Your help please on my first camera

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gushysfella

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lee
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Hi all, been a member for a week now and what started as a few evenings reading through the forum has turned into every spare moment reading posts!
Now my situation.........I live on the Isle of Wight (6 years now) and my intension were to work part time and return to my childhood dream of painting. But in the real world, she tried taking me on wall to wall shopping trips and I had to find a full time job just to stay out the way! I’m a trained (classically the expression no-wa-days would be) drafts men and have spend years painting and drawing but just don’t have the time for a day’s art as a day’s never enough!! Photography proved by some of your guys posts is art, and a form I could fit into a busy retired working schedule!
Things are starting to make sense reading the forum sections on the basics and I’ve made the positive decision to take the step and spend some cash. I have read about every review, watched every YouTube vid and spent months on the www looking at suppliers, made my mind up on what I think would be a good stating camera and this afternoon I went for a walk around the vast selection of Camera shops on the Island, (both of them!) and have come home stumped! Jessops have the widest selection but where crap (can I say that??) with the advice. The local independent shop was much better with advice, in fact the shop owner made me a brew and a 10 minute chat turned into 2 hours and nearly a parking ticket! He had a smaller selection in store but offered to get me pretty much any camera I liked to look at before buying and gave me so much info it’s just a blur!
I had narrowed it down to the Nikon D7000 as my purchase of choice and everything I talked about with the shop owner (spent more time with him then the wife today and just realised I don’t know his name...) he agreed with and really help make my mind up then......... he pulled out what he said was the canon’s equivalent the EOS 7D. Body price £ 900 for either and he wasn’t pushy on ether for every poss for one same with other and con’s.
So please your help..........with your guys experience and knowledge please which would be the better for the COMPLETE beginner? I’d like to try landscapes, seascapes and little of everything else if that helps....
 
Seems very cheap for a 7D and rather expensive for a D7000

Can't comment on the Nikon, but the 7D is fairly complex in some areas and might be a bit overwhelming for a total newcomer, might I suggest from Canon the 60D

Can't guess at what price your shop might mention, but best here http://www.camerapricebuster.com/cat_Canon_Digital_SLRs.html is £768
 
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Don't just look at cameras but the cost and range of lenses as well. That might just make up your mind which way to jump ,Nikon or Canon. I love my Nikon but wish they would match to Canon the Canon 100-400mm lens, as the Nikon 80-400 equivilant is screw drive against silent wave motor Canon.

Realspeed
 
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Hi Rich

Thanks for reading my post. I know the price is a bit off, I put it down to the fact that the local shop is family run, independent and so not competitive with the big boys. I’d love to support my local shop and I think for the advice and pour passion he showed to the whole subject I think paying the higher price may work out worth it in the long run, if that makes sense. (advice, extra’s ect ect)

But it was defiantly the D7000 I’ve just about worn out the glossy brochure he gave me :LOL:
 
Fair comment Lee about supporting the local shop, always a handy thing to have these days and probably about the right rrp for the Nikon.

Doesn't explain how he can do the 7D nearly three hundred quid cheaper than the big boys though, is it secondhand?
 
realspeed said:
Don't just look at cameras but the cost and range of lenses as well. That might just make up your mind which way to jump ,Nikon or Canon. I love my Nikon but wish they would match to Canon the Canon 100-400mm lens, as the Nikon 80-400 equivilant is screw drive against silent wave motor Canon.

Realspeed
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Now that’s a different way of looking at it, so am I going down the wrong route? Lenses over cameras? Should I be looking at the type of lenses for the type of photos I would like to try before the camera? :thinking:
 
tijuana taxi said:
Fair comment Lee about supporting the local shop, always a handy thing to have these days and probably about the right rrp for the Nikon.

Doesn't explain how he can do the 7D nearly three hundred quid cheaper than the big boys though, is it secondhand?
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mmmmmmmmm....Prices he gave me d7000 body only £900 d700 £1850 looking at the link you just posted see your point, this probably sounds really silly but I not really looked to closely at cost I was approaching the purchase with the attitude that the best I could get at an ammeter level of equipment so that I could work to the best of a learning ability.

