# DSLR or Bridge?



## bigmatt

Hello all,
I'm thinking about upgrading my point and shoot camera for something a bit better.  I'm on a limited budget and a photography beginner, but for taking good pics of family and decent tank shots which do folk think would be better and do people have any recommendations and/or examples of pics taken with different cameras.  Budget at most is going to be around the £300 mark (if i can get the overtime in!) and i'm looking to buy in a couple of months hopefully.  Don't have a prolem with used/refurb gear, as long as it comes with a warranty of some sort
Thanks as always,
Matt


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## Tom

Have a look at an older model Canon G series. They're compact, but bloomin good and allow manual modes etc


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## bigmatt

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Canon-PowerSh...Cameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item43a6c65b03

Something like this?
M


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## Tom

Yep, fantastic compact camera. I don't see the point of bridge cameras, it's just unnecessary bulk. You either want something small and compact for the pocket, or you don't mind the extra bit of weight for a DSLR. I'd love a G11 or similar - my walkaround camera at the moment is up to 2kg of 5D+lens.


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## bigmatt

What if i didn't mind the extra bit of weight?  I plan on keeping the compact we have for just carrying about.  IS there a good budget DSLR choice?  Thanks for the rapid reply as well!
M


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## spyder

Entering the SLR market is more like buying into a system. Go hold a few at your local Jessops and see which feels better for you. You can then go check the technical reviews to help make a decision. 

I went with the Canon EOS 400D a few years back and it's served me very well.


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## aaronnorth

I had a Fujifilm Finepix S5700 Bridge (£88) and it gave me good results, it was just limiting when you wanted to try something a bit different, and it can be frustrating in aquarium photography as you are limitied to ISO400 (due to noise any higher) which makes for a slow shutter speed - unless of course you have extra lighting!


DSCF0329 by A.North1, on Flickr

Hatchet Fish by A.North1, on Flickr

Bristlenose plec by A.North1, on Flickr

However I upgraded to a Canon 350D (£240 second hand) and it makes photography much more enjoyable as it is so easy to use, you can pu half the effort in and get the same quality as the bridge. Focusing is much quicker so you get those shots that you would usually miss.


IMG_9060 by A.North1, on Flickr

IMG_9026 by A.North1, on Flickr

Sealife - Brighton by A.North1, on Flickr

Have a look on my Flickr account for more examples, as you can see there is just that bit more sharpness in the SLR, and the better balance of lighting.
The Nikon 

Thanks, Aaron


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## bigmatt

thanks for the replies and great pics. I've noticed a few people making happy noises about the Canon SLRs. To flip it on it's head are there any particular models/brands to avoid? Thanks again,Matt


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## Tom

With SLR's, I wouldn't personally look at anything other than Canon or Nikon. I've used Sony and Pentax SLRs and didn't like them even slightly. Pentax are nothing on what they used to be. Canon and Nikon also have the best lens lineups of consumer SLRs.


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## spyder

I spent a bit of time looking around when I decided to grab a DSLR. I researched lenses, prices, availability of accessories etc. It is an important decision when you start investing in glass. You change, you change your glass too.

I'm not a big Canon over Nikon man, there's probably very little in it at entry level. I just went with what offered what I needed and what felt comfortable when I played in Jessops.


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## Tom

What did you get?


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## bigmatt

it'll be a while until i buy! Need a visit from the money fairy first! I'm leaning towards a Canon SLR but i need to go to a camera shop and play. And like all real men i need to get permission from my wife first! M


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## Tom

Oh right, your last post sounded like you'd got one!


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## bigmatt

Spyder's post?   
M


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## Tom

That be it  My bad


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## bigmatt

Don't worry - that's some lovely bumping you're doing


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## George Farmer

I saw an advert for a Nikon 3000 with 18-55mm VR lens for £299 today, from Argos I think.  Bargain.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=nikon%20d3000

DSLR is the way forward if you want to start taking photography more seriously.


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## bigmatt

that's good to know - i'll have a look tomorrow! Being as i know NOWT about this SLR game a couple more questions ... what's good for a beginners all round lens, and can anyone recommend a good book as a starting point? Thanks again, Matt


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## George Farmer

bigmatt said:
			
		

> that's good to know - i'll have a look tomorrow! Being as i know NOWT about this SLR game a couple more questions ... what's good for a beginners all round lens, and can anyone recommend a good book as a starting point? Thanks again, Matt


Hi Matt

The supplied 18-55mm VR lens is a good starting point.  The build quality isn't great, but sufficient for your requirements.  The Nikon 18-55 is also a very sharp lens - better than the equivalent Canon.

