Entry level DSLR

Mike Hoxbig said:
No no no, need to exercise some self control before this gets out of hand :D

Not too keen on second hand. I like having the peace of mind knowing that I'm the only one to have used it, so if it breaks then it's on me. You also lose out a fair bit on the warranty. Speaking of which, how reliable would the 550D/600D be? Nikon seems to offer a much better warranty from what I can tell.

I have been to a few stores yesterday, tried out various models, and the Canons do seem more comfortable for my paws :)
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They probably need to . . . :whistle:

I've yet to experience an issue with any of my canons that would have been covered by a warranty. I bought a couple 400Ds a few years back when I started out and they're still going strong.
 
bwana said:
They probably need to . . . :whistle:

I've yet to experience an issue with any of my canons that would have been covered by a warranty. I bought a couple 400Ds a few years back when I started out and they're still going strong.
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pffft, who was talking about fanbooi's? :p

I've had my Nikon D90 for almost 4 years with not a single hassle and it's seen some fair mileage and hectic conditions (was taking photo's at -14 degrees in China), no issues at all
 
Ol' Mean Bastid said:
pffft, who was talking about fanbooi's? :p

I've had my Nikon D90 for almost 4 years with not a single hassle and it's seen some fair mileage and hectic conditions (was taking photo's at -14 degrees in China), no issues at all
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I just checked back on the forum and I got my first 400D back in December 2006 - my kids (aged 5 and 7) have been using it for the last year or two - china would be a walk in the park compared to those two. :D
 
GhostSixFour said:
Will a Canon 550D with 18-55 and 55-250 lens kit be a good deal at 6k?
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Yes, that a good price if it's new.
The 550D with 18-55mm starter kits usually cost around R6000 excluding the 55-250mm lens which costs around R2500 alone.
If it's second hand it also not a bad buy but make sure everything works correctly and there is no damage to the lenses.
 
One of the things I like about the 550 is that it's fairly light and compact for a DSLR from what I've read, also the prices have come down a lot and fit your budget.

Also I think this Nikon vs Canon is BS because they're the top 2 competing manufacturers, what ever you get will be great and you should be happy.

It's like getting a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, I'm sure you'd like either.

I say go with what you're more comfortable with.

Also remember to check inner functionality etc.

I'm also at getting a camera and a 550 is what I'm looking at, unless I decide to wait it out for a 7D
 
CoolBug said:
I would like to ask if I can also take macro pics with this lens? I assume so?
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I do not know exactly which lens you are referring to, but this one has a maximum magnification of 0.21x, or 1:5.

This will be good enough for close-up shots, but true macro is usually pegged at 1:1 (1.0x) magnification. If you crop heavily (i.e., keeping only about 40% of the image), you may end up with usable results for larger subjects such as flowers, but remember that you will end up magnifying the limitations of the lens when using this approach.

If you want to try your hand at more serious macro, get an old 50 mm prime lens (one with a manual aperture ring), a reverse mount, and some extension rings. This will allow you to explore from around 1.0x magnification (small flowers) to 3.0x magnification (ants). If you shop wisely (second hand), this will be quite cheap (probably < R2k). You also get to use the 50 mm prime for portraits!
 
Last year I was also in the market, also entry level. I ended up walking away with a Nikon D90 + 18-55mm (not the crap one) + 55-200mm lens (again not the crap one) + 8GB Lexar + carry bag from ORMS for R7000

Call them, see what they can do for you!
 
Awesome man, you must be excited! Any first impressions?

I'm busy waiting for mine, also very excited, tracker system says it will be delivered today.

Wow I see yours comes with 2 lenses, a bag, memory card, the whole kit!

Jeez I think I'm only getting the camera and a lens.
 
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Yeah it was a super deal, my thanks go out again to the friendly forumite who tipped me off about the special earlier this week!

