1st Dslr Camera Eeeeeeek Which One

[Davetrials]

gonna be getting my DSLR soon. i had a play with a d50 tuther day and forking loved it!!!!!!!!

whats the pentax DL2 like?

those two are within my price range.. can i get a d50 for £350??, ive seen there for just over £400

just found this..

http://www.bestcameras.co.uk/shop/acatalog...html?ref=kelkoo

does camera "body" mean no lense?, also do DSLR's not cum with memory cards:(

Edited July 24, 2006 by Davetrials

[Joe Papasnap Maher]

Body...no lense with it.

Memory is soooo f**king cheap...1gb card is like £12nowdays haha

[Davetrials]

well yea, just wandering... more help please..

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

pentax = expensive glass, but is due to be compatible with sony stuff iirc?

[JT!]

Bit off topic, but i thought you had a dslr befor. What are you using now?

[F-Stop Junkie]

The Sony dSLR bodies will be compatible with Minolta-fit glass, not Pentax. I find the Minolta dSLR - and therefore the Sony one because they're the same design - to be a bit quirky to use, but my Dad swears by them.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Go for the d50 or the 350D. You can not pick a bad camera between the two of them, the only difference is how they operate, how comfortable they are to use, if the buttons operate the way you think they should and so on... I've tried using Nikons and they're just not how I expect them to be, but the Canon I can use without even opening the manual - and when my eye is upto the viewfinder. I'm sure Nikon users feel the same about Nikon cameras, that everything is just where they think it should be and so on.

I'd get the kit with the lens included. It's a great starting point, and cheaper than getting a lens on it's own. As Joe said, memory cards are now so cheap it's not worth worrying about that.

Best bet is go to a good camera shop, and try both out. Have a play, change settings, take a few photos, then buy the one you like using the most. Don't let anyone on here sway you, as they're basically as good as each other. Oh, and be careful looking around the Internet trying to save a fiver over Jessops. Some less reputable shops *pixmania* don't sell UK stock so the instructions could be in a foreign language and you won't have a UK warrenty with the manufacturer, just with them.

[yoyoyo]

If you don't want to spend much, you could get a prosumer camera. It's the same shape as an slr, but you don't need to change lenses. It's what my dad uses now he's off film.

Dunno about quality difference as i know jack all mostly about cameras, just learn little bits off my dad.

But it's just another idea to toy around with.

Also the D50 body here is cheaper and in black. And no postage costs.

[Tomm]

With an SLR you're kinda buying into the lens mount. Ie if you buy a Canon, you'll always have plenty of Canon/sigma/Tamron lenses to choose from, and it's easy to find second-hand lenses. Nikon are pretty similar, not quite as many. Whereas Olympus and Pentax who make some decent cameras are fairly difficult to get lenses for. So if you want any kind of upgrade-ability, I would definitely go either Canon or Nikon. If you don't really care about upgrading the lenses, feel free to get something else, but that's a bit silly and you may as well just buy a high-end "prosumer" camera (I.e. non-SLR).

Like Chris said - take your pick between the 350D and the D50. But at the moment, the D50 is under £400, and the 350D is £475 ish at the cheapest places, so that's a fair difference. I don't particularly like the 350D (it's just too small) but I think it's probably worth the extra £75 if YOU think it's nicer. Get it with the kit lens. You only save a few quid by not getting the lens so it's worth getting even if you replace it - keep it as a spare

P.S. Jessops will price match the internet for digital SLRs. Go to www.cameras2u.com, find the price and stick it to Jessops. They WILL match it if it's in stock and in the UK (No Hong Kong imports).

EDIT: Cameras2u is part of the Jessops chain.

EDIT2: If you want to buy a semi-working 300D with the 18-55 lens going very cheap, let me know!

[F-Stop Junkie]

If you don't want to spend much, you could get a prosumer camera. It's the same shape as an slr, but you don't need to change lenses.

Can't. Can't change lenses.

Which is fine, unless you want to use a focal length outside the range of the lens and not have to use adapters which degrade image quality. Also, unless you get something like a Sony H1, then you have a smaller sensor leading to more noise and decreased low light ability.

