Advice/Questions on buying Cameras & Accessories. **Please read OP first**

Telchak

Zascar wrote: »

UK

Guys can anyone tell me a good place to buy a memory card online? Who generally has the cheapest deals? Also, realistically what kind of card should I be looking for, I know there are a few differnt 'classes' etc - what do most people use?

MemoryC are good, I got a 16GB class 10 Integral for €25 that has no problem with recording HD video. Free delivery too (:

Decos

I currently have a canon 400d. Im thinking of upgrading, possibly to a canon 40d.

I take surfing photos mostly and i want to improve my photos but im not sure is upgrading the body the right move. I was tempted to go for a better lens but im wondering is it a waste of time putting an expensive lens on a 400d?

Assuming i use the same (basic) lenses that im using now, if i upgraded to the 40d what difference would i notice in my photos? (besides the increase in frames per second). What advantages will this new body have?

any help appreciated

Zascar

Thanks, that's exactly what I'm after. So Class 10 is the best yeah? I see this 8gb for €12 - wow that's cheap! I just want to make sure to get a good one, in the past I've opted for cheaper (slower) ones and regretted it. What is a safe buy?

Or this maybe? http://www.memoryc.ie/products/description/16GB_Integral_Ultima_Pro_SDHC_CL10_High_Speed_memory_card/index.html

Is there much difference between makes if the size and class are the same?

FoxT

I have a 40D, and I have used a 400D - you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in picture quality between the 2.

The 40D is bigger & has a better control layout that facilitates making quick changes to your settings on the fly. Also has spot metering & a faster frame rate. All nice, but you wont see a quantum leap in your picture quality!

I don' t do surfing photography but I'd expect that a good long lens is what you would want for that - though the faster frame rate of the 40D might help a bit too.

Note the 40D uses compact Flash & the 400D uses SD if I recall correctly.... another budget consideration.

magicbastarder

well, what do you find frustrating about your current camera?

Fredrick

I have an efs L 100-400 IS Lens, had it on a 400d up until last month when i upgraded to a 550d and have noticed a big difference. Also a little off topic but the HD video on this camera is fantastic.

Decos

@ FoxT - thats interesting to hear about little quality difference. I wonder would there be more of a difference with the 50d. The 400d uses a compact flash card btw.

@ magicbastarder - maybe its just my imagination (but probably not, as my girlfriend has noticed it too) but regularly images from the camera end up looking a little dull. Not dark, but as if they have a bluey/grey dull hue to them. Ive checked white balance and all other camera settings and would have a competant grasp on aperture, shutter speed and ISO so id hope its not something im doing myself. A few months ago i started shooting in raw and ive noticed an improvement in image quality for sure which im happy with (and so many more possibilities with photoshop post prod) but im just wondering will a better body increase my
picture quality even more.

landsleaving

emrys wrote: »

I think if you can afford it get it new for the nikon guarantee. I don't think the gurantee is transferable on a second hand nikon

The best mid range telephoto for nikon (my opinion of course!) is the Nikon 70-300 AF S VR F/4.5-5.6 if-ed. It is an FX lens so if you upgrade to the fx format (d700, d3 etc) you won't have to trade your lens.

it is on offer at 499 in berminghams at the moment - more than the camera - but the best value for money zoom lens in the nikon line up

Cheers for the advice, think I'll just get the camera with a standard lens and see how I get on before investing that much though!

Just a follow up, I'm going to go for the camera new, it was the D3000, not 3100 I was looking at so if you (or anyone) can offer an opinion as to which of these two I should go for that would be great, I think they're the best in my price range (€450 max) If the only major upgrade for the D5000 is video and the adjustable lcd I'll go with the 3000, but if not I might cough up the extra €50

http://www.connscameras.ie/nikon-d3000/p-018208916566pd.html

http://www.connscameras.ie/nikon-d5000/p-018208916474pd.html

Cheers.. again!

Decos

I know myself my lens set up at the moment doesnt cut it for surfing (Canon 18-55mm, Sigma 70-300mm, Canon 50mm 1.8) but i cant buy everything at once and i dont wanna buy a pricey lens that might be wasted on a basic body (i could be wrong here though?)

