Thetownend.com

Tried to find an old thread but they were all about compacts. My little compact is on the blink and I'd like a digital SLR. No clue about them though which is pretty stupid as my old man was a photographer. Any tips on a good one for under 500 notes?

Canon EOS 550D is meant to be pretty decent... Around £450. You can get older EOS models on eBay that are just as good for an amateur photographer.

Edit: Scrub that, they're about £550. A close relative in the Canon EOS Rebel T2i might be a good compromise?

The T2i is £900!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-EOS-Rebel-T2i-supported/dp/B0037KM2J2

I bought the Canon 1000D with 18-55 is lense for £369 in jessops after selling my Panasonic FZ38 (bridge camera)
Absolutely love my Canon, easy to use & capable of producing stunning pics. Any entry level DSLR that is a Canon or Nikon is a good buy

Apologies... i got overexcited/misled by this (http://"http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=canon+eos&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=13410258487857461725&sa=X&ei=igrMTZTaEI2o8AOHp6ihBA&ved=0CGwQ8wIwAw&biw=1366&bih=585#scoring=p")

The wife was reseaching them for ages before buying one... she settled for an EOS something-or-other off eBay that was 2 models old.

i have the EOS 450D and its superb. Got it from Jessops, for around £500 with an extra lens thrown in worth £300 for free. This was last year mind, but jessops do have some ace deals. Canon seem to be the way forward.

No worries. Easily done.

There's no Jessops in Swindon is there?

scratch that, there's one at the bottom of town.

I bought a Canon EOS 450D with two lenses (18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS) from the Argos Outlet store on Ebay for just under £500.
To buy the camera body and two lenses separately it would've cost around £1000, so I was pretty happy with that.

There are some other DSLR cameras on their site (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Argos-Outlet/Digital-SLR-cameras-lenses-/_i.html?_fsub=1683050016&_sid=66512606&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322)

Cheers Ginge, will keep an eye on that.

I've got a Canon EOS 450D too. Very happy with it, got the standard lense and Tamron AF18-270mm lense. I would go into Jessops have a look at some and get a feeling for them, I had a look of some Nikon's but personally preferred the feeling of the Canon.

I've been looking into getting a digital SLR too.

From what I've read it less so about the body and more so about the lense(s).

I did make a post here earlier saying exactly that and then got a little self indulgent posting a few pic's that I had taken but deleted it because I didn't think it was right to hijack someone else thread...

Definitely about the lens, especially with camera's getting more pixels by the day - what you'll notice is that secondhand cameras fetch very little, even top of the range ones, but a good quality lens will hold it's value.

I can't justify the cost of Canon's L series lenses so opt for Sigma EX lenses instead and send them away to Sigma UK for calibration - it's little like putting your car in to get it race tuned; for most people taking an of the shelf model works but if you want seriously sharp pictures calibration is the only way to guarantee it.  Some people moan that you shouldn't have to do that for a quality lens but the point is there will always be tolerances that work against each other and for the sake of postage and a short wait the difference is blinding

I have a 7D coupled with five lenses (12-24mm, 24-70mm 70-200mm, 17-35mm and a fantastic 50mm F1.4 prime lens) and despite having to lug nearly 15kg of kit round with me would not be without it.

How much did they charge for calibration?

Depends on the lens - if it under warranty and you tell them it isn't sharp it is free. If it's outside warranty anything between 40 and 90 squid but the service levels are excellent - for best results send your camera as well and get it calibrated to your camera.

My 12-24 is back for in calibration because I upgraded to the 7D and they won't let me have it back until it is razor sharp!!

Price list is here...

http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/support/tarrifs.pdf

Basically it's classed as a minor adjustment £37.99

That's some impressive kit, triseros.
I could only afford an entry level Canon EOS (450D), but am very happy with it as i'm an absolute beginner with DSLR cameras, but I love it.
Trouble is, it's an expensive hobby to get into, i'm always finding new lenses that I want but can knowhere near afford to buy, so i'm stuck with this camera for a few years. But I would recommend it for a SLR novice like me.

