Which Canon DSLR and lens should an amateur pick? Please recommend!

[eloera]

which canon dslr and lens should a amateur pick!please recommend!

i know canon and nikon lens have different names ,but are their functions and performance similar?
and are they interchangeable as in a nikon lens be fixed with a canon body? BuDGET >$1.4K

can anybody help me with this?

thank you!


smiles!!

 

[fireframe]

How much are you prepared to spend? You could get the 350D, 400D or 30D with their respective kit lens to start off, depending on your budget. As many here will advise, don't be in a hurry to buy additional lenses.

 

[FrogLAH]

My suggestion, get a 20D with 50mm f1.8. 20D is a good body to have. I think it's semi pro body, so, it'd be slightly bigger than 350 and 400D. But in all, it's a good investment. 50mm f1.8 is a good lens to learn about shutter speed & aperture relationship, what it means by fast lens and what's the big fuss about having a big aperture lens. And it's EXTREMELY affordable for a newbie.

If you have more money to spend, then go ahead with a zoom lens that gives u the wide angle range (starting from 17mm-40 or 55 or 85 etc..). Of course between them, there are like the f number (biggest aperture achievable), Image stabilization and etc.. to consider. Again, comes your budget.

I started 2 months back. Here's what I got and plan to get:

Body:30D (next gen of 20D with NOT much significant differentiator, that's why I suggested 20D if u are on a budget)
Kit lens: 17-85 IS f4-5.6 AND hoya UV filter
other lens: 50 f1.8 and cheapo UV filter which i removed from the lens the same day i got it because it was causing serious Flare issue on my pics.
Plan to get: 70-200 f2.8 IS; Speedlite 580EX flash, 1.4X converter and macro tube.

With the above, I think I should be done with shopping for a while (though almost everyone here will tell you that you are NEVER done with shopping).

Of course, apart from the above, you will need to get a tripod, CF card 2G, card reader and drybox.

As I am a newbie and picked up some tricks along the way the past few months, just wanted to share some thoughts and learnings.

I am assuming you are new to this as I am. If I am already telling u things u already know, dont mind me.

 

[eloera]

My suggestion, get a 20D with 50mm f1.8. 20D is a good body to have. I think it's semi pro body, so, it'd be slightly bigger than 350 and 400D. But in all, it's a good investment. 50mm f1.8 is a good lens to learn about shutter speed & aperture relationship, what it means by fast lens and what's the big fuss about having a big aperture lens. And it's EXTREMELY affordable for a newbie.

If you have more money to spend, then go ahead with a zoom lens that gives u the wide angle range (starting from 17mm-40 or 55 or 85 etc..). Of course between them, there are like the f number (biggest aperture achievable), Image stabilization and etc.. to consider. Again, comes your budget.

I started 2 months back. Here's what I got and plan to get:

Body:30D (next gen of 20D with NOT much significant differentiator, that's why I suggested 20D if u are on a budget)
Kit lens: 17-85 IS f4-5.6 AND hoya UV filter
other lens: 50 f1.8 and cheapo UV filter which i removed from the lens the same day i got it because it was causing serious Flare issue on my pics.
Plan to get: 70-200 f2.8 IS; Speedlite 580EX flash, 1.4X converter and macro tube.

With the above, I think I should be done with shopping for a while (though almost everyone here will tell you that you are NEVER done with shopping).

Of course, apart from the above, you will need to get a tripod, CF card 2G, card reader and drybox.

As I am a newbie and picked up some tricks along the way the past few months, just wanted to share some thoughts and learnings.

I am assuming you are new to this as I am. If I am already telling u things u already know, dont mind me.

HMMM LOL. no i think i am newer than you?

so how much did that 30d and all that lense cost! and hmmm what's a flare issue! and you?:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ower to the max! lol.

 

[ReiszRie]

HMMM LOL. no i think i am newer than you?

so how much did that 30d and all that lense cost! and hmmm what's a flare issue! and you?:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ower to the max! lol.

i don't think a beginner should jump to a 30D right off the bat, much less on a 50mm 1.8f lens

400D if you are geared towards Canon
D40 if you are geared towards Nikon

D40 has been known to produce exceptionally good photos with low noise and high detail
and the D40 costs under 1k, which it comes with a Nikkor 18-55 DX SWM EDII lens which i would say is an excellent lens with good sharpness, enough focal lengths to let a beginner pick up techniques and discover his style before moving on to another lens

Canon's 18-55mm kit lens leaves much to be desired, and its recommeded to forgo the lens and get the body only and purchase a seperate lens of better quality, all in all, it'll boil down to a cost of approx. 2k which is certainly above your budget....


