Calling all Camera Buffs

Ekki Adventurers

4x4 Earth Contributer
I'm looking at buying a new Digital SLR for around $1500. Ideally with additional lens which will be reusable on future models. Don't know alot about cameras and makes but been playing with basic photography for a longgggg time and love it. This will be my first venture into decent camera so don't want to bugger it up as it will be along time before I can afford another. Would like lens for scenic shots and closeups e.g. flowers, (I'm such a girl sometimes) :D
kaz
 

BUSHNUT

Well-Known Member
G'day,

I would recommend the Canon . I have the Canon EOS 30D with a 17-85 lens, it has an image stabilizer incorporated in it .

Canon have various models but I chose to stick with a metal body unit as more of a solid unit . I figured with where I was traveling like central Australia etc. that life could be hard at times . I didn't want to be stuffing around with interchanging lenses in dusty conditions like I did with my old Minolta 101 so went with a middle of the road system.

The 30D is still around and should be easily within your budget, it was superseded when the EOS 40D came out - pixels aren't everything , it is the processor that counts . The 30D is 8 megapixel which will print high resolution on A3 size easily . on some websites the 40D is nearly down to your budget .

Second choice would be Nicon but I like the operation of the Canon and it has been the bench mark for a long time .

Have fun making your decision ! Let's know how you get on .
 

jazzajess

Member
Hey mate i have the sony a 200 its a great camera we love it takes photos really nice.
Twin lens kit ,bag,high res 6 g card 5 year warranty and 1000 free prints $ 1100
Harvey norman you done it again.
 

rodw

New Member
G'day,

I would recommend the Canon . I have the Canon EOS 30D with a 17-85 lens, it has an image stabilizer incorporated in it .

Canon have various models but I chose to stick with a metal body unit as more of a solid unit . I figured with where I was traveling like central Australia etc. that life could be hard at times . I didn't want to be stuffing around with interchanging lenses in dusty conditions like I did with my old Minolta 101 so went with a middle of the road system.

The 30D is still around and should be easily within your budget, it was superseded when the EOS 40D came out - pixels aren't everything , it is the processor that counts . The 30D is 8 megapixel which will print high resolution on A3 size easily . on some websites the 40D is nearly down to your budget .

Second choice would be Nicon but I like the operation of the Canon and it has been the bench mark for a long time .

Have fun making your decision ! Let's know how you get on .

Nah forget the Canon and go for a basic Nikon D40 SLR. Don't take my word for it, Check out what Ken Rockwell has to say here:

Recommended Cameras

I wore my first SLR out at school and got 20 years out of the next one. But following Ken's advice when I bought my third SLR was absolutely awesome. I bought a Nikon F80 film camera the top end of the amateur film cameras. The body cost me $500 and I put a 24-85mm lens on it which is simply awesome! The lens cost me about $800. It was a big step mentally to go with Nikon after using a Minolta for 20 years... And I was certian at the time it was the best choice.

So when I started to think about upgrading to a digital SLR, I read what Ken had to say and throwing in my printing industry experience which saw me dealing with scan and photo resolutions every day, I had to agree with Ken. The D40 was abetter package than the D40X which had slower flash sync and higher minimum Film speed tbecasue it had more pixels tro deal with!

I have only ever blown up 2 photos in my life beyond 10 x 14" and came to the conclusion that he was right. You don't need more than 6 megapixels as that will get you to a 12x18" photo without loss of quality. Spend the money on the lenses, not the camera body. The D40 comes with a 18-55 mm lens and that is equivalent to my 24-85mm lens on a film camera. Yes the $800 lens is better than the cheapie but it is pretty hard to pick the difference. I've taken my camera to weddings wher pros use the Canon (becasue it has a softer focus) but I reckon the Nikon beats the pro's pics in terms of clarity. However, the D40 might be hard to find because the shops sell on megapixels not picture quality as that is what everybody is hodwinked by.

