Entry Level DSLR

[Spacecadet]

OK it's been done a million time before but here goes again...

Which DSLR camera?
3 requirements:
Live screen preview - I wear specs so don't want the faff of having to always use the view finder.
Budget of around £300 - don't want to blow a lot of money on something which may just end up gathering dust! I can always upgrade later.
Universal lense mounts - I know some use a proprietry/compact lense attachment which then needs an adaptor if you want to use anything else. I want to steer clear of those if I can.

TIA!

[lje]

OK it's been done a million time before but here goes again...

Which DSLR camera?
3 requirements:
Live screen preview - I wear specs so don't want the faff of having to always use the view finder.
Budget of around £300 - don't want to blow a lot of money on something which may just end up gathering dust! I can always upgrade later.
Universal lense mounts - I know some use a proprietry/compact lense attachment which then needs an adaptor if you want to use anything else. I want to steer clear of those if I can.

TIA!

I think you're going to have trouble with these requirements. It's been a while since I looked at the DSLR market so some of my info may be out of date...

Live screen preview - You won't get this with a DSLR. SLR means single lens reflex, which uses a mirror arrangement to allow you to see through the lens when looking through the viewfinder. This mirror arrangement is in the way of the digital sensor and so you can't look at the screen. [Note that this may have changed as I could imagine that you could be given the option of either live screen preview or viewfinder but I'm not close enough to what's happening to kjnow the answer to this.]

One option might be to get a micro four thirds camera (mainly Olympus). It isn't a DSLR (as it doesn't have a mirror) but it does give you the control of a DSLR and live preview. It's also much smaller and lighter than DSLRs. However, it does have specific lenses which it works with.

If you go for a DSLR then you will probably go with Cannon or Nikon (or others which are compatible with the lens fitting). You cannot use Cannon lenses on Nikon and vice versa. However, there are lots of lenses available for each (although I have heard that Cannon has more lens choice).

The most important thing when buying a camera is to hold it in your hands and make sure that it's comfortable. Once you've narrowed down your choices I'd suggest going into a camera shop and having a play.

[ilovehr]

LJE is a bit out of date.....

I could bang on about cameras all day but I'm a bit stuck for time at the moment but a quick response:

Sony have been offering Live View on a number of their models for some time. I have an Alpha A300 which is pretty good and has a moveable live view screen as well as a viewfinder. I bought it last year so that I could have a light weight DSLR to take to Oz with me (I normally use an Nikon D700) and I was really pleased with it. It is compatible with most Minolta lenses IIRC...

To be honest though, If your budget is only £300 you might be better with a bridge camera which gives you full control without the expense.

PM me if you need some more assistance - I've tried out loads of cameras (it's my job).

[Platypus]

I bought my son a Nikon D3000 last Christmas. About £300 (incl lens).

He loves it and has taken some simply stunning pics with it. Can use the full range of Nikon lenses. I can't wax lyrical enough about what a superb camera this is.

But... no live view. My son wears specs and says this is no problem. Anyway live view eats into battery life.
FWIW I've since bought myself a DSLR (because I loved what he was doing with his). Mine does have live view, but I haven't used it because in sunny weather you can't see the screen anyway. I also wear specs and using the viewfinder is not an issue. In fact I won't be using the live view - it's easier (IMO) to frame a picture using the viewfinder.

Lots of info here, more than I can report:
Nikon D3000 Digital SLR Camera: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

Highly recommended indeed.

[eek]

Comet have the A450 at £299 (which is probably a misprice) Buy SONY DSLRA450L.CEH | 14 megapixel digital slr camera - Digital SLR Cameras | Comet

Supposedly it has live view but as I currently use an A700 I can't comment. Lens are the same as Minolta so there a plenty of cheap second hand options.

[Spacecadet]

Comet have the A450 at £299 (which is probably a misprice) Buy SONY DSLRA450L.CEH | 14 megapixel digital slr camera - Digital SLR Cameras | Comet

Supposedly it has live view but as I currently use an A700 I can't comment. Lens are the same as Minolta so there a plenty of cheap second hand options.

Doesn't look like a misprice... £420 reduced to £299.99

Thanks for the pointers... I am slowly gravitating towards the sonys

[Clippy]

I've also been toying with the idea of buying an entry level DSLR but have recently thought about getting a bridge camera instead.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38EB-K is currently £218 at Amazon which is tempting - meant to be a very good camera too.

[Joe90]

a bridge camera can be a good choice providing you don't think that you'll get more serious about it.
If you got one and then saw the opportunity to do more with photography, the camera would quickly become a huge limit to your apirations.

My first DSLR was a 300d which I bought about 5 years ago. I'm now looking around to upgrade to something much better, probably 7D.

If I was just looking to get into photography now, I'd (as a canon user) be looking at the 450/50D area. Depending on how much you're wanting to invest and how involved you want to get. If you're really going entry level then theres the 1000D!

[Mustang]

I am a first time DSLR user and I treated myself to a EOS500D.

It has a fully automatic mode so it is essentially a "point and shoot" but it can be used in a "manual" mode for more experienced photographers. In addition, it has a movie mode that produced HD movies in MP4 format.

I love it and the pictures are great.

HTH

[Cliphead]

I bought my son a Nikon D3000 last Christmas. About £300 (incl lens).

He loves it and has taken some simply stunning pics with it. Can use the full range of Nikon lenses. I can't wax lyrical enough about what a superb camera this is.

But... no live view. My son wears specs and says this is no problem. Anyway live view eats into battery life.
FWIW I've since bought myself a DSLR (because I loved what he was doing with his). Mine does have live view, but I haven't used it because in sunny weather you can't see the screen anyway. I also wear specs and using the viewfinder is not an issue. In fact I won't be using the live view - it's easier (IMO) to frame a picture using the viewfinder.

Lots of info here, more than I can report:
Nikon D3000 Digital SLR Camera: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

Highly recommended indeed.

I bought the same camera a couple of months ago and totally agree with Platypus.