lenses or body

petebuster1

petebuster1

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As some of have already read I'm still in a dilema about the 60d or 650d but was also thinking maybe cheaper camera and decent lenses but I wonder if say the. 550d is good enough compared to the other 2 ie would it make it any faster sorry if this a stupid question but I need to pick your brains again
 
The 550D is a very capable camera. I started out with one and I took well over 15,000 photos with it before I had to sadly use it as collateral towards a new 70-200 2.8 MkII. I'd still kept it as a spare body even though I'd bought a 5D2 and 7D combo and then after them I got a 5D3 and 60D combo but I'd always kept the 550D close by.

The IQ from it was excellent in general daylight, it was only at low light that I had any problems. It's quite good on noise handling, it takes 3.7 fps even though I never machine gunned it more than twice, and the focussing speed and accuracy were generally very good.

It was the newest and best body I could afford at the time as I knew I would be adding lenses later on, but if it was a case of 1 body and spending the rest on a better lens then the 550D is a good investment. It's still modern enough from a technology point of view and will give you years of great photos, while the kit 18-55 IS is very good but for a few pounds more a Tamron or Sigma f2.8 lens would make a big difference.
 
The easy answer is a good body with a good lens,I think on the whole a cheaper body with an better lens is usely,a better combo than a good body with a bad lens :)
 
I'm looking around £600 give or take kit, just one lens will do for the time being but need something that will focus quick really or decently quick, though I realise a lots up to me , would be for wildlife mainly and landscapes though I have to bear in mind I don't have hours at a time to spend but want something for mainly birds of the feathered variety, my sx40 takes some great pics and the zooms excellent but can be a bit slow focusing and i want to get in the dslr world which though i've taken in a lot of info i'm not sure it makes sense yet.I tend to go for the better things and dont want get 3 months down the line and wished i'd got a better camera but can't stretch to 7d prices
 
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Ooops, on the first read I thought you already had a 550d. :embarassed:
 
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No offence intended but your budget isn't enough to buy the high end lenses you really need
you might be best starting with the good budget kit lenses and use them till you have saved up enough for a real lens
you'll do alright and be surprised with the kit efs 18-55 is lens and the efs 55-250 IS
these can be had second hand for around 50 quid and 80-110 quid
The IQ of the 55-250 is alarmingly good for such a budget lens
best grey prices for new you will get are probably from panamoz especially if you use the BT payment option
 
I own several bodies from a 5d MK II down to 400d

You clearly get better graphs as you move up the scale but the biggest factor is the lens IMHO

A 550 is a nice body. Good value. If you're into video you can even add special firmware to get more video options.

But use the extra monies for the lens

All IMHO of course
 
Rebel t3i said:
No offence intended but your budget isn't enough to buy the high end lenses you really need
you might be best starting with the good budget kit lenses and use them till you have saved up enough for a real lens
you'll do alright and be surprised with the kit efs 18-55 is lens and the efs 55-250 IS
these can be had second hand for around 50 quid and 80-110 quid
The IQ of the 55-250 is alarmingly good for such a budget lens
best grey prices for new you will get are probably from panamoz especially if you use the BT payment option
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No offence taken, when i say 600 i'm looking at body for say £500 (650d or 60d seems their going rate at the mo) and getting a couple of lenses around the £400 mark, i do like the 60d to be honest.
I'm not looking to become pro or anything, its nothing more than a hobby but want to do more than i can with my sx40, i'm hoping on a ppi claim coming good which would pay for the 60d body,obviously if it doesnt may have to settle for 600d instead or wait a bit longer.
To begin with just want a couple of decent budget lenses till i'm more confident and know all workings and more tech stuff but i do want a camera body i like and feel comfortable with.
 
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ukpbz said:
I own several bodies from a 5d MK II down to 400d

You clearly get better graphs as you move up the scale but the biggest factor is the lens IMHO

A 550 is a nice body. Good value. If you're into video you can even add special firmware to get more video options.

