| Ranked Posts: 3524 |
| Forum Mod |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
|
 #11 Re: DSLR Camera Help 06/05/2008 @ 16:32:27 |
   |
|
| In reply to post #9 ... |
Excellent post phil- very helpful indeed, just what I was after. Thanks  |
 |
"I made a little brown fish"
My Facebook // MySpace // Off The Beaten Path - Your guide to skiing and boarding in the Western States of the USA |
|
|
|
|
|
| #10 Re: DSLR Camera Help 06/05/2008 @ 12:42:51 |
|
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 783 |
| UK - England |
|
| #9 Re: DSLR Camera Help 06/05/2008 @ 08:58:07 |
|
|
| In reply to post #1 ... |
Generally you can get paid a bit more from photography than from working in shops, so although your salesman doesn't sound too wacky, you may want to bear that in mind. I would advise that you don't buy their extended warranty either - like everything else cameras suffer infant mortality (covered by your statutory rights), but after that they usually work until you're bored with them. Plus they're not expensive to mend and they're fixed by eg Canon UK not the retailer in any case.
Cashback: ignore all of that stuff; it's just marketing and they always have some sort of "sale" on. Check internet prices and force Jessops to "price match", or buy from a proper camera shop if you can. "cash back" often is used to promote end-of-line models, so learn what's what before you buy yesterday's camera.
type
Get an SLR. Although modern compacts are better than range finders, they're still mostly fashion accessories. If you want to take snapshots use a camera 'phone; if you want to print A3 or bigger then you need a proper camera. Specifically you need to be able to see what the camera sees. You can't do that at a respectable speed with LCD finders etc. Not up to carrying an SLR - fine, take snapshots.
brand
Nikon/ Canon : doesn't make any difference unless you're into professional (full-frame) stuff, in which Canon is currently in the lead but Nikon's catching up. Nikon builds better wide lenses; Canon's teles are better. My collection includes both so no need for religious wars there.
There are other brands which you should consider; I know little of them. If you get serious about photography you'll need to switch back to Canon or Nikon eventually, but that's not a significant cost if you've only one body to consider, so there's no reason not to look at other brands to start with. You probably want to think hard before investing in extra lenses for this type of kit though.
which model?
The thing is that all the bodies use basically the same sensors. So a picture from an old £400 350D I had was indistinguishable in practice from a shot from my £6,000 1Ds. There are differences in the robustness and number of buttons on the cameras, but if the sensor size is the same then the shots are pretty much the same. However sensors get better each generation of body, so a new 12M sensor is better (wider dynamic range, less noise) than an old 12M sensor body. I'm excluding lenses for now.
I got a magazine cover with that old consumer 350D before I sold it.
Still with me? So far the above suggests:
(1) buy the cheapest body you can tolerate;
(2) buy only current model bodies.
The cheap bodies will have built in flash which is useful as a proper Canon flashgun costs £280 in the uk.
lenses
If you're starting out, get the kit lens. That's the one which the cheapest model in the range comes with. Internet idiots will sneer at it, but if you've never used an SLR it's the best lens you've ever used and you'll love it. By the time you're able to see why it's a cheap lens, you'll know enough to be able to decide precisely what to replace it with. These are usually mid-range zoom lenses which arguably are better for novices also.
IS (Image stabilization). Invented by Canon, more recently Nikon have their VR. You don't need it. You don't need it at all for snowboarding, which is essentially a wide-angle sport. I have one IS lens which is a 300mm; you don't need it for anything less. You should be more worried about the aperture range of the lens really, but if you don't know why then don't worry about either.
other stuff
Don't buy any other crap when you buy the camera. Resist the temptation to buy "accessories". You don't need after market crap, you don't need a case and you certainly don't need "filters to protect your lens". A shop will try to increase their profit margin by selling you this stuff as the cost to you is marginal compared with that of the body/lens. Buy the camera only and walk away.
You can always buy that other junk later if you really need it, which you don't.
use
Pretty much the wider the lens the better for snowboarding, and you need to be aware of the "crop factor" of partial-frame cameras. That also works for walking/ landscapes.
Wildlife is the opposite problem - you need to go long for that. And long is never long enough.
You won't see noticeable shutter lag on any DSLR although try it to see. The shutter lag on the pro cameras is the same or less than the 35mm pro film cameras used to be. Lag shouldn't be a problem for wildlife but it will be for sports. |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 241 |
| West Midlands |
|
| #8 Re: DSLR Camera Help 06/05/2008 @ 08:29:51 |
|
|
| In reply to post #7 ... |
iv got a 400D and i love it. The kit lens isnt up to much but a fixed focal lenghth lens totally transforms the quality. I got a 50mm 1.4 for boxing and am amazed at the results. For landscapes you want a low mm lens i.e. 14-30
The canons self cleaning sensor is superb but the Nikon looks better than the canon in my oppinion. |
|
| http://www.myspace.com/jonderbyshire |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 5115 |
| Forum Mod |
| Hertfordshire |
|
| #7 Re: DSLR Camera Help 05/05/2008 @ 23:02:43 |
|
|
| My Canon S3IS is more than enough for what you're describing Tim mate, unless you're really going to be serious about using the SLR, and taking a course to get the most out of it, then something like what I have will be perfect. It's as near to an SLR you can get without it actually being one. |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 3524 |
| Forum Mod |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
|
| #6 Re: DSLR Camera Help 05/05/2008 @ 22:47:50 |
|
|
| In reply to post #2 ... |
QUOTE (wildebeest - 05/05/2008 @ 22:12:34) What do you want to use it for? Essentially what I am asking is - Do you need an SLR?