Decos

Fredrick wrote: »

I have an efs L 100-400 IS Lens, had it on a 400d up until last month when i upgraded to a 550d and have noticed a big difference. Also a little off topic but the HD video on this camera is fantastic.

nice lens fred

roguey

Telchak wrote: »

MemoryC are good, I got a 16GB class 10 Integral for €25 that has no problem with recording HD video. Free delivery too (:

Thanks for that site! Just ordered a 16gb Class 10 SDHC for my new 600D!

Always good to get a good site that is in Ireland, and that accepts Laser!

Mark#1

The 550D could have been enough to sway me from Olympus to Canon, but I've decided against it. The only real feature that could have clinched it was the video function, and fantastic as I'm sure it is, I decided I'd keep my stills photography separate from video.

OP, I'm no professional, but I've read, and heard from my dad - 30+ years as a professional wedding/portrait photgrapher - that lenses are usually the make-or-break factor for significant improvements in IQ. Bodies may offer more/better features, but don't usually yield as significant an improvement in IQ as the step from "kit" lenses to "good" lenses.

Canon (and Nikon) kit lenses (the lenses commonly bundled with the body in promotional offers) are reputedly average at best. I've no idea if that's the case, but I've seen it written in many reviews.

Based on all this, assuming you're using a kit/bundled lens, I suspect investing in better lens(es) before replacing your 400D (which you can always do at a later stage anyway, given that you're already in the Canon stable, and are presumably happy to be there), may be the better option.

I'm not familiar with Canon's lens ranges, but their UK site lists quite a few tele-zooms (which I'm guessing what you'd be needing for surfing shots):

http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/EF_Lenses/Telephoto_Zoom/index.aspx.

Sigma also do a range of tele-zooms for Canon, and are well-respected, and often cheaper than Canon lenses:

http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/telezoom/70-300mmOS.htm

FWIW, I'm in a similar position to you - do I upgrade my E-410 body (to an E-620), or do I get a Zuiko 70-300mm first? In my case, I'm replacing the body first, then looking out for a used 70-300. Why, given what I've recommended to you? Several reasons:

1. the E-410 is actually my wife's, and I'm under pressure to give it back, so the E-620 would actually be a new camera, for me, rather than an upgrade/replacement.

2. My primary need to change is to a longer lans than the kit 40-150mm that I'm using, and the 70-300 is a longish lens. The E-620 has Image Stabilisation built into the body, so getting the body with IS will really need to go hand in hand with getting the longer lens, as all my shooting is hand-held.

3. I've come across a used E-620 (with 2 kit lenses) for a pretty good price.

Sorry if I've mentioned anything you already know - hope something I've posted has been of help.


Mark

Mark#1

Not sure I agree with burying threads about specific products ("I have a 400D, would a 40D be a wise upgrade?") in a general/generic thread ("what camera should I get for my holidays/dad/space-voyage").

Personally, if I had to trawl through 70+ pages, hoping I'd find something about the product I was interested in... well, I simply wouldn't.

IMO, a product-specific query should stand alone, as an independent thread.


Peace,

Mark

Zascar

I agree. I think a sub-section for beginners questions etc would probably work better

swillybabe

No too sure if this is the correct forum or not... But here goes.

I'm looking to buy a fairly decent camera.. Dont know very much about them just yet, so looking for advice. Basically I want to buy something that isn't a compact pocket sized one. Budget wise I'm think 500 - 800 euro maybe?? Am I being naive in thinking that I can get something decent in that price range?

5uspect

Also it might not be a bad idea to regularly lock this thread and start a fresh one so that it isn't so daunting for newbies to sift through. Also the information can go out of date regarding cameras although less so with glass.

ronanc15

Zascar wrote: »

I just my 600d delivered from www.SimplyElectronics.net - I know there are a few horror stories about them but I have to say I'm pretty delighted all in all. Got the camera way cheaper than anywhere else, and I got it delivered in a week as promised. I called them up to make sure they had it in stock first. €569 inc delivery for the 600d + 18-55mm IS II lens - it is €720 (+delviery) from Amazon, and €899 in Con's!

Do you mean €669? I just checked on their site now and that's the cheapest I could see for 600d with 18-55mm lens.

Zascar

Sorry that was a typo, my appologies

dmg1982

swillybabe wrote: »

I'm looking to buy a fairly decent camera.. Dont know very much about them just yet, so looking for advice. Basically I want to buy something that isn't a compact pocket sized one. Budget wise I'm think 500 - 800 euro maybe?? Am I being naive in thinking that I can get something decent in that price range?

