First DSLR - Potential idiot questions

[chrism_scotland]

I've been looking for a new camera and after realising that the current successor to my FZ7 the FZ28 is £250+ I've started looking into getting a DSLR instead, namely looking the the Nikon D40, Nikon D60 and Sony A200, although I also saw an Olympus (e410D) I think which looked nice.

I'm just a bit confused and to be honest I don't really know where to start with a DSLR, obviously if I buy a Superzoom like the FZ28 or S8100 then thats it you use the camera and likely eventually upgrade.
But I understand that with a DSLR I can change the lenses to match what sort of photography I want to take, but my query is with the lens kit that actually comes with the camera am I limited in what sort of photographs I can take?

I don't really understand the different lenses beyond wide angle or zoom to be honest and I just could do with some help to clarify in my mind what I can / cannot do with a DSLR.

I know the D40 and D60 are excellent cameras from photos I have seen and the size doesn't put me off as they are not much larger than the FZ28 or my old FZ7, any help would be great!

Chris

[dazza74]

You simply buy the D-SLR and then decide what type of photography interests you the most. I started with an 18-70mm kit lens when I realised at the zoo I didn't have sufficient zoom to take close up pictures of the animals I bought the 70-300mm VR. Fancied getting into flower photography so bought the 90mm 2.8 macro lens.

That's the beauty of D-SLR you add the lenses based on the photography you wish to acheive.

[Yandros]

The kit lens zoom range will do you for most walkabout photography.

They normally focus down to 1-2ft, so they're no good for closeup work, and they're no use for wildlife/sports etc.

The most common lens purchases after a kit lens are:

Long zoom eg 55-200mm, 70-300mm or even longer for serious wildlife photogrpahy

Macro lenses eg Tamron 90mm f2.8, Nikon 105mm f2.8VR etc for single flowers, bugs etc

Superwide eg 10-20mm, 12-24mm for buildings and some landscape stuff

Low light lenses eg f1.4-f2.8 zooms or primes.

[chrism_scotland]

Again stupid query but if i'm looking for decent low light performance so i can take shots out and about the stock lens should do me for a bit? I just don't want to buy say a D60 and suddenly find I instantly need another lens.

[mark1000]

Originally Posted by chrism_scotland

Again stupid query but if i'm looking for decent low light performance so i can take shots out and about the stock lens should do me for a bit? I just don't want to buy say a D60 and suddenly find I instantly need another lens.

Chris, your going to need more than just the kit lens with any DSLR you decide to buy if you want to replicate the range you had with your FZ7.


Mark.

[chrism_scotland]

Thats cool Mark I understand that especially in terms of zoom as i know a standard lens is nothing like one of the superzoom cameras and thats certainly something I would invest in is a long zoom lens just maybe not right away.

[mark1000]

Originally Posted by mark1000

Chris, your going to need more than just the kit lens with any DSLR you decide to buy if you want to replicate the range you had with your FZ7.


Mark.

The stock lens ( kit lens ) you get shouldn't give you any problems with low light photos as your going to able to use higher ISO to get the shutter speed you require, but the kit lens you get depends on the camera you choose, but you should be ok whatever one you pick.


Mark.

[Pirate!!]

Originally Posted by chrism_scotland

I've been looking for a new camera and after realising that the current successor to my FZ7 the FZ28 is £250+ I've started looking into getting a DSLR instead, namely looking the the Nikon D40, Nikon D60 and Sony A200, although I also saw an Olympus (e410D) I think which looked nice.

I'm just a bit confused and to be honest I don't really know where to start with a DSLR, obviously if I buy a Superzoom like the FZ28 or S8100 then thats it you use the camera and likely eventually upgrade.
But I understand that with a DSLR I can change the lenses to match what sort of photography I want to take, but my query is with the lens kit that actually comes with the camera am I limited in what sort of photographs I can take?

I don't really understand the different lenses beyond wide angle or zoom to be honest and I just could do with some help to clarify in my mind what I can / cannot do with a DSLR.

I know the D40 and D60 are excellent cameras from photos I have seen and the size doesn't put me off as they are not much larger than the FZ28 or my old FZ7, any help would be great!

Chris

Ahoy!

I was that man! I had the FZ3 . . . a long time before your FZ7, and only just sold it BTW. I would keep the FZ7 either for the wife/girlfriend, or plonk it on Amazon (i got almost as much for my FZ3 as I did for my Sony A100). Mad or what?

FWIW, for your budget, I would consider anything up to 2 years old in the dSLR market. The probelm is that the options are quite varied, and depending on how you want to shoot (low light or general daylight), so are better than others. Then there is the lens/body stabilisation issue. Some prefer in-lens, others in-body. The cost difference of that alone is staggering!