I'm wanting to start hill walking again, now my knee is more or less fixed, so wanting to get some decent scenery and wildlife pictures. Due to shutter lag on a compact when taking pics- was thinking that I could be missing some wildlife.
Also the nephew is a nightmare to take pictures of- only smiles & looks the right way for a couple of seconds 
I want to get decent pictures, as I am hoping to get them printed A3(ish) size to put around the house. So to get the better quality picture, you are likely to need an SLR camera- larger imaging chip on an SLR as apposed to a compact. |
|
"I made a little brown fish"
My Facebook // MySpace // Off The Beaten Path - Your guide to skiing and boarding in the Western States of the USA |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 2254 |
| Banffshire |
|
| #5 Re: DSLR Camera Help 05/05/2008 @ 22:41:58 |
|
|
| In reply to post #4 ... |
personaly i use a canon eos 400d and i love it !
the start lens is not to bad but i had some others that i could use from my old canon slr camera so that was a factor for me when buying mine all bieng said. i love my 400d and i love the 1000fn slr i had before that! |
|
Lv 2 CASI Instructor
lv 1 CASI carving instructor
LV 1 PARK instructor |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 2965 |
| Sweden |
|
| #4 Re: DSLR Camera Help 05/05/2008 @ 22:30:15 |
|
|
Sorry Timmy, will be a bit more helpful
I've got a D80 and have used a D40x (no worries about being outdated - I know 3 people with them and they are highly rated). I have also used my mates 400D over the weekend and the biggest issue I have is with the manual side and Av which I tend to keep the camera in nearly all the time.
The D80 I have has two command wheels - in manual mode one for aperture, one for shutter speed. The cameras above (D40x & 400d) have all got a single wheel and you need to push a button to get the mode to change. Not a major issue once you get used to it. I like the fact also that you get two screens on the D80. You get more information and it's easier to adjust than the others. Make sure whatever you get fits your hands. I got an extra battery grip for mine and I love it.
file formats - I shoot in RAW and the D80 does this. Lightroom is ace for correcting things in the original file that you may have missed.
The D40x doesn't come with a motor drive in the body - not sure about the D60, it may be worth checking as it will limit to some extent which lenses you can use.
I would recommend the Nikon, but then I have used one for 4 years now. For me it was an obvious choice as I had used an F80 before - menus, dials and functions are virtually the same. I settled on the D80 over the D200.
Failing that you could always get an Ixus - very impressed with them.  |
|
| I don't need to shout about what qualifications I have got and haven't got, I know I'm good! |
|
|
|
|
|
| #3 Re: DSLR Camera Help 05/05/2008 @ 22:19:58 |
|
|
| In reply to post #1 ... |
haven't seen the latest models but when we were in the market it was either the D70 or Canon 300D.
We went for the D70 as the Nikon build quality was far superior. Really pleased with the camera and would thoroughly recommend the Nikon range as I've had a play with one of the later models which has a few enhancements. The canon range just felt a bit too plasticy for me. |
|
Ride & Slide - Luxury Catered Chalets in Morzine with GBers discounts
As recommended in 'Where to Ski & Snowboard 2007'
Clickie here for GONEboarders reviews |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 2965 |
| Sweden |
|
| #2 Re: DSLR Camera Help 05/05/2008 @ 22:12:34 |
|
|
What do you want to use it for?
Essentially what I am asking is - Do you need an SLR? |
|
| I don't need to shout about what qualifications I have got and haven't got, I know I'm good! |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 3524 |
| Forum Mod |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
|
| #1 DSLR Camera Help 05/05/2008 @ 22:09:07 |
|
|
I'm looking at getting a DSLR camera for my birthday in a couple of weeks & am after some advice/recommendations.
The camera's I'm looking at are Nikon D60 and Canon EOS 400D
I was also looking at the Nikon D40x, but I read somewhere that this has been discontinued.
I've been into Jessops today & had a chat with the salesman about a good starter camera for me & it was the D60 or the 400D he recommended.
He has swayed me more towards the Canon, as it is the same spec as the D60, apart from it not having a Vibration Reduction Lens- and is quite a lot cheaper.
The salesman basically said that as a starter, there is no real need for a Vibration Reduction Lens. The standard lens isn’t very big to handle and most of the lenses I’m likely to use aren’t that large either.
I had a hold of both cameras and liked them both, the wasn't much weight between them both.
Both Nikon and Canon are offering cash back at the moment too.
Does anyone have any experience of either of the cameras, or recommend another one along the same lines and price? |
|
"I made a little brown fish"
My Facebook // MySpace // Off The Beaten Path - Your guide to skiing and boarding in the Western States of the USA |
|
|
|