Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)
  • Canon D-SLR advice please
  • perthmtb
    Free Member

    So my trusty Canon 400D which has served me well for the last ten years has finally died! The auto focus motor in the lens will only work in one direction, a result of my 11 y/o daughter turning the manual focus ring at the same time as pressing the shutter button to activate the auto focus. Anyway, now I have to decide what to do next and I’m way out of touch with the current crop of Digital SLRs. I’d like to stay Canon (after a brief and very expensive foray into the world of Nikon twenty years ago!) so I see my options as follows:-
    1. Get it repaired. But I assume like anything else electronic these days it’ll cost as much to repair the lens as it would to buy a new one!
    2. Keep the camera body and just buy a new lens. The current one is the basic EF-S 18-35 1:3.5-5.6 IS. It seems that lens is still around, although called “STM” these days whatever that is. Or should I take this opportunity to upgrade to something a bit better than the ‘basic’ lens – if so what lens would people suggest?
    3. New body and lens. The 400D has been fine for my needs for the last ten years, but it would be nice to have the capability to take the occasional video, and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to source new batteries for it. So, would the latest model give me much else that I don’t have at the moment, and what would be the equivalent model to the 400D in the current range?
    Thanks!

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    STM and USM are different motor types (stepped and ultrasonic). People argue on the Internet about which is better.

    Find a local shop rather than Jessops etc to get it repaired. They might do it in-house which will hopefully be cheaper than sending it away to be fixed.

    Doesn’t sound like you have a lot of lenses, so if you’re going new you’re not tied to Canon.

    GeForceJunky
    Full Member

    For now just buy a Tamron 17-50 F2.8, it will be a nice upgrade and there is no point spending money on repairing the crap kit lens. Loads of 400D batteries on ebay for peanuts.

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    Buy new. Things have changed and you have so much more choice, plus Canon has a cashback offer going on.

    You also get the new kit smell 😉

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Ooops just noticed a typo in my original post – it’s the 18-55mm lens I’ve got at the moment, and wouldn’t really want to go for a lesser zoom range. Liking the look of the Canon 17-85mm USM until I saw the price!

    Also, I’ve had a few of the Ebay batteries but they seem to die after a few months unlike the Canon originals which last a few years, but I can’t get hold of anymore.

    Meanwhile checked a few local stores for repair prices and seems it starts at around 150 quid to even touch a lens, so looks like it’s new lens time! Question now is which lens, and do I also buy a new body?

    cranberry
    Free Member

    You haven’t told us about your budget – what are you willing to spend ?

    Assuming that it is indeed the lens that has suffered the damage…

    You could get:

    1. A better or very good new* lens
    2. A 2nd hand more recent body probably with a kit lens
    3. A new Body and lens

    1 = cheap to expensive a good lens costs money, but will produce much clearer shots. It is a revelation stepping away from kit lenses though – they really do hold back bodies from producing nice clear, sharp pictures.

    2 = relatively cheap, a bit of upgrade to both lens and body, still with kit lens

    3 = spendy – a new 760d will set you back £600 and you’ll only get a kit lens with that.

    In your shoes, I’d think about keeping the body and getting the best lens you could afford, with a plan to get a more recent/new body in the future.

    Oh, and absolutely no pudding for the lens wrecker 🙂

    * 2nd hand lenses are available, but the good ones hold their value remarkably well.

    Rockape63
    Free Member

    Or alternatively buy a Lumix DMC FZ1000. I was looking at Canon again, SLR or bridge and ended up buying this one. Takes great photos, has an amazing zoom and takes 4k video.

    I’ve been reading the manual for a week and I think I’m slowly getting the hang of it!

    prettygreenparrot
    Full Member

    Check out the price of a new lens. If it compares well to the price of a new kit get it. Getting one of the ‘kit’ lenses repaired is rarely worth it if it is even repairable.

    Consider getting a 50mm f1.8 for the holidays while you think about what you really need. About £80 and although it’s a ‘prime’ and acts a bit like a portrait lens on smaller sensor cameras you’ll be pleased at how much better it is than the supplied zoom for many picture settings.

    despite all the techno improvements on the bodies you’ll find the lenses offer the best way to get the pictures you want.

    cp
    Full Member

    it’s not worth spending the money on a lens repair for that lens – you’d be able to pick up a new equivalent lens for similar money to the repair.

    Unless you’ve got another lens or a mate with one to try on your body, I’d take your body to a cam shop and see if the body still works OK and nothing electrical has broken.

