Please help me make the right camera choice - Page 5

lostkat · 01-05-2009, 05:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by divine

Too right. I'm still ultimately happy enough with my D70. I have no real need for anything better, it's a perfectly good tool. The poor high ISO performance annoys me sometimes and a nice D300 would be a good remedy but I don't have the £1000 to spend on such a thing

Yup, the 40D/50D has a few performance improvements and a shaky sensor, which would be fantastic as I'm sick of getting a dirty sensor (oo err!). However, the improvements aren't that vast that they would really make a difference, I still love my 30D and I'd rather get a new lens than a body if I had the cash anyway.

Mark · 01-05-2009, 16:09

Done. 450D + 18-55 Kit. Got it retail but the price ended up being not that much more than they were going for on eBay yesterday (I'm sure they'll get cheaper now - always happens).

Currently negotiating on a nearly new 70-300 IS USM to do the long stuff, so I saved there too.

Of course, if I'd done it before the exchange rate went crap I'd have probably saved more.

Mark · 02-05-2009, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark

(I'm sure they'll get cheaper now - always happens).

Prophetic. Sort of. As it's now an 'old' model that had to happen and I'm OK with that.

Charged and had a play but put it back away for the weekend so I don't spend the whole time playing.

Mark · 02-05-2009, 16:00

Today I have been:

Making sure the camera works.
Getting practice changing lenses.
Leaning about exposure compensation and aperture priority.
Finding out how people look at you when you kneel on a footpath to attempt better composition (I couldn't get low enough, and my knees hurt ).

Going to have a look through the card now to see what I got.

Toby · 03-05-2009, 22:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostkat

Yup, the 40D/50D has a few performance improvements and a shaky sensor, which would be fantastic as I'm sick of getting a dirty sensor (oo err!). However, the improvements aren't that vast that they would really make a difference, I still love my 30D and I'd rather get a new lens than a body if I had the cash anyway.

I tend to agree with you 30D to 40D (let alone 50D) wouldn't be worth it IMO as there's just not that much extra worth having.

I made the jump from a 400D to a 40D as it does offer me a lot of small improvements in many areas, such as speed, better AF, spot metering, better high ISO performance, finer ISO gradations, bigger screen, secondary LCD on top, better viewfinder etc etc etc.

Had I had a 450D rather than the 400D (as does a colleague at work), the situation would have been less clear cut as the 450D already has things which were factors in my decision to upgrade (such as spot metering, ISO button & viewfinder display, 3" screen.

Out at Silverstone yesterday, I saw a lot of people with very expensive glass (100-400L, 70-200 F2.8 IS, 400/500/600 primes etc) but using it on "older" bodies such as 30Ds and that's great tbh. If the body has all (or nearly all) of the functions you need then spend money on glass as it'll make more of a difference. I took this route myself when I got the 400D - I wanted the 40D but, as it was brand new at the time, it was a choice between a 40D and a walkabout zoom or a 400D and a walkabout plus a longer zoom. I decided to go the latter way as I could (and indeed have) upgrade the body at a later time when I needed to.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Not quite sure what I'm trying to say here but hope my experiences are helpful in some way

Mark · 03-05-2009, 23:05

Yeah - that just helps me have confidence I'll be happy with the 450D for a while. I'd take things like a few extra FPS if someone shoved them in front of me, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get them. The 450D is a keeper. As for glass, well, who knows.

Toby · 03-05-2009, 23:22

Well my colleague is very happy with his 450D. He uses it with a 17-85 IS USM and a 100-400L IS USM (so close to £1500 worth of glass) and doesn't find the body lacking at all.

As for glass, the kit lens and 70-300 (did you get it in the end) will do the job but you'll start getting the itch for better lenses after a while - gets us all eventually

)

Mark · 03-05-2009, 23:24

Hoping to have a 70-300 IS soonish. I might consider hiring a 100-400L, but I won't be buying one for a while.

Davey_Pitch · 09-05-2009, 22:01

I was looking at the 70-300IS as well, but I went for the 55-250IS in the end as from the reviews and comparison shots I saw it appeared to be quite a bit sharper, though the extra length of the 300 would have been nice. I love my 450D as well, need to get out and use it more now the weather is picking up.

Mark · 09-05-2009, 22:23

Given what I'm planning to use it for, t'was the length I was after. I'd have probably gone for the 250 though had the 2nd hand one not turned up when it did. I'm only a little over budget too which is better than expected.

Only problem I've got is the 300 is a bit front-heavy so at some point in the future I suspect I'm going to need a grip. Not yet though.

02-05-2009, 16:00	#44
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Today I have been: Making sure the camera works. Getting practice changing lenses. Leaning about exposure compensation and aperture priority. Finding out how people look at you when you kneel on a footpath to attempt better composition (I couldn't get low enough, and my knees hurt ). Going to have a look through the card now to see what I got.

03-05-2009, 23:22	#47
Toby Absinthe Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,023	Well my colleague is very happy with his 450D. He uses it with a 17-85 IS USM and a 100-400L IS USM (so close to £1500 worth of glass) and doesn't find the body lacking at all. As for glass, the kit lens and 70-300 (did you get it in the end) will do the job but you'll start getting the itch for better lenses after a while - gets us all eventually ) __________________ Last edited by Toby; 03-05-2009 at 23:25.

09-05-2009, 22:01	#49
Davey_Pitch I iz speshul Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Liverpool Posts: 6,296	I was looking at the 70-300IS as well, but I went for the 55-250IS in the end as from the reviews and comparison shots I saw it appeared to be quite a bit sharper, though the extra length of the 300 would have been nice. I love my 450D as well, need to get out and use it more now the weather is picking up. __________________ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

01-05-2009, 16:09	#42
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Done. 450D + 18-55 Kit. Got it retail but the price ended up being not that much more than they were going for on eBay yesterday (I'm sure they'll get cheaper now - always happens). Currently negotiating on a nearly new 70-300 IS USM to do the long stuff, so I saved there too. Of course, if I'd done it before the exchange rate went crap I'd have probably saved more.

03-05-2009, 23:05	#46
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Yeah - that just helps me have confidence I'll be happy with the 450D for a while. I'd take things like a few extra FPS if someone shoved them in front of me, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get them. The 450D is a keeper. As for glass, well, who knows.

03-05-2009, 23:24	#48
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Hoping to have a 70-300 IS soonish. I might consider hiring a 100-400L, but I won't be buying one for a while.

09-05-2009, 22:23	#50
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Given what I'm planning to use it for, t'was the length I was after. I'd have probably gone for the 250 though had the 2nd hand one not turned up when it did. I'm only a little over budget too which is better than expected. Only problem I've got is the 300 is a bit front-heavy so at some point in the future I suspect I'm going to need a grip. Not yet though.