Girlfriend is looking for a 2nd-hand DSLR

[allantheboss]

Really low budget. Up to about £200. This is just to see if she likes DSLR photography and wishes to splash out. A try-before-you-buy kinda hipster thing.

So, I come hither to request thine wise minds help me find a good value-for-money job? What should we look for on eBay, or is anyone on here selling one?

Many thanks in advance, dudes!

[Specialone]

In the photography mags there are dealers in good 2nd hand kit, it will be guaranteed so will have piece of mind unlike eBay etc.

[allantheboss]

Dealers-dealers, or regular chums selling their stuff?

Can you recommend a particular brand, or particular attributes to look out for, for beginners?

[robh539]

Shame that just put my spare (Nikon D5000) on loan as its been boxed for about 8 mths. good starter/ camera for life. Its what i learnt before moving up for awesome bit of kit D7000.

[Specialone]

Dealers-dealers, or regular chums selling their stuff?

Can you recommend a particular brand, or particular attributes to look out for, for beginners?

I'm biased, but you won't go far wrong with a nikon.

[mister c]

I bought a Canon EOS300d with 2 lenses for £200 & get photos like the one below. It's only 6mp, but, like has been said before, it's quality of lens, not how many pixels. It's a nice easy camera to use too.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j_W6uK4jMwg/TiGBr9Fy5lI/AAAAAAAADGI/juPbHWvvgss/s843/IMG_6698.JPG

[Bluepete]

At that price, you'll be lucky. Try for a Nikon D40 or D60 with the 18-55vr lens. I don't know about Canon models though.

Mifsuds, MPB photographic, Greys of Westminster are all very good. It's worth ringing them in case they have some stock not on the web yet.

Pete ;)

[jonny.boyd]

Again a biast response, but I like Canon :) they are very user friendly (never tried a Nikon, etc so can't compare) but i've only recently jumped on the dslr ladder and have started off with a 600D. It's smaller siblings (1000D, or 1100D) are pretty good, or as mentioned earlier the models (300D, 350D) would probably be fine for a starter..

[missyburd]

When she finds one can she tell me too? :-)

[maviczap]

Shame that just put my spare (Nikon D5000) on loan as its been boxed for about 8 mths. good starter/ camera for life. Its what i learnt before moving up for awesome bit of kit D7000.


Shame, I've been about getting a D5000

[Stuuk1]

If you are in no rush and own an iPhone or similar with the eBay app, have a thorough scan through and 'watch' a load of them that look good to you.

I did that and got an absolutely mint contrition Canon 400D for £120 (body only). If she doesn't really know what she wants it for then I'd suggest also buying a 50mm 1.8 lens, its about £70 brand new. Although it is a prime lens and you have no zoom, it is a fantastic lens and image quality is amazing. This type of lens also makes you get up close to the object and if she is taking pics of flowers and stuff ;) then it will be great for her to learn about depth of field etc.

I posted up some pics in this section the other day at brand hatch British super bikes with my 400D but with a lens that costs £500 ish. But you can still see what it's capable of.

Couldn't recommend it enough as a beginner lens.

[wyrdness]

I bought a Canon EOS300d with 2 lenses for £200 & get photos like the one below. It's only 6mp, but, like has been said before, it's quality of lens, not how many pixels.
This. A 6 megapixel DSLR is absolutely fine for most purposes.

I did that and got an absolutely mint contrition Canon 400D for £120 (body only). If she doesn't really know what she wants it for then I'd suggest also buying a 50mm 1.8 lens, its about £70 brand new. Although it is a prime lens and you have no zoom, it is a fantastic lens and image quality is amazing. This type of lens also makes you get up close to the object and if she is taking pics of flowers and stuff ;) then it will be great for her to learn about depth of field etc.

They're not known as "nifty fifty's" for nothing. Every DSLR owner should have a 50mm 1.8 prime in their camera bag. You'll get photos with it that no compact camera would every be able to take.

At that price, you'll be lucky. Try for a Nikon D40 or D60 with the 18-55vr lens.

I'd take a D50 or D70 over a D40/D60 any time. The D50 has features from higher-end cameras, such as the top status LCD and a/f motor, which are missing on all of the other low-end Nikon DSLR's.

[robh539]

Agreed always have a prime lens, I use mine the most out of all of them. Love it.

[Paul the 6th]

Probably teaching quite a few people how to suck eggs but for those who aren't 100%, the higher the megapixel's, the larger the actual physical dimensions of the picture will be..

i.e. a 3 megapixel photograph will print on a piece of a4 without any trouble/pixellation but try and print the same picture at the size of an A0 poster and it will go all blurry. If you have a 16 megapixel camera, you could print the image to fit on a wall and it would still look crisp.

