First DSLR

sergiotheonly

Hi there
I'm a (relatively) enthusiastic amateur and have been playing with a perfectly serviceable Samsung S850 point and shoot camera for a year or so now. I've produced some reasonable pictures but would like to move on to a point where my skills were the limiting factor rather than the hardware I have to play with.
[Some of my photos can be found here]
To this end I am now, inevitably, looking to get my first Digital SLR camera. After much review reading and some browsing in shops I've drafted a slightly schizophrenic short-list but would appreciate any input ye learned folks have. Bear in mind I'm not tied to any existing series of lenses and I'm more than happy to learn more about the intricate mechanics of photography.

Anywho, my shortlist is:

Olympus E-510

chosen because of the very competitive price of the dual lens kit and numerous extremely favourable reviews around the web. The relative sluggishness of it's live view and a primitive auto focus notwithstanding, this was my favourite option for a long time.

Pentax K-10D

chosen because of its' robust design mainly and the fact that a lack of live view doesnt really bother me. I would like to be able to afford the 20D but alas I cannot.

Canon 40D

Given I just said I'm poor this isn't the most viable option but I am slightly mesmerised by the 6.5 fps shooting speed, even though I can't think of any situation in which it would be needed. As one of the cameras I've handled I really like the weight of the 40D and its' solid construction. Perhaps beyond my price point tho...


So there are the few cameras I've ended up with, though any other options would be appreciated. I don't really have a set budget at the moment, but I would like to keep it under 1000 certainly and preferably closer to 500.
Thank you for you time.

TelePaul

Why not a 400D?

Cabaal

400D sells for 525e on komplett,ie, add another 20e for shipping and your sorted comes with kit lens too

nilhg

Thats a ecclectic list OK.

The reality is that each of the cameras you list will be fine for you, I suppose it will come down to the best combination of price and features.

I have the E510 and find it to be a fine camera, I wouldnt worry too much about the auto focus or the live view, they will be much better than what you have already.

helios

If you're just starting out, I would also suggest the 400D or even the 450D. They're inexpensive, and will give you a great basis to learn from without spending loads of cash.

Rael

Cabaal wrote: »

400D sells for 525e on komplett,ie, add another 20e for shipping and your sorted comes with kit lens too

He also may be eligible to get €60 cashback from Canon until June 30th in their promotion. Its also down to €520 now!

sergiotheonly

Thanks for the quick replies. As for the 400d, I have this strange tendancy to not go for the most popular option, I can't really explain why. The 450d does seem like a nice camera, though a little expensive. It would make more practical sense to buy into a major brand I suppose...

Has anyone played with/owned the pentax then?

Nilhg, have you found any difficulty with being attached to a less popular brand, in terms of the availability of lenses/accessories?

To be honest, the only 'extra' I'm really interested in would be in camera image stabilisation, hence the concentration on the pentax and olympus, rather than a canon or nikon. I realise that these other cameras have stabilised lenses but they are typically more expensive.

Calina

I'm thinking you're not going to use the 6.5fps of the 40D looking at your photostream but in case, here are two possible circumstances:

1) Someone once recommended it in some situations at weddings in that if you continuous shoot a family portrait, for example, you were likely to wind up with at least one shot where no one had their eyes closed. I've never tried it because my flash isn't that great with it.

2) I personally use them for sequential shots involving multiple exposures and 4 hours in Photoshop. If you're going to shoot sports, you may find it very useful.

The 40D is a common as muck camera around here. Frankly, it seems like everyone has it.

sergiotheonly

Calina wrote: »

The 40D is a common as muck camera around here. Frankly, it seems like everyone has it.

Seems like some expensive kit for everyone to have, I think I need to get a better job

nilhg

sergiotheonly wrote: »

Has anyone played with/owned the pentax then?

have a look for posts by Andy McInlroy

sergiotheonly wrote: »

Nilhg, have you found any difficulty with being attached to a less popular brand, in terms of the availability of lenses/accessories?

Not really, I have the two kit lenses, which most folks agree are of a higher standard than most, the 70-300 which is a great lens for the money and the sigma 30 f1.4 which covers the low light situations.

I feel I'm covered for most situations, its not really a pro setup, but then I'm not a pro......

Many of the sigma lenses are available for fourthirds, you might find it hard to pick them up in an Irish shop, but thats what Ebay is for.;)

sergiotheonly

And would anyone recommend buying the camera itself off ebay?
The prices are very appealing but the possibility (probability) of all that
income duty and tax is less so.
Nilhg, do you find the viewfinder like looking down a tunnel? I just remember
reading that opinion several times. I understand that it has something to do with
the four-thirds system.

nilhg

sergiotheonly wrote: »

And would anyone recommend buying the camera itself off ebay?
The prices are very appealing but the possibility (probability) of all that
income duty and tax is less so.
Nilhg, do you find the viewfinder like looking down a tunnel? I just remember
reading that opinion several times. I understand that it has something to do with
the four-thirds system.

I bought mine fro computeruniverse.de
no worries about VAT from there and eu stock so 2 year warranty, you could also do a search for an ebay shop called emiliyandlily, they are UK based but source HK stock so no vat worries there either.

The viewfinder issue comes up in reviews but I don't beleive its much worse than the other aps-c cameras, if its a worry to you go to a shop and handle the camera.

sergiotheonly

Had a look at emilyandlily a while ago, still a little reticent to use ebay and join the lottery of hoping i don't get any extra charges at my door. Very nice prices for the olympus there though - anyone used them in the past?

duffarama

Sergio, I use an E-410 and haven't had any problems with the viewfinder. It's reasonably bright and I also shoot a film SLR and don't have any problems adjusting. The viewfinder on a SLR being much bigger!

