My first SLR... Help.....

[Sally]

Good afternoon all,

This is my first ever post on anything so if I get it wrong or ask something incredibly stupid please accept my apologies.

I want to purchase my first SLR and I am after some help and advice about what would be the best starter!!!

I don’t want to spend more than £350 and I want this to include the body and lens. I can appreciate this is not a lot compared to some prices I have seen but I am happy to look at new or second hand.

This camera is going to be used mainly as a hobby and I want to take photos of horse events, show jumping etc so I need something that is simple to use and catches good photos of moving objects (neddy’s). I am not saying I will be good enough but I also want the quality to be good enough that if someone wants to purchase a photo they won’t be disappointed with the quality.

I have been looking at Canon 1000d new with lens for about £350 and a Nikon D60 second hand, I have also just seen Fuji which seems a lot cheaper. For the type of things I want to photograph what Camera would you recommend out of these or any others you feel would be better?

I have read the different specs between them all and if I am honest they mean nothing to me!! I have completed a basic photography course and although I don’t know much about the technical side of things I know I love taking photos!

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks
Sally
X
:)

[canismajor]

Hi, I would be looking at a used camera with a warranty and a lens such as a used 18-200mm, which you will find great for the pics you want to take, and make sure you have IS or VR (vibration reduction) in the case of Nikon lenses. I use a Nikon lens like this and it has VR stamped on it which is useful when shooting at the long end (200mm). Your budget should allow you to buy these items and I would be looking for a used Nikon D60, or D80, or something like this and you can then at some point start to buy more lenses which you can still use if you upgrade the body. Hope this helps, Mike.

[Mike Lowe]

Hi, I would be looking at a used camera with a warranty and a lens such as a used 18-200mm, which you will find great for the pics you want to take, and make sure you have IS or VR (vibration reduction) in the case of Nikon lenses. I use a Nikon lens like this and it has VR stamped on it which is useful when shooting at the long end (200mm). Your budget should allow you to buy these items and I would be looking for a used Nikon D60, or D80, or something like this and you can then at some point start to buy more lenses which you can still use if you upgrade the body. Hope this helps, Mike.

Yeah a standard 18-55mm kit lens won't give you enough reach to get close in on the action - and those are the lenses that usually come bundled with DSLRs.

What you really need to concentrate on is the lens having a long enough focal length to capture far away subjects. You'll see what I mean when you try out different lenses. 35mm (on a D3100) is roughly what your eye sees, while 200mm is like zooming into the distance by comparison.

[wave]

Hi and welcome my advice is unless you can get a warranty from a reputable dealer then stay away from second hand. This might mean waiting a bit longer to get your camera but it will be worth it in long run you could look at a sony alpha 290 or an olympus e420 they fall into your price range