digi slr for xmas - got a head ache but getting there!!!

ok, here's the deal. Really want a digital slr, want to learn about photography so want a good camera to cut my teeth with so to speak.

GF is buying me it (thats the xmas bit) and have a total budget of about 300.... obviously not going to be top of the range or maybe even second hand etc.

My friend is also marketing manager for olympus - so can get a decent enough discount on anything olympus (new) have been looking at an Olympus E-410 which is a small lightweight entry level bugger?? any thoughts on this one??

The other option is second hand on ebay - for the same money I could get a slr with about 3 different lenses which I wouldn't have the foggyest how to use but could be good for the future???

can some one briefly explain what the lense sizes mean? ie 18mm-25mm etc etc.... also what will I need to take good pictures in clubs etc? external flash? special lense???

cheers for any help

 

Hiya

That's a lot of questions to answer. The main difference between an SLR and a compact is that compacts are simpler, you cannot change the lens, they are slower in action, but are small enough to fit in your pocket and carry around with you all the time.

SLRs - digital or otherwise - are more complex but can do a lot more stuff and put you in charge. They are also a lot more complicated, expensive and take longer to learn properly. You can also change the lenses, so you could use, for example, a good close up lens to take great photos of spiders and other small things. Then you could put on a wide angle lens and take great landscape photos. Change to a medium telephoto and do portaits, or a long telephoto and do track day photos, or birds, or things that are a long way away.

Get yourself on the internet, and google and do as much reading as you can. Or buy magaziines (or read them in WHS) such as Photo Answers, Digital Photo, etc.

There are tons of tutorials on the Internet, so start googling.

Borrow one from, or go out for a day, with a mate who has an SLR and learn, or use it.

Then come on here and ask more questions.

You will prob get a better camera by buying second hand, but you need to be sure you're not buying anything too old. There's a good site at
www.dpreview.com, where you can read detailed reports on most cameras, and lenses.

Or enrol in a local nightschool course at college and learn there.

Regarding lenses - you'll probably end up with a camera with a basic 50mm lens. Get yourself used to using that, then start thinking about buying different ones. Normally, you could buy a lens that is a direct match for your camera, such as Nikon or Canon (the two big companies) or you could buy cheaper ones, such as Tamron or Sigma (bit like buying from GSF instead of VW).

Sorry if all that's a bit vague, but it's a bit like asking 'What car shall I buy?'. Tell us what kind of thing you fancy photographing - cars, kittens, people, mountains, etc. - and I'm sure we can help you narrow it down enough.

And Olympus is a good make, certainly used to be in pre-digital days, so if you can get some hefty discounts, go for it!

 

cheers stella, sorry about all the questions!!! problem is all the reviews etc are great if you know what they are on about!!!! they are quite technical. I am going to do some sort of night course on it definately.

Having done as much research there seems to be 4 most common entry level slr's - which handily are compared in this little review

clicky

think the olympus in that one is the newer version of the 410 so will be the one my friend can get me discount on. He has an SLR so could def go out and get him to show me the ranks etc...

So am I right in thinking that if I get an olympus then it won't be additional lenses from olympus they will be the other brands you mentioned??

mainly going to be shooting - night club pictures, landscapes and tinkerbell!!!

 

friend from olympus said go into the shop and have a look at them see what one I want and he will get me about a third off.... trouble is - what am I going to know staring at them in a shop???

 

Pointless going into a shop and trying them out if you don't know what you're looking for!

I'd personally recommend finding either a second hand or refurbished Canon EOS 350D or 400D. There is also the Canon EOS 1000D which has just come out for a very reasonable price and is a great camera.

The Canon EOS cameras are brilliant for anyone new to "serious" photography (more than just snapshots) as they are very very easy to use. I've been teaching my girlfriend how to use mine and she's picked it up well.

Really, it's all about finding something that seems alright, checking reviews online to make sure there's nothing really bad that stands out about the camera and going for that one. I can't say I've ever seen an Olympus digital SLR before.. But beware they don't fool you into being an SLR shaped digital camera!

