New camera time

[Rich]

I've sold my camera now and a few other bits so nearly got enough cash to buy a DSLR

 

Going to handle a few at the shop to see what I like but I have already narrowed it down to either the Canon 500D or Nikon D5000 but I'm swaying towards the later ATM. I've decided against the low entry level cameras because I don't think these will hold their value as long as the higher range will and I don't want to outgrow it too quickly.

 

I'm going to get the camera with kit lens but I'm not sure which zoom lens would be suitable, I'm looking at either the 55-200 or 70-300. Does anyone know what the maximum distance each of these will zoom to so I can get an idea in my head?

 

I will also need a bag and tripod...what are the decent brands to get for these but also reasonably priced?

[parthiban]

I think the 55-200 is a better option as 70mm might be a little too zoomed in for some things and you'll end up having to swap lenses all the time or keep needing to get further back. For me personally, as an amateur I find the 18-105 kit lens perfect until I can get an 18-200 as I don't often find myself needing that extra zoom and I prefer to have the flexibility of decent wideangle to a decent telephoto. The 18-200 really is the perfect lens as far as I'm concerned - which is part of the reason why it's so expensive!

 

This might help a bit, just took a few photos (all with me standing in exactly the same position) at the different lengths to help explain:

 

18mm

 

52mm

 

70mm

[Rich]

I think the 55-200 is a better option as 70mm might be a little too zoomed in for some things and you'll end up having to swap lenses all the time or keep needing to get further back. For me personally, as an amateur I find the 18-105 kit lens perfect until I can get an 18-200 as I don't often find myself needing that extra zoom and I prefer to have the flexibility of decent wideangle to a decent telephoto. The 18-200 really is the perfect lens as far as I'm concerned - which is part of the reason why it's so expensive!

 

This might help a bit, just took a few photos (all with me standing in exactly the same position) at the different lengths to help explain:

 

Thanks for the photos mate, a big help :angry: If that last one is only 70mm then 200 should be more than enough. I will only need the zoom for when we go to the farm/zoo or track action. If I get the 55-200 it would be a Nikon lens but the 70-300 would be Sigma so I think the former would be better quality anyway. The 18-200 would be nice but not £500 nice!

[parthiban]

No probs, glad it helped - 200mm is definitely enough for normal use. I'm pretty sure there's a reasonable difference in quality between the Nikkor and the Sigma so it does make sense to go that way. From earlier threads it seemed you were heading in the direction of Canon, can I ask what changed your mind now? Did you have a play with them to help make up your mind?

 

Yes the 18-200 is an insane amount of money for one lens! (for an amateur of course)

[parthiban]

Btw, I have two cases, and both are Lowepro - I think they're the best, seem to be perfect in terms of holding the camera but also have a healthy amount of padding.

 

For the memory card, have a Sandisk Class 6 card - although it doesn't appear vital to have a class 6 except for really rapid fire shots.

[Rich]

No probs, glad it helped - 200mm is definitely enough for normal use. I'm pretty sure there's a reasonable difference in quality between the Nikkor and the Sigma so it does make sense to go that way. From earlier threads it seemed you were heading in the direction of Canon, can I ask what changed your mind now? Did you have a play with them to help make up your mind?

 

Yes the 18-200 is an insane amount of money for one lens! (for an amateur of course)

 

A few reasons from what I've researched so far but I've not had a play yet so may change my mind. From the photos I've seen from the Canon and Nikon I can't see any difference. Reasons I'm swaying to the Nikon are:

 

1. Nikon offer a 2 year warranty

2. The tilt screen will be ideal for photographing cars from ground level, which is something I enjoy doing

3. Auto focus, exp comp and metering is better

4. Photos taken at high ISO are better

5. It's around £50 cheaper so that money can go on the extra lens

6. Videos are 24fps, the Canon is 20 & 30fps so doesn't seem as smooth

 

 

Btw, I have two cases, and both are Lowepro - I think they're the best, seem to be perfect in terms of holding the camera but also have a healthy amount of padding.

 

For the memory card, have a Sandisk Class 6 card - although it doesn't appear vital to have a class 6 except for really rapid fire shots.

 

The Lowepro bags look good, I've not decided whether to get a backpack or over the shoulder bag but I like the look of this one here.

 

Memory card I was looking at the Sandisk but quite expensive, I would want a minimum of 8gb. Something else to bear in mind is I will need another hard drive for the PC to keep all the RAW and Jpeg files as they're going to take up alot of space.

[parthiban]

That's interesting that it's cheaper, I've always thought Nikons cost a bit more than the Canons..........also considering that the 500D has just effectively been replaced by the 550D its price should be falling. Right choice though, I think the Nikon's a better camera even ignoring the extra features it has (but I guess I would say that!).

 

I've got a slingshot (HERE) which is great as you just spin it round to give you access to the camera, the one you've linked to looks quite similar, just two straps instead of one.

 

Also got one of THESE, for when I just want to carry only the camera.

 

When I got the Sandisk that was the only one around that was 16gb and high speed - only thing to consider is that some lesser brands cards have a higher risk of corruption which can be a pain, obviously in terms of replacement cost and also you lose the photos on the card. My 16gb holds 725 photos on my Nikon at full quality in RAW+JPEG, so 8gb will still hold a good number of photos. You won't need to store the RAWs unless you just want to, only need the RAWs if you need to tinker with them, once you're done just convert to JPEG for long term storage

[Rich]

Just checked again now and the Canon has shot up in price, it's over a £100 more than the Nikon now!

 

Thanks for the links to the bags, not sure if I want a backpack one now as I don't want to carry too much around. As for the memory cards I'll just keep an eye on the day-to-day special offers most places have and pick a couple up then

[parthiban]

Wow, wonder why it's price is going up?

