to be or not to be....

[tameblackbirds]

a SLR owner? Happy and spoilt with my bridge camera but know that an SLR has lots more to offer but... Scared which camera and will I be able to use it? Do lots of Macro photos ..will I need a lenses? Help me please a real novas here but wanting to develop my photography. Any advice welcome

[cosmicma]

the best thing you can do is get yourself down to your local friendly camera shop and see what you are comfortable with

all i can say is once you get on the DSLR band wagon it's not cheap

[Geoff F]

This is a rather common question so my first suggestion would be to search through some earlier posts.

Secondly, what exactly do you wish to photograph? The answers will vary considerably depending on your precise requirements. Eg, a 60 mm macro lens would be perfectly adequate for flowers but for small insects etc I would recommend a 150 mm lens.

And finally, what is your budget? Spending other people's money is great fun and gives us a chance to 'drool' over items which we couldn't afford ourselves!

Very basically, choosing the brand of camera, and lens, is the first stage. Canon and Nikon certainly lead the field in numbers of sales; but there are quite a lot of people who like the alternatives, such as Olympus for example.

Trying to explain things very simply, Canon and Nikon produce 3 ranges of cameras. Starting with a rather basic and relatively cheap entry model, like the Canon 1000D or the better but more expensive 500D; a middle semi pro range like the 40D to 7D and an expensive top range for the real professionals which will start over £1000 for just the body.

The main things to consider here are that once you 'sell your soul' to one brand and start buying a selection of lenses etc it become expensive to change loyalties. So you need to know that your chosen brand will be able to provide you with the equipment that you might require in the future.

But to start off, here is my current equipment: Canon 40D body (only available secondhand now); Sigma 150-500 mm OS zoom for birds and general distance use; Sigma 180 mm for macro photos, mostly insects (as an alternative the Sigma 150 mm is also popular).

And lenses for for general use: Canon 24-105 IS L; Canon 70-200 IS L. I also still have a couple of earlier lenses: Canon 28-135 IS and Canon 70-300 IS.

I would recommend any of the above. Plus extras like a good tripod (which can cost over £200) and an external flash; plus . . .

But I didn't get that gear in one go; it was a case of purchasing one item a year. Which is an advantage of DSLR cameras with interchangeable lenses.

[shagbat]

An excellent, well thought out and helpful reply Geoff.
I would reiterate Geoffs first statement, read earlier posts on here.
Certainly you will get more help here from ACTIVE photographers than from MOST camera shops' SALESPEOPLE who will sell you whatever they have available. I personally use Nikon bodies, but whatever you decide, do look at Sigma lenses, often excellent value for money, compared to manufacturers'
own offerings.
S

[tameblackbirds]

Thank you for the replies... finding it daunting been thinking about changing for over 12 months. Nervous that it is a lot of money and unclear about which body is best for me. Love macro photography for insects and flowers. Aware that I need a good zoom to catch birds. so thank you again noted down your choices and will begin shopping around, and playing with cameras. My 50th Birthday this year so a great treat to look forward too as a pressie.

[wizzo]

Hi Tameblackbirds! If you do decide to go with an SLR and like the look, feel and functionality of Nikon cameras.Have a look at the D300s. It's a stunning camera and will serve well as a top end enthusiast or entry level pro SLR. Also, the good news is, with the introduction of the D7000, and the possibility of a replacement for the D300, on the horizon (The D400), the prices are going to come down. Mind you, there's not much more you could do, imo, to better the D300. Bear in mind, that to get the best out of any SLR, you'll want good glass on the front, and good lenses don't come cheap. Have fun looking though and let us all know what you decide to do - Wizzo

[cosmicma]

Originally Posted by shagbat

Certainly you will get more help here from ACTIVE photographers than from MOST camera shops' SALESPEOPLE who will sell you whatever they have available.S

we all know some will try to sell you what there trying to offload on the day but not all camera shops are the same some will offer good advice after all they will still get your money no matter what you buy and hopefully a customer who will come back

the reality is everybodies advice is biased towards what they know and at the end of the day although it fits the person giving the advice it might not fit the person asking for advice

unless you know a lot of people with different makes / models of cameras where else can you get "hands on" experience of the cameras everybody is giving advice on ??

i should have elaborated a little more
i should have said find a friendly camera shop leave your credit cards / wallet at home and go see what fits the bill
even if the salesman convinces you your life would be complete with whatever it is they are trying to sell you it gives you a chance to walk away and have a think before you part with your hard earned

focus on imaging is coming up in a few weeks it might be worth a trip it's a photographers aladins cave

[tameblackbirds]

cosmicma


i should have said find a friendly camera shop leave your credit cards / wallet at home and go see what fits the bill
even if the salesman convinces you your life would be complete with whatever it is they are trying to sell you it gives you a chance to walk away and have a think before you part with your hard earned

focus on imaging is coming up in a few weeks it might be worth a trip it's a photographers aladins cave[/QUOTE]

sound advice will do this thanks cosmica and WIZZO

[johnf3f]

For what it's worth I would suggest 2 things to do before you part with your hard earned cash.
1. As a previous poster suggested go to a "Good friendly" camera shop and have a look at what's available - don't be blown away with all the wizzbang factors and megapixies, if they start throwing this at you then they are NOT a "Good friendly" camera shop - try all the shops within a reasonable range and look for comon sense advice that doesn't exceed your budget by too much.
2. For your first dip into SLR photography have a very good look at used equipment, it is be considerably cheaper and still carries a guarantee (from a reputable dealer). I have 5 L series lenses covering 17 to 600mm, only one was bought new - if I had bought the 600 F4is new I would have NONE of the other lenses! Cameras can last pretty well to, a friend has a WELL used/abused Canon 20D for sale - it's a bit battered & has a few scratches - but works perfectly as if it were new. The 20D was (I think) designed for upto about 130K shutter actuations, this one has WELL over 250k on it!
Happy hunting and let us know how you get on!

P.S. BEWARE DSLR's and their lenses are addictive - be prepared to sell the kids!

[Kayleigh]

Jessops are doing bundles atm of various packages..
They dont hold them in the shops here so I ordered mine on the web..
Take a look at my thread it might be of help..

Canon EOS 500D Digital SLR Camera Body