Considering getting back into photography

Invertigo

Invertigo

Invertigo

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19 Sep 2010
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Basically, I did a course in photography at college about 3 years back, and since then my interest died out (most likely due to me mentally linking it to essays, never a good thing!)

However recently I've found myself wanting to get back into it. I have myself a film SLR kit at the minute, but would like to move digital. If you're wondering, my current kit is a Canon 3000V, along with 2 Canon lenses; the EF 28-90mm 1:4-5.6 and EF 90-300mm 1:4.5-5.6. While I'm in no doubt these are most likely pretty mediocre lenses, I don't have a huge budget.

I would be happy to buy a Canon dSLR body only, if it was compatible with my current lenses and was a decent price. If not, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers!
 
Should have no problem using those lenses as modern Canon DSLRs use EF lens mount. How much is a decent price for a body then?
 
£200 is the most I really want to spend. I'm happy buying second hand, as I really don't want to break the bank getting a new camera and my interest dying again.
 
Well for that budget in terms of semi professional bodies you're looking at 20D or even 30D at a stretch. Canon 350D is also another alternative but more of an entry model so will handle differently although performance wise will be similar. Those cameras will lack some of the modern cons like live view and have relatively small LCDs on the back but I suppose coming from film you won't miss them that much anyway.

If you do fancy something a bit more modern then I've seen some Canon 1000D bodies go as low as £200. Talk Photography is a very good forum for getting second hand gear not to mention advise and there's plenty of pictures to look at too if you need any inspiration :)
 
Cheers for the pointer. Just with a quick forum browse, I'm seeing 30D's going for just over £200, along with a Rebel XS (the US version of the 1000D, yes?) up for £200. Would you say that the 30D is the better of the 2, or would I not notice the difference as such
 
Well basically Canon 30D is 20D Mark II rather than a full upgrade, it addresses some of the shortfalls of 20D such as bigger LCD on the top and other minor (or major depending on your views) upgrades. DP Review perhaps sums it up better if you read the conclusion, although one upgarde which is a good one for second hand body is that it has a shutter rated up to 100000 actuations compared to 50000 of 20D.
 
Well Canon 20D is from 2004-2005 while 1000D is 2008 technology so it is newer and has a new digital processor (Digic III instead of II). With that it has some modern features like liveview and LCD screen on the back is bigger (2.5 v 1.8) and while I've not used one I presume it is more accessible to use for newcomers. However, that is because it really is bottom of the Canon DSLR range while 20D is a "prosumer" camera so even it is a few years older it still has the same ISO range, more focus points (9 v 7), more shutter speed options (1/8000 v 1/4000) and better continuous shooting (5fps v 3fps). 1000D has a 10mp sensor compared to 8mp of 20D but difference isn't dramatic as you can imagine.

They also handle completely differently with 1000D being on a light side and made out of plastic while 20D is bigger and made out of combination of plastic and magnesium which has a nice weight to it. Of course which one will feel better in your hands is completely subjective but I prefer the feel of XXD range. Obviously 30D also has a few improvements over 20D so that's a couple of things to consider for you. So really up to you to decide which one you should go for, there's plenty of review available to consult in your decision.
 
Awesome, thanks for all the advice mate. Think I'll end up going for whichever I can get for a better price from the 30D and 1000D, as I'm still just trying to get back into it.
If I end up quitting, I don't want to have spent a load on a camera. I'm hoping to spot a good 30D for cheap after that description, but think I'll still be perfectly happy with a 1000D. For reference, the only dSLR's I've used before were my college 350D's, so I expect the 1000D is similar, or slightly better than that. I never felt the 350D felt bad to use, but I've also never used anything better so obviously my experience is near enough non-existent.
Thanks again for all the advice neo, been a big help :)
 
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