They defiantly new as I sat at counter he was pointing to a very shiny display opposite talking all about the range and at the point of showing me in the flesh (ok plastic) he produced box versions from within the glass counter and opened boxes all rapped and packed
 
Both cameras will produce excellent results and have a wide range of lenses including those from other manufacturers

Usual advice is see which one feels right including size and weight when held and how easily the controls come to hand, also does weatherproofing matter as that could sway your decision

Everyone has their views on which maker/model is best, but only you can decide and just to confuse matters a bit more, have you looked at the Pentax K-5 (same sensor more or less as the Nikon)
 
I have read a number of reviews on the pentax range, but all reviews mention build quality so tbh just stayed away. But thank you very much Rich really starting to look closer on price that links open my eyes (y)
 
The Pentax build quality issue was a batch of contaminated sensors on the first models, actually its the best of the lot when it comes to weatherproofing

I'm a bit biased so would suggest the 7D out of the two especially at £900 although I suspect he has given you the price of the 60D

Sure others will also say pick them both up and see which feels the best, its probably the best way to decide or go cheaper and see if photography is really your thing before spending shed loads buying into a system
 
Hi Lee

You say you narrowed your choice to a D7000 and were confident with it, he then suggested a 7D, as has been said above the 60D is more in line price wise with the D7000 and I suspect spec wise.

Did you have a play with the Canon, or the Nikon come to that side by side, did one feel better in your hands than the other, did you prefer 1 menu system over the other, etc etc

Have you had a thought over lenses (re above post), I can't commet on the Nikon range, but the Canon 55-250IS is a great lens, esp for the price, the 70-300IS (not the new L one) is a belter of a lens and then you have the 70-200 L series upwards...

it sounds like you have found a cracking store and yes he wants to sell you something, but it appears he has given you lots of good advice and from what you described in you OP, I wish I had a shop like that nearby... I 100% agree with supporting local business, esp those that appear to go the extra mile, just make sure you're not paying over the odds for the brew... If he price matches to your Jessops (or adds extras you need / want / would like) then I would def buy from there (y)


Don't forget, if you are starting up from scratch, a body only isn't much use :D
 
Ok, so let me re phrase the question because all above comments make sense. I’ve spent all morning, looking at lenses, but to a novice it seems a mine field!! When deciding on a camera I get the impression the best way for a starter would be to go for the better lenses back if you get what I mean, so what’s the best route with lenses?:bang:
 
Get the body that suits with the standard kit lens, for instance Canon 60D with 18-55mm IS then familiarise yourself with the camera and its myriad settings

Once you find what you want to shoot think about getting new lenses, might want a wide angle or maybe a long zoom, there again could be a prime for portraits. Until you get going daresay you just won't know and why buy now before it all becomes clearer.

Don't forget to budget for all the extras such as a decent bag, sturdy tripod/head, spare batteries and memory cards, lenspen or cloth, the list goes on and on.

Best advice of all is get to grips with the basics of exposure and how aperture, shutter speed and ISO affect your photo taking decisions, no point buying an expensive DSLR with lenses to leave it on auto
 
gushysfella said:
Ok, so let me re phrase the question because all above comments make sense. I’ve spent all morning, looking at lenses, but to a novice it seems a mine field!! When deciding on a camera I get the impression the best way for a starter would be to go for the better lenses back if you get what I mean, so what’s the best route with lenses?:bang:
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Hi Lee

Budget will be the deciding factor really - the various posts give lens suggestions from £150 to £6-7-800 upwards.

I'd buy a good body and one that you won't grow out of too quickly or feel that you need to upgrade - an example is a good friend has recently upgraded his 450D to a 60D (after about 15 months) as he has been bitten again by the motorsport bug and wanted more FPS from the body. Hence, if possible trying to decide what photography you are wanting to do, getting the best body you can afford now - incidently, the 60D is a very good body and he is loving it.

For lenses, there are some suggestions in posts above, if you are starting off and have say £1000, you could get the 60D with kit lens and the 55-250IS for your budget, the 55-250IS could easily be sold on (for not a huge loss) if / when you feel an upgrade is required. Obviously the more your budget, the more lenses or more expensive the lenses could be - the 70-200F4 is an absolute belter, but is around £450-500.

If you give an idea of your lens budget, it may easier to be more specific on lenses, but you're correct, it is a minefield (and an expensive one at that...) And don't forget what Rich said above re bags etc

Sorry, but I can't help with the Nikon range of lenses...
 
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Lee

What ever you choose you will always see something a little better and a little more expensive. I would advise getting whatever you are happy with and get experience of using it first.
Later on when you feel you are ready or outgrown the cameras capabilities then is the time to think about what your needs actually are and which direction your photographic tastes lean towards.

I think we all on here have had the same concerns at one time or another and decided to upgrade as skills improve. You will also find continuous new products comming onto the market which makes your initial choice seem a little dated.

