Which camera for first DSLR

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hollysmum

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Hello

I am a total newbie and I am looking to purchase a DSLR at a reasonable cost. I currently have a Fuji Finepix S5700 and can take some really nice pictures on it but I'm wanting to take pictures more continuously (as I have little children who run around alot) and pictures with a blurry background.

I am seriously thinking about the sony a200 as it is reasonably priced and has good reviews. Will I really see a difference in the photos between the sony and my current camera?

Thanks for any advice you can give me x
 
First of all Welcome:).

An idea of budget would be useful.

Do not fixate on a particular make. All of the cameras can do the job, go and hold them and see which feel comfortable.

Also to help what sort of photography do you wish to do as this will determine your lens needs.
 
This is the endless debate, but here's my two penneth...

Have a butchers at DIGITAL CAMERA magazine this month (Autumn 2008) and they have a head-to-head of DSLRs under £400. The Sony 350 and Nikon D60 win it, with the Canon very close behind. It's not the holy grail of reviews – there are too many cameras coming into the market to create a definitive winner from on month to the next - but it's a start.

Consider what you'll be doing with it in future - Do you want to build up a lens assortment? Do you need specific accessories in furure like wireless flash? All three manufacturers have great ranges but (only in my opinion) the Nikon has the edge. But that's just MO...

Oh, and welcome to TP :)
 
Thanks for such quick responses.

I am looking to take photos of my children in general every day situations. I find that the flash on my current camera comes on nearly all the time and it creates really harsh pictures. I really want to be able to take pictures of my children where they are the focus and the background is blurred.

I'm on a really low budget hence why I'm liking the Sony. I definitely do not need "professional" quality but would really like better than I have at the moment. The Fuji is a good camera but by the time I've pressed the button it takes a while to take the photo. It also seems to only get best quality photos if we are outside. If the children are running around it doesn't catch the moment alot of the time and I tend to end up with a lot of blurred photos.

Thanks again for your help
 
agree with whats been said...get out there(jessops,jacobs etc..)and try them out to see what you like as there's very little difference between canon,nikon,sony olympus etc...canon and nikon have the bigger choice in lens,but sony have all the minolta AF lens that work perfectly on the sony bodies,and are cheap as chips on e-bay,but not for much longer i suspect as togs are catching on...no experience with olympus,fuji etc,so can't comment.
 
i am biased but i would recommend the 400d they are a really good camera to learn with and its a canon so great quality only bad point is if you want live view the 400d doesnt have it or i have tried out the a200 and it is a good cam for the money just go to a shop and try some out holding them and stuff as you dont want to commit to a camera you feel uncomfortable holding and using
 
If your not planning on spending extra money on new lenses in the future then also consider Olympus :thumbs:

The kit lenses are renowned for being the best quality kit lenses available which helped in my decision to buy.

Im not financially able to upgrade or replace my lenses for "better" quality ones so wanted a camera with the best kit lenses I could get for my money.

I have seen quite a few Canon and Nikon kit lenses for sale on here and posts suggesting people are not that impressed with there kit lenses where as I would not replace mine at present. Even if I had the money to I would simply add instead of replace.

The E510 & new E520 both have in camera Image Stabilisation as well as Live View.
The E410 & new E420 also have live view.

If you think your hobby is likely to extend and you will end up buying different lenses etc then you "may" be better off looking at Canon or Nikon simply for availability of 3rd party lenses, price of lenses etc however if you just want an entry level DSLR with no desire to spend hundreds of pounds building up a kit then as mentioned earlier, there are many others inc the Sony, Pentax etc that will all produce "similar" results.

Whatever you decide, try and get to see and more importantly hold the cameras in your hand so you can get a feel for the size, layout etc. Im sure there will be one that just "feels right" for you.
 
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