any recommendations or deals out there (or advice)?
been looking at things like the Canon 500.

looking to spend £500-700 (need lenses too), which is just ‘entry level’ I guess! Assuming they will be pretty bloody good entry level though 😯

thanks

Holy weekly thread repeat Batman 🙄

Search 😉

FWIW – I’ve recently bought a Sony A55, which is ace, has a slightly smaller form factor, due to a different mirror configuration, excellent AF, decent low light performance and live view with an EVF. Will accept all the old Konica Minolta glass too.

Wow, I’m surprised this has never cropped up before… (-:

The eternal Canon / Nikon debate boils down to personal preference. Play with a few in a shop and see what clicks with you.

The 500D is a good camera but not particularly new, so there may be decent second hand deals to be had.

Define “lenses”; most bodies are available with a fair-to-middling general purpose ‘kit’ lens, but what you need after that would depend what you’re doing with it.

Sarcasm aside, we’ve discussed this many times; search the forum for dSLR, there’s a lot of good advice to be had.

For example with the lenses, good examples of this can be found on the Bay for £80-90 and gets raved about. I intend getting one for street photography after reading Thomas Leuthards book.

Minolta 50mm f1.7

ah ok, I did search (as I guessed it was a hot topic) but didn’t see anything (at the top). I will look further down the list 🙂

Thanks, just wanted to get a bit of knowledge (so I don’t get too bamboozelled) before I go into town to part with a large wedge of cash at Jessops (which seems to be a good a place as any).

re lenses: I noticed some come as just bodies. Its just for taking pictures of cycling (riders and landscapes then) mostly (don’t know if 1 general lense will be enough).

try these guys they will ask the right questions and point you in the right direction on what camera to go for. They also have good deals going on.

http://www.parkcameras.com/

Pugwash

I couldn’t agree more, I hate it when the search button doesn’t throw out my exact requirements in the first listing too.
😉

thanks Don. I read lots of those, but they didn’t answer my questions.

was also thinking/hoping some people might have info on January sales offers/bundles.

thanks pugwash – I hadn’t stumbled seen that site before. cheers

just wanted to get a bit of knowledge … before I go into town to part with a large wedge of cash at Jessops

I’d suggest going to Jessops, poking and prodding a few, then going “thanks” and coming back here to discuss what you’ve seen / liked / been told. Far easier to field direct questions like “I like (this), is it a good buy?” or “I’m torn between (this) and (that), help me decide” rather than open “what camera, out of all of them” questions.

For MTB photography, the kit lens should be sufficient to get you going. You don’t need a monster zoom as you can get quite close to the action. By the time you’ve realised the limitations of the kit lens, you’ll have a much better idea of what you want next. Arguably, you may be better off budgeting for a decent flash rather than more glass.

You don’t need a monster zoom as you can get quite close to the action.

Completely agree with this, most of my cycling photos are done in the 17-28mm range.

600d w/kit lens 499 at Amazon for the next hour.

great, thanks guys. v useful. I will stick with standard lens and look at getting a flash rather than another lens then.

I’ll look forward to a ‘which flash’ thread shortly, then. That *is* a bloody minefield.

🙂 ok

bugger. almost ordered the 600 from Amazon but couldn’t log on in time 🙁

Use a 350D for fun and a 1000D for work – actually going to sell in the 1000D now as it never gets used!
Mainly have a 23-70 for everything except proper zoom work.

Try bignorman.com. I bought a 550d from there for about 460. They sell 600ds for just over 500 quid too but didn’t think they were worth the extra 50 for a flippy screen. They have the same sensor etc as the 550d.

thanks jr.