Need Some Help On Choosing My First SLR.

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Event-Rider

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Emma-Jane
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This is my first post on here, so bear with my lack of skill! :wave:

My main subject to photograph is horse sport, so obviously fast moving objects etc.
But as I am doing AS level photography, I may be required to take pictures of other things. I enjoy landscape photography and close ups of wildlife/animals eyes.

I have been told that I will need a telephoto lens, about 300mm?
Minimum of 3f/s.

So what cameras can you suggest. Also what other features will I need?
Small budget too!!

Thank you :D
 
:welcome:

horse sport - as in dressage, XCountry..= telephoto fast lens
landscape = wide maybe 18mm on a DX type camera
close-up wildlife = 500mm maybe

sorry to say Emma that it's going to be an almost impossible task on a "small budget"

perhaps you can concentrate on one area for now, and say what sort of funds you have ATM.......cheers
 
Yardbent said:
:welcome:

horse sport - as in dressage, XCountry..= telephoto fast lens
landscape = wide maybe 18mm on a DX type camera
close-up wildlife = 500mm maybe

sorry to say Emma that it's going to be an almost impossible task on a "small budget"

perhaps you can concentrate on one area for now, and say what sort of funds you have ATM.......cheers
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Thank you for the reply! :)

Okay, my main focus will be Horse sport, so racing, eventing, cross country etc...

It will be a christmas present from my parents. I have seen some good deals in Jessops of Nikons and Canons for between £350 - £500.

So around that price? Obviously ebay has some cheaper ones too. I'd just like some thoughts about which ones to steer clear of and which ones are good! :)
 
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You are still going to really struggle with that budget. The camera isnt so much a problem, but the lens. Ideally you want a fast telephoto or telezoom, and that alone will cost double your entire budget.

There isnt really such a thing as a bad camera, some are better than others at different things, but most will do everything reasonably well.
 
Emma - have to agree with Tom

you are thinking of areas which are quite specific regarding lens

I'm Nikon, so bear with me - hopefully others can/will suggest better options for you

here's a Nikon 70-300 AF-S [means it auto-focuses on a Nikon camera]
"link" but it's £400

you could get a used D40 with 18-55 AF-S lens - an entry level Nikon but a very good camera for about £200 - the 18mm would do for your landscapes
then a 55-200VR used [here] for about £110 = dressage/XC but 200mm wont work for wildlife

this would get you started - but wildlife is a really specific area = lotsa ££££
 
Yardbent said:
Emma - have to agree with Tom

you are thinking of areas which are quite specific regarding lens

I'm Nikon, so bear with me - hopefully others can/will suggest better options for you

here's a Nikon 70-300 AF-S [means it auto-focuses on a Nikon camera]
"link" but it's £400

you could get a used D40 with 18-55 AF-S lens - an entry level Nikon but a very good camera for about £200 - the 18mm would do for your landscapes
then a 55-200VR used [here] for about £110 = dressage/XC but 200mm wont work for wildlife

this would get you started - but wildlife is a really specific area = lotsa ££££
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Thank you. Like I said, the horse sport is my main subject! :) Thank you for the links. Will get searching.
 
The D40 was the first Nikon DSLR that has no in-body focus motor, a huge drawback. Your AF-S lens would only be able to be used as manual focus. Rather the D40x which does and it has a 10 megapixel maximum resolution, up from 6 megapixels of the D40.

If it were me looking for my first Nikon DSLR I would avoid this model like the plague. Better off with a used D200/D70s



Realspeed
 
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Im Nikon too, but had a brief forray with Canon, so I can reccomend something like an Eos 450D with a 70-200 f/4 lens.
Still going to be over budget with the camera at about £300 max and the lens around £3-450 but would be a reasonable outdoor horse event combo.