So then get the little Nikon SB-400 flash. I am so pleased I bought this one and not a big one. It outperforms my big old Metz by an amazing margin! I am so pleased that I did not spend the big $ on an SB-800.

So in your budget, I'd get the D40 with it's 18-55 mm lens, the SB-400 flash and you should have about $800 to spend on one more lens. I'd get the 70-300mm lens myself (becasue I have the 24-85) but that blows your budget by $100. I would choose this lens because I think my next SLR might be a full frame sensor rather than the DX format. But just starting off, I'd go the AFS-DX VR 55-200mm lens for $349 and you'll have heaps of cash left over...

The first thing I did when I got my D40 is set it up the way Ken told me.

Anyway, the proof is in the pudding. Here is a couple of pics fomr a recent NZ trip:

167139_DSC_1080.jpg


178857_DSC_1018.jpg


393788_DSC_1762.jpg

Think about how hard the lighting is in this pic to get the right exposure, but the Nikon has a database of 30,000 photos in its fiirmware to get this right!

578825_DSC_1398.jpg


And one of the V8's (wish I had a longer lens)

89483_DSC_0584.jpg


and these ones on my film camera with the 24-85 lens on th efirst roll of film I put through it:

11468_Birds.jpg


891222_OperaHousescreensaver.jpg


Finally if you wonder why you might consider an SLR over a compact digital camera have a look at these two boring photos of my bathrrom reno which we have nearly finished:

My wife's new Olympus Compact FE-3010
957738_P6080028.jpg


Nikon D40 with SB400 flash and standard 18-55 DX lens

816821_DSC_3908.jpg


You should be able to see the additional sharpness in the second pic around the edges of the sink and the tap. The light is a bit softer because I bounced the flash off the ceiling. A comparison between wedding photos between any compact camear and the SLR pics just blows you away!

Anyway, I got carried away. Just spend a few days reading Ken's web site and choose between the Nikon and the Canon. A wedding photographer in Feb this year told me everybody has swung back away from Canon to Nikon as they are the best today... So who knows. Eithe rbrand yo won't really go wrong.
 

Patriot

Administrator
Hey Rod,

Those are bloody good photos. I have a Canon camera and a Olympus Mu. The Canon takes a lot nicer photos than the Olympus, but I don't think it would do as we as the Nikon. Those photos are really impressive. The other great thing is that the price of the Canon's have drop a lot.

Cheers,

James
 
Hey there,
go for the Nikon - you won't regret it...
I did a fair bit of professional photography - and what ever you are up to I think the Nikon is the best way to go.... Said that - Canon is not bad either but one thing to think about:
wit Nikon you can put together nearly every lens out of the past with any new camera body (in some cases you don't have all functions of your camera but if you know what you are doing all is good) - Canon got several different systems running and now the bad part - they don't really fit together so if you spend heaps of money in one Canon system - you are a kind of stuck in there - thats the main reason why I like the Nikon better... but on top I think really it's impossible to top the quality of a Nikon Picture ;o) at least it's the same as with your 4by - it got to fit you ;o)
 

rodw

New Member
Hey Rod,

Those are bloody good photos. I have a Canon camera and a Olympus Mu. The Canon takes a lot nicer photos than the Olympus, but I don't think it would do as we as the Nikon. Those photos are really impressive. The other great thing is that the price of the Canon's have drop a lot.

Cheers,
James

Thanks for the compliment mate. It is hard to take a bad photo with the Nikon :D :D

Tom, the advice about the Canon lens is interesting. It is frustrating to be left behind because your manufacturer as I was with my last camera. I forgot, I think all Nikon lenses from the 50's and on still fit the current body which is also another reason I chose it at the time.
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
Check out Cameras Direct Camerasdirect.com.au - Digital Camera Store there have the best pricing normally or you can use them to get a good local price.