As for the auto focus, it's all to do with the lens. The kit lenses are decent enough but I recently got the 12-60 SWD and the auto focus is now unbelievably quick.

As for accessories, there are a few UK based shops on ebay who you can buy from as here in Ireland the prices are a little on the high side.

sergiotheonly

Has anyone had much of a chance to play with the canon 450d then? Think I may have been a little silly to not consider it, have read a lot of positive reviews...

melekalikimaka

why not try nikon?? d80 maybe? d300 if you really want something amazing
also nikon is sexier




:D:D:D:D

bored today as you can see

sergiotheonly

hee hee
is it just me or is the one on the right... bigger
is that what happens when you add megapixels?

yea the d300 is lovely (like the vga screen) but a little out of
my price range.

Freddie59

sergiotheonly wrote: »

Has anyone had much of a chance to play with the canon 450d then? Think I may have been a little silly to not consider it, have read a lot of positive reviews...

I have the 450D. It's a great camera. Have a look at my Flickr page. Most of the images are taken using it (check the exif data).

I personally find the Live View indispensible for composing a shot. If you can afford the few bob more then go for it. The lens is IS.:)

Marty DiBergi

sergiotheonly wrote: »

Has anyone had much of a chance to play with the canon 450d then? Think I may have been a little silly to not consider it, have read a lot of positive reviews...

It comes with an IS lens as standard-correct? Is it a decent piece of glass? I know previous Canon kit lenses were average at best.

Freddie59

Marty DiBergi wrote: »

It comes with an IS lens as standard-correct? Is it a decent piece of glass? I know previous Canon kit lenses were average at best.

Have a look at my flickr page and you'll see. It's a very good lens according to those in the know. I can't comment as I'm not experienced enough.

It ain't no L Lens but is fine for someone just starting out - like me!:)

Here's a review:

http://photo.net/equipment/canon/efs18-55/

You can get the 450D delivered from Here for €660.

Marty DiBergi

Freddie59 wrote: »

Have a look at my flickr page and you'll see. It's a very good lens according to those in the know. I can't comment as I'm not experienced enough.

It ain't no L Lens but is fine for someone just starting out - like me!:)

Here's a review:

http://photo.net/equipment/canon/efs18-55/

You can get the 450D delivered from Here for €660.

Thanks for the link. Only starting out myself, have yet to see anything really bad about the new Canon. I will wait a while before I get something more decent to play with.

sergiotheonly

That pricing, from 7dayshop, for the Canon 450d is pretty amazing, especially considering I trawled the streets of Dublin today and didn't see one under 899 (was actually told several times that they were in short supply).
I have to admit, after handling the cameras on my shortlist properly, the Canon is more appealing than I originally thought. It felt extremely solid in my hands and the extra half inch in the LCD really made a difference over the Olympus (the LCD was also exceptionally bright and clear).
I'm still not sure, as I can get the E-510 for a good 70 quid cheaper with 2 lenses and I don't have to worry about in-lens image stabilisation but the Canon 450d is a definite contender now.

nilhg

Be careful with 7dayshop with expensive items, they're in the Channel Islands and VAT is not the same as direct from the UK

If the delivery address for your order is in the United Kingdom, all prices shown are FULLY INCLUSIVE of UK VAT where applicable and all goods are in FREE CIRCULATION within the EU. No further duties or taxes are payable upon receipt of your order - we pay these for you.

For all deliveries which are made outside of the UK, you may be asked to pay Sales Tax at the correct rate for your delivery country. This may be charged on top of the price paid to us, and is collected by your Post Office when your goods are delivered.

We cannot discount any of our prices for whatever reason but would like you to note that all items in our catalogue with an individual value of under £18 are exempt from any Sales Tax (VAT).

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/info.php?PHPSESSID=9c10da934fb7f4243857ebf87ea7dea8

sergiotheonly

cheers for the heads up nilhg but I think I have a english based relative getting the ferry over with their car in the near future. Not that I condone dodging such charges but as they're coming anyway...

Freddie59

nilhg wrote: »

Be careful with 7dayshop with expensive items, they're in the Channel Islands and VAT is not the same as direct from the UK



http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/info.php?PHPSESSID=9c10da934fb7f4243857ebf87ea7dea8

You can also get it from komplett.ie for the same price with no duty worries.:)

Fionn

i've sent you a note on a deal you might be interested in

good luck whatever you get!!

TiM_rEAPeR

I've brought this up before, but a lot of people lean against anything not cannon.. but maybe im just biased because I don't own one. But thats not the issue here so don't bother bringing it up guys.

I got the olympus e410 about 6 months ago and I think its probably one of the best starter kits. Considering lenses cost somewhere around 200-500 euro. The combination of a wide 15-44mm and 50-150mm really enhance your options with that kit, and straight off the bat you get a sense of what its like to have an SLR having to change lenses, and testing different scenes and views with the lenses. Real value for money. I can't stress how starting out with 2 lenses has such a learning advantage.

The only fault I find with the e410, as stated by the reviews is the lack of focus stability on the long zoom. However, you wont have that problem at all if you go for the e510 (which you of course stated), which completely eliminated that fault.

The compact size and the fact thats is one of the lightest SLR's to date make it an easier transition from a digital camera. The live view finder is a bit of a gimmick, and becomes pretty mundane when out and about.. but it does make a nice selling feature.