DSLR & Lens for an amateur?

[Schplade]

Hey guys, just looking for some advice on what I should buy for my first DSLR camera & lens, i've never used anything more advanced then a simple p&s camera.

At the moment i'm looking at getting a D50/70 + 1 lens that I'll be able to use all of the time for now, thinking maybe the D70 kit lens?

I also have considered getting a canon 300D, which someone has offered to me in a kit for ~$850:
300D Camera
18-55 Lens
55-200 Lens
Lens hood for 55-200
UV Filters for both lenses
2 batteries (1x Canon, 1 x Generic)
Battery Grip
Corded remote control
256MB CF Card
All Software + Manuals (Photoshop Elements + EOS software)

Also have thought about the Canon 350D if I can find one cheap enough or even a Pentax IstDS

At the moment I would only like to spend about $900-1000 with everything I'll need, including memory card, bag, etc.

Willing to buy second hand gear as long as it is in good condition.

Should be worth noting, after I buy the body, I most likely wont be upgrading it for a long time, so the body has to be something that will last and that I will just be able to buy new glass for.

So what body would you recommend me to get, and what lenes?

Thanks for any help, Schplade.

EDIT: Poll was meant to have an option for the D70 as well, so if you want to select that, just post it in here.

[padey]

Have you ever used either Canon or Nikon? There ergonomics are completely different. Since the camera systems you have mentioned will meet your needs, maybe ergonomics could hold the key.

[gstark]

Forget the poll.

Have you tried any of these bodies? If not, you need to.

Which one of them feels the most comfy in your hands? They're all good cameras, but you really don't want to buy one that you're not going to be happy using.

So go and play, and then play some more.

[Schplade]

Stupid double post.

[Schplade]

So there are no real technical differences that I should take into account before deciding? Realistically, I think I could deal with a camera that didn't feel quiet right as opposed to a camera that couldn't do something I wanted it to.

Also would many places still be stocking the D50/70s and the 350Ds so I could try one?

[Tim]

Hi Schplade, Im in exactly the same position as you are

My advice to you is to go into your local camera store (even if you have no intention of buying) and have a play with all of the cameras in your price range.
This is how I came to the decision that Nikon is for me. The others just didnt feel as nice in the hand as the Nikon.

Now I just need to work out which model and glass to choose...

[Schplade]

Ok looks like I'm off to a camera store next chance I get then, I've had a play with the 400D and didn't like the way it felt in my hands felt way too small, I'm guessing the 350D and 300D would be the same for me then?

What I did like the feel of was the Pentax K100D, just felt right in my hands, but that may be too far out of my price range atm.

[Glen]

Schplade, I admire your desire to get a body which will last, but be aware that digital cameras are a little like computers, not many use a 8 or 9 year old PC.

[DaveB]

I've had a play with the 400D and didn't like the way it felt in my hands felt way too small, I'm guessing the 350D and 300D would be the same for me then?

The 350D is very similar in that regard to the 400D.

The 300D is a more "normal" sized body, but I could not recommend it. It's hamstrung in features in too many annoying ways. Have you looked at a 2nd-hand D60 or 10D? That'd be so much better than a 300D: not only would you get most of the custom functions/etc that the 350D/400D have, but you'd also get a "mid-range" EOS body (with rear dial, etc). There have been some 10Ds going on eBay recently for reasonable prices.

The 55-200 lens in that 300D kit is not a nice lens at all. If you wanted a cheap telephoto lens to get you started I could suggest the 75-300mm lens I'm flogging in the For Sale section.

[gstark]

I think I could deal with a camera that didn't feel quiet right as opposed to a camera that couldn't do something I wanted it to.

There is very little that any of these cameras cannot do; with some it's just a matter of how ...

That said, I would echo Dave's comments on the 300D: when it was released it set new standards because of its featuireset and pricepoint; Nikon followed it with D70 in the same pricepoint but with a better featureset and a kit lens that's become regarded as exceptionally good value.

Both manufacturers have been playing leapfrog ever since, and the D70s, D80, and 400D are all exceptionally good, feature rich cameras. The D40 is, IMHO, targeted more at a PHD market, and I really see that as a very interesting marketing move by Nikon, perhapos trying to woo high end PHD buyers into the high profit world of DSLRs.

But buying a body that doesn't suit you ergonomically would be a big mistake.

Finally ... Pentax ... a good body, hamstrung by an absence of good glass. Remember that whatever body you buy, you'll be buying into a system which is focussed around the glass; Canon and Nikon glass is revered ... sadly, we cannot say the same about modern Pentax glass.

[Schplade]

Ok, so basically I just have to go and find a camera that suits my hand, are there any places in brisbane that I can do this with these older camera models?

Also how much is the maximum I should be paying for a one of these bodies without getting ripped off?

[Yi-P]

Ok, so basically I just have to go and find a camera that suits my hand

Yes, find one that you feel right on the controls and feeling. There is no better camera than one that feels just right under your hands.

Also how much is the maximum I should be paying for a one of these bodies without getting ripped off?

Under $900 for body and under $1200 for the kit. Assuming they are all Australian stocks.

[Schplade]

Also how much is the maximum I should be paying for a one of these bodies without getting ripped off?

Under $900 for body and under $1200 for the kit. Assuming they are all Australian stocks.[/quote]

Is that for second hand stock or new stock?

[Yi-P]

Also how much is the maximum I should be paying for a one of these bodies without getting ripped off?

Under $900 for body and under $1200 for the kit. Assuming they are all Australian stocks.

Is that for second hand stock or new stock?

I'm talking about new stock.
2nd hand stock all depends on conditions of the camera/lens.

[Mr Darcy]

FWIW
I wandered past Teds today & they have the D70s with Twin Lens kit for $13.00

[Alpha_7]

FWIW
I wandered past Teds today & they have the D70s with Twin Lens kit for $13.00

$13 bucks, I'll take too!!!