Wanna help me choose my camera?

BornSimon

BornSimon

Suspended / Banned
Messages
7
Edit My Images
No
I'm a total amateur, I just really enjoy taking pictures and I would like to take it one step further and buy a better camera as I've taken most of my pictures with my phone or my old digital camera. I've been reading tons of reviews online and these seem to be the best ones for me. Which one do you think I should buy and why?

Canon EOS 550D
Canon EOS 1200D
Canon EOS 40D
Canon EOS 450D
Sony Alpha A5000
Canon 700D
Canon PowerShot G16

Do these cameras take pictures that are good enough to try and sell? I don't have a job so if I could make just a bit of money (not a full on salary, I'm not THAT deluded) through a passion it'd be great. Thanks very much in advance!

EDIT: I'll add this here cos it's a little more detailed:


Oh wow, you guys, so much to read! Thanks very much to each and every one who replied! So much knowledge!

So, I'll keep it simple cos it's the only way I can express myself in this field as of now:

1) I would like to take pictures of architecture (you know, when going around whatever city it is that I'm visiting), landscapes and people/animals.
2) It'd be easier for me to buy a camera with a pretty good lens that I wouldn't need to change just yet

I want to buy a better camera because I actually don't have one! I mean, I have my phone and I have an old digital camera (a Samsung PL210) but I really enjoy taking pictures and it feels a little frustrating on weaker devices such as those. But I will admit I am pretty much clueless, I don't know a lot, that is why I'm asking you guys.

I wouldn't want to spend way too much either, probably around 300 pounds. I've actually seen a Canon EOS 1200D complete with backpack and memory card for 370 euros, which seems like a pretty good deal to me, but at the same time I do think I'd probably rather have a really good compact camera, like a Powershot or a Sony... aaaand I'd like a camera that takes pictures that when you enlarge them they still look really good.

Am I asking for the moon?
 
Last edited:
The ergonomics of those are so different I think you need to go and handle them first to get an idea of what you prefer. They will all take decent photos in the right hands!
 
cameras dont take pictures that sell. photographers do.
the camera is just a tool at the end of the day. you could have a £30,000 camera and still take rubbish shots.
As for the above list. its all subjective. budget, how it feels in your hand to use, the quality of glass being used with the camera body, the type of shots you want to take ( landscape, portrait, macro etc etc )
Then its learn how the camera works, from full auto through to full manual and everything in between. get out there take pictures, take more pictures, then go and take those same pictures again 6 months later and see if you have improved.
photography and selling images isnt about how big and shiny your camera or lens is, its about knowing about light, composition, and of course in this day and age marketing.
sure it helps if you have a top notch full frame and big expensive L glass ( or equivalent ) but 20 years ago these things wernt around and people were selling images.
to easy to get hung up on the latest greatest and best out there and forget about the basics. ( learned that lesson 30 years ago when went from a full manual, mechanical camera to a full auto one and everything went downhill! ).
Nothing wrong with most of the above ( with some half decent glass ) , but first and foremost as you say you dont currently have a job so budget is your starting point.
 
Thank you guys! I appreciate each and every bit of advice!

I feel a bit out of place because I really do know very little about all this and it shows, so I'm sorry if I sound completely clueless to some of you!

My main concern is: the cheaper the camera, the worse the quality. I know I can take some pretty good pictures, but what if the quality is crap? All I want is a fast shutter and pictures that you can enlarge and they still look great, with clear colours and non-blurry faces.
 
again thats little to do with the camera and all to do with the quality of lens. even the lowest canon DSLR listed is 18mp. more than enough to do some decent sized prints. and as for fast shutter most are 1/4000th and above. the differences between most of the canon aps-c range are quite small. things like faster frames per second, varying between around 18 and 22mp some have articulated screens some have stereo mics, its all quite small stuff . really the biggest difference is likely to be the processor some with the slightly older but still very good digic 4, some with digic 5 or dual processors but its nothing to get hung up on.
as said its Budget first then look at what best possible lens you can get once youve decided on make of camera ( canon, nikon, fuji, sony etc ), then finally choose the body.
 
Agree totally with Dean's posts.

Budget and ergonomics are important but a reasonable camera with a good lens will be better than a good camera body with a kit lens.

You would need to think about both in your budget once you have decided on brand.