But use the extra monies for the lens

All IMHO of course
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I will use video but main purpose is pics
 
petebuster1 said:
No offence taken, when i say 600 i'm looking at body for say 500 and getting a couple of lenses around the £400 mark, i do like the 60d to be honest.
I'm not looking to become pro or anything, its nothing more than a hobby but want to do more than i can with my sx40, i'm hoping on a ppi claim coming good which would pay for the 60d body,obviously if it doesnt may have to settle for 600d instead or wait a bit longer
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by my mathematical capabilities that's £900 :lol:
assuming you mean 400 for 2 lenses
but that won't buy you 1 high end lens
 
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Rebel t3i said:
by my mathematical capabilities that's £900 :lol:
assuming you mean 400 for 2 lenses
but that won't buy you 1 high end lens
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Yes:lol: when i put that i was looking at kits but now thinking i'll get a body and lenses


I'm not looking to become pro or anything, its nothing more than a hobby but want to do more than i can with my sx40, i'm hoping on a ppi claim coming good which would pay for the 60d body,obviously if it doesnt may have to settle for 600d instead or wait a bit longer.
To begin with just want a couple of decent budget lenses till i'm more confident and know all workings and more tech stuff but i do want a camera body i like and feel comfortable with.excuse the repeat statement
 
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you might be best with a 600d with kit efs 15-85 IS and the efs 55-250 IS
good cheap set up with good IQ for you money
I started with this kit
 
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I ventured into the dslr. world by reviewing the camera and basic lens that comes boxed (canon 550 and 18-55 lens) knowing I could invest in other lenses etc as I progressed, I have now purchased the 55-250mm lens for £106.00 plus postage. Wether you would be able to tell the difference between the 550 and 60d in my hands would be doubtful, maybe in a few years then I could always upgrade the camera and keep the lenses
Cheers paul
 
Paul-gte said:
I ventured into the dslr. world by reviewing the camera and basic lens that comes boxed (canon 550 and 18-55 lens) knowing I could invest in other lenses etc as I progressed, I have now purchased the 55-250mm lens for £106.00 plus postage. Wether you would be able to tell the difference between the 550 and 60d in my hands would be doubtful, maybe in a few years then I could always upgrade the camera and keep the lenses
Cheers paul
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yes good point ive no doubt the 550d would do all i need and there's some great deals on it, i just like the look of the 60d, when i'm back from holiday i'll have to see how the funds are .................... :thinking:
 
See if you can find someone selling the Alpha 580, built in stability and it always got good reviews, check out it's rest on DXO
 
If you're completely new to DSLR don't go spending the best part of a grand straight off the bat. Get a reasonably decent body and some kit lenses then get out there and use them. Once you've spent some decent time using what you've got you'll have a much better idea of what you actually need in terms of camera spec and lenses.
Pretty much all cameras and most lenses will give good photos providing the person operating the camera is up to the task. If you're not then you're going to be spending a lot of money for little improvement in your shots. You will find that the lenses are more important generally, but they're also something that's quite personal to you and your photography.
If you've not got much time to use the gear or feel you may not really enjoy all the manual aspects of using a DSLR a grand is an awful lot of money to waste.
 
Mandoo said:
If you're completely new to DSLR don't go spending the best part of a grand straight off the bat. Get a reasonably decent body and some kit lenses then get out there and use them. Once you've spent some decent time using what you've got you'll have a much better idea of what you actually need in terms of camera spec and lenses.
Pretty much all cameras and most lenses will give good photos providing the person operating the camera is up to the task. If you're not then you're going to be spending a lot of money for little improvement in your shots. You will find that the lenses are more important generally, but they're also something that's quite personal to you and your photography.
If you've not got much time to use the gear or feel you may not really enjoy all the manual aspects of using a DSLR a grand is an awful lot of money to waste.
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though i've not had a dslr i know what i'm looking for, dont plan on spending a lot just want something i like and am happy with, the right body and a couple of lenses is all i'll need for now,ill be useing it for sometime before adding any extra lenses etc, it would only be about £200 difference between the cheapest (550d) and the 60d. I need to see them amd see what feels best.
 
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You're going round in circles here. First you said you were spending £600 on the kit, then it became £600 on the body and £400 on a lens (making a grand in total) and now you're saying you're not spending a lot of money? A grand is a lot of money to most people and everyone here is trying to help you. Stop sounding so ungrateful.
You really don't know what you need until you actually get out using an DSLR, there are so many more variables that need to be considered with the equipment and sitting here saying that you know what you want when other more experienced people have advised you different is only going to lead to frustration and disappointment.
If you've narrowed the body choice down to 2 models and know that you need to see them in the flesh to decide between the two, I'm not sure why you're still going on about them here. Any DSLR on the market will take good pictures providing the lenses and settings are right. The body is the least important part of the kit, its the lenses and user you need to worry about.

