Super Zoom or budget DSLR??

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Comus

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Hi everyone,

I'm sure that this question has been asked by new members before and if that's the case I apologise.

I've been professionally involved with photography for a good few years now, I'm a police officer, and have been trained in the use of still and digital cameras. At work I use the Nikon D80/D70s and the Canon S5. I love both of these cameras although certainly don't use the D80 to it's full potential.

I'm looking to buy a camera for my own use, with a view to using it for both home and social / outdoor hobby photography as well as improving my skills.

I can't afford a D80 but could buy the S5 IS. Whilst researching cameras I've found DSLR's such as the D40 as well as the Super Zooms like the S5 or the Lumix FZ50 and FZ18.

My question is: What would you advise an enthusiastic amateur with around £300 to spend to buy?

Thanks in advance.

Comus:wave:
 
I've got a 40D (24-70 and 70-200) and a G9 and a monopod. And would be without the kit I have. I tend to use the G9 most of all and really love the way its so descrete and usable. I have it with me all the time.

The 40D is fantastic but it can be easy to get dragged down the slippery slope of buying more lenses and flash guns and tripods and more lenses and filters and focus screens and more lenses. So yo need to be discipined.

So it depends on what you want to do. If you can spare the dosh go for a decent DSLR with two nice fast zooms (say 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8) and a compact. If you can then resist the temptation of gadget mania you'll be a happy man. I am.

Look mum, no gadgets!
 
D40 or a 350D, you'd get either with at least the kit lens...add a budget zoom, it would get you going.

I spent my first year with a D50, the 18-55mm kit lens, and a Tamron 70-300mm Macro lens, and it did me no harm at all. In fact, some of the pics I took with that combo are still amongst the better ones I've done;) Check my Flickr (link in sig), look for the Red Arrows pics...

Edit: Found a D50 and 18-70mm lens on eBay for £190 - that's a steal (not literally, Officer!). The 18-70 is one of the best "kit" lenses out there... The D50 also has the internal AF motor:) For your remaining £100, get a Sigma 70-300mm APO, and an SD card...
 
Tough one - cameras only get cheaper on a like for like spec.

You could pick up a Nikon D40 within budget, only with the kit lens mind. A £130 compact will do the same and give you more zoom.

http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod267.html

Buying the Nikon would enable you to use a few lenses at work to try out - trouble is you may quickly decide to buy a longer zoom lens, and then you'll be on the slippery slope of upgrades !

A lot depends what you want to photograph, how often etc.

Bridge camera such as the Fuji S100 might be worth a look too - its not exactly pocket size, but it will go in a large coat pocket or a normal holiday/day out bag
 
If home and social includes indoor or night pictures of family, friends and children then you want a DSLR really. Point and shoots are reasonable outside during the day.

300 for a DSLR leaves you with one option but it's a pretty good one. I would get a D40 kit, SD card, circular polarizing filter, a small bag and a book on composition.

I'd get the Z18 over the canon purely because it has a 28mm efl wide lens. You'll never notice a few mill on the long end but 28 is a lot more useful than 36.
 
I guess it depends on how you intend to use and if you plan to upgrade or build upon your initial purchase.
In 3 months of owning a D80 with the 18-135, i've added a 70-300vr and a Sigma 24-70 2.8. :whistling:
My mate bought a Canon 350 then a couple of lenses, but decided the whole SLR type wasn't for him. He's now sold it and bought a Canon G9, which he seems happy with.

Oh and i'm a bit of gadget freek, so i've expanded the lenses without getting to grips with the kit one first:bonk:
 
Thanks for these replies guys.

I've got previous for throwing good money away on gadgets, my old eos10 and the suitcase full of kit that went with it springs to mind!

These 'bridge' cameras seem interesting. Can anyone recommend alternatives in the range to compare with the Fuji? I don't know anything about Fujifilm. How do they compare to Nikon and Canon etc?

Thanks again.
 
If it helps:

I would imagine using the camera for portraits,wild life, fishing (low light/ flash), some action photography, days out with the kids etc.

Size wise, the size of a DSLR isn't an issue but having to carry a rucksack full of lenses could be an problem.

Cost is a factor. Can't justify spending £100's on additional lenses.
 
Fuji stuff is okay, but if you're using Nikon gear at work wouldn't it be more sensible to get a Nikon for personal use, that way you're not having to learn a new camera.

