Digi Cameras

I bought a Canon 300D today, in the package with 18-55mm lens, for £640. Tried it hands on against the Nikon D70 and preferred it. Came with Photoshop Elements 2.0 in the box, which is all the software most people will probably need (although I already have Photoshop). It's a nice beast, can't wait to give it a proper go.

I started out learning photography earlier in the year with a Panasonic Lumix FZ10 I bought in the States, a nice camera to learn with, with fully-manual operation as well as the various auto options, and a decent price, but it's already clear from a few quick test shots that the Canon is a much better device.

-- Ian
 
Just in case you didn't know Isaac, my Butterfly expert tells me thats a Large Skipper (assuming you took the pic in the UK)
 
sideshowbob said:
I bought a Canon 300D today, in the package with 18-55mm lens, for £640. Tried it hands on against the Nikon D70 and preferred it. Came with Photoshop Elements 2.0 in the box, which is all the software most people will probably need (although I already have Photoshop). It's a nice beast, can't wait to give it a proper go.

I started out learning photography earlier in the year with a Panasonic Lumix FZ10 I bought in the States, a nice camera to learn with, with fully-manual operation as well as the various auto options, and a decent price, but it's already clear from a few quick test shots that the Canon is a much better device.

-- Ian
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:), there nice arnt they. had mine for about 9 months now and probably one of the better things i have purchased around that price.

Only problem is i've been looking at a £450 lens
 
I'm avoiding looking at lenses for at least 3 months.

A nice macro lens would be good though. And a wide-angle lens. And maybe a better primary lens.

Oh bugger. :)

-- Ian
 
sideshowbob said:
Came with Photoshop Elements 2.0 in the box, which is all the software most people will probably need (although I already have Photoshop).

-- Ian
Click to expand...

Would this sort of thing explain the numerous copies of (bundle only) Elements for sale on ebay ?
 
there are loads of bundles on ebay and quite a lot of lenses tbh,

funny how the lens i want (Sigma 12-25) isnt much cheaper on ebay unless i want to get it from hongkong
 
Got in touch with my mate at Canon and asked him about the G6 which retails at about £499. Told me he could get it for £405 which is about 20%. Was hoping for a bit more to be honest as I can't really afford to spend 400 quid on a camera.
Might either wait for it to go down in price or just start researching again at a lower price bracket. I could get the Canon online for £430 so I might just look for the best deal on a camera not necessarily by Canon as my deal on them isn't going to be that significant. Especially as my mate lives miles away.
Or I might consider going second hand.

So 2 questions...
How long does it take for a camera to drop £100? As once its dropped £100 then I could get 20% off that and pick it up for 320. Presumeably pre christmas isn't best time to buy.

Any tips on a second hand cameras? Hopefully avoiding ebay.

Edit: What about buying from the US or singapore?
 
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tomson said:
for anyone looking to buy a 300D - Canon are offering £100 cashback.

Details here http://www.canon.co.uk/eos300dcashback/index.asp
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And for all those who have just bought one, (Ian), gutting!

"Purchase your EOS 300D between Monday 1st November 2004 and Monday 31st January 2005"

Perhaps try for a refund and and buy again? Or maybe a friendly chat with the seller to give a newer receipt?
 
Hi

I use mainly 35mm,but i wanted a small digital camera to carry around,so i shopped hard for what I want,and i have been through 6 of the little bleeders until i found a beauty i will keep hold of............

Panasonic DMC-FX7

its a beauty,Leica optics and an amazing stability programme-this is the only camera to offer this facility in a compact.It allows shake free shots as low as a 1/4! (I agree a bit with Michael re the dpreview forums,but if you ignore the Nikon takes on the universe arguements the individual forums are a useful source for information)

This camera weighs only 140g fully loaded,cost less than £300 with a 250mg card,spare battery and case

remarkable,check here http://www.panasonic.co.uk/digital-cameras/dmcfx7b/index.htm#


So, I'd say big CCDs rule and you should go the digital SLR route.[/quote

indeed! comparing small compacts with bigger slrs is as pointless with digital equipment as it is with 35mm................but you can't carry an SLR in your shorts can you? :)

tbh,with 6x4 prints you would be hard pressed to notice any additional noise compact v slr,bigger prints certainly,but the small compcts are just incredible now,even allowing for the size of the ccd

you just have to put with not having manual over-rides,so choosing dof is tricky,you can only select a portrait mode
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it all depends what you want to do with them.. the compacts are now excellent, and the auto modes are clever to the point that for the kind of thing you would use a compact for, there's little benefit in straying from them - so I wouldn't spend more than a couple of hundred on a compact (I got a Nikon Coolpix 3200 for £200). I also have a D70 (no brainer choice as I already had Nikon lenses). This is an absolute delight and superb for sports photography where compacts suffer from shutter lag - but to be honest, as with any SLR you need to be a better photographer to use it well - it is easier to make mistakes than with a compact. I tend to take the compact along when I'm off on a bike ride or a business trip, for opportunistic shots, and the SLR when I know in advance what I want to take pictures of. I've also found the SLR great for teaching my kids the basics of photography as you can demonstrate immediately, for example, the effect of aperture on depth of field, speed on camera shake etc whereas these things tend to be shielded from you with the compacts. I can't see the point of the expensive compacts bristiling with manual features around £5-600, as you get the worst of both tworlds.
 
For a superb compact digital camera, with excellent 'in-your-pocket' convenience, a first class Carl Zeiss zoom lens and superfast time between shots, look no further than the Contax U4R.

This beautiful little beastie is the best I've seen (by far) and has driven me scurrying to my piggie-bank to count my pennies. Check it out.
 
I almost bought that Steve,it boiled down to Zeiss V Leitz,but tbh,it was the OIS software with the FX7 that swung it for me
 
Saab said:
...it boiled down to Zeiss V Leitz,but tbh,it was the OIS software with the FX7 that swung it for me
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Gosh, I hadn't really given the software serious consideration, although I have been impressed by the Panasonic. What's special about the OIS?
 
Its incredible really,the only compact you get this in is the Panasonic DMC range.

Its hard not to get shake with a digital compact,due to size.With an SLR,you use nose,hands,arms,whatever,to steady yourself for the shot.Its not so easy at arms length using an LCD screen at the back,so you can get shake even at 60th.

But the OIS is a stability programme,normally found in much more expensive digital SLRs.It corrects shake,it its simplest form.User forums are quoting shake free pics down to a 1/4! so the crappy flash on these things becomes an irrelevance.

I doubt its perfect.i suspect it will sort out oscillating hands,but lateral movement,there will be limits.

check this out for an indoor pic,no tripod,no flash,took at an 1/8 to get max dof

indoors_01.jpg


£300 for that and 5mps.Simply brilliant little thing.
 
That is a stunning photo. Shit, just when I thought I had it licked it now looks like I need OIS. Two minutes ago, I didn't know OIS existed.

Ah well, that's the beauty of consumerism.
 
indeed,and if you can ignore how pretty this girl is,you can see how great this picture is,WITHOUT flash

its also posted on their website

night_01.jpg
 
i noticed the £100 cash back but hey considering it was a bit more when i got it anyway. You just cant win when you buy computers or cameras. hifi's at least seem to keep some price over a year period.
 


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