 

Sure, they've got all the bags at Jessops so just try them out and see which you prefer. The slingshot I have is the smallest one they do so it's not actually that big, bottom half can hold the camera and a spare lens, and the top pocket is just enough to get in a flash and the charger.

 

The SD cards have definitely fallen in price! LINK

[Rich]

Wow, wonder why it's price is going up?

 

Sure, they've got all the bags at Jessops so just try them out and see which you prefer. The slingshot I have is the smallest one they do so it's not actually that big, bottom half can hold the camera and a spare lens, and the top pocket is just enough to get in a flash and the charger.

 

The SD cards have definitely fallen in price! LINK

 

The cheapest place yesterday was Amazon at £507 but today it's £569...there nothing on there yesterday to say it was a special offer.

 

Yeah I will have to find a day to go down there or would comet have any? Jessops is in the high street and I'd rather just go to a retail park as it's easier.

 

Yep the cards are cheap although I've been looking for sandisk ones all day...might look at kingston as well cos they're a good brand

[parthiban]

Comet may have some so well worth trying but I doubt they'll have as many different bags as Jessops on display - try Comet first and then pop into a Jessops if you can't find what you're looking for.

 

 

I'm not 100% on Kingston to be honest, I've never used one but remember I was trying to modify my phone recently? Basically the "fix" that I was trying apply utilises the SD card for core functions, which frees up a clear blockage in Samsung's firmware and makes the phone fly. This worked fine for everyone who tried it (including me with my sandisk microSD card) but didn't work for anyone that had a Kingston card.

 

Obviously this is slightly unconventional use so not necessarily a concern for simple use in a camera, but it does highlight that the kingston card is not the same. If the price difference isn't huge, best to go for the sandisk (or other big name brand like the verbatim I linked to) but if there is a big price gap it shouldn't be a big issue.

[Rich]

Yeah I'm gonna try and get a sandisk if I can, I try to use them whenever I can but I thought 16gb would be really expensive. If I hunt around I should find some that are reasonably priced.

[Sagitar]

Yeah I'm gonna try and get a sandisk if I can, I try to use them whenever I can but I thought 16gb would be really expensive. If I hunt around I should find some that are reasonably priced.

 

I have several Kingston compact flash cards, including a 32GB one and I have never had a problem with any of them.

 

I haven't bought any memory cards for a while, but I have had good deals from 7dayshop in the past. They are based in Guernsey and avoid VAT in consequence.

[Rich]

That's good to know the Kingstons are ok to use in cameras, I've used 7dayshop in the past so will go take a look at theirs.

 

The Canon 500D has gone back down to £507 on Amazon now, how random is that, upping the price by £60 for a day or two!

[liner33]

http://www.parkcameras.com/Search/500d/

 

dunno if you know about these people , they do some excellent used stuff as well

[Rich]

http://www.parkcameras.com/Search/500d/

 

dunno if you know about these people , they do some excellent used stuff as well

 

I did have a brief look a while ago but they seem to be quiet expensive...the Nikon D5000 with kit lens and the 55-200 is nearly £100 more than buying from amazon

[parthiban]

That's good to know the Kingstons are ok to use in cameras, I've used 7dayshop in the past so will go take a look at theirs.

 

The Canon 500D has gone back down to £507 on Amazon now, how random is that, upping the price by £60 for a day or two!

Maybe demand spiked with the summer holidays? Is unusual for an item like a camera though.......

[SMARTLY]

Any use?

 

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/pentax-k-x-di...9&xtor=AL-1

[Rich]

Any use?

 

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/pentax-k-x-di...9&xtor=AL-1

 

That's a very good kit looking at the spec and for a great price, the only problem I have is I'm not sure how well Pentax hold their value? From what I've seen of Nikon and Canon gear they sell used for not much less than what they cost new, plus there are more used lenses for sale over Pentax. Will give it some thought though

[Steve-O]

If its any help - my limited experience to date :

 

I bought a class 4 16GB Sandisk Ultra (15mn/s) SD card off ebay for £29.99 free postage. Absolutely spot on.

 

I bought a Lowepro Nova 160 AW bag from jessops :

 

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/75407/show.html

 

Was £30 that fits the 500d, its kit lens and a 70-300 lense and a bit more space for a few bits and pieces. Comes with weather cover also. Really nice piece of kit.

 

My camera's warranty is in the process of being extended for a year via my natwest gold advantage account - not sure if you have that or similar? Its turning into being a bit of a bargain since it covers my iPhone and the other halves one also, and various other things.... £12.99 a month

 

Hard disk - check ebuyer.co.uk out - look at samsung spinpoint hard disks for image storage, however i would recommend an external drive also for an 'pc image' backup. I use a seagate mybook 1tb

[Rich]

Cheers Steve, will take a look at those but I think I'm swaying towards a backpack ATM...Jessops is doing the camera with lens kit for £5 more than Amazon now so I might go to Watford tomorrow to take a look and possibly buy if I like how it feels. Hopefully be back to taking photos any time soon

[SMARTLY]

Another link for you:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000O16...g=hotukdeals-21

[Rich]

Another link for you:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000O16...g=hotukdeals-21

 

I've got my eye on that one, I think I will get the camera from Jessops and then order that later on, seems to be the cheapest around

[Rich]

Just bought this!

 

The body isn't much bigger than the fuji bridge camera I had and I preferred this over the canon, which was bigger. I'm charging the battery tonight for tomorrow and can't wait to get snapping. Need to order a memory card and case though, Jessops prices are extortionate and my local computer place didn't have any.

 

I went through top cash back so should get £18 back, which made it the cheapest price I could find

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steve-O]

Very nice mate. Look forward to seeing some pics!