# Recommendations please for SLR, £600-£700 budget



## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi
In the next couple of months I'm looking to buy a new digital slr and would like recommendations for this price range. I'm wanting to take up photography so I'm looking for something I can grow into as I learn the craft rather than a simple point and shoot. I'm also looking for a camera that comes with a range of lenses too to start me off. I live on the gower so will be planning to use the camera for landscape shots but it won't be restricted to that. My friend swears by his NIKON but I'm not sure how they match up to other makes.
I will consider second hand so any pointers where to buy quality used equipment and what specifically I should be aware of with the second hand market.
Thanks.


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## wayward bob (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> I'm wanting to take up photography so I'm looking for something I can grow into as I learn the craft rather than a simple point and shoot.



myself i'd go for an entry level second hand model (perhaps reconditioned, something with a warranty) and save the rest of your money until you really know what you want. all slrs will have the option to prioritise apperture/shutter speed or to work fully manual, and various focussing/exposure options, which are the basic skills you need to learn (alongside composition etc.).

of course you could go old school and buy a decent film camera for under a hundred quid and spend another hundred or so on processing. you'll learn the same stuff and i can pretty much guarantee the images you turn out will be more pleasing because you'll have a better lens for a start, but that's just ime.


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

Any particular model or make?


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## wayward bob (Nov 2, 2011)

no idea what's out there tbh, it's ages since i went camera shopping. i've had a nikkon d40 for a few years now and it does everything i need. i have a very wide lens (aperture not angle) to add to the standard zoom, cos i do a fair bit of low light work and i have a thing for shallow depth of field, but that doesn't sound like something you'd need.

edit, sorry, that prolly doesn't mean much, can explain if you like, but basically you wouldn't need one anyway


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## wayward bob (Nov 2, 2011)

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...as/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d40x/

not as cheap as i'd have expected tbh, and you'd need to add a lens to that too. one of the reasons i like the d40 is because it's pretty small as dslrs go. i'm used to film cameras which are generally pretty small/light in comparison and i knew that if i bought a really bulky/heavy camera i'd never actually take it anywhere. also i'm a girl so i generally find it easier to use something small/light. i also chose the d40 over the equivalent canon at the time cos it has a better low-light performance, but again, that's prolly not going to concern you. also i tried both out in the shop and i was just happier with the nikon images.

btw if you want to do landscape something you should definitely invest in is a decent sturdy tripod


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

If you have a friend with a Nikon, it might make sense to go with Nikon yourself because you can lend / borrow lenses etc with your friend. Do you know what Nikon camera your friend has?

Nikon and Canon are pretty much the market leaders in dslrs and each have good entry level products.


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> Hi
> In the next couple of months I'm looking to buy a new digital slr and would like recommendations for this price range. I'm wanting to take up photography so I'm looking for something I can grow into as I learn the craft rather than a simple point and shoot. I'm also looking for a camera that comes with a range of lenses too to start me off. I live on the gower so will be planning to use the camera for landscape shots but it won't be restricted to that. My friend swears by his NIKON but I'm not sure how they match up to other makes.
> I will consider second hand so any pointers where to buy quality used equipment and what specifically I should be aware of with the second hand market.
> Thanks.


I wouldn't buy second hand. I'd buy a new camera with the best sensor I could afford, and would put the D3100 and D5100 near top of my list. If you're doing landscapes, then you need a good wideangle lens, decent tripod and perhaps a general zoom.


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

Example: Nikon D3100 Digital SLR with 18-55mm VR Lens £427
http://www.dabs.com/products/nikon-d3100-digital-slr-with-18-55mm-vr-lens-74FH.html

Review:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3100/


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

I have gotten out of touch with the dslr ranges of late so I just for my own benefit tried to make sense of the Nikon range from the page http://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/cameras

From that what seems to be the Nikon dslr range is as follows (prices indicative in US$ only sorry)

D3000 10.2Mpx APS-C $1,300
D3100 14.2Mpx APS-C $700
D5000 12.3Mpx APS-C $700 body only 
D5100 16.2Mpx APS-C $790
D7000 16.2Mpx APS-C $1,700
D60   10.2Mpx APS-C $750 body only
D90   12.3Mpx APS-C $996
D300S 12.3Mpx APS-C $1,500
D700  12.1Mpx FF    $3,900 
D3    12.1Mpx FF    $8,000 Body only  
D3X   24.5Mpx FF    $8,800 Body only
D3S   12.1Mpx FF    $5,400


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

Editor is the D3100 one of these AFS lenses only .. or does it have a screw focus drive like the D90?


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## fractionMan (Nov 2, 2011)

wayward bob said:


> http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...as/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d40x/



Damn, I wish I'd seen that site when I was buying my camera.