For Nikon, also look at the D50, D70 and D80. All good solid cameras and have the in body focus motor, so you dont have to pick lens so carefully. Sadly Nikon dont do a 70-200 lens below £1000 so you'll have to stick with the 70-300 VR or the 55-200 mentioned above. There is also an 18-200, but again its quite a lot of your budget and not really very fast for your type of shooting.
 
realspeed said:
The D40 was the first Nikon DSLR that has no in-body focus motor, a huge drawback. Your AF-S lens would only be able to be used as manual focus. if it were me looking for my first Nikon DSLR I would avoid this model like the plague. Better off with a used D200/D70s

Rather the D40x which does and it has a 10 megapixel maximum resolution, up from 6 megapixels of the D40.

Realspeed
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The D40x doesn't have an in body focus motor either - or am I misreading what you typed?
 
OutLore said:
The D40x doesn't have an in body focus motor either - or am I misreading what you typed?
Click to expand...

And also an AF-S lens would work autofocus on a D40 as it has its own motor, thats what the AF-S means. So Realspeed, your advice is a little misleading.
 
realspeed said:
The D40 was the first Nikon DSLR that has no in-body focus motor, a huge drawback. Your AF-S lens would only be able to be used as manual focus. if it were me looking for my first Nikon DSLR I would avoid this model like the plague. Better off with a used D200/D70s

Rather the D40x which does and it has a 10 megapixel maximum resolution, up from 6 megapixels of the D40....Realspeed
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?? not having an "in-body focus motor is NOT a huge drawback

?? the AF-S designation EXACTLY means it will focus...:thinking:

?? 'the plague' ..jeez - it's been the stepping stone for countless

D200 ....*sigh*...look at the budget .. a D200 "body" is £400 !!!!!!
 
Quote " Auto Focus only for AF-S or AF-I lenses
Perhaps the biggest negative on the D40 is that it doesn't have an internal focus drive motor and hence no mechanical focus drive pin, instead it only has CPU contacts which means it can only Auto Focus with AF-S and AF-I lenses (those with built-in focus motors). " unquote

So we are all correct

Realspeed
 
If it was me with around £500 to spend and the constraints given above I'd opt for a Nikon D3000with the 18-55 VR lens for £322.05 (using the voucher code SAVE5) and a Nikon 55-200 VR lens at £127.89 (saving about £80 on the Jessops price).

That combo will give you a great starter kit, that you can sell on later as your photography progresses, without losing much :thumbs:
 
You said..
Your AF-S lens would only be able to be used as manual focus
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So with respect, you were wrong.
 
OK I am big enough to admit I have made a slight error about AF-S lenses but it still doesn;t have an inbuilt motor in the body which limits it to manual focus on some lenses.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page25.asp
it's their first digital SLR not to provide Auto Focus to their large range of lenses which do not have built-in AF motors.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm.

He claims only factory refurbished are only available from Sept 2010

Realspeed
 
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Correct, any non AF-S lens will be manul focus only, any AF-S or Sigma HSM will autofocus fine. The D40 isnt that old, maybe 5 years, still a very credible camera for a beginner.
But I personally wouldnt buy a body with no focus motor, but thats just me.
 
I personally have a Nikon D40x, and an AF-S 70-300 VR, I would recommend them them highly to get you started, Have a look on the classified on this forum, you can save quite a reasonable amount from buying new, and have stuff in practically the same condition! (I got my 2 current main lenses second hand)
 
Wow thank you everyone. Have got some really good advice here. I do realise that I am not going to get anything ultra amazing! But it will be my first SLR and I want to enjoy taking pictures of horses in action. :) Will take a look on the classifieds. :D Thanks
 
Event-Rider said:
...............! But it will be my first SLR and I want to enjoy taking pictures of horses in action. :) Will take a look on the classifieds. :D Thanks
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Richard said.."I personally have a Nikon D40x, and an AF-S 70-300 VR"

this would work well for eventing and a little 'close' wildlife. VR is good to have

then for landscapes, and up to 70mm
consider a Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4.5 HSM [the HSM is Sigma-speak for 'focuses on Nikon cameras which need a motor eg D40 D40X]

I, and few others here, have this lens - and love it

bought mine here IIRC about £160...the seller soon bought a replacement ..!!:lol:
 
That is great thank you! The wildlife is literally just me going out to have a "mess around" with the camera. So pheasants and rabbits etc... I'm not to bothered about it though, or the landscape. Sport is my main focus. :D
 
For what you want, which is entry level kit you have your pick of manufacturers, if you think you'll want to progress in future then you have to think about what manufacturers offer higher up their ranges and if that's something you'd want as changing brands after a few years can cost a bit.