don't bother thinking about the 30D with a f1.8 50mm lens as that would set you back around 2.6k

get what you need, and not be coerced into getting unecessary equipments, dSLR ain't like SLR of olden days, dSLRs loses their market value rapidly and therefore it will never be an "investment"

rather you get a low-cost entry-level dSLR and upgrade to a higher-end body if you require so, in the years to come than to have you get a semi-professional body now and let its value drop whilst you're not capable yet to make full use of its potential.

lenses on the other hand depends greatly on your style of photography, you do not need to pay hundreds for a wide aperture lens just to learn the relationship between aperture and shutter speed, you could do that with any lens, heck you could even do that by simply reading up on materials widely available on the net.

play around with your kit lenses as it usually covers wide (18mm) to normal (55mm) focal lengths and its suffice to discover your style, whether you're into wide-angle, sports, wildlife, normal perspective, available-light or other types of photography, from then on, you purchase lenses that complements your style.

hope my entry is of help to you =)

 

[FrogLAH]

HMMM LOL. no i think i am newer than you?

so how much did that 30d and all that lense cost! and hmmm what's a flare issue! and you?:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ower to the max! lol.

WHen I looked into DSLR, I had a chance to check out Nikon's D80 and D200, and of course 30D. My initial plan was to start off at entry level with either the 400D or D80. But the 400D was to small and the D80 just didnt feel right.

Then I chanced upon the 30D with the 17-85 IS KIT. My rationale for the purchase is it's ok to pay a little more for something that feels right to me and the 30D felt right. THis way, I'd not be thinking about upgrading my camera body as it's a good enough body. Of course, there are also the additional camera specs that the 30D offers that the D80 and 400D didn't.

I am recommending the 50mm f1.8 because it's really a good trainning ground. It takes really beautiful pictures. It's one of the cheaper lens for such a low f number (if not the cheapest). I have a couple of friends who have been doing SLR and/or DSLR who went out to get the lens after messing around with mine (true story, not marketing gimmick haha). Another reason why I am recommending it is that it's very affordable. SO, spend this 130SGD now and learn about bokeh, aperture size vs shutter speed, shake in image etc...This is important because it will give you the basics that you will need when you want to hunt for your next few lenses.

How much I spent? haha...well...does not mean that I am recommending you to spend the same amount but here's what I thought was fair when I paid for it:

30D + 17-85 IS + Hoya UV filter + 2G CF card + Card reader + a friendly smile from salesperson: 3000 sgd (slightly less than that but close to it)
50mm f1.8 at Cathay Photo: 130 (think can get it cheaper)
Tripod plus sling: 222
Drybox: 55

ANyways, since september, i have taken more than 5K pics! haha..that's how much fun it is and not much regret with my purchase.

Hope the above information helps.

 

[Zplus]

D40 has been known to produce exceptionally good photos with low noise and high detail
and the D40 costs under 1k, which it comes with a Nikkor 18-55 DX SWM EDII lens which i would say is an excellent lens with good sharpness, enough focal lengths to let a beginner pick up techniques and discover his style before moving on to another lens

I would recommand eloera to have a look at these 2 reviews before embarking on either DSLR for beginners.
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond40/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/

Basically, the Nikon D40 is only 6 megapixels versus the Canon 400D's 10 megapixels. In fact, the Nikon D40 is very much like Canon's old EOS 300D (also 6 megapixels with good noise control plus it can do ISO100 and has 7 focus points versus Nikon D40's 3 focus points).

If you like Canon, then go for the 400D as a beginner's camera. Its a pretty good option considering its low price. Canon and Nikon lens are not interchangeable. The Canon 400D can take on EF-S and EF mount lens. It can also use non Canon lens that are built with an EF mount (e.g. Tamron and Sigma).

As for beginner's lens, the Kit Lens EF 18-55 is not bad in terms of image quality. You can buy a body and get it 2nd hand if cost is a concern (2nd hand its around $75).

I also second FrogLAH's recommendation for a EF 50mm f1.8 lens. Its only $100+ ($130?) brand new.

Here's a guide to understanding photography esp for Canon users with a DSLR:
http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/index.html
Very easy to follow, lots of pictures and all the confusing terms like "Flare" are explained.