18mm is good for wide angle shots i.e. landscapes, funky portraits and increased depth-illusion aquascapes...
55mm is great for portraits.

This book will be a good starting point - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-D3000-Sna ... 089&sr=1-3

The net has thousands of great articles on photography.  Join a forum and check out the pinned threads for a good introduction.

This is a good one - http://photography-on-the.net/forum/sho ... p?t=414088

The Canon 1000D is another option, but if I had £300 I'd go for the Nikon (even though I'm a Canon user myself).

Perhaps the biggest advantage Canon have over Nikon is their better lens selection, but this really isn't an issue for most of us.


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## nayr88

After reading this thread I've been thinking about taking the hit and buying a nice quality slr. I went into a shop and saw the 1000d for around that price and was really tempted. I just don't want to buy cheap crap or overpriced cap  and end up buying twice...and no on had mentioned the 1000d.

When looking through starts of cameras and comparing them, what's the important are the imported things other than price and mega pixels?  
Cheers

Sorry to hijac, I'm sure it'll benefit you thread anyways


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## Tom

How it feels in your hands, how easy it is to navigate (Nikon makes me angry and confused! LOL), quality (and build) of lens, quality of sensor, autofocus speed, frames per second (if you need that), crop or full frame, etc etc...


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## bigmatt

I easily get angry and confused...
I'll have a play with some bits but that Nikon does sound like a great deal
Cheers!
Matt


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## BigTom

Most people quickly find they prefer the layouts of either Canon or Nikon, and frankly thats probably as good a reason as any for making a choice at this end of the market. Personally I'd take Nikon for ergonomics (and to a lesser extent build quality) any day of the week, but that's just me.


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## bigmatt

just played with a canon briefly and like the layout. I need to find time to go into Leeds and have a play go Jessops! If anyone sees any good used gear in the meantime could they let me know either here or via pm? A million thanks, Matt


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## bigmatt

just another quick question (and a tiny tiny bump!) - does anyone know any good websites for used camera gear? Thanks, Matt


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## Tom

You could try photography-on-the.net for Canon gear


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## bigmatt

any thoughts on the Canon 350d anyone? All answers appreciated but esp quick ones as i need to let someone know if i want it! Thanks in advance, Matt


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## aaronnorth

bigmatt said:
			
		

> any thoughts on the Canon 350d anyone? All answers appreciated but esp quick ones as i need to let someone know if i want it! Thanks in advance, Matt



Thats what I have, excellent choice for a beginner in the SLR market


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## spyder

Good place to start. I got the 400d a few years back. I found it easy to use, navigate and comfortable. Nikon felt a bit clumsy to me.

Play at Jessops. when you walk out you will know which you want to go for. 



			
				nayr88 said:
			
		

> When looking through starts of cameras and comparing them, what's the important are the imported things other than price and mega pixels?
> Cheers
> 
> Sorry to hijac, I'm sure it'll benefit you thread anyways



IIRC, the entry level, budget bodies have a smaller sensor. The more "Pro" bodies have a full sized sensor = higher quality images. The higher end range also tend to offer higher FPS burst modes. There are other bits i'm sure but those are the main reasons for the higher price.


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## Tom

bigmatt said:
			
		

> any thoughts on the Canon 350d anyone? All answers appreciated but esp quick ones as i need to let someone know if i want it! Thanks in advance, Matt



It was my first camera, and not bad at all. The 450D is far in advance though, and the IS lens is better


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## bigmatt

Thanks guys - the camera i was looking at went for £93 on ebay (no lens though - body only) which must have been the bargain of the century.  Are the 350d lenses compatible with newer canon models?  The reason for me looking at an older model is obviously cost - i can pick up one of these (with lens) for less than £150 on eBay and, whilst i'd love a brand new one, the lesser cost just seems to make more sense to me when starting out.  Other than a tripod and remote shutter release what other kit should i be lookingto invest in?
Thansk again for all your help,
Matt


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## bigmatt

...or even the 300d - i've got a shot at one (body only) for £30!  My thinking would be like this...i tend to look at pics on computer, or print them out in "standard" sizes - will i really notice the lower pixel count at this "beginner" level? The lenses and accessories for this are (mostly) compatible with the rest of the range so, in the future, if i choose to upgrade, i'll only need to buy the body and finally it means i can  at least buy the camera now, and add to it bit-by-bit rather than making a massive one-off investment
Thanks again folks, 
Matt


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## Stu Worrall

dont bother with the 300d, its just too old and slow nowadays and im not sure if its compatible with the EFS system?  the 350d on the other hand is a great camera second hand.  Ive taken some of my best photos on a 350d and the sensor is the same as what was in the 20d and 30d.


