Good entry level DSLR?

Blackhawk47 · 26 Dec 2009 at 22:18

Been looking at these for a while now. At first I saw the Nikon D40 and it looked fantastic but I ended up not buying for a few months and the price which was about £279 from the Rainforest has disappeared. I guess it has been discontinued or something.

Anywho, the latest DSLR which I have been looking at is the D3000 (£379 - which is roughly my limit).

It looks like a great camera but I am by no means an expert.

Is there anything else I should have a look at?

Cheers. :cool:

mcc49 · 26 Dec 2009 at 23:23

For that price range, I would also look at the Canon 1000D or the Sony A230. They are all great starter SLR's, I personally prefer handling Canon cameras but it ll be best to try them out in person at a camera shop beforehand. If you want to go down the 2nd hand route, then have a look at the 450D also

The_Abyss · 26 Dec 2009 at 23:45

Would you consider pre-owned?

ShiWarrior · 27 Dec 2009 at 07:10

i bought a Nikon D40 not too long ago for £200, worth every penny

Streeteh · 27 Dec 2009 at 12:12

I got the Sony A230 for Christmas and frankly it's brilliant for the money, as a beginner i could not ask for more (in fact i'm certain it's capable of things well above my skill level). So yeah, i really recommend that.

BUFF · 27 Dec 2009 at 14:34

They are all basically good these days but they certainly vary in ergonomics/user interface so get to a shop & try handling different options to see which suits you.
be aware that there should still be special manufacturer backed offers available which may stretch your budget further e.g. Sony have cashback deals (upto £70 iirc) on the A230/A330/A380 & I'm sure that Canon/Nikon will have similar.

Mr Jones · 27 Dec 2009 at 15:41

As BUFF said, there are cash backs or promotion.
I know the Canon has some £50 cash back, Pentax has up to £200 cash back, Olympus have gone down the free grip and battery route for the E620 and E30. In Member's market, there's a Sony A200 full kit for sale, with bits and bobs for your budget if it's your thing

p0ss3s3d · 27 Dec 2009 at 18:03

I'd buy into Canon or Nikon. Best selection of Lenses, flashes and whatnot.

1000D is okay, 450D/500D better, don't know about Nikon sorry.