Although I'm happy with the new pentax k-x I got for just about 350 quid (not that I've got much to compare it with), I would have been happier with a decent second hand one with lens at about 250 quid.


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Editor is the D3100 one of these AFS lenses only .. or does it have a screw focus drive like the D90?


It won't work with older lenses, but I don't really think that's too much of an issue for most users. None of my Nikons do either (D300/D5100).


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

wayward bob said:


> http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/us...as/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/nikon-d40x/



Hay wayward bob, great site, I could just about do a Nikon D200 for about £360... sounds good to me


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

editor said:


> It won't work with older lenses, but I don't really think that's too much of an issue for most users. None of my Nikons do either (D300/D5100).



It would be an issue for me, all 5 of my lenses are screw drive focussing.


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> It would be an issue for me, all 5 of my lenses are screw drive focussing.


Yes, but you're not a beginner taking up photography.


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## FunkyUK (Nov 2, 2011)

editor said:


> It won't work with older lenses, but I don't really think that's too much of an issue for most users. None of my Nikons do either (D300/D5100).



The D300 does AF with AF-D lenses.  (most of my lenses are AF-D's)  /pedant

It shouldn't be an issue with new "system builders" but anyone with a bag full of D lenses may do well to stick to the higher end Nikons that will autofocus the older D lenses.
That said, All F Mount Nikkor (with a very few exceptions) lenses will fit and be usable (albeit focus manually) on all Nikon DSLRs, regardless of the AF drive method.  Useful table here: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#dslr

All Nikon DSLRs have a focus confirmation dot in the viewfinder, so whether your'e running AF or non-AF lenses you can get confirmation that your pic if in focus using this.

(Sorry for the slight de-rail)

I'd suggest buying the newest DSLR you can afford from any manufacturer,  possibly buying the same brand as your mates so you can swap / borrow lenses from them.


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

FunkyUK said:


> Useful table here: http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm#dslr



Good chart, thanks FunkyUK.


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> If you have a friend with a Nikon, it might make sense to go with Nikon yourself because you can lend / borrow lenses etc with your friend. Do you know what Nikon camera your friend has?
> 
> Nikon and Canon are pretty much the market leaders in dslrs and each have good entry level products.


 
Ive relocated since....he lives about 5 hours away now so thats out of the question.


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

editor said:


> Example: Nikon D3100 Digital SLR with 18-55mm VR Lens £427
> http://www.dabs.com/products/nikon-d3100-digital-slr-with-18-55mm-vr-lens-74FH.html
> 
> Review:
> http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3100/


 
Im liking this.

Whats a Non VR lense? Sorry to sound thick like...just price checking on the jessops site and they do a deal with a 55-200mm Non VR Lens. 549.95


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> Ive relocated since....he lives about 5 hours away now so thats out of the question.



Oh, well in that case you could also look at Canon. Canon have some great base model dslrs which would be well within your budget.


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> Whats a Non VR lense? Sorry to sound thick like...just price checking on the jessops site and they do a deal with a 55-200mm Non VR Lens. 549.95


That's anti shake ("vibration reduction"). You'd need it for a long lens, really.


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

editor said:


> That's anti shake ("vibration reduction"). You'd need it for a long lens, really.


 
Is that price Ive quoted for that bundle any good?


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> Is that price Ive quoted for that bundle any good?



Does not sound too bad to me. But do you want a 55-200mm? - 55mm is already quite telephoto for that camera, if you want to shoot landscapes you might find the lens too long for what you need.

A normal lens on that camera is considered about 30mm so ideally for landscapes and general photography something like 20-60mm might be more ideal.

i.e. perhaps the combo editor already suggested
Example: Nikon D3100 Digital SLR with 18-55mm VR Lens £427
http://www.dabs.com/products/nikon-d3100-digital-slr-with-18-55mm-vr-lens-74FH.html​


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> i.e. perhaps the combo editor already suggested
> Example: Nikon D3100 Digital SLR with 18-55mm VR Lens £427​http://www.dabs.com/products/nikon-d3100-digital-slr-with-18-55mm-vr-lens-74FH.html​


That's a pretty good general use combo. I'd suggest a fixed wide angle lens for those dramatic landscapes too.


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> Is that price Ive quoted for that bundle any good?


Do you need a long telephoto lens?


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> Does not sound too bad to me. But do you want a 55-200mm? - 55mm is already quite telephoto for that camera, if you want to shoot landscapes you might find the lens too long for what you need.
> 
> A normal lens on that camera is considered about 30mm so ideally for landscapes and general photography something like 20-60mm might be more ideal.
> 
> ...


 
So what would that 55-2000mm lense be good for?