It's been one of those hobbies that I've built up over time but have had to write a clause into my will that tells my other half to never sell any of my kit for what I told her I paid for it ;)

I would have loved a full frame sensor but have now set myself a goal of only spending on camera kit what I earn through taking photo's... of course I had to buy a few things first to make sure that I could look 'professional' (580 EXII flash, Manfrotto tripod etc...) :D

If buying from Jessops make sure to check the price in store against their online price. If online is cheaper you can reserve for store collection at the cheaper price.

Same with PC World and other stores actually.

If you make any investment in a lens make it the Sigma 50mm 1.4 prime lens - great pictures and really makes you think about composition as you have to become the zoom factor...

I understand why you removed your photos earlier, but they were really good, perhaps you should start a photo thread :)

I was looking at an SLR but I'm a little bit put off with the overall size and prefer something a little more compact.  Someone recommended a hybrid as a potential happy medium.  Anyone had any experience of hybrid and are they any trout?

Cheers

Thanks really appreciate the feedback - I like street photography; capturing life as it is without the formalities of studio or pretence of staged photographs.

I looked at them briefly, compact system cameras I think, they seemed like a bit too much of a compromise from an slr for me.

Please do, I'd like to see them as well!

It's down to personal preference, the size and weight is a burden but I know I have all the kit I need to capture the moment to a level of quality that means there is no compromise.  If you want a decent compact then this is the puppy...

http://www.canon.co.uk/For%5FHome/Product%5FFinder/Cameras/Digital%5FCamera/PowerShot/PowerShot%5FG12/

Thread for photo's...

http://thetownend.com/index.php/topic,43824.msg956604/topicseen.html#new

Cheers Triseros, silly question.  At a normal range standard shot is there any visible difference betwen a 10MP SLR and Compact?

I'm a point and click merchant and carry a tiny compact everywhere but looking to upgrade and mulling over going to a DSLR.

10mp is 10mp the only difference is the lens - with the G12 you'll be set... with the option of manual override so you can do the arty stuff!

You know a lot more about photography than me, but surely there has to be other differences than resolution between cameras? Like differences in whatever handles the encoding of image from lens to digital? Colour reproduction and stuff?

This is true even between DSLR's and is reflected in the price. The trick is to work out what type of photography you want do and match the camera to that - portrait photographers will choose a 1Ds because of it's processing and sensor, sports photographers will choose the 1D because of it's frames per second rate. The 5d is a cheaper version of the 1Ds and the 7D is the 1D sibling.

There will always be differences between cameras and the quality of the lens used will always have an impact on the quality of the image - a cheap 10mp camera will struggle to much something like the G12 canon but if you are only ever going to view the images on screen or print 6x4 images it is unlikely to stand out. It's only when you start to enlarge images that the differences really emerge

This is a must have accessory..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LENSPEN-PRO-KIT-DIGITAL-CAMERA-CLEANING-KIT-DSLR-KIT-/330562132393?pt=UK_Camera_Cleaning_Equipment_Kits&hash=item4cf709d9a9#ht_667wt_1141

I also like the street scene/landscape/natural shots like yourself  and also taking family shots of the kids playing etc. Something which has a decent shutter speed. so something which suits the action and then captures the light and dof of a street/landscape scene. what would you recomend?

Cameras are all the same to me. Push a button, get a picture.

i thought that until i used my friends DSLR.

I decided about 3 months ago when I got my new camera I would prefer a bridge camera rather than a DSLR for my needs it suited the purpose well, I take varied pics of pretty much anything and everything.

I decided on the Fuji Finepix HS10.

[url width=350 height=277]http://www.digitalreview.ca/pics/Fuji_2010/Fuji_Finepix_HS10_front.jpg[/url]

10MP with a program for just about every eventuality, ultra fast CMOS sensor, RAW format, 30x (24mm to 720mm equivalent) optical zoom (manually operated not on a button so its very fast at zooming in and out), ISO 100 to 6400, 10FPS shooting speed, 30 seconds to 1/4000th sec shutter speeds and full HD movies.

