Another newby q please guys

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thecoder

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David
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Hello guys

great forum been reading a while with a view to getting into photography..I have no experience what so ever but love looking at photography the sort of thing that interests me are everyday situations people and their environments,Industrial landscapes,and the countryside.

I am in the market for my first DSLR and would appreciate your views on what would be a good entry level camera that would meet my needs.

kind regards

David.
 
Go into a shop with a display to look at (very rare nowadays)
Try them out and see what feels comfortable
Dont just get the first one the sales man sees and shows you
 
Any of them would meet your initial needs.
Arguably the major brands like Canon, Nikon may meet your needs further down the track, at a cost in lenses.

Go into a camera store and see how they look and feel to to you, and is in budget. If a camera doesn't feel good to use then you may be looking around for another one after a while.
 
Hi David and welcome :wave:

An idea of budget helps...

There are lots of threads on here re "which DSLR" - best advice is to try several makes / models out and see which feels the best for you, see whose menu system works best for you and also which one has the best buttons layout for you...

Hope this is of some help, enjoy your search and don't forget, what one person likes, another doesn't...
 
Thanks guys for the swift reply's, I have the oppurtunity to purchase a Nikon D60 I think its called its second hand and has had 9000 shutter clicks ?? the lens is 18-55mm if that makes any sense ? Or would you avoid the second user route and buy new ?

Also what size and type of lens would be suitable for what im trying to achieve .
David
 
Re the D60, and I have never used one ;
Depends on your budget and the price.
You may find this review helpful

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond60

9000 shutter clicks is not a lot.
I have never purchased a second hand camera.

Re an 18-55 lens.
That is what is known as a "standard" lens. A general purpose, relatively cheap, lens.
They may meet a lot of your shooting needs and if they do not they are a good start and then you will know what you may need next.
 
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The D60 is no longer made by Nikon. Its a basic entry level camera and is now old technology. That does not however mean its not a good camera.
I started out with its more basic version, the D40 and got on fine with it, as did many other people on here.
Just because it is old, does not mean its bad. As long as it has been looked after and is clean it is still capable of pictures as good as the day it came out of its box.
There are many people still using cameras older than the D60 and many still using it.

Taken from Flickr - Ranked #14 of 163 Nikon Cameras
9,567 uploads from 477 users yesterday

So looking at those stats, still a popular bit of kit.

As others have said though - get into a shop, play with different makes and models and choose what feels right for you. Some prefer Nikon, some Canon, some Sony etc. - you get the picture.
 
Any DSLR that meets your budget will meet your needs. They are all good but some are slightly better than others in certain areas but that is largely irrelevant at this point.
The typical advice is to go and try them but you may be like me and can just adapt to any camera you have in your hand.

If you are shooting mostly in daylight then old cameras are absolutely fine as the main technological improvements in the last 10 years have been around better handling of low light (higher ISO). You really don't need to spend much to get very good image quality. For example I am currently using a Sony A200 (£100) with a Sony 35mm lens (£100) and the image quality is excellent and as good as I will ever need.

In the last year I have also owned a Canon 20D, 1100D and use my wife's Sony A700. All very different cameras but all equally easy to use in my view.

If you are after brand new then go to John Lewis, Curry's to see which of the popular entry level models grab you. You can't really go wrong with any of them and any doubt on whether you bought the right one only comes from being on forums too much!
 
Hi folks,

Thank you for taking the time to give some quality feedback .

Dave.
 
I used to have a D60, it's not a bad camera,

However a current model (for instance the D3100) will perform better in low light conditions, has live view, will shoot video and has more autofocus points.

How cheap is the D60?
 
As for newer stuff, go for a D3100 if you like Nikon, it can produce some really nice images and it's nice and light too. Very easy to use aswell, or have a look at a Canon 500D/550D/600D. The they all have the same imaging processor (digic4) but the latter 2 have a brilliant 18mp sensor.

Looking into older stuff, for Canon..
50D, 40D for the upper tier models.
450D, 500D for lower tier :)

Nikon wise;
D60/D70 is a good option.
D5000 is also brilliant
 
I'm still using my Canon 60D, which have been my camera since I started photography. Right now there are a lot newer cameras available for you, but for me, choosing the right one will base on your budget, the tutoring that is available to you in regards to using that camera, and what you think suits your style.
 
I know a lot of people will disagree but if starting out buy either a Canon (my Fav) or Nikon as if you get into photography you will want to buy more lens etc. and as these are the 2 main brands it will give you mmore options. Also buy the best you can afford that way you may not want to upgrade as soon. There is a saying the "best camera to buy is the one that comes out 6 weeks after you've bought yours"...lol
 
Thanks for the feedack folks..I like to photograph amatuer rugby league games and would be interested in your views on which size lens to use .
 
ive shot rugby with my sigma 150-500mm lens a few times but when the light is dull sometimes it can need some alterations later if you are wanting to keep the shutter speed up.

and the best camera for your needs you really need to go into a shop wherever it may be and try a load of cameras as everyone on this forum will differ in oppionions... if they didnt then there would only be one camera manufacturer.

I swear by Canon, others swear by Pentax, Nikon, Sony... etc

Go and see how they feel and go from there.

And don't pay too much attention to how old the camera is or how many mp it has, the old 20D can still produce stunning images even though its only 8mp is one example.

People can moan about how old the sensor is in the 60D etc but the images it produces are stunning...

So i would certainly suggest the best course of action is to always try before you buy :)
 
parhole4 said:
I know a lot of people will disagree but if starting out buy either a Canon (my Fav) or Nikon as if you get into photography you will want to buy more lens etc. and as these are the 2 main brands it will give you mmore options. Also buy the best you can afford that way you may not want to upgrade as soon. There is a saying the "best camera to buy is the one that comes out 6 weeks after you've bought yours"...lol
Click to expand...

I would second this suggestion, not because I am a badge snob, but as Parhole says as you get more into it, you will want to buy better lenses with faster apertures ie. F2.8 or expensive primes (single focal length not zoom). Unfortunately these come with price tags into the thousands, however with Canon or Nikon second hand lenses are easier to find. For example MPB Photographic only sell second hand Canon and Nikon. Next step is find a shop and have a play with a few to find which one feels right in your hands. Also don't get too caught up with the whole Megapixel hype, anything over 8-10 MP will print fine up to A4 most now will go even bigger. I still have my canon 350d as a backup or when my 4 yo son wants to be like daddy and have a big camera :-)
 
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