Before hunting through classifieds get yourself some hands-on time with the cameras in your price range. You might get something cheap but if doesn't feel right or you don't like it you won't use it and that'd be a waste, what you need to do now is research and plenty of it.

From a Canon point of view there's plenty to choose from, the 55-250 is meant to be great (and pretty cheap too) and the 70-300IS is very good too - it's now an L lens but you'd be able to pick up an older model in the classifieds. Both would be a good starting point for you and you can save for the better lenses as you progress (70-200, 100-400 etc).

Good luck in your search!
 
I have come across some good deals on Pentax Cameras. What are these like? Is it worth getting one or instead going to the Nikon or Canon? Thank you
 
Hi Emma-Jane

We seem to have a lot of Nikon lovers on here so I'm going to pitch for Canon - ha ha!. I'm a Canon user. For an entry level camera I would look at a Canon 450D, 500D or 550D. Have you thought about getting a second hand body and good lens - that might help with your money constraints and you might be able to get a better camera/lens for less money?

Which ever you decide my suggestion, for what it's worth, is to go into a shop and try the camera's out. Also this site may help you as you can compare the 2 camera's you're looking at side by side:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

Hope this helps a little.

JP
 
Yeah I have thought about getting a second hand body cheaper. I just need some advice on which ones are better. I have been told not to get one below 10 Megapixels. Also that I need 3 or more fps.

Thank you
 
It isn't really a case of which is better. They all take good photographs, you make them great.

By all means see what people here like but their choice and yours is purely personal. What suits one doesn't suit another.

The camera for you is the one that feels most comfortable for you to hold, with a control layout and menu system you find the most intuitive.

go try them in the shops.

have a look at www.camerapricebuster.co.uk

The sony section has some bodies with 2 lenses in a package

e.g.

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1543.html

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1546.html
 
Nikon:
Cameras:
d40x d50? entry level...
d80 or d90 second hand... poss d70. All these have motors for older af lenses.
d200 if you don't mind a steep learning curve. Was good and has lots of options.

Lens:
sigma (bigma) 50-500 (does zoom and wildlife - is heavy and pricey - 460-800ukp second hand)
70-300 entry lens - 100ukp
70-300 better lens - 300ukp?
50mm f1.8 - portraits and closer shots of horses... might work for you - 100ukp ish


If you were to invest and perhaps spread cost, look at jessops and maybe a d7000, as I've handled it and it does low light and is well built. More entry would be the d5000 or d3100, but with no motors :/


Best I can say is try to get your hands on some and see which fits better, get the sales person to take you through some of the menus and see what you think.

If there is a second hand camera store near by, pop in and see what they have to offer. They should be more than willing to demonstrate the cameras and may offer some discounts on lenses (no harm in asking eh?!)

I hope you find one you like :) its an expensive hobby :)
 
ecniv said:
Nikon:
Cameras:
d40x d50? entry level...
d80 or d90 second hand... poss d70. All these have motors for older af lenses.
d200 if you don't mind a steep learning curve. Was good and has lots of options.

Lens:
sigma (bigma) 50-500 (does zoom and wildlife - is heavy and pricey - 460-800ukp second hand)
70-300 entry lens - 100ukp
70-300 better lens - 300ukp?
50mm f1.8 - portraits and closer shots of horses... might work for you - 100ukp ish


If you were to invest and perhaps spread cost, look at jessops and maybe a d7000, as I've handled it and it does low light and is well built. More entry would be the d5000 or d3100, but with no motors :/


Best I can say is try to get your hands on some and see which fits better, get the sales person to take you through some of the menus and see what you think.