If the majority of your prints are destined for facebook/flickr/screen display (72 dpi unless using a HD display) then anything around 8mp will be more than adequate should you ever want to print your images at poster size. As has been said it's the quality of the optics which determine how amazing your images come out, there's the aperture & depth of field, focus speed (canon ultrasonic lenses etc.) and all the rest of it.

Oh and in terms of Canon lenses, there's the EF lenses (from film SLR's) and then EF-S which work with the Digital-SLR's; the nice thing is that the older EF lenses are forwards compatible with Digital bodies :thumbsup: (just make sure you read up on the 1.6 crop factor before buying to make sure you're happy with the final zooming capability)

[Littlepeahead]

This place is good - there is one near me and also a store in London and they have this on sale. Great little camera, basic lens. All you need to add is a memory card.

http://www.cameraworld.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PON12D000033&Prod_name=Used+Canon+EOS+350D+%26+18-55mm+f3.5-5.6+II&CAT_CODE=35&SUBCAT_CODE=278

[andrewsmith]

Anyone wanting D40's MPB have got them for £150

[maviczap]

MPB? With lens or without?

[andrewsmith]

Body only, still good value as a used 18-55 lens is £70

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/used-equipment/used-digital-slr-cameras/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/?page=1

[maviczap]

Body only, still good value as a used 18-55 lens is £70

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/used-equipment/used-digital-slr-cameras/used-nikon-digital-slr-cameras/?page=1

Cool :cool:

I might get a Cannon body and use my old Cannon lens at those prices

[jambo]

I'd agree with the majority of the above.

Canon anything from the 300/350/400/450/500 (or 1000/1100) etc range will do you fine (I've had my 400d for years and it's done me very, very well).

Nikon I know less about, but some of the smaller bodies (like the D40/D60) don't have an auto focus motor in the body. This isn't a major issue but means you need to be aware of which Nikon lenses have AF motors in the lens and which don't.

Then I'd recommend a cheap zoom (18-55 kit) to see what sort of photography she wants to do. I've ended up realising that none of the type of photography I like to do at the moment requires a long zoom lens, so i haven't got one.

I do, however, love a shallow depth of field, and shooting in low light, to which end my main lenses at present are a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, and a Canon 50mm f/1.8 Mk II.

If a bunch of people you know already have Canon, or Nikon gear, factor this in, I mean it. I've borrowed (and lent out) £100's worth of gear among friends. If someone has a macro lens they can lend you for a week you can find out if that's something you'll use a lot or not, ditto a fast telephoto, wide angle, or top-end flash.

Jambo

[Littlepeahead]

+1 on Jambo on lending kit to friends. If Jambo ever needed a zoom then I have an L series Canon 70 - 200 F2.8 IS plus the 2 x extender. £2.5k worth of gear there so no point in him buying it for something like a track day when I would lend it to him. I've also loaned out my macro and wide angle to mates so they can have a play before investing hundreds of pounds.

I picked up an 18 - 200mm Sigma second hand last week for £160. This is lightweight and perfect for travelling to save me carrying my heavy pro lenses about on holiday so worth keeping an eye out for something like that. I know I can bash it about on the back of the bike in a rucksack without worrying too much about it.

My 9 year old nephew has got my old 350D and he manages to get some super shots on it which just shows how easy it is to use. I was really impressed with some panning shots he did at an airshow recently.

[allantheboss]

n00b alert!:

Can somebody please explain this lens jargon to me? Lots of "50 1.8 Prime duel left right batman tophat Deluxe" and I have no idea what it all means.

Do you have to buy lenses for specific models? Or are they brand-specific, or are lenses generally universal?

[wyrdness]

n00b alert!:

Can somebody please explain this lens jargon to me? Lots of "50 1.8 Prime duel left right batman tophat Deluxe" and I have no idea what it all means.

Do you have to buy lenses for specific models? Or are they brand-specific, or are lenses generally universal?

Small numbers are wide-angle, large numbers are telephoto. So 18mm is quite wide and 300mm is a long telephoto.

Zoom lenses specify their range. 18-70mm is a good general-purpose zoom.
Prime lenses have a fixed focal length, e.g. 50mm.

f-stops (1.8, 4.5 etc) are how much light the lens lets in. Smaller numbers let in more light, so a 1.8 is good for low light photography.

Lenses for different manufacturers aren't compatible. You can't use a Canon lens on a Nikon and vice-versa.

[robh539]

LPH is the 2x extender any good? i noticed them a while ago. I have a 55-300mm but a little longer would be nice.

Once you start you will keep buying lenses tho, I have a 5 now and looking at a another £500 shopping trip sat for a 16 to 85 nikon :)

[Bluepete]

LPH is the 2x extender any good? i noticed them a while ago. I have a 55-300mm but a little longer would be nice.

