SLR's ???

xirokx

xirokx

xirokx

Soldato
Joined
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N.W London
Hi guys,

I am in a dilemma...

I would like to buy a canon 400d but am unsure of what additional lens to get with it?

Also is the canon 400d the right camera to go for?

Yes I like photography, Yes I take a lot of pictures, landscape, some animals, friends and family stuff really....

So I am thinking do I get the canon 400d for this? or a nikon d40 or nikon d40x???

Whats bang for buck?

What lens should I go for? What memory card?

Or would you recommend a point and shoot canon powershot???

Just dont want to waste money for something I enjoy but am not overly enthusiastic about?

Please advise

Thanks in advance..

Cheers...
 
The D40 is the cheaper option, many people use it. Perhaps get that & Kit Lens & 2GB Card, and if you grow to like it, but a cheap telephoto. You will not be dissapointed in the slightest :)
 
thats what i thought, but in the event i get into it, then would the d40 be a waste of money? when for an extra £70 i could get the canon 400d?

just dont know whether at this point, with me being a newb etc if i should get a lens aswell...

is a SLR really what i want?
 
I bought my SLR back in 2005, parents were saying no waste of money etc etc etc

but 19 months on I've spent £1k on accessories for my 350D and im planning to get a load of L glass and a 40D.

And I love every min with it :D

So yes, get a 400D! Or even a 350D!!!!
 
tbh it sounds as if an slr would be a bit of a waste if you have any concerns about the cost. Have a look at the fuji 6500. You can get it for about £150-170. Obviously an slr is 'better' but the fuji will do most things and is much cheaper. If you find it limiting when you get more experience you can always sell it and buy an slr when you understand it more and have a clearer idea what you want.
 
i've just been wieghing up what entry DSLR to buy - and went with the Nikon D50 in the end. Cost me £300 with kit lens, and unlike the D40/x i can use lots of different lenses on it!

As has been said though, i'd have a look at bridge cameras if you are not too sure about spending that much. I bought a fuji s5600 to stop me from spending money on lenses etc.. which was silly, because now i've got that and a d50.
 
if you were to go with the canon 400d what lens would you recommend for taking long distance shots, some close up shots, family pics, sports shoots, landscape pics and holiday pics??
 
xirokx said:
if you were to go with the canon 400d what lens would you recommend for taking long distance shots, some close up shots, family pics, sports shoots, landscape pics and holiday pics??
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Ahh you'll be wanting a single lens for everything. Let me know when if you find one :p

Seriously though, you could get a 18-200mm but they're not that great, really you'll want a separate lens for each of those situations. OR get a bridge camera with 35-430mm, not as good as an slr but defo a lot cheaper if you're not serious about photography.
 
Fujifilm FinePix S6500fd

It's not an SLR, but has a 28mm-300mm lens which will cover most situations, plus face detection for those family shots.

I have one and I'm really loving it and it was the perfect upgrade from my Casio QV-R40.

My sig carries a link to my Flickr page which I've just started and most of the shots on there are from my S6500fd.
 
if i were to purchase the canon 400d - body only - what lens would you recommend I get with it?

remember its for a complete noob?

shots id be taking are: sports, landscapes, family, weddings, close up's, some animals,

from the bundle packages other competitors stock, what would you say is ideal for a noob for the canon 400d??

thanks for all your helps peeps
 
xirokx said:
if i were to purchase the canon 400d - body only - what lens would you recommend I get with it?

remember its for a complete noob?

shots id be taking are: sports, landscapes, family, weddings, close up's, some animals,

from the bundle packages other competitors stock, what would you say is ideal for a noob for the canon 400d??

thanks for all your helps peeps
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Did you read the above 3 posts? (including mine)?

What's you asking is for a beginner SLR which does EVERYTHING. SLR bodies are cheap, but if you want a lens for every occasion as above it's gonna cost a fair bit.

If you're super new I'd recommend getting a bridge camera first for £300 odd with a 35-300/400mm zoom. Get used to that, work out what zoom ranges you want etc.

OR

get a slr, and a couple of lens, like a 17-55mm kit and a sigma 70-300mm apo. That will cover quite a range for ya.
 
xirokx said:
if i were to purchase the canon 400d - body only - what lens would you recommend I get with it?

remember its for a complete noob?

shots id be taking are: sports, landscapes, family, weddings, close up's, some animals,

from the bundle packages other competitors stock, what would you say is ideal for a noob for the canon 400d??

thanks for all your helps peeps
Click to expand...

Why get a DSLR when you're completely new to the game? To me, DSLR's (even the low range ones) are for the more advanced photographer.

S6500fd

Or if you MUST have something a bit more advanced...

S9600
(Same lens though)

Of course, you could be pig-headed and get an DSLR anyway as it sounds like you've made your mind up anyway, in which case why bother asking in the first place!
 
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I have the Canon 24-85 mm USM lens that I use on my film camera. If I was going to buy a similar lans for the 400D it would be the 17 - 85mm USM lens.
If you take into account the 1.6 factor this lens effectively becomes a
27.2 - 136mm lens which is good for most of the things you would probably want to photo.

PeterT
 
Decide how much you want to spend.

From that budget draw up a shortlist of possible kit.

Go to a shop and have a go with all the cameras and lenses on your shortlist. You will soon work out which one feels "right" in your hands.

Having said that, you are asking for an awful lot. The range of things you are proposing to shoot with it is wide. You say that you intend to shoot sport - depending on the sport, this can be one of the most demanding subjects as far as equipment is concerned, needing very long, very fast telephoto lenses which run to thousands of pounds. This is not the same kit needed to photograph a wedding where some wide-angle shots are invariably required for the large groups, and standard lens to short telephoto for the more intimate shots of bride and groom.

The suggestions of a high end bridge camera really do sound like the best advice for you - use it for a couple of years and work out what you really want/need for the future.
 
thanks for your thoughts guys...

northstander, is the picture quality of both fuji's suggested the same as the canon 400d?

I see the fuji is about £200 cheaper then the canon which is an advantage also the fact its lens will cover a wide range of shots I am interested in taking...

I believe its not an SLR? is that true?

What happens in the event I get the bug? I suppose I could sell it and then move on to an SLR??

Alternatively, how much difference is there between this camera and an SLR...For example, after a period of time having learnt the functions and once I am confident with them if I then chose to go for an SLR, will I then have to rebegin how to use the SLR or are the functions, settings very similar??
 
Alternatively, how much difference is there between this camera and an SLR...For example, after a period of time having learnt the functions and once I am confident with them if I then chose to go for an SLR, will I then have to rebegin how to use the SLR or are the functions, settings very similar??
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When it comes down to it the principles behind all cameras are the same. They are devices for focussing an image on something that can record it and controlling the amount of light that is let in and for how long. It really doesn't matter if it is a £3 disposable camera £20k 39 megapixel Hasselblad. You are paying the extra £19,997 for image quality and creative control.

The Fuji that has been recommended offers you a reasonable compromise to get you started and to learn the principles. At first you will leave everything on automatic and will get some nice pictures. Some will disappoint you and then you will learn why they did not look how you wanted and how to overcome that by taking the camera off automatic. As time goes on you will find that you exercise more and more control over the image as you train your eye and mind to make the creative decisions required. The actual mechanics of operating the camera are secondary to this understanding.

If you do get the bug, in a couple of years time you may find that you outgrow the camera and want it to do something beyond its capabilities. At that time you will be ready to move on to something more sophisticated but the transition will be easy as you will have a proper understanding of what you are trying to achieve. It will be no more difficult than getting into a new car - you may wipe the windows when you want to turn the lights on for a while but that will soon pass.

At the end of the day, a camera is a tool. Like any other tool, it is the hand and eyes that guide it that really matter. Ikea have more sophisticated tools than Chippendale could ever have imagined but I know which furniture I would rather have in my home!

Decent kit is not cheap. The Fuji bridge cameras will be more than adequate to get you started and are incredibly sophisticated compared to what was considered "state of the art" even 10 years ago. Look at the work of someone like Don McCullen or Henri Cartier-Bresson. They had no autofocus, no matrix metering and were limited as to the number of pictures they could take by the length of the roll of film in their cameras but produced arresting images that still speak today. Be warned before you look, they are dangerous - they have the power to inspire and you could become obsessed with the desire to produce your own "frozen moments".
 
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