Digital SLR wanted

pin

Digital Rev sells quite a lot of stuff on Ebay, the stuff comes from either Canada or Hong Kong.

Forget the mega-pixel issue with the Nikon or the Canon. Both cameras are excellent, excellent cameras, you will not be disspointed with either. The Nikon is slightly newer to the Canon (there is talk Canon are going to be bringing out a succesor to the 20D). Also the kit lens on the Nikon is better than the Canon, but the Canon bundled software is better.

Best bet, go to a camera shop and try both of them out. The one that "feels" better go for that one.

chez_2

Below £1000, I'd go for the Canon 20D (assuming I didn't already have a whole collection of Nikkor lenses).

Above that, it'd be the Nikon D200

cosmokramer2004

I know it's not exactly what you're looking for - not being a DSLR and all - but you could always consider going for the Sony DSC-R1.. 10.2mp, near APS size CMOS sensor, 28-120mm equiv. Carl Zeiss T* lens.. more info here:

http://dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscr1/

It's £547 delivered from Dixons : http://www.dixons.co.uk/product.php?sku=640041 : £572 minus a £25 off voucher on pricerunner here: http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/photography/digital-cameras/462398/prices - there's also a £50 off over £600 voucher, which would make it quite economical to buy a memory stick or something else around the £30 mark.

Also availiable from amazon for £549.99 delivered: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BN2USG/ if you prefer amazon.

It might also be cheaper through https://www.pixmania.co.uk but I can't get their site to load at the moment.

I'm sure quidco will take a few quid off along the way too.

condyk

Really the lenses cost the money and impact most on image quality (after the shooter of course). Personally, I would opt for the 350D and use any extra cash for better lenses. The 20D is due to be replaced very soon and so there will be bargains around, including many good SH ones. The Nikon D70 is a good camera but not as good, if you think total system, as the Canon's right now. I wouldn't look at the D50 personally. I'm sure it's fine, but the 350D for not much more really is superb (I have one and tho' I could afford to upgrade I put my money into lenses).

competitionscafe

I am also thinking of making the leap from digital point and shoot (Nikon 5200 bargain at Boots for £80!) to SLR. Been reading a few reviews and some people have suggested that the Pentax DS (cheapest is £460 at cameras2u or £489 at Jessops) is a good alternative to the Nikon D70 (too big) and the Canon (too 'plasticky'). I do mostly landscape photography while hillwalking so the smaller and lighter the better! (I no longer lug my old manual SLR up hills - too big and heavy!).

Does anyone have a Pentax ist DS digital SLR and if so what do you think of it?

Thanks.

vk2003

I would go for the Canon. The autofocus is better and faster than the Nikon, and the majority of photographers to whom I have spoken have said that the usability of the Canons is better than the Nikons, especially when you are starting out with the camera.

In truth, it depends upon what level you are at in your photography. If you are just starting out in the SLR world, then you might even be able to buy a secondhand Canon 10D body or 350D (10D is magnesium rather than plastic so rather robust) and this would probably last you for seceral years. There is little point in investing large sums of cash on a camera on which you will barely use all the features for the first couple years.

If you are a pro, and I doubt you would be asking questions in this forum if that were the case, then you would probably know more about the usability already, but the best advice that someone else gave is to go and look in the camera shop. Have a hold and feel, and see what you like! You may find that you prefer something like a 350D over a 20D as the former is uch lighter than the latter, but has slightly fewer features - again not that the average photographer would miss!

The glass is the expensive bit, and whatever camera you buy, the glass should be transferable as long as the brand is the same. The only thing about the 20D and 350D is that they accept the standard EF lenses but also support the newer EF-S lenses. These latter are a new type of slightly more compact lens (I think using gel filters?) but are currently hideously expensive.

Just the recap, if you are going for a quality body like a 10D or 20D, buy it secondhand, and save yourself more cash that way!

Oh, and Jessops is advertising the Canon 30D in stock so the 20D is already slightly out of date, and the bodies will be coming up secondhand also. This means hopefully a bit of a price drop on both 2ndhand 10 & 20Ds.

markdavey

noseley wrote:

hello all,
i an in need of a digital SLR (canon - Nikon). i can spend upto £750, any ideas on whats a real bargain right now? missed out on the EOS 350D rebate thing, is there any thing else like it?

Thanks
Noseley

It really is down to personal preferance and you should not make a decision until you have gone to a shop to see how the cameras feel in your hand. I had my mind set on the Canon 350D until I tried a Nikon D50, the Nikon feels much better in your hand and is also a better size (I have bigger hands) and feels better built than the Canon. I bought the D50 with the D70s kit lens (18-70mm) and get stunning results.

I agree with earlier posters in that the lenses make all the difference. The Canon 20D has now been replaced with the 30D but early reviews say that there is little difference between the two.

Go and try them out in a shop, you will find that you will be surprised how different they all feel.

Mark

lellie

I have an olympus E500.. don't discount olympus.. the new 330 is out soon.. and I love my E500.. some good twin lens kit deals around.

McAzrael

Lellie has a point about not discounting Olympus. If you don't already have a collection of lenses to worry about, then consider a four-thirds camera. Olympus have developed a lens system for digital cameras (the light hits the sensor at 90 degs, better for the 'gated' nature of digital sensors) and have made the standard available to other manufacturers. Panasonic and Leica have announced SLRs later this year using four-thirds. It's early days, and no one is certain that four-thirds will catch on, but by buying an Olympus now you will not be tying yourself to a single brand for years to come.

dark_star_3

I would suggest taliking to savvy, she's pretty clued up