Which DSLR?

wba31

lilac_rainbow wrote: »

What did you go for in the end op?

Would just like to echo what was said about kit lenses. The lens that came with my 500D has barely been out of the bag since I bought a 50mm prime lens last month, I get better pictures, a shallower death of field and the build quality is much better. My new 10mm lens is on it's way now

Not bought as yet, just as i was ready to my car needed 4 new tyres and new back brakes.

Went to a big electronics store who stock Canon cameras, they had the 60d in stock, the guy let me hold it etc, didnt like it, felt cheap as some reviews have said, wasnt a fan. they had a 600D in stock which felt amazing. I understand that the basic lenses sold with these aren't great, but looking at the prices of the better lenses, i will buy with a basic lens to get me by, probably the 18-55mm lens. will not buy now until the end of the summer as it's the wife's birthday coming up and dont want to leave myself short.

I already own the 50mm lens and love it, brilliant lens!
I have been offered £150 by a friend for my 10D with the 28-70mm lens that i got it with so that will go towards my first decent lens.

danothy

wba31 wrote: »

Not bought as yet, just as i was ready to my car needed 4 new tyres and new back brakes.

Went to a big electronics store who stock Canon cameras, they had the 60d in stock, the guy let me hold it etc, didnt like it, felt cheap as some reviews have said, wasnt a fan. they had a 600D in stock which felt amazing. I understand that the basic lenses sold with these aren't great, but looking at the prices of the better lenses, i will buy with a basic lens to get me by, probably the 18-55mm lens. will not buy now until the end of the summer as it's the wife's birthday coming up and dont want to leave myself short.

I already own the 50mm lens and love it, brilliant lens!
I have been offered £150 by a friend for my 10D with the 28-70mm lens that i got it with so that will go towards my first decent lens.

If you've already got the 50mm lens then you could buy the 600D body only for a few quid less. You only really need and will probably only use your best lens remember ...

wba31

danothy wrote: »

If you've already got the 50mm lens then you could buy the 600D body only for a few quid less. You only really need and will probably only use your best lens remember ...

What would you recommend as a wide angle lens though? I like at the moment that i have (although it's basic) a 28-70mm lens so i have variation on zoom if the situation im in requires it. the 50mm lens is great, but when in a small group of people for example, i have to be sat 6 foot away from them to photograph more than one person. I also like landscape photography, I tried just using the 50mm on my honeymoon in the lake district, but sometimes found it restricting and had to revert to the basic lens... but a recommendation/link would be appreciated. I'm not the kind of person who thinks 'Canon accessories only...' I appreciate Sygma or Tamron may make some worthwhile products? (please correct me if I'm wrong...)

Lirin

Canon do a 10-22mm f3.5, I think the Sigma equivalent is 10-20mm f4.0- not a lot of difference, but price can differ by a couple of hundred- which is a moderate set of tyres for your car! They both are reasonably heavy lenses (a good point), and Sigma's would be a nice contender for me- the quality and build is quite high for the price. The Canon, while slightly higher quality, is a flimsier build, IMO. Sigma also do a 12-24 f4.0 (I think!).

Sigma and Tamron are reasonably comparable, Sigma generally holding teh edge for me as they're usually heavier, sturdier lenses, and I'd probably count most of the Sigma as slightly higher quality than Tamron. That said, I do have a couple of Tamron lenses, which are fast enough and decent quality for the small price I've paid for them.

Another good one, which is usually a natural progression lens for building a Canon kit, would be the 17-40mm. It's nice and solid, and the overall quality is quite good. There were problems with the first couple of batches they released, but that's been corrected long ago, but has spawned a few negative reviews of the lens. (Back-focusing slips). The 17-40 isn't really anything spectacular, but is a lovely lens to have in your kit, and is very fast and efficient. Tokina als do Canon-fit, but I'd avoid as the quality is not great, and for the price, you could buy a decent Sigma.

I'm trying hard to recommend decent basic lenses- it's too easy to get caught up in lenses, and what I'd use as a pro may be unnecesary for you- (also trying not to appear rude while I phrase it...). What I mean is I have a different end use from my kit than you will from yours at this stage- while I have some lenses I've paid an eye-watering price for, there may be a lower equivalent in the Canon/Sigma/Tamron range which would suit your needs perfectly at the moment, which is why I'm mentioning the 12-24, 10-20, 10-22 and 17-40. They are very decent and fairly priced!

