I'm so far into my project why the hell am I starting to wake up in the middle of the night with hot sweats after dreaming of getting my hands on an actual DSLR? I've got the money, but I need a new car, a house, new clothes etc etc before I need a camera.
But... I might let myself buy one if I can get it cheap. I looked on ebay and amazon and these models stood out, help, I'm pretty good with techy stuff so it doesn't have to be super simple, I want it for portraits, city scapes, landscapes and candids. I've seen
Nikon D3000
Canon 500d
Canon 400d
Canon 1000d
Any advice for a low priced DSLR, I'm looking at £200-£300 ($390-$590). I have a great Panasonic Lumix FZ7 super zoom but suddenly I've become possessed with the idea.
Thanks for help.
I'm not expert, but I got the 400D as my DSLR and I love it! It's nice and easy to hold, easy to find your way around and takes some wonderful pictures. I paid less than £200 for it, but it didn't come with a lens.
If you get a Canon, treat yourself to the 50mm f1.8 as well :) Good luck!
I think it's safe to say that any of those choices will be good. I myself am a Canon girl, but that's just because it is what was comfortable in my hands when choosing. I think any of those choices would be great. maybe you could go to a camera shop and test out those models to see how they feel to you first
I bought a 500D in the spring and I love it! When I was out with Sean looking at dslr's, I discovered they don't make mine anymore. If you can find one, it will be cheap! I got a 50mm 1.8 for my bday and I love it! ....but lets not get ahead of ourselves....get a body first ;)
However, it is the only dSLR I have ever owned - or indeed used, or even touched! - so I've really no way of knowing how it compares with other models.
All the camera makers make fine cameras. I agree with the 50mm 1.8 (aka "The Nifty 50")...probably the clearest lens in my kit and the contrast it gives makes for some awesome black and white photography.
My suggestion is to ask around the people you hang out with face-to-face and find out what they shoot. By buying into the same system as your face-to-face friends, you have the opportunity to trade lenses for the day (or multiple days if you know them well enough and trust them). I shoot Canon primarily because about 2/3 of the people in my local photography club shoot Canon and it has enabled me to try out lenses that I otherwise would never get to use.
Dave, if you can see your way clear to getting a Nikon D3100, I believe it is superior to the D3000 and is in your price range. I had one for a short period and even though I now shoot with a D7000, I miss that D3100! Go to www.kenrockwell.com for excellent advice regarding Nikon products. Good luck!
I liked the Nikon D3000 when I was testing out cameras. I was going to get it to replace my D40x, but it felt like a lateral move to me, so I went with the D7000. That being said, I had my D40x for years and loved it for the user friendly features and then being able to understand the manual features eventually. I think the D3000 has the same capabilities :) Good luck!
i started with a D3000. I still use it as my back up camera. Definintely invest in the 50mm f/1.8 as well -- it's not expensive. it doesn't autofocus with the D3000, but it made for a more intimate relationship with that camera body for me, and I don't use autofocus on my D90 with any of my fixed lenses now. :)
@chewyteeth I started out on a Nikon D40 and now have a D3000. I love them both, and found that the D40 was a good entry-level SLR for me - I was still a very newbie photographer though, not sure how experienced you are.
I am a BIG Nikon fangirl - I wouldn't shoot with anything else, so my judgment may be a little clouded. :) My very first camera was a Coolpix 5400, which I adored and would love to replace someday - it took ridiculously good macro shots for the fact that it was an older point-and-shoot camera.
Dave, your camera body usually defines the family of lenses you then buy since most folks rarely switch or have multiple bodies with multiple lenses. You can see from the messages people tend to be in the Nikon or Canon camps. Both offer great camera bodies and lenses, and there are third party lens providers for both as well (Tokina, Sigma and others). I started with a Nikon D70 and now have a D200 and D7000 with a full range of lenses that I've purchased over the years. As mentioned above by Cissy B check out Ken Rockwell for reviews on Nikon and Canon. Lastly, the 50mm is the lens to get!
I am a Nikon user (D60 and D300s), but if the D3000 is your only Nikon option right now, I'd kinda suggest you go with one of the Canons. Don't get me wrong, the D3000 is a nice entry-level body, but I've looked at your project and, honestly, you would out-grow it far too quickly. The D5000 would be a better fit for you, I think, but even if you could stretch for a D3100, I think you'd be happier in the long run.
That said, if you do go with Nikon, I'm going to go against the flow and point you towards the 35mm f/1.8 lens. I know everyone swears by the "nifty fifty" -it's a legacy tip brought forward from film days- but consumer-level DSLRs have cropped sensors that cause lenes to "zoom in" compared to how they peform on 35mm film or a full-sized sensor, so a 50mm lens act more like a 75mm lens (a 35mm acts like a 52mm, approx.) and doesn't actually do what it's supposed to.
@davidchrtrans thanks for commenting, yeh the Nikons were a bit out of my price range, it was Nikon 3000 versus the Canon 400 or 1000, even though these are the cheap options I read good things about all of them, but I wanted to ask everyone, and since no one poo-pooed the Canon or said the 500 was amazing compared I bought the 400d about five minutes ago on ebay, really nice looking camera. The nikons look great but I have friends with Canons (good advice @dbjohnson )
Surprised how the poll turned out though, like 90% nikon users, wonder if that reflects the website as a whole? At the end of the day it came down to what was on ebay and in the UK £230 is pretty good for a DSLR. I hope I did the right thing! thanks guys.
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
If you get a Canon, treat yourself to the 50mm f1.8 as well :) Good luck!
However, it is the only dSLR I have ever owned - or indeed used, or even touched! - so I've really no way of knowing how it compares with other models.
My suggestion is to ask around the people you hang out with face-to-face and find out what they shoot. By buying into the same system as your face-to-face friends, you have the opportunity to trade lenses for the day (or multiple days if you know them well enough and trust them). I shoot Canon primarily because about 2/3 of the people in my local photography club shoot Canon and it has enabled me to try out lenses that I otherwise would never get to use.
Check out what they have used and refurbished. They offer a warranty on everything.
I am a BIG Nikon fangirl - I wouldn't shoot with anything else, so my judgment may be a little clouded. :) My very first camera was a Coolpix 5400, which I adored and would love to replace someday - it took ridiculously good macro shots for the fact that it was an older point-and-shoot camera.
That said, if you do go with Nikon, I'm going to go against the flow and point you towards the 35mm f/1.8 lens. I know everyone swears by the "nifty fifty" -it's a legacy tip brought forward from film days- but consumer-level DSLRs have cropped sensors that cause lenes to "zoom in" compared to how they peform on 35mm film or a full-sized sensor, so a 50mm lens act more like a 75mm lens (a 35mm acts like a 52mm, approx.) and doesn't actually do what it's supposed to.
Surprised how the poll turned out though, like 90% nikon users, wonder if that reflects the website as a whole? At the end of the day it came down to what was on ebay and in the UK £230 is pretty good for a DSLR. I hope I did the right thing! thanks guys.