Canon EOS 450D Purchase - help please!

saggingvenus

Hi

Hope this is the right place - my apologies if not.

I am looking to purchase a Canon 450D camera for my parner's 50th birthday next week (oh I know I have left it sooooo late :rolleyes:).

I have found this offer: http://www.jessops.com/Store/s73523/0/Canon-EOS-450D-%2b-18-55mm-f-and-35-56-IS-Lens/details.aspx
for £479.99 plus I can get £50 cashback. The problem I have is I know absolutely nothing about digital cameras. I know my partner would love this one as he has nagged about it for a couple of years. Also a guy at work has a Canon and has recommended it, so I assume I am looking at the right kind of thing - OH needs a decent camera but one that is easy enough for beginners to use (I did contemplate the 400d but guy at work said he got that one first and then upgraded to the 450 quite soon after and recommends I go for the 450 first).

My question is - does the offer pasted above include everything my OH will need to get started? I can see it says lenses are included but I am completely in the dark about these and would hate for him to open the camera on his birthday and then find out he can't use until we get more bits n pieces...

Any advice would be most welcomed.

Thanks all, Sags x

bookduck

There is the Canon refurb shop on ebay. They are sold with them same 1 year warranty as new + box and manuals - just cheaper?

evilgoose

I've got a Canon EOS 350d, Canon are a good make, I'm v please with it.

Looking at that bundle, its just the camera and Lens. The cashback is from Canon directly not via Jessops.
You'll need a memory card for the camera, minimum size I'd say would be 2GB in Size. I find Jessops dont really like to 'barter', but see if they can do something in a way of a deal.

Need
Memory Card

Would be nice
Camera case/carry bag
A UV Filter, helps cut out haze and protects the Lens from UV (and scrathes)

Quidco offer a 3% return for Jessop purchases.

saggingvenus

Thanks all, have gone for it and ordered via cashbackkings for 3% cashback...just need to be here for delivery without OH seeing before birthday!

Thanks again.

Sags :beer:

DavyBoy_2

Regarding the cashback, it is Canon that do the cashback. When I bought my 400D, I had to cut the bar code out of my box, and send it with the form and the receipt off to Canon. It took about 2 months before I got the money, but it did come in.
It's a great camera for beginners (much more capable than the newer 1000D for not much more money), and the kit lens is awesome. I had the original 18-55 kit lens and that was great, but you've got the IS version, which will make the whole shooting experience MUCH easier!
Problem is, now I'm a moneyspendingexpert when it comes to photography, first it was a bag, then a tripod, then a new lens, then another......

TiTheRev

Dont rate the kit lenses myself, just bought the body (Rebel XTi) for £250ish and bought my own Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 macro lens for another £200ish. The same price as you're paying there, but a much better lens. Would agree to getting a case/bag to protect it, at least 2GB sandisk extreme III/IV card and UV lens. Other add-ons further down the line can be flash/tripod/remote etc, but depends how serious he wants to get!

Disagree that the 450D is that much better than the 400D or even 350D for that, only has 2/3 extra features and a few extra pixels that wont make much difference unless you print A2!

isofa

Look for the retailers giving the best current price at: www.camerapricebuster.co.uk

Canon do the cashback, so buy it from the retailer with the lowest price, personally Jessops would be at the bottom of my list!

I agree with TiTheRev, IMO the move to the 400D from 35D0 was a step back, any good photographer will need the LCD display showing all the main settings: aperture, speed, iso, etc - which is why all the semi-pro and pro cameras from Canon have these now, but the "consumer" ones, (450D etc.) do not - the increase in megapixels isn't important. A quality lens on a good body, will produce much better quality images than a standard lens on a higher megapixel camera.

From the press and forums it appears very few users of the 350D have upgraded to the 400 or 450D. Most will jump to the 30 or 40D if they have the funds.

The kit lens is ok, but soft, but I'm comparing with my expensive L series lenses, which is a little unfair.

If you want the best value for money, I'd still opt fore 350D (better IMO as it has the secondary LCD screen) and get a better lens.

But that said the 450D is a good camera for the money - so just get the best price you can for it!

wanye

only thing you will definitely need before you can use it is a memory card.
the 450d used SDHC cards instead of compactflash (what the 400d and older used)

get a good quality, high speed one. a genuine sandisk extreme 3 or 4 will do the job nicely. go somewhere you are guaranteed an original (not a fake... ebay and amazon marketplace have too many fakes to be worth risking) try 7dayshop.co.uk or play.com. youll want a 4gb or 8gb card (i have 3x4gb cards and a coouple of 2gb cards. at a gig if i'm shooting in raw mode, then i can easily get through 8gb worth of memory cards.

other than that, you could really do with getting a case for it.

something like this would do you: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lowepro-Shoulder-Digital-Cameras-Camcorders/dp/B000KZD73W/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1219850887&sr=8-18

personally, i have a small shoulder bag as well as a lowepro backpack so i can carry it with all my lenses/flash/gorillapod/etc

a spare battery is always useful too. i can get through 2 batteries on a busy night, although one should be enough to start with (although the live view on the 450d may drain it a lot faster)

HTH