Its about finding the right body and lenses for what you need to do though.
You don't want to shell out £500 on a 200mm lens for example then find that you actually need a 500mm, or vice-versa. You could buy a top of the range lens for as much money as you want to spend, but if you don't know what you're photographing or how your style is going to work with an DSLR, you could have just bought a lens that is nearly useless for what you're actually taking pictures of.
You've said that you want to do bird photography so that does narrow down the field a little bit, but do you want a fixed aperture, something you can hand hold or will you be using a tripod? Do you want a fixed length prime or do you want something adjustable?
All these things need to be considered and the best way to find this stuff out is buy getting started with a cheap lens and see how it works out for you. As others have said, you could grab a Canon 55-250mm for around the £110 mark and you'd learn far more from using that than you ever would from asking on here as photography is a very personal hobby. What one person likes another may hate.
 
Im not sure if this will help or not, but I was given the 60d twin lens kit for my birthday recently and it's well worth it. The kit lenses take some beautiful shots and the 60d is a pleasure to use.

I'm a bit like you, went from the sx30 to the 60d and the kit lenses are great, they are the 18-55 and the 55-250 both EFS IS.

I'm sticking with these for a while before doing any more upgrades purely so I can better work out what I need. Good luck!
 
StephyB said:
Im not sure if this will help or not, but I was given the 60d twin lens kit for my birthday recently and it's well worth it. The kit lenses take some beautiful shots and the 60d is a pleasure to use.

I'm a bit like you, went from the sx30 to the 60d and the kit lenses are great, they are the 18-55 and the 55-250 both EFS IS.

I'm sticking with these for a while before doing any more upgrades purely so I can better work out what I need. Good luck!
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Yes I've decided on the 60d,
I ill have no need to upgrade for a long time and I just prefer the size and better build quality and the LCD on the the top over the 650d
 
Mandoo said:
You're going round in circles here. First you said you were spending £600 on the kit, then it became £600 on the body and £400 on a lens (making a grand in total) and now you're saying you're not spending a lot of money? A grand is a lot of money to most people and everyone here is trying to help you. Stop sounding so ungrateful.
You really don't know what you need until you actually get out using an DSLR, there are so many more variables that need to be considered with the equipment and sitting here saying that you know what you want when other more experienced people have advised you different is only going to lead to frustration and disappointment.
If you've narrowed the body choice down to 2 models and know that you need to see them in the flesh to decide between the two, I'm not sure why you're still going on about them here. Any DSLR on the market will take good pictures providing the lenses and settings are right. The body is the least important part of the kit, its the lenses and user you need to worry about.

Its about finding the right body and lenses for what you need to do though.
You don't want to shell out £500 on a 200mm lens for example then find that you actually need a 500mm, or vice-versa. You could buy a top of the range lens for as much money as you want to spend, but if you don't know what you're photographing or how your style is going to work with an DSLR, you could have just bought a lens that is nearly useless for what you're actually taking pictures of.
You've said that you want to do bird photography so that does narrow down the field a little bit, but do you want a fixed aperture, something you can hand hold or will you be using a tripod? Do you want a fixed length prime or do you want something adjustable?
All these things need to be considered and the best way to find this stuff out is buy getting started with a cheap lens and see how it works out for you. As others have said, you could grab a Canon 55-250mm for around the £110 mark and you'd learn far more from using that than you ever would from asking on here as photography is a very personal hobby. What one person likes another may hate.
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Ok no need to get out your pram ,I dont beleive I've sounded ungrateful anywhere so where you get that from I don't know I'd xhanged my mind about the amount I'm prepared to spend a few times but thanks to the more helpful comments I now know what I want, thank you
 
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Just for info, I'm in a similar situation (however I do want to become pro lol).

As a starter and something to get used to DSLR I'm going for Canon EOS 600D with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens Kit + Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS + Sandisk 8GB SD Ultra II

£549 from DigitalRev.