Sorry I am completely new to this so bear with the thick questions!


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> So what would that 55-2000mm lense be good for?


It's getting bigger! For outdoors, you'd use a telephoto for snapping birds, beavers, voles and distant nude sunbathers and the like. For those big dramatic landscapes you need a wide angle lens, low ISO and a tripod to capture the big scene.

http://www.lightstalking.com/what-every-landscape-photographer-should-know-about-lenses


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

editor said:


> It's getting bigger! For outdoors, you'd use a telephoto for snapping birds, beavers, voles and distant nude sunbathers and the like. For those big dramatic landscapes you need a wide angle lens, low ISO and a tripod to capture the big scene.



So that lense would be useful (not for the sunbathers I hasten to add)...as I mentioned I dont want to be restricted to landscape shots. Every man and his dog takes photos of landscapes here in the Gower-it's a good starting point for me I guess.


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

Grandma Death said:


> So what would that 55-2000mm lense be good for?



http://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/lenses/nikon_55-200_4-5p6g_dx
At 55mm you could walk about and do general shots - people places etc but it is not very wide so it might be hard to get whole buildings into shot. At the longer end 100-200mm for example it would be good for picking out individual people from groups and focussing just on them. It is AFS which means quick focussing, but it is also f/4-5.6G which means it will struggle a bit in lower light.


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> http://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/lenses/nikon_55-200_4-5p6g_dx
> At 55mm you could walk about and do general shots - people places etc but it is not very wide so it might be hard to get whole buildings into shot. At the longer end 100-200mm for example it would be good for picking out individual people from groups and focussing just on them. It is AFS which means quick focussing, but it is also f/4-5.6G which means it will struggle a bit in lower light.


 
Thats really useful. Thanks


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

When I was weighing up buying my dslr I made a spreadsheet with an entry level dslr from Fuji, Nikon and Canon and then two comparable lenses from each. I also included a couple of lenses that I could not at that time afford but might want to buy later.

You could have Nikon & Canon and two lenses:
18-55mm
55-200mm
I expect both Nikon & Canon have lenses around that size.


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## fractionMan (Nov 2, 2011)

You should start with the standard 18-55m lens and go from there imo. Work out what you want before buying anything more.


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

As you are not buying immediately it makes sense to consider Canon also. Canon have a big following and make excellent cameras and lenses. I recently used an 350D or was it a 400D or 450D I don't recall, but it was a nice compact unit with hardly any mirror slap and with a 60mm prime lens made very acceptable images. The kit lens was slightly less sharp than that prime but that is often the way. You could join the Canon entry level dslr forum on www.dpreview.com (EOS1100D - 300D) and ask people what they recommend. Equally you could see images taken with the Nikon 3100D in the relevant Nikon forums there.

Hope that helps.


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

Yeah it does. Thanks and thanks everybody for their contributions.


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## Grandma Death (Nov 2, 2011)

weltweit said:


> As you are not buying immediately it makes sense to consider Canon also. Canon have a big following and make excellent cameras and lenses. I recently used an 350D or was it a 400D or 450D I don't recall, but it was a nice compact unit with hardly any mirror slap and with a 60mm prime lens made very acceptable images. The kit lens was slightly less sharp than that prime but that is often the way. You could join the Canon entry level dslr forum on www.dpreview.com (EOS1100D - 300D) and ask people what they recommend. Equally you could see images taken with the Nikon 3100D in the relevant Nikon forums there.
> 
> Hope that helps.




That forum is brilliant! Thanks weltwiet.


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## editor (Nov 2, 2011)

You need to have a play with similar Nikon and Canon models to see which you prefer.

I prefer Nikon but, practically, you're not going to notice any real difference. Both will be perfect for your needs. In fact, any one from this list will be too:
http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipment/advice/428838/best-digital-slr-cameras-2011.html


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## weltweit (Nov 2, 2011)

editor said:


> I prefer Nikon but, practically, you're not going to notice any real difference. Both will be perfect for your needs. In fact, any one from this list will be too:
> http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipment/advice/428838/best-digital-slr-cameras-2011.html



Good link that .. very interesting .. I have not really been keeping my eye on the dslrs, there have been quite a lot of new models since I was last paying attention. Like you editor I am a Nikon (& FujiFilm) shooter, my ideal would be a full frame nikon fit dslr but it will probably be a while before I could justify the expense.


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## GEN.Eccentric (Nov 3, 2011)

I had a play with a Pentax K7 in Japan, you can just go in the shops and play with the cameras there, was really really really good, very intuitive menu and set up and felt like one of the semi-pro Nikon or Canons. I would guess affordable with lenses second hand now and probably well looked after as the majority go for Canon/Nikon.


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