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## bigmatt

Thanks Stu - it's good to know you and Aaron have had good experiences with the 350d and just for financial reasons i think i'm leaning in that direction.  How about the other stuff for tank/general photography? My very beginnings of a list is .... tripod (variable height - from 45cm to about 5ft to cover my low tank and me - i'm 6'6"!), remote shutter release, slave (?) flash (any recommendations on this very much appreciated - i'll be trawling throught the photography threads when i have the opportunity!), decent bag to keep it safe.  Do i need UV filters or are they a waste of money, and the same for Macro lenses?
Thanks yet again folks!
Matt


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## aaronnorth

I don't use a flash, but this is only because at the time I couldn't afford one and now I don't have a fish tank and currently I do not find it limiting my photography. It would certainly help though.
Depending on how bright your fish tank lights are you could get away with it, the 350D has an acceptable noise levels at ISO800 anyway which will get you about 1/125 sec shutter speed quite easily IME. You can always edit the noise out aswell.

UV filters are a waste of time, polarizing filters can be pretty useful where there is a lot of glare off glass or water.
Neatural Desity (ND filters) are good for landscapes.
I don't really use filters (I often forget lol), but shooting in RAW helps massively.

If you are after a good macro lense, then the Canon f/1.4 50mm is one of my favourites. Good price too!

Thanks, Aaron


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## gmartins

neutral filters can be useful to protect the lenses from scratches. cheaper to replace the filter than the lenses.

G


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## JohnC

i've just spent the last couple of months playing the ebay canon game.

I wanted around 10mp with liveview (the lcd screen at the back showing what the photo is going to be like) so was looking at stuff past the 450d but ended up trying for a 40d at around £320 - 330 without lens, £440 with lens. Then all of the sudden it dawned on me that the newest entry level 1100d comes with the exact same sensors and features as the old pro models. It just lacks the metal body and study build. £389 with the 18-55 lens new from ebay. Picked up a smaller f1.8 50mm II lens this week from amazon second hand for £70. 

week 1 of owning it and its AMAZING. so glad i stopped fishing on ebay for second hand stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison ... al_Cameras

was a real help with our buying to work out the minimum i wanted.

Best regards,
John

p.s sorry if i've missed any chat I just skim read the first page and posted.


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## spyder

gmartins said:
			
		

> neutral filters can be useful to protect the lenses from scratches. cheaper to replace the filter than the lenses.
> 
> G



This is worth taking into consideration. I order UV or skylight filters when I order a lens and it goes on as soon ad the lense cap comes off. Physical protection


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## bigmatt

The camera has had to go on hold for a while as the old laptop died but, as a small aside i did buy a cheap tripod from eBay - what an amazing difference it makes.  Even with my sub-£100 quid compact just using a £9 tripod makes such an enormous difference when shooting tanks - just using auto mode it seems so much better!
Now thinking about a 1000d in a few months (when the laptop is paid for) as i have gone through the new/second hand conundrum and i think newer is actually better value in some ways.  Plus i have the worst luck with camera so warranty would be nice!
M


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## Greenview

I have had a rethink about protective filters recently and have stopped using them.  I prefer a lens hood, it helps to protect the front element from knocks quite well and also cuts down flare. If I do use a filter then I try not to pick a cheap one as it degrades image quality quite a bit.


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## shep1979

i wish i had kept my bridge, i went out and got a sony dslr a200 and all tho its great i wish i had kept my bridge as i took much better pics with it and sony lenses cost a fortune, something i didnt realy look into


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## Christor

Sorry to resurect, but this is the same stage I am at...what camera did you go for then matt?


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## rolexbene

I am selling my my Nikon gear very soon, it's a Nikon D3100 as well as a 18-110mm lens and a Nikon 55-200mm Sigma lens, pm me if your interested.


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## John Starkey

Argos are doing a branb new nikon D3000 for £309.99 good deal me thinks,

John.


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## rolexbene

Unlike the D3100 the D3000 is a very plasticy camera, bad in low light and no Video or live view on screen.



			
				john starkey said:
			
		

> Argos are doing a branb new nikon D3000 for £309.99 good deal me thinks,
> 
> John.


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## LondonDragon

I have been looking recently also, I am torn between the Sony Alpha A65 and the A77!! Choices Choices!


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