Can anyone recommend a d slr for beginner?
Discussion
I have started to look for a d slr. Will use for portraits of the kids, cars, holiday stuff etc. Have considered Nikon d80, but I am not exactly sure what features to look for or what competitors have to offer in that price bracket. Also, can you recommend a lens to get me started. Are there any good offers around at the moment? Any help is very much appreciated.
D40, D40x, D70s D80 from Nikon (in some sort of order of features) IMO the D40(x) arnt a great buy.
350d, 400d, 30D, 40D from canon.
Buy one with the kit lens, its usualy not great but plenty enough to get you going untill you understand what you want out of somethign better, lenses are expensive and not something to go stabing around purchasing without some experience.
As for features, they all take good photo's but they all usualy need more tweaking in the 'puter than P&S cameras as they tend to apply less processing in camera, you can use picture styles and sharpness/colour settings etc if you shoot jpg.
A lot of stuff , frames per second, megapixels, AF systems etc are relativly meaningless unless you have specific needs.
350d, 400d, 30D, 40D from canon.
Buy one with the kit lens, its usualy not great but plenty enough to get you going untill you understand what you want out of somethign better, lenses are expensive and not something to go stabing around purchasing without some experience.
As for features, they all take good photo's but they all usualy need more tweaking in the 'puter than P&S cameras as they tend to apply less processing in camera, you can use picture styles and sharpness/colour settings etc if you shoot jpg.
A lot of stuff , frames per second, megapixels, AF systems etc are relativly meaningless unless you have specific needs.
If you are new to the game & price conscious go for the entry level Canon or Nikon (or perhaps the Sony!)
Although I have a Canon, I think the Nikon seems better finished & some think the D400 is just a little too small.
Get the kit lens, then after a few months have a think about what else to buy. Do you want to carry a bag around or a compromise on a one lens does all?
The Nikon D40 (not the X) seems an especially good deal at present.
As for picture quality all DSLRs are miles ahead of point and shoot but the quality is still governed by what you point it at!
Jev.
Although I have a Canon, I think the Nikon seems better finished & some think the D400 is just a little too small.
Get the kit lens, then after a few months have a think about what else to buy. Do you want to carry a bag around or a compromise on a one lens does all?
The Nikon D40 (not the X) seems an especially good deal at present.
As for picture quality all DSLRs are miles ahead of point and shoot but the quality is still governed by what you point it at!
Jev.
I've got a D70s - its simple enough to use, is reasonably idiot proof, but the only thing I have found (and this is/was my first DSLR) is that it took some time to learn the button positions. What I am trying to say is, try one out first - if you've got big hands make sure that you operate everything easily as some of the buttoms are small and fiddly
drivin_me_nuts said:
I've got a D70s - its simple enough to use, is reasonably idiot proof, but the only thing I have found (and this is/was my first DSLR) is that it took some time to learn the button positions. What I am trying to say is, try one out first - if you've got big hands make sure that you operate everything easily as some of the buttoms are small and fiddly
I had this prob with a 996tt (no really) - try getting rid of Terry Wogan on a bumpy road at speed.Also (and more on topic) - the more you spend on a Nikon, the less you have to fart about with menus on the LCD to change stuff. On my D2X I can change almost everything I need to without taking the camera off my eye, with the D50, I'm spending 30 seconds scrolling through screens whilst the subject leaves stage left.
Don't know Canon, but I bet it's similar.
Bought a Pentax K100D as my first DSLR shake reduction in the body and has access to a reasonable set of acessories via the pentax K mount.
Compared with the prices of the canon/nikon with the USM system it kept my costs down to get a nice prime and a kit + decent tele. 6MP is plenty enough resolution... the "lens systems" from each venodr seem to evolve over time and long term compatability seemed an issue so I went for cost "today" thinking If I get serious I'll trade up.
The most important thing is to get some in your hands and see how they feel, and how th emenu works for you. The pentax just felt right to me and more solid than the 350/400 canons and the cheaper nikons.....
SImes.
Compared with the prices of the canon/nikon with the USM system it kept my costs down to get a nice prime and a kit + decent tele. 6MP is plenty enough resolution... the "lens systems" from each venodr seem to evolve over time and long term compatability seemed an issue so I went for cost "today" thinking If I get serious I'll trade up.
The most important thing is to get some in your hands and see how they feel, and how th emenu works for you. The pentax just felt right to me and more solid than the 350/400 canons and the cheaper nikons.....
SImes.
Edited by 51mes on Tuesday 11th September 23:20
Quinny said:
It is
My new 30D is so much easier to use and change settings than my old 350D.
Very little difference in what they can actually do, but a fair bit of difference in how you get it to do what you want.
Must agree with this My new 30D is so much easier to use and change settings than my old 350D.
Very little difference in what they can actually do, but a fair bit of difference in how you get it to do what you want.
Its a very important point thats really easy to overlook in the endless spec's of megapixels, spot metering, etc..
You really need to handle the camera's, take a look how easy / quick it is to set common settings like iso, aperture, etc..
If you are looking at 400D-level prices i'd take a look if there are any 30D bargains you could snap up currently (the 40D has just been released). For my money, the extra spent to get to that 'pro-sumer' (hate that word
) level is well worth it in terms of usability.Edited by flat-planedCrank on Wednesday 12th September 00:08
I bought a Nikon D40 last Xmas when I got interested in photography, IMO a nice well built bit of kit thats enjoyable to use.
I found the inbuilt help very useful in the learning process (though I still have a lot to learn!)
Anyway, just found that my wife has bought me an upgrade body
, interested in a mint D40 body? 
I found the inbuilt help very useful in the learning process (though I still have a lot to learn!)
Anyway, just found that my wife has bought me an upgrade body
, interested in a mint D40 body? Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff