DSLR camera.

althas

Ohh stir up the Nikon/Canon battle again haha

I will vote for a Canon. Something like a 1000d, which is the entry level model, and that will leave enough for a 50mm f1.8 prime lens go go with it (about £90 for the lens)

But to be honest, with something like a DSLR, you are not just buying a camera, you are buying into a system. You get the Main body of the camera (The D40, 1000d etc) and then bolt on lenses. The lenses you can then use on the body when you upgrade it, BUT as you expect, Canon does not make for Nikon and vise versa

So, and although it may well cost a little more, go to a shop, like Jessop, and have a chat with the guys there, and most importantly, have a go. What "feels" good in my hand (A canon 400d), may well not sit right for you. The advice is worth the extra little amount you would pay

But most importantly, enjoy what ever your get, it is a whole new world

Lirin

www.dpreview.com is a brilliant site to compare different cameras.

General rule- Nikon and Canon similar in ranges of lenses available, quality of cameras, quality of shots. Entry level Canon may be slightly more expensive.

Olympus DSLR's are very good for the price, but don't have a huge range of lenses/accessories available at the moment.

Sony are good quality, IMO a bit sharp on image quality, but lenses are limited as yet, and tend to be more expensive.

Pentax and Panasonic do very good, versatile cameras which have limited lens ranges, but cheaper than any of the above.

One thing I may suggest is a bridge camera, like the Panasonic FZ28- they are a hybrid between Compact and SLR, offering more functionality than a compact, but not the full rage (or weight) of a DSLR.

ukcarper

I would say that there is very little to choose between Nikon and Canon and that the others aren’t that far behind them. I think you will find it hard to find a new Nikon d40 or d40x.

As mentioned before the Canon 1000d looks good if you don’t want a movie mode.

But I agree with nearlyrich it’s worth trying to hold the camera. I now have a Nikon but after reading all the reviews etc I went out with the intention of buying a Canon but when I picked it up I found it very uncomfortable to hold whereas the Nikon felt great so I bought that.

I bought my camera in the local camera shop and think the service I received was well worth £20 I would have save if I had bought on line

Lirin

True in holding the camera- I prefer Canon purely due to the arrangements of the buttons on the back. I'm blind in one eye and hold the camera a little differently as a result, Canon felt more comfortable than Nikon!

welda

Gents,

Many thanks for all your replies, camera is a prezzie, so difficult to try one out hands on, I'm now going to check out links you all kindly supplied. Hopefully by this evening have a good idea what to go for??

There is a Jessops not far from me, if it don't snow, pop in there sometime this week.

Thanks again n :beer:

Shimrod

Canon EOS 450D and two lenses £489, leaving you just enough left from your £500 budget to get a couple of memory cards. The lenses provide a good coverage from landscape to close up, and it's an ideal beginner to intermediate user camera. It's not the latest camera out there (although it was only launched 2 years ago) but the price more than makes up for it

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CANON-EOS-450D-12MP-DIGITAL-SLR-2-LENS-DEAL-/330499522287?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item4cf34e7eef

Review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/

trickyhicky

Can recomend the Nikon D40 or D40x (I have one, the D40 that is), or the Nikon D3100. Just make sure it come with a lens as some retailers will only supply the body and ask extra for the lens. Brill bits of kit. Hope the reciver of the gift enjoys it as much as I did mine.

fitorbust

Hi - I started my dslr journey a couple of years ago with a Sony Alpha and found it to be a fab camera, easy to use and lots of extras for a good price. I have just upgraded to a Nikon d300, and am really happy as my photography has become a big part of my life, but would def recommend a Sony as a starter dslr.
Have a look on ebay once you know what you want as people often sell their old systems in there after an upgrade. My Sony is on there as we speak so fingers crossed!
Good luck.

almillar

Buy whatever brand of camera you prefer in the hand. Don't spend £500 on it. Buy a cheaper one (D40, D60, 350D, 400D, 450D etc) and get a couple of GOOD lenses with it. These will take better photos than one with a kit 18-55 job. Nikon 18-200 VR is a great 1 lens solution for <£200.

welda

Gents,

Minefield out there for us novices when it comes to seeking out a purchase.

I've had to bear in mind camera is for the missus, so with this in mind, I have been looking at what the experts call a "bridge camera"? And I've looked at plenty Bridge & DSLR's, bridge seems to tick the boxes for a novice user, can always upgrade later if required.

I've narrowed it down to two makes/models:-

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ45.
Fujifilm FinePix HS10.

I'm hankering for the latter at the moment, Jessops not too far from me have both in stock, pass in tomorrow after work for a look ect.....

Once again many thanks for replies of advice and links to peruse through.

Have a great Christmas and New Year :beer: W.