You could easily get an 'entry-level' DSLR for that price, along with an excellent prime lens. For example, the most basic current Canon DSLR (1100d model) can be purchased new for about €450, add a new 50mm f/1.8 lens for about €120 and you've got yourself a very competent setup.

Another €50 will get you a memory card, bag and accessories... so total €620.

I'm familiar with Canon products, but most other major manufacturers will have similar offerings. You could also look at getting a used camera body online, there are plenty available, so good savings to be made.

If it's not a DSLR you're after, then there's loads of choice with that kind of budget. Look at the Canon G series, or S95.

Hope that helps!

Mark#1

Hi Swillybabe.

All the brands that produce DSLR cameras will have a "kit" well within your budget. A kit will typically consist of camera body and one or two zoom lenses.

Which brand you go for will be down to which feature-set you like, how the camera feel to you, both physically and ergonomically.

Some folk prefer some brands for varying reasons. I chose Olympus because I like the smaller form-factor of the bodies, their lenses are excellent while not being ridiculously expensive, Olympus make their own underwater housings (for whenever I get back into diving), I used to own film Oly SLRs years ago...

A friend owns a Canon 450D and loves it, and he's also owned Oly gear in the past.

You'll almost certainly get better value online, and for your budget, I'd be looking at new.

As also said, factor in extras - a spare battery, memory card(s), case/bag.


Mark

Zascar

Make sure to look on www.adverts.ie there are some great savings to be had second hand!

spicymchaggis

After years of using my canon 450D im looking to upgrade, preferably something with a faster shutter speed as im looking to take alot of action shots. What in the camera in the canon range would you recommend? 60D? 7D? Something else?
Any help appreciated

Mark#1

The 450D's fastest shutter speed is 1/4000th - how much faster do you need, even for sports? The 1DS MkIII's fastest speed is 1/8000th, as are the 1D MkIV, 5D MkII, 7D, and 60D. Looks like all models below 60D top out at 1/4000th.

I'm not sure that the capacity to shoot at 1/8000th is going to yield "better" sports shots than being able to shoot at "only" 1/4000th.

I'm not a Canon man, nor am I remotely pro, so beyond that, I probly can't help.


Mark

spicymchaggis

sorry i meant frames per second rather than shutter speed so i can catch actions

Mark#1

And do you know, I was actually going to ask if you meant fps, rather than shutter speed.

I guess any body with significantly faster fps than the 450D would suit. I'd imagine the 450D is somewhere between 3 and 4 fps? First significant jump seems to be 60D, at 5.3, with another big jump to 8fps with the 7D, but I guess you've read all that yourself on the Canon site...

They're pretty big money, aren't they? I guess it's as simple as getting the highest model in the range that you can afford, but I did note that the 5D MkII has only 3.9fps :eek:

It's always nice to be getting any new gear, so enjoy the research & good luck.


Mark

smiler1990

Hi :)I'm heading off to East Asia and Australia in a few months and I really need a good camera to document my travels! It would need to be light and small enough to carry around easily but also take good quality images obviously! Video would be a plus aswell! Anyone any recommendations?? Thanks

Redhairedguy

I'm standing on the fence right now between these two. Roughly the same price.

The 40d comes with a 50mm prime and has moderate use.

The D3100 is brand new and comes with a 18-55 VR lense.

Mainly going to be used just for still photography so the 40d's 6fps burst would be awesome (as opposed to the D3100's 3fps).

On the same hand, the D3100 HD recording and HDMI output would make for some interesting videos and make showing them on my TV at home easy as pie.

It's for personal use, so holidays, family occasions, sight seeing, and general tomfoolery will be what it shall mostly be used for.

5uspect

spicymchaggis wrote: »

After years of using my canon 450D im looking to upgrade, preferably something with a faster shutter speed as im looking to take alot of action shots. What in the camera in the canon range would you recommend? 60D? 7D? Something else?
Any help appreciated

The 7D also has an exceptional autofocus and large full coverage pentaprism viewfinder. I moved from a 350D to a 7D and it's a whole new world.
The 60D has the same pentamirror viewfinder as the xxxD so it's a but small and dark.

The 7D is also weather sealed with a magnesium alloy body where as the 60D has been downgraded to plastic.

Telchak

5uspect wrote: »

The 60D has the same pentamirror viewfinder as the xxxD so it's a but small and dark.

The 60D has a pentaprism, only 96% coverage though (:

5uspect

Ah so it does, I stand corrected.