The Photography Thread

[Alastair]

...this thread is the most friendly and optimistic on the whole forum!

That's really nice to hear babs

Go and get your hands on as many DSLRs as possible is my advice as you need to choose between Canon/Nikon/Sony.

Price wise, you can spend what you want, from ?400 really is the minimum and I could easily recommend a setup costing ?5k+.

Glass isn't as important as a lot of people make out, most of my shots are with the Canon kit lens and I'll never hear a bad word against it. It does help to have better glass but it wont make a bad photographer any better.

That said I am just about to buy a Canon L lens!!

[babs]

I was looking to go around £500ish if possible, I'd love to go more but I think it'd be wasted on me for a good while yet

[Sarkster]

Im just starting with photography, Babs. After a bit of research, a Canon EOS 400D was looking likely to be the best bet for me, for ?500. Then I saw it at Tesco direct online for ?399 with a further ?50 rebate from Canon, so I snapped it up ASAP.

Ive only brought one lens so far, a 50mm prime and im having fun playing with it!

Incidentally, canon are still doing the ?50 cashback on a 400d

[babs]

How does the cashback work if you don't mind me asking? Is it a trade-in on an old canon?

[Alastair]

You send them your receipt and a barcode coupon off the box. Get the form and list of products eligible off their website.

They then send you a cheque back.

[MartyG]

The Canon 400D or Nikon D40 will both suit your needs I'd think - the D40 comes with a half decent kit lens too, especially at the price they're selling for, dunno about the Canon kit lens as I've never used them.

In fact, if you use the code JDSLRJ015 on Jessop's web site, you'll get the D40 with the 18-55 DX lens for £319 inc delivery atm.

[Richard.John]

Babs,

I have a Canon 30D which is probably over your budget but you really cannot go wrong with a Canon DSLR. A Canon 400D with an 18-55 kit lens and a cheapo 50mm f.1/8 would be a good start.

Nikon is another good choice of course so it all comes down to how you feel in terms of ergonomics and the system in general. Personally, if I was going down the Nikon route I would skip the D40 and opt for D50 or even a D80 as they will give you more room to grow. I have the feeling that the D40 is aimed at the P&S crowd rather than potential enthusiasts.

Alastair,

That warehouse shot is superb. Reminds me of Half Life 2 for some reason.

[babs]

Lol I nearly posted the same thing about HL2!

I'll pop along to jessops this week and try the nikon and canon. The only thing I heard which puts me off a little about the 400D ergonomically is that the grip is supposed to be quite small, and I have big hands. I'll reserve judgement until I've actually carried one though

[Alastair]

The 400D is tiny in every way, I've used it and couldn't get on with it at all, I'm not a big guy either.

Thanks RJ, I've never played HL2 so it wasn't inspired!!!

[MartyG]

if I was going down the Nikon route I would skip the D40 and opt for D50 or even a D80 as they will give you more room to grow. I have the feeling that the D40 is aimed at the P&S crowd rather than potential enthusiasts.

The D50 and D40 are virtually identical in features, the only real omission is the lack of top LCD, and there's a need to go into menus for some of the more advance features ( Nikon menus are quick and easy to navigate, so it's not that much of a big deal ). The lens issue in that it likes the latest AF-S lenses, and also the the old AF-I lenses won't be an issue for anyone new to an SLR series: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm

For £319, it's an absolute bargain with that lens - the D80 isn't worth the extra outlay, I'd use the extra cash to buy better glass instead.

[babs]

Am I really going to notice much difference between a good 6MP and a 10? I notice there's a D40x now with the 10MP sensor.

[MartyG]

The short answer in no. Not unless you're planning to print your shots out billboard size. In fact, I'll bet noise will be noticeable D40x at higher ISOs.

Megapixels also don't help you with composition.

[Richard.John]

Marty,

Yes but if I recall correctly the D40 lacks an auto focus motor which is why it has been suggested that Nikon is targeting it at the P&S crowd. The top LCD would be an issue for me as I find it invaluable on my 30D but then again I have never used a D40 so......

Anyway, at 319 GBP it is a great package and will certainly blow any P&S out of the water and will also deliver superior noise control due to the 6MP and APS-C sensor.

[MartyG]

That's true - but it's not like there's a shortage of AFS lenses - as I said, it might affect you if you had a load of Nikon glass already, those lenses would still be usable, just not on auto-focus.

I suspect babs would be delighted with the results from either the Nikon or the Canon. It's just the Nikon has a sweeter £200 cheaper price tag.

[babs]

I'm liking the sounds of the D40 at the moment (no doubt I'll change my mind 100 times before the weekend when I can get to a shop), but I have a quick question about lenses. How many am I likely to need? I see kit lenses tend to be around 18-55, but I think I'd like a macro and something for decent landscapes. I am doing some reading, and have some books on the way, but some quick pointers would be good too.

Should I be worried that the D40 doesn't have the mechanical focus pin? Looking at the price of those lenses linked above, I can see this turning into a very expensive hobby Are those prices representative of the sort of costs I can expect to pay for lenses for any camera around my pricepoint?