What would you do if you had...

Simonnn · 26 Sep 2006 at 17:39

£800 and wanted a DSLR.

Ive been given a refund on my old camera which broke (minolta 7hi) and so have £600 plus couple hundred of my own cash to put towards something. I really think this is a good opportunity to step into the DSLR world but don't know what to do. I've been to jessops several times and played with a few, what really takes my fancy is the Nikon d80 but ill be stuck with one lens and no other accessories with my budget for the moment, I wasn't as keen on the canon 400d after having ago with it.

Would be really helpfull if anybody could say if they were in my position, what would the money go on?

Thanks

Simon

233 · 26 Sep 2006 at 17:45

not pick up a secondhand un and save a few quid?????

money you can put towards some more goodies

Broadbandplacey · 26 Sep 2006 at 17:57

for £800 you should be able to get the canon 350d and a few cheap lens additions or a 400d with lens..

theres lots of reviews in the photo mags at the moment on the new wave of dslrs.

danza · 26 Sep 2006 at 17:58

I'm temped to say s/h D200, but again you'll be stuck for a lens/lenses unless you're lucky. A body only on eBay will sell from £700 for s/h or new-it doesn't seem to matter which. You could pick up some bits if you were lucky to get a cheaper one, but it may take ages for a cheap one to come along.

danza · 26 Sep 2006 at 18:01

Fujifilm S3 Pro perhaps. Nikon F mount, so you can use any Nikon glass which would be a bonus plus they're end of line so can be had cheaply-ish. I found some online for about £640 brand new, and you may find cheaper if you spend some time searching. You'd be able to buy an 18-70 too if you found one cheap enough.

cyKey · 26 Sep 2006 at 18:14

Well I managed to get a brand new 30D for £685. It was £750 body only. £850 with the kit lens but then you need a bag and a memory card and this and that etc...

danza · 26 Sep 2006 at 19:20

cyKey said:
Well I managed to get a brand new 30D for £685. It was £750 body only. £850 with the kit lens but then you need a bag and a memory card and this and that etc...

Well, now you mention it, I think you'd have a hard time justifying purchasing anything else than the 30D if you're looking to spend £600-£700 on a body. Discount the S3 suggestion I made.

stu.artd · 26 Sep 2006 at 23:03

I have a 30D but if I didn't have any Canon lenses and had an £800 budget I'd go for the D80 along with the 18-70 AF-S DX and a free 1GB Sandisk SD card. I'll have to be honest and say that its really £806.95 but it's close enough and the site even offers 9 mth int free as well

.

Simonnn · 26 Sep 2006 at 23:13

stu.artd said:
I have a 30D but if I didn't have any Canon lenses and had an £800 budget I'd go for the D80 along with the 18-70 AF-S DX and a free 1GB Sandisk SD card. I'll have to be honest and say that its really £806.95 but it's close enough and the site even offers 9 mth int free as well .

which site is this?

Im tempted to go with a canon 400d and stock up on accessories, really I want a macro lens from the go because thats useful for my course.

So I could get a couple of lenses plus a good card and batteries etc.

Would going with a 400d be a good move or is it really worth the extra going for a d80 and sticking it with the standard lens for a while?

Its really annoying me with what to do lol

stu.artd · 26 Sep 2006 at 23:35

No competitor hinting please.

I had a 300D before getting my 30D earlier this year, and the difference in speed, weight and build is definitely noticeable but saying that I really did like the 300D. There's nothing wrong with the 400D and it's a very good camera. If you want a cam plus macro lens along with another as well that may be the way to go. But have a try of both at a photography store and see what you like the "feel of" between the 400D and D80. You shouldn't buy either without trying them out.

You could get the 400D with kit lens and any of Canon EF-S 60mm/Sigma 105mm/Tamron 90mm Macro lenses for not much more than £800. Remember the voucher book comes with the 400D so you'd get £35 back on the 60mm Macro lens. I have the 60mm macro and it's very sharp and focus has been fast and accurate.

http://canonextrapromotion.onlinerebates.com/intro.aspx

Simonnn · 26 Sep 2006 at 23:50

stu.artd said:
snip

I had a 300D before getting my 30D earlier this year, and the difference in speed, weight and build is definitely noticeable but saying that I really did like the 300D. There's nothing wrong with the 400D and it's a very good camera. If you want a cam plus macro lens along with another as well that may be the way to go. But have a try of both at a photography store and see what you like the "feel of" between the 400D and D80. You shouldn't buy either without trying them out.

You could get the 400D with kit lens and any of Canon EF-S 60mm/Sigma 105mm/Tamron 90mm Macro lenses for not much more than £800. Remember the voucher book comes with the 400D so you'd get £35 back on the 60mm Macro lens. I have the 60mm macro and it's very sharp and focus has been fast and accurate.

http://canonextrapromotion.onlinerebates.com/intro.aspx

Thats the one thing thats annoying me, I've been to ************ over 4 times now lol, trying them and I find the d80 so much nicer than the 400d I just dont think i can justify paying that for it, when I could get the 400d with a good set of accessories for what the d80 goes for alone.

Mohain · 27 Sep 2006 at 00:18

If i had that sort of money right now (and no current lenses, and no chance of getting the extra few hundred quid for a D200) I'd look seriously at the D80 and the 30D. I think the 30D would probably be the better camera for that sort of money but if the D80 IR shots are similar to the D70 ones I think I'd be persudaed to go Nikon. I'd seriously try to streach to the D200 tho.

As it happens I don't have that sort of money atm, but if I did, that's how I'd be thinking

stu.artd · 27 Sep 2006 at 21:04

Simonnn said:
Thats the one thing thats annoying me, I've been to ************ over 4 times now lol, trying them and I find the d80 so much nicer than the 400d I just dont think i can justify paying that for it, when I could get the 400d with a good set of accessories for what the d80 goes for alone.

Did you try the 30D when you were there as well ? Did you prefer the handling of that or the Nikon ?

Some people prefer the feel of either the Canon/Nikon cameras, and as you're as much buying into a system as buying a camera I'd say the one you prefer the feel of is the one to go for.

I'm going to throw a spanner in the woks as well just now. What about the Sony A100 with in built IS ?

Simonnn · 27 Sep 2006 at 21:31

I didnt have a look at the 30d, I did have a go with the sony alpha but wasnt as impressed. I've had to have a rethink about the budget and had to drop it to £700max. So I think im going to go with the 400d and that will enable me to get a couple of lens with it. I'd really like to go up a level but cant justify the extra money at the moment.

So unless anybodys got any other ideas, the plan is:

400d with 18-55 kit lens
tamron 70-300 macro
possibly get battery grip and spare

that should be approx 700