Newbie Help

[Thunderbird_010]

Ive decided that I want to take photography up as a hobby and although the question has been asked probably a 1000 times wanted some advice on which camera.

Budget wise im looking around the £400-£450 mark, use wise want something that is easy to use to start off with and thet I can add longer range lenses to in the future that will still be available but not be too expensive. HD video would be good but not necessity as already have a hd camcorder.

Picture wise looking to do probably landscapes and use it to take pictures of family etc. Its an absolute minefield and my head is spinning with looking at different reviews ive had a look at some reviews and the ones ive seen for my budget are Panasonic Lumix GF1, Canon 1000D Nikon 3000 and Sony A290. Im sure there are many more and appreciate your advice and thoughts.

 

[shotokan101]

Standard advice follows.....

Most manufactures entry or intermediate level DSLR's will do a good job these days and all will have a model in your price range.

It's important that the camera feels right in your hads - ergonomics - weight - balalnce - button/control positions etc. - so get down to your local camera shops age get your hands on some models and see which feels best for you.

Then come back and ask some more specific questions to help narrow the choice down - e.g. video - liveview - kit lens quality etc.

Jim

 

[eduk]

Ive decided that I want to take photography up as a hobby and although the question has been asked probably a 1000 times wanted some advice on which camera.

Budget wise im looking around the £400-£450 mark, use wise want something that is easy to use to start off with and thet I can add longer range lenses to in the future that will still be available but not be too expensive. HD video would be good but not necessity as already have a hd camcorder.

Picture wise looking to do probably landscapes and use it to take pictures of family etc. Its an absolute minefield and my head is spinning with looking at different reviews ive had a look at some reviews and the ones ive seen for my budget are Panasonic Lumix GF1, Canon 1000D Nikon 3000 and Sony A290. Im sure there are many more and appreciate your advice and thoughts.

As per Jim says. If you have a local Jessops or Currys Digital, go and have a play with them (but don't be swayed by the "experts" there ).

 

[ncmoody]

If you decide that a DSLR is for you and it is by no means a given.
Then consider second hand kit, if you are an eBay guru you will find excptional bargains form those people who MUST have the latest and greatest.
Otherwise quality at a price from LCE or Mifsuds.
You should find your money goes a long way.

 

[Thunderbird_010]

Thanks guys for the advice this is something that I hadn't really thought of and boy does it make a difference!!

Ive narrowed it down now to Nikon or Sony which seemed to feel the best in my hand although the Nikon felt the best and quite sturdy. Its now a case of which model i've had a look around and models I'm not sure whether to get the best possible camera for the money ones i've seen are the Nikon D5000, Nikon D3100or Sony A33 as they are all coming around the same price with the standard lens (sony after current cashback offer).

My other thinking is should I get a cheaper model such as the Nikon D3000 or the Sony Alpha A290 and then with the money saved purchase a 55-200mm lens. The more expensive models have HD Video which would be handy but I already have a HD camcorder so its not a necessity.

As a newbie not to sure what I need Live view, Image Stabilisation, Automatic Exposure? Also another thing I need to look at are compatible lenses for future upgrades.

Finally another model I have seen which felt ok in the hand but felt a bit cheap if you know what I mean was the Pentax K-X which you get both the 18-55 and 55-200 lens reviews seem good although some people seem to feel that the lens is soft.

Thanks again guys and I await your thoughts and suggestions.

 

[f1charlie]

As a newbie not to sure what I need Live view, Image Stabilisation, Automatic Exposure? Also another thing I need to look at are compatible lenses for future upgrades.

Live view - if you want to use your SLR like a compact ie looking at the rear screen while holding your camera at arms length then live view is for you! However focus speed can be slow in this mode so is really only useful when the camera is on a tripod. Howver, I think Sony's version is quite usable hand-held.

Image stabilisation - useful in low light situations where you wouldn't normally be able to get a shutter speed fast enough to prevent camera shake. Definitely worth having, but remember it isn't a miracle worker!

Automatic exposure - they will all have a fully automatic exposure setting, but also settings where you can set one variable eg aperture and the camera will set the shutter speed automatically (and vice versa). And then when you are feeling adventurous you can go full manual!

Compatible lenses - Nikon will have more lenses available, both own brand and third party, but Sony may be a bit cheaper.

 

[eduk]

Live view - if you want to use your SLR like a compact ie looking at the rear screen while holding your camera at arms length then live view is for you! However focus speed can be slow in this mode so is really only useful when the camera is on a tripod. Howver, I think Sony's version is quite usable hand-held.

Image stabilisation - useful in low light situations where you wouldn't normally be able to get a shutter speed fast enough to prevent camera shake. Definitely worth having, but remember it isn't a miracle worker!

Automatic exposure - they will all have a fully automatic exposure setting, but also settings where you can set one variable eg aperture and the camera will set the shutter speed automatically (and vice versa). And then when you are feeling adventurous you can go full manual!

Compatible lenses - Nikon will have more lenses available, both own brand and third party, but Sony may be a bit cheaper.

Only if you want to be stuck on manual focus. Sony has far more AF lenses available for it than the motor-less Nikon D3000/3100/5000.

 

[Thunderbird_010]

Thanks guys anyone got any thoughts on the cameras or any other models?