Years ago I had a 550D but as I was building my kit over time, I invested in lenses first (as funds allowed). I did get comments from people about my first L lens on a 550D for a while but I felt it better to do things that way around and then upgrade the camera body as my skill (and camera body technology) improved.

John.
 
My first DSLR was a Canon 1000d about 4 years ago, but when we were burgled in 2012, the insurance paid for an upgrade, so I got the Canon 600d, which I've found a lot better (but obviously it is better, as I've had a few years of practice with it!)

I noticed you listed the 550d as one of your options. I was going to get that one, but opted for the slightly more expensive 600d, as I said. It's the same spec, but the "live view" screen can be moved about, which I have found really useful if you're shooting in a awkward position, or doing a selfie or group selfie! It's a great camera, and does exactly what I want. I'm an enthusiastic amateur, but I've never sold any of my work (or tried to).

The 1000D and the 600D are the only two DSLR's I've owned, and therefore used, so I can only comment on them.

It obviously depends on your budget, but I would be tempted to opt for a slightly cheaper body, and then invest in a couple of lenses. One of my favourite budget lens for my canon is the 50mm 1.8, otherwise known as the "nifty fifty". It's only about £80. It's a fixed zoom lens, and is FAB for portraits, IMO.

As said, it's not just about the camera; it's about learning, having an "eye" for a good shot, composition, lighting, etc etc. Then learning about editing. I used "pic monkey" at first, as free on-line editing software, then I bought Photoshop elements, which took an eon to learn (but worth it), and now I also have Photoshop CC. I also now always use RAW, rather than jpeg.

I'm NO expert by any stretch, compared to some of the people on here, but I love photography, and that is what matters.

Enjoy shopping! :)
 
ive gone from a 1000D to a 450D to my current 60D. is my current 60D any better. well that depends . on my 450D ( or it might have been a 550D lol i dont recall ) i had a 70-200L f/4 lens. and it was an absolute joy and amazing image quality compared to the previous 70-300 sigma zoom i had.
now i have 4 lenses. 2 of average quality which produce average results ( soft images, purple fringing, etc. and two excellent lenses that produce pin sharp images.
so does my 60D perform better than my 1000D or 450/550 D... on two lenses yes on the other 2 no.
 
It's always about the glass you stick on it, but you need to think what you will be using the body for, do you need the extra control dials of say a 60d/d7000 or would you be happy going through menus to change settings (I don't think I would) or do you need higher frames per second for sport? Or higher usable ISO for low light shooting? We could do with some more details really to give a proper answer, but ideally you want to think what lens you need and budget that in, then budget for the body as the lenses are where it gets expensive. As previously mentioned the 50mm 1.8 is a cracking lens but won't be much use if you want to shoot birds or sports. Give us some details and hopefully we can advise you abit better
 
Handle some in a shop, being comfortable in the hand and liking the ergonomics is important which is why I've kept with dslrs, personally I still don't think mirrorless hold a candle to a dslr on that score but that's my opinion and everyone's different, I don't know much about mirrorless lenses but canon and nikon have a good amount of excellent lenses at affordable prices something you also need to consider, I'm not sure mirrorless good lenses are particularly affordable from what I've seen but depends on your budget.
 
Last edited:
:agree: If you can get to a camera shop, even currys will have a few models in, and find out how they feel in hand will help you a lot.
 
Personally, I wouldn't buy any of those on your list because I use Nikon / Fuji systems (for different reasons) but that's just personal preference. Nothing wrong with Canon but I've always used Nikon which has been the primary choice of system in the Armed Forces and Police services (forensic arena) for most of my working life.

The obvious question that's been over looked is what do you want to use the camera for? what do you want to shoot ? - this should ultimately determine your type of camera (format) DSLR, mirrorless, CSC. Do you want something big or small, is if for traveling or other projects. Don't just look at the camera in isolation, look at the whole system. Flash capabilities, lenses etc.

Once you've established what you want to shoot then opt for a camera with the most features for your budget. Look at all options, all makes. Rather than buy brand new consider something second hand there are some very good bargains to be had and would also allow you to buy some lenses. It's all ready been pointed out the value of good quality glass which can help determine a quality image. Of course, it's as only good as the photographer who presses the button. That's why you need to determine what you want to shoot before deciding you want model x etc.
 
