Beginners DSLR

[Red Devils]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying a DSLR as currently I only have a small sony cybershot. I am slowing getting into photography and was wondering if the camera below would be a good one to start off with?

Sony DSLRA230 10.2MP Camera with 18-55mm Zoom Lens

It is currently on offer.

Thanks, Lisa

 

[Dave450]

An older Canon\Nikon?? No idea on nikon numbers, but a Canon 400D is cheap as chips second hand and is a very capable camera.

 

[Kemble3]

Second hand Canon 400D or 450D with a kit lens would fit the bill, both good starter cameras. Some great second hands ones available in the for sale section here too.

 

[woof woof]

Lisa,

The general consensus seems to be that there's very little between cameras these days and that you should buy on features, how good the deal is, the range of accessories available and (probably most importantly...) if the camera feels right for you and you like the controls and handling.

One thing in the Sony's favour is that it has in body image stabilisation and any lens fitted will therefore benefit from image stabilisation. Canon and Nikon camera don't have image stabilisation built in and therefore if you want it you have to buy image stabilised lenses.

And a direct answer...Yes. I think you'll be happy with the Sony.

 

[lawrie29]

If you have the budget then try the Fuji HS10. It's a bridge camera, so it has loads of features of the top end Dslr's, but has one fixed lens, which goes from something like 28mm to 700mm. WHich is a massive range. You get all the same features as a dslr, and it is less than £400.

It means you can try pretty much any type of photography, from Macro to wildlife, portraits to sports, without having to buy lots of lenses.

So you can work out wht you like to shoot, andthen if you are still focussed on togging, then have a bit more experience to see which system you wish to take it further.

I keep bringing it up on these threads, because it is a perfectly sensible option, that actually gives you more scope for photos.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

If you have the budget then try the Fuji HS10. It's a bridge camera, so it has loads of features of the top end Dslr's, but has one fixed lens, which goes from something like 28mm to 700mm. WHich is a massive range. You get all the same features as a dslr, and it is less than £400.

We could live in an illusion world, but sorry this is not true. HS10 is still a toy camera with a tiny sensor and inherently will have much lower high ISO performance, poorer overall resolution and no real control of DOF. HS10 wouldn't have a proper viewfinder nor a good autofocus.

 

[goldenlight]

Lisa,

The general consensus seems to be that there's very little between cameras these days and that you should buy on features, how good the deal is, the range of accessories available and (probably most importantly...) if the camera feels right for you and you like the controls and handling.

One thing in the Sony's favour is that it has in body image stabilisation and any lens fitted will therefore benefit from image stabilisation. Canon and Nikon camera don't have image stabilisation built in and therefore if you want it you have to buy image stabilised lenses.

And a direct answer...Yes. I think you'll be happy with the Sony.

IMO handling should be the overarching and decisive factor, next features and lastly performance. I put performance last bcause these days there is no such thing as a bad camera and they all perform broadly similar within their price range.

If possible handle models from Sony, Olympus, Pentax, Nikon and Canon before making a decision. Given the standard advice on forums such as this, Olympus and Pentax might surprise you.