DSLR Cameras - Any recommendations?

rawr_

I know someone who owns a Nikon D3100, and its such a nice camera and would be perfect for me, but as a student I'm only really looking to spend around £300, for the body plus the lense, if that is possible.

I would be using the camera for holiday photos, beauty shots of work, macro shots of details etc.

So are there any cameras out there just as good?

Thanks!

aintshesweet

It's all about the glass to get the best quality - at £300 you won't be buying the best glass. Also, you'd need a macro lense for macro shots which is extra, on top of the body and your normal wide angle lense.
Usually Canon or Nikon are the way to go, simply because their range of lenses are top quality and you can just keep adding to your collection. Panasonic are very good now though too, and if you're on a budget, you'll probably want to go for Panasonic / Olympus. The key to saving money here is to pick a brand and stick with it to grow your collection. At £300 for body and a basic lense you'll most likely need to replace the body fairly quickly, probably within 2-3 years, if you want to progress.
I started with a entry-mid level dslr simply because it will last me a bit longer than 2-3 years, I won't grow out of it so quickly.

Go into Jessops and have a feel of them, then look for deals on websites like http://www.warehouseexpress.com.

That's my advice :-)

A._Badger

Just to really upset you both - there is no 'e' on the end of lens.

That said, aintshesweet is pretty much right all the way through. My advice would be to steer clear of products made by smaller companies who may not be able to remain in business, or who cannot be relied on to keep faith with owners by maintaining a functioning system for years to come (which is a main point of a the SLR concept - that you invest in good lenses, which you keep, as you upgrade to newer and better bodies down the years.)

Which pretty much means Canon or Nikon. That's a pity as Pentax, in particular, has some really excellent SLRs and has always made first class lenses. Olympus, too. In your place, my money would go on a Nikon D3100 with an 18-55 VR lens.

aintshesweet

A._Badger wrote: »

Just to really upset you both - there is no 'e' on the end of lens.

That said, aintshesweet is pretty much right all the way through. My advice would be to steer clear of products made by smaller companies who may not be able to remain in business, or who cannot be relied on to keep faith with owners by maintaining a functioning system for years to come (which is a main point of a the SLR concept - that you invest in good lenses, which you keep, as you upgrade to newer and better bodies down the years.)

Which pretty much means Canon or Nikon. That's a pity as Pentax, in particular, has some really excellent SLRs and has always made first class lenses. Olympus, too. In your place, my money would go on a Nikon D3100 with an 18-55 VR lens.

lol good spot!

OP, go and see a few cameras in person.

Photography is really not a cheap hobby though, just so you know! You'll be wanting an external flash, a tripod, a camera bag, and several memory cards, and extra lenses before you know it - all adds up!

photodgm

£300 for what you describe is pushing it. Look here for prices.
http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/index.html
If you are set on a DSLR rather than a good compact with manual controls, used may be an option. It is always a good idea to go to a shop and get to hold the camera and lens combination you are interested in. Don't rush the decision, read lots of reviews, and when you finally buy enjoy it.

Pugwash69

I bought a Samsung NX11 for my meagre snaps and find it very nice. It's smaller than a full SLR but the lenses are changeable. It can save RAW that photoshop likes, has manual overrides etc. so suits me.