Best DSLR ?

[hairymunky]

Anyone got any advice on what's a good DSLR to buy. I don't want
to spend a fortune, preferably under £400. My only need is for the
camera to have a "bulb" setting to allow long exposures for
astro-imaging (anything from 30sec to 1 hour exposures).
Apart from that it will be used mainly for wildlife, and landscapes.

Any advice greatly appreciated....



Graham

[eeyore]

there are loads of good dslrs on the market but your biudget is a bit tight for most of them - you can just squeeze a Nikon D40 or a pentax 100D ior if you are lucky a canon 400D into that budget but it wont leave you any over for memory cards, tripod, bag etc.

if thats your absolute budget you might be better off with a bridge camera like the Panasonic FZ50 , Canon S3 , Fuji S9600 etc which apart from the fixed lens will offer most of the features of a DSLR for much less dosher (probably circa 300 notes)

if you can afford to go up a bit for accessories i'd say get a nikon D40x or a canon 400D

[galanthus]

I have the Canon 400d, it's really really fab and I don't regret buying it at all. However, Eeyore is right in that you need a few essentials to go with a digie slr such as a general lens; memory card;bag etc. This could take you over budget if you're rigidly needing to stick to £400. Consider tho that some mags like digital photo offer free gear bags if you subscribe for 6 months. This would cut cost by around £30 ? - ish ?

[hairymunky]

I've got all my other stuff, ie tripod, monopod, camera bag etc from when I
used my Pentax 35mm. The budget was just trying to keep the wife happy,
but it may be negociable depending on how many cups of tea I make her

Had a look at the canon 400d and it seems a good choice, and is suitable
for astro-imaging

Thanks guys



Graham

[Pete W]

Canon 400D would get my vote

[GME]

Originally Posted by Pete W

Canon 400D would get my vote

I'm no expert in photography but I think I'm an expert at cameras around your price range Graham, having spent that last month reading every review going including back issues of Practical Photographer and asking for advice from the real camera guys on WAB. I've also played with a few and borrowed some from friends!!

So, after all that? No, I've still not bought one! But...

Have to say I agree with Pete and the Canon 400D seems the best choice and I'm sure you won't be disappointed if you go for it. My plan now is to get the body only from Warehouse Express (.com) as they are doing a 'pay nothing for 12 months' deal on cameras over £200 and you can still get cashback on it now extended until August 31st. I've spoken to Ian (Kelso - recommended by Eeyore and a few other people on here) and he does some great prices on lenses. So, buy a decent lens or 2 and pay up front whilst saving up for the Body. As long as it's paid by the end of the 12 months you don't pay interest, etc. (Or you can pay monthly after that if you've still not saved the cash but will pay interest). That way you may be paying more than your budget overall but you get a better setup initially and can put cash to one side to make the total amount APR free over time. Or you can get the whole lot from Warehouse Express and still pay nowt for 12 months! I think it will work for me as I'm on a limited budget to start but will be able to save up, just means you hopefully get what you want now

Canon Digital SLR Cameras - warehouseexpress.com

All that said, the Nikon D40 (6.3MP) and the more expensive D40x (10.2MP) both got great reviews and are available at Warehouse Express with same payment options at £270 and £400 respectively after Nikon cashback

Hope this helps or at least gives you other options

Gareth

[Hobjob]

Canon 400 will make you very happy, but only if you put on some decent
glass on the front.

But you don't have to do that straight away, but be assured you will
over the next year spend as much again .......... there are lots of us
who attest to this !!!

[hairymunky]

Thanks Gareth,
That's the plan, buying a body with a basic lens,
then saving up for a few needed lenses. Had looked
at warehouse express, and they do seem to offer a good price compared to other
places. I've been the same, over the last few weeks, trawling website reviews and
magazine reviews, but my brain went into meltdown, and I still didn't really know
any better.
I think the Canon with its bigger 10Mpix resolution will do the job nicely


Cheers all

Graham

[matt_xyz]

lens range and lens affordability are very important factors when choosing a DSLR. When you buy a DSLR you're not so much buying a camera as committing yourself to an entire camera system. You will find advocates of every system currently available, but I personally think that Canon and Nikon systems lead the way with lens choice and affordabilty (particularly when considering 'wildlife' lenses such as telephotos and macro lenses). Both manufacturers produce a large range of lenses, particularly Canon, and third party lenses such as Sigma can also be bought for these systems.

