How much to spend on DSL for beginner

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HI All
I am thinking about buying my first dslr and would like to get into photography, but how much should i spend and which is the best to go for, for a beginner.

Kind regards

Sham
 
First go to a shop hold the different models available to see what you like. You could also go the secondhand route.

I went for a used Nikon D80 and am happy with it.

The reason for going the nikon route was because my friend has a D90 and I can share his lens if I want.
 
My first was the canon 450d it was £450 at the time with the kit lens I also bought one of those dummies books all about that specific camera read every page and both of them have taught me a huge amount. I still use the 450d now as my back up and still love the easiness of it and how I know every button and setting without thinking about it
 
Unfortunately that's a "how long is a piece of string?" question - how much can you afford?
 
As said get a budget in your head YOU want to spend, go to a shop, and just ask to hold feel touch a few different models.
If the one you really like is out of your price range look for one second hand.

Once you buy the camera you will want to add accesories to it once you get a feel for what you are doing so bare that in mind as not to blow all your budget just on the body and kit lens etc.
have fun choosing

spike
 
If you have any friends who into photography getting the same make as them makes good sense as you can share lens can save you and your friends money sharing
 
You need to budget around £500 minimum. You will need a DSLR, lens, memory card, card reader, post production software, lens cleaner, and a bag to carry it all in! I would suggest this is your basic set up you can drop the software and card reader but I wouldn't!
There are other bits you will need at some point like a mono/tripod, flashgun etc but they are not what I would class as essential at the moment.
Photography is very expensive so buy wisely and look after your kit!

Andy
 
Keebsuk said:
You need to budget around £500 minimum. You will need a DSLR, lens, memory card, card reader, post production software, lens cleaner, and a bag to carry it all in! I would suggest this is your basic set up you can drop the software and card reader but I wouldn't!
There are other bits you will need at some point like a mono/tripod, flashgun etc but they are not what I would class as essential at the moment.
Photography is very expensive so buy wisely and look after your kit!

Andy
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Yes about 500 sounds about right, less if your proper canny, more if you can afford it! Take it from a real amateur I bought a brand new dslr with a kit lens for circa 500 quid, add a long zoom, a portrait zoom, and a wide zoom and I've bought about £1200 worth of glass (800 in fact by buying used or from HK) and all my lenses are average to good, nothing great. Now then I'm yet to take a shot I consider great, a classic example of 'all the gear, no idea' and I'm not afraid to admit it but you live and learn! I love my kit and I'll grow into it I'm sure but my advice would be get a good second hand body pref with a motor, and poss with IS, say £200ish, then buy a quality Second hand lens suited to what you want to shoot, maybe 50 quid for a fifty or 300 quid for a longer zoom with extender, or anything inbeteen; I don't know what you want to shoot. Don't try to cover all angles though, there's no need and you won't get the use in the beginning at least . Good luck and happy shopping.
 
I started off on an impulse buy with a Canon 1000d but quickly got frustrated having to use the menus to change settings. My main interest was landscapes and the kit lens supplied was acceptable but drove me nuts when I tried to use some graduated filters due to the rotating end. I have now upgraded, and at looking at the Canon range, I felt they were more geared up to video thus I opted to move camp to Nikon with their D90 and 18 - 105kit which I am well pleased with, and will allow me to advance further as I learn more. At present it is a super price and comes with a 2 year guarantee.

Think about the type of photography you want to do and ask questions about what the downside of certain kit combination would be for your choice.



Philip
 
After having been away from film photography for a number of years I came to the digital era about 4 years ago. I entered by buying second hand from some one I could trust, got kit and advice and was up and running for about £350. Stated dslr with a Canon 350d and the bug struck. After doing some buying and selling ( never loosing that much on buying and selling second hand) I ended up with my first new camera about 2 years ago, canon 40d.

Then it was a case of every birthday, Christmas, fathers day and selfish purchase day it was camera gear. I now find myself in a posostion of owning a 7d and some lenses way beyond my capabilities, as my brother in law says " All the gear and no idea"

You can start with not very much but be aware of the addictive nature of the hobby and the persuasiveness of magazine articles in encouraging you to buy things.

Anyway enough rambling from me I am away to blow the dust of my camera and take some photographs
 
First DSLR I ever got was a 20D in Japan for the equivalent of £700 at the time. I loved that camera so much, but unfortunately it got hoicked by some scumbag :(

Ever since then I've gone to 400D, 7D and 5DII and never looked back!
 
