Getting into DSLR Photography best Entry Level Camera?

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ZRMan

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Hi everyone.

I am very interested into getting into photography as a hobby or maybe more but firstly i need my first SLR camera. I have been looking at the budget SLR's such as the Fuji s5500, s5600, s5700 and now the Fuji Finepix S6500fd.

I am looking at paying under the 200 mark really as i just want something to learn with and once i decide i want to get seriously into photography i will progress.

Now im hearing alot about purple fringing, ISO image noise etc from these cameras but im not sure if this is because people are expecting too much from them? I have looked on the site www.flikr.com etc and seem the quality of images that can be produced from these cameras and have been impressed.

The things i would want to shoot would be mainly static images such as cars and landscapes and then moving images which would be mainly motor racing and watersports.

By taking these things into consideration i was wondering if any of you can recommend what i should get camera wise. And also if any of you have these cameras i have mentioned can you recommend them?

Thanks

ZRMan
 
Those Fuji cameras arn't SLRs, they are just SLR-like.

If your getting into photography then go for an SLR. For £200 you could probably get a 2nd hand Canon EOS 350D, perfect for a beginner.

Also something like a Nikon D70 or something (someone else can probably point out a better Nikon for that price as i'm a Canon man).
 
Oh right :S

Ok thanks, Ok can anyone suggest any for around £200?
 
Yeah the Canon EOS 350D is probably around that price. There's loads on eBay.

Just shop around, 350Ds are going cheap as chips these days :D
 
Hmmm the cheapest i can find is 350 pounds.

What are the fuji ones then?

Are they good stepping stones? for example i could get the fuji s5700 for around 100 pounds and would this have similar features to the slr for somebody learning?
 
I started off with a Fuji S9600, which isnt a true SLR (they call them Bridge cams as they "bridge" the gap between Compacts and SLRS)

Getting an SLR needs thought, the most important part of an SLR is not the body but the lenses you stick on it! and good ones are not cheap!

The fujis are ideal for learning on as the majority of them have alot of the features you would find on an SLR, are really easy to use and you dont need to spend £1000's to get the next best lens! (the s9600 has a fixed lens with an equivelent of 28-300mm which is good enough to cover all styles of photograpy but bear in mind you wont get anywhere near the quality of a decent lens on a decent SLR.

With a budget of £200 id say a bridge is your best bet for now
 
Oh yea whoops sorry i just assumed they were slr cameras because they looked like them.

Have you got any pictures that you took with the fuji?
 
I looked at the Fuji first but decided to spend that bit more to get a true DSLR camera.

I'm only a beginner myself so wasn't really to sure what to choose but in the end it was between the Nikon D40 (which I bought) and the Pentax K100D (i think that was the model). I undertsand both are entry level cameras although when looking at images taken with both the D40 seemed to scrape into the lead for me (im sure some would disagree probably ;))

i seem to think you can get the Pentax for around £250 if you shop around although the Nikon is a little more. I know these are both slightly over your budget though.

The only other thing i can suggest is having a look in the cash converter type shops. There is a CEX in Sheffield that has second hand DSLR cameras although how well they've been treated is anyones guess I suppose!
 
dizzledazzle said:
All the pics in the galleries below were taken with the 9600..

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=52704&l=0c897&id=735300369

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51529&l=cc44e&id=735300369
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They are amazing!!! love the london eye pics :)

I might just get one of these cameras to start with looks like it does everything i would want it to do.

Do you think the s5700 would perform similarly? http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2007/07/20/Fujifilm-FinePix-S5700/p1
 
If it were me, id stick with the 9600, it may be worth you checking ebay for the S9500 - they are identical apart from the 9600 having a slighter bigger lcd monitor and improved autofocus (although i couldnt tell the difference)

you can deffo get a 9500 for around £160-£200

:thumbs:
 
See if you can get hold of a Nikon D100.
They are very well built and more reliable than the old D70 and D70s.
The D100 is 6Mp and it doesn't have those "idiot" modes, just M, A, S &P
I have one and use aperture priority all of the time.
There is a battery grip, MB-D100 which you can use with AA batteries or two Nikon rechargeable Lithiom ion batteries.
The viewfinder is large and bright too. ;)
 
Personally I woulden't start on anything less than an SLR, pretty soon after buying it you will want to take your photography a step further and SLR-like cameras don't really give you that option.
 
