First DSLR - recommendations please

[Havana_UK]

I am about to Buy my first "proper" camera, and have a budget of around £1k to get started.

I need camera body, decent multi purpose lens, and bag. Not worried about flash etc for now, most of my photography to begin with will be outside in natural daylight (kids and pets).

I don't really want to go in with the entry level DSLR bodies, but I realise my budget won't get me in to a full frame body. Have a preference for Canon but will also consider Nikon. Looking at the 650D, but not really sure what's what with the range now (when I first looked the range consisted of the D350, D30, 5D and 1Ds, but there are so many more options now.

Can I have people's recommendations for both body and lenses? Ideally I'd like to get a body and lenses that will allow me a body-only upgrade to the 5D or whatever has replaced it when I want to move.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Phal]

Well I bought my 650d with the 18-135mm STM kit lens and it definitely seems pretty awesome as a starting point.

That kit seems to be going for £900-1k from UK shops but I bought mine from ******* as an import. With a bank transfer payment you can get the camera and the lens for around £714 currently which is nice. Leaves room for other photography bits in your budget.

 

[dbmzk1]

Well you said you would consider Nikon so I'd suggest a D7000, 18-105mm kit lens, Crumpler Cupcake 5500 bag. Maybe throw a 35mm prime in there too for good measure. Done

 

[James J]

Well you said you would consider Nikon so I'd suggest a D7000, 18-105mm kit lens, Crumpler Cupcake 5500 bag. Maybe throw a 35mm prime in there too for good measure. Done

Thats a nice setup, especially with the AF-S 35mm F1.8 prime. The D7000 is the top of the "amateur" line up for nikon and is comparable to the canon 7D. I'd rather have the D7000 over the 7D though as the weather proofing is better, along with greater dynamic range, which proves quite useful especially when you start out as you'll probably meter things wrongly and be able to pull it all back in post to what you wanted. Better dynamic range means that the end result would look like you just took the shot like that in the first place lol.

I had the D5100 which uses the same sensor and it can lift shadows on images in post on RAW files probably better than my canon 5D mk ii can. However, the amount of times I've needed that now due to knowing my camera's strengths and limits is about 1 shot per 1000 or so

 

[Havana_UK]

Thanks for the feedback folks, very useful. That Nikon D7000 looks like a really nice option for the money.

I should clarify that the reason I prefer a Canon option is that friend who is a semi-professional photographer has a lot of Canon kit, and would happily lend me lenses while I build up my own kit. She mainly uses a 5D, so if I decided I MUST go the Canon route, which body + all-rounder lens kit would you suggest?

 

[Porceliamone]

The dynamic range is one of the things that makes the D7000 stick out but the biggest kicker is the low light capabilities. I've shot plenty at ISO 3200 and you'd really have to pixel peep to notice. This means you can use smaller apertures if you don't have expensive 2.8 lenses. Nikon are basically the kings of ISO and for the money the D7000 is as close as you can get to a pro camera without actually having one.

 

[Surveyor]

Well I bought my 650d with the 18-135mm STM kit lens and it definitely seems pretty awesome as a starting point.

That kit seems to be going for £900-1k from UK shops but I bought mine from ******* as an import. With a bank transfer payment you can get the camera and the lens for around £714 currently which is nice. Leaves room for other photography bits in your budget.

If you buy it as an import then aren't you potentially liable for VAT and any other applicable taxes and duties when it arrives in the UK?

 

[Porceliamone]

If you buy it as an import then aren't you potentially liable for VAT and any other applicable taxes and duties when it arrives in the UK?

The taxman will get you. They are hardcore on this now. Anything over around £20.00 and you'll get hammered 20% on the value of the goods and the company shipping will even charge you a nice little fee to release the package after you've paid.

Trust me. This happened to me recently even when buying music related merch from the US.

 

[Phal]

Check with the places you buy from - most of them will guarantee no additional charges.

I checked with ******* and they said there would be no additional charges and there weren't on my two purchases from them. My purchase from Digital Rev wasn't anywhere near as expensive but also had no additional charges.

 

[Porceliamone]

Bottom line is this:

If it comes from within the UK then you'll not be charged. Some companies operating out of Hong Kong (Digital Rev anyone?) may have capabilities to ship goods from within the UK.

Within the EU, the kick in limit is slightly higher (not much) but you'll still be charged 20% if your goods are over a certain value.

Rest of the world: 20% guaranteed.

HMRC will get you.

 

[Surveyor]

Check with the places you buy from - most of them will guarantee no additional charges.

I checked with ******* and they said there would be no additional charges and there weren't on my two purchases from them. My purchase from Digital Rev wasn't anywhere near as expensive but also had no additional charges.

It depends where the goods are coming from and if they've paid the appropriate taxes.

If the package is held by Customs then they won't release it until VAT etc. has been paid.

It the goods are coming from within the EU then VAT should be paid in the country of origin.

If the goods are coming from outside the EU then UK VAT will have to be paid on importation.

 

[Phal]

As I said - check where you are ordering from

Digital Rev deal with any tax/fees if you pay them their handling fee and ******* apparently refund you any charges you might get according to what I just looked up.