Complete Novice - DSLR advice needed

James J · 15 Jul 2011 at 17:18

I've just finished having a read of the photography FAQ and have understood some, but not all, of the information presented to me in that thread. However I'm still none the wiser when it comes to what I should and shouldn't buy for my first DSLR camera. Due to this I'm after suggestions from people who know vastly more than I do

My budget is flexible but I was looking at round the £400 mark for everything I'd need to crack on and start enjoying photography. I have a pretty good PC with an IPS dell monitor so the only thing I need in that regard would most likely be photoshop to be honest and perhaps a card reader.

robfosters · 16 Jul 2011 at 01:49

New or secondhand?

£400 is not going to get you much in the new market unfortunately.

If it was my money, I would probably be looking at a good quality 2nd hand Canon EOS 550D. Fantastic camera for the money.

Even the 450D is still a great camera. I use one and have no desire to upgrade yet. £400 can get you a nice package with extra lens and other things. This one on here is a nice setup for the money.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Canon-EOS-450...Cameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item45fbbd7ec8

James J · 16 Jul 2011 at 02:39

Hey thanks for the response. My budget is very flexible if it means I get something thats gonna do exactly what I want it to do long term. I'd prefer to buy new, even though it'll cost me more and I also wish to use the camera for quite close up photography on plants and insects to coincide with my degrees projects in the next 2 years. I also would like the ability to take a decent low light level shot without flash if possible, suggesting I need a good ISO range from the reading I've done over the last few hours.

The 550d looks like a monster of a camera, but the question begs, would it be suitable for my needs straight out of the box or do I require a different lense and if so, any ideas?

robfosters · 16 Jul 2011 at 03:33

Of the recent cameras i've seen, the Nikon D5100 offers superb low light ability as it's iso range is wider than the comparatively priced Canon's.

Close up photography, proper term is macro photography really requires a dedicated lens for best results. For insect work, you need a decent working distance to capture your subject without disturbing it. Therefore, I would recommend a Nikkor 105mm F2.8D Macro lens.

However, price a big drawback. It's more expensive than the camera. You can certainly practice with the kit lens and you may get acceptable results, but nothing will beat a dedicated macro.

James J · 16 Jul 2011 at 03:43

Interesting and thanks for the advice. Been having a look at the D3100, D5100 and the 500/550d offerings. Is there ANY compromise at all that can be had on getting good close up results without breaking my top end budget in half?

AtticusFinch · 16 Jul 2011 at 10:25

If you can afford it get the 550D or 5100 they're obvious better cameras than the net model down in terms of features, tech and results. It's pretty unlikely that any camera will suit all your needs out of the box - that's kinda one of the purposes for slr cameras in the first place.

You'll need to spend more for a dedicated macro lens probably if that's what you want to shoot.

AHarvey · 16 Jul 2011 at 10:48

you also don't need photoshop, download GIMP and use that instead. It's Free and just as good as photoshop.

James J · 16 Jul 2011 at 12:41

AtticusFinch said:
If you can afford it get the 550D or 5100 they're obvious better cameras than the net model down in terms of features, tech and results. It's pretty unlikely that any camera will suit all your needs out of the box - that's kinda one of the purposes for slr cameras in the first place.

You'll need to spend more for a dedicated macro lens probably if that's what you want to shoot.

So buy a decent body first (probably with a lense included) and then save and look at a macro lense for best results with what I want to do then.

AHarvey said:
you also don't need photoshop, download GIMP and use that instead. It's Free and just as good as photoshop.

Excellent, thanks for the tip.

James J · 16 Jul 2011 at 16:41

Right, after reading all night and this morning about the camera's and the reviews etc I went into a local store and tried the 550D and 5100 side by side and felt more comfortable with the 5100. Ended up buying it + a sigma 70-300 lense which I was really impressed with in the store due to its zoom capabilities. Already took some great photos of our dogs in manual mode compared to our point and click camera's. Staggering quality difference!

robfosters · 16 Jul 2011 at 22:22

Nice one. Good purchase there.

I'm sure the Sigma has a macro mode, albeit at a lower magnification of 1:2. You could always rent a macro lens out for a week. Should give you a good idea of the results achievable.

James J · 16 Jul 2011 at 22:36

robfosters said:
Nice one. Good purchase there.

I'm sure the Sigma has a macro mode, albeit at a lower magnification of 1:2. You could always rent a macro lens out for a week. Should give you a good idea of the results achievable.

Yeah it does and yup at 1:2 which is good enough for now. I'll invest in a 1:1 at a later date when/if I need it.

James J · 17 Jul 2011 at 03:30

Another noob question but what do UV filters for my two lenses bring to the table and do I "need" them?

The Asgard · 17 Jul 2011 at 09:08

James J said:
Another noob question but what do UV filters for my two lenses bring to the table and do I "need" them?

UV or Skylight filters are used just to protect the lens, nothing more.

My advice would be don't spend too much on DX camera equipment. If you really start to get into the hobby decide which make fits your needs. Canon , Nikon. Then go full frame and start investing in high end lens. I went through Canon 10,20,40D cameras with a good lens and if you take speed out of the equation they all produced good, similar images, no real difference. I then invested in a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 24-70 2.8 and the difference was massive compared with the DX cameras. Low light, sharpness, colours, contrast. Even the wife noticed! A joy to use.

I certainly won't be swapping my Nikon body for anything else now.

AHarvey · 17 Jul 2011 at 19:39

Don't forget you can fit FX lenses on to a DX body, all it does it cut out the edges of the lens which in most cases is where any distortion happens.

As for UV filters, only really needed in windy areas with lots of grit in the air, like the seaside! Not had one on either my 24-70 2.8 or 70-200 2.8, just lens hoods.

James J · 18 Jul 2011 at 23:29

AHarvey said:
Don't forget you can fit FX lenses on to a DX body, all it does it cut out the edges of the lens which in most cases is where any distortion happens.

As for UV filters, only really needed in windy areas with lots of grit in the air, like the seaside! Not had one on either my 24-70 2.8 or 70-200 2.8, just lens hoods.

Ahh well I had planned to go to bridlington to do some photography there so it looks like I might have to pick some of these up afterall lol.