new to DSLR - should I get old 300D or new 350D

[sky888]

sorry to the few kind advice but I am not sure why my thread has been removed. even the moderators are not sure... allow me to repost my query

****

I understand this can be a issue of personal preference

but may I ask for your experiences and advice

I am a photography hobbyist who is getting my first DSLR.. I like photography but now just reading about USM, IS, 1.6 cropx etc.. these are new to me..

as I am a newbie who want to try out digital photography, do you guys suggest I get a second hand 300D ($850 for a mint condition black one) and try it out first? get the hang of it before buying a new and more advance camera.. and probably use the extra $ to buy more lens?

or should I forget about (slightly) older technology and go for 350D ($1680) directly instead?

considering if the $$ is not the concern,why should my choice be? (I would of course like to spend less as I am new to photography.. but a new 350D is also not unafforable since I can pay using installments)

btw I am not into sport photography.. most probably use it for taking photos on travel trips.. taking landscapes and scenary etc

(i understand the handling issues with 350D but with a battery grip I think that is not a issue for me)

please advice

[n0d3]

Why not get a prosumer camera/compact instead? You sure you really need a dSLR?

[AReality]

Get the 300D, then upgrade to a 20D after a few mths.


.

[Canew]

sky888, you are right about the part being "an issue of personal preference."

As for my personal opinion, I would think that you shoud get the 350D instead of the 300D as the 300D has being 'crippled' by its firmware. (assuming that the firmware has not been hacked) Hence, there are a lot of feature difference bwtween the two cameras.

Go to: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos350d/
for a comparison between the two. Weigh the diffenrences between the two and see if you feel that the extra money for the 350D is justifiable.

Also, you mentioned that the cost of the 350D is not beyond your reach. Why not get the latest? Just my opinion.

[ej26]

hi there,

i think you should start with a second hand DSLR since you're still new. The value of a new camera will drop/depreciate very quickly, so if you lose interest in the hobby eventually, you'll waste much more money by buying new. It would be good if you have a friend experienced in photography so that he can help you check the equipment that you buy from someone else. Most people who sell on ClubSnap are trustworthy though I believe.

I also suggest starting with the 300D first, since its alot cheaper now and is not very different from the 350D. You should spend the money saved on a better lens, that's more important. The size of the 300D is also better. Quite a handful of people complain about how small the 350D feels.

Hope this helps.. =)

[Luke]

betwn the 300D & 350D, buy the 350D. i felt it's features are closer to the 20D than the 300D. better value and u'll need those features if u want to use a DSLR.

[n0d3]

If you don't really need the features on the 350D compared to the 300D (metering/focus selection, faster writing speed etc.) then get the 300D. The $800 plus odd can get you a new lens.

[ej26]

Originally Posted by AReality Get the 300D, then upgrade to a 20D after a few mths. .

Good idea! I fully agree. Price of 20D will be dropping fast cos Canon will probably start making more full frame (1.0x crop) cameras. I can hardly wait to get my full frame!

[Hoky]

Originally Posted by ej26 Good idea! I fully agree. Price of 20D will be dropping fast cos Canon will probably start making more full frame (1.0x crop) cameras. I can hardly wait to get my full frame!

Buy buy buy

[fWord]

Originally Posted by n0d3 If you don't really need the features on the 350D compared to the 300D (metering/focus selection, faster writing speed etc.) then get the 300D. The $800 plus odd can get you a new lens.

Although I'd usually recommend getting a new camera over an old one, the price difference here is substantial, and if you put in a little more, you might be able to get yourself a new lens to complement the kit lens (assuming that package comes with one).

For example, the EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM is an excellent lens that can be bought 2nd hand at around $950-1000 on the B&S forums. Even though you're primarily into landscape and scenery, a long lens would be useful if you decide to catch candids and portraits from afar.

As far as I am aware, the 300D is crippled by software, but hacks are available to restore quite a few of the features. The slower startup time, write time etc might not be of concern to you since you don't do sports photography.

[obewan]

Get the 300D if u can get one with good condition and price.
Invest your $$ on lens as what some of the old birds always say.

Or u can join the "dark side".

Pls dun hammer me Canon supporters.
I'm jus giving an alternative...

[A-Von]

get the 300d and you might think of upgrading to 350d in the future

get the 350d and you might think of upgrading to 20d in the future

get the 20d and you might think of upgrading to 5d in the future

get the....

[Hoky]

Originally Posted by A-Von get the 300d and you might think of upgrading to 350d in the future get the 350d and you might think of upgrading to 20d in the future get the 20d and you might think of upgrading to 5d in the future get the....

Aiyah, so simple. Get both the 1DsMkII and 1DMkIIN. One 16 Mpix full frame and the other with 8.5fps. Can shoot anything you like.