I would very much recommend it and its way way cheaper than a DSLR at around £230.

sounds like a nice peice of kit there JJ. will have to read up on it

Best photo yet.The way you captured that camera mid pose is to be congratulated

:D

there are a few pics I took with the camera here....

http://thetownend.com/index.php/topic,43824.msg956734.html#msg956734

A good starting point for photography the only downsize is the aperture - only good in low light at wide angle (2.8) going up to 5.6 which will affect your DOF on portraits (the bokeh/blurred background won't be brilliant so subjects may get lost in it) but as an all in one it pretty much ticks all the boxes

Have to say I am pretty impressed with the image quality at both wide and full zoom for 230 squids

Yeah mate I was too, considering that was done totally on automatic as I hadn't even read the manual at that stage! and they were not in RAW format either which is a better quality.

Alternative to jj's one is this one. Similar price:
http://www.flickr.com/cameras/panasonic/dmc-fz35/

I'm not good enough to warrant a DSLR, but this can do far more than any compact. The smart iA settings take better photos than I can work out by myself.

Great, a thread I can fill my boots it.

Have to say I hate Triseros. That's a fairly enviable kit list. Wife is very happy with her 40D, but my 350D is now starting to show its almost 6 years old age. I'd love to upgrade to a 7D, budget says otherwise.....

My advice to axs, go to a camera store (Jessops), ask to play with the Canon, Nikon and Sony models in that price range, find which one you like the best, then scour the net for the best deal. Check out Warehouse Express before you order anything from Jessops

Bear in mind that the lenses in the kits are fairly shite. Like triseros (the bastard), I'm a fan of Sigma lens. The Sigma 17-70 is a far better option to any of the 'kit' lenses offered. I picked one up used last year and its transformed my 350D. You may want to consider stretching your budget just a little and buy the body and lens separate.

I've got shed load of photos to process, I'll add some to the other thread idc.

These two forums may help, the latter is very much Canon biased.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/

Cheers pumbaa, gonna head into town tomorrow and get to grips with a few.

 I would also be happy with a wife with 40D.


Sorry that was too good an oppotunity to pass up.

So glad you did that. Been fighting against it all evening :)

I got a Nikon in the end, preferred the entry level ones to the canons.

This was in among all the free stuff that came with it.

Whats the type of lens called that makes things look like they're in miniature. And I don't mean wide angle or zoom out or any shit like that, it does something with the perspective to make it look a bit wrong. Think they just used the effect on Eurovision.

Fisheye? Probably not, it does make things a bit wrong, not sure I'd describe it as miniature.

A SiPie, and the extra tiny version is a Bushey

This is what I'm on about....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_faking

It was probably just a macro lense.

It looks pretty cool, like a toy village or something. And can people stop spelling lens wih an e on the end? Thanks x

Sorry x

(It's the drink)

Nope.

Having read up some more it looks like the trick is to sharpen the area of focus and then blur the rest of it.

Sure there was a name for the type of lens though.

A nice 32C for me to.  More than a handfulls a waste eh?

Are we still talking about breasts?

Think they are called tilt shift lenses, not very common. You could create a similar effect with a Macro lens I guess.


Good work, well spotted......

I say give me bigger fucking hands!

Tilt-shift lens

Just bought a Nikon d5000 with 18-55mm and 55-200mm vr lenses, spare battery, 8g card and carry bag for £680

Now i have to learn how to use the bloody thing  :stupid:

I'd never heard of that before, but then I wouldn't have because I'm not into photography. That lens almost makes me want to by one, because of it's craziness. :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Oregon_State_Beavers_Tilt-Shift_Miniature_Greg_Keene.jpg/800px-Oregon_State_Beavers_Tilt-Shift_Miniature_Greg_Keene.jpg

I had to look hard to see if that was a bad photo of a miniature yankee footy pitch or not! wierd.

thats fucking weird

As I said before, you can do the same thing with software by sharpening the centre and blurring the edges. Plenty of tutorials on the web showing you how to do it. Think it's the software option for most of us as those lenses are fucking expensive.