The big advantage of an SLR is an optical viewfinder. Having tried electronic viewfinders - like the one on the Fuji 5600 - it's not nearly as good as a proper optical one.

A prosumer camera is anyone that is aimed at general consumers but has features normally found on more expensive cameras. The d50 and 350D would also be classed as prosumer. </geek>

[Davetrials]

I want a full camera not jus a body, thanks though..

[Dai the Socket]

Chris Radcliffe's Post > All.

Chris has said what I wanted to say, but with more effort and description. Read his again if you want my opinion

But mine would be more Nikon sided

My D50 is loverly and it feels so natural to use, just like how Chris feels with the Canon I guess.

[F-Stop Junkie]

EDIT: Cameras2u is part of the Jessops chain.

Hmm, I wouldn't go that far, but good spot! They even operate out the same headquarters as Jessops, but I'm willing to bet they're not owned by - legally - the same company as Jessops is now a publically traded company. So they've set up a competitor to themselves which is privately owned. Very sneaky.

Very well spotted.

Would be great if they refused to price match to ask them where Jessops HQ is, then show them the address of cameras4u

[Davetrials]

http://www.cameras2u.com/locator/index.cfm...searchtype=menu

Who can tell me about the lense?, (D50 (BLACK) + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED LENS )

i used simons the other day and he had a lense, which cood zoom in and you twist to focus, is that just a standard lense?

god im such a noobie.

cheers chicks.

also why is silver mopre expensive than black?

BLACK ***

Edited July 25, 2006 by Davetrials

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

The Sony dSLR bodies will be compatible with Minolta-fit glass, not Pentax.

was one of the two, my mistake.

EDIT2: If you want to buy a semi-working 300D with the 18-55 lens going very cheap, let me know!

i might be interested in just the body?

[Tomm]

was one of the two, my mistake.

i might be interested in just the body?

Yours for £90 inc all the jazz that comes with it, 256 CF card and postage? How does that sound?

Although the flash doesn't work and neither does the metering, so it only works in manual mode. Which is all because I snapped a cable inside it when I took it apart to fix a problem with the shutter (which I incidentally fixed very well ). Might be fixable by Canon, but it won't be cheap (£150 at least I've been told). But it is still capable of taking good pics, I will post some up that I've taken in the state that it's in now, later.

http://www.cameras2u.com/locator/index.cfm...searchtype=menu

Who can tell me about the lense?, (D50 (BLACK) + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED LENS )

i used simons the other day and he had a lense, which cood zoom in and you twist to focus, is that just a standard lense?

god im such a noobie.

cheers chicks.

also why is silver mopre expensive than black?

BLACK ***

It could well be the kit lens but I think you'll find most SLR lenses are like that! The kit lens will be autofocus, not sure if that one is.

They are only very slightly different in price - I guess because silver is less common than black. They're both the same though. And yeah, black looks nicer.

Jessops sell the 350D in silver (more expensive) with the USM lens, which is different to the normal one, though.

[Si-man]

http://www.cameras2u.com/locator/index.cfm...searchtype=menu

Who can tell me about the lense?, (D50 (BLACK) + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED LENS )

i used simons the other day and he had a lense, which cood zoom in and you twist to focus, is that just a standard lense?

god im such a noobie.

cheers chicks.

also why is silver mopre expensive than black?

BLACK ***

Dave, I had the standard 18-55 lens and the 55-200mm lens which I bought seperate. (one you liked).

I knew you'd want that camera haha

[Mark W]

Yours for £90 inc all the jazz that comes with it, 256 CF card and postage? How does that sound?

Although the flash doesn't work and neither does the metering, so it only works in manual mode. Which is all because I snapped a cable inside it when I took it apart to fix a problem with the shutter (which I incidentally fixed very well ). Might be fixable by Canon, but it won't be cheap (£150 at least I've been told). But it is still capable of taking good pics, I will post some up that I've taken in the state that it's in now, later.

It could well be the kit lens but I think you'll find most SLR lenses are like that! The kit lens will be autofocus, not sure if that one is.

They are only very slightly different in price - I guess because silver is less common than black. They're both the same though. And yeah, black looks nicer.

