# Best DSLR between 300-500??



## glennv6

I am going to purchase a new camera soon, i currently use a canon digital camera and I quite fancy an eos. Is their anything better for similar money??

Cheers. :thumb:


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## -ROM-

Yes, the Nikon D80!


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## Matt T

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=57031&page=2&highlight=dslr


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## Shiny

Lol, EOS 400D for the win!

**runs and hides to come back to a 9 page Canon vs Nikon match**


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## Lespaul

Best advice is, get yourself into a decent camera shop and handle the ones you can afford, think is it going to be a longterm hobby were you will end up buying extra lenses, flashes etc?

I brought a Nikon D40x and the reason for choosing it was I preffered the feel of the Nikon over the Canon 400D, it's not a better or worse camera it was just a preference and after all it's the body behind the camera body that will make the most difference  

Another reason for me to buy either the Nikon or Canon was that there is a huge amount of secondhand kit out there for both these makes, so as you progress and get caught up in upgradeitus you at least have a decent chance of finding a secondhand lens, flash gun etc.

Darren


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## Guest

oh god not another nikon versus cannon thread id read as many reviews as you can then go and try the ones you narrow it down to 
then make your choice after handling the ones you like


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## Guest

:thumb:


Lespaul said:


> Best advice is, get yourself into a decent camera shop and handle the ones you can afford, think is it going to be a longterm hobby were you will end up buying extra lenses, flashes etc?
> 
> I brought a Nikon D40x and the reason for choosing it was I preffered the feel of the Nikon over the Canon 400D, it's not a better or worse camera it was just a preference and after all it's the body behind the camera body that will make the most difference
> 
> Another reason for me to buy either the Nikon or Canon was that there is a huge amount of secondhand kit out there for both these makes, so as you progress and get caught up in upgradeitus you at least have a decent chance of finding a secondhand lens, flash gun etc.
> 
> Darren


funny you say that i tried both and came down to the cannon just because i liked the feel better than the nikon:thumb:

agree with you about the range of extra lenses and stuff:thumb:


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## -ROM-

The whole nikon vs canon thing as far as the brands as a whole is very much a matter of personal preference, but ATM for under £500 none of the canon cameras live up to the D80!


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## Matt T

rmorgan84 said:


> The whole nikon vs canon thing as far as the brands as a whole is very much a matter of personal preference, but ATM for under £500 none of the canon cameras live up to the D80!


The 400D looks just aswell specced and is £100 cheaper


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## -ROM-

Matt T said:


> The 400D looks just aswell specced and is £100 cheaper


It may have the same number of megapixels etc and tick the same obvious boxes, but in the same way you can have a ford modeo with a 2.0 diesel and a 5 series with a 2.0 diesel, it doesn't make them the same thing.

The D80 has a whole set of features that to the casual user won't even realise they need until they get more knowledgable/ more seriously in to their photography!


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## glennv6

Lespaul said:


> Best advice is, get yourself into a decent camera shop and handle the ones you can afford, think is it going to be a longterm hobby were you will end up buying extra lenses, flashes etc?
> 
> I brought a Nikon D40x and the reason for choosing it was I preffered the feel of the Nikon over the Canon 400D, it's not a better or worse camera it was just a preference and after all it's the body behind the camera body that will make the most difference
> 
> Another reason for me to buy either the Nikon or Canon was that there is a huge amount of secondhand kit out there for both these makes, so as you progress and get caught up in upgradeitus you at least have a decent chance of finding a secondhand lens, flash gun etc.
> 
> Darren


I think im gonna take your advice and check both of them out in the flesh. I take it that these 2 are the only ones worth talkin about?


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## Guest

rmorgan84 said:


> It may have the same number of megapixels etc and tick the same obvious boxes, but in the same way you can have a ford modeo with a 2.0 diesel and a 5 series with a 2.0 diesel, it doesn't make them the same thing.
> 
> The D80 has a whole set of features that to the casual user won't even realise they need until they get more knowledgable/ more seriously in to their photography!


so its better to get the cannon then if its cheaper and less features untill he knows if the photo bug has bitten and needs a higher spec camera?


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## -ROM-

By your logic yes, but the flip side of the coin is, it will cost him a lot more to upgrade to the more advanced camera 6 months down the line, than it would to just pay the extra £100 in the first place!


