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Buying an SLR camera

Can anyone suggest a good cheap (say ~$500-750) camera. What are certain brands like at those price ranges? Thanks to anyone who can help.

 
nic - 12 August 2009 06:58 AM

Can anyone suggest a good cheap (say ~$500-750) camera. What are certain brands like at those price ranges? Thanks to anyone who can help.

Im no camera expert but my mate over at my hosue now says he just bought a Tamron XR 28-300 from Kirks cameras which is in ringwood at half price. used to be 1000 but they slashed it down to 500.
Im not sure if they’re good or anything, it just sounds like a bargain

 
golfpunklegend - 12 August 2009 09:47 AM
nic - 12 August 2009 06:58 AM

Can anyone suggest a good cheap (say ~$500-750) camera. What are certain brands like at those price ranges? Thanks to anyone who can help.

Im no camera expert but my mate over at my hosue now says he just bought a Tamron XR 28-300 from Kirks cameras which is in ringwood at half price. used to be 1000 but they slashed it down to 500.
Im not sure if they’re good or anything, it just sounds like a bargain

Thanks, might go have a look this weekend unless someone has heard bad thigns about them or highly recommends somethign else.

 
Skiing makes me Board - 10 August 2009 10:52 PM

Check out http://www.d-d-photographics.com.au/ really good deals and pickup available from north sydney. Personally i would go for Canon. IMO their lenses are better than Nikon. Check out all the sports photographers at the olympics. They all have the big white “L” series lenses. Really says something if most of the pro’s are using Canon.

I spose it also depends on your budget and what you are wanting to shoot.

canon’s lens lineup is significantly cheaper than nikon’s.

either is good! which is better is subject to needs, e.g. focal length (nikon’s 12-24 abs best in the range, canon’s 85L is unbeatable in that focal length), ec.

http://www.staticice.com.au
or shopbot.com.au for prices

btw the tamron is just a lens. no camera. smile

 

So that Tamron XR 28-300 is a $500 lens? Haha, need the camera first and a little pricey for me atm.

 
Avatar
nic - 12 August 2009 11:55 AM

So that Tamron XR 28-300 is a $500 lens? Haha, need the camera first and a little pricey for me atm.


....... and $500 will just get you a mid-range price lens, it goes up from there.
Unfortunately its not a cheap hobby smile

 
EvanL - 12 August 2009 12:31 PM
nic - 12 August 2009 11:55 AM

So that Tamron XR 28-300 is a $500 lens? Haha, need the camera first and a little pricey for me atm.


....... and $500 will just get you a mid-range price lens, it goes up from there.
Unfortunately its not a cheap hobby smile

Thanks for that. Do you have any suggestions for a relatively inexpensive camera that’ll get the basics done?

 

the guide is usually to get a cheap camera, and blow your cash on the lenses (or snowboards ha ha).

it’s the glass that will most greatly affect your image quality.

i havent been shopping for a camera in a few years so i’m quite out of it regarding the models…just go for a ‘not the newest’ release of the entry level camera…like the D70 for nikon or 400D for canon (<—- i am probably totally outdated here). they’ll be good for you. and with a kit lens- shouldnt set you back too much.

it’ll give you a taste of SLRs and what they’re capable of, and what types of lenses you will need later on. goodluck!

 
nic - 12 August 2009 11:55 AM

So that Tamron XR 28-300 is a $500 lens? Haha, need the camera first and a little pricey for me atm.

Aahahahah. sorry man. my mate came over and we were meant to be studying. He looks over my shoulder and tells me that hes bought this tamron jizz for 500 instead of 1000 so i just typed it in…. 500 for a lens?
sheez.