The two main lenses I've recommended above- the 17-40 is probably more flexible as the 10-22 is leaning more towards ultra-wide. The 17-40 is also probably cheaper to pick up as it was in higher production than the 10-22 and had a lower book price on initial retail.

dontplaywithme

I think Canon 550D is much better..

mr_fishbulb

dontplaywithme wrote: »

I think Canon 550D is much better..

Than what?

Lirin wrote: »

Canon do a 10-22mm f3.5, I think the Sigma equivalent is 10-20mm f4.0- not a lot of difference, but price can differ by a couple of hundred- which is a moderate set of tyres for your car! They both are reasonably heavy lenses (a good point), and Sigma's would be a nice contender for me- the quality and build is quite high for the price. The Canon, while slightly higher quality, is a flimsier build, IMO. Sigma also do a 12-24 f4.0 (I think!).

I have the Sigma 10-20 on my Nikon and have been impressed. I would have gone for the Tokina 11-17 but I need a lens with an inbuilt autofocus motor to work on my D40. OP it may be worth checking the Tokina's compatibility on the Canons you are looking at as the lens gets good reviews. As does the Canon 10-22.

Price wise, you're looking at:

Sigma - £370
Tokina - £540
Canon - £630

wba31

dontplaywithme wrote: »

I think Canon 550D is much better..

Than a 10D? i know.

Than a 600D?

wba31

Lirin wrote: »

Canon do a 10-22mm f3.5, I think the Sigma equivalent is 10-20mm f4.0- not a lot of difference, but price can differ by a couple of hundred- which is a moderate set of tyres for your car! They both are reasonably heavy lenses (a good point), and Sigma's would be a nice contender for me- the quality and build is quite high for the price. The Canon, while slightly higher quality, is a flimsier build, IMO. Sigma also do a 12-24 f4.0 (I think!).

Sigma and Tamron are reasonably comparable, Sigma generally holding teh edge for me as they're usually heavier, sturdier lenses, and I'd probably count most of the Sigma as slightly higher quality than Tamron. That said, I do have a couple of Tamron lenses, which are fast enough and decent quality for the small price I've paid for them.

Another good one, which is usually a natural progression lens for building a Canon kit, would be the 17-40mm. It's nice and solid, and the overall quality is quite good. There were problems with the first couple of batches they released, but that's been corrected long ago, but has spawned a few negative reviews of the lens. (Back-focusing slips). The 17-40 isn't really anything spectacular, but is a lovely lens to have in your kit, and is very fast and efficient. Tokina als do Canon-fit, but I'd avoid as the quality is not great, and for the price, you could buy a decent Sigma.

I'm trying hard to recommend decent basic lenses- it's too easy to get caught up in lenses, and what I'd use as a pro may be unnecesary for you- (also trying not to appear rude while I phrase it...). What I mean is I have a different end use from my kit than you will from yours at this stage- while I have some lenses I've paid an eye-watering price for, there may be a lower equivalent in the Canon/Sigma/Tamron range which would suit your needs perfectly at the moment, which is why I'm mentioning the 12-24, 10-20, 10-22 and 17-40. They are very decent and fairly priced!

The two main lenses I've recommended above- the 17-40 is probably more flexible as the 10-22 is leaning more towards ultra-wide. The 17-40 is also probably cheaper to pick up as it was in higher production than the 10-22 and had a lower book price on initial retail.

I've had a look at that Sigma lens, looks like it produces some stunning results from what is on it's page on Amazon... I'm thinking I might buy that first... then wait to get a body until next year (when I'll be going to NY and Chicago) as I dont think I will using my camera too much between now and then, got the odd wedding, but for the one I am a groomsman so my wife will have the camera off me...

wba31

lilac_rainbow wrote: »

What did you go for in the end op?

Would just like to echo what was said about kit lenses. The lens that came with my 500D has barely been out of the bag since I bought a 50mm prime lens last month, I get better pictures, a shallower death of field and the build quality is much better. My new 10mm lens is on it's way now

Firstly thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread (I know it was a while ago!)

I have bought the Sigma 10-20mm lens, that I have for a few weeks now. It's a great lens and I fully recommend it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007U00X0/ref=oh_o05_s00_i00_details

I have also ordered a 600d body that I should receive from Amazon next week, ready to go to NY and Chicago on the 15th...