Am I being a bit thick ?

Why would you want a photo that looks so weird and fake  with most of the picture out of focus ?

seconded!

Cos it looks ace?

I guess its just me then :)

[url width=263 height=197]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/swindon123/021-1.jpg[/url]

[url width=900 height=675]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/swindon123/053.jpg[/url]

[url width=320 height=240]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/swindon123/024.jpg[/url]


[url width=320 height=240]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/swindon123/026.jpg[/url]


[url width=900 height=675]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/swindon123/052.jpg[/url]


A few photos on my recent travels.... :D

This is a good resource for DSLR basics

http://www.karltaylorphotography.co.uk/free-photography-tips-tutorials.htm

[url width=900 height=675]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad185/swindon123/007.jpg[/url]

And todays sunrise over a field near Theale this morning :D

Is that A4 sized Leefer ?

M4 these days. :D

Thanks for that, Mac. I have a free week so i will study this. Hopefully i will benefit in SA with some quality pics.

Due to get my 7D back from Sigma on Monday following complete recalibration of 4 lenses. The 24-70 f2.8 and 50mm f1.4 will be coming back with it all done so will be interesting to see the difference. But get this, the calibration costs £37.99 per lense and because both my 70-200mm and 12-24mm (both of which are out of warranty) were found to have poor set up 'out of the box' they have sent both back to Japan for professional adjustment at no extra cost!!

OK so it will take 3-4 weeks but at least I know both will come back razor sharp.

Just bought a full set of 125mm ND filters so am looking forward to having some fun with those as well

Turned my camera on today and i have an error message.

Auto exposure error, please contact nikon service centre.

What have i done????

Fucked it

http://www.justanswer.com/sip/nikon/camera%20and%20video?r=ppc|ga|4|HI+-+Electronics+-+Cameras|Nikon+Camera&JPKW=nikon%20service&JPDC=S&JPST=&JPAD=8441974020&JPAF=txt&JPCD=20110531&JPRC=1&JPMT=b&JPNW=g&JPOP=TransTechAnswers&gclid=CKSO273jsKkCFQUe4QodmG8DLQ


Ask away Nochee :D

Click on link if you havn't sorted it.

nobody wants to play on that link, cheers though. As its only 2 weeks old i will take it back, get my money back and buy a new one. I need it for me hols in 2 weeks time!

You bought a Nikon... Should've bought a Canon ;)

Yep.... my 5D is still great......

Phone Nikon regarding ur camera and ask to speak to service, if there anything like canon u should be fine.

Straight refund/exchange - it's less than 2 weeks old!

Oh yeah..... take it back.

Tell em "its not fit for purpose" and u wish to have it replaced or have a refund.

Or get a Canon ;-)

I will take it back, thing is its yet another bank holiday here in Munich and everything is closed.

For the record, i wanted a Canon but the deal for the Nikon was too good with 2 lenses, i thought they were much the same to be fair.

They are the same, its just personal pref...

Camera's back!!
[url width=754 height=1024]http://gallery.me.com/paul.rossiter/100124/IMG_9053/web.jpg?ver=13079834340001[/url]

50mm 1/60 f1.4

My little girl....

[url width=800 height=533]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/compo71/IMG_1151.jpg[/url]

17mm 1/400 f4L

Photshop camera and skills doing 3 issues for 1 pound.

Sign up special offer thing...... sounds like a good offer.

7D back... Playing around

[url width=700 height=700]http://gallery.me.com/paul.rossiter/100124/IMG_9473/web.jpg?ver=13087544340003[/url]

[url width=700 height=991]http://gallery.me.com/paul.rossiter/100124/IMG_9148/web.jpg?ver=13085713700005[/url]

[url width=700 height=424]http://gallery.me.com/paul.rossiter/100124/IMG_9321/web.jpg?ver=13087544070004[/url]

[url width=700 height=352]http://gallery.me.com/paul.rossiter/100124/IMG_9218/web.jpg?ver=13087545620001[/url]

[url width=700 height=424]http://gallery.me.com/paul.rossiter/100124/IMG_5951/web.jpg?ver=13087545630001[/url]

[url width=700 height=338]http://gallery.me.com/paul.rossiter/100124/_MG_9630/web.jpg?ver=13087543980001[/url]

Has anyone here have or used Canon L lenses? I'm wanting a reasonable general purpose zoom for my 1000D but can't decide between the Canon 18-200 IS  (is it that bad?) Or push the budget for the 24-105 L f4 IS (smaller zoom but full frame compatable & L quality) ?

