Buying New Camera

TrueHereticX

Hello all, My third thread here in H/A, and this time about a new DSLR Camera I hope to acquire (I.E Laybuy and then pay off labouriously for the next 6 weeks).

The camera in question is this:



Features:

Imaging Sensor⁄Effective Pixels: CMOS ⁄ 12.2 megapixels

Effective Sensor Size: 22.2 x 14.8 mm

Lenses: EF-S18-55mm f⁄3.5-5.6 IS and EF-75-300mm f⁄4-5.6 III Lenses

A⁄D Resolution Power: 14-bit

Colour Filter Size: RGB Primary Colours

35mm Focal Length Equivalent: 1.6x

Medium: SD ⁄ SDHC Memory Card

Image Size Large ⁄ Fine: 4,272 x 2,848 ⁄ Approx 4.3 MB

Image Size Large ⁄ Normal: 4,272 x 2,848 ⁄ Approx 2.2 MB

Image Size Medium ⁄ Fine: 3,088 x 2,056 ⁄ Approx 2.5 MB

Image Size Medium ⁄ Normal: 3,088 x 2,056 ⁄ Approx 1.3 MB

Image Size Small ⁄ Fine: 2,256 x 1,504 ⁄ Approx 1.6 MB

Image Size Small ⁄ Normal: 2,256 x 1,504 ⁄ 0.8 MB

RAW: 4,272 x 2,848 ⁄ 15.3 MB

RAW & JPEG Simultaneous Recording: Yes

Coverage (vertical⁄horizontal): 0.95

Dioptric Adjustment: -3 to +1 dpt

Interchangeable Focusing Screens: No

AF Points: 9

Shooting Modes: 12 standard modes

Metering Segments: 35

Metering Modes: Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Centre-weighted

ISO Speed Range: ISO 100-1600

Exposure Compensation: Manual, AEB ±2: 1⁄3- or 1⁄2-stop increments

Shutter Speed: 1⁄4000 sec - 30 sec, X-sync at 1⁄200 sec

E-TTL II Autoflash: Yes

Built-in Flash ⁄ Guide Number: Provided ⁄ 13

Shooting Speed: 3.5 fps⁄53 shot max burst (JPEG)

White Balance Settings: 8

WB Bracketing: Yes

LCD Monitor: TFT -3.0 inch

Custom Functions⁄Settings: 13⁄34

Start Up Time: 0.1 sec

Integrated Cleaning System: Yes

Live View: Yes

External Interface: Hi-Speed USB, mini B port ⁄ Video OUT (NTSC⁄PAL) ⁄ Wireless

Remote Control Terminal: Yes (RS-60E3 compatible)

Battery: Lithium Ion LP-E5

Chassis Material: Stainless Steel + Engineering Plastic

Dimensions (W x H x D) mm: 128.8 x 97.5 x 61.9

Weight excl. battery (g): 475


For a price of AUS$1549 (Which will be bumped down $77.45 because of my brother's 5% discount)

My question being, is this worth it? I know next to nothing about DSLR cameras but my Uncle (professional photographer) tells me it's not a bad set for a beginner.

All help will be greatly appreciated

Fallingman

Great camera - You could also look into Nikon D60 or D40 - the D40 is good but a lot cheaper. Will you buy extra lenses? Thats what DSLR's are about. I was looking at gettinng this, but I wanted to get a new lens... It turned out cheaper for me to get a Nikon D80 which is a better camera (well than the 400D I was looking at) and the stock lens was great.

But generally - this is a great little camera. The 400D is the older version - still great and you might find it cheaper now that the 450D is out...

Also - DPreview is your friend.

Ebz123

The 400Ds are disappearing pretty fast but having had a 450 for a couple of weeks I can tell you that so far it's been an excellent camera.

Locust76

I read "Canon" then I read "DSLR."

You're good to go.

I have a Digital Rebel 300D that I bought over 4 years ago. It's a 6 megapixel camera and still takes incredible photos.