Jessops sell the 350D in silver (more expensive) with the USM lens, which is different to the normal one, though.

Yes indeedy, that's how Jessops rinsed another coupla quid out of me I wanted the black one, but that had a worse lens, so I went silver. Now I'm kinda glad I did 'cos I quite like it, but meh.

[Tomm]

Yes indeedy, that's how Jessops rinsed another coupla quid out of me I wanted the black one, but that had a worse lens, so I went silver. Now I'm kinda glad I did 'cos I quite like it, but meh.

Is the lens any different apart from being quieter and maybe slightly quicker at focussing?

[Mark W]

I think you've covered all the differences in that post. I'm doubting the quality's any better, but I was led to believe the focussing was faster + quieter. Weirded me out having a non USM lens and autofocussing when I boshed my Sigma 15mm on there

[Tomm]

It's a shame they don't make a slightly more expensive but good walk-around lens that is maybe in between the 18-55 and the 17-85 pricewise. Cos the kit lens gets such bad reviews, but there's not really a better alternative without spending a fair amount.

[Rob_P]

http://www.cameras2u.com/locator/index.cfm...searchtype=menu

Who can tell me about the lense?, (D50 (BLACK) + 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED LENS )

i used simons the other day and he had a lense, which cood zoom in and you twist to focus, is that just a standard lense?

god im such a noobie.

cheers chicks.

also why is silver mopre expensive than black?

BLACK ***

The 18-55mm lens is the pretty basic one that comes with the 350D as standard? It's like the D70s kit lens is the 18-70. Same principle.

Another thing to look out for with lenses is it's maximum aperture, for instance....when you see f/3.5-5.6 thats the widest aperture it will go to. F3.5 when at it's widest setting (18mm) and F5.6 when zoomed in. In reverse you will notice that at it's widest setting (18mm) it will stop down to F22, when zoomed in to 55mm it may go as far as F29.

Ok so why does that matter?

Well lenses that will stop down to F1.4 or such normally cost more as they are so wide. Meaning at night you can get away with handheld shots as much more light is entering the camera, also meaning much less depth of field as apposed to F3.5

So just something to look out for on future lenses but that 18-55mm would be a good start. Saying that though I know when porkchops (fatmike) bought his 350D he upgraded to a USM lens for extra!?

On the D50 I found that silver was cheaper in some shops, maybe because everyone wanted black and they dropped the price to shift them? dunno.

All lenses will be able to zoom (unless it's a fixed prime lens) and have a manual focus ring

[Si-man]

Well Dave, if you wanna have another mess about with my cam before you decide then you can

[Phatmike]

So just something to look out for on future lenses but that 18-55mm would be a good start. Saying that though I know when porkchops (fatmike) bought his 350D he upgraded to a USM lens for extra!?

It was just a different kit - little bit more expensive, but came with the USM lens, case, and silver body.

I've found my kit lens to be very good, I've got some great shots, sharpness wise from it. So I'd certainly not dismiss it, even though some people have got terrible copies...

[Mark W]

True true, it IS a good lens to start off with. Covering 18-55mm is kinda cool 'cos you can get into slightly wider angle territory with it going down to 18mm, but you've still got more 'realistic'/normal shots covered by the fact it goes up to 55mm, so it's kinda cool as a first dSLR/OTT point and shoot camera.

[F-Stop Junkie]

Don't worry about max aperture to begin with too much. Most budget lenses are the same. If you find you need more light, you can worry about that later. If you're shooting mostly outdoors then it won't be an issue.

If you're shooting at night, you'll almost certainly be using a tripod, so again not crucial.

If you're after a bit for of a focal length range, Sigma do a nice 17-125 (28-200 equiv) and Tamron even do an 18-200 (28-300 equiv). The rule of thumb for lenses is that *generally* the bigger the range of focal lengths covered, the worse the lens will perform. So a fixed lens with no zoom will perform better than a zoom lens with a small range of adjustment (say a 17-40) which will in turn perform better than one with a big range of adjustment (28-200). Sometimes though, it's just more convienient to have a slightly worse lens than carry around a big bag full of lenses.