 

[ReiszRie]

sometimes it might be a good idea to factor in the budget of an individual, lol

TS has only a budget of 1.4k and therefore it seems kind of pointless to keep recommending a semi-professional body to him, moreover jumping straight to a 30D isn't something everyone with a sane mind would do (considering the cost) unless TS could well afford it, i would say its a better choice for him to go with an entry-level dSLR

Lenses wise, everyone's photography style differs, and not everyone is a fan of a 50mm 1.8f lens considering its multiplier effect of 1.6x which effectively makes it an 80mm lens, given such focal length, i would say unless you're into taking photos in available-light at such focal lengths, don't jump right into it, instead understand your style and get a lens that complements it. ultimately, a man's meat is another man's poison.

 

[eloera]

I would recommand eloera to have a look at these 2 reviews before embarking on either DSLR for beginners.
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond40/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/

Basically, the Nikon D40 is only 6 megapixels versus the Canon 400D's 10 megapixels. In fact, the Nikon D40 is very much like Canon's old EOS 300D (also 6 megapixels with good noise control plus it can do ISO100 and has 7 focus points versus Nikon D40's 3 focus points).

If you like Canon, then go for the 400D as a beginner's camera. Its a pretty good option considering its low price. Canon and Nikon lens are not interchangeable. The Canon 400D can take on EF-S and EF mount lens. It can also use non Canon lens that are built with an EF mount (e.g. Tamron and Sigma).

As for beginner's lens, the Kit Lens EF 18-55 is not bad in terms of image quality. You can buy a body and get it 2nd hand if cost is a concern (2nd hand its around $75).

I also second FrogLAH's recommendation for a EF 50mm f1.8 lens. Its only $100+ ($130?) brand new.

Here's a guide to understanding photography esp for Canon users with a DSLR:
http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/index.html
Very easy to follow, lots of pictures and all the confusing terms like "Flare" are explained.

thank you there! i am actually considering nikon D50 with d70 kit lens, but i feel it will be unwise of me if just buy that nikon cam without finding out more abt canon 400d? i mean there's so much hype.so it's like i am really at loss:dunno: which to get?

which is better actually and more value for money!

 

[Hoky]

which canon dslr and lens should a amateur pick!please recommend!

i know canon and nikon lens have different names ,but are their functions and performance similar?
and are they interchangeable as in a nikon lens be fixed with a canon body? BuDGET >$1.4K

can anybody help me with this?

thank you!


smiles!!

I think you meant budget <$1.4k... :bsmilie:

 

[Hoky]

thank you there! i am actually considering nikon D50 with d70 kit lens, but i feel it will be unwise of me if just buy that nikon cam without finding out more abt canon 400d? i mean there's so much hype.so it's like i am really at loss:dunno: which to get?

which is better actually and more value for money!

Nothing to be at loss about.

Look at the specifications in DPreview and make your own evaluations.
Value for money: You should be looking at features and things that it bundle with.
Better or not: It all depends on the photographer, not the camera.

 

[eloera]

i don't think a beginner should jump to a 30D right off the bat, much less on a 50mm 1.8f lens

400D if you are geared towards Canon
D40 if you are geared towards Nikon

D40 has been known to produce exceptionally good photos with low noise and high detail
and the D40 costs under 1k, which it comes with a Nikkor 18-55 DX SWM EDII lens which i would say is an excellent lens with good sharpness, enough focal lengths to let a beginner pick up techniques and discover his style before moving on to another lens

Canon's 18-55mm kit lens leaves much to be desired, and its recommeded to forgo the lens and get the body only and purchase a seperate lens of better quality, all in all, it'll boil down to a cost of approx. 2k which is certainly above your budget....


don't bother thinking about the 30D with a f1.8 50mm lens as that would set you back around 2.6k

get what you need, and not be coerced into getting unecessary equipments, dSLR ain't like SLR of olden days, dSLRs loses their market value rapidly and therefore it will never be an "investment"

rather you get a low-cost entry-level dSLR and upgrade to a higher-end body if you require so, in the years to come than to have you get a semi-professional body now and let its value drop whilst you're not capable yet to make full use of its potential.

lenses on the other hand depends greatly on your style of photography, you do not need to pay hundreds for a wide aperture lens just to learn the relationship between aperture and shutter speed, you could do that with any lens, heck you could even do that by simply reading up on materials widely available on the net.

play around with your kit lenses as it usually covers wide (18mm) to normal (55mm) focal lengths and its suffice to discover your style, whether you're into wide-angle, sports, wildlife, normal perspective, available-light or other types of photography, from then on, you purchase lenses that complements your style.

hope my entry is of help to you =)

woah! that's alot of info i have got there! i was narrowing my choices down to nikon d50 with d70 kit lens and a sb400 flash? cos canond40 isnt that versatile,whereby you cant use all other AD ,ADF and AD S lens !

but i wld like to find out more abt canon cams too.
with esp with all that hype abt canon eos 400d and canon 20d?

am i right to say that when you purchase a canon cam, it includes the lens as well?
and if i shldnt buy the 18 55mm lens, then which lens shld i buy considering my 1.4k budget?