If there is a second hand camera store near by, pop in and see what they have to offer. They should be more than willing to demonstrate the cameras and may offer some discounts on lenses (no harm in asking eh?!)

I hope you find one you like :) its an expensive hobby :)
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Thank you very much. I have been looking around, and I am like the look of Pentax cameras.

Hoping to go this weekend to Jessops/currys/comet to try some out.

:D
 
Is having a motor built into the camera really that important in this case. I wouldn't touch a Zoom lens without VR and any VR lens is going to have a motor.
 
Event-Rider said:
Thank you very much. I have been looking around, and I am like the look of Pentax cameras.

Hoping to go this weekend to Jessops/currys/comet to try some out....:D
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good luck..!....maybe a PENTAX owner could shed some light on their "low light" capabilities [ or read some reviews.] as it occurred to me you 'may' be shooting the dressage section indoors.?

If you find one you like, note the model number - come home and do more reviews before parting with your hard-earned cash....:D
 
sorry - just noticed SixToes advice ....looks spot -on too
 
I personally hated the Pentax I once used, just felt really cheap and plasticy and not very user friendly, but that one looks. It will do what you want it to, as will any DSLR in that price range. Like I have said before, in this price range they are all much of a muchness, it comes down do how they handle in your hand and how you feel about the menu and functions.. Only you know that.
 
Also, bear in mind that kits long lens is manual focus only. May not be a problem for you, but just to point it out.
 
Event-Rider said:
I will very rarely be shooting indoors. The eventing down here takes place in the "great outdoors".

I have found this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pentax-K-7-18...Cameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item33630305d4

Which I think looks quite good. What are the stats like on it?
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The K-7 is a very capable camera .. fully weather sealed, inbody shake reduction, Mag alloy body, fast AF, video and suberb IQ but has recently been superceded by the K-5. That one on Ebay has 3 lenses but non of them are anything special and it will end up going for around £500/600. For that money you can have the new K-r which is the next model up from the K-x

If you want to go with Pentax I would seriously consider the K-x kit or if you want something a little better the new K-r is proving to be very popular.

I have just replaced my K-7 with the K-5 and that is a cracking camera but at the moment is the wrong side of a grand for just the body.

With the K-r and K-5 Pentax are doing cashback at the moment.
 
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So I would be better off trying the K-r or the K-x, are they "better" than the K-7, or are there other reasons why you prefer them?

So with the manual focus, is that where you twist it on the lens? I apologise about being so naive. I am still learning about all this camera malarky!

I used a manual film camera in my lesson a few months ago and I didn't find the focus too bad on it. Is that what it will be like on these cameras?

Thanks
 
Yes to manual focus you twist the lens until it looks in focus in the viewfinder. With fast moving horses, this will be quite hard to start with until you get the hang of it.
Of course all lenses have manual focus options, but most also autofocus too.
 
Event-Rider said:
So I would be better off trying the K-r or the K-x, are they "better" than the K-7, or are there other reasons why you prefer them?
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The K-x is better than the K-7 for low light shooting but in every other respect the K-7 is superior. The K-r is an upgraded K-x and is mostly better than the k-7 (being a much newer model) .. has faster fps, better AF, better low light capability but does not have the weatherproofing or build quality.

If weatherproofing/build quality is not an issue for you then I would personally go for the newer K-r but then being able to shoot in the rain maybe quite handy for horse jumping etc.

Manual focus lens means just that .. you focus and not the camera. A lot of new users don't like manual focus, it can be a lot slower and less accurate unless you know what you are doing. Yes, it will be like the film camera you used.

Non of those lenses listed with the K-7 will be much good for what you want .. they are average at best (which is why he included them) and the kit lens is wrong anyway as the K-7 comes with a weather resistant version.
 
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