Recommendations around the £500 mark...

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mr byrne

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Michael
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Hi folks,

I'm new on these boards, and will hopefully sooner rather than later be new to DSLR photography.

I've set myself a budget of around the £500 mark, with a small degree of flexibility if the deal of a lifetime comes along...

I have been in Jessops, on internet forums, review sites and I'm thoroughly confused! I have been looking at the Canon EOS range, and was met with the horrible answer of "there really isn't much difference" from a particularly unhelpful salesperson today when I was looking for someone to explain why certain camers are £400 and others with (what appear to unqualified people like me) similar specs.

I was hoping you guys who use these cameras regularly and know what you are talking about, would be able to offer some advice on a good starting point. I was looking at the Canon EOS 500D, which seemed good to me if at the top end of my budget...is there any advantage in the 500 over the cheaper 450D? Also the Nikon range and the Sony range have caught my eye...the Sony cameras seem to be slightly cheaper for similar specs, but is this reflected in build quality?

ANY help much appreciated. Cheers.
 
Hi welcome:)

any of the cameras brands acan take good pictures it is you that make them great.

You need to buy the camera that best fits

YOUR budget
YOUR hands

With a control system YOU find most intuitive.

Have a look at www.camerapricebuster.co.uk. for most of the best deals for each make.

Sony frequently have some good twin lens offers.
 
Thanks

I will be primarily doing landscape photography; I am off to the USA in July and will be visiting Yosemite, Grand Canyon etc so I would like a set up that will lend itself to some great panoramic shots, with good light sensitivity.
 
I'm Canon so I'll say what I know.

A kit lens is a good starting point - the newer 18-55 IS that comes with some of the kits is better than the older non-IS version. If 18mm isn't wide enough, you may want to look at a ultra wide angle lens such as the Canon 10-22 or the Sigma 10-20 - but you won't get a camera and one of these in your budget, so I'd suggest thinking of hiring one from StewartR at Lenses For Hire.

All the cameras will do roughly what you want and all have the same basic set of features. The cheaper ones tend to have some of the more advanced components de-activated or dumbed down but I would consider the 450D 18-55IS kit to start.

Looking at Sony I notice the Sony Alpha A380 + 18-55mm + 55-200mm Lens Kit for bang on £ 500. The two lenses would give you a fighting chance of getting something usable for the majority of needs.

Other useful stuff which can easily be forgotten about is a spare battery, memory cards and a bag to keep it safe.

You can do panoramas by taking multiple photos and stitching them together. A tripod and head with a panorama facility will help make this easier.
 
Well being biased towards canon i'd be looking at the 500D, amongst the differences between it and a 450d, the biggest one for me has to be video mode. In addition to taking your panoramics, I rekon a short 1080p scan of the horizon or something of particular interest would be great for capturing 'memories', and the stills can be hung on the wall for visitors.

You'll probably also want to take a polarizing filter for your landscape shots.
p.s, i went with canon because all of their ef and ef-s lens are compatible with the 450d and slightly cheaper than the nikon equivilants. With nikon if you wish to have auto-focus, you either need a D90 or higher, or are limited to lens with a motor in the lens.
 
Thanks for the input...another day, another trip to a camera store armed with a bit more info this time.

Thanks all again.
 
Well. I think the sales person is actually quite insightful, there isn't that much difference.
Not that helps you in any way.
Pick those entry level cameras and check how they feel for you.
I never liked the rebel's grip (too thin), Sony's ergonomics are also horrible (300 something models), but check for yourself, this is always a personal opinion.

Personally ergonomics is important, see for yourself, even if they arent working try to have a feel of how operation will be.
 
edumad said:
Personally ergonomics is important, see for yourself, even if they arent working try to have a feel of how operation will be.
Click to expand...

This :agree: , I was going to get the 450D but then held a few in a shop, Canon, Nikon and Sony and the Nikon D5000 just felt right to me so that's the one I got.


Have a play with them all, pick the one that 'feels' right for you, then enjoy.
 
Nikon D5000 with two kit lenses - should be someone offering a deal for around that price.
 
I was in the same position 18 monthes ago, basically CANON or NIKON on a budget, both very good. The thing that swung it for me was that there are some NIKONS that have the lens motor in the camera, and some that don't, and vice versa with lenses, I realized that I may end up with no lens motor at all in some combinations, and from this considered if I had confidence in a company that does this, and given this, what will they do in the future?
So went with CANON and am happy with the choice.
 
Hi folks

thank you all for your input, everything i've read here has been of great assistance. I am down to either the D5000 or the Eos 500D, and I am probably err-ing to the D5000 purely for price reasons; it seems to do everything I would want to for the money, so will head to the shops tomorrow for another 'handling' session; I am aware having read what people have said how important this is, so my decision may well change tomorrow!!

On another practical point, do people think it is worth spending more to get an extra lens on top of the 18-55mm kit lens? I will definitely want to buy an extra battery, a couple of memory cards, a bag and a polarising filter on top of the kit as it is...i fear costs may start to get out of control with another lens, but I hope I won't regret not spending the extra for the 18-105mm kit?

Cheers
 
mr byrne said:
Thanks

I will be primarily doing landscape photography; I am off to the USA in July and will be visiting Yosemite, Grand Canyon etc so I would like a set up that will lend itself to some great panoramic shots, with good light sensitivity.
Click to expand...

Try not to miss Bryce Canyon many say better then the Grand Canyon.
 
Chaz Photos said:
Try not to miss Bryce Canyon many say better then the Grand Canyon.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Unfortunately it's a road trip and I don't really have a say on where we go!! I've been over there before, and I actually thought sunrise in Monument Valley was the most stunning thing I've ever seen!
 
Stay with the 18-105 and see which direction your image taking goes.
You may decide to opt for a wide-angle if landscapes are your thing, or a better telephoto or tele-zoom if portraiture or sports takes your fancy.
Familiarise yourself with the camera first.
The lenses aren't going to run away.
Likewise the polarising filter.
I've had one for 20 years and used it twice. Other people never take thiers off the lens - just see where your images go, then buy the extras...

Get a spare memory card by all means - you can never have enough of them...
 
Arkady said:
Stay with the 18-105 ........
Click to expand...

excuse the butt-in ...did you mean stay with 18-55 kit lens

if so , agreed, I used this for some time and pretty good for walkabout and landscapes............then look at a 55-200 AF-S DX "VR" later

a travel good quality tripod would be good

and a remote shutter release @£13 - stops camera shake on the tripod [ and you can get in the "here I am tourist with the missus" shots...:lol:
 
My mistake - yes: 18-55
I had the other one on the brain as I just bought one for my dad...
 
30D + Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 maybe a good start for <500, or maybe Nikon D80 - d200 with the same lens? As long as they are in great condition it will be fine. There is no need to pay the high street tax for an entry level kit.
 
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