Digital SLR setup..

[mountainmachine]

Ok so have been looking at getting a replacement for my;

Minolta Dynax 500si
with
Sigma UC ZOOM 28-70mm f3.5-4.5
Sigma ZOOM 100-300 f4.5-6.7

Which i havent used for a few years now due to the cost of film and development.

Have been using a Olympus Mju 410 for at least 4 years which has stood up really well and has produced some cracking pictures, but has very little control over what you can force it to do, and hence have missed some real opportunity's. Not that my trusty companion will be going anywhere.

Most of my pics are either, landscapes, close ups, or portrait shots with a background of interest. I have in the past taken a load of wildlife shots/some sport too and would like to do that again at some point but its not my priority.

Been looking at the Canon 400D kit with the std 18-55mm lense (its *1.5 for 35mm comparison?? so 28mm-82mm), it can be had for £350 after cashback from Amazon which i'd price match and buy at Jessops.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000IKVOE8/watersphotogr-21/ref=nosim

Also heard that this is a good lense for the price:
http://www.onestop-digital.com/catalog/product_info.php?language=en&currency=GBP&products_id=109

Ideally of course i'd like something wider than 28mm

And dont know what tele to look for without spending crazy amounts to start with.

http://www.bristolcameras.co.uk/p-tamron-lens-55-200mm-f4-0-5-6-di-ii-ld-macro.htm

or this

http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=36380

Havent found a reasonably priced flash unit.

Is the 400d a good buy for £350.. i cant really afford to spend heaps at the moment and would only be starting by buying the basic kit. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[vtec]

I not really a canon kinda person, i prefer nikon but from what others say about the 400d its a really good piece of kit. aparently the ISO on the canons is better than the nikons but i just find the nikon cameras very user friendly and the functions are simple to adjust., have a look on dpreview and see what they say about the 400d., there reviews are pretty much gospel.,

 

[arc]

i'm a nikon person too, i know the kit lens on them isn't as good as the kit lens on a nikon.

if you already have Minolta SLR and lenses, have you considered the Sony A100? http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydslra100/ Your current lenses should fit that iirc.

fuzzypanda has one of them.

 

[mountainmachine]

Nah not a huge fan of sony, and the price is quite steep even without a body. I guess i could sell my kit as it fits to some sony folks and recoup a bit of cash that way.

If i was to go for a nikon what ones would you recommended i have a look at?

 

[arc]

depends what you wanna spend.

the d80 is what i'd be looking at next, i currently have a d50.

 

[vtec]

depends what you wanna spend.

the d80 is what i'd be looking at next, i currently have a d50.

theres talk about the D80 being replaced in or around january., if they do then you'll see plenty going a lot cheaper than they are at the moment., Mine is like a child to me.,lol

 

[Magical Trevor]

I have a 400D and its awesome, the kit lense is not brilliant, but plenty good enough for the money, and I have had some awesome shots of it.
I was never a huge canon fan, I previously used the 350D, and found it clunky and un-responsive, so was a bit dubious about the 400D...but I love it, highly recommend it! :slayer:

 

[arc]

theres talk about the D80 being replaced in or around january., if they do then you'll see plenty going a lot cheaper than they are at the moment., Mine is like a child to me.,lol

ooo, i might be upgrading then then

D80 has a DOF preview button doesn't??

 

[dave]

I have a 400D and its awesome, the kit lense is not brilliant, but plenty good enough for the money, and I have had some awesome shots of it.
I was never a huge canon fan, I previously used the 350D, and found it clunky and un-responsive, so was a bit dubious about the 400D...but I love it, highly recommend it! :slayer:

dont drop it in the bath

 

[faster4_tec]

400d is worth the money, good solid piece of kit, missing some functions and quick buttons that higher models feature.

but I wouldn't waste your time with cheap plastic lenses, honestly forget them entirely, you won't get any better pictures from them than you would with a £30 used canon ixus from 2003


for wide, buy cannon 10-22, or 12-24 L (?)

for the rest, 14-80 L (? again, can't remember exact size).

OR if it was me, I'd buy a used 30d with the 10-22mm and buy camera insurance for like £40 a year protects against most things with a £50 excess (max) :worship:

 

[mountainmachine]

but I wouldn't waste your time with cheap plastic lenses, honestly forget them entirely, you won't get any better pictures from them than you would with a £30 used canon ixus from 2003


for wide, buy cannon 10-22, or 12-24 L (?)

for the rest, 14-80 L (? again, can't remember exact size).

OR if it was me, I'd buy a used 30d with the 10-22mm and buy camera insurance for like £40 a year protects against most things with a £50 excess (max) :worship:

Which cheap plastic lenses?

Any lenses i've found between 28-20mm is coming in at least £200 and under 20mm over £400... please point me in the direction of decent reasonably priced glass..

 

[FuzzyPanda]

I use a Sony A100 and it's a great piece of kit, got it with an 18-70 and a 75-300 for £500. Uses the Minolta mount so your old lenses won't be discarded. Recently replaced by the A700 which seems to be £1k for the body alone.

I've used a D80 a fair bit recently, my pick of the Nikons (in my price range). Best advice really is to try them all in a shop and see which you like the most.

 

[mountainmachine]

Ok so looked at the Olympus 510, the Pentax K10D, the Nikon D40x, the Nikon D80 and the Canon 400D and the 40D. The 400D and the 40x feel like toys compared to my 35mm SLR, the lense cup didnt inspire confidence and was too close to the camera, i hate the way you have to manually focus by holding the very end of the lens. Feel so cheap and plasticy.... (still good basics but not what i'm after)

The E510 was ok feeling, grip too small, but felt sturdy, felt a bit like an 'retro' SLR, still too small overall for me.

The K10D felt surprisingly good and for the price its no wonder it wins awards, i liked the size and weight, but limited lens options etc as less of a range and fewer accessories.

The 40D was lovely... but too expensive.

The D80 was nice, good feature set and nice weight, size, and the option of the auto focus motor on the camera so can take older lenses. Just a tad pricy at the moment.

So instead of buying now i'm going to buy a Fujifilm S5700 or similar for myself for about £100 and look for the prices of the D80 and equivalent cameras to come down, keeping my eye out for good deals etc.

Cheers for the advice guys!

 

[arc]

the 400d and 40x do feel too small, its one of the reasons i didnt get the d40x

if you hold off a month, as vtec said the D80 is to be replaced, so expect prices to drop then

 

[vtec]

yeah youd be silly to buy now., especially with the january sales comming and all., I agree with the D40, it feels almost like a little bridge type camera, The D50 felt nice but the D80 is perfect for me., A friend of mine has the D200, (he has more money than sense and knows nothing of photography and he has never used it off of AUTO.), its a top notch camera but for practicality it isnt really ideal, its a bit cumbersome to be carrying around even though its only a little bigger than the D80.,

 

[Bushboy]

Well if your interested. Im up for selling my D50 with 2 lenses and a number of other bits and bobs.

 

[vtec]

didnt you only get that a little while ago? what you getting next?

 

[Bushboy]

Thinkin of either going back to an E-500 or spending a little more and getting the E-510

 

[mountainmachine]

Chris pm me the setup etc..

 

[Magical Trevor]

the 400d and 40x do feel too small, its one of the reasons i didnt get the d40x

if you hold off a month, as vtec said the D80 is to be replaced, so expect prices to drop then

Thats the main reason I went for it, the 400D is perfect for my miniscule girly hands. I agree it is a tiny camera in comparsion to most DSLR's I still maintain it 's an awesome camera though