Can't seem to find the same deal anymore but it was definitely there the other day lol
 
Justin I don't think that SD card is worth buying to be honest if you're going pro u will need something faster than that start from 45MB/s and a class 10 try SanDisk 16GB 45MB/s Extreme SDHC Card or SanDisk Extreme Pro 95MB/s 16GB. A dslr bag/ backpack if u plan on doing landscape you need Circular Polarizing Filter, screen protector? If you get that SD card you will miss lots of great shots never used it but it seems very slow
 
Hi

60D 2 kit lens off Panamoz
http://panamoz.com/index.php/digita...th-ef-s-18-55-mm-f-3-5-5-6-is-lens-kit-2.html

Bit out of the box this
40D used
24-105mm f4 L used
When you have enough 10-22 mm canon.
Smart phone for video

Why the above good iso noise control in normal lighting, An L lens works very well with the 40D and a wide when you have the money

Total loss on the 40D almost certain less than the 60D and all you need if required is a long lens say 70-200 or 70-300 sorted unless you go full frame even then at least one lens will work.

Less than your budget and fwiw you don't waste the money if you did not like something you can sell it you won't get full value but you would do ok.

Cheers

Allan
 
Justin1971 said:
Just for info, I'm in a similar situation (however I do want to become pro lol).

As a starter and something to get used to DSLR I'm going for Canon EOS 600D with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens Kit + Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS + Sandisk 8GB SD Ultra II

£549 from DigitalRev.

Can't seem to find the same deal anymore but it was definitely there the other day lol
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Been looking at these to but i think before long you'd be wanting to upgrade which is why i'm going for the 60d (it seems a pretty superior camera).Thats maybe why you get such good deals on the 550/600d, check the digitalrev review on youtube comparing the 600d and 60d,that squashed the 600d for me.I want a body i'm not going to feel the need to upgrade any time soon with the 600d i think it would a matter of months
 
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petebuster1 said:
Been looking at these to but i think before long you'd be wanting to upgrade which is why i'm going for the 60d (it seems a pretty superior camera).Thats maybe why you get such good deals on the 550/600d
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I will be upgrading eventually, as I want to get into wedding photography I will probably go for a 5d MkIII eventually (full frame). I will keep the 600D as a backup though.

Reason I am getting an 'entry level' camera is to get used to DSLR's as I've never had one before. Will hopefully get it sometime Oct/Nov so will be hoping for some snow to take some nice piccy's lol
 
Same here apart from the manual controls on my sx40 but how hard can it be? lol. Took me long enough to make the decision so not going to change my mind again i hope.
Not sure when i'll get it yet sooner rather than later
 
If you haven't purchased your new camera yet, then i would agree with "border all". You can pick up a good 40D for around £275 maybe less, and spend a little extra on the lenses, then if you do wish to upgrade even if its just in a years time, the price of 60ds will likely to be lower but the resale value of the 40D will not have dropped by much.

The 40D is a great camera, have owned one for a while (though thinking of upgrading soon), i have also used a 60d and imo didnt feel quite as nice in the hand as the 40D. Also the controls are pretty much the same on the 40, just losing out on the video.

As for lenses if you were to get a 40D you probably could get either a second hand 70 - 200 L f4 or maybe even an F2.8 mk 1 which would be a good start for wildlife, though not a huge focal length, very fast focus and crisp images. You could probably also pick up a 50 1.8 as a second lens for other photography subjects.
 
If you want something that will last I'd shy away from the fancy flip-out screens on some of the more recent Canon DSLRs - I can only see these breaking and simply won't entertain them!
 
Diamond hell said:
If you want something that will last I'd shy away from the fancy flip-out screens on some of the more recent Canon DSLRs - I can only see these breaking and simply won't entertain them!
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Ive had flip out screens on cameras for the last 3 years, never had a problem with them and not heard of them breaking.

I have a 600d and think the advice re the 40d is good, i wish i had gone that way now but you live and learn.
 
Imagining them breaking and actually breaking are two different things. Don't see many comments around people breaking their flip out screens and would presumably depend on how clumsy the user is (which rules me out from thinking about one!)
 
Don't forget that Canon aren't the only manufacturers! There are fine offerings from Sony, Pentax and Nikon that shouldn't be ignored. My opinion on lens choice? See if you can find a 2 lens kit deal - 18-70 and 70-300 on a Dx (APS-C) body gives you a reasonable wide angle and 300 mm is plenty of length while you decide where your interests lie. As you grow photographically, your kit can be upgraded item by item and more lenses can be added to the outfit, long with a flash etc.

To start out, a smallish bag will do - it'll hold a body with a lens fitted and at least one other lens and should ideally have storage for a couple of filters, spare cards and battery(ies) and the manual.