Also, would they let me take a DSLR into the county ground?

When I was doing a topic on The County Ground for my photography A-Level I contacted the club and managed to get a press pass, which meant I could take in my DSLR and could walk around the pitch and take photo's from my seat etc, just had to say that they would only be used for personal use and in my portfolio for my A-Level and that I wouldn't sell them on. Was tempted to contact them again and see if I could do it again since i've got my EOS 450D.

I would suggest not trying to take it in to the Town End on an expired press pass, then when booted out not try to sneak in to the DRS, then when booted out again not mention that you have a machete on you.

 :)

I see you've asked the same question on a reputable photography forum. A good move on your part rather than rely on this bunch of drunken bums.....

Seriously though for a moment, I fell into a similar trap, wanting range and sacrificing quality. All it does is make you want better equipment. L series lenses are great, some are better than others, but it really depends on what you want to shoot. I have a Sigma 17-70 almost permanently attached to my 350d; it covers most bases focal length wise and was great value at 170 quid. Might be worth thinking about if budget is an issue.

Edit: Having just looked at the price differential between the two, I wouldn't pay 400 odd quid for the 18-200. There are much better lenses out there for similar or less money. I gulped at the price of the 24-105 and them remembered I pay the best part of a grand for a 17-55 EF-S for the wife......fucking expensive game this!

Yep, I don't want to buy the cheaper lens & then realise its not what I want , I think i'll just grit my teeth & click 'buy' on an L lens, at least the re-sale value is high for used L lenses

Don't discount non-L glass, and certainly don't discount the third-party manufacturers such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina. For example, the non-VC version of the Tamron 17-50 is known to produce equal (if not better) IQ than the Canon 17-55 EF-S at a third of the price. It has its quirks, but results are excellent.

I have two Sigma lenses, and they feel much more solidly built than Canon's efforts, almost equal to L lenses. Plus you get a lens hood and case as standard (which you'll pay more for with Canon). Quality control may be an issue for some, but I've got two sharp copies. Don't be afraid to buy second hand with L glass if it can save you some money.

Also check out Photography on the Net - a Canon specific forum with a sub-section on lenses with sample outputs. Don't press the button on that purchase until you check it out.....

*Bump*

Quick question for the camera geeks. If I'm looking for a DSLR and there are two bundle deals; both with a kit lens but one with a 50mm f/1.8 and the other a 70-300mm lens, which would be best to go for?

What kit lens is it? 18-55mm?

Depends, the 50mm f/1.8 is a prime lens, good for indoor & portrait photography, 70-300mm is obviously a zoom lens so better for outdoor photography.

So, if you're thinking more about photos of family, i'd go with f/1.8.

Or, you could get the one with the 70-300mm lens and just buy the f/1.8 lens from Amazon for about £70. I got one a few months ago, it's very good for indoor photography and in poor light conditions.

Yeah the kit lens is 18-55mm.

The bundle with the 70-300mm is only £20 more than the other bundle, but it appears the zoom lens is worth twice as much as the prime. Like you say, seems to make sense to get the deal with the zoom lens and buy the prime lens separately.

I'm also shopping around for a new camera for taking pics of jewellery etc, and I think I've settled on a Panasonic Lumix LX5 with a Raynox macro lense. Anyone used either of these?

Is a Nikon 1 J1 any good? It's a compact, not DSLR.

If anyone's interested, on the What Digital Camera Advent calendar they have offers and competitions.
Today's link is a free download for Serif PhotoPlus 10 software, usual RRP £60.