Last edited:
Haha yeah there is a thread by Peter where that's all been covered if you do want a read through. Short version is better glass will give u better iq on any of those bodies (unless you plan on using the higher ISOs, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on these bodies)
 
I would tend to get a body and then add lenses kit lenses tend not to be great although fuji are the exception their kit lenses are excellent
 
All fuji lenses are an exception. Could be worth looking into a fuji Xe-2 with the 18-55 kit lens, depending on budget
 
Your quite right I did have an xe1 when it came out, if I ever went mirrorless it would be fuji
 
AdamTudor said:
Haha yeah there is a thread by Peter where that's all been covered if you do want a read through. Short version is better glass will give u better iq on any of those bodies (unless you plan on using the higher ISOs, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on these bodies)
Click to expand...
Lol I believe he will get better glass at lower prices with dslr than with mirrorless though again depends on his budget
 
Yeah probably, will only be the 18-55 that's possibly affordable. Not gonna get a 50mm for £80 anyway....
 
Nikon have 35 and 50 canon 50 plus both have affordable macros lenses and both have good 70-300s mirrorless can't match that
 
Last edited:
loved my fuji x-e1. got it on pre order one of the first in UK ( cost me a damn fortune too £1200 for the camera and 18-55 lens.. ) sold all my canon gear to get it including my beloved 70-200 L mentioned above.
kept the fuji for about 6 months then sold it for £800 as i wanted to shoot more wildlife and fast action and just couldnt do it with the fuji.
if i had the money though id def get soemthing like the X100S as a walkabout
 
Ditto I didn't pay as.much but sold it on because I'm not a lover of 18-55 I find it too short, lenses were limited and expensive and as a wildlife setup pretty useless
 
Two points to bear in mind

1-If you buy any interchangeable lens camera you are not just buying a camera , you are buying a system.Once you have bought a few lenses ( which you will, its called gear aquisition syndrome) it gets very expensive to change from say Canon to Nikon or whatever so do your homework on lens and flash costs.

2) Please do not buy one of these bundles off Ebay ( camera , lens ,tripod , filters etc) you are not getting a good deal, all you are doing is spending more than you need for a load of c**p
 
This question raises something of a:

can-of-worms.jpg


Your list of potential cameras contains several different camera types.
What is it about your current camera that you feel is lacking or restricting you?
Do you want the option to change lenses?
Do you want to start building a camera system or do you want a capable point-and-shoot?
Would you be happy to carry a bulky DSLR system around or do you want something that slips into your pocket?
It just goes on and on..
 
Handle
troutfisher said:
Two points to bear in mind

1-If you buy any interchangeable lens camera you are not just buying a camera , you are buying a system.Once you have bought a few lenses ( which you will, its called gear aquisition syndrome) it gets very expensive to change from say Canon to Nikon or whatever so do your homework on lens and flash costs.

2) Please do not buy one of these bundles off Ebay ( camera , lens ,tripod , filters etc) you are not getting a good deal, all you are doing is spending more than you need for a load of c**p
Click to expand...
Good point, buy a body, then a decent lens, learn to use and then you'll work out what you may or not need from there ( if you want to get into a system that is)
 
Last edited:
Had a 550D for a few years now and absolutely love it. Not heavy, fits nice in the hand and like the shots i am able to produce with it. I have had other cameras but this, for me, is a cracker. 50mm on it and the results are very pleasing.
 
Oh wow, you guys, so much to read! Thanks very much to each and every one who replied! So much knowledge!

So, I'll keep it simple cos it's the only way I can express myself in this field as of now:

1) I would like to take pictures of architecture (you know, when going around whatever city it is that I'm visiting), landscapes and people/animals.
2) It'd be easier for me to buy a camera with a pretty good lens that I wouldn't need to change just yet

I want to buy a better camera because I actually don't have one! I mean, I have my phone and I have an old digital camera (a Samsung PL210) but I really enjoy taking pictures and it feels a little frustrating on weaker devices such as those. But I will admit I am pretty much clueless, I don't know a lot, that is why I'm asking you guys.

I wouldn't want to spend way too much either, probably around 300 pounds. I've actually seen a Canon EOS 1200D complete with backpack and memory card for 370 euros, which seems like a pretty good deal to me, but at the same time I do think I'd probably rather have a really good compact camera, like a Powershot or a Sony... aaaand I'd like a camera that takes pictures that when you enlarge them they still look really good.

Am I asking for the moon?
 
Yes, that's one of those I've been looking at! What do you guys think?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top