Buying my first DSLR

[arnestad]

I am looking at buying my first DSLR, and I have settled on a Canon 40D (although I probably could be swayed by the right advice). I have been looking online to find the best deal, as it seems like the saving of buying a “grey” import outweighs the security of buying "Australian". Can anyone recommend a dealer that can deliver both on price and customer service / safety of the transaction?
I am also going overseas in a months time so a proper tax invoice this would be a huge benefit. I have been reading forums on online dealers the last few weeks, and some horror stories have made me weary of all the dodgy dealers that seems to operate in the grey marked.

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Pa]

these people are trustworthy

http://www.d-d-photographics.com.au/

[arnestad]

Thanks for the tip! I was leaning towards d-d photographics, as they seem to have a good reputation, as well as possibility for pick up. It always nice to have an address if something goes wrong. They also have a proper GST invoice, which will enable me to reclaim the tax on leaving the country. On the downside they are $200 more expensive then some of the other online retailers. I guess that will be about what I save on getting it GST free....

Does anyone have any opinions if I would be better of getting a 450d instead of the 40d? What are the benefits for getting the 40d? The price difference don't seem to big at the moment.

Cheers

[chrisk]

yepp, another d-d fan here.

have you held both cameras ? they are quite different in size. personally i prefer the 40d cos its ergonomically better for me being bigger. i couldnt consider the xsi cos it only has 1 command wheel and it feels quite cramped. but alot of people like the small compact size. so its really quite a personal decision.

[Marvin]

Another vote for d-d photographics.

[TonyT]

I am thinking of getting a 40D as a second body to my 5D
To get lenght on my lenses
I brought my G9 from D D no hassles

Tony

[arnestad]

I guess the size of the 40d is my only concern, or should I say my wifes concern. She has quite small hands and is afraid that the 40D might be to big for her hands.
Are there anyone with small hands that have experience with the 40D?

What are the technical benefits to the 40d compared to the 450d? There seems to be some benefit with both? I am still learning how to interpret the technical info I have seen.

[Bindii]

I guess the size of the 40d is my only concern, or should I say my wifes concern. She has quite small hands and is afraid that the 40D might be to big for her hands.
Are there anyone with small hands that have experience with the 40D?

What are the technical benefits to the 40d compared to the 450d? There seems to be some benefit with both? I am still learning how to interpret the technical info I have seen.

The 40D is a better camera than the 450D..

and I'm not so big myself and I use a camera thats bigger than the 40D (with a vertical grip) and manage it fine so I think your wife woud be ok with the 40D... if she is unsure get her into a camera store t have a play with a 40D..

[trublubiker]

Hi

I just bought my first DSLR (Pentax K20D) from http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/ . They are located in Canterbury in Sydney and offer the manufacturers warranty. The 40D body is currently selling for $1285. I felt that for not too much extra it was worth knowing who was going to fix your camera if there was a problem.
Good luck with your purchase.

trublubiker

[chrisk]

agree with bindii, she should feel the camera in her hands. my wife hates the d300 and loves the d40 which is a similar size to the xsi. theres not much difference in IQ at all between the 40d and xsi.

[gstark]

if I would be better of getting a 450d instead of the 40d?

Highly unlikely.

If you can afford the 40D, then go for it. it's much better body, beter featureset, faster, better build quality, you're less likely to outgrow it as quickly .... The advice for your wife to go and try out the bodies, in her hands, is excellent advice, and needs to be taken heed of.

d-d are good, as are HK Supplies.

But remember that there's no free ride. You can pay GST here, then claim it back on the way out ... and then you have to decduct any such purchases from your duty free allowance on your way back in. Doing some rough math, and based upon a PP1400 purchase price for the 40D ... your GST claim back will be about PP127, then on your way back in, your duty free allowance will be .... zero.

Finally, welcome to the forum. Please pay attention to the FAQ, and the messages on our front page, and put a meaningful location into your profile.

[arnestad]

Thanks for your help guys. I followed your advice and tested both bodies. What surprised me was that I actually found the 450d to small for my hands. I found it very awkward to navigate the camera without cramping my hands. Also the price difference seems negligible (at DDP $40 WITH THE 17-85 kit) So I guess that settles it.

I have also settled on DDP since they have a pick up address in Brisbane. Now I only have to wait until it is 30 days till I go overseas....

Would the 17-85 kit be the best deal, as I have no previous lenses? I have seen some mixed reviews, but it seems better then any of the other kits you can get with the 40d. It would also be handy as a walk around lens for my overseas trip.

[aim54x]

If you are going with the EOS 40D from DDP, then I would say grab the kit with the 17-85mm IS, it is a much nicer lens than the 18-55mm IS. But if you can scrape together a little more funding, then it may be an idea to grab the EF 17-40mm F4L. Some people will not agree with this recommendation, but as a Nikon user who has been able to play with some Canon gear, I have developed a liking to this lens. The 17-85 is nice, but the 17-40 is much better.

I found the 450D to be cramped as well, and I dont have very big hands (I am very comfortable on with the size of the D80, and the D40/40x/60). The controls on the 450D seem to be very badly placed, but I guess they had to squeeze in the 3" screen