wanting to buy a dslr

[BradsDad]

hello all
i am wanting to buy a dslr and have been looking at the canon 450d at the moment i am using a panasonic lumix fz18 (which is a great camera). my main photography that i do is wildlife (animals/insects/flowers/fungi etc) and was wondering what lenses i would need without spending an absolute fortune.
any advice would be much apreciated.
thanks
rob

[pressld2]

Hi BradsDad,

For the insects/flowers/fungi I shall be the first of many to recommend the Sigma 150mm macro. An absolutely outstanding lens! The 105mm and the 180mm versions get a lot of praise too but the 150 seems to be the favourite as it gives you slightly more working distance than the 105 and is a wee bit lighter than the 180mm.

For birds and mammals you would ideally want 400mm or longer. Many people speak very highly of the "Bigma" - the Sigma 50-500mm zoom and going by the results they post to the Gallery I can see why.

Dave P.

[Jim Ford]

I do a lot of low level macro work and the articulating live-view screen on my Olympus E3 is absolutely indispensable - I would now never buy a camera without one.

Try taking a shot of a bog orchid with the camera level with the bog, without actually lying prone in the bog to see through the view finder. Or, shooting a pendulous flower, up at an angle of 45 degrees with the camera body at ground level, without having to excavate a 2ft hole for your head to get behind the view finder!

Jim

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi

Far better to use a right angle viewfinder adaptor, more precise for manual focussing for macro work.

neil

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by wildlifesnapper

Far better to use a right angle viewfinder adaptor, more precise for manual focussing for macro work.

Ermm, far worse! You have the choice of x7 and x10 zoom magnification on the E3, which is more than enough for precise manual focussing. A right angle finder still requires you to get your head down to the camera, which is frequently not convenient.

BTW, I've got a right angle adapter for sale with various eyepiece adapters, if anyone wants one. It's a generic Chinese one.

Jim

[Meta menardi]

Having recently done this, my advice is:

Get a short list based on what you want to spend, what lenses you have and ehat you want to use the beast for.

Check out all the possible candidates on your short list.

Prat about on the internet for all you can find about the short list.

Have a good think.

Get some comments from this site.

Go back to the internet and read whatever else you can find.

If by then you have a winner, buy it and be prepared for a lot of reading. Otherwise go back to the beginning and start again.

You make your own decisions. I made my purchase and am now working hard to make it do what I want. I know it will do what I want, I just have to work towards what I want.

And don't get rid of the camera you have that works for you.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

Having recently done this, my advice is:

Get a short list based on what you want to spend, what lenses you have and ehat you want to use the beast for.

Check out all the possible candidates on your short list.

Prat about on the internet for all you can find about the short list.

Have a good think.

Get some comments from this site.

Go back to the internet and read whatever else you can find.

If by then you have a winner, buy it and be prepared for a lot of reading. Otherwise go back to the beginning and start again.

You make your own decisions. I made my purchase and am now working hard to make it do what I want. I know it will do what I want, I just have to work towards what I want.

And don't get rid of the camera you have that works for you.

Sound advice - the only thing I'd add is to try and handle the one you choose for real. It's funny how certain cameras just seem to fit your hands well whereas others seem to have all the bits in the wrong place - and it's different for everyone.

[Hobjob]

The pansonic Lumix fz18 is great camera, with a great lens.

I have a nasty feeling that unless you are prepared to pay
tiwce what you pay for the body of the Canon 450 on lenses
you may be dissapointed.

[ellen h]

I have recently bought an olympus e520,I had a panasonic fz18 before that.I have kept the panasonic because as you say its a great little camera,but must say I am pleased with the oly.
Main reasons I got it were-a/weight,b/price. It is much lighter than other dslrs and the price I paid for the body and kit lens was probably as much as you would have to pay for a lens only with other makes.
I recently invested in the 70-300mm lens and am already getting good results,steep learning curve I agree but enjoying it !
Of course has been said before its a case of finding the "right" camera for you.
these photos were taken with the new lens,they are also in the Gallery.
ellen

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by ellen h

I recently invested in the 70-300mm lens and am already getting good results,steep learning curve I agree but enjoying it !

I don't want to appear too critical, but Olympus 70-300mm lens users are getting far sharper images than those shown above. It's considered a remarkable lens for the money - sharp, light and compact.

Jim