My First SLR - £500 Budget

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gray19lfc

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So I'm hoping to go to college in September to make a start on a career in photography.

I'm looking to buy my first ever SLR camera and looking for any recommendations on a budget of £500 (or less).

Are used/refurbished camera's from eBay a good option? I'm looking for an entry-level camera that will be easy to use for a beginner but will also satisfy my needs as I become more experience over the next few years.
 
This has been covered quite a lot recently. For that budget you can't go wrong with the entry level Canon/Nikon systems.

If you want something a bit more advanced, buying a refurbished better camera is a good option, that's what I did (quite a few years back) when I bought my first DSLR.
 
If you want to keep it simple get something like a d40 - d3000 s/h and then a 17-50 tamron. The whole will come in less than 400 and it is a really great combo. Will leave you enou for a s/h 55-200 if you want more reach :)

Otherwise maybe a s/h d90 kit with the 18-105 vr? Excellent camera and a respectable lens with a nice bit of range.
 
You've got an awful lot of choice ranging from older semi-pro models to recent entry level ones.

There aren't really any bad choices, just are better in some areas that others.
Canon and nikon have the largest lens selection and the most readily available second hand gear, but pentax and sony offer camera bodies that often have more features in their price range and have in body stabilisation.

Can you give us some idea of what you're going to be using it or? "starting a career in photography" is very vague.

It's worth going to a camera shop and handling as many cameras as you can find within your price range, ergonomics is one of the only big differences between bodies from different brands. Picking a camera that you find comfortable and intuitive is important.

Remember you've got to consider lenses as well. Lenses are what mostly defines image quality and buying lenses more specialised to what you're photographing will yield nicer results. (for example, an 18-200mm will cover most things, but a 70-200 will be much better at the long end, and a 17-50 f/2.8 will be much better at the short end.)
 
Before you rush out and buy a camera find out what systems your college uses. For £500 you can get an excellent camera and lens.
 
Also find out what your other friend uses. If budget is a constraint always good to borrow in the future, and trial each others kit
 
Not a great fan of buying 2nd hand from e-bay but happy to buy from forum members as people on here are all part of the "community" and more trustworthy I feel.
As far as camera choice is concerned D40x or D3000 would possibly be a good starter (and I have a D3000 for sale!), but I feel that it may not take you far along your journey into photography before you want more ease of control and flexibility, I now have a D90 (brought 2nd hand from the forum) and it is a superb bit of kit and will be the master of me for a long time!, and would certainly take you further into photography.

Jon
 
Entry level Pentax (K-r/K-x) cameras might be worth considering, but as above there aren't really any 'bad choices'. Get whatever you prefer.
 
evo456 said:
Also find out what your other friend uses. If budget is a constraint always good to borrow in the future, and trial each others kit
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Make sure that they'll lend parts of their kit to you first. ;) Much as I may like them, there are some friends that would go nowhere near my camera gear.
 
If i were in your shoes i would consider a 1d mk2 with a bit of luck you should be able to get a 50mm F1.8 as well for around the £500.00 mark.
A lot of people will be against the age of this body and the chances of Pro use.
But get a good one and you will have a camera that lasts a lifetime and you will have a 1.3 crop sensor which will be handy for landscape work and portraits also sport with the motor drive of 8.3 the iso is reasonable up to about 640 or 800 at a push it takes both SD and Compact flash cards and the AF is better than a lot of the cheaper newer models.
But there is a fantastic choice out there and i don't think any of the new models would let you down but the 1D is that bit special it feels like it won't let you down :D
Regards
Richard
 
I bought a Refurb Canon 50D recently, all I can say is what a camera, I am extremely pleased with it. You can get them for between 400 and 500 quid either second hand or refurb. I upgraded from a 350d and also have a 24-105 F4 L series lens.

