First DSLR: 600d?

SAM81

SAM81

SAM81

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So I've really wanted a duly for a while and have finally decided to pull the trigger. Obviously I'm a beginner but what are people's opinions on this camera?

I'm looking at this one in particular as I have £40 worth of vouchers for a well know rainforest and when combined with the current Cannon £40 cash back deal, it's puts the kit price to sub £350 which seems pretty decent.

Should I be saving for something better or is this a good starter kit to let me get the hang of the basics?
 
Nikon D3200 is £396 with kit lens on amazon and Nikon have a £45 cash back. IF you also have £40 of amazon vouchers then you have a bargain.
The main advantage of the D3200 is the better sensor.


Even better you can get the nikon D5100 with kit lens from amazon for £410.00 but Nikon Have a £55 cash back. That is an even nicer camera for a few peanuts more and one of the best bargains I have seen in quite some time.

Add in the nice Nikon 28/35/50mm f/1.8 lenses and Nikon is offering a really neat setup at very low prices.


But to be clear, the Canon cameras are fine, it is just Nikon is currently offering better products at the lower end, especially in regards to sensor performance.
 
D.P. said:
But to be clear, the Canon cameras are fine, it is just Nikon is currently offering better products at the lower end, especially in regards to sensor performance.
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It is worth noting a few things mind.

If you're starting with one, whilst it's not the end of the world you might want to be interested in which system you want to invest in in the long term.

It's also worth noting that Canon's video abilities tend to be better than Nikon's.

Apart from that though, the Nikon from a sensor perspective is better, there's just a few situations where I'd probably recommend the Canon over the Nikon.

kd
 
I have a 600D and from what I've seen on the vast majority of reviews of the Canon ***D series it seems that the Nikon rivals are slightly better for photos while the Canon's slightly better for video but TBH both brands are extremely good. As a personal preference I prefer Canon lenses which was why I went with the 600D.
 
Love my Canon 600D and battery grip which is a great easy to use entry level DSLR. Add the two Tamron lenses i use you can put together a decent bit of kit for nothing money that will grow with you over time. I went to Jessops and held one in my hands to get the feel and use of it before i splashed out.
 
scoopex said:
I must be mistaken on this because there are plenty of Youtube videos produced with the Canon 600D.
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You think it's practical to chase your kids around the garden with a 600D while using manual focus picking up crappy sound and a blurry subject?

Video on a dslr is nothing like using a video camera, well except Sony dslr's that have by far the best focus system.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. To be honest I'd not considered the Nikon, no idea why, but after some reading it seems as though it offers slightly better image quality although at my level I'm sure I won't notice the difference yet.

Are either Canon or Nikon preferable when it comes to lens affordability? Also finally (and I realise I'm asking someone to predict the future here) does anyone anticipate a price drop for either the 600d or the d5100 in the new year or should I just buy now?
 
You would likely be better off with a D5100, I don't know about zoom lenses (I don't really use zooms) but you'l also have a significantly better quality selection of entry level primes lenses to choose from.
 
Lol don't think of it like that... Mp is only good for blow up photos on a bigger scale of let's say a poster.

When it comes to pure average size photo prints the d5100 will destroy it due to sharing the same sensor of its older brother the d7000. The sensor on the d7000 and d5100 is a beast.
 
An Exception said:
You think it's practical to chase your kids around the garden with a 600D while using manual focus picking up crappy sound and a blurry subject?

Video on a dslr is nothing like using a video camera, well except Sony dslr's that have by far the best focus system.
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Silly. Statement is silly.
 
I'm very happy with my 600D - excellent camera.. the kit lens (18-55mm) is pretty decent for an actual kit lens - but the best advice would be to pick up a Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 prime lens (which you can get for around £60). On the 600D with it's APS-C - it's effectively an 80mm lens which produces very good results indeed (i..e ideal for daily snapping and portraits etc). In fact, I'd go as far to say that £ for £ I doubt there is a better lens/camera combo than the 600D and the EF 50mm lens.

It has the option of shooting in RAW and JPG at the same time.. and once you get comfortable shooting in RAW - then use a decent programme like Adobe Lightroom for your post processing.

Here's a couple of sample pics I took in Hong Kong recently:

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703903_10151337211701407_1260363914_o_zps132f0f64.jpeg


EDIT: forgot to say that if you want to run custom firmware which improves a LOT on the stock features of the 600D - then it's also compatible with Magic Lantern - see here for info: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki

Hope this helps! :)
 
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Ok, so I think I am going to go with the 600d. The main reason for this is both my mum and a friend at work use Canon cameras so I will have access to there lenses. Given there is not much between this and the d5100 it seems to be the logical choice.

@pangster - good advice! After some reading, it seems to be a good idea to pair this with a nifty fifty so i'll also start with the EF 50mm f1.8 II Lens, it seems to give good results and at the moment that's all I really want to spend to get me started.

One final question.... i'd love to go and pick all this up today and start playing. With that in mind does anyone know if the well known high street photography chain will price match the rainforest place? I figure I also need a bag to carry all my gear in and could therefore use my rainforest vouchers for that purpose but pick up the camera in store today
 
Hmmm, yes the 50mm 1.8ii is probably the best bang for buck, but it's also a lens you don't want to keep for longer than you have to. It gives decent IQ on a crop (bokeh quality isn't to everyones taste), but in every other way it pretty much sucks.
 
An Exception said:
Hmmm, yes the 50mm 1.8ii is probably the best bang for buck, but it's also a lens you don't want to keep for longer than you have to. It gives decent IQ on a crop (bokeh quality isn't to everyones taste), but in every other way it pretty much sucks.
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Again i think you a giving very misleading advice as in the real world the nifty 50mm is a highly thought of camera lens.
 
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