Recommendations for a DSLR

[Simon]

Right I've always liked photography and over the years have taken what I think to be some good pics with not very good equipment.

No I'm thinking of getting back into it and am looking at DSLR's. Now its so long since I’ve looked at SLR's my current SLR is a Praktica one that was bought for me when I was about 10-11ish so VERY out dated although it still takes good pictures but is up in the loft now and will probably never come down.

So really can anyone recommend a decent body and lens kit for around the £500 mark?? I know everyone probably has their favourite brand and this may stir up a few disagreements but any help would be great

Thanks

Simon

[Marcos]

Canon, a 400D or 450D depending on price (I'm not up to date on prices).

[DLowe]

I love my D40, it's very easy to use and takes ace pics, think the have been replaced with D60 now, but £500 should buy a twin lens kit

[Simon]

I love my D40, it's very easy to use and takes ace pics, think the have been replaced with D60 now, but £500 should buy a twin lens kit

What brand are we talking about?

[Ady682]

http://www.sxoc.com/vbb/showthread.p...lr+setup:Plug:

[DLowe]

Nikon mate

[dazz150]

I bought 2nd hand for my first dslr, best thing ive done! I got a 300d with lense's and a bag for 150!

Im upgrading to a 500d now I have a slight idea at what to do with the thing

[Simon]

ok. So doing some research and hearing that a camera with the af motor in the body is better as then you don't need to buy branded lenses. So what cameras have this function?

[BigD]

Both canon and nikon do bodys with motors, but for budget canon will probably fit better, you dont Have to buy branded lenses though, sigma,tamron tokina all do lenses for nikons with a motor

i love my D40 the only thing i would like is a higher iso level.

[Simon]

well i have seen a nikon d5000 for under 500 quid. Is it any good?

[frisbee]

ok. So doing some research and hearing that a camera with the af motor in the body is better as then you don't need to buy branded lenses. So what cameras have this function?

Non-branded lenses are available for all the common makes.

Top end Nikon, and all Sony and Pentax have AF motors in the body. I wouldn't touch Sony or Pentax and the Nikon bodies with built in autofocus are probably fairly expensive (never looked into it I'm a canon man).

I wouldn't worry about it.

[30psi]

I thought all Canon EF or EF-S lenses (except some macro lenses) from the 80's had AF in the lens?

[Simon]

this is what i mean. Its the xbox/ps3 scenario but with cameras lol

[30psi]

Just get a Canon. 1000D, 350D, 400D, 450D or 20D with a 50mm f/1.8 lens as well as the 18-55 and then work out how much focal length you want and what you can afford. You can get cheap £100 long range lenses but for best results you need to spend a few hundred at least on a lens...

Kinda depends what you're using it for. If you said motorsport and you had about £250 budget for the body then I'd say 20D

[bolf]

550D is out soon in the canon range , 18mp and full HD video recording , worth waiting / saving up a little more for.

I'm getting one.

[Marcos]

I thought all Canon EF or EF-S lenses (except some macro lenses) from the 80's had AF in the lens?

Yes, all Eos fit lenses would have the motor drive in the lens (or no AF at all) which is why Canon had (especially towards the budget end of the market) a much faster focus drive than their rivals and why most of their rivals have now adopted it.

I know Canon and Nikon tend to be the top two manufacturers but in terms of builld quality of the internal components, reliability (although Nikon have improved a lot, I still have nightmares of that bloody D70) and if they should break, cost of parts, I'd have to go with Canon.

[Asht_200]

This question seems to be repeated so often. Perhaps a "Definitive Digital Camera" thread should be started, that can be stickied.

Failing that links to a camera forum.

No offense intended to anyone BTW

[30psi]

Well to be honest it's a Canon vs Nikon thing. Pro's and con's to both. I wouldn't consider the other brands as the 2nd hand market for lenses and accessories are alot smaller for the other brands.

[Asht_200]

Well to be honest it's a Canon vs Nikon thing. Pro's and con's to both. I wouldn't consider the other brands as the 2nd hand market for lenses and accessories are alot smaller for the other brands.

Samsung / Pentax D-SLRs have had good reviews and Pentax Lens fitment isn't a small market either.

[Simon]

Right this is only after looking at reviews etc on the net but I think I may have narrowed it down to either a Nokin D3000 or D5000 or a Canon 450D

So come on opinions please? lol

Cheers

Simon