Looking for a good yet cheap DSLR

Casey78

Hi

First off I am a complete beginner at this,buying cameras that is not taking photos! all I have ever had is a normal Digital Camera.

I am getting married this year and we are going to New York,Las Vegas and San Francisco and then driving down the east coast to LA on our honeymoon,so I really want a good camera for places like Golden Gate Bridge or the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon as well as the usual New York etc pics.

I have wanted a good camera for ages,as it is I have a very nice Sony Cybershot 12mp camera but I really want something that will bring me to the next level.

My questions are.

Are the lenses that come with the DSLR sufficient for a DSLR beginner like myself,and also whats the difference between SLR and DSLR anyway?I know the D stands for Digital and is fairly self explanatory but I mean in the actual Tech whats the difference?

My budget will be about €350-€400 max for a camera.
I don't need something that is top of the range professional just something that is a step up from a ordinary digital camera that will let me experiment with different types of shots.

Thanks

Fenster

Having worked in electrical retail for the healthier part of a decade, I will tell you now that 'good' and 'cheap' are mutually exclusive concepts, especially at the price range you have budgeted.

I think your best bet for a cheap SLR - a new one would be to add another hundred euros to your budget and then pick an entry-level SLR (Nikon/Canon/Sigma/whatever) at B&H in New York city. If you are happy to settle for a used SLR, you can easily pick up a used SLR with provided lens in that price range on Ebay.

rowanh

Casey78 wrote: »

I am getting married this year and we are going to New York,Las Vegas and San Francisco and then driving down the east coast to LA on our honeymoon,so I really want a good camera for places like Golden Gate Bridge or the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon as well as the usual New York etc pics.

Sounds deadly, great holiday to learn a lot about photography

Casey78 wrote: »

I have wanted a good camera for ages,as it is I have a very nice Sony Cybershot 12mp camera but I really want something that will bring me to the next level.

I was in the same situation recently, i bought a panasonic dmc-lx3 for 350 euro. Read a review of it, its a possible alternative to a dslr and will allow you to go to the next level from a camera with no manual controls. One thing though the camera does not really matter that much, its more how you use it and knowing how to use it. I just read a boook called Understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson, id highly reccomend it.

Casey78 wrote: »

Are the lenses that come with the DSLR sufficient for a DSLR beginner like myself

Yes at least to start with though if i was getting an entry level dslr i would buy one second hand for as little as possible with no lens and buy a fast prime lens.

Casey78 wrote: »

,and also whats the difference between SLR and DSLR anyway?I know the D stands for Digital and is fairly self explanatory but I mean in the actual Tech whats the difference?

What differences? One uses film the other uses a ccd chip that records light digitally.. Maybe someone could explain this better thoguh i think wikipedia might be the answer there.. Generally they are the same aside from the fim/chip difference.

Casey78 wrote: »

My budget will be about €350-€400 max for a camera.
I don't need something that is top of the range professional just something that is a step up from a ordinary digital camera that will let me experiment with different types of shots.

Thanks

I am going to buy a dslr at some stage in the near future, im going to get a nikon d50 and probably a nikon 50mm f1.4 lens. At the moment that would cost somewhere around 350 to 400 euro if you shop around online. It seems like people on here generally prefer canon to nikon, it doesnt really make any difference which you get but i know nothing about canon. If you think you will get into it and want to buy more lenses then nikon and canon are the way to go as there are loads of used ones about. One thing about nikons is the newer budget dslrs cannot use most of their lenses, this is why i would go for the d50.

Hope that helps though my advice really would be learn as much as you can and make an informed decision rather than just taking other peoples advice. That and use the camera in full manual mode as much as possible.

Rowan

denat

After recommendations on this forum and, then, my own research, I've bought a new Olympus E620 with 2 kit lenses (14-42 & 40-150mm) for GBP521 including delivery to Ireland. Cost after currency conversion, was, coincidentally, a few cents short of EUR620. Delivery expected tomorrow so I can't give a personal recommendation yet.

Olympus do cheaper, not necessarily inferior, but differently specified models ie the E450 and E520, with the same lenses. If you shop around online, I think you could pick up one of those within or close to your budget.

Olympus kit lenses seem to be highly regarded, particularly the 14-42.

These are 4/3 sensor cameras. I think the kit lenses are equivalent to 28-84 and 80-300mm lenses on a full frame camera.

Have a look at Olympus dslr forum on dpreview.com and pictures by users of Olympus, or any camera you might be interested in, on flickr.com.

ditpaintball

Have a look at a Nikon D40 or D300, the entry level DSLRs. Great for learning on.

http://www.richiebuttle.com/?p=68

CabanSail

DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. Without the D it will normally be a 35mm Film Camera. The SLR part means that when you look through the Viewfinder you see through the lens of the camera exactly what will be projected onto the Sonsor/Film. The Reflex part refers to the Mirror raising & aperture being set as you press the shutter release.

The Kit Lenses provided with most DSLR's are meant to be a "Jack of all Trades" generalist lens. If you want to shoot specialist subjects then you will seek out lenses which are better for that application.

As for your Budget you could look at the second hand market or else a good Bridge Camera may also be suitable for you at this stage, which I just discussed in this thread.

duffarama

denat wrote: »

After recommendations on this forum and, then, my own research, I've bought a new Olympus E620 with 2 kit lenses (14-42 & 40-150mm) for GBP521 including delivery to Ireland. Cost after currency conversion, was, coincidentally, a few cents short of EUR620. Delivery expected tomorrow so I can't give a personal recommendation yet.

Olympus kit lenses seem to be highly regarded, particularly the 14-42.

Great camera, hope it's arrived and you're working your way through the manual and enjoying getting to know the camera. I have one myself.

As to the OP, as has been mentioned here before there's a Greek website who have great deals on Olympus DSLR's and currently have the E420 available at €175 with no lens, you can get the 14-42 for less than €100 on adverts, ebay or in conns second hand (and a similar price new)

www.photoagora.gr and click english at top right

alexlyons

Casey78 wrote: »

we are going to New York,Las Vegas and San Francisco and then driving down the east coast to LA on our honeymoon

LA is on the west coast just so ya don't get lost

WillyWonka

While it might be a great idea to get a new camera in the states, you have to consider that any new camera or lens will take some getting used to.

You will more than likely take worse photos than you would with a compact camera at the start and the worst thing that could happen you is you come home from your honeymoon with a load of fuzzy images! Hardly worth the saving of €100 in the long run.

I'd get one with a cheap lens as mentioned above and know how to use it first

jpb1974

You should be able to source a Canon 400D for €350-€400.

Nikon D40 would be another option... but these can give you headaches as they don't provide autofocus with all Nikon mount lenses.

I use a 400D... I have higher spec models... but the 400D doesn't fall to far behind the pack.