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## Guest

rmorgan84 said:


> By your logic yes, but the flip side of the coin is, it will cost him a lot more to upgrade to the more advanced camera 6 months down the line, than it would to just pay the extra £100 in the first place!


true but it all depends on the money avalible personally id sooner buy the more resonable one and then further down the line upgrade rather than buy the higher price and get a little bogged down with understanding the features and end up not using it at all

just my opinion mate


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## r8bwt

Tesco Direct are selling the 400d for £360 with £45 cashback from Canon! So £315 all in! You can't wrong for that price!


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## wozzaa

You could also get a 40D in that pricerange if you look around and I would take that over the D80.

All subjective. At the end of the day the camera body doesn't matter that much. Just because you have a £2000 camera body does not mean it will get better pictures than a £300 body. Its down to the user and what glass is on the front of it.


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## -ROM-

wozzaa said:


> You could also get a 40D in that pricerange if you look around and I would take that over the D80.
> 
> All subjective. At the end of the day the camera body doesn't matter that much. Just because you have a £2000 camera body does not mean it will get better pictures than a £300 body. Its down to the user and what glass is on the front of it.


Would love to know where you can get a 40D from for under £500! Cheapest place i can find a new body alone is £599! Obviously dis****ing ebay, as the D80 could be had for about £400 on there!


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## Lespaul

glennv6 said:


> I think im gonna take your advice and check both of them out in the flesh. I take it that these 2 are the only ones worth talkin about?


No, there are more to choose from Pentax K200D + 18-55mm lens, Sony Alpha A200 + 18-70mm lens, Nikon D60 + 18-55mm VR lens to name but a few.

The only reason I chose between a Nikon and a Canon is that I knew I wanted to take up photography as a long term hobby, with the Nikon and Canon brands having very large followings there is more secondhand kit available (I've already invested in a second hand 70-300mm VR lens  ) and you tend to find once you have invested some money into some nice glass you are going to want to stick to the same make of camera or have to spend a fortune replacing all your lenses.

I looked at some of the higher spec cameras secondhand, Nikon D200 etc but found that the lower end cameras were easier to use having presets for auto, portrait, landscape, sport etc as well as the manual features, which a beginner is very hand 

Personally I'd have liked a nice secondhand Nikon D80 but they all kept selling for around the £500 with the kit lens which is okay but I really wanted a 300mm lens and that would have left me no spare money for one.

Darren


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## Matt T

rmorgan84 said:


> The D80 has a whole set of features that to the casual user won't even realise they need until they get more knowledgable/ more seriously in to their photography!


Like? Im not a casual user


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## -ROM-

Matt T said:


> Like? Im not a casual user


Better metering system.
More AF points.
Top LCD display.
larger grip.
Spot metering.
ISO 3200 with boost.
Pentaprism (good) viewfinder instead of pentamirror (bad).
partial mirror lockup.
higher capacity battery.
Optional grid lines for ease of composition.
Wireless flash control.
Accurate battery meter (displays actual % of charge remaining)
Many more custom functions.
DOF preview button
Custom NR settings

So like i said, these are things that a casual user/beginner wouldn't have much knowledge of, not MASSIVE things, but when you add them all together they make a big difference


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## Matt T

rmorgan84 said:


> Better metering system.
> More AF points - *2more*
> Top LCD display.
> larger grip - *totally user dependant*
> Spot metering.
> ISO 3200 with boost - *but fundamentally more noisy*
> Pentaprism (good) viewfinder instead of pentamirror (bad).
> partial mirror lockup. - *canon has mirror lockup*
> higher capacity battery.
> Optional grid lines for ease of composition. - *gimmick with the af spots on the display to compose*
> Wireless flash control.
> Accurate battery meter (displays actual % of charge remaining) -* not noticed on my canon*
> Many more custom functions.
> DOF preview button - *the canon has one*
> Custom NR settings
> 
> So like i said, these are things that a casual user/beginner wouldn't have much knowledge of, not MASSIVE things, but when you add them all together they make a big difference


And dont forget 400d has integral sensor cleaning, and it is effectively outdated by the 450d now too which has higher pixel count, larger lcd, liveview, higher fps...Plus the Nikon is £100 more expensive. On that basis i could say the 40D is better that the D80.

