I have been using a rubbish 3.2 MP camera for a while now and want to start thinking about getting a good SLR camera to learn with. I don't have much money to spend though and i'm not 100% sure on the market. Does anyone know of any good models I should consider?
Canon 350d or nikon d50/70 are the current budget faves!
Not around too often!
As Menthel says, assuming you're looking at "the big two" (which really, you want to be...) then it's the 350D // D50 // D70 that you're looking at.
The debate over which is better can, and given the chance, would go on forever. The Canon (350D) is overal the technically better camera. D70 pips it minorly on some things (1/8000 shutter over 1/4000 shutter) but nothing dramatic. However, to many, the D50 // D70 is ergonomically far superior, which, in an SLR is important.
Your best bet is to nip down to a photography shop and try them! See which you prefer the feel of, and which you prefer to use. Check out the menus, and press all the buttons!
I had a play with the current dslr models (pentax, canon, minolta, Nikon RRP less than £700) before getting my D70, to be honest they are all really good and my end decision was down to a couple of small features, not end picture quality (as they are all great). I visited a variety of shops in my own town and in London to try cameras, whilst browsing I was supprised at the number of people looking at slr's, and also the conflicting and sometimes crap advice people were given (I like to earwig). Some of the advice I suspect was down to shop sales figure and current stock rather than what was best for the customer. Best shop I found was london camera exchange in suprisingly London, they had taken photos with a range of cameras, and printed them in store so you could get an idea of what to expect. They also had battery packs charged for the models I tried there.
Just brought a d50 (nikon). What swung it? Had a look at images across the net , although dcresource.com had taken images of same location with similar lighting on similar objects. The d50 despite its 6mp ccd consistanly put out more detailed pictures although difference wasnt huge. Also the build quality and ergonomics is excellent, I can take iso800 at 0.6s shutter speeds without hardly any shake.
But as mentioned, go check them yourself and see what you prefer. They're all pretty close minus a few features here and there in honesty.
Oh and before I forget, ending the 25th of jan, apple store uk has the Nikon d50 + standard lens + 1gb SD card for £479 including shipping which is not bad at all...closest was 459 at jessops without the SD card.
Anyway ill post some images in the next few days if that helps along with pros and cons. Feel free to pm if you want.
Personally I think that the KM Dynax 5D is the best budget DSLR but I'm admittedly a bit biased as a long time Minolta user.Originally Posted by menthel
Still it has a lot going for it & body & 18-70mm can be had for ~£440 if you search.
But the best advice is to get down to a shop & try handling them as what suits one person doesn't suit everybody.
Famished, you should also have a read up on the basics of SLRs and what the different settings mean so that when you go it for a play, you can make sense of things. There is a lot to take in with all of them
I have done quite a bit of reading but I want to make sure that I get the right one if I am spening this much money. That Apple offer looks really good I will check it out. Gonna head out to Jessops to mess around with some of them
Thanks for all your advice guys.
there are a few important tests you should do before walking out of the shop with a dSLR though...and please make sure you're satisfied with what you get before you walk out, its not a good idea to spnd lots of money on something that doesn;t work as good as it should.
lcd check
turn on the camera and take a few shots, and see how they are on the lcd, just a quick basic check to see if there's any fault with the lcd at all. reject if there's blown pixels or always on ones.
sensor dust check:
select apperture priority mode, doesn't matter what make you go for as all slr's have this mode (in canon its Av, nikon its a simple A), stop the lens right down to its maximum f number. perhaps around f22-f32? point the camera at something with a light background, like the sky or something and take a picture. on the lcd zoom in a little and have a look around the image, if you see lots of little black dots do not buy this camera, its full of dust on the sensor. I rejected 5 before handing any money over...
hot pixel check;
you may need a computer screen to check this so just see how things go. put the lens cap back on and select manual mode, increase the shutter time to around 5 seconds and take a picture - with lens cap on. if you can load the image onto a computer screen and blow up to 100%, and look around carefully for any blue or red or white dots. if there are any then it means that camera has some hot/stuck pixels. again would you want something thats faulty from the word go?
In this day and age a good shop would help you get a decent camera, I went through 5 before I was satisfied with what I had, in the end it didn't focus right and I took it back after a couple of weeksbut there's no way of knowing that until you do a few test shots. and it happened with all my lenses too
I think you'll be happy with what ever you end up with once you know its a good'un, if you can buy the BEST lenses you can afford. image quality is more about the lens than the camera itself. ask all the questions you need and never pay for something you're not sure about, its your money after all!
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Problem is that there are few good shops (at least up here) & they usually aren't the cheapest ( sometimes it's worth paying more).
When I went to try a 5D the battery wasn't charged & it had been left with various settings in some really strange positions which would have effected the results & therefore the in-shop impression. The staff didn't have much of a clue either - luckily with my background I was able to spot & correct the settings but your average punter ...
I must consider myself as a very average user although I have always loved taking pictures and want to take it onto the next level.
Is there any good books that I can use to advance my knowledge or any good websites.
A few months ago I was in pretty much the same position, and i've not looked back since getting an SLR. I picked up a D70, and was lucky to have an online mate I could always ask silly little questions to... But IMO that's the best way, playing and asking questions.
As for the sensor dust check Shiato talks of, just a few more things to add to that : Don't worry about camera shake - it won't effect how well the dust shows up. Also, throwing the lens slightly off focus can help to show up dust spots a lot better.
Aside from the obvious three (Camera body // lens // memory card) there are a few very good investments that I think should come hand-in-hand with all that.
First off, and this applies to any and every lens you pick up, a UV filter. It doesn't matter how cheap or **** it is, or how many coatings etc.. it has - use it as a protective cover for your lens, and always leave it on. Should you knock / scratch the filter, it costs a few bob to replace. If you knock / scratch the lens front element it costs a fortune to repair (if it can be at all) or may just be permanently marred.
Also, for dSLR's, some sort of method of cleaning the sensor is pretty essential. There are various kits // methods you can use, but my favourite is a rocket blower, which can be had for a fiver from any Jessops. Unless you never ever change lenses, you will eventually get dust on your sensor - and you don't want to leave it there.
oh yeah forgot that...maybe would be good to make a sticky for 'how to check dslrs before you buy' thread?...
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I know I could have done with it!
What's that website with all the examples of pictures from every camera?
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