My advice would be look for a body and manufacturer that you feel comfortable with, try local independent camera shops as a lot of them now also deal in second hand gear which you can try out in the shop. I have a London Camera Exchange in my local area and they are really helpful and really competitively priced on second hand gear, sometimes working out cheaper than eBay. They also give you a 6 month warranty which you don't normally get from eBay sellers.

The other main bit of advice I would say is to spend as much of your budget as you can on a good lens (I would struggle to go backwards after owning an L series lens) as most bodies perform better with a good lens attached, I was so surprised at the difference a good lens made to image quality with my 350d.
 
I would certainly agree with good lend rather than body.

Having owned a 1D mk2 I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner, it is a great camera, but it is big and heavy, the controls aren't as easy to pick up an an X0D series either.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I would certainly agree with good lend rather than body.

Having owned a 1D mk2 I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner, it is a great camera, but it is big and heavy, the controls aren't as easy to pick up an an X0D series either.
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:D He did say he wanted to start on a career in photography and if he does he will eventually move up to the 1D range if he goes with canon but i do agree it is'nt the easiest to pick up for the menu. But it will soak up all the abuse you can throw at it :D and if you are going to start a career in photography the easiest is'nt alway the best you need to know the camera inside out.
Regards
Richard
 
Craikeybaby said:
the controls aren't as easy to pick up an an X0D series either.
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I have found the menu and the controls on my 50d easier to use and navigate than my old 350d. I think each person is different and the best thing to do imo is try a camera and manufacturer out as I said in my last post. You will then be able to make an informed decision on how you get on with the manufacturers design and features.
 
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I was talking about the 1Dmk2 that was mentioned. X0D series are great. ;)
 
What sort of lenses should I be looking at to start with? The college course I'm looking at starts in September but I'd be interested in portraits, landscapes and close-ups initially.
 
17-50 Tamron for a bit over 200 s/h or 10-24 Tamron/10-20Sig + 35mm f/1.8 and 50mm f/1.8 for a bit over 400 s/h.
 
My advice would be to just get the kit lens & keep some money aside for when you are used to using it and can tell where it is restricting you.
 
Craikeybaby said:
My advice would be to just get the kit lens & keep some money aside for when you are used to using it and can tell where it is restricting you.
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I agree with Craikeybaby. depending on the type of photography you will be doing, will dictate what type of lenses you will need. For example if you want to do wildlife photography a standard kit lens will be too short. If you want to do landscape then a wide angle lens will probably be required. If you are looking at portrait shots then a fixed focal length prime lens will be needed, however that said you can get good results with a standard kit lens. There are a lot of considerations to think about. I would look seriously at your budget and see what lenses and cameras you could get for the budget.

In the long run I came to realise that the more you spend on glass the better the quality of image produced. I used to think the camera and the megapixels were the be all and end all of producing a good image, I soon came to realise that I was wrong after spending money on budget lenses and wondering why my images were not up to scratch.
 
In your shoes I'd probably be looking at a 30/40D and a kit lens to start with then once you've had a good play around with that setup and used it for a while you'll have a better idea of other lenses you want.

Buying a starter camera setup can be done on a budget. I purchased a used 350D from a reliable seller on ebay for £140 with kit lens, spent £60 on a 50mm 1.8, then got a 55-250IS, memory cards and bag for £150 so my total setup cost was £350.
Only problem with photography is upgrade-itis as having only had this camera since January I already want to get a new one. Perhaps that's my fault for not getting a 30 or 40D in the first place though. The deal I got just seemed too good to refuse.
 
gray19lfc said:
...I'd be interested in portraits, landscapes and close-ups initially.
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24mm/f2.8 and/or 50mm/f1.8. These are lenses you'll probably hang on to as you progress rather than want to upgrade like you will a slow 'consumer' zoom.

For close ups start out with some close up 'filters' if you're strapped for cash, or a set of extension tubes if you have the funds.

Stick either of those lenses on a small secondhand DSLR body, take it with you everywhere and photography everything and anything. :)
 
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