Your general rule of thumb for Canon DSLRs is this: If the number is in the hundreds (300D, 400D, 450D, etc..) it's a "low end" (low cost, not low quality) model and suitable for a beginner. "Tens" (10D, 40D, etc..) are higher-end, have more manual controls and better sensors and are used by professionals, such as news photographers. Ones (1D, 5D, etc..) are über-high-end, used by pros in controlled settings, such as studios.

A non-SLR, CCD-based camera of the same megapixel rating will come nowhere near the same natural quality of images that a CMOS-based SLR will achieve.

Dark Moon

Do you have any lenses? Can you borrow lenses from your uncle? With SLR/DSLRs, lenses are far more important than the body, and already having or being able to borrow good lenses would be a major factor in your decision regarding a new body. If you can borrow lenses from your uncle, who is sure to have sexy glass, buy a body in the same mount as his lenses.

If you don't have any lenses or access to lenses yet, consider what you want to do with your camera. Do you have any special requirements? Do you need fast super-wide angle lenses? Nikon has the 14-24mm f/2.8, whereas Canon has only the slow 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5. Other than that, Nikon and Canon have really well fleshed out lens lineups, but should you decide to go with another system (Pentax, Sony) you may want to investigate the holes they have.

As for the actual body, don't get a Nikon D40/D40x/D60. The lack of an in-body focussing motor when such a huge portion of the Nikon lens lineup does not offer in-lens focussing motors means your choices of lenses that offer AF will be extremely limited. If you can afford it, look at the D80. If not, check out a used D50/D70 - while the specs look below that of the D40 and friends, they are higher quality bodies. If you want to go Canon, the body you linked to is just fine. It doesn't offer an in-body focussing motor either, but Canon made the switch to in-lens motors ages ago and so most all of their lenses now come with the motor. I'd find an older, used XT or XTi myself, and spend the difference on better lenses, but some people prefer shiny new things. Whatever you do, hold the body first. If it's not comfortable in your hand, you won't want to shoot with it, and that's no good. The 350D and the D40 felt like plastic toys and were entirely too small for my manly grip, so I ended up picking up a Pentax K10D for the same price and now have a solid, weather-sealed body and mount backwards compatibility to the origins of the K-mount Pentax collection, beginning in 1975.

Having a nice body and shitty lenses is a recipe for poor quality images, so be sure to devote a good portion of your funds towards nice glass. Everyone seems really fond of fast 50mm on DSLRs, as a 50mm f/1.8 lens will probably run you under $100USD, but I find they're just too damn long for a walking around lens after you take the DSLR sensor size into consideration. A good, fast 35mm will be a far better general-purpose prime lens that becomes very near a 50mm after factoring in sensor size.

Consider picking up the kit lens. They're pretty sharp these days when they're stopped down to f/8 or so and are very useable in direct sunlight. They're also useful for determining your next lens, if you don't have a specific roadmap already - if you're always at 18mm and wanting more, get a super wide-angle zoom, and so on.

A non-SLR, CCD-based camera of the same megapixel rating will come nowhere near the same natural quality of images that a CMOS-based SLR will achieve.

True, but CCD-based versus CMOS-based sensors doesn't mean anything if you're shopping for an APS-C or larger sensor DSLR. The sensor type shouldn't factor into your decision.

Pheezer

You know, when I first got my 50mm/f1.8 I thought it was way too long too. I stuck it out though, and got really used to it and now it's just so good to me. It's one of those things where I think you sort of have to adapt to seeing things a little differently.

Dark Moon

Well, that isn't to say it's not a useable length. 80mm (assuming 1.6x conversion) is fantastic for portraits and f/1.8 means the (physically) 50mm is by far the fastest, cheapest lens you can buy, so it's definitely still something you should pick up. It's just pretty securely in portrait/mid-length telephoto territory, and so makes for a fairly cumbersome walking around lens in any sort of urban environment. I don't think it should be your first and only lens. My 28mm f/2.8 (42mm after conersion) is my go-to lens for when I want to walk around with a prime, even though it's manual focus and significantly slower versus my 50mm f/1.4 with AF.

A 50mm and a kit lens in the 18-55mm range would give you a pretty useable setup for someone just starting out.