Succumb to the dark side....

[Edmund]

Originally Posted by sky888 sorry to the few kind advice but I am not sure why my thread has been removed. even the moderators are not sure... allow me to repost my query

Whoopss.. my bad...

I checked the logs and realised that in my haste last night, I
- merged your duplicate threads
- then wanted to remove your duplicate posts as you requested originally but somehow removed that entire thread instead of just the duplicate posts...

So sorry for the inconvenience caused...

[CLQ]

Originally Posted by sky888 sorry to the few kind advice but I am not sure why my thread has been removed. even the moderators are not sure... allow me to repost my query **** I understand this can be a issue of personal preference but may I ask for your experiences and advice I am a photography hobbyist who is getting my first DSLR.. I like photography but now just reading about USM, IS, 1.6 cropx etc.. these are new to me.. as I am a newbie who want to try out digital photography, do you guys suggest I get a second hand 300D ($850 for a mint condition black one) and try it out first? get the hang of it before buying a new and more advance camera.. and probably use the extra $ to buy more lens? or should I forget about (slightly) older technology and go for 350D ($1680) directly instead? considering if the $$ is not the concern,why should my choice be? (I would of course like to spend less as I am new to photography.. but a new 350D is also not unafforable since I can pay using installments) btw I am not into sport photography.. most probably use it for taking photos on travel trips.. taking landscapes and scenary etc (i understand the handling issues with 350D but with a battery grip I think that is not a issue for me) please advice

Hi sky888,

If $$ not a concern, is the 20D ok?
I own a 20D and i have used a 300D (my uncle's) and a 350D (my friend's).
Frankly i find that i was limitted by the functions of the 300D (the crippled functions and the noice level when pushing up the ISO, need higher ISO as i like always take indoor shots where flash are not convinient)

As for the 350D, few things i dun like abt it, one of it is the small grip, but as you said you can get the battery grip but i still feel that it is quite hard to hold it, maybe my fingers are too long and also when i used my friend's 350D i missed the big dial that the 20D have (beside the LCD), the big dial is used to adjust the aperature when shooting manual mode and i find that that is so much easier and faster to use than the up-down-left-right controls on the 350D... Also personally i find it a bit too light, so when put on a big lens, i feel that the balance is not so good. Yes all this are personal preference but i think all this to me are things that are quite important for a good shooting experience (especially if you are like me shooting lots of full day events like friend's weddings or my church events etc).

But if all that i mentioned are not important, e.g you do not need the high ISO or the dial or the speed, then i will say get the 2nd hand 300D, and use the remainder money to get good lens and also a good flash.

Cheers-

[sky888]

thank you CLQ for your comprehensive comparsion and suggestions... infact I am thankful to ALL you great guys for the "all side/full view" comments and feedbacks.. I was not able to forsee such great support when I started this thread, but now all these kind replies simply tell me of a great support group here in CS and that there are lots of kind souls here to share their views on photograhy issues

thank you once again!

[clicknick]

Originally Posted by A-Von get the 300d and you might think of upgrading to 350d in the future get the 350d and you might think of upgrading to 20d in the future get the 20d and you might think of upgrading to 5d in the future get the....

U r describing my feelings right now. Still stuck at 300D. Long way to go to reach 5D

[Zplus]

Well, the 300D does offer some advantages, the main one being its price. It's really dirt cheap now. It also uses the same BP511 series of batteries which is compatible with the 20D, and 5D. So if you plan to upgrade later, the spare batteries will come in handy.

The 350D is newer with more freatures. Good low noise at iso800. But cost quite a bit more which you could have spend on quality lens which you can use on your later purchases.


As for image quality, lens and photographer plays a more significant role than the body.

[tanjk]

I'll suggest the 300D. Why? Because it's a lot cheaper than the 350D. Since you mentioned that you are new to DSLR, you might not like the work flow. The 300D is in itself a very capable camera already. Of course, if $$$ is no object, then get the 350D by all means.

Say you play with the 300D and don't like the DSLR workflow, you can always sell it away without incurring much loss. If you like it, then use it until you've outgrown it and then buy the 20D (by that time, it would have been a bargain). The approx $800 diff in 2nd hand 300D and new 350D can get you a very nice lens. You can say buy the 28-75 f/2.8 Tamron and still have quite a bit of spare (or just use the spare to buy the 50 f/1.8) or you can top up a little bit and buy the 70-200 f/4L used or if you like WA, the 17-40 f/4L used.

Regards,
JK

[tanjk]

Originally Posted by clicknick U r describing my feelings right now. Still stuck at 300D. Long way to go to reach 5D

Come on, the 300D is a very nice camera in itself I'm also using one, can't find enough reasons or $$$ to upgrade

Regards,
JK