My first dSLR was £200 and that included a lens. That is what I used for a long time and it got me hooked.

Yes you can use a nice bag, card reader, sensor cleaner, new cloth but really none of that is essential to start you off.

You need a camera, a lens and a memory card.

You also need somewhere to store your pictures, but considering you are on the internet now, we can assume you have some sort of personal computer.

Your best bet is to buy second hand as long as you are happy where it comes from. You'll get a lot more for your money and as long as it is in good condition and the shutter count isn't too high - no problem.

So, to answer the question - if you've got £300 you'll be sorted.
 
I spent £370 on a 1000d just after Christmas which came with the 18-55 IS kit lens. As I'm still a beginner I don't find any wrong with the camera or lens and used used any filters yet. However, I intend on getting a polorising filter for when I go away next month.
 
I've been using a 350d with kit lens.. I got that with plenty of accessories for £170 and I'm a long way from growing out of it.

If you don't mind getting second hand then it's a good way to go.
 
I started with a second-hand 30D which I bought for £275 just over a year ago and I'm still very happy with it. I chose it because the xxD Canons are a little more durable than the xxxD models and the better burst shooting performance is handy sometimes too. I also prefer the larger size.

Looking at other's replies, a used camera from a trusted source seems the way to go.
 
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I've recently bought a canon 400d off eBay for £250 which came with a bag, spare battery and leads etc. I bought a new 4gb card and a 2nd hand monopod off here which is like new and only cost £15. I intend to take it slow, and collect lenses over time. My kit lens isn't IS and it is fine. I am really itching to buy a 70-300mm and a nifty fifty though.
 
That's easy....as much as your bank balance will allow.

Get the best you can afford.

D in W
 
As said above I'm no expert though. Check what's nice in your hand. Unless you 100% are into it and know what you want I'd buy second hand. That way more money for lens batteries and cards. You can usually get a better second hang camera with low actuations than a lower end brand new model.
 
I recently pick up a pratically new 400D, sold the non IS kit lens it came with as I already had access to a few other lenses (that lens is pretty pants anyhow). The total cost was £135.

So IMHO I would say about £200 - £250 would be a great starting point for a DSLR camera, since investing in good lenses which you can keep if you choose to pursue your hobby further.
 
sham said:
HI All
I am thinking about buying my first dslr and would like to get into photography, but how much should i spend and which is the best to go for, for a beginner.

Kind regards

Sham
Click to expand...

it really depends on how much you can afford - as others have said about £500 will get you an entry level set up from nikon / canon / pentax / olympus/ sony etc - but if you cant afford that much you could buy second hand from someone like MPB and get something like a 20D or 400D and a kit lens for about half that , or conversely if you are a fabulously wealthy international playboy you could easily do about a £100k (couple of 'blad H3s complete set of lenses etc)
 
I would suggest something like this, as if it isn't for you you can easily sell on.
Some of the older stuff is getting to the end of its practical life.
By that I mean cost of repairs against value.
Canon 40D is a very capable camera and a little easier to navigate the basics witth. I started with a 20D so I could grow into it. Could have had the xxxD but wanted something with more umph so when I got better in time I wouldnt hanker after a different one.
Also, a nifty fifty is great for the money, it is glass that gets those images more than the body. I used the nifty two fifty of my brothers and was very impressed.
You can also use both ef and efs on the 40d, if you buy the ef lens though you can then se on the none crop.

Forgot to add a flash is also a good investment.
 
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I agree with what others have said about a basic two lens setup plus bag, batteries cards etc coming in at about £500, but my thought is that if you can afford a bit more it will take you longer to out grow it. It works out more expensive to buy the basic camera then the mid range then the good stuff than to buy the good stuff in the begining.
 
imho it's hard to answer how much someone new to the hobby should spend as there are too many variables (what is your disposable income, how serious you are about photography etc).

My advice would be before you spend any money is to spend some time reading this forum and other sites to familiarise yourself with all the equipment out there, the types of photography and what is needed to achieve it. In particular things you identify with and see yourself doing (maybe macro is your thing or sports or street etc).

When you are more familiar with what you want to achieve then i think it'll be easier to make an informed choice and how much you think you should spend.
 
Well, for me, the first choice is Nikon or Canon. I started with Canon & moved to Nikon. The more into you become the more expensive it becomes to swap brands (if you ever wish to).

I would be a good second hand camera from a trusted place like here or AV Forums.

For me, it would be a Canon 450D or a Nikon D90.
 
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