Digital SLR Camera Advise Needed Please !

[maserati3200gt]

Can anyone advise me on the best option for an SLR Digital Camera ?

Sorry if this has been asked before.

My main priorities are in list of importance :

1. To Take Family Pics of 35mm Quality.

2. Capturing Speeding Cars on Track Days.

Im not sure as there are so many options on the market so would be grateful to receive advice from the experts on here.

My Budget is £1,000 ukp.

Thanks for any honest advice on this subject.

Pete

[EmmaP]

Check out www.dpreview.com. Lots of reviews on here, a mine of technical spec. and downloadable high res. images for you to appraise.

[rico]

D70 with 18-70mm kit lens and a 300mm lens with the change for trackdays.

Job done

[dcw@pr]

rico said:

D70 with 18-70mm kit lens and a 300mm lens with the change for trackdays. Job done

sounds like a plan

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Canon 20D
Canon 350D
Nikon D70

Pick them all up and play. One will feel right in your hands. The picture quality of all is very similar (very VERY good).

[anonymous-user]

You can pick up a 300D for under £500 now. You can then spend the next £500 on a lens





I took these on a 300D. The lens was over a grand though! 100-400L IS.

Took these last weekend at Abingdon Country Fayre & Airshow

[maserati3200gt]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Amazing Pics - some of the best I have seen in ages.
Outstanding.

[poah]

maserati3200gt said:

Can anyone advise me on the best option for an SLR Digital Camera ? Sorry if this has been asked before. My main priorities are in list of importance : 1. To Take Family Pics of 35mm Quality. 2. Capturing Speeding Cars on Track Days. Im not sure as there are so many options on the market so would be grateful to receive advice from the experts on here. My Budget is £1,000 ukp. Thanks for any honest advice on this subject. Pete

20D with 18-55 lens and a cheap sigma 70-300 lens for a little over 1k.

[beano500]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Clearly not knowing which way up to hold the camera is your only problem!

[simpo two]

The 'speeding cars' bit is the demanding part. Here the lens can become more important than the body. I'd steer you towards a 'silent wave' lens designated by AF-S, USM or HSM depending on whether it's Nikon, Canon or Sigma. 300mm should be enough.

If you need to spend a bit more, do it, otherwise you'll regret it subsequently

[beano500]

Just get the body and a 300mm for your £1k - see you're in budget!

Just got to stand a bit further away for your family shots.....

Doh!

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

beano500 said:

Just got to stand a bit further away for your family shots.....

Or, take lots of shots and stitch them together!

[trackdemon]

Hi Pete,

Good to see your making the leap into the world of DSLR's - £1k should bag you a perfectly good quality starter kit. As mentioned Nikon D70 & Canon 300D are pretty much the mainstay of this price range and should leave you plenty for a decent lense or 2 - ebay is your friend Plenty deals out there, probably worth talking to your local Jessops too as they tend to be very competitive on price matching etc. Personally I'd go for a D70 (I prefer the build of the Nikon body) with a Sigma 18-50mm & Nikor 70-300mm (ebay can be a good source for lenses if your close to busting your budget).

Have you got your Gransport yet BTW?

cheers,
Steve

[maserati3200gt]

Thanks for all the advice guys.
Can you guys recommend an online site for the purchase of such a camera e.g empiredirect etc ?
wheres the best deals at the moment for the D70 or 300 D?

[Bee_Jay]

www.warehouseexpress.co.uk
www.7dayshop.com

Both very good, excellent service and damn good prices...



>> Edited by Bee_Jay on Thursday 5th May 11:46

[poah]

I'd not buy a 300D if your wanting to do moving cars. there is no selectable AI servo focus. the 350D has this. you can get a 350D 18-55 lens + 1gig CF card for under £700. that leaves you £300 to buy a longer lens. there are a couple of options open to you for that cash.

the above +

1/ sigma 135-400 £319 (7day)
2/ Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO Macro Super II (7day)£140 + Vosonic X'S Drive II Plus VP2160 £130 (warehouse express)+ another 1gb CF card from ebuyer

[beano500]

maserati3200gt said:

.. online site ..

www.pixmania.com ?

Also, check out prices using www.kelkoo.co.uk

If you're looking for the D70, watch out for some scorchers when retailers empty their bins to make way for the D70s. And you'll be able to upgrade the firmware to the same as the "s" from the Nikon site soon too...

[beano500]

Plus for anyone who's interested D100, secondhand, for D70 prices at both:

www.rcomputers.co.uk/mxv/nikondigital.asp

and

www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/products/secondhand.php?cat1=4

[dcw@pr]

Personally I think that Canon makes the better top end equipment and Nikon the better entry level stuff, but they are both very good. I might well have a D100 for sale if the price is right - probably around £500 if you are interested in that.

[poah]

350 better than the D50