In my own case I wondered what all the fuss was about with digital photography so,(don't laugh),I started out with a KodaK 2 meg pix compact point and shoot camera which suprisingly enough did produce some very good pictures. However I soon found out that it didn't have any reach and was only good for general shots not distance.
From there I went onto a Nikon D70s then a Nikon D200 and now using a Nikon D300 so as you can see I wanted to get more out of a camera ,no thats not really correct, I should say more features the cameras can offer, which is slightly different.


Hope this is of some encouragement

Realspeed
 
Landscape and seascape photography tends not to involve high ISO shooting or fast moving subject matter. That means you probably won't benefit from a camera with an advanced AF system or amazing high ISO performance. At low ISO all modern DSLRs should turn in a fine performance in terms of IQ. If your needs extend beyond landscapes and seascapes then it would be helpful to know what sorts of things you wish to shoot. Are we talking birds in flight, indoor sports and other demanding disciplines, or easy stuff in good light that doesn't move about much? If it's the latter then I think an entry level camera would actually serve you really rather well. If it's the former then you might well benefit from purchasing higher up the range.

The thing is, camera (sensor technology) is always advancing year on year. Developments in the world of lenses, tripods and filter systems are much, much slower. So, unless you need an all singing, all dancing "Carlos Fandango" camera body right now I would divert most of your budget to quality glass, a good tripod and head and a slot in filter system. Those are likely to do far more for your land/seascape photography then a fancy camera body.

Even then, as you will tend to stop down for landscapes the lens does not need to be fast (aperture) or top tier, IMHO. Within the Canon range an xxD body, perhaps even an xxxD body coupled with an 18-55 IS kit lens will probably be the perfect system to get you started and leave plenty in the budget for tripod and filters.

You might even consider buying secondhand to begin with and once you do outgrow the kit you can pass it on at relatively little loss once you've worked out your needs more thoroughly.
 
tdodd said:
Landscape and seascape photography tends not to involve high ISO shooting or fast moving subject matter. That means you probably won't benefit from a camera with an advanced AF system or amazing high ISO performance. At low ISO all modern DSLRs should turn in a fine performance in terms of IQ. If your needs extend beyond landscapes and seascapes then it would be helpful to know what sorts of things you wish to shoot. Are we talking birds in flight, indoor sports and other demanding disciplines, or easy stuff in good light that doesn't move about much? If it's the latter then I think an entry level camera would actually serve you really rather well. If it's the former then you might well benefit from purchasing higher up the range.

The thing is, camera (sensor technology) is always advancing year on year. Developments in the world of lenses, tripods and filter systems are much, much slower. So, unless you need an all singing, all dancing "Carlos Fandango" camera body right now I would divert most of your budget to quality glass, a good tripod and head and a slot in filter system. Those are likely to do far more for your land/seascape photography then a fancy camera body.

Even then, as you will tend to stop down for landscapes the lens does not need to be fast (aperture) or top tier, IMHO. Within the Canon range an xxD body, perhaps even an xxxD body coupled with an 18-55 IS kit lens will probably be the perfect system to get you started and leave plenty in the budget for tripod and filters.

You might even consider buying secondhand to begin with and once you do outgrow the kit you can pass it on at relatively little loss once you've worked out your needs more thoroughly.
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This man speaks sense. Buy a camera fore what you want to use it for, and you get better images by spending your cash on lenses rather than bodies. I know, I learned the hard way...
 
Sorry I not been replying to the above post’s been rushed off my feet at work. Many thanks to all the post’s I been over to England working and been through a few shops and had a few tries with different cameras and have made a purchase of a Nikon d5000 with 3 lenses. Your comments and suggestions really helped, just got to get out and see how it all works now!!! :LOL:

Sure I’ll be back with some more silly questions thanks again all (y)
 
Hi All I went out and bought Photo shop cs5 extended addition this morning, any tutorials it’s a bit overwhelming!!! :LOL:
 
There are many good tutorials on this site as well as on the net generally. Just a question of knowing what you want to try and do.

I would also recommend Adobe Lightroom, especially as you're just starting out. It has transformed the way I manage my photos with it's catalog, I also do most of my adjustments in Lightroom now and just save Photoshop for more in-depth work.
 
I'd reccomend looking at where you eventually want to end up using, I would reccomend Nikon but then again i'm Nikon pro user so i'm biased, but what ever camera body you purchase now you will more than likely end up using that brand for the rest of your shooting days due to the lenses as other people have said on here.

Like i said i would reccomend Nikon as when you start getting down to some serious glass nikor have historically made better lenses than Canon. The advances aswell with the Nikon CCD as in my opinion caught up with Canon who since the digital age have made better chips.

In short i suppose i'm saying Nikon!!!!
 
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