DSLR choice

Trizo

Hi All,

I'm looking to get a good entry level DSLR , i have been using a Fuji Finepix
S7000 for a good while now and i just want to get something a bit better.

i have a few DSLR's in mind but would like some feedback from people who may use them.

i was looking at :
Canon EOS 450D Kit EF-S 18-55mm IS
Canon EOS 1000D Kit EF-S 18-55mm IS
Nikon D60 Kit AF-S DX 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II
Sony DSLR-A100 Alpha Digital SLR + 18-70mm Lens

I'm leaning towards the 450D as from reading posts here a lot of people rate it highly. Should i consider any of the others over it?

Thanks
Trizo

TheNorthBank

Have you considered the 40D? There's a brand new one for sale here: http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=82797&cat=51 You'll pick up an 18-55 IS pretty cheap if you shop around or just look out for a good deal on a better lens.

Trizo

Hi

Thanks i hadn't considered the 40D as it was just a bit out of the price range i was looking at (around 600) but that link is on the range so i wouldnt rule it out now. I wouldnt have a problem going second hand either.

Do you own a 40D ?

Trizo

Mycroft H

The sony a200 is the one ya want. D replacement for the a100. Only slightly more expensive. One thing wit the d60 it has no built in auto focus motor, any new lens u buy will need the ssm built in motor and there bout 100 to 150 more expensive. The a200 is a perfect starter camera - i hav one myself and its brilliant. Also read the reviews on dpreview.com or imagingresource aswell - there pretty good sites

Trizo

Thanks ill keep the Sony in mind , would i be better paying the bit extra for one of the Canon's ? or would the A200 be a match? .
I will prob narrow the list to 2 and then check them out in a shop to see how they fit.

AnCatDubh

Trizo wrote: »

Hi All,

i was looking at :
Canon EOS 450D Kit EF-S 18-55mm IS
Canon EOS 1000D Kit EF-S 18-55mm IS
Nikon D60 Kit AF-S DX 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II
Sony DSLR-A100 Alpha Digital SLR + 18-70mm Lens

All of the above really :rolleyes:

They are all actually brilliant camera's for starters and even as a starter camera they might actually suffice to your needs for a very long time.

The problem with the question that you ask here is that the forum is occupied by many brand loving individuals (myself included - i'd send you to a Pentax offering :pac:). Around here, we are all so full of emotion on our own gear that you are unlikely to get an impartial opinion (to be expected given our love for our gear).

In terms of popularity the Canon's and the Nikon's far out shine anything else. The sony is an upstart (relatively new but taking the market by storm) and as another poster has said is going down a treat with their users.

Olympus also do some very nice entry level gear which is really cost effective - A number of really committed Olympus users around this place too.

The canon and nikon have wonderful 'paths to greatness' when you decide that you will be gear rich and cash poor (which eventually consumes all of us). There are lots, and lots, and lots, of options and add on's with these brands which you may not have with some of the others.

You can do some comparisons over at dpreview.com - follow this link

Oh yeah, and then buy Pentax :eek:

bmcgrath

450D with that 18-55 IS lens is a decent setup.
Canon have improved their 18-55 lens quite a bit over previous versions. It has better IQ but build quality is still a bit.......crap hehe.

You can't go wrong with that Nikon either. But if I were you I'd spend the extra € on the 40D as it's a fantastic camera.

nilhg

The reality is that in the segment of the market you are looking at there really are no bad cameras, in fact I would say that for the money they are all bloody fantastic.
I've jost been reading this from the online photographer

Now comes digital. And let me just say this: Hallelujah! Forgive me for not entering the debate over various cameras and their noise levels more earnestly. (Although I do like my D700.) The point is, all these cameras are wonderful! With any one of the current cameras we can bring huge swathes of the world into focus that were hitherto off limits. We are seeing great picture stories emerge from the darkness. This is a real revolution. Finally we can go where people really live and work and bring back images of impact and beauty.

Your choice will really come down to one or other of the following,

Feel in your hands

Features, like dust busting, inbody IS, live view

Availability of loan addons (have any of your pals a big collection of lenses, flashes?)

Best of luck with your choice and come back and show us some photos.

Trizo

Hey all,

Thanks for the replies , i kinda figured they were all good as they all appear in the top 20 purchased DSLR's on most sites.
like with most things sometimes too much choice leaves you unable to pick
but its a nice choice to have.

I have been reading up on all of the reviews and even the posts on boards from when the cameras came out, seems like the 450D is a very good starter and the 40D would be considered a semi-pro camera. The sheer number of reviews online leaves you boggle eyed sometimes :eek:

I would like to get a camera that offers the best ranges of lenses etc .. and at reasonable prices as i know some lenses can set you back something awful.
I would be interested in Landscape & sports photography mostly.

