What SLR camera to get?

sarmia

I am not very techie and need some help.

I want to buy my partner a SLR camera. We have had several digital cameras and compared to our friends the pictures do not come close.

We are going to the states next year and had thought of buying one over there but at the same time we have a little boy (18m) who we take lots of pictures off.

I do know where to look, what I need etc looking max £400.

Any help?

Fifer

If you do a search, you'll find several recent threads on this topic. Depends what you are looking for and what you want to spend, but you'll get many recommendations for Nikon and Canon with a few of us pointing out the alternatives such as Panasonic, Olympus and Sony.

However, there are not many (if any) bad DSLRs out there and someone here very astutely pointed out that for most of us, the capabilities of just about every entry level DSLR will massively outweigh the skills and abilities of the photographer, so if you pick the one with the features you want that feels comfortable to use and fits your price bracket, you are unlikely to go far wrong.

It might be worth considering one of the excellent bridge cameras, which offer many of the features and advantages of a DSLR (barring interchangeable lenses) with much of the convenience of a compact digital at somewhere between the price of the two categories.

sarmia

Thanks for the quick reply.

TBH the camera will not be used much, purely for holidays, taking pics of our little boy and my OH much beloved campervan! So I am not looking for an all singing, all dancing - just something easy to use with crisp pics. I just find the quality of the digital cameras we have had just dont seem to be that good.

I will search the threads and have a look.

fwor

Most recommendations will probably be for a Nikon D40 or Canon 400D or 450D at that price level - IIRC Canon have a cashback promotion on at the moment.

Fifer's right - it might be worth looking at one of the "bridge" style cameras, such as the Panasonic FZ28.

Though the sensors in these cameras aren't quite as good as DSLRs, they are fine unless you're making big prints or taking photos at low light levels.

wanye

before you buy, go to a camera shop and try out the different makes/models.

personally, i found the canon 400d felt a lot nicer in my hands than the other makes, and the menu system seemed a lot more intuitive (to me at least)

as fifer said, one of the bridge type cameras could be a good start. most of the features of an slr, but without the interchangeable lenses. i've got an olympus sp550uz as well as my 400d and its great. its bigger than a compact, but has all the features i need from the SLR but in a much smaller package. perfect for when i need to travel light...

HTH

superjaggybunnet

Go for a Nikon D40.

Nikon lenses are great and this is a smashing camera.

[Deleted User]

Don't buy a DSLR. You will be a lot better buying a bridge camera for your needs.

I'd highly recommend one of the Panasonic bridge cameras.. maybe look for one that does good video also.

Put it this way - do you ever plan to change lenses? Only buy a DSLR if you do... and you'll get a much cheaper 'super zoom' for the money spent on a bridge rather than an SLR with telephoto lens.

Don't just look at the cost of the camera - how much do new lenses cost (often more than a whole new camera)

isofa

You are best reading all the previous posts on this subject, otherwise it'll be "buy a canon", "buy a nikon" etc.

You can't beat the image quality from a DSLR, they have much larger sensors to start with, however lenses are the key, I have professional lenses which cost 3-4 times the costs of a good DSLR body!

Marty_J

Nikon D40.

Next question!

Seriously though, at £250 on Amazon, there's just no competition. It's cheaper than many bridge cameras and of much higher quality. I upgraded from a bridge camera, and I wish I had just bought the Nikon D40 to begin with. I look at a lot of my shots (particularly ones taken in low light, such as inside Graceland where you can't use flash) and think how much better they would have looked if I had used my D40.

Mobeer

Marty_J wrote: »

Nikon D40.

Next question!

Seriously though, at £250 on Amazon, there's just no competition....

£2 more expensive than a Sony Alpha 200, also from Amazon UK

Marty_J

My main concern with that camera is its abysmal flash sync speed of 1/160, compared to the D40's 1/500.