Advice on first DLSR camera
I am spewing I didn’t pull the trigger on the Sony A57 when that dual lens kit was onsale, i live in hope it comes back on sale again.
Thanks for all the replies guys!
I also read this thread which had some real good info too, plus some good websites that are cheap. https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/13048/
I haven’t had the chance to check the threads you posted Oz, but will. I still don’t have internet, but at least a new month has rolled over for my phone, so I can use it to go online.
So far I am liking the look of the 60D and 7D. It appears that a newer version of the 60D is coming out very soon, I think it’s called the 70D? May be an option. Or like people have said, the other two are old but dropping more and more in price.
What’s so bad about the lenses that come as a package with the camera? I’m leaning towards getting them as they are such good value. I assume it will be more than sufficient to get started, and in the future if I want something better I will probably have a better idea of what type etc.
I’m getting pretty excited about it all! Bought a couple photography mags on the weekend for inspiration. Especially good as I had run out of internet on my phone lol!
I’ll check back later to re-read and check links. 
EDIT: Just checked that comparison you posted of the 7D and 60D, Oz. I was surprised just how similar they were in specs. A couple things the 60D is better in too.
And yeah Sony, I haven’t even looked at their stuff at all yet…
This comparison between 7D and 60D is pretty good too…
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon_EOS_60D-vs-Canon_EOS_7D
Probably has good comparisons with other brands.
Dan other people will say not to get the lens kit and to spend your money elsewhere…
ie between the 60D and the 70D I would buy the 60D and spend more on better lenses.
But if you only have the cash for a 60D with lens kit then get that.
Get a 60D with the 18 - 200 lens (rather than two lenses)
Dan other people will say not to get the lens kit and to spend your money elsewhere…
ie between the 60D and the 70D I would buy the 60D and spend more on better lenses.
But if you only have the cash for a 60D with lens kit then get that.
Get a 60D with the 18 - 200 lens (rather than two lenses)
the 18-200 lens is a neat lens. has image stabilization, letting you shoot hand held at lower speeds. The 7D has been the videographers choice of DSLR for a while now… have a look at how much on TV and in movies is shot on a 7D. The Mk II version wuill probably be out in August. Looking at the specs, I’d buy one again.
The 60D has the swivel screen, if that floats your boat (for me it’s something I’ve used but can do without).
Check out the 700D. It’s new and looks like an awesome camera too. Has a new processor, by the looks too. (Digic 5 instead of 4). But it seems to be a body only product, which might be a good thing.
Another consideration….. check how the images are recorded. 7D uses CF cards, which you probably don’t have lying around. They used to be “better” than SD, back in the day. newer cameras are using SD, or a combination. Some even have 2 slots. benefit of SD is that once formatted, can be used in any of your compatible devices.
Dual slot SD is a good thing - something that would sway any choice I made.
Kit lenses - you will think are fantastic until you use a “good” lens.
After you have have a good lens you will regret ever shooting on a kit lens.
Can I put it like this;
It’s the quality of glass used (look in an expensive mirror), the fine machining, attention to quality during manufacturing and quality control.
I can’t think of a good analogy specifically for you Dan.
But consider this; An engineer can take a $100K car, strip down the engine, micro balance all the new components and rebuild the engine and get 200% efficiency and power.
A good lens is already micro balanced.
At the end of the day photographers take good photos not camera’s or lenses.
BTW Tambo I thought the go-to DSLR camera for TV was the 5D.
The Sony cameras have very good lenses in the kit - very good.
With Nikon & Canon; the cheaper places like HN, GG etc… get the lower cut, quality controlled wares. Camera shops get better quality but for the best stock lenses seek out a store that has a purchasing officer who has a good relationship/rank/“in” with the company that supplies the gear.
Some pro photogs deal directly with the brand they use, so you want a purchasing officer who is a pro photographer but works for a store because; a) he owns it, or b) loves cameras so much he would do it for free.
is it confirmed that the new 7D is out in Aug??
the date I see everywhere for the 7D Mk II is 13 august, but who knows really. The rumours have the specs changing a bit over the last few months.
Spaz, the 5D didn’t have video in the earlier model, so that’s why so much was shot on the 7D. The 5D III does, but man that costs a lot of $$, and many filmakers don’t have that kind of $$. The guys we were shooting with last week got everything they wanted on their 7D, and they used pancake lens 40mm I think it was. Google it… heaps of movies shot with 7D. 
And yes, we have great lenses. L series, image stabilised blah blah. And no, I wouldn’t use them everyday over my kit lens. Because if I trash the kit lens it really doesn’t matter. I’ve dropped it in the sand. It didn’t work, cost me $60 to get fixed.
I’m not printing posters, I’m not printing bill boards. Most of our stuff commercially ends up either on the web, so 400 by 500 pixels, or less, and 72 res, or in brochures. we use the l series for those sure, but if I’m sitting in the car, boat, plane etc, I’ll have the kit lens on the camera and the L series in the bag. Horses for courses. That’s what suits me.
I agree with what Tambo said above.
Travelling and the like the lens kit is fine!
And yeah good reminder that what your are doing with the end product is whats important.
ie Dan you don’t need to invest in more megapixels unless you are doing professional print ads/posters and the like.
the date I see everywhere for the 7D Mk II is 13 august, but who knows really. The rumours have the specs changing a bit over the last few months.
yeah cheers, hopefully it comes out later haha i dont want to upgrade anytime soon lol
Tambo, do you find you can tell a difference between the quality of photo you get with you kit lense compared to you L lense?
Tambo/ozgirl, I’m new to DSLR cameras so am wondering what makes the 18-200mm so much better than the two lenses? Is it just because you don’t need to change lense or is it actually better? The two lense seems a lot cheaper is all.
Dan it really depends on what you are shooting and what purpose you have in shooting. A better lens will give you better bokeah ( those little starburst things) , and when shooting with shallow depth of field ie f 2.8 ish the blurry background will be more blurry. Actually, you won’t get many (any?) kit lenses that get to f 2.8. That’s a pretty tough depth of field to use but gets some cracker shots. A better lens will have less ” bleeding” of the colors when you enlarge it. So you won’t see the red green blue edges around things as much… But each lens is different and that’s surely not the technical explanation.
The 18-200 means that you have one lens, it’s not massively heavy, that covers wide angle to long distance all in one lens. We have an 18 to 55 and 55 to 135. And they never go on the camera. The 18 to 200 is on thee all the time. The other camera has either the 100 macro ( delicious lens) , or the fish eye, great lens, crap lens cover. And the camera bag gets the 70 to 200, 10 to 22.
Simple answer, yes you can tell. ( You can tell as soon as you put the lens on the camera) but in the canon range you have to go L series to really tell. once again, you need to think, what and how do I want to shoot, what and how do I want to carry my gear. Do I want to have to get close to stuff I shoot? As long as it works for you, it won’t be wrong.
Do you want to drive your farrari to do the canning stock route?
Dan the single lens is all about convenience for me.
My SLR I currently own has a 28 - 80 lens and a 70 - 200 lens. And well, no matter what I was shooting I was constantly swapping between the two.
And more parts more things to get broken.
I was on holiday in Africa when I last used the camera and i was constantly swapping between the two and the 28 - 80 lens broke. I couldn’t get get it fixed until i was home. whilst I love my photos from that trip you look through the album and well you can tell something is not quite right. every photo feels over cropped.
What is your budget?