I saw the Pentax K20D but again that was just a bit out of my range although i didnt check out second hand market.

i guess unless there is any major features lacking with the cameras i might go check out the
450D,40D & A200

Thanks
Trizo

TheNorthBank

Trizo wrote: »

Hi

Thanks i hadn't considered the 40D as it was just a bit out of the price range i was looking at (around 600) but that link is on the range so i wouldnt rule it out now. I wouldnt have a problem going second hand either.

Do you own a 40D ?

Trizo

Hi Trizo,

No I don't personally own a 40D, I currently use a 400D and a Fuji Finepix S9500. I wouldn't upgrade to the 40D myself as there's not enough between the 40D and 400D to justify the money but if I was in your position and didn't have a 400 or 450D already I'd go for the 40D as it is definately a step up from the 400/450D.

Good luck with whichever camera you eventually plump for, and like the previous poster said... Come back and show us your pictures!!!

AnimalRights

40D if you can push it and if not the 450D, had both and totally happy with both of them.

Blazer

Buy the 400D and spend the money you would have spend on a 40D on a bigger lense.
Have the 400D and it's a great camera. You won't be disappointed.

AnimalRights

I also owned the 400D and while its a decent entry level cam the 450D was far better.
The shutter button was also very plasticky sounding on the 400D and it also only had the 2.5" screen.

Freddie59

AnimalRights wrote: »

I also owned the 400D and while its a decent entry level cam the 450D was far better.
The shutter button was also very plasticky sounding on the 400D and it also only had the 2.5" screen.

+1 to that.

dakar

nilhg wrote: »

The reality is that in the segment of the market you are looking at there really are no bad cameras, in fact I would say that for the money they are all bloody fantastic.
I've jost been reading this from the online photographer



Your choice will really come down to one or other of the following,

Feel in your hands

Features, like dust busting, inbody IS, live view

Availability of loan addons (have any of your pals a big collection of lenses, flashes?)

Best of luck with your choice and come back and show us some photos.

Can we please sticky this post. I think its the best, most balanced answer I've seen to the 'which DSLR should I get?' question.

delly

A lot of people here rate the 450d as a far better camera than the 1000d, but I checked all the specs etc. out and for the money I saved, I'm of the opinion there not too far apart. The difference in price also allows me to buy the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens as well, which is a pretty necessary next purchase if you get further into it.

Ironically enough, I've also just upgraded from a Fuji S7000, and the difference in how the two camera operates is like night and day.

Freddie59

delly wrote: »

A lot of people here rate the 450d as a far better camera than the 1000d, but I checked all the specs etc. out and for the money I saved, I'm of the opinion there not too far apart. The difference in price also allows me to buy the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens as well, which is a pretty necessary next purchase if you get further into it.

Ironically enough, I've also just upgraded from a Fuji S7000, and the difference in how the two camera operates is like night and day.

Maybe, maybe not. I had a Fuji s5000 for four years. Superb pictures.

Here's a comparison:

First one taken with the Fuji (in auto); second one with the 450D.

delly

Freddie59 wrote: »

Maybe, maybe not. I had a Fuji s5000 for four years. Superb pictures.

Well i'm not going to say the Fuji doesn't take a good picture, but I was more referring to the functionality and speed of taking shots compared to the Fuji.

Freddie59

delly wrote: »

Well i'm not going to say the Fuji doesn't take a good picture, but I was more referring to the functionality and speed of taking shots compared to the Fuji.

Yeah, I see what you're saying alright. But quality-wise (given the Fuji's specs) they were brilliant. I would have loved to have bought a Fuji DSLR, but they were WAY too expensive.

Trizo

Hey all,

Well I went for the 450D in the end picked it up bout a week before Christmas from 7dayshop and I love the camera haven’t been able to put it down didn’t think I’d be able to take pictures like I see on some peoples flikrs and such but i have to say iv totally got the photography bug now can’t seem to stay off the canon forums and boards photography. can’t seem to stop looking at "glass" either so im gonna have to try and win the lotto

I would recommend it to anyone looking to move up from a bridge camera or point and shoot but id say any of the cameras that i was looking at would have me feeling the same way.

As asked in the thread i have taken some shots and set up a flikr account have the widget setup too below. i have had to resize the photos to accommodate the size requirements on flikr so i don’t know if i have lost resolution or quality by doing this but it at least allows me to put up the pictures. I use the DPP software included with the camera (don’t have Photoshop).can anyone tell me the best way of resizing without losing quality ? and if anyone wants to comment on the photos that would be great.

