Need Some Help On Choosing My First SLR.

TCR4x4 said:
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.
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When I used the manual film on my recent project, I sorted out the aperture and shutter speed first, then focused it and pointed it towards the jump and waited for the horse to come. I have to say, I actually enjoy sorting it all out instead of just having a "point and shoot". Hence why I want a SLR. :)
 
Mike.P said:
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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That information is very helpful. Thank you. Waterproofing would be helpful, but faster fps is more important for me.

I don't mind the manual focus.

So the K-x or the K-r will be best for me?

I will try them out and see which one I prefer.
 
Jessops .. £499 on deal of the day.

£70 cashback through Pentax plus code Pentax5 gives you another 5% off.

Excellent price.

You could always order it for pickup to guarantee the price then try it when you go to collect.
If you don't like it then try other brands.
 
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Okay.
I went shopping today. Firstly to Currys where I tried the Pentax K-x and the Canon EOS 1000 DC.

The lady in there knew nothing about cameras! So I was left to play around with them, not having a clue what I was doing!

The Pentax was heavier, but that didn't bother me because it wasn't "heavy". It comes with a 18-55mm lens and a 50-200mm lens.

The Canon was lighter, but we could not find a way of getting the image onto the monitor. Is that something that Canon's don't do, or was it just me being stupid!? That one comes with an 18-55mm EF-S Zoom lens. What does the "EF-S" mean?

So out of the 2 I tried there, I preferred the Pentax. The deal that they have is very good, with 2 lenses and the body for £399.99
Are the lenses suitable for me?

Then I went to Jessops, where the assistant showed me some "Compact System Cameras"
She explained that they don't have the mirror system, so take the pictures quicker and that they are basically an easier SLR.

She showed me the Samsung NX5, which comes with:
•18-55mm Lens
•Samsung EX50-200mm f/4-5.6 OIS lens
•Samsung Premium Soft Case
•Velbon VTP-777 Tripod

With the whole bundle costing £449.
It also has an amazingly quick "burst" mode which was 30 fps!!! Obviously very good for what I want to do!

So I am now in a dilemma.
Which camera has the best lenses?

Here are the links:

Samsung NX5: http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/79396/show.html

Pentax K-x: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/pentax...oom-lens-50-200mm-zoom-lens-03858320-pdt.html

Canon EOS 1000 DC: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/eos-10...5-mm-ef-s-zoom-lens-10-1-mp-02441727-pdt.html

On paper, the Pentax sounds the best, with 12.4 mp and 4.7fps.
But please can I have peoples advice?
Thank you :D
 
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A proper DSLR will have better lenses. Obviously bigger and heavier than a compact. It depends how serious you want to get.

I started with a Nikon D40 and then invested in lenses - I am more interested in portrait photography so different lenses to what you would need.

I know nothing about Pentax - but would highly recommend a secondhand D40 with a 70-300 or a 55-200, which should come in your budget.
 
Here is a site I use to compare specifications .. it will obviously tell you what has what but only you can say if you are happy with the feel of a certain camera.

As for the K-x, personally I would pay the extra at Wilkinsons (posted earlier in the thread) and get the 55-300mm rather than the 50-200mm as it is a better range and one of the best budget long zooms available.

Re the Samsung .. honestly couldn't say anything about it as have never seen one but from my experience a burst mode of 30fps means very small files that will be pretty worthless for anything apart from showing on the web (but I may be wrong with that).
 
:thinking: Mmm . . . £500 . . . D5000, no in body motor, but a great body, I just happen to be selling one 'as new, with under 600 shutter actions' in the classified . . . Then an 18-55 Nikon kit lens for general and landscape work . . . how about a Sigma 70-300mm APO f4-5.6 HSM (motor in lens) £175 from Bristol Cameras, that little lot ads up to around £550 if a deal can be had on eBay or used on the 18-55, covers all bases as a starter kit.

I use the Sigma, it does remarkably well IMHO, focus is very fast the 'High Speed Motor' relay picks up its skirts! The aperture could be a little faster, but at what cost . . . ? however as a temporary fix, the excellent ISO capability of the D5000 will generally overcome the slower aperture!

The D5000 is a D90 where it matters . . . and we all like D90's! Coupled with the 18-55 Nikon kit lens, makes a practical first time package . . . ?

CJS
 
Mike.P said:
Here is a site I use to compare specifications .. it will obviously tell you what has what but only you can say if you are happy with the feel of a certain camera.

As for the K-x, personally I would pay the extra at Wilkinsons (posted earlier in the thread) and get the 55-300mm rather than the 50-200mm as it is a better range and one of the best budget long zooms available.

Re the Samsung .. honestly couldn't say anything about it as have never seen one but from my experience a burst mode of 30fps means very small files that will be pretty worthless for anything apart from showing on the web (but I may be wrong with that).
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So with the Wilkinsons package, why is the 50-300mm lens so much better than the 55-200mm. Obviously there is a larger range, but what does it do to the image. (You can tell I haven't started learning about lenses yet!!) :thumbs:

Haha :)
 
I'm biased, but would personally look at a secondhand Canon 40D, decent low light capability and excellent fps for sport/action.