Link here (http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/specials/530923/advent-day-13.html)

Anyone else got a Canon 1100D? Don't know whether to plump for that or stump up an extra £100 for the 550D.

I have the Canon 70-300. Last time it was used was in Wyoming in 2006.....nice lens mind.

And I'd stump up the extra if you can afford to.

Depends on how serious you are about your photography?  Both will give you better results than a compact or bridge camera.  If you just plan on taking a few snap shots and leaving everything in auto then save yourself a few quid and go for the lesser model or a bridge camera.  Also worth considering the kit lenses on these camera's aren't up to much so to achieve stunning results you would be looking at spending few quid on decent glass.

I'll admit I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to cameras, but the whole point in getting a DSLR is to change that.

I've done a lot of reading about shutter speed, aperture, ISO etc. so no, the camera won't just be on auto. I realise the kit lenses aren't anything special (hence they are so cheap) so will probably go for a semi-decent prime lens when I get the camera.

In that case I would pay a bit more to get the better camera rather than start with the 1100d and find you are after an upgrade in a few months.

You do get much better results by taking it off from auto, but it does take a lot of experimentation with shutter settings, ISO and shutter speeds to get the best from a camera and a picture how you want it taken with the correct depth of field that you desire etc.

I studied it for a year at college and it opens up a whole new world of pictures, enjoy your journey Sam, once you get gripped you never go back to just point and click, leave that to your mobile phone.

A very good book to read when you are starting out is Understanding Exposure by Bryan Petersen.

Slinky speaks sense.

I have the Bryan Petersen book which you are welcome to borrow if you like.

While the Canon 50mm f1.8 is a steal at ~ £70, its limited on a crop camera (1100 or 550) because its effective focal length is 80mm. Not much use if you're trying to shoot indoors / limited space environments. Its worth investing in, but take a look at the Canon 28mm or Sigma 30mm offerings - admittedly more expensive but far more flexible.

I have a Canon kit lens (18-55) doing sod all if you want it for a token fee / save a bit of dosh at the outset.

There's only a tenner's difference between body only and body + kit lens, so thanks for the offer but it's simple enough to just grab one with the camera.

The bundle's are coming in at around £100 more than the standard body + kit lens price. Having researched the lenses that are bundled in the deal (the Tamron 70-300mm and the Canon 50mm), both are available for £100 or less. Think I'll just grab a standard package and then look at buying a decent second lens elsewhere.

No brainer in that case then and you're doing the sensible thing IMO.

Bumpity-bump. Looking to take a step up from the current "point and shoot" and have been looking at 2nd hand EOS 450Ds, mainly because they seem to offer a reasonable bang for buck. Looking for something that will take reasonable quality pics, and that I can play with a little, but is also missus-friendly (i.e. it needs to be easy/light enough that she can use it without having to learn much). It doesn't need to be all singing/dancing, and indeed won't be as I don't have very much to spend on it (around 200 quid). Any recommendations/thoughts? Both on the 450D and/or other possible candidates etc. (I appreciate the very limited budget is going to narrow the field considerably, even for used kit)

I have the 450D and is superb. You can do basic stuff but you can also do advanced. Its a brilliant first dslr in my opinion.

Cheers Sippo. Whether I'd be able to do advanced stuff remains to be seen, but it's nice to have a vote of confidence in it. What about "missus-friendly"? Would she be able to use it essentially as point and shoot or is it going to be a bit more complex than she's used to?

I've got a 450D also, but you'll struggle to get one with a kit lens for anywhere near £200 though.
You'll probably be looking at a minimum of £300 i'd have thought, but I have no evidence to base that on, just a hunch really.

My missus doesn't really like using it, but if you put it on one of the auto settings it's basically a point and shoot camera.

Cheers folks. May wait till after Xmas anyway now and see what falls out of the post-Xmas "Got a new one, sticking the old one on ebay" waves :)

Currently one on eBay for £127 (4 hours left)

I guess that's this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-EOS-450D-with-Dual-Lens-Kit-and-Extras-/290827973041?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item43b6b2b1b1) one.
If it stays under £200 i'll be amazed, but worth keeping an eye on though!