A D40 looks like your best bet if you're limited to £300, although for that you could also get a Canon G9, which, whilst not a DSLR or even a "bridge" camera is far closer to a DSLR in operation and can produce some pretty impressive images.

I'm also sure there was someone on here talking about selling a nearly-new D60 (the new model) Nikon for not much over your £300 budget.....

****EDIT**** The G9 is also a good bet for carrying on days out (being small) and for flash photography (being one of the few compact cameras with a hotshoe for an external flash)
 
Comus said:
My question is: What would you advise an enthusiastic amateur with around £300 to spend to buy?
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That's easy, Comus: a 'superzoom'/'bridge' camera!

Because
1) you'll have a very complete and rounded system in one camera*, and you won't need to spend thousands on 'glass' and other accessories, and
2) because you won't also need a mule to lug it around.

From the cameras you mentioned the Panasonic Lumix FZ18 is my choice. After a half dozen African safaris schlepping 10 to 20 kilos of SLR equipment around (and still not nearly enough tele), a companion of mine used a half kilo FZ18 on the last couple. And wished he'd done that years sooner! The image quality of his photos amazed me, it is excellent! To the untrained eye it's undistinguishable from the D300 and 5D photos of exactly the same trip!
The only real drawback I can see is that it doesn't have a hotshoe for an external flash gun. The built-in flash is good, however, for indoor head-on flash lit snapshots up to 15/18 feet, and it is excellent for daytime fill flash outdoors.

*you only need to add a tripod, Circular Polarizer filter, and UV filter and you're all set.
And a good bag.

Have fun!
 
Comus said:
I've got previous for throwing good money away on gadgets, my old eos10 and the suitcase full of kit that went with it springs to mind!
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err... doesn't this mean that you should get a Canon 350D/400D or, maybe a 30D. Look at 2nd hand kit too - high mileage 20Ds and 30Ds are still good value

If the "kit" you mention includes lenses, then they'll be good for the digital SLR (unless someone comes along and says different)
 
The simple answer is if you really get into photography, there's just no substitute for an SLR, with or without the D prefix. Sooner or later you'll want one. ;)
 
Thanks again.

I do like the look of the Panasonic.

I ended up selling all of my eos gear at a great loss after the first born arrived.
 
CT said:
The simple answer is if you really get into photography, there's just no substitute for an SLR, with or without the D prefix. Sooner or later you'll want one. ;)
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That is indeed a simple answer...
A silly over-simplification really, because real life is multi-faceted and everybody is different. One size does not fit all. It all depends on the circumstances.
 
for that money I would be thinking along the lines of the Olympus 420. You can pick it up with the kit lens for around £350. For the money I think it's a cracking little camera (live view etc) Will no doubt fall in price in the next month or so due to its newness.
 
Comus said:
I would imagine using the camera for portraits,wild life, fishing (low light/ flash), some action photography, days out with the kids etc.

...

Cost is a factor. Can't justify spending £100's on additional lenses.
Click to expand...

Hmm you're not going to get all that without spending thousands rather than hundreds. If 300 is the last money you're putting into it then the bridge will get you a lot closer than anything else.
 
Comus said:
I ended up selling all of my eos gear at a great loss after the first born arrived.
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Well, that ****es on my theory then.

I'd still go for a DSLR - fully upgradeable (with lenses etc) - over a bridge - which can only be replaced if you don't like / want to move on
 
DollyBuster said:
That is indeed a simple answer...
A silly over-simplification really, because real life is multi-faceted and everybody is different. One size does not fit all. It all depends on the circumstances.
Click to expand...

The OP is asking about a photographic tool, and the Panasonic whilst being a handy walk around camera, is hugely compromised in many areas. A 28mm - 500mm lens whilst being convenient is not going to produce great image quality, especially on a sensor of this size. Noise is not good on the camera at much above 100 ISO and low light noise performance is pretty bad - read the reviews.

The OP needs to make a sensible choice at this stage. Fair enough if he's prepared to live with the shortcomings of the Panasonic, but lets's give him the information he needs to make a choice. If anything was a bit silly, it was your assertion that images were indistinguishable from the 5D, when iin fact they'll be light years apart.
 
