)

Keltic Ice Man said:
I've got big hands and most reviews seem to say its a bit small to operate with shovels.

i heard this too, but found the camera quite a nice size for my hands... i find most things are small in my hands ;) so if you find this camera too small then you have got one LUCKY partner! ;) :LOL:
 
I use the 350d with the battery grip and a Speedlite 580EX and it's a stonking piece of kit, even with the kit lens, in fact all my lenses are lower end budget lenses. Stick a nifty fifty on it for £50-£60 and it's amazing.

The size and weight is no issue at all to me but having said that I've never owned a bigger camera and if I had I'd probably have a different opinion.

The only thing that nags at the back of my mind is the lower shutter life expectancy than it's big brothers.
 
Keltic Ice Man said:
Just thought - Does anyone know if the vivitar 283 flash will work with the Canon? or is it a new flash i'll need as well?

Blimey, the Vivitar 283 has been around for many years and it's a highly respected unit. It's not a TTL flash, as you know it has a number of automatic apertures which need to be set - 4 I think, and the flash exposure is measured by a sensor on the front of the flash body.

I don't think there will be enough contacts in that flash foot to cause you any compatibility problems with the 350D, it's the discharge voltage you have to be careful of. My gut feeling is it should be OK, but better safe than sorry, I'd get the voltage checked.. it can vary from unit to unit.
 
CT said:
I don't think there will be enough contacts in that flash foot to cause you any compatibility problems with the 350D, it's the discharge voltage you have to be careful of. My gut feeling is it should be OK, but better safe than sorry, I'd get the voltage checked.. it can vary from unit to unit.

Thanks CT - I'll get it checked out - its been a great flash on the fuji

Well I went to the Dixons site - put it in my basket and....

ARRRRRGH the discount voucher is no longer valid :crying:

Anyone got any valid ones?
 
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