Interesting thread chaps,i have taken hundreds of photo's this year on my travels....a decent camera is a must next year.

Went for £220 in the end, that included the kit lens and a Sigma 55-200 zoom. I'd be well chuffed if I'd paid just over 200 quid for that bundle. Think I'll stick with the plan though and hope a glut of post-Christmas clearouts will drive prices down further/keep them down to this sort of level in the New Year

You should be able to pick up a second hand Nikon D3100 for around that price after Chrimbo. New ones have been retailing for around £300 so those upgrading for better models will probably start offloading in January.

Oooh, cheers Samdy. Why the Nikon rather than the Canon? Just newer/more MP or is there some other major advantage?

There's not much difference between the lower end Nikon and Canon models. The main one is that Canon's have the focus motor built into the body and the Nikon doesn't (it's in the lens). So with Canon you get more freedom as to what lens you can use with it, whereas with Nikon if you want AF you have to buy specific (newer) lenses.

I've just bought a new Nikon D5100 and, as Samdy says, the technical differences between the same level of camera from either Nikon or Canon are not very significant, any modern-ish DSLR will take brilliant photos for most amateur users.

There are a couple of things I would consider when choosing between Nikon or Canon, firstly do you already own any lenses that could be used? If you already have a lens or two, maybe from an old film camera, then that's a very good reason to go with that manufacturer.

Secondly, and importantly, Nikons and Canons feel physically quite different to hold, and the layout of their buttons and menu systems are different. There's no correct answer as to which feels better, it's purely a matter of personal preference. Given that the idea of a DSLR is to allow you to take lots of great photos then I think the better a camera feels to you personally the more likely you are to be comfortable using it.

I'd recommend, if you possibly can, to try to get hold of the Canon you're considering buying and play with it for a few minutes, and maybe a similar model from Nikon (a D3100 for example) just so that you're happy you're getting the right camera for your needs. Any camera shop or department store should be happy to let you have a play with the camera instore.

Cheers Samdy, Aldbourne and yes def plan to have a play before buying. Some friends of ours have a Canon 300D (I think) and they get smashing pictures from that which is what pointed us in that direction, and the missus is going to have a play with that this weekend to see if she's happy with the (hopefully) fairly similar model.

I do have an old zoom lens as well but it's on a 20-year old 35mm Pentax, not sure what if anything that would still fit (or even if it still works!), but it's a consideration I hadn't thought of actually so will check that out too.

Paul
Unless you are wanting to print above A3 or buy into a system and are sure you will want other lenses in the future then I would also take some compact cameras into consideration.

You can get a fuji x10 for well under £300, it's a great little camera that produces excellent image quality. I own a Nikon d7000 with various lenses & I will be purchasing the fuji in the future as a take anywhere camera.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilm-x10

Or if you're not into the retro look of the fuji then the Sony RX100 is also a good alternative for a larger sensor compact

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-cybershot-dsc-rx100

About £250 new now with Nikon Christmas cash back....

Cheers. Or not actually. I'm more confused than ever now :)

That's exactly why I bought one last week. With topcashback it comes in at £215. :)

Simular to Paul D I'm also wanting to purchase a new camera I'm not into photography mainly taking pictures at concerts, holiday snaps, the kid(s) etc etc so nothing really special but the one we have has a crap shutter speed (click and wait about 40 seconds to take again) so am thinking about a DSLR which is obviously going to be better, I'd like a decent zoom and perhaps one that can be upgraded with better lenses in the future, probably look to spend up to £200 (hopefully get something in January sales) any recomendations on what to look at ?

That's pretty much what I'm after p2p so I guess the same recommendations would apply

What about a DMR camera.

Tough, no nonsense and gets results  :)

Not likely to be suitable for family use though ...

Or the 4D camera, complete with bright blinking 'CLICK ME' idiot proof buttons.

Plus the modes are limited and there is no flash.

I hope your secret Santa present are some stabalisers for your bike. :)