CT said:
If anything was a bit silly, it was your assertion that images were indistinguishable from the 5D, when iin fact they'll be light years apart.
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Quite a statement from someone who hasn't seen them...
 
DollyBuster said:
Quite a statement from someone who hasn't seen them...
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That sounds like a gauntlet being thrown to the ground....

Is it going to be followed with some example images....


Comus

You stated that you use Nikon gear at work.. and sometimes the canon s5... I do not know how much you use these but if you are going to be using the camera for tracking the kids and wildlife maybe sports, would the shutter lag of the bridge cameras be a hinderance.... not to mention the slow write speeds.

Just my thoughts....

Shutterman
 
DollyBuster said:
That's easy, Comus: a 'superzoom'/'bridge' camera!

To the untrained eye it's undistinguishable from the D300 and 5D photos of exactly the same trip!
Click to expand...

Hmm....that suggests one of two things to me, either Andy Rouse, et al should stop lugging all that gear about with them and buy bridge cameras, or....

the 'togs with the D300 and 5D weren't very good :lol:
 
Well, I'm sure my experience is the same as a lot of peoples. Can I just provide a bit of history, not sure how relevant it is. I used to be deep into photography, but the digital age has rendered my Minolta X700, Canon EOS and plethora of Tamron lenses virtually worthless. . The price I would get for them, I would rather keep them for nostalgias sake. Anyway, I'm straying off topic here..

I have had a couple of small compacts, the latest being my trusty Casio Z55. . Small enough to take anywhere, but to be honest, some camera phones are approaching compact digital quality, so I thought it was time to buy my first DSLR. . . I read DSLR reviews till my head was gonna explode, and in the end decided on the Sony Alpha 200. .

Bought it around 3 weeks ago, with a bundled 2gb ultra Compact Flash and a bag and a monopod for £330. and added a cheap tripod for around 15 quid. .

The camera is fantastic, fully featured and takes a cracking picture. But here's the moral of the story. . . I found that the stock lens didnt get me close enough in some situations, so have just bought a Tamron 55-200mm zoom. . Also the tripod proved woefully inadequate, so now my head is battered with tripod reviews and ebay searching, deciding whether to buy new or used. . Now I am looking at a Manfrotto 055XPROB and a decent head for it at around the £200 mark for the two. .

What I am saying is that once you have bought the camera, you will find that your wish-list soon starts growing, and you will want to add more kit. By the time I have bought my tripod, I will have virtually doubled my budget, and I am not rich by any means.

Anyway I can heartily recommend the A200, and it can be had for around the £270 mark with an 18-70mm lens. To be honest, its probably difficult to buy a rubbish DSLR nowadays, so really it comes down to budget and personal preference, but I would check the price of extra lenses. A friend of mine has an Olympus 410, and although its a nice camera, he is always moaning about the cost of lenses compared to Canon, Nikon etc.

Its a hobby that can suck you in, and make you spend money you cant really afford to. .

I think the bridge cameras like the Fuji SLR lookalikes take a decent shot, are quite well featured, and they are virtually giving them away, but to me they are too large to carry around everywhere like a true compact, and just havent quite got what it takes like a true DSLR, so for me they are too much of a compromise.
 
Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd send a big thank you to everyone who advised me on this thread. After careful consideration and getting my credit card out on 3 occasions to buy a Canon G9, a Panny FZ18 and a D40 I ended up buying a refurbished D80 with 28-80mm and 70-300mm Nikon lenses from ebay for £485. (Just got to hope that I've not been scammed now!)

As warned on the posts I've already started scouring the net for a tripod, bag and instruction manual.

No doubt I'll be making a nuisance of myself in the various forums asking how to get the best out of my new toy.

Thanks again for making me so welcome on the forum.

Comus

D80!!!
 
Sensible decision if I may say so. :thumbs:
 
Thanks CT.
Now as promised,a newbie question. I've found on Amazon a number of instructional books for the D80. Is there a series that you or other members recommend?

Comus

Nikon D80
 
One of the Nikon bods will no doubt advise - me Canon. :D
 
I've heard Thom Hogan's field guides recommended, though I haven't bought one myself. I do recommend reading the rest of his site as it's very informative. http://bythom.com/nikon.htm

There's really not that much to learn though. You obviously know the basics and have a background in film photography. The rest is mostly lighting, composition and post-processing rather than the camera.
 
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