 

[ReiszRie]

maybe i'm biased but i do believe a D40 would suit your needs perfectly well, its probably one of the most value for money dSLR out there.... =) ultimately you'll have to hands-on and try them out to have a better idea which you prefer ^^

 

[pRoLoS3r]

Limme try and help.

By now, you should know tt canon uses cmos and nikon uses ccd.
Each brand has its own strengths.

Both produces images great but canon's DIGIC imaging processing engine is better.
Nikon's lens are sharper for their entry series.
You are getting a system, not just processing engine, You have to look into the future lens you might want to be getting, flashes, etc and their various costs.
For example, nikon's current highest end flash SB800 costs abt $600, Whereas Canon's Highest end flash cost abt $700.
Each system has their difference in the lens... for example... Nikon is going for their DX type of lens... it May be cheaper and lighter for the photographers of the NIkon.
Canon's lens power lens are the L lens, but they do come with quite a hefty price tag too. (I not saying Nikon is cheap). But L lens are the better performing lens in the canon system, but they are targeted for full frame body. Not really suitable for just hobbists. I may be wrong.. Maybe someone can enlighten on the prices and performance.

However, if you are on budget of <$1.4K.
It might be sucide for u to get a 20D or 30D.
Maybe u can get a second hand 20D with a kit lens only :bsmilie: ..

For Canon,
You could consider getting a 400D with kits lens.
If you have slightly more $$$, a 350D or 400D with a sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DG Macro.
But it will be more costly. cause tt piece of glass cost $610 if its first hand. Maybe u can try ur luck for $500 in the second hand market?

For Nikon,
Do consider the D50 or D70 with a D70's kit lens or even the D80's kit lens.
IF you feel slightly richer, the sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DG Macro (Nikon mount) also works great with the nikon Camera.

D40 may be a uncertainty, because we do not know what cheaper AP-S lens will be coming out with... But I believe and other too .. they will come out with loads of great lens for the entry lvl DSLRs'. .

I dont think u should jump straight into getting a 50mm lens. It might not be suitable for u...
I am not saying the 50mm F1.8 is not good. ITs actually great for low lighting and boket . U may not be accustomed to shooting with focal length restriction and if u solely have tt lens only. You will have a tough time taking group shots.

Hope this helps and this is my perception.. hope no one :flame: me.

 

[ReiszRie]

agreed with pRoLoS3r,

though i would say Canon's Digic 3 processor produces stronger colour and higher sharpening targetted towards end consumers whilst Nikon prefers to stay true to the image and does not use high sharpening or colour saturation for their pictures, personally i prefer Nikon's stance as i want my pictures to be what i perceive. Nikon also comes with good kit lenses that would satisfy you for quite awhile, lastly, Nikkor lenses are known for their quality and they certainly does not lose out the L lenses

 

[Zplus]

woah! that's alot of info i have got there! i was narrowing my choices down to nikon d50 with d70 kit lens and a sb400 flash? cos canond40 isnt that versatile,whereby you cant use all other AD ,ADF and AD S lens !

but i wld like to find out more abt canon cams too.
with esp with all that hype abt canon eos 400d and canon 20d?

am i right to say that when you purchase a canon cam, it includes the lens as well?
and if i shldnt buy the 18 55mm lens, then which lens shld i buy considering my 1.4k budget?

Wise choice to steer clear of the Nikon D40...
D50 and D70 are not too bad.

Why Canon then? Both companies make different advancements. DO read DPreciew forums to get a feel of how the rest of the world feels about DSLR. Nikon has a strong following in Spore. Canon is strong in photojounalism and sports. Nikon's wides are good. At this point in time, Nikon is also catching up in terms of noise reduction. Build quality goes to Nikon for entry point cameras. In terms of flash technology, Nikon's are less complicated whereas Canon's TTL2 needs some reading up to get it to perform consistently.

Contrary to ReiszRie comments on Canon's DIGIC processors, these are known to be fast and good in processing images. At neutral settings for sharpen and saturation, Canon colors are known to be natural and leased processsed and are not overlysharpened. You'd probably have to read widely to see this.

No flame wars intended, I just state it as it is.

 

[eloera]

Limme try and help.

By now, you should know tt canon uses cmos and nikon uses ccd.
Each brand has its own strengths.