Easy way of knowing if it's a digital camera is generally - can it do videos? If so, it's not real SLR (Single Light Reflex).


What kind of things will you be photographing the most?

 

cheers for the advise, will make sure its a SLR!!! I have seen the canon one's you mention and there are some bargains to be had on ebay with them, guesse due to thier popularity??

In the main I will be photographing inside nightclubs and landscapes......

 

Not strictly true anymore... Nikon D90 and Canon 5dmk2 both do video (full HD on the canon too).

if you've not bought one yet Digital Photo have a review of 6 entry level D-SLRs in this months (think it's out in shops on the 4th). well worth a look... but obviously specs are all well and good but you also need to be comfortable using it.

 

Cheers for that I will have a look. Went into jessops today and saw sony's new range they have 3 entry level slr's which looked really tasty and they have. Stability built into the camera as well so you don't have to buy lenses with it in aparantly? The guy was selling it well tbh and they looked cool lol. Did some research and they get good enough reviews too!!!

 

The sonys are good. lenses use the old minolta mount so you can get some 2nd hand lenses if you wanted to.

To be fair if you're using sensible shutter speeds with practice image stabilization isn't a necessity unless you're using a zoom over 300mm long.

 

.... or unless you're old and shaky, like me!

 

yeah even with the olympus digi camera I struggle to take a picture without it looking like i have parkinsons!!!! so image stabilization is a must for me!!!

 

Single Lens Reflex surely? Not that it matters

 

no i think its down to the fact that a smaller compact digi has a series of mirrors or something that reflect the image where as an SLR relfects the light just once or something?? i could be talking out my @rse though

 

There's all sorts of trickery goes on in compacts, to make them take half-way decent pictures, but the main difference is the size of the sensor - they're a lot smaller, so you'll never get the quality from all those squashed-up little pixels (no matter how many millions there are) that you will get from a digital SLR.

And the ones that most of the DSLR users on here have aren't full-size sensors.
Only if you can afford 2-3K will you get a full size sensor (eg. Nikon D3).

And if you win the Lottery, maybe you could treat yourself to a digital medium format camera, such as a Hasselblad, which would set you back the best part of 25,000 !!!

(Although you could always crop your photographs square, and pretend you had a Hasselblad! )

 

i've gone full frame now (well when it turns up )

 

Hi all,

I've been reading this thread with interest because my dad has offered to get me a digital SLR for Christmas, and has set a limit of about 400. I've seen the Canon EOS range on Amazon.com and quite surprised to see that models like the 450D, 1000D, etc. are around the 400ish mark. I quite fancy a Canon because my little Canon Ixus always served me well.

Um, I need to decide quite quickly which to get though. 450D? 1000D? 400D? I really have no idea.

What do I want from the camera? I am not going to go into this too seriously. I just always admire the SLR pictures that people post on here and Edition38. I quite honestly cannot state any particular feature that I would want from it.

I'm going to sit here and read some specifications and reviews now; if anyone has any suggestions in the meantime I'd appreciate it!

Trev

 

If you can stretch to a little bit over, the Fuji S5 is a cracking camera for the price (and you may find it a bit cheaper if you search). http://www.warehouseexpress.com/product/default.aspx?sku=1017622

You'd need a lens as well (Nikon fit) but maybe you could get someone else to treat you to one.

I use a Canon Ixus for carrying around with me, but would chose a Nikon SLR over a Canon anytime, just based on my friend's experience with his, compared with my Nikon.) No doubt others will tell you different, though!

 

Thanks Stella.

As it happens I have just been looking at the 140+ customer photographs on Amazon for the Nikon D40, and even those images blow me away. And the D40 is 255.

 

I have decided on the Sony A300.. bought the which? quide to digi camera's that came out ready for xmas. The Sony's are getting very good reviews, have a good choice of new and used lenses and have good auto settings apparantly to get you going.

Having said that, the Nikon D40 and also the Canon 1000D won some of the other tests so they all seem very good - no real obviouse star.

Let us know which one you get. believe it or not - jessops were cheapest for the sony, and sony are doing cash back deals so the camera and lens which came to 339 ended up costing 290!!!!