Dilemma! Asked for digital SLR for chrimbo but i know nothing!!

ArthurG

I've had a few hints dropped that the present for the other half this year is to be a digital SLR camera. They're currently using a Minolta model (not sure of exact details but can find out), and have various lenses etc.

Thing is i know nothing about these things, and have tried to make sense of the previous posts, to no avail...... cry.......

Dare I ask - can i get an impartial recommendation for a camera?. Budget is about 600 euro, could at a stretch go to 800.

Thanks in advance!!.

eas

hi Arthur

your probably going to get a few recomendations, personally I think for your budget the Nikon D50 is worth a look

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond50/

FX Meister

This is the base Minolta model http://www.jessops.com/search/viewproduct.cfm?PRODUCT=MIND5D1870&BRAND=&CONTINUE=false&FEATS=&FIRSTPRICE=&KEYWORD=&LEVEL=&MODELNUMBER=&NEWQUERY=True&NODE=0&NODE_PATH=0&ORD=ASC&ORDERBY=&QUANTITY=10&RECENT=0&REFINE=&SEARCH_FOR=dynax%205d&SEARCHNODE=0&SEARCHURL=dointellisearch.cfm&SECONDPRICE=&SHOWCASEID=&STARTROW=1&SUBS=&WORD_SEARCH=Y&

I had a minolta before but made the decision to switch over to Canon when I went digital. I still have my minolta camera and lenses as I can't sell them. I have a sigma fisheye that I can't even shift.

rymus

whats the compatibility like for (possibly older) minolta lenses to new min dslrs? If I was faced with the same choice I'd seriously consider doing what FX did; cutting my losses, trying to get rid of the minolta kit (unless you wanted to keep it to mess around with film now and again) and get either a Canon 350D or a Nikon D50.

Problem is, what FX has pointed out, that with the growing number of the big two (Canon & Nikon) out there, it's probably near impossible to get rid of other kit. Keep the minolta film slr to mess around with but go Canon or Nikon... you know it makes sense

dubtom

I agree, I think Minolta only do 1 Dslr and your looking at about 1300 euro's with a lens from Europe, dread to think what the Irish price would be. You may be able to pick up a used Dslr via buy and sell for the money your talking. Their's usually a good amount of them for sale, especially when new bodies are introduced. Other than that I'd go with the Canon D300/50 or Nikon D50.

Fitzer123

Hey,

If you can stretch your budget you can get and very nice olypus SLR with two lenses for 899 euros. Look at the site below for the Olympus C-E-500.

http://www.cameracentre.ie/digital_olympus.htm

This is better than the D50 and D70 from nikon!! It shakes off dust using an internal mechanism(very important saves on servicing), will have a good re-sale value and is ideal for begginner to medium photographers. Its easy to use and all lens threads are made of metal as oppsed to plastic so dont they dont wear and break.

With this camera you can also buy a fitting that will allow you to use all amke and models of standard lenses. This means as you progress you can buy second hand lenses.

Some things to note:

I cant stress this enough but buy lens protecters!!!!
Never buy a camera until you have held one. It might not be right for you.
This can be done at the Camera Centres see below fro contact details:

Grafton St. : 01 6775594
Blanchardstown Shopping Centre: 01 8221989
The Square Tallaght: 01 4521105
http://www.cameracentre.ie/

Fitzer123

By the way I am a consumer!!

ArthurG

Fitzer123 wrote:

By the way I am a consumer!!

Phew!!

FX Meister

Dubtom, it's £480 from the uk which is around €750 so you are way off with your guide of €1300.

Rymus, I presume the minolta lenses would be compatable but I haven't checked. I assume it has a 1:1.6 ratio like most of the cheaper DSLRs. I found this a real pain with my 15mm fisheye, it just doesn't compare using the lens on my canon to the results I get with it on the minolta. That's one of the reasons I went for the 10-22mm wide angle, on the 300D it's like a 16mm lens.