Looking for a "non compact" camera , budget: £450-600

fletcher11

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hey guys im looking for a new camera i have a panasonic digital camera but i would really like to up my budget to around £450-£600 for the best camera i can get i dont want a compact any sugestions. i love taking photos even though im not to great. i have seen this one on pc worlds website and this is the type of camera im after, canon eos 450d.
 
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MOD Comment: altered your title for better readability
 
Any of the Nikon, Canon or Sony DSLRs are worth a look. Alternatively - you could look at the bridge cameras on offer. Where it becomes more problematic is lenses.

Your post is fairly vague in terms of what you want. Do you want to be able to change lenses (bear in mind that lenses themselves will require extra expenditure)? If not some of the bridge cameras may be more up your street. A lot of people get a DSLR, but end up wanting all-in-one lenses so they don't have to carry and change lenses. What kind of photography are you in to? What is it about your compact camera you like and don't like?

More info will allow us to give you better assistance.
 
Any of the Nikon, Canon or Sony DSLRs are worth a look. Alternatively - you could look at the bridge cameras on offer. Where it becomes more problematic is lenses.

Your post is fairly vague in terms of what you want. Do you want to be able to change lenses (bear in mind that lenses themselves will require extra expenditure)? If not some of the bridge cameras may be more up your street. A lot of people get a DSLR, but end up wanting all-in-one lenses so they don't have to carry and change lenses. What kind of photography are you in to? What is it about your compact camera you like and don't like?

More info will allow us to give you better assistance.

i dont know much about cameras but the easier to use the better for me i dont want to have loads of lenses to change. i have heard of bridge cameras but dont know anything about them, i like taking photos of anything really from pets to people and scenery just about anything. i have the panasonic tz7 and i love it and have taken some good photos but i want to go to the next level and produce better photos without having to keep upgrading my camera so often, i also want one i can video not fussed if its hd and the photos are more important. sorry i vague in my first post its just i quickly wrote it before i went to bed, i hope this makes things a bit clearer.
 
i dont know much about cameras but the easier to use the better for me i dont want to have loads of lenses to change. i have heard of bridge cameras but dont know anything about them, i like taking photos of anything really from pets to people and scenery just about anything. i have the panasonic tz7 and i love it and have taken some good photos but i want to go to the next level and produce better photos without having to keep upgrading my camera so often, i also want one i can video not fussed if its hd and the photos are more important. sorry i vague in my first post its just i quickly wrote it before i went to bed, i hope this makes things a bit clearer.

if you want better quality photos than the tz7 then a superzoom bridge camera isnt for you.

with a DSLR you dont have to change lenses, all kit lenses have at least a 3x zoom.
 
if you want better quality photos than the tz7 then a superzoom bridge camera isnt for you.

with a DSLR you dont have to change lenses, all kit lenses have at least a 3x zoom.

i just want something simple to use or easy to understand and learn to use and sugestions and a model and make would be great i will look in to an sugestions gievn.
 
SLRs are powerful and flexible tools but they're poor all in one solutions - to get the best out of them you need suitable lenses to achieve what you're wanting. Therefore you really need to decide what is more important for you and what you can do without, plus what your longterm plans are - do you want a more complete system now or would you prefer a better body and a starting lens then add more lenses later?

If going more for a complete system now and not wanting to add much later, Andy's recommendation of the D3000 + 18-55mm + 55-200mm is definitely worth looking at as it gives a decent focal range. If you're not so bothered about having a telephoto lens you could drop the 55-200mm and think about something like the 35mm F1.8 which would give you good performance in low light.

John
 
I've just bought a Nikon D5000 for my wife's birthday, with kit lens, £479 from Jessops. 2 year Nikon warranty. Initial impressions are very good. Btw, I have all Nikon gear so stuck with the Nikon brand. Haven't used Canons or the latest gen Sony's etc, but all get good reviews. It really comes down to ergonomics. The latest gen Canon 18 mp sensor does look rather tasty though - it starts on the 550D which is a tad out of your price range.
 
DSLR's are very easy to use and out of the box you will get instantly better results than any compact.

body only means it doesnt come with a lens, a camera without a lens isnt much good.
as you said you were after video i suggest you look at the nikon D5000 as your budget is £450 the 500D will be at least £100 over.
 
Another D5000 vote here for your budget.
 
i never new there were so many different things to think of when buying a camera, what does body only mean just the camera? would this not be any good for me?

CANON EOS 450D 12.2 mp Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS Zoom Lens at cheap prices | PC World

or this one

CANON EOS 500D Digital SLR Camera + EF-S 18-55 IS Zoom Lens at cheap prices | PC World

As I've said above, it depends entirely what you're going to be using it for and what you plan on buying afterwards. There's nothing wrong with going for a body and single kit lens package rather than body and twin kit package for the same price to get a better body but you'll probably find you'll need to buy a telephoto lens shortly afterwards and the impression you give is that you're not wanting to be spending much after your initial purchase.

To demonstrate what I mean, the TZ7 has a 12x zoom with an equivalent focal range of 25mm-300mm giving it very good coverage from fairly wide angle to telephoto. The 18-55mm kit lens is just a 3x zoom covering from 29mm to 88mm which means you'll lose a bit of wide angle and almost all telephoto coverage.

Now if you don't zoom in much with your TZ7 then this may not be an issue for you however if you do then you need to weigh up whether you'd prefer to have a telephoto lens now or go for a better body with your budget and get a longer lens later.

John
 
Personally I think you should be looking at the Sony range, purely because they offer in-camera image stabilisation. With the Nikon and Canon offerings you would have to get image stabilised lenses (expensive) or rely on tripods (bulky, and extra expense I get the impression you're not really up for) or fast lenses and big flashes (again, expensive and can get bulky).

I would also go down the route of second-hand kit - you are likely to get a lot more bang for your buck. The classified forums here occaisionally see Sony Alpha kits coming up for very reasonable prices.
 

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