Hi guys, complete amateur here...HELP!

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El Capitano

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Mark
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Just thought I would say a quick hello, and introduce myself.

My name is Mark, and I am from the sunny north east of england!

I have been reading this forum for about a week now, and it seems like a great place to get advice, hints, tips etc etc.

I am a complete amatuer to photography, and I am just about to make my first steps into the world of DSLR's.

I was hoping that the fine people on talkphotography would be able to give me some advice on what kit to get..including what camera etc!

I have a budget of £500 for the camera body - preferably with a decent kit lens, and I was thinking of the Canon EOS1000D, or the Nikon D60.

I look forward to chatting with you guys, and eventually getting some great shots to show you all.

Cheers in advance,

Mark.
 
£500 will easily get you a 450D with the 18-55mm IS lens. They go for about £450-£470 now so you'll have change to get another battery, SD card and maybe a bag too.

If you wanna go either cheaper, my 450D sold for £400 recently in as-new condition. Keep your eyes pealed in the classifieds or on eBay, you may nab a bargain with warrenty and leave some money over for a tripod and another lens.
 
Would you recommend a 450D for a novice?????

I wasnt sure if I would be trying to run before I could walk with anything more than the 1000D.
 
I would say that whatever camera you get now you'll have to learn the controls of so why not start a step or two higher. Second hand on here is always worth a look and you could get a D80 for about £350 and a couple of lenses as well for your budget. The problem with the D60 is you have to buy the lenses with internal focussing motors or use manual, and this can be a bit limiting (and more expensive).
Whatever you decide to buy go to a camera shop and try them all first sometimes different ergonomics of different makes just don't feel right when you pick them up.

Good luck and welcome

Andy
 
El Capitano said:
Would you recommend a 450D for a novice?????
Click to expand...

In a word, yes. Until relatively recently the 450D (and its predecessors) were the entry-level Canon SLR; the 1000D is a new level at the bottom end of the range.

My first SLR was the 400D, and I found it an excellent starting point.
 
Hi Mark,

I'd echo the advice to go with the 450D, and to look for a second hand one in good nick.

Are you the guy who posted a similar question on the SMB?
 
Hiya Mark.

(Shameless plug coming up - stop reading now to avoid!)

This could be your lucky day ...

I am currently selling my D80 along with a range of accessories and lenses. I have a d80, sigma 17-70 lens, 50mm lens and also a 70-300 lens which I am asking £550 for the lot.

Although based in Altrincham, Cheshire, I am originally from the north east (Killingworth, North Tyneside) and head up there a lot (sitting in Whitley Bay @ sisters now but heading back down to Altrincham tomorrow).

I am back in Newcastle in 2 weeks time. If you were interested in any of the kit, I'd happily meet up with you and let you have a try before you buy - as well as showing you the excellent quality of the D80.

As mentioned, travelling between North East & North West tomorrow - so if you are interested, get me on my mobile 0789 101 3780 and I can phone you back.

Cheers and welcome to the forums.

To everyone else, I wholeheartedly apologise for the shameless sales patter!!!

Cheers

Anth.

PS - original post and pictures of stuff for sale can be found here ..... http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=136278
 
Ha ha, yeah I am the guy who posted on the SMB too, haha small world aint it!

(still cant stop smiling about the way the weekend panned out!) :D
 
Hi Anth, cheers for the offer.... but I am still going to try and buy new I think... and I am fancying a canon to a nikon at the mo...for no real reason in particular lol!
 
Just found a Canon EOS450D on the Argos website for £636.19.

It includes these two lenses too;

•Lens included with camera - EF-S 55-250mm IS f/4.0-5.6 lens and EF-S18-55mm IS f/3.5-5.6 lens.

You guys think this looks like a canny deal?
 
El Capitano said:
Just found a Canon EOS450D on the Argos website for £636.19.

It includes these two lenses too;

•Lens included with camera - EF-S 55-250mm IS f/4.0-5.6 lens and EF-S18-55mm IS f/3.5-5.6 lens.

You guys think this looks like a canny deal?
Click to expand...

Very canny deal. I wouldn't hesitate. Good camera and two good lenses covering a fantastic range :) Terrific value.
 