Matt

[richardkm]

If you go for the Canon 400D, I would advise buying a body and one of the better lenses. I bought the kit with the 18-55 lens and was very disappointed with the lens quality, it was not as good as the 18-55 that my wife had with her 300D, I don't know whether Canon have reduced the quality to cut costs or whether I got a "Friday afternoon" lens.

[chkm8]

Given your budget I would go for the Canon 350D this should be available for around £350 the 400D is almost £500 and well above what you quoted. The only real difference between the 350D and the upgrade to the 400D is 10MP instead of 8MP and believe me you won't notice the extra 2MP in your shots it would be different if the previous model was only 6MP but the difference between 8 and 10 is negligable for the average user. The other main difference is the area at the back of the camera to view your pictures after taking them is much bigger on the 400D however the display 350D is adequate and with the zoom feature you can check every aspect of your picture to ensure it is in focus etc.
Other than that Canon made very little changes from the 350D to the 400D and any reviews I have read advises 350 owners not to upgrade as it isn't worth the extra for the minimal improvments.

John.

[GME]

Originally Posted by chkm8

Given your budget I would go for the Canon 350D this should be available for around £350 the 400D is almost £500 and well above what you quoted. The only real difference between the 350D and the upgrade to the 400D is 10MP instead of 8MP and believe me you won't notice the extra 2MP in your shots it would be different if the previous model was only 6MP but the difference between 8 and 10 is negligible for the average user. The other main difference is the area at the back of the camera to view your pictures after taking them is much bigger on the 400D however the display 350D is adequate and with the zoom feature you can check every aspect of your picture to ensure it is in focus etc.
Other than that Canon made very little changes from the 350D to the 400D and any reviews I have read advises 350 owners not to upgrade as it isn't worth the extra for the minimal improvments.

John.

If you don't own either would it not be better to buy the newer 400 though? Especially as you can get it with Canon Cashback until end of August for virtually the same price as the 350. I've seen the 400 and 350 for sale at the same place(s) with only about £30 difference once you take the cashback into consideration. Both of which are available for under the £400 budget originally posted. Even the similar spec Nikon D40x (10MP) can be found for about £400 with Nikon cashback (though I don't know if it is suitable for astro-imaging)). Ah well, decisions, decisions...

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by GME

If you don't own either would it not be better to buy the newer 400 though?

in a word yes - especially as some suppliers are doing it for not much over 400 notes. However as regards astroimaging I dont know a ferocious ammount about this but if its like digi scoping but with stars you might be better off with a highend compact as vignetting can be an issue when you use step down rings to attach a dslr to a telescope.

Also I would imagine that a live lcd would be a benefit and with the excetion of the olympus E system DSLRs do not have these.

[hairymunky]

Just back from holidays...

Tried a-focal imaging with my Canon powershot, it gives good,
but limited results. A DSLR is different, because you can take
off the lens, and attach the camera body to the scope, therefore
ending up with a big 'un
Well after much deliberation, between two cameras - the Nikon D40,
and the Canon 400, I think it will be the Canon as its more suitable
for all the astro imaging programs, whereas I just found out the
Nikon has a IR filter attached to it's CCD (and I don't fancy paying
£400 just to open it and break it - I can see the missus' face....!!!!!).

[galanthus]

Good decision, i love mine. Don't forget to post your pics

[Interpreter]

If the Canon 400D is priced the way the 350D was, then there is only about £10 difference between buying the body and buying the body with the kit lens. The lens isn't brilliant, but it will get you going for just a tenner. Go for it.

A good lens is an asset, but not as great as the skill of the photographer. Also with a £10 lens, I would go into places where I would not risk a £6000 L IS USM Prime lens. But, as everyone will tell you - go for the best lens you can afford and L glass is Canon's best.

[Flying Solo]

Hi, I treated myself to a Nikon D40 in january and then bought the 55-300mm lens on top and its soo easy to use, lots of good pre-set settings but is also easy to set-up urself

sophie