Used dslr: where is the best budget buy?
Discussion
Okay had a little play today, handled a 350d (£170) and a Sony a200 (£159).
The 350d was a little worse for wear cosmetically, but seemed to shoot okay as far as I could tell. Seemed expensive when other branches had the same camera and lens at £129 or so.
Quite liked the Sony, but a bit put off by the "not one of the big two" issue of lenses going forward.
So my final bit of interweb research concluded that I will tonight be pulling the trigger on.....
...A Canon 400d for £109 and the 18-55 lens for £39.
Have I made a reasonable choice?
The 350d was a little worse for wear cosmetically, but seemed to shoot okay as far as I could tell. Seemed expensive when other branches had the same camera and lens at £129 or so.
Quite liked the Sony, but a bit put off by the "not one of the big two" issue of lenses going forward.
So my final bit of interweb research concluded that I will tonight be pulling the trigger on.....
...A Canon 400d for £109 and the 18-55 lens for £39.
Have I made a reasonable choice?
That's exactly what I've got (plus a few more lenses) and I'm sure you'll learn loads with it and take some great photos, I found this book a handy guide too as it has loads more examples that the manual
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Digital-Rebel-Field-...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Digital-Rebel-Field-...
RobDickinson said:
400d sounds like a goer, try and get the IS version of the 18-55, shouldnt be much more and its a MUCH better lens.
Might be too late for that particular nugget, but thanks for thinking of me.Just realised I need a compact flash card, so that's on order too. Does £11 for 8gb sound about right? Not dealt with CF before.
Daren't try and sneak a bag past her yet, she may suggest hollowing out a section of my anatomy for that purpose.
vladcjelli said:
Just realised I need a compact flash card, so that's on order too. Does £11 for 8gb sound about right? Not dealt with CF before.
I'd go for a name brand like Sandisk / Lexar. Eg. http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-SDCFH-008G-U46-Ult...
vladcjelli said:
....but I reckon the battery is about kaput.
Put about 75 shots through it, with some extraneous fiddling around, and it's pretty dead.
Oh well, third party replacement for a fiver off amazon, see how that goes.
From fully charged? IIRC batteries should last days of shooting with a 400D (depends on how much you use the rear screen in my experience)Put about 75 shots through it, with some extraneous fiddling around, and it's pretty dead.
Oh well, third party replacement for a fiver off amazon, see how that goes.
flat-planedCrank said:
vladcjelli said:
....but I reckon the battery is about kaput.
Put about 75 shots through it, with some extraneous fiddling around, and it's pretty dead.
Oh well, third party replacement for a fiver off amazon, see how that goes.
From fully charged? IIRC batteries should last days of shooting with a 400D (depends on how much you use the rear screen in my experience)Put about 75 shots through it, with some extraneous fiddling around, and it's pretty dead.
Oh well, third party replacement for a fiver off amazon, see how that goes.
I'll leave it in the charger a while longer and see if it makes any difference.
vladcjelli said:
The eos has landed...
+1 enjoy the camera....just hope you don't get too into this photography stuff, because if you do your soon realise the cost of the actual 'camera' is nothing compared to how much decent lens cost 
Start saving up for this lens...just dont tell the wife how much it costs!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-EF-S-17-55mm-2-8-Len...
RobDickinson said:
Probably old and tired, new cameras will tell you the health of batteries.
After a little battery exercise (run down, longer charge, repeat) it is currently on its third day since charging, with two sessions of snapping (approx 300+ shots) and the battery indicator hasn't moved yet.Reports of its demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
vladcjelli said:
After a little battery exercise (run down, longer charge, repeat) it is currently on its third day since charging, with two sessions of snapping (approx 300+ shots) and the battery indicator hasn't moved yet.
Reports of its demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
Good stuff Reports of its demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
How are you finding the new camera?
flat-planedCrank said:
vladcjelli said:
After a little battery exercise (run down, longer charge, repeat) it is currently on its third day since charging, with two sessions of snapping (approx 300+ shots) and the battery indicator hasn't moved yet.
Reports of its demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
Good stuff Reports of its demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
How are you finding the new camera?
Surprised at how self conscious I am of wielding it in public!
Will be interesting now the wife and kids are on summer holiday, as we will be going places and doing things, so should give me plenty of scope for trying different stuff.
Now, if I could only get the cats to stand still for a moment...
DannyScene said:
vladcjelli said:
Now, if I could only get the cats to stand still for a moment...
Good luck with thatMy cat can be lounging in the sun not moving for hours, as soon as I point the camera at her off she goes
Enjoy the 400D!
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