New camera suggestions

lobber

I am looking to get a little bit more into photography and want some opinion from people who are either professionals or are actively involved as a hobby.

At the moment I have a Panasonic Lumix FZ-7. A good camera in some respects as it introduces most of the functionality of a dSLR. It has its faults i.e. doesn't work well in dimmer daylight, indoor shots and black and white pics are very dull.

I would welcome any suggestions of a good dSLR to begin with, which will help with better quality pictures, but not entirely break the bank.... as well as any other tips etc. I have read a lot of product reviews online but am really looking for user advice as opposed to the technical jargon.

KarmaGarda

Really depends on your budget! The starting cameras I would recommend in the Nikon and Canon ranges are the Nikon D60 and the Canon 450D. I'm not as well up on Sony/Olympus etc so can give my opinion there.

If you had a little more money that the above you're getting into the Nikon D90 range, which I've used, and is an excellent camera. Definitely would recommend this to beginners too.

My advice is go into a camera/electronics shop and pick up all the cameras and take some photos/zoom/traverse the menus. What feels best in your hand and when you take a photo should be your Number 1 priority on what make you buy. Then you can decide how much money you want to spend.

Bodhan

Well I just bought a Canon 500d and it's fantastic, great shots, see my flickr page. There is the 450d thats a bit cheaper, the only difference is the 500d can do HD Video and has a few more mega pixels.
I noticed the prices starting to rise on both cameras since I bought. I got mine in Argos for €721, it's now over €800. I did get a €10 voucher from Argos and €55 back from Canon UK though. Made the camera a bit cheaper.

KarmaGarda

Side question: Is the 500D the Canon equivalent of the Nikon D90? I'm thinking they are.

Bodhan

I think they are, but Nikon was out of the price range for bits and pieces like lenses and add ons

KarmaGarda

Oh yeah, and make sure you have a read of this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055557678

KarmaGarda

Bodhan wrote: »

I think they are, but Nikon was out of the price range for bits and pieces like lenses and add ons

Actually, I think they may compare the D90 to a 50D so it's a step up again.

asgaard

i prefer D90

Slidinginfinity

asgaard wrote: »

i prefer D90

I'm a biased*, but I do, too.







*I own one.

the_tractor

I have just bought my 1st SLR.
I bought a Pentax K-x from SRS microsystems in the UK.
Excellent entry level camera, great features, 4-5fps, In body stabilisation, great battery life, and the sensor is one of the best in low light in the Entry, mid range SLRs.

Pentax are not as big as Canon, Nikon, but they make good cameras.
It should be on your list for consideration.

lobber

Ok so my price range is leaning me towards the Canon 500D or the Nikon D5000.

Comparisons are welcome!

(btw, won't be buying either in Ireland as they are as cheap as $579/€635 and $529/€580 respectively in curries in the north, wheras both are in the region of €900 down here!)

Blazer

Go Canon...look on adverts.ie in the photography section and you can see it's a lot easier to pick up Canon gear...

this is no reflection on Nikon..both are great camera makers...but I see more people now with Canon and therefore it's a lot easier to pick up 2nd hand stuff such as lenses etc.

CabanSail

Any of the Entry Level DSLR's will give you what you are seeking.

As you can see here the major players are Nikon & Canon but Sony are right up there now too. There is a lot of used gear around for all these systems.

The low light issues will be better with a modern DSLR as the sensor is larger so the noise performance is better. You will probably get a kit lens with the camera but if you want better capabilities in low light then do a search on "Nifty Fifty" as that lens will be of interest to you.

You say that "Black & White pics are very dull" and that will not change if you are not processing your images. The images you will get out of most cameras are not the images you will see posted by more experienced photographers. You need to apply Post Production to get them to look like you had in mind. There are many tips & different ways to acheive this & it's fun learning.