Thanks all
Trizo

Scruff

Hi Trizo, i'm thinking of getting a 450D as well. Did you have any problems with shipping from 7dayshop? Was it caught for customs duty on the way in?

Trizo

Hey Scruff,

I had no problems i think i ordered it on a wed and had it by the following tue/wed, the box was a bit bashed on one side but there was no damage to the contents as it was well wrapped etc..wasnt caught for customs as i think 7dayshop is in the EU.

i only have the kit lens so far but from using it i would recommend to get it as its quite a good lens. the price in 7dayshop has even dropped by £30-40 since i bought it and you get cashback before a certain date making it even cheaper.

overall highly recommend it you can see some of the shots in my flikr below all taken since i got the 450D

Trizo

XLR8

Trizo wrote: »

...I would like to get a camera that offers the best ranges of lenses etc .. and at reasonable prices as i know some lenses can set you back something awful.
I would be interested in Landscape & sports photography mostly.

The beast doesn't exist!
Most camera bodies are more than capable these days but the most important part is the glass.
If you're planning on doing sports photography, then you should also be planning on BIG money for your lens/lenses and even bigger money when your wife finds out how much you've spent on them and divorces you

My theory on lenses is look at the best one you can afford for the job you want to do, then buy an even better one because there's nothing worse than spending a load of money on a lens and wishing you'd gone for a better one a few weeks later.

Trizo

XLR8 wrote: »

The beast doesn't exist!
Most camera bodies are more than capable these days but the most important part is the glass.
If you're planning on doing sports photography, then you should also be planning on BIG money for your lens/lenses and even bigger money when your wife finds out how much you've spent on them and divorces you

My theory on lenses is look at the best one you can afford for the job you want to do, then buy an even better one because there's nothing worse than spending a load of money on a lens and wishing you'd gone for a better one a few weeks later.

Haha so true but she has a handbag fetish so i have a counter argument :P , yeah i was gonna go for the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f4-5.6 IS Lens then i was going to go for Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM Lens but i have finally settled on the 70-200 L USM ... which from reading and looking at pictures seem the most reasonable priced best lens i can afford at the moment.

I figure for now i have the kit lens for landscape and portrait and then with the 70-200 ill have the zoom for sport with good light and nature. its straight to saving up after that for a better wide angle.... i can see now how some people say it never stops but at least with the £ being comparable to the € i might get a bit further.

Dink

Go for the F2.8 rather than the F4, save the tears of frustration later!!! :mad:
Recession??? What recession??

Mycroft H

Whos digging up all the old threads in this place?

Trizo

Dink wrote: »

Go for the F2.8 rather than the F4, save the tears of frustration later!!! :mad:
Recession??? What recession??

i wish , i can pick up the F4 for £411 but the 2.8 last time i checked was £1197 :eek: way way beyond my budget and i cant justify it. Having read up on the F4 though people seem to love this lens have you had bad experiences ?

Trizo

landyman wrote: »

Whos digging up all the old threads in this place?

sorry was asked to "Come back and show us your pictures!!!" in the thread so just keeping my word

Dink

Nah, I went another way, got the Sigma first then traded up for the Canon.

Mycroft H

Tamron make a great 70-200 f2.8, should be cheaper than the canon one but would it be in your budget?

Edit: Only £469 on warehouse express!! Far better and faster than the f4 canon

Trizo

landyman wrote: »

Tamron make a great 70-200 f2.8, should be cheaper than the canon one but would it be in your budget?

Is that this one:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-70-200mm-f-2.8-Di-Macro-Lens-Review.aspx

i think i looked at this one before i have just had a look at the review and it mentions the downside being the autofocus , the C 70-200F4 has USM so this would obviously be better. which would be more benificial to say sport photography the faster autofocus or the F2.8? im thinking the focus as i can prob boost the ISO and put up with the grain what do you think ? the price isnt much more than the canon either.....

Mycroft H

Trizo wrote: »

Is that this one:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Tamron-70-200mm-f-2.8-Di-Macro-Lens-Review.aspx

i think i looked at this one before i have just had a look at the review and it mentions the downside being the autofocus , the C 70-200F4 has USM so this would obviously be better. which would be more benificial to say sport photography the faster autofocus or the F2.8? im thinking the focus as i can prob boost the ISO and put up with the grain what do you think ? the price isnt much more than the canon either.....

Once you use continuios auto focus you will be fine - even my dads twenty year old 70 210 fixed f4 and to old 7d (my a200 focusus way quicker) focuses quick enough for sports. Trust me you will need the extra f stop in low light ie floodlights