Not to tell you what to buy, but as an example, in the AVF Classifieds are:

Canon 350d and another here

Nikon D70

Samsung GX-10 (Takes Pentax K-Mount lenses) my pick anyway

All for £300.00 or under and all worthy of consideration.

And of course there is the Sony Alpha A200 (new) for way under £300.00 (if you shop cannily). Sony are doing a £30.00 casback offer until end of December on A200.

[Yandros]

Originally Posted by chrism_scotland

Again stupid query but if i'm looking for decent low light performance so i can take shots out and about the stock lens should do me for a bit? I just don't want to buy say a D60 and suddenly find I instantly need another lens.

No, the kit lens will do for the vast majority of shots - that's why they supply them

Cameras like the Nikon D60 come with a choice of kit lens. There's a version with vibration reduction built in, which makes it better in low light, as long as the subject isn't moving (for example a museum exhibit). The A200 of course stabilises all lenses for free! If you want to take photos of moving subjects in low light, you may find eventually that you'll want to shell out 200-300 quid on a 'fast' prime or zoom, but I DEFINITELY wouldn't advise you get one for starters if you're not sure of your requirements.

For what it's worth, I'd say the A200+kit lens or D60+18-55VR (ie the vibration reduction version) are your best options.

[dazza74]

Something else to consider maybe is to buy the D60 body on it's own and use the money saved to put towards a tamron 17-50 2.8 it's an option worth considering as you'll get a 2.8 lens which would help with low light photography it will also double as a resonable lens for portraits and will autofocus. As you may be aware with the D60 if you buy the popular 50 1.8 you'll only have manual focus.

[tasman]

You can get the Sony A200 for £217 after cashback on Amazon today. Heaps of change then left to spend on lenses, including a whole swag of second hand Minolta ones that will be stabilised with the Sony.

[Pirate!!]

Originally Posted by tasman

You can get the Sony A200 for £217 after cashback on Amazon today. Heaps of change then left to spend on lenses, including a whole swag of second hand Minolta ones that will be stabilised with the Sony.

There endeth the lesson

[andrew markwort]

I would keep the FZ7 either for the wife/girlfriend

Yes, being women they can't possibly want anything better ...

Getting back on topic - the easiest thing to do in starting with an SLR/DSLR is to get swamped with theory before you've tried the thing in practice. A basic DSLR kit will give you a camera body and an all-purpose lens (for want of a better term, it will work like a typical compact camera, only a bit better). I'd suggest using it for a few weeks and get used to it before deciding what you need next. If you find you're having problems getting all of the subject into the shot, then you need a wide angle lens. If you find that what you're trying to photograph is still too small in your pictures, then you need a longer distance lens. However, if you do need a long zoom, then you will also need a tripod - it is extremely difficult to hold a heavy long zoom lens sufficiently steady to take shots at the extreme of its range without getting camera shake (even with the corrective technology in many of today's cameras).

As for which camera to buy - it's very easy to get suckered by various technical claims. Generally, the more you pay, the better you get, but it's a case of diminishing returns. E.g. a £200 lens will be a lot better than a £50 Hong Kong special, but don't expect a £500 lens to be better than the £200 lens by the same margin. The more you pay, the smaller the improvement over the immediately lower model.

Also, don't go overboard on the camera body. The more expensive the DSLR, the more gizmos you'll get, but ask yourself this - just how often are you going to use the extra facilities? Generally, the cheaper the models, the easier they are to use. And don't fall for the trap of thinking the more expensive ones are necessarily better made. The more gizmos they have in them, the more there is to go wrong.

One final thing - don't forget to buy a decent software photo package (e.g. Photoshop Essentials). This will enable you to rescue potentially better photos that are slightly under- or over-exposed, slightly mis-framed, etc. Plus, you can then have great fun playing with the colour balance, level of grain, etc.

[Pirate!!]

Originally Posted by andrew markwort

Yes, being women they can't possibly want anything better

I wasn't being sexist . . . 'her indoors' loved the FZ3 . . . she went ballistic when she found out it was sold . . . . Looking for an alternative with a large LCD now . . . I can't do right for doing wrong!

[chrism_scotland]

Cheers folks i guess i need toy decide between a low end dslr like the D60 or a high end superzoom like the FZ28 or Fuji S2000 which has had good review's. To be honest as its so long since I had my FZ7 I no longer know what sort of photography I would do probably mainly landscapes body buildings as Edinburgh where I now live is a beautiful city. I may be better off with a super zoom or compact for that though. Although long term i feel i would be better with a dslr to be able to upgrade.