First D-SLR

[corn snake]

I want to get myself my first D-SLR camera what do you recommend?

I want to use it to take pictures of animals, reptiles, amphibians, landscapes, People, and birds.

Also I want to know what lenses to get.

I don’t want to get the most entry level D-SLR or the cheapest one, I want to get something that I will be able to use for a long time even as I start taking more professional photos after a while.

[Francois]

I have a Canon 450d and I love it! The newest version I think is the 600d. I haven't had any other D-SLR's so I'm probably not the best to ask.

[Fooble]

550 is a great option.

450 is old and out of Date.

The 550 Canon is great and can great deals with that camera now as it is been replaced by the 600D.

You will be able to pick up a Twin Lens deal kit with bag ect for around R6999.

[nbdreyer]

What is your budget for it?

[Rob Macmillan]

I would say get a camera that fits your budget. Im a fan of Nikon, but i know canon will produce your required shots. Personal preference i guess. The nice part about Nikon is that if you look around, you can pic up some amazing kits and you get a R2500 voucher to go for half a days training to learn about your camera. Lenses are another story all together. Expect to pay 9k for a quality macro lense and another 10k for a twin flash unit. Wide angle lenses for landscapes will also set you back about another 5-8k. Its an awesome hobby and dont let those prices i mentioned deter you in anyway. Get your basic camera and learn how to use that correctly and just go have fun.

[RobinGast]

I really love Nikon cameras, I'm looking to get a L120 myself.
Yes I know its a fixed lens camera but it sure does take great macro shots.
All I say is I really prefer Nikon to Canon, but make sure you consult some experts and not just the sales oke.

[Smeegle]

My 2c...

One thing I wish I had known is that if you spend more on the camera body and get one with the focus motor built in, the AF lenses are a lot cheaper.

The entry level ones don't have the motor inside, so you have to buy AS-F lenses that have the motor built in, and they are a LOT more expensive, like 4 times the price.

Also, although I am a fan of Nikon because the "click" sounds better, the entry level Nikon doesn't have bracketing or IR remote support, which the Canon does. I really miss these features.

If I could reverse time I would probably opt for a higher level used camera as opposed to an entry level bundle (I got a D3100). I never even use the 55-200mm lens it came with, although I don't really shoot birds and stuff. The bundled 18-55 mm lens is very good though, closeups are amazing, took this one of a small tree frog with it:


And it does nice portraits too:


And don't stress about Nikon vs Canon, they are both the best you can buy.

Now go get a camera and start taking some pics

[Fooble]

Come to think about it. Go with something like the 1100D it's just over R3k.

Spending money on expensive DSLR camera's is silly because with your first camera you'll never actually truly benefit from it's features having a camera doesn't make you a photographer you just really need to put loads of time and effort into it.

[bradmiller]

I have a Nikon D90 really cool and I also think the click sounds better than a Canon
Lenses are cr@p expensive :-(

[Seaborne]

"This question gets asked a lot:

I'm just starting getting into blah blah photography. What lens should I buy?

Here's the answer...

If you have to ask this question, buy the cheapest damn lens you can get.

What? I must be kidding, right?

Sorry, no.

Here's why...

This is really a question that only you can answer for yourself.

For somebody that's just getting their feet wet in this photography thing, if you don't know what lens gets you what, in all honesty, the replies you get from a bunch of strangers, each with their own agenda, is not going to help you at all.

You used to get a 'normal' 50mm lens when you bought a camera. Why that one? It's a base. A place to start. You have to take your cheap-ass lens and shoot lots of pictures with it. Look at those pictures. Study them. Analyze the situation when you shot them. Now ask yourself...

What do you feel is lacking?

This is the most important thing and is what will lead you to your own answer. It bears repeating...

What do you feel is lacking?

Were you not able to get close enough? Perhaps a longer telephoto lens is in order.

Were you not able to get far enough away? Perhaps a wider angle lens is in order.

Sick of moving back and forth to frame the shot? Perhaps a zoom lens is in order.

Want a shallower depth of field look? Perhaps a faster lens is in order.

Shots looking a little soft and you KNOW your technique is solid? Perhaps a better quality lens is in order.

These and many others are all questions that you have to answer for yourself. The answer only comes with experience and knowing the equipment you have and knowing where it is letting you down, or even if it is. How much longer, wider, faster? Sadly, this takes time and experience to figure out.

Spending big money on an expensive lens without knowing why is a waste of money. Sure you may look uber-cool with that big white 70-200 f2.8 L IS lens but do you know why you bought it?

If you bought it to look cool, that's OK by me. If you bought it because it's fast throughout the range, great. If you bought it because it has IS, super. If you bought it because you have more money than you know what to do with, bully for you. I honestly don't care why you bought it. What's more important is do you know why?

Don't believe me? It's true. Ask anyone who's been around in the photo business for a few years. Odds are pretty damn high they know what each lens in their bag will give them on a shot. They know how close they have to be for each lens. They know the scene each lens will give them. How do they know this? They know this because they spent the time learning their equipment.

There is no substitute for the time spent photographing.

Spend a little time, and you'll be able to answer most of your own questions.

Now, if you come in and say something like "I'm looking to get a longer reach in my shots. How do a 70-200, 100-400 or 300mm compare to each other?" we can begin to have a dialog. Why? You already know what you are looking for.

I know why I bought each lens I own and why certain lenses are on my list of things to acquire or investigate. That only came through experience.

As I thought about this some more I came up with an analogy that may be easier for some folks to understand.

Remember your first automobile? Did you get a cheap car to start with or did you buy an expensive one? WHY?

That's the key - why you bought that particular car and why you bought each subsequent car or what you are looking for in your next car.

Odds are pretty good that when you bought your first car you had already driven a few others and had ridden in many more so you could start to form your opinion of what you wanted in a car so that when the time came, you already knew what you were looking for. I doubt that you asked a random group of strangers "What car should I buy?"

This same thing applies in photography. If you don't have a lot of experience using an SLR camera with interchangable lenses, you probably don't have an idea of what you really want or need. You need to take a few lenses for a 'test drive.' Stop by your local camera shop and 'drive' a few.

I write this NOT because I don't feel like helping new folks out. Far from it. This is one issue where I can't help you at all. Nobody can. You have to help yourself."

So why not just go to a proper camera shop and tell them what you want to do. they will give you great advice and you can always upgrade as you get more experience.

[corn snake]

Hi guys thanks for all the help I have decided on a canon 600d, I’m going to see if I can’t get it with a single lens. I also want to buy a camera back pack to store the camera in.

[MrG]

Listen to Seaborne, a lot of good advice.
And Nikon shooters, show us some photos, we will decide if you are so good.
On a more serious note, there is very few cameras today that is bad. Some say the latest bridge cameras take better images than DSLR's. (must be the photographer though).

The more pics you take, the better you will become. Join a camera club and you will see a huge improvement is a short time.

[BushSnake]

Brilliant reply Seaborne!

I've worked out my response to the Nikon vs Canon argument, and I'm still waiting for someone to find a flaw in it: Get whatever your family or friends have, cause that will allow you to borrow other lenses when you can't afford your own!

(BTW - Canon 600D is brilliant! You definitely won't regret it!)

[it_bit_me]

I like this post of MrG. The camera looks like an affordable one and it has a good picture.
viewtopic.php?f=138&t=26657&p=214967&hilit=fujifilm#p214967

[corn snake]

Thanks for all the help guys. I’ll post some photos when I have the camera in January.

MrG, do you know of any camera clubs in Pretoria North, Sinoville or Montana areas?