For the lens have a look at the new Tamron 70-300mm, supposed to very good and has stabilisation, decent price too
If you also want a standard lens the Sigma 17-70mm is excellent for the price and you could cover a fair old range there for well under a grand
 
Event-Rider said:
So with the Wilkinsons package, why is the 50-300mm lens so much better than the 55-200mm. Obviously there is a larger range, but what does it do to the image. (You can tell I haven't started learning about lenses yet!!) :thumbs:

Haha :)
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The larger range basically means you can stand further away from your subject and still fill the frame whereas with the smaller range you will have to crop the picture (and maybe lose sharpness). In other words the extra 100mm will bring the subject nearer to you when looking through the viewfinder and taking the shot.

Not sure that really explains it properly to be honest but trust me, the extra 100mm will be very useful with horse eventing.

Rich's suggestion of a used 40D is actually a pretty good one if you are happy to buy second hand .. I should imagine it would be an ideal camera for the sort of thing you are looking to do.
 
Mike.P said:
The larger range basically means you can stand further away from your subject and still fill the frame whereas with the smaller range you will have to crop the picture (and maybe lose sharpness). In other words the extra 100mm will bring the subject nearer to you when looking through the viewfinder and taking the shot.

Not sure that really explains it properly to be honest but trust me, the extra 100mm will be very useful with horse eventing.

Rich's suggestion of a used 40D is actually a pretty good one if you are happy to buy second hand .. I should imagine it would be an ideal camera for the sort of thing you are looking to do.
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Thank you. I understand it much more now! :D

I don't mind buying second hand, where is a good place to find them though?
 
I don't mind buying second hand, where is a good place to find them though?
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The classifieds on this site is a good place to buy used equipment. You can buy as a newcomer, but not sell or place a wanted ad until certain conditions are met.

Pay a bit more, get some warranty and buy used from someone like MPB, LCE, Mifsuds, Ffordes and many others, best place to look is the back pages of the weekly publication Amateur Photographer
 
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Event-Rider said:
Okay.
I went shopping today. Firstly to Currys where I tried the Pentax K-x and the Canon EOS 1000 DC.

The lady in there knew nothing about cameras! So I was left to play around with them, not having a clue what I was doing!

The Pentax was heavier, but that didn't bother me because it wasn't "heavy". It comes with a 18-55mm lens and a 50-200mm lens.

The Canon was lighter, but we could not find a way of getting the image onto the monitor. Is that something that Canon's don't do, or was it just me being stupid!? That one comes with an 18-55mm EF-S Zoom lens. What does the "EF-S" mean?

So out of the 2 I tried there, I preferred the Pentax. The deal that they have is very good, with 2 lenses and the body for £399.99
Are the lenses suitable for me?

Then I went to Jessops, where the assistant showed me some "Compact System Cameras"
She explained that they don't have the mirror system, so take the pictures quicker and that they are basically an easier SLR.

She showed me the Samsung NX5, which comes with:
•18-55mm Lens
•Samsung EX50-200mm f/4-5.6 OIS lens
•Samsung Premium Soft Case
•Velbon VTP-777 Tripod

With the whole bundle costing £449.
It also has an amazingly quick "burst" mode which was 30 fps!!! Obviously very good for what I want to do!

So I am now in a dilemma.
Which camera has the best lenses?

Here are the links:

Samsung NX5: http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/79396/show.html

Pentax K-x: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/pentax...oom-lens-50-200mm-zoom-lens-03858320-pdt.html

Canon EOS 1000 DC: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/eos-10...5-mm-ef-s-zoom-lens-10-1-mp-02441727-pdt.html

On paper, the Pentax sounds the best, with 12.4 mp and 4.7fps.
But please can I have peoples advice?
Thank you :D
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Hi Emma-Jane,

This is certainly a dilemma. As a matter of interest do you live near any "proper" camera shops because I find both Jessops and Currys generally useless if you need advice and not always very competitive on price. For instance I think this bundle from Park cameras is quite a bit more useful from your POV as it includes a 70-300mm lens...

http://www.parkcameras.com/14935/Canon-EOS-1000D---18-55mm--non-IS----75-300mm-Lens.html

Also, it's relatively common to find camera gear faulty in some way and a decent dealer (even a reputable mail order one) will generally be more supportive if you need to exchange or get a refund.

I used a Pentax system for many years, and they are great little cameras. They certainly do NOT feel cheap and plasticky for the money when compared to the equivalent priced competition. The Kx bundle you mentioned was very good value. It also has image stabilisation built in to the body and will work with any lens Pentax ever made, which means good second hand bargains if you can find any.

The downside though, and its a big one, is that prior to the K5 (which seems to be much improved) Pentax bodies were not all that good at tracking moving objects. I seldom did this so it never bothered me, but if you want to shoot outdoor sports I would probably tend towards the Canon or Nikon choices.

