Recommend a DSLR please

mattyb240 said:
The advice I had and ignored when I did photography was to buy a better body second hand. I wish I did! Better value and you won't feel as bad when it ends up in the cupboard.
As for the lens it will be slow and comparatively not as a good quality say if you got two lenses e.g. 17-50 & a 70-200.

That lens is for people moving from a point and shoot that still don't want to swap lenses but want something that covers a big range.
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I have a 18-200, it makes for an ideal travelling lens for when I don't want to carry a hefty bag with my several other lenses. But they aren't a be all and end all, and it's self is a heavy enough lens.
 
That is where I am to be honest. Want something better than my phone or cheapo digital and dont know enough about all the terminology etc, so need something that will do a good job but not overwhelm me.

Wary about buying something like this second hand without knowing the source.
 
vman said:
That is where I am to be honest. Want something better than my phone or cheapo digital and dont know enough about all the terminology etc, so need something that will do a good job but not overwhelm me.

Wary about buying something like this second hand without knowing the source.
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If I'm ever looking at buying something I buy a mag. It gets you use to some of the terminology, shows you some features and give you some idea of what they can do. From this read a few reviews no visit some forums.

When you have made your purchase then explore the settings. Take several of the same shot using the different settings. The start looking at the manual setting side of things. Don't be put off with what other say about your shots, shot for you and what you like.
 
Do you really need a DSLR? the top end compacts these days will in fact take a photo every bit as good as a DSLR they really will I've owned Nikon D90 and D80 and I cannot tell the difference between my little Nikon J2 or my DSLR in fact I always shoot on manual and it even offers the same control I have over my shots. most people think if they get a better camera they will take better shots no they won't they main issue is you will need to learn is how to compose a shot that's the most important thing, secondly being able to control all the technical features like what shutter speed what apperture metering light this is something a camera cannot do in a manual mode it's all down to you.
 
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That is exactly the internal debate I am having with myself.

Do I need a new camera - well, yes. My phone is not the answer, and my old 5 year old point and shoot (Fuji JZ510) is playing up.

Do I need a DSLR ? probably not. but then again, I dont need 3 shavemac brushes but that is what I will end up with thanks to Nishy. :)

Will look at the compacts - though, will probably get "you paid what for that little thing" from the misses, :)
 
I own large format, medium format, TLRs, 35mm SLRs, digital SLRs Lo-Fi, Compacts, camera phones... the lot.

If you're serious about your photography then you just can't beat the all round performance and versatility of a DSLR. But it can also get very expensive as you start with a standard kit lens and then decide you want one of everything else, and then only top quality lenses of the 4 figure variety will satisfy your needs.

Tread carefully Padawan.
 
Have you considered a Compact System Camera? Size of a compact (Micro Four Thirds) but versatility of interchangeable lenses like a DSLR. Gets you the best of both worlds but without the the bulk of a DSLR and a little cheaper.
I have a Panasonic GF6 with a modest zoom lens 14-42mm (28-84mm 35mm equivalent) and it gets taken many places where I wouldn't want to lug my DSLR around.
If you want better quality than a mobile phone then any compact camera will deliver way better results - just think about the amount of glass/plastic in a phone camera compared to just about any stand-alone camera.

It amazes me how many people think phone/ipad cameras create decent images. Maybe ok for small Facebook images but not much use for anything else.
 
Thanks all. I had a look at the compact ones from both panasonic and canon, but having spent all morning reading up on the subject I decided to stick with the 70D - its a cracking price and as jb said - good starting point for if/when I get really serious about the hobby once I retire :)

The final hurdle was the misses. I mentioned... I'm thinking of buying a new proper camera... She didn't say no, so that's good enough for me to pull the trigger. Another XMAS present for myself.
 
Almost more important than the camera itself is the system you are buying into. That Canon will not limit you in the future. Don't get swept along buying new bodies with every minor "upgrade" . Spend enough time getting to know what it can really do then consider good lenses as they add more to what you can do and are almost an investment in a good system.
 
Well done - great camera, and indeed if you had the 18-135 STM lens, a great lens too. At that price you can't go wrong. Have fun, and don't forget to post some pictures.

I have had mine since Feb 2014, and I am still learning.
 
I switched from a Canon DSLR plus a few lenses to a mirrorless camera about a year ago. Didn't lose much on the glass, since I bought most second hand myself too.

No regrets, though the ubiquitous availability of used Canon lenses was a definite pro.
 
I'm looking forward to the learning aspect. Part of my decision process was to invest now into something I can take with me once I retire, which is, at a maximum 7 years away, but if the planets line up, could be as near as 21 months away, so I was toying with either photography or woodworking - photography won.

I have to resist buying anything more now until I get to grips with what I have. All I have purchased in addition to the camera kit are a polaroid UV filter and some 1x, 2x, 4x, 10x lenses to play around with macro stuff and a memory card.

I do need to get a case, not looking for anything bulky as it will most likely live in my backpack when on hols, but something that will give it a little protection amongst all the other crap I carry around - so any suggestions would be great.
 
Sounds like a plan. Good idea getting a good quality UV filter to leave on the lens all the time to protect it. You've spent a lot on the lens so make sure you don't loose quality by matching it with a cheap filter. A quality circular polarising filter is fun to play with.

Buy a second memory card so you can swap during a holiday etc. At least if you lose the camera etc. you will have saved some photos on the 2nd card kept separately. You don't need a very large card, it'll take you a long time to fill a 16GB card.

Buy a spare battery; it will come in handy many times. Don't go cheap on a no-brand battery. I did but now think it may be causing problems when it runs low. Next battery will be the camera's brand - bloody expensive though :(

Get a case big enough for the camera plus straps, battery etc.

If you are interested in macro then lens extension tubes may interest you (mounted between the body and the lens) although they can be expensive. A decent tripod would also be essential for macro. A good tripod will outlast many cameras but again depends on your budget.

My main advice is to take the camera everywhere with you that you can and use it. Try lots of types of shooting scenarios and find out what kind of shots you like. Take time to think about composition. And most of all enjoy your camera.
 
@fancontroller I am very fortunate to line 2 minutes walk away from woodland, so it will be coming out with me on my daily walks. I want to zoom in on the shy fox we see every now and then. I went for a 64Gb card in the end. i got sucked in. the 16GB was £18.. the 32GB was £20, the 64GB was £25, so just went for that - Sandisk Extreme Pro range. I make sure I am never far from wifi on hols, so backing up wont be a problem

I hadnt even thought about batteries yet. no need for a few months as no holiday until March, so will take my time looking into that.
 
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