New to SLR

Admiral Huddy

Admiral Huddy

Admiral Huddy

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I've been playing around with bridge camera for the last year or so and have started to realise it's limits.

I take a lot of indoor pictures and would like more natural light.. I was thinking of the EOS1000D with 18 - 55 IS lens

Camera with IS lens plus 4gb memory card and case come to £369.

or £469 bundled with a with 8gb card, IS lens and Tamron 70-300mm f45/5.6 DI LD Macro

Was just wondering what you guys think of this camaera and the bundle deal?
 
First off, do you definitely want a brand new camera?

If not, for the £469 budget, you can get a lot more for your money;
e.g. Canon 400/450D second hand goes for around £200-£250, probably bundled with a memory card or two. That leaves you with either going £60-70 for the 18-55mm IS lens + £90 for the Sigma 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 APO lens for the same setup OR with the same camera body, get the Tamron 17-55mm f2.8 (which has a wide aperture for better natural light shots, hand held. NB: IS does NOT stop motion blur of your subject, it's the speed of the shutter speed, which is affected by your aperture size) at around about £200-250 second hand.

On another note: Between the 70-300mm mentioned, the Sigma APO in my personal opinion, is better. I've used them both a long time ago when I shot with a Canon 20D. The Sigma is sharper at both ends.
 
To throw it out there, the Nikon D3100 is generally a better body (being a bit newer) and the Nikon kit lens is actually all right. The rainforest has the combo for £445, with a cheapish SD card it's in your budget and is a good buy.

You could, as many here like to advocate, go second hand. Personally I don't think it's a good call for a beginner myself but only you know really...
 
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/index.html
:)

Edit: I have the 450D (1000D is a slightly slimmed down version of it) and it's a brilliant entry level camera. Since, i've got the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 non-vc and that's a very nice lens. If budget allows, I'd buy just the body and get the Tamron.
Telephoto lens wise, can't comment on the Tamron/Sigma 70-300mm, but I have the Canon 55-250mm (about £160), and it's a good sharp lens, and I think does better than the Tamron/Sigma iirc.
 
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The issue here is one of playing with the cameras that you can afford and deciding which one you prefer holding and using. I shoot Canon and my wife shoots Nikon largely due this sort of preference and the way the menus etc work. You need to get on with your gear.

I've never used either of these cameras so cannot give my views - but do commend the have a play option in the first instance.
 
I go for the EOS 450D or 5OOD. The 500D has better ISO rating and better processor.
If you can afford it have the 550D which is a cracking DSLR.
You can use SD cards in these models which you should have in your collection. SDHC cards are needed for high speed bursts or HD video shoot ( which needs at least 20MB's p.s) so not that important for getting started.

Lens wise, this is the crucial element.
What are you primary going to use the DSLR for ?
That way we can taylor a lens to your current needs.
You can always buy a another lens in the future.
 
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Indeed, the D3100 is the best entry level camera for my money right now, even before you consider the kit lens, which is actually optically alright (a feature of Nikon kit glass it seems, it's not fast but optically it's pretty good). Take the kit and the Nikon 55-200 VR (or 70-300 VR if you can save the extra) and you'll have a decent entry level kit - in fact there's a kit of the body and both lenses going as a bundle some places. It's not a bad buy at all in my view. As an entry level camera it's what I'd buy...
 
when i was researching getting a dslr, i went into a retailer to get their opinion, one known for camera advice, he told me that the e1000d is not a good dslr to get for entry level, he recommended the nikon d3100, canon e500d in the end i went for the canon e550d as i wanted the HD video playback.
 
D3100 can do video as well. I got all excited about 1080p video on my 550D and I never use it.... Still a great camera though.
 
I'd recommend the d3100 I love my d3000 and this looks great... if you look at getting it from the famous camera shop it can be had for £429 with kit lense - 5% discount if you search for a voucher = just over £400 spend the saving on a decent and fast memory card and you'll be laughing. :) I dread to think of the pictures you'll be taking "indoors" though huddy...
 
The 1000D is just a striped down 400D, and the 400D was a revamped 350D. The 1000D is a cheap DSLR which really is not worth considering.
The 550D is a cracking DSLR and is full of features. The D3100 is also a cracking DSLR and some interesting features as well.
The main cribe I have about Canon is that the kits lens is crap !
Oh why, oh why do they do it, is does not encourage people to buy a decent canon kit lens as the lens are just to expensive. So Sigma pick up the canon users after a decent kit lens.
I say just supply bundle deals with a decent kit lens then is will give the edge over Nikon, who do supply a resonable lens
 
The kit lens that comes with the 550D is pretty decent, it's just the high pixel count on the 550D. Bung it on a 450D and you have a pretty decent combo. Saying that I promptly replaced my kit lens with a non VC Tamron 17-50.
 
My kit lens on my 400D was pants, slow, lots of barrelling, not great at all.
So I purchased the Sigma 17-70mm DC lens, and it is a cracking lens.
 
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Actually go try them out huddy in a shop. Have a play with them and see what feels comfortable in your hands since I walked into a shop looking for a conon and walked out with a nikon because after holding the canon it just didn't feel right.
 
Tysonator said:
Yep, it was the non IS 18-55mm.
The feel was very plastic and slow to focus.
I hsve not tried the 18-55 IS, is it USM as well ?
Click to expand...

Fairly quick to focus given it's a £70 lens, more than decent IQ, but no USM. Plastic build as well but obvious at that price. IS was pretty good aswell.
 
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