Both produces images great but canon's DIGIC imaging processing engine is better.
Nikon's lens are sharper for their entry series.
You are getting a system, not just processing engine, You have to look into the future lens you might want to be getting, flashes, etc and their various costs.
For example, nikon's current highest end flash SB800 costs abt $600, Whereas Canon's Highest end flash cost abt $700.
Each system has their difference in the lens... for example... Nikon is going for their DX type of lens... it May be cheaper and lighter for the photographers of the NIkon.
Canon's lens power lens are the L lens, but they do come with quite a hefty price tag too. (I not saying Nikon is cheap). But L lens are the better performing lens in the canon system, but they are targeted for full frame body. Not really suitable for just hobbists. I may be wrong.. Maybe someone can enlighten on the prices and performance.

However, if you are on budget of <$1.4K.
It might be sucide for u to get a 20D or 30D.
Maybe u can get a second hand 20D with a kit lens only :bsmilie: ..

For Canon,
You could consider getting a 400D with kits lens.
If you have slightly more $$$, a 350D or 400D with a sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DG Macro.
But it will be more costly. cause tt piece of glass cost $610 if its first hand. Maybe u can try ur luck for $500 in the second hand market?

For Nikon,
Do consider the D50 or D70 with a D70's kit lens or even the D80's kit lens.
IF you feel slightly richer, the sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DG Macro (Nikon mount) also works great with the nikon Camera.

D40 may be a uncertainty, because we do not know what cheaper AP-S lens will be coming out with... But I believe and other too .. they will come out with loads of great lens for the entry lvl DSLRs'.

I dont think u should jump straight into getting a 50mm lens. It might not be suitable for u...
I am not saying the 50mm F1.8 is not good. ITs actually great for low lighting and boket . U may not be accustomed to shooting with focal length restriction and if u solely have tt lens only. You will have a tough time taking group shots.

Hope this helps and this is my perception.. hope no one me.

woah. lol.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: that was really hefty for me to digest. i will probably have to read up more on them. hmm i was reading abt canon d400's review on some website which i forgot where and what? but they were saying that canon's 18 55 mm lens isnt as fantastic as everyone expected it to be?

hmm is that what you were trying to say your 50mm lens? i didnt get you there. which brand are you talking abt for the 50mm f1.8 !

 

[eloera]

sighs what a headache!


i was just grasping all the terminologies and technicalities of nikon cams and lenses in that crazy nikonian world out there.

but somehow i do like what i see in canon pics in terms of colours and quality.

i dont know. it almost seems as if i have to plunge headown to another few disastrous sleepless nights reading on canon's stuff.

someone in the thread was saying that it isnt necessary that canon produces better images, it's up to the skill of the individual users.

my preferences for pics are that it appears strong, and crisp with clearly defined colours
and details.

head ache and dying.the more i read, the more i am torn in btwn both!

 

[zac08]

woah. lol.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: that was really hefty for me to digest. i will probably have to read up more on them. hmm i was reading abt canon d400's review on some website which i forgot where and what? but they were saying that canon's 18 55 mm lens isnt as fantastic as everyone expected it to be?

hmm is that what you were trying to say your 50mm lens? i didnt get you there. which brand are you talking abt for the 50mm f1.8 !

Both brands have the 50mm f1.8. Both primes are good.

But the canon kit lens has been reviewed by numerous ppl and magazines and the word is, it can't make it... too poor quality. If you do wish to get the 400D, then consider getting better lenses than the 18-55.

Hmmmm.. interesting fact which I just learnt :

the ISO sensitivity for the Canon 400D is not accurate.

Indicated
sensitivity - Canon EOS 400D
ISO 100 - ISO 125
ISO 200 - ISO 250
ISO 400 - ISO 500
ISO 800 - ISO 1000
ISO 1600 - ISO 2000

From DPreview

 

[eloera]

Both brands have the 50mm f1.8. Both primes are good.

But the canon kit lens has been reviewed by numerous ppl and magazines and the word is, it can't make it... too poor quality. If you do wish to get the 400D, then consider getting better lenses than the 18-55.

Hmmmm.. interesting fact which I just learnt :

the ISO sensitivity for the Canon 400D is not accurate.

Indicated
sensitivity - Canon EOS 400D
ISO 100 - ISO 125
ISO 200 - ISO 250
ISO 400 - ISO 500
ISO 800 - ISO 1000
ISO 1600 - ISO 2000

From DPreview

and it's our trusty zac to the rescue again! hmmm. zac! what are prime lens used for? if i get the 18 70mm lens do i still need a prime lens?