Photographers i need your advice

[DBR9]

i like photography a lot and at the minute have a basic digital camera. i now want to buy an SLR camera and lenses. There seem to be lots of stunning photgraphers around here so any advice on one's you know to be good or like will be much appreciated.

[johnnynumfiv]

How much is your budget?

[DBR9]

erm about a grand

[johnnynumfiv]

US dollars?

[DBR9]

no pounds so about 1750 dollars

[johnnynumfiv]

If you want to spend all of that, I'd go for a Canon 30D kit, and get a telephoto lens. You could get the Rebel XTi(aka 400D) and get a few lenses and some memory cards with that budget too.

[henk4]

in such cases you might want to try with a relatively cheap camera body (EOS350/400) and buy a more expensive lense with it. Lenses don't wear out, like bodies, so investing in cheap lenses is not the best way to start.

[henk4]

If you want to spend all of that, I'd go for a Canon 30D kit, and get a telephoto lens. You could get the Rebel XTi(aka 400D) and get a few lenses and some memory cards with that budget too.

for 1750 US$?

[Rockefella]

no pounds so about 1750 dollars
That's a nice budget. Will you just be using this for general photography or something specialized like sports/racing, nature, weddings, etc etc?

Regardless of your budget, Johnny will recommend a Cannon. Let's see if I'm right..

[johnnynumfiv]

for 1750 US$?
Yes. It's 1399 for the 30D kit, then he has some left over for a lens. And with the 400d, it's 899 for the kit, then he can get lenses with whats left over.

And rocke, canon pwnz.

[DBR9]

That's a nice budget. Will you just be using this for general photography or something specialized like sports/racing, nature, weddings, etc etc?

Regardless of your budget, Johnny will recommend a Cannon. Let's see if I'm right..

well it wil be used generally but especially for motorsport

[Quiggs]

I love my Canon Rebel. Couple I've taken with the stock kit lens, which is decent. Not great. Also was using a cheap polarizer.

[henk4]

Yes. It's 1399 for the 30D kit, then he has some left over for a lens. And with the 400d, it's 899 for the kit, then he can get lenses with whats left over.

assuming that prices are on a similar level in the UK...for UCP indoors and close up stuff we use a 14-40 4.0L lense, which costs about 700 Euro...together with the 400D that might be a good combo to start with. Motorsport requires a longer lense and sensible zoom lenses would set you back with 1,500-2000 Euros

[Wouter Melissen]

I love my Canon Rebel. Couple I've taken with the stock kit lens, which is decent. Not great. Also was using a cheap polarizer.
What's that hideous contraption? Did you forget to clean the lens?

[johnnynumfiv]

You can pick up a decent 100-300 for about $200 here, they aren't the greatest but fine for an amateur.

[henk4]

You can pick up a decent 100-300 for about $200 here, they aren't the greatest but fine for an amateur.

new or 2nd hand?

[LotusLocost]

What's that hideous contraption? Did you forget to clean the lens?

hmfhmfhmf:p
I'm laughing:D

good to...:D

BTW: I'm very pleased with my Eos350D.. It's a good novice cam I think... :p

[Piacki_117]

Currently the best cameras for this amount of money would be the Canon 400D or the Nikon D80. Then you spend the remainer buying lenses.

[Gt1Street]

you can go for a full Sony DSLR A100 Kit with two lenses, UV filters and a wide angle lens for that price...

[zeppelin]

I'm seconding, thirding, fourthing, whatever we're at, the Canon Rebel. The XTi (400D) is recently out, and as a happy 350D owner I can assure you the 400D is a great camera, especially if you're just getting into SLR photography.

With that budget I recommend buying the 400D body only, and grabbing a couple good lenses (for reasons mentioned before me). With any extra grab a couple accessories, memory card, filter, tripod, etc. You'll get the most kit for your money with a 400D.

[SPHFerrari]

assuming the prices are equivalent in the UK, although im pretty sure they arent, i would get either a rebel xt or rebel XTi. i have heard a lot about problems with underexposure in the XTi, but other wise im sure its a fine camera. you will have to think about storage, i would say at least a 2 gig CF card. get it with the kit lens, it should be under a grand for the camera with lens and a 2 gig card, with a couple hundred dollar difference between the two. then i would work with that until you can take the best shots u can with that lens and you know you want to invest in better glass. then theres a wide variety, im spoiled by L lenses, but canon makes a bunch of great lesnes that arent as expensive. i dont think a 20D or 30D is worth it for someone just starting out as an amateur.

[man 430gt]

i now want to buy an SLR camera and lenses.
Last one for tonigh!:D Just joking, My uncle recently brought a SLR camera, after upgrading from a digi, and he thinks it's awsome. I'll get more detail for you well I can..

[johnnynumfiv]

new or 2nd hand?
New. A canon lens my store used to carry was 75-300mm that sold for $219.99.

[Quiggs]

What's that hideous contraption? Did you forget to clean the lens?
That would be a 1998 Ford Mustang GT, equipped with a 4.6 Liter modular V8 and a T5 transmission.

[henk4]

New. A canon lens my store used to carry was 75-300mm that sold for $219.99.

nice.

[2ndclasscitizen]

Don't go for the A100, unless you like shooting at less than ISO400 the whole time and/or running a noise removal program over all your shots.

Go into a shop and just pick up and hold a heap of cams and then go for whatever feels best in your hand. Though I'm gonna toss my hat in and say get a K10D. Has a better viewfinder and feel than the Canons, has a tough weather sealed body, in-built Shake reduction so you won't need to buy stabilised lenses. Has the exact same sensor as the D80 but with a much more advanced image processor than either the D80, 400D or 30D. To top it all off, Pentax glass = :D

Also, an SLR won't make you a better photographer.

[my porsche]

I would reccomend a Nikon D50, or.... *sigh* Canon Rebel XTi. That's about $550 (D50) or $700 (XTi) and then spend the rest on a couple good lenses. Something Like a 17-55 F/2.8. Go for fast (large aperture) lenses, trust me, I wish i had, having a slow lens is really limiting as to when you can shoot.

So this might be a good setup:

-Nikon D50 $550
-Nikon 18-70mm F/3.5-4.5 Lens $350
-Nikon 80-200mm F/2.8 Lens $800
Total: $1700 USD

Or:

-Canon Rebel XTi Body $750
-Sigma 17-70 F/2.8-4.5 (Couldn't find any Canon Equivelant) $390
Total:$1140

The Nikon appears more advantageous, but that's probably because of my lack of knowledge of Canon lens options, so I don't know what's out there for what prices. Either one would be great, but you need to go try both out in person and see which you prefer.

Then of course there is Pentax, Sony, and Olympus, Pentax being the only ones of those thats really worth looking into in the SLR range, in my opinion.

[2ndclasscitizen]

Olympus has some very cool f2 lenses, like 100, 135 and 200 IIRC, but the 4/3 sensors are just shite.