DSLR recommendations for a relatrively low budget.

Sigh. Really getting fed up now. Found a good deal at currys (as above). Added all to basket, and was getting ready to chekout but had a call out so had to deal with it. Came back - basket has timed out.

Trying to add everything in again and the camera bundle deal I was buying 2 of will now only let me add one to the basket.

Cleared all cookies and cache, used 2 different browsers and even used the PC world website.

Bottom line seems to be they only have 1 left and I need 2.

Sigh. :(

Back to the ****ing drawing board :(
 
BuffetSlayer said:
Well, had a discussion with the wife last night and we decided that a hobby for two of us would be better served with 2 cameras.

So I am looking at buying two of the D3300 with kit lenses packages and possibly getting a telephoto separately (something like a 55-300).

However I have happened on a place called SLR Hut and their prices seem too good to be true.

For example this: http://slrhut.co.uk/product/ID1774C5/view

A D5200 body, 2 Nikon lenses and a load of accessories (SD card, tripod, flash, UV filters, lens hood, carry case etc) for £449.00?

What is the catch? Jessops do the D5200 body with a basic 18-55mm kit lense for £400, Wex do it for the same.

Any good recommendations for online shopping for DSLR's? Jessops is a waste of time - most of their stuff is out of stock or store collection only. Wex is similar.
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As well as what squerble said, all of those extras are liekly worth absolutely squat, literally not worth a penny to you.

"Digital Camera Flash", well what flash, 3rd party of course but they can't even give a name. Junk.

".45x Wide Angle Lens, 2.2x Telephoto Lens" wy on earth would you want these, they probably don't even work for this camera. Just nasty.

"Tulip Lens Hood" the lenses come with hoods if they are new. If they have to add a lens hood then that is a huge warning flag the lens is some B-stock/return item.


"50 inch Tripod' junk, might be useful to grow tomatoes on.






Just avoid these useless package deals. They are almost always junk. I say almost, because when I got my D800 I got it form B&H photo, the most reputable photo company in the US and the lowest available price forma good company. The package included a genuine Nikon battery ($55), a genuine Lexar pro 1066x CF card worth $70 and a couple of other genuine, branded, high quality items (e.g. Benro monopod) but even these were not useful to me.
 
BuffetSlayer said:
Sigh. Really getting fed up now. Found a good deal at currys (as above). Added all to basket, and was getting ready to chekout but had a call out so had to deal with it. Came back - basket has timed out.

Trying to add everything in again and the camera bundle deal I was buying 2 of will now only let me add one to the basket.

Cleared all cookies and cache, used 2 different browsers and even used the PC world website.

Bottom line seems to be they only have 1 left and I need 2.

Sigh. :(

Back to the ****ing drawing board :(
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Buy the kit form curries and then wait.

Also, you don't need to duplicate absolutely every. As long as you stick to the same brand. My wife has a Nikon D7000 and we often share stuff. It is unlikely that you both want to take the exact same photo, and if you do you just swap cameras over. On one camera is usually my big telephoto wildlife lens and on the other a wide-t0-normal lens for portraits and landscapes.


Instead of 2 kit lenses and 2 telephoto lenses I would get 1 kit lens, 1 telephoto and then add a Nikon 35mm f/1.8DX and then perhaps one other lens of your fancy, e.g.a wider angle lens, a macro, an even longer telephoto. that way you have a much more versatile kit.

it is more desirable to have different lenses IMO. On one camera you could have the kit lens and the other the 35mm, that way you can both play with 2 lenses without swapping them outside and can quickly understand the pros and cons of each lens.
 
The reason I wanted 2 was because of the price considering it comes with VRII lens and a spare Nikon battery (they cost £25 on their own) and a handy Nikon remote control (worth £34 ish). Looked everywhere and nobody can match that pricing and with it being curries I doubt it is an import. Everywhere else wants £399 just for the body and standard VR kit lens.

Planning on getting a 55-300 telephoto too. Could then sell one of the 18-55 kit lenses to put towards a 35mm like you say.
 
squerble said:
Have you checked out any body-only purchases? It may be worth checking out the cost saving/extra with the second one being a body-only.
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Simply not worth buyin body only. They are not that much cheaper and you couldn't even buy the kit lens they come with as a separate with the money you save by buying body only. I think the 18-55 VRII weight in at something like £180 on its own. But buying body only you will save £100 max, maybe less.

Edit - the D5200 body only is in the region of £325. It is only £399 with a 18-55mm VRII kit lens. That lens is £199 on its own.
 
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But if you don't need that lens then you can save that money to get a different lens. Also look second hand for kit lens, lots of people make the same observation you have done. Since the kit lens seems relatively cheap when purchased as a package people will buy the kit lens and then sell it on ebay to recoup some costs.
 
Some nice shots there, very impressed with the quality even at 300mm. When the page was loading at first I was thinking "man this guy isn't very good - some of his photos are well out of focus!"

Must have been an issue with Flickr as after I opened an image and then closed it, all the other previews were pin sharp :D

I need to set up a Flikr account I think. Is all of the camera setting information below each image uploaded tagged to the image file automatically, or do you have to add it manually?
 
Yerp, all automatic. I just export the files from Lightroom as a .jpg then upload to Flickr. I add in tags and locations myself but all the camera and lens details are embedded in the EXIF data in the .jpg.
 
BuffetSlayer said:
Does anyone know if there is a VRII version of Nikon's basic 55-300mm lens?
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No.

The II after VR doesn't refer to the version of the VR mechanism but the version of the lens. VR does have versions well to make things more confusing but it is a bit vague, because the effectiveness of VR changes on a lens by lens basis anyway.

the 55-300mm is a relatively new lens so should have the second generation VR technology, but being a budget lens it may not perform as well as more expensive lenses.
 
There was a Nikon AF-S VR 70-300 f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens for sale in MM so I bought it.

From what I can gather it is a higher quality lens than the entry level 55-300mm, so figured I would take a punt :)
 
Had a bit of a play with the D5200 in the lounge tonight (low light). Definitely seems capable and the noise levels seem respectably low. The main thing that strikes me, though, is just how light and compact it is as a package. The body is smaller than other DSLR's I have used and the kit lens is tiny. The buttons and controls have a positive tactile feel and the view finder displays camera settings when you compose a shot. As expected the flash over exposes everything in the room so I turned it off. Changing camera settings on manual is easy enough by using the settings dial as well as quick menu navigation. Auto focus seems quick enough but I have seen faster. As a first play I am very happy, particularly considering the price.

Had a quick look at the tripod too - very nice for the money and will be useful even on rough ground.

I have a 70-300mm lense coming and have also ordered a shoulder bag and a couple of memory cards.

Can't wait to get out with it properly over the weekend. :)
 
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