Once you start you will keep buying lenses tho, I have a 5 now and looking at a another £500 shopping trip sat for a 16 to 85 nikon :)

Why the 16-85? The 18-200 VR gets rave reviews, is only a smidge less wide and has a greater range. I've just bought a used one having originally looked at the 16-85.

Ken Rockwell has a good site and reviews. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/nikkor.htm

Pete ;)

[robh539]

BP thanks for the tip will look that out, want a wide lens for HDR and landscape shots :)

[jambo]

n00b alert!:

Can somebody please explain this lens jargon to me? Lots of "50 1.8 Prime duel left right batman tophat Deluxe" and I have no idea what it all means.

Do you have to buy lenses for specific models? Or are they brand-specific, or are lenses generally universal?

Photography can get pretty damn geeky, rather fast. The good news is that you don't need to know much of it to get started. Similarly, you don't need to know an awful lot about chassis design, suspension & engine design to ride a motorbike, don't sweat it.

For a cheap, digital camera from either Nikon or camera, the sensor will be smaller than a piece of 35mm film. For these a standard lens is around 18-55. Think of it as a "digital zoom" 18mm wi be wide enough to get the family in the picture, 55mm long enough to take a nice portrait.

Canon lenses fit Canon cameras, likewise Nikon lenses fit Nikon cameras, however, like most industries a thriving 3rd party scene exists. I have lenses from Canon, Tamron, and Sigma. So there's a lens out there to suit most needs and budgets.

useful stuff
Quite right
LPH is the 2x extender any good? i noticed them a while ago. I have a 55-300mm but a little longer would be nice.

I think the extenders are lens specific, as in the extenders will work with most L series lenses, but I think not the EF-S range. Check up on that. They cost you a couple of stops of light and your camera won't focus if you get down to f/5.6 and lower unless you have a 1 series body (which I think you would on all but the brightest glass).

Jambo

[Bluepete]

BP thanks for the tip will look that out, have a wide lens for HDR and landscape shots :)


http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/used-equipment/used-lenses/used-nikon-fit-lenses/nikon-af-s-18-200mm-f/3.5-5.6g-if-ed-dx-vr-1/

There you go!

Pete ;)

[allantheboss]

Thanks thus far, team. She is looking at getting a good-quality compact also, and says:



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290648392576?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619#ht_1855wt_1185

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-CANON-SX220-HD-PURPLE-12MP-DIGITAL-CAMERA-PURPLE-/251017203661?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_Dig italCameras_JN&hash=item3a71ca8fcd#ht_1432wt_1185

Which camera has the best specs and is the best value for money?

I will be using the camera to take good quality short films with good quality sound. I would also use it to take fast action shots (such as motorbikers, runners etc) and outdoor pictures of people and scenery."

[Stuuk1]

I know nothing about compacts so will leave that to others.

Many feature films are made with dslr cameras these days and if you want to go down that route then canon wise you will require a 500D or newer. Nikon I am unsure of.

[Bluepete]

As far as compacts go, the only one I'd recommend is a Panasonic TZ10. It's just over £200, and the quality of both stills and video are superb.

If I loose or break mine, I'll go and get another.

I realise most people will recommend the camera they have, but trust me on the TZ10!

Pete ;)

[allantheboss]

I owned a TZ10! I liked it a lot (but I've only ever owned that one camera so can't compare)

She went with the Canon campact she linked above, because of course, people always recommended Canon, nobody wanted to blow Casio's whistle!

If she enjoys the whole photography thing, she will be back for more intense DSLR advice. Thanks a lot guys, we may be back soon...

[allantheboss]

I owned a TZ10! I liked it a lot (but I've only ever owned that one camera so can't compare)

She went with the Canon campact she linked above, because of course, people always recommended Canon, nobody wanted to blow Casio's whistle!

If she enjoys the whole photography thing, she will be back for more intense DSLR advice. Thanks a lot guys, we may be back soon...

[Littlepeahead]

LPH is the 2x extender any good? i noticed them a while ago. I have a 55-300mm but a little longer would be nice.

Once you start you will keep buying lenses tho, I have a 5 now and looking at a another £500 shopping trip sat for a 16 to 85 nikon :)

It's not bad. You need a decent tripod or monopod though. They fit onto the L series lenses.

Any L series lens for Canon is a big investment. I just had to have my 24 - 70 repaired and it cost me (or work, they are paying) £170. But in the 2 weeks I have been without it I really noticed the difference between that lens and making do with the 18 - 200 on quality and low light images at the dinners I was photographing.

The one thing I am cross with myself about is that I've had the EOS60d a year now and still haven't even attempted to use the video mode.

[jonny.boyd]

LPH, you should definitely have a play with Video mode.

A few months me and two other guys did a documentary in the Peak District using 3 EOS600D's for a project and the video quality is superb!

Don't expect anything great from the built in mic, but the footage definitely surprised us!