The old age fight between Toyota and Nissan has its camera version in Nikon and Canon. We personally have Nikons (D70, D2x and D300) with ED lens. Image difference between Canon and Nikon is personal preference but I did look at Canon. Only recommend to have a feel of the cameras and check the features are in there that you want. ED lens are the go because they are sharper but at a $1500 budget you may be able to swing a 17-55mm ED or simular in the deal.
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
Forget to mention, you need to purchase memory cards and maybe a case, spare battery and flash is additional
 

Ekki Adventurers

4x4 Earth Contributer
Wow great advice everyone.
Think I will go with a Nikon - had heard about the lens but couldn't remember which make it was.
Now I'm just down to model, lenses, memory card, case, spare battery & flash. Will get back to you all when I figure it out.
rodw
Pics are great so will take your advice and sus out the D40 (if they are still around)
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
A friend overseas has the D40 and he likes. I use 18-70DX (ED) and 70-300mm lens on the D70 and grab the 70-300mm ED off my wife when I can. I have a mixture of Canon A85 and A480, D70 and D300 photos up on the web albums
 

rodw

New Member
Personally if this is your first SLR, I reckon the D5000 is overkill. As I said the D40 is hard to find but was still a current model a few months ago when I last looked on the Nikon website.

Buy from an Aussie supplier as Nikon won't honor warranties if you purchase outside of Australia.

If you have a look at Teds Camera Warehouse,

Nikon Digital SLR - Ted's Camera Stores Australia

You could get a Nikon D60 with an 18-55 VR and a 55-200 VR lenses for $1300 and an SB400 flash for $169. all that is left is to get a camera case. I have the compact Lowepro SLR case ($40) and a separate case for my second lens. You should come right in on your budget.

I strap both cases on a bum bag which is great for walking with the camera in the bush as you have your hands free. Just buy 2 gb memory cards (500 photos), I found the 8gb one is too big (2250 photos). You probably can get away with one battery to start with as they last for ages. I got about a week out of the first charge on my NZ trip.

Oh and don't forget to buy a 1A or UV filter for each lens. Screw them on as soon as you get your camera and never take them off. That way if you scratch a lens or drop something, you only wreck the filter.... Took me 20 years before I finally dropped a lens and shattered the filter. Lens was fine. I was happy :( not!
 

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
Difference between ED and non-ED lenses

The clarity is the main difference but it is highly recommended to use ED lens on digital cameras.

European Camera Specialists, Sydney Australia, best price Nikon D3x D3 D700 D300 D90 SB-900 Nikkor 14-24 24-70 70-200, cheap new and used photographic equipment is a good Australian Nikon supplier


D5000
DSLR Body +
18-55mm +
55-200mm
VR Twin Kit
NEW! With Vari-angle LCD monitor !
$200 Nikon cashback offer!!!*
Nikon D5000 + 18-55/55-200mm Nikkor VR Twin Lens Kit 12.3 effective megapixels CMOS sensor, Live View shooting, New Vari-angle monitor, Movie clips with D-Movie, Integrated Dust Reduction System and much more. Kit price $1495 inc GST. More about this Nikon D5000 Twin Kit. *Cashback offer ends on 31/8/09. For full Terms & Conditions visit Nikon Australia | Digital SLR Cameras, COOLPIX Digital Compact Cameras, Lenses & more.

$1495
inc GST after cashback


First image is ED, 2nd is a standard lens
 

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Ekki Adventurers

4x4 Earth Contributer
Went out on the weekend and did the rounds of the popular camera retailers.
Very nice camera that D5000 and would have loved it but a bit heavy for my little hands. Really liked the D60 - good size and weight for me. When it's time to buy I'll see what I can wangle with the ED lens. There is a real difference when you look at the 2 pics enlarged side by side. Think I'll get the 2gb memory card which should be plenty for me for now. A couple of UV filters, two bags and a battery.
Anything else I've missed??
 

frosty

4x4 Earth Contributer
Mines a nikon D70S. Came with 2 lenses. 70 to 300 mm and 18 to 70 mm. Cost about $1300.00. I a back pack camera case. It also fits the camcorder and chargers and all other stuff.

TOP camera!! Blows up good pictures to poster size BEAUTIFULLY!! Highly recommended.
 
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