What I would NOT do is buy any of the mirrorless cameras because they are nowhere near as good as any SLRs for movement tracking and the systems are nowhere near as expandable. The 30fps is also misleading, its only at very low resolution! Don't go there, trust me. Maybe they will sort the tracking technology out in a few years....

I also had a lot of frustration with quality control on a Pentax K7 so I would not even consider buying a second hand one. My dealer was fantastic and helped me sort it out and I don't think new ones would be an issue, but I don't trust second hand camera equipment unless I can test it very thoroughly first, which again means getting it through a reputable dealer with a warranty. Be very careful!

So what to buy eh? Well all SLR systems will support basic manual operation as well as A, P and S modes, so you can learn photography with any of them. However, each level you go up, the better the performance and quality generally gets.

If you stick with Nikon and Canon, the main thing to remember is that Canons only make lenses with motors in them (EF and EF-S - the latter for APSC format cameras only). All current Canon lenses will work with their entry level bodies.

Nikon still make some screw drive lenses (AF-D) which won't autofocus with lower end bodies. Its really not a huge deal unless you want to scour for second hand bargains or you really love older prime lenses, but some third party lenses won't work either.

So, what are the best bundles you can get for your needs?

Cheapest options are the Canon EOS1000D (see above) or if you can still find one in stock, the discontinued D3000 which you could get a similar deal on.

These cameras are OK , basic but decent in terms of image quality. The main advantage of the Nikon is the 3D 11 point AF which is a lot more advanced than the Canon version.

The Nikon D3100 is a much newer camera with better IQ and more resolution (14MP). This is not a bad deal..

http://www.parkcameras.com/16530/Nikon-D3100---AF-S-DX-NIKKOR-18-55mm-VR.html

Or with 2 lenses

http://www.parkcameras.com/Bundle.aspx?BundleID=9702&display=true

Note the £40 cashback. The lenses have stabilisation too, unlike the Canon above.

You could go for the next model up (the D5000) with this bundle:

http://www.parkcameras.com/14158/Nikon-D5000---18-55mm---55-200mm-VR-Kit.html

You lose a bit of resolution and video resolution, but gain more frames per second and an articulated screen. The body has a few more features as well.

The next Canon model however is also very good. The EOS550D is a best seller, but its more expensive again. With only one lens the best kit is as follows.

http://www.parkcameras.com/14789/Canon-EOS-550D---EF-S-18-55mm-f-3-5-5-6-IS.html

To me the "Goldilocks" camera is the Nikon (well either Nikon). Not too basic, not too advanced, not too expensive, not too cheap. £600 is good value for what you are getting.

Please note, in 30 years I have used and loved Canons, Nikons, Minoltas (now Sony) and Pentaxes, and don't have any brand preference. All have pros and cons. However, there is always a model of lens or body or some combination that fits your needs best if you are objective in your choice. I would not turn down any camera if I wanted a good general purpose tool. They are all good nowadays. But when you know what you need and set a budget you can narrow the choices down very quickly.
 
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Thank you for the help everyone. I have just bought the Pentax K-x. Very happy with it. Just reading through the 300 page manual learning how to use it. Also got 2 lenses with it. The 18-55mm and a 50-200mm. All for £399.99. :D
 
Event-Rider said:
Thank you for the help everyone. I have just bought the Pentax K-x. Very happy with it. Just reading through the 300 page manual learning how to use it. Also got 2 lenses with it. The 18-55mm and a 50-200mm. All for £399.99. :D
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Good call. Have fun with it! :)
 
Here are my first shots! Bearing in mind, that this is the first time that I have used an SLR, don't be too harsh on the CC. ;)

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Thank you and enjoy :D
 
Looking pretty good, on 3&4 though, you've allowed it to choose AF points on the tree, rather than the bird, just a little something worth keeping an eye on when taking pictures :D There should be an option to change which AF point it uses, on mine I have to use the 4-way selector on the back of the camera to change it, but on some I think you have to use the wheel at the top of the camera.
 
RCAnderson said:
Looking pretty good, on 3&4 though, you've allowed it to choose AF points on the tree, rather than the bird, just a little something worth keeping an eye on when taking pictures :D There should be an option to change which AF point it uses, on mine I have to use the 4-way selector on the back of the camera to change it, but on some I think you have to use the wheel at the top of the camera.
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Thank you. Yeah it was really difficult to get it to focus in time before the bird flew away. Apart from the manual mode, is there a way of getting it to focus more quickly? There was a page in the manual about it so will have to do some reading. :D
 
Not really a way to make it focus any quicker, unless you tell it to always focus on a specific AF spot, and make sure that spot is over whatever you want to AF on. On mine, you can see the AF points through the viewfinder (I'm assuming it's the same on yours), so you can then make sure your focusing on what you want :D
 
Oh, that'll be the largest change in speed of focusing, live view is a lot slower on all cameras (that I've read about) to focus, than using the viewfinder. Give it a go, and see what you think :D You can always stick with live view for landscapes/portraits (basically anything that you can take as much time as you want on) if you prefer, but I would advise to stick to the viewfinder for anything quick :)
 
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