What's the best digital camera max €1500?

great unwashed

I've heard that the Canon EOS 40D is the best camera for around a grand - can anyone tell me otherwise?

Calina

Depends on what you want to do with it.

Effectively, there are a lot of good cameras around for 1500E but I get less than impressed when the emphasis appears to be on what you spend on the camera rather than what you want to do with the camera. So if you want advice on what camera to buy please tell us what you want to do with said camera.

templeathea

great unwashed wrote: »

I've heard that the Canon EOS 40D is the best camera for around a grand - can anyone tell me otherwise?

If you are not already sold on Canon I,d also consider the Nikon D80 and if you wait a little while you may get a deal on a D200 now the D300 is here.

Imo all the DSLRs for around that money are great cameras, far more likely to be limited by your own ability than they are by technical specification (speaking as someone whose camera is Waaaay better than he is). In fact, if its your first camera I'd buy something like a Nikon D40X or a Canon 400d and a couple of excellent lenses. That way when you outgrow the camera and upgrade you can take the lenses with you. And a great lens on an average camera is often better than an average lens on a great camera

melekalikimaka

templeathea wrote: »

In fact, if its your first camera I'd buy something like a Nikon D40X

no no no

get an old d70s or d50, d40x is evil, no motor so lens are limited to af with built in motors

ie no nifty fifty

templeathea

melekalikimaka wrote: »

no no no

get an old d70s or d50, d40x is evil, no motor so lens are limited to af with built in motors

ie no nifty fifty

Fair point but many people don't want to buy second hand (though the d70 is a fantastic camera).
I really meant don't spend the €1500 on the camera, rather spend €600 on the camera and the rest on good lenses

countryjimbo

Imho lenses are much more important, most €600 / €700 cameras are excellent when matched with good lenses. I'd agree with templeathea, make sure you get good lenses

Shiny

Yep you are correct.

40D + 17 -85 IS is the best combination you can get
for that price.

Thirdfox

melekalikimaka wrote: »

no no no

get an old d70s or d50, d40x is evil, no motor so lens are limited to af with built in motors

ie no nifty fifty

...Just like all current Canon cameras (of course all their new lenses have built in motors...)

I would recommend the D40 as a starter Nikon instead of the X version - very capable and you can manually focus the nifty fifty (from personal experience). 6mp is more than enough for most people (unless you print very large or crop big chunks out of your image).

All new Nikon lenses already have a built in motor and you'll find a lens that autofocuses for your every need (except for low cost primes - newer primes all have AF-S)

So I would most definitely not call the D40(X) evil (although I do have misgivings about the X version - more megapixels=better ideology) try out the cameras and see what you like.

Do be aware of potential "limitations" of whatever camera you choose.

To end the post - I think there are around 60+ lenses (open to correction - there's a list floating around somewhere) that will autofocus with the D40 (many costing several times more than the camera ) As a poster above pointed out though - lenses last a long time - bodies will be replaced. Buying a good lens is more important than buying a good body in the larger scheme of things (of course buying a good body with a good lens is optimal )