8utters said:
Personally I woulden't start on anything less than an SLR, pretty soon after buying it you will want to take your photography a step further and SLR-like cameras don't really give you that option.
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Yea ive been thinking this so im going to buy the cheapest of these bridge cameras. I have decided to go for a fuji s5700 reviewed here

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2007/07/20/Fujifilm-FinePix-S5700/p1

Then once i decide whether or not i want to take photography further after messing with apature and shutter times etc i wont have lost that much and i can just sell this on and buy an SLR :)

So anyway thats the plan:thumbs:
 
Yeah but if you buy an SLR to start with, when you want to go further, you can just buy a nicer lens instead of a whole new camera. I also think that the value of SLR-like cameras will deterioate at a quicker rate than an SLR.

I just think it's a waste of money to go with an SLR-like camera really when you can get an SLR with loads more features, more lenses & accessories for around the same price / not much more.

Why be restricted to a body/camera which will limit what you can do when you can get something like a 350D or 400D and take FAR superior photos? If your looking to get into photography even semi-seriously, I strongly recommend you get an SLR.
 
8utters said:
Yeah but if you buy an SLR to start with, when you want to go further, you can just buy a nicer lens instead of a whole new camera. I also think that the value of SLR-like cameras will deterioate at a quicker rate than an SLR.

I just think it's a waste of money to go with an SLR-like camera really when you can get an SLR with loads more features, more lenses & accessories for around the same price / not much more.

Why be restricted to a body/camera which will limit what you can do when you can get something like a 350D or 400D and take FAR superior photos? If your looking to get into photography even semi-seriously, I strongly recommend you get an SLR.
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That's what convinced me. I was going to get the S9600, but instead, I decided to get the Nikon D40 at a little extra (second hand), and I love it!

Here are some pictures I've taken today with it:
 
I see your points but i dont have that kind of money to spend at the moment:(

If anyone can point me in the direction of a cheap slr camera second hand then i will be very greatful :)
 
Ok you guys have talked me out of it so what im going to do is wait until after xmas and hope some are in the sales :)

So what should i be looking at buying? a Nikon D40 or a Canon?
 
ZRMan said:
Ok you guys have talked me out of it so what im going to do is wait until after xmas and hope some are in the sales :)

So what should i be looking at buying? a Nikon D40 or a Canon?
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Good idea, I would suggest going into a shop that sells cameras and ask to have a play about with one, I work at currys in the digital imaging department and we're always more than happy to let customers try out the cameras.

I was in your situation, the Nikon was tempting, but I eventualy chose to get a Canon mainly because of the limited selection of lens's with autofocus motors in for the D40.

Hope this helps :)
 
ZRMan said:
Yea that helps thanks :)

What models would you recommend?
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I've got a Canon EOS 400D arriving tommorow, it's a great camera and I love it after playing around with it a lot at work. If you were looking for a cheaper alternative I'd say a good choice would be the 350D which you can pick up second hand for peanuts, and from what I've heard it's still a bloody good camera!
 
lol, what have I been saying this whole thread!

The current entry level Canon EOS camera is the 400D, the equivilent Nikon is the D80 (bear in mind that the D80 costs a bit more).

Since the 400D is out of your price range (it's £400 with the kit lens) go for a 350D as i'v been saying, it's cheap and perfect for a beginner.

It depends what you feel most comfortable with, I swear by Canon but others swear by Nikon...
 
They are very expensive i could really do with a second hand one i think.

Thanks for your help guys :) and yea sorry 8utters i just decided the argument against was too great. So i'll wait and see what happens :)
 
You can't really buy 350Ds new, they are discontinued so you can pretty much only get second hand ones. Not really a problem, they are much cheaper than new, and (usualy) work just as well.
 
i wouldnt put a nikon d80 down as an entry level camera
 
The D80 is a physically bigger camera, which IMO is better. Sometimes find the 400D (and D40) a little small in the right hand.
I nearly went for the D40 twin lens kit, but the sales guy was saying about the limited lenses, and so I ended up going for the 400D and a load of extras. Always see what they'll throw in. I bought mine at a camera show. You'll probably find more "previously loved" equipment in january as well, as people trade in stuff they've had replaced as xmas presents. And you can ask people to get you bit for it for xmas, like memory cards, and filters, and spare batteries, maybe lenses. Although you would need to know what camera you're getting. Or maybe have as many people as possible club together to get you one.
 