    I was thinking of saying get a new lens, but just looked at the spec of the 1200D with kit lens and it’s much better than your 400d. Improved resolution, much better image processor/less noise, much higher ISO availability, better display, HD video….

    £259 from park cameras with canon cashback

    https://www.parkcameras.com/p/1011097D/digital-slr-cameras/canon/eos-1200d-ef-s-18-55mm-iii

    cranberry
    Free Member

    cp – the 1200d is indeed cheap, but with a very cheap kit lens on it you won’t get great quality images out of it, even if the sensor records a higher resolution image.

    cp
    Full Member

    the 1200d will be a damn site less noisy at higher iso though and the handling of the camera will be faster. the 400d is getting old now. the kit lens is fine for most users everyday needs and it of course has video recording which the OP is interested in.

    toby1
    Full Member

    Personal choice – I’d go to for the 24mm EFS Pancake (have a look around for it, it’s about £100-140 depending on where you buy it) and keep the camera.

    I have a 400D also, got the 24mm in the post on the way to me. These 2 will be joined for the forseeable future.

    I have also ordered a 700D body, but only has a I have a few lenses and I also realised I had enough clubcard vouchers to buy it outright and still have some vouchers left over – Tesco credit card and heavy usage in this case.

    I also previously used Canon directly for a service of a lens and the process was really smooth and I don’t recall it being that expensive, got a 17-85 restored for less than £100, 2 years later it’s still going strong.

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    TBH the best thing about modern DSLRs (for me at least) is not the total pixels, but the low light performance of the sensors. Once upon a time there was so much noise, going much above ISO400 would result in a horribly grainy image.
    On my Pentax K50 I can go to ISO6400 and still get a reasonable image with minimal grain.
    Having said that, unless you’re unhappy with the current body’s performance, I’d get looking on e-bay for lenses. You can usually pick up kit lenses for next to nothing.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Ok good suggestions so far thanks. To address some of them…

    Good point about not jumping to the conclusion it’s the lens at fault. I’ll take it to a shop and try it with another lens in case it’s the body after all.

    As I’m not a ‘serious’ photographer these days (used to have my own darkroom back in the days) I’m not sure I’d benefit much from a new body, especially as the entry level ones look like a downgrade in terms of look & feel compared to my ‘solid’ feeling 400D. Yes I’d like to be able to take occasional video, but I can’t see anything else that a new body will give me that’s a radical improvement on my 400D. I guess things haven’t really changed that much in ten years with DSLRs afterall!

    I like the suggestion that upgrading the lens is where I’ll notice the bigger improvement. However, looking at the Canon range it seems there’s the 18-55mm ‘kit’ lens, or the 15-85mm for five times the price, and nothing in between! That’s a big jump and I’m not sure it’d be worth it?

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    The lens you want can be bought used

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0002XNRG4/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

    or new for 255. Have you thought about Sigma or any other brand.

    cp
    Full Member

    Do you really want the zoom thogh? That pancake lens suggestion above is a great one. One of my lenses is canons 28mm EF 2.8 and it’s a great do it all lens.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Have you thought about Sigma or any other brand

    Had a quick look at Tokina & Tamron but it seems like they only offer stuff at the high end these days, and don’t even bother competing with the camera manufacturers at the cheaper end – but happy to be proved wrong!

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    This chap on YT helped me pick out some new lenses. He’s rather good and shows image and video capabilities of the lens and he is a canon user

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    Nice find mrsfry – just watched his vids on both the 18-55 kit lens and the 15-85 upgrade. Buying the 15-85 now and upgrading the body later when my 400D body dies is looking like the favourite option at the mo.

    And cp, yes I think I really do want a zoom. My days of carrying a backpack full of lenses with me are long gone…

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    Thank you. I spent a long time watching his vids and looking at the reviews on Amazon.

    My Amazon delivery came today. Happy to say that i am the owner of two new lenses

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00XHHB7MI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

    £92 when i orderd it.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KAQX66Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01

    Although there is a cheaper 50mm but that is the older model with a plastic mount. Happy snapping 🙂

    toby1
    Full Member

    When I got rid of the stock 15-55 lens I went to this: 17-85mm not overly expensive (considering) and a great walking and general use lens.