Whatever youn end up with,m enjoy!

Nod
 
pwal1 said:
If you haven't purchased your new camera yet, then i would agree with "border all". You can pick up a good 40D for around £275 maybe less, and spend a little extra on the lenses, then if you do wish to upgrade even if its just in a years time, the price of 60ds will likely to be lower but the resale value of the 40D will not have dropped by much.

The 40D is a great camera, have owned one for a while (though thinking of upgrading soon), i have also used a 60d and imo didnt feel quite as nice in the hand as the 40D. Also the controls are pretty much the same on the 40, just losing out on the video.

As for lenses if you were to get a 40D you probably could get either a second hand 70 - 200 L f4 or maybe even an F2.8 mk 1 which would be a good start for wildlife, though not a huge focal length, very fast focus and crisp images. You could probably also pick up a 50 1.8 as a second lens for other photography subjects.
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There you go, just when ive made my mind up you come up with another option:lol:
Appreciate what your saying, have looked at them but to be honest i'd rather buy new with a warranty for the sake of another£200 or so, I THINK:shrug:
 
40D is a great option if you're not interested in video and other fancy features and don't need all them megapixels. Excellent build, superb image quality for a 1.6 crop.

I owned one for 2 years or so and only sold it to go full frame. Would have kept it for fast action if I could spare the cash.

You have to remember, the 60D isn't a true successor to the 40/50D. That's the 7D.
 
2Thumbs said:
40D is a great option if you're not interested in video and other fancy features and don't need all them megapixels. Excellent build, superb image quality for a 1.6 crop.

I owned one for 2 years or so and only sold it to go full frame. Would have kept it for fast action if I could spare the cash.

You have to remember, the 60D isn't a true successor to the 40/50D. That's the 7D.
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Yes the main reason for the 60d is I do like the flippy screen , the way it feels to hold though I have thought maybe the 50d rather than the 40
 
well i took the plunge and have bought the 60d from digitalrev,good value and see little point in paying another £130+ for the same thing in the uk. I did put a few bids on ebay for second hand ones but they go for more than a new one and you've no warranty:eek: :bang: very strange. Bought the 50mm f1.8 to get me started as i decided to pick my own lenses and get some a bit better than the kit ones, will get a couple of other lenses at some point.All in all i'm happy and know i've made the right decision.Thanks for your comments been most helpful.
 
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petebuster1 said:
well i took the plunge and have bought the 60d from digitalrev,good value and see little point in paying another £130+ for the same thing in the uk. I did put a few bids on ebay for second hand ones but they go for more than a new one and you've no warranty:eek: :bang: very strange. Bought the 50mm f1.8 to get me started as i decided to pick my own lenses and get some a bit better than the kit ones, will get a couple of other lenses at some point.All in all i'm happy and know i've made the right decision.Thanks for your comments been most helpful.
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Nice one, I hope you enjoy your new toy :P I can't wait until I can afford mine but still (like you) I'm unsure what to go for. I really like the look of the 600D and I can't find any negative reviews. I do like the flip out screen but in reality I would just use it in the 'un-flipped' position most of the time.

I also like the idea of video and need at least 18MP. My budget is around the £600 mark but would like a couple of lenses with it (ideally 18-55 and 55-250 at least).

I've seen some on ebay from Hong Kong but not sure if these would be fake or a little dodgy? Here's a link to one of them.

What do you guys think?
 
Actually just checked out this link. Better buy I guess but would need a decent memory card as well.

At £524 that's within my budget and will leave a bit for an extra battery, 32 or 64 GB Class 10 memory card and maybe a couple of filter (UV and Polariser)
 
nufflovetola said:
Justin I don't think that SD card is worth buying to be honest if you're going pro u will need something faster than that start from 45MB/s and a class 10 try SanDisk 16GB 45MB/s Extreme SDHC Card or SanDisk Extreme Pro 95MB/s 16GB. A dslr bag/ backpack if u plan on doing landscape you need Circular Polarizing Filter, screen protector? If you get that SD card you will miss lots of great shots never used it but it seems very slow
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Just out of curiosity I've found this and this on amazon.

Is it better to buy 2x16GB or 1x32GB cards. There's not much difference in price - the 32GB is approx double the cost of the 16GB - and a nice speed too - both 95MB/s
 
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