 

[ncmoody]

Consider a second hand Nikon D80 and some nice glass also second hand.
If you intend to go Nikon then stay away from the bodies that do not have the focus drive motor as these bodies will limit your lens choice and stop you using many of the older lenses that are the best value for money.
Shiny and new is nice but a D80 body has a 10mp sensor identical to the D200 so it is a good sensor.
I have not found the craving for 'live-view' enough for me to consider changing a body to get it.
I would suggest you spent more on Glass than a body as you will change a body for new bwlls and whistles but your glass is a lifetime purchase.

 

[CFC1]

I'm in the same boat as you, OP. I'm looking to get a DSLR for as little investment as possible, knowing how fickle I am, and can move on to some other pastime at the drop of a hat!

My budget is the same as yours roughly (£450) and today I was in the local camera shop getting a feel of those on my shortlist, being either a Nikon d3000 or d3100. Physically, the Nikons feel the same of course and I was happy with both of them. However, I must decide whether my particular needs warrant the £140 price difference for the body/lens packages, or whether I would be better off getting the older d3000 and spending the difference on a 55-200 zoom. My head tells me YES, chose this option.
My basic argument for the d3000 route is that I do not need the HD video capability of the d3100. However, on the flip side, I would ideally like the live view facility on the d3100, as I am used to it on my TZ6 compact. The other consideration is that the d3000 "only" has a 10.2mp CCD sensor, while the d3100 has a 14.2mp CMOS sensor. Will this mean a marked difference in image quality between the two cameras? Also, I have read a few comments that the screen on both these cameras are pretty low res. There is a perceptable difference between my TZ6 screen and the better TZ7, so this is also on my mind with both Nikons... which would bring in the ageing Canon EOS 500d with its 920,000 pixel resolution screen... but would cost £20 more than the d3100 Bah! ... DECISIONS DECISIONS! ...

NIKON d3000 ... £322
NIKON d3100 ... £460
CANON 500d ... £480

My head hurts ...


At the end of the day of course, only I can decide what the compromises between them are in my own case and make my decision from there, but I would be grateful for any advice ...

Cheers

 

[CFC1]

... My budget is the same as yours roughly (£450) and today I was in the local camera shop getting a feel of those on my shortlist, being either a Nikon d3000 or d3100. Physically, the Nikons feel the same of course and I was happy with both of them. However, I must decide whether my particular needs warrant the £140 price difference for the body/lens packages, or whether I would be better off getting the older d3000 and spending the difference on a 55-200 zoom. My head tells me YES, chose this option.
My basic argument for the d3000 route is that I do not need the HD video capability of the d3100. However, on the flip side, I would ideally like the live view facility on the d3100, as I am used to it on my TZ6 compact. The other consideration is that the d3000 "only" has a 10.2mp CCD sensor, while the d3100 has a 14.2mp CMOS sensor. Will this mean a marked difference in image quality between the two cameras? Also, I have read a few comments that the screen on both these cameras are pretty low res. There is a perceptable difference between my TZ6 screen and the better TZ7, so this is also on my mind with both Nikons... which would bring in the ageing Canon EOS 500d with its 920,000 pixel resolution screen... but would cost £20 more than the d3100 Bah! ... DECISIONS DECISIONS! ...

NIKON d3000 ... £322
NIKON d3100 ... £460
CANON 500d ... £480

My head hurts ...


At the end of the day of course, only I can decide what the compromises between them are in my own case and make my decision from there, but I would be grateful for any advice ...

Cheers

Bumpety bump!

 

[Jammyb]

I would be better off getting the older d3000 and spending the difference on a 55-200 zoom. My head tells me YES, chose this option.

I'd do that. You won't miss liveview.

You could also look at the 450D bundle Argos Ebay Outlet

 

[CFC1]

I'd do that. You won't miss liveview.

Cheers ... I've been firming up on that course of action all day. I'll get back to the shops on Friday and take a final look at the cameras and make a decision then ... maybe the d3000 will dip below £300 by then!

BTW, will there be any discernable IQ between the 10.2mp CCD sensor in the 3000 and the 14.2mp CMOS in the 3100?

You could also look at the 450D bundle Argos Ebay Outlet

I did have a look at that, but note that the 450d is now approaching 3 years old and want to get something newer ... certainly the 18 month old d3000 is as old as I feel I should go.




EDIT ... There was talk that Nikon was also going to reintroduce their £40 cashback scheme from 1st December ... so that's worth considering too (if it's true ... not long to wait to find out)

 

[Jammyb]

the newer 14mp sensor will allow you to crop images more agressively and will likely have slightly better high ISO performance (the D3000 goes to 3200 whereas the 3100 goes to 6400 IIRC, but both are probably not much use after ISO1600). Printed at normal sizes you won't notice any difference.

If you want to know more there are loads of indepth reviews of all the models, with comparisons to other models. DPReview is a good place to start.

I wouldn't worry about the age of the 450D, all the models you're looking at are small evolutions of older models. The D3000 is very similar to the D60, which was very similar to the D40.

Same with the current Canon lineup.

I only use liveview when using a tripod for static scenes. I've only used the video on my 500D a couple of times and nothing really worth keeping. But others may use it more, it's not very easy to use compared to on a compact.

 

[CFC1]

Was watching a camera kit on ebay earlier (private seller) ... Canon EOS Rebel XSi, which is the American version of the 450d. It was supposedly brand new, confirmed as coming with AMERICAN PLUG BATTERY CHARGER and US WARRANTY ... and sold for £326 plus £7 postage!