 
Innocence - 12 August 2009 12:53 PM

the guide is usually to get a cheap camera, and blow your cash on the lenses (or snowboards ha ha).

it’s the glass that will most greatly affect your image quality.

i havent been shopping for a camera in a few years so i’m quite out of it regarding the models…just go for a ‘not the newest’ release of the entry level camera…like the D70 for nikon or 400D for canon (<—- i am probably totally outdated here). they’ll be good for you. and with a kit lens- shouldnt set you back too much.

it’ll give you a taste of SLRs and what they’re capable of, and what types of lenses you will need later on. goodluck!

Thanks , might go have a look arpund this weekend.

 
Avatar

G’day Nic,

A mate of mine picked up a used, but well looked after Canon 400D last week, with the twin IS lenses (18-55 and 55-250) for $700. I’m pretty sure that’s about the going rate, and a pretty good buy IMO.

I’ve got the same camera, and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m looking to upgrade now, but it’s great for a first camera, and the twin IS lenses do a decent job too.

And yeah, $500 for a lens is at the cheaper end of the scale for sure. Apart from the nifty fifty which I got for $150, I think my next cheapest lens was about $760. And the last lens I bought was $1105.

I think my next one is going to cost me about $2300.  :(

 
Tills - 12 August 2009 11:54 PM

G’day Nic,

A mate of mine picked up a used, but well looked after Canon 400D last week, with the twin IS lenses (18-55 and 55-250) for $700. I’m pretty sure that’s about the going rate, and a pretty good buy IMO.

I’ve got the same camera, and I’m pretty happy with it. I’m looking to upgrade now, but it’s great for a first camera, and the twin IS lenses do a decent job too.

And yeah, $500 for a lens is at the cheaper end of the scale for sure. Apart from the nifty fifty which I got for $150, I think my next cheapest lens was about $760. And the last lens I bought was $1105.

I think my next one is going to cost me about $2300.  :(

So is second hand a good idea? Am I likely to have issues with this or are most people with SLRs quite good at looking after them?

 
Avatar

So if your just looking at getting something basic and slr, your going to want to stick to the major brands.  Its true that a camera body is just a empty box with a mirror and the lens will show the clarity and blah blah blah.  But in the digital world the processor in the camera, the features the camera allows and a mess of other things is what you will be paying for.  I would suggest to put you five hundy in your sock drawer and wait until you get a little more.  Check out some package deals and talk with friends that have cameras and see if they will let you borrow one for a day.  The best way to find what you want is get out and play, you can actually rent cameras and lens now so thats an option.

Go walk around camera shops and ask the ones working in the shops.  Butif you find something you like spend the extra 10-20 bucks to buy in the store after all they did the work to help you out.

 
darb - 13 August 2009 07:39 AM

So if your just looking at getting something basic and slr, your going to want to stick to the major brands.  Its true that a camera body is just a empty box with a mirror and the lens will show the clarity and blah blah blah.  But in the digital world the processor in the camera, the features the camera allows and a mess of other things is what you will be paying for.  I would suggest to put you five hundy in your sock drawer and wait until you get a little more.  Check out some package deals and talk with friends that have cameras and see if they will let you borrow one for a day.  The best way to find what you want is get out and play, you can actually rent cameras and lens now so thats an option.

Go walk around camera shops and ask the ones working in the shops.  Butif you find something you like spend the extra 10-20 bucks to buy in the store after all they did the work to help you out.

I went into a camera store today and had a bit of a talk with one of the guys working there. For a salesman he was actually quite useful and gave similar advice to you. He said that I’d definitely be better off saving another few hundred and the quality will jump up a fair bit (of the camera). Thanks for the help and suggestions.

 
nic - 15 August 2009 08:07 AM

I went into a camera store today and had a bit of a talk with one of the guys working there. For a salesman he was actually quite useful and gave similar advice to you. He said that I’d definitely be better off saving another few hundred and the quality will jump up a fair bit (of the camera). Thanks for the help and suggestions.

As i said before, im no camera guru, but i’d save for quality. You get what you pay for and that is true in a lot of cases. A camera’d last you a while so you might as well be happy with what you get.