Budget kit thoughts.....

pete s

pete s

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Long story short - I've been through a lot of kit over the years, from premium compacts, DSLRs (APS-C and FF) and mirrorless. For a while now I've been making do with my iPhone and a compact, as I haven't had the time or money to indulge further.

The trouble is I would like to do a bit of casual shooting in what little spare time I have. I would like to get myself something half reasonable on a budget, that I can keep in the car and grab when the opportunity presents itself to shoot a few landscapes and maybe a bit of wildlife.

So without spending a fortune, could I realistically get an older used DSLR body and a couple of half decent lenses and not be disappointed? Will older bodies like the Canon 50D still cut it, or am I better off looking elsewhere? I'm never going to afford big primes on my meagre budget, but maybe a couple of respectable zooms will do to cover my needs. I'm not totally sure of how much to put aside for this, but my first thought was £500-600. Seems like not a lot, but surely something is possible with that.

Thoughts and opinions welcome.
 
You can get pretty decent kit for that! I mean a brand new Nikon D3300 with 2 lenses under budget.

Could also get a Canon 750D with 18-55 & get a 55-250 (both with IS) for under £600
 
I'm a bit out of touch, so not sure what costs what these days. It's good to know that I can acquire some new kit for my budget, but how does used stack up? I'm assuming I could get some higher end pre-owned older stuff, but would it be any good compared to more up to date gear?
 
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D3300 afp 18-55 55-200 vrii s/h total around£300-350, excellent sensor and wide coverage
 
What about if I wanted to lose the shorter zoom option and get something with a bit more reach?
 
I have a 50d (from mpb it was about £199), it takes a decent photo. High ISO can be a bit limiting, but that depends upon expectations.
If wildlife is a thing you like, then a crop sensor is probably better for you (although not so good if you are shooting in low light).
For landscapes then ideally you would be better off with a ff camera, but that's unlikely to be available with your budget.
Most cameras will do a decent job for a Hobbyist/casual user.
 
Before my 7Dmkii I used a 50D and found it to be a fantastic bit of kit, so much so that I decided to keep it rather than sell it for such little money.

Have a look at some of the flickr groups and you will see that it is still more than capable and in fact images are almost impossible to distinguish from much higher spec cameras when coupled with some decent glass.
 
pete s said:
...but my first thought was £500-600. Seems like not a lot, but surely something is possible with that.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. You can get a decent DSLR body and 2-3 lenses in that price range from Canon or Nikon. Mirrorless also possible, although the glass tends to be more expensive.

My personal choice was a Canon 100D for it's tiny (for a DSLR) size. Second hand body + 18-55mm Kit lens for £250, new 24mm f2.8 lens for £135. Grand total of £385 and I'm very happy with it.
 
You could pick up a D7100 and get a 18-55 & 55-300 for budget if you keep an eye on the classifieds.
 
You cam certainly get some decent second hand kit. I have a Canon Eos 100D. Very much like it, to be honest. Its bobbing on a. bit, but I'm very happy with the performance!
 
Nikon d5500 I had was very good and the touch swivel screen and very good sensor make it feel very modern and hi-tech.
 
Is old kit good - god yes. Work within it's limitations (iso/noise etc) and you'll get great shots, just like people did when it was new and the latest thing :D

I shot so many photos which sold with my old 50D
 
Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. I will take a look at those.
 
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