If you havent got the money then the bridge camera is way better.

Buying DSLR cheap will give you the cam back and a lens that will only do one type of photography. Atleast with the fuji you get it all just a little lacking on the quality and TBH the fuji gets good results so i doubt you'll be too sorry. I still use my s5600 lots.

The Fuji s9500/9600 is the way to go if you not sure that you even want to do/ good at photography and it will mean you spend less. It will have a resale value if you decide to take it further.

Amazon have the s9600 in at £205
 
Defo go the SLR route, as it will give you a good starting base - IMO, yes a bridge will cover everything you need now, but if your like most of us on here, after a few months you'll want more, then more, then more, its a slippery slope, you just got to dig you heels in now and again, well try at least.

As to branding go into your local Jessops etc and have a try on all the budget cams ie nikon/canon/olly etc.

That way you will get a better idea of what you like.

At the end of the day be it Canon/Nikon its a camera that will have plus and minus points which ever the side of the fence your on.

Now it comes down to money, if your budget is £200 then I would keep saving and try and get around the £350 mark. That way you will almost definitely get a good second Canon 350d (which I can highly recommend, as its my second body camera)

In getting to the £350 price range you can go for a NEW 400d body only for £315 inc claiming £50 cashback (you'll spend £365, get £50 back off Canon if bought before Dec 31st 2007) You then can pick up the kit lens for around £15-30 on ebay. This deal can be found on warehouse express website.

Your other option would be to PM a chap on here called 'Kerso' (aka Ian) who deals in Canon/Nikon/other equipment through an ebay shop, his prices are very good, he is a trusted seller, most people on this forum have spent £100-1000's with him (including me just last week). If you contact him he may be able to do you a deal on either brand to suit you budget.

Essay over....hope that helps :thumbs:
 
You can still get new 350d's.

Again warehouse have the 350d kit for £369

But the 400d kit is £362 inc cashback.

Its all down to personal preference and the amount you would like/want to spend.
 
I started about 18 months ago with a fuji 5600, and moved up to a Canon 400D a couple of weeks ago. All I can say is wait, save your money and go straight down the SLR route. At the time you think you are getting a good deal, by going down the bridge camera route, but it is a false economy. There is no comparison between the photos I used to get from my old camera and my lovely new beauty. It is a steep learning curve, but well and truly worth it. Also if you can afford to go for it before the end of December, Canon have a £50 rebate on the 400D. I bought mine on interest free 12 months credit, so wont be paying a penny for a year, have got £50 back, and 12 months to earn interest on the money I would have spent if I had paid for it outright.

Go into a shop and have a play with the Fuji bridge and an SLR, you will soon see the difference. Hope that doesn't confuse the issue any more for you!!!
 
Ok thanks, im going to keep my eye out for the Canon ior the Nikon second hand but is there anything to look for with second hand ones that could cause problems eg damage from knocks etc?
 
I think you are making a wise move. Main thing to ask about S/H with DSLRs is how mny frames they've taken and get one with as few as possible.

As a rules of thumb entry level DSLRs (e.g. 350D, D50) should last in excess of 50 thousand clicks, semi-pro (e.g. 20D, D100) in excess of 100 thousand and Pro (e.g. 1D, D1) over 150 thousand.

As a side note, if you find the need to get something now overwealming (and I think we all know ow that feels :lol:) try looking for a Fuji 4900Z on ebay. You should be able to find one with charger, memory cards, spare batteries, case etc for about £50 and it everything you could want to learn about photography.
 
I've got a GX-1L, it's a great Pentax camera...
 
Just ordered a 350d :)

Thought id save up and go for something decent :)
 
I would say Nikon D40 D40x is a very good choice for entry SLR. very reliable. Olympus E500 is also considered at same level as D40.
 
albertxiao said:
I would say Nikon D40 D40x is a very good choice for entry SLR. very reliable. Olympus E500 is also considered at same level as D40.
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Ive only just bought a canon lol and that was because got told it was one of the best for getting into it :)

Anyway we shall see :)

I had a go at a cam shop yesterday before ordering and it didnt have batteries in it and was busy so he cudnt really help much but i was wondering once you zoom in with the lens by twisting it, how do you focus it? does it do it automatically when its switched on?
 
Using auto focus press the shutter button halfway and it will focus. Manual focus, you twist gently near the end of the lens.. Happy snapping
 
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