Meh, im not getting involved in this no more! :tumbleweed:

This picture always makes me laugh..


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## -ROM-

Matt T said:


> And dont forget 400d has integral sensor cleaning, and it is effectively outdated by the 450d now too which has higher pixel count, larger lcd, liveview, higher fps...Plus the Canon is £100 more expensive. On that basis i could say the 40D is better that the D80.
> 
> Meh, im not getting involved in this no more! :tumbleweed:


The 40D is better than the D80, IMO it falls between the D200 and the D300 but that is a moot point as it out of the price range of £300-£500!


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## wozzaa

40D has £100 cashback on it now so keep that in mind when looking at prices. Can be had as a result of that for £499.


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## Lespaul

wozzaa said:


> 40D has £100 cashback on it now so keep that in mind when looking at prices. Can be had as a result of that for £499.


Think the OP was looking for a DSLR with lens for between £300-£500 to be honest so the Nikon D80 vs the Canon 40D isn't really relevant, could be wrong though  Wife often says I am :lol:

Darren


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## glennv6

300-500 quid is a ball park figure. I can see myself getting really into photography once I get started so if it meant bumping the budget up by a 100 quid or so to get a better all round package I would rather do that for the long run.

Thanks for all the responses guys :thumb:


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## Lespaul

glennv6 said:


> 300-500 quid is a ball park figure. I can see myself getting really into photography once I get started so if it meant bumping the budget up by a 100 quid or so to get a better all round package I would rather do that for the long run.
> 
> Thanks for all the responses guys :thumb:


Fair enough, I brought my D40x and my 70-300mm VR lens all secondhand from members of www.talkphotography.co.uk/, for just under £500 both are in exellent condition, might be worth checking out there For Sale section. It's a great forum, nice and friendly like DW :thumb:

Also worth ordering "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson, it's a great book that really helps explain how the different settings of your DSLR effect your pictures 

Darren


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## wozzaa

Think if I was buying now with that budget I would go for the 40D £500 there and then chuck a 50mm f1.8 prime lens on there. It's not the best built lens in the world but gets good shots. And is a good bit of kit to get used to all the functions a DSLR will give you. 

Then just get out and take lots of picture and experiment. Books can only teach you so much with photography. Best way to learn is take lots of photos and experiment with settings.


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## glennv6

After a couple of weeks of researching I have made my mind up and im going to purchase a nikon D80. 

The best price I have found so far is £570.

Does anyone know off anywhere that can better that price???


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## -ROM-

is that with a kit lens?


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## craigmk6

lend someones canon and then lend someone nikkon then you can make your own mind up. 

i have a canon 350d and i love it! had a play with a 400d and i dint like it ?? crazy i know but i just didnt like it, maybe it was because i was used to mine.


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## Multipla Mick

glennv6 said:


> After a couple of weeks of researching I have made my mind up and im going to purchase a nikon D80.
> 
> The best price I have found so far is £570.
> 
> Does anyone know off anywhere that can better that price???


If that is body only, then this lot have it at £499.99 http://www.bestcameras.co.uk/shop/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Nikon_D80_body_691.html?ref=kelkoo UK sourced stock according to their web site.

Jessops also have it at the same price http://www.jessops.com/Store/s35924...x?ovc=&tduid=3de18e4f56a9325ea12a61623f4f868a

Only briefly looked, but can't see anywhere near £570 with a kit lens, so if that includes a lens it looks a good price.


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## Mark J

Glenn,

Before you take the plunge, take a quick peep at this thread - it didn't go at the time and I couldn't be 4rsed flinging it on ebay.

Mark.


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## -ROM-

That's quite a bargain now you're including the 50mm f/1.8


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## Mark J

rmorgan84 said:


> That's quite a bargain now you're including the 50mm f/1.8


Yep, just don't have the time these days for any proper photography and I'll just keep the 400 body and my L glass for holidays or car shoots when I want something a bit more than my Lumix compact can offer.


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## olliecampbell

Not wanting to add more models and confusion, but how does everyone rate the Nikon D70s?


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## -ROM-

good camera, but a bit long in the tooth now, but if you can pick one up cheap a very capable camera!


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