I don't regret missioning around the province in traffic early this morning to get a hold of it. The wait is killing me! It's sitting in my car at the moment, and my itchy fingers are getting a little anxious :)

When is your 7D coming through?
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Yeah it was a super deal, my thanks go out again to the friendly forumite who tipped me off about the special earlier this week!

I don't regret missioning around the province in traffic early this morning to get a hold of it. The wait is killing me! It's sitting in my car at the moment, and my itchy fingers are getting a little anxious :)

When is your 7D coming through?
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I just phoned fastway the delivery company, they said it will be today before 5.

The waiting is agonising.

Feels like I'm 5 and it's Christmas Eve
 
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CoolBug said:
I just phoned fastway the delivery company, they said it will be today before 5.

The waiting is agonising.

Feels like I'm 5 and it's Christmas Eve
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Hehe I find that the wait is the worst when you actually have it and you're waiting to get home to play with it. Been fine all week, but now it feels like torture.

One more thing, one of the stores was sold out, but were willing to offer a Nikon D5100 twin lens bundle at the same price. Didn't have a bag, but came with Photoshop. Didn't check which version of Photoshop it was, but I doubt that it was one of the premium versions. So which editing software should I get?
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
One more thing, one of the stores was sold out, but were willing to offer a Nikon D5100 twin lens bundle at the same price. Didn't have a bag, but came with Photoshop. Didn't check which version of Photoshop it was, but I doubt that it was one of the premium versions. So which editing software should I get?
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Sorry man I wouldn't know, I do know there are a few free ones but I think I'm weird, I'm actually not a fan of editing my photos, the most I've ever done is instagram a couple of phone pics.
 
CoolBug said:
Sorry man I wouldn't know, I do know there are a few free ones but I think I'm weird, I'm actually not a fan of editing my photos, the most I've ever done is instagram a couple of phone pics.
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I'd only be using it to maybe sharpen up a bit, and just some light stuff. From what I've read, Canon seems to be a bit on the conservative side with their settings, and images shot in JPEG tend to come out a bit soft. If there's a setting on the camera that allows you to increase the sharpness then it becomes less of an issue, but I haven't been able to check yet. Still waiting to get home :(
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
I'd only be using it to maybe sharpen up a bit, and just some light stuff. From what I've read, Canon seems to be a bit on the conservative side with their settings, and images shot in JPEG tend to come out a bit soft. If there's a setting on the camera that allows you to increase the sharpness then it becomes less of an issue, but I haven't been able to check yet. Still waiting to get home :(
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I'm still waiting for them to deliver :(
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
I'd only be using it to maybe sharpen up a bit, and just some light stuff. From what I've read, Canon seems to be a bit on the conservative side with their settings, and images shot in JPEG tend to come out a bit soft. If there's a setting on the camera that allows you to increase the sharpness then it becomes less of an issue, but I haven't been able to check yet. Still waiting to get home :(
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Yes - it's under picture styles. :)

Now remember, if you're shooting RAW your images WILL look soft on the computer - that's because all the setting that would have been applied if you were shooting JPG aren't when you shoot JPG.
CoolBug said:
I just phoned fastway the delivery company, they said it will be today before 5.

The waiting is agonising.

Feels like I'm 5 and it's Christmas Eve
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Step 1: UPDATE THE FIRMWARE :) Ver 2.0.0 is what you want but it's unlikely to come pre installed.
 
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bwana said:
Step 1: UPDATE THE FIRMWARE :) Ver 2.0.0 is what you want but it's unlikely to come pre installed.
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Yeah I will definitely do that, I was getting a little paranoid that Santa might turn around and go back to the north pole once it hit 5pm. Phoned them 5 minutes ago they put me through to the driver, he seems to be on his way.
 
bwana said:
Yes - it's under picture styles. :)

Now remember, if you're shooting RAW your images WILL look soft on the computer - that's because all the setting that would have been applied if you were shooting JPG aren't when you shoot JPG.
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Thanks, had to read that a couple of times but I think I understand now :) Basically all the image correction stuff that is applied when shooting JPEG is not used when shooting RAW?
 
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