    If you do decide to keep the body you could do worse than this.

    hammyuk
    Free Member

    The plastic mount is actually the newer MKII version.
    The metal mount is the older MKI – absolutely no difference between them other than the base. None whatsoever – just lens snobbery.
    Go to the 50mm1.4 however 😉
    The 18-55mm kit lens can be had in IS version for £50 on eBay brand new if you take the time to look.
    17-85mm is a good lens as is the 17-110mm.
    EF-S are widely available for really cheap prices and it’ll take EF too – start worrying when its the other way round and you can only use EF and an 18-55mm becomes £150+

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    Canon says it’s the newer one?

    http://www.canon.co.uk/about_us/press_centre/press_releases/consumer_news/cameras_accessories/canon_ef_50mm_f1.8_stm_lens.aspx

    I’m trying to get some EF lenses as i am going to get a 5D or 6D next year. Still trying to choose which. My 600D can take both types but not all will give a good pic.

    cp
    Full Member

    The plastic mount is actually the newer MKII version.

    Correct for the version of 50mm you’re thinking of, but mrsfry linked to the new STM 50mm lens, which has a metal mount.

    hammyuk
    Free Member

    Fairy Muff cp
    I personally use the 1.4 on the 5D – worth the extra all day long.

    cranberry
    Free Member

    A Sigma 17-70 would be a good replacement/improvement compared to the kit lens:

    http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-sigma-17-70mm-f2-8-4-dc-macro-os-hsm-lens-canon-fit/p1534893

    Obviously a bit of shopping around on Ebay should get you a cheaper price than that if needed.

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    perthmtb – Member

    …..but I can’t see anything else that a new body will give me that’s a radical improvement on my 400D.

    Low light performance will be massively improved.
    My Nikon D80 is OK up to about ISO400, but quite noisy thereafter. I think the D80 is a similar age camera to the Canon 400D, but perhaps a bit further up Nikon’s range…?

    A mate has a D7000, which itself is a few years old but he can shoot at ISO well over 1200 with barely any noise compared to my D80.
    This means he can whack the ISO of his camera up if light levels are falling & he wants to keep the shutter speed up to ensure there’s no camera shake without sacrificing image quality.

    This is about the only thing that makes me want to upgrade my camera body – not that funds allow it.

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    Thanks Cranberry. That lens will be my next purchase come payday. Reviews and pics a blooming fab 🙂 Just hope the price stays down.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-17-70mm-2-8-4-HSM-Canon/dp/B00AXZYY86/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1449663303&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=Sigma+17-70mm+f2.8-4+DC+Macro+OS+HSM+Lens+-+Canon+Fit

    cranberry
    Free Member

    I bought one in 2009 to go with my 500d – was always happy with the results. I now have a Canon 15-85 which is even better but the Sigma is very close in terms of bang for buck.

    I keep thinking it would be a good exercise to get my 2 kit lenses the sigma and Canon and take identical shots with them to show the real world differences between them.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

    A Sigma 17-70 would be a good replacement/improvement compared to the kit lens

    That’s a good option Cranberry – smaller range than the 15-85, but faster, and a bit over half the price! I’ll have to look into that more closely (excuse the pun!)

    Can I ask how it compares to your Canon 15-85 in terms of size, weight, and quality (zoom smoothness, focusing speed etc.) Thanks.

    DrJ
    Full Member

    One of my lenses is canons 28mm EF 2.8 and it’s a great do it all lens.

    Only for a rather restricted range of “all” 🙂

    cp
    Full Member

    ha, yeah, do it all isn’t quite the right phrase, but it certainly can replace an 18-50 as an everyday walk around lens & is lighter and smaller.

    cranberry
    Free Member

    Ok – a quick photo or two for now to compare sizes ( bigger being, indeed betterer )..

    clicky!

    I can’t find the kit lens from my 760d at the moment, and have some work to do this afternoon, but I’ll try and get my tripod out and rig something up later to make comparison photos.

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    Have you considered not sticking with a DSLR at all?
    If you were satisfied with the 400D with kit lens, I would suggest that there are a few compact cameras around these days that will outperform it with the added bonus of being erm… compact and having a few mod cons such as video, etc.

    Sony RX100 is around £200 and superb. The only thing you can’t really get is ultra-shallow depth of field compared to a DSLR, but then that’s true of your 18-55 too.

    My reason for asking is mainly that you stuck with the kit lens, which is fine, but doesn’t play to the strengths of having all that bulk/weight.

    hammyuk
    Free Member

    Remember the lenses posted so far are all Crop frame compatible other than the 50mm.
    None will fit any of the Full frame bodies.

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