Thanks for the input Hoppy.

Do you think that would be a good package for a complete beginner?

Also can people reccomend any other kit a beginner should have... filters, bags etc etc
 
I'm a complete beginner, haven't yet bought my DSLR, so don't trust anything I say...

However I am going to go for an Olympus E620 with twin lens kit (14-42, 40-150mm). Cheapest is around 650 UKP. However there's also the older E520 with twin kit around which is selling very cheaply, probably 460 or cheaper.

My reasoning on the E620 is based on general size/function, live view, incamera processing, in-body stability. There's a never ending debate on brands, and one "criticism" of the olympus 4/3 format is potentially a little lower low light performance. This is a hotly debated emotive subject.
 
El Capitano said:
Thanks for the input Hoppy.

Do you think that would be a good package for a complete beginner?

Also can people reccomend any other kit a beginner should have... filters, bags etc etc
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome to the forum. :wave: That's a great kit to start you off. It covers from quite wide to a decent zoom. I've got exactly that but with a step down from the 450d (400d) and it's excellent.

I'd go for it! :thumbs:
 
El Capitano said:
Just found a Canon EOS450D on the Argos website for £636.19.

It includes these two lenses too;

•Lens included with camera - EF-S 55-250mm IS f/4.0-5.6 lens and EF-S18-55mm IS f/3.5-5.6 lens.

You guys think this looks like a canny deal?
Click to expand...


Welcome :clap:

Looks a great buy, here's a link to a good site for prices

http://www.camerapricebuster.com/index.html

If you were to buy the above seperately as a body with lens and the 55-250 lens, I think it would cost you another £60 minimum (quick look at the prices on the above site), so I'd get one reserved quick sharp :thumbs:
 
I would always buy the best i can afford. The point about a more expensive camera being too advanced for a beginner is a false one. All these cameras from any of the top brands have a fully automatic mode. Just use this until your comfortable then move on to the more creative options as you get more confident.

Scott
 
Dont forget the advice thats in every one of these type of threads (i'm suprised its not posted already)... Go into your local camera shop and actually hold each of the cameras you are considering purchasing some just dont feel 'right' in your hands which is an important consideration as you will be holding the camera for a long time to come.

Incidentally the deal you mention is very good, but again if the camera doesnt feel right its not going to be a good deal in the long run.
 
I will get myself down to a store, and handle the cameras to get a feel for them.

Thanks for the advice everyone..... keep it coming.

M.
 
I always say this to anyone looking to buy a camera
Go to a shop and handle the camera to see how it feels
Go with an open mind don't just stick to the big 2 have a look at Olympus,Pentax,Sony etc
If at all possible budget for a telephoto zoom as well as the standard zoom it will give you so much more flexibility
As others have said the card that comes with the camera is usually small in terms of space so budget for a decent 2-4 gig card as well
With the "beginners" cameras 450D,D60,K200 etc you may find them a bit small so try them with a grip,its more money but may make the difference,my 350D is horrible without the grip but perfect with it,3rd party Hahnel as well.
If you are confident enough look for second hand as you can pick up some bargains
 
El Capitano said:
Thanks for the input Hoppy.

Do you think that would be a good package for a complete beginner?

Also can people reccomend any other kit a beginner should have... filters, bags etc etc
Click to expand...

As others have said, it's a great deal, perfect for a beginner. I only wish I had something like that when I started (a while ago now). But there are plenty of other good cameras about - frankly there are not any duff ones at all.

When you're starting, I'd just stick it on P and let the camera do the thinking for you. But be sure to note what's going on with shutter speeds and apertures, and check out the differences in your photos. You'll soon pick it up. I would avoid the green square fully auto setting though if you want to learn as it locks you out of some camera functions. Have a read of this thread in the Tutorials section, Understanding Photography: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=99841

I wouldn't buy any filters yet, and certainly don't waste your money on a UV 'protection' filter. They offer little protection and can cause flare. Get a lens hood instead - they give protection and actually reduce flare.

Bags, well there are thousands of them. Very personal thing. The first accessory I would get is a good flash gun, like a 430EX, but you have a heck of a lot to keep you going for a while ;)
 
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