Canon E0S350D

[Jase]

Anyone got the above camera or have any experience of it? Im looking at a new digital SLR. At only £580 for an 8MP digital SLR with a lense it looks like a great camera from the specs but would like to hear peoples experiences.

Its also worth noting that it will be mainly used for non adult "applications" with a little bit of smut built thrown in but am interested in your views as may start content shooting in the future. Dont want to spend too much money to start off with anyway so its either this or the 6MP Nikon D50 which is about 100 quid cheaper but is 2MP less which will make a difference as I have an A1 printer and want to do big prints.

Thanks

Jason

[SGS]

Anyone got the above camera or have any experience of it? Im looking at a new digital SLR. At only £580 for an 8MP digital SLR with a lense it looks like a great camera from the specs but would like to hear peoples experiences.

Its also worth noting that it will be mainly used for non adult "applications" with a little bit of smut built thrown in but am interested in your views as may start content shooting in the future. Dont want to spend too much money to start off with anyway so its either this or the 6MP Nikon D50 which is about 100 quid cheaper but is 2MP less which will make a difference as I have an A1 printer and want to do big prints.

Thanks

Jason

I don't think you can go far wrong with Canon. Just about to trade one of our old D70s for the new EOS 5 as I am not too keen on skin tones with that particular Nikon.

[JT]

I recently bought the Canon D20 My first SLR I love it.

[ApacheAnderson]

I have the 300d and even thought I don't really have a fucking clue what I'm doing it's pretty easy to use and I get some decent pics from it.

[-HF]

never buy a cam without testing it thoroughly, at least go to a shop and hold it, try how comfy the keys are placed for you. using a 300D myself, i could never use a 350D, as they downsized it a lot, way too small for me, unless i'd put on the extra battery pack. plus it's very light, a proper lens will make it pretty heavy headed.

also, the Canon 20D is about to be replaced, you should find some nice deals in a few months, and thereby get a cam with a metal body rather than a plastic one.

[xcite-tv]

been using Canon for a year now after a lifetime of Nikon...

300d is fantastic camera i imagine 350d is even better .
try and stick to Canon lenses and dedicated flash though
and battery pack makes it handle like a pro...
and its certainly good enough for most shooting

[dvtimes]

I have to be honest, the next camera I get will probably that ione. At £550, its still a cheap camera. Its not that much more than a 35mm slr.

With luck it will also be lighter than the expensive digital slr's that i have used in the past.

Ithink we will see a lot more low cost pro cameras now.

[Jase]

Thanks for all your replies guys.

I am also looking at getting a zoom lense for the camera. I want to get the longest I can without spending stupid money which seems to be a 300mm but there is a HUGE price variance in them (cheapest is about £120 right up to £1800).

Can anyone explain the difference in them and also what USM and f/4-5.6 (for example) means? Also any opinions on Sigma lenses rather than using Canon ones?

Thanks

Jase

[dvtimes]

The best thing to to is look in the photo magazines as they review lenses.

While cheap, tend to be poor.

The expensive ones are fast, which means if your after such as sport events such as car racing or football, or nature such as birds flying, you would be best spending as much as you can afford.

Its down to what you plan on using the camera for.

If you do not intend to take lots of pics, you may also want to go for a 35mm, and use slide film. The quality of pro slide film is excelent, plus they can be scaned to cd, or blown up into decent prints.

But if you plan is lots and lots of pics, digital is cheapest.

But my advise would be to carry a spare cheap cannon 35mm as backup (in case somthing goes wrong with the digital, such as the battery is flat).

You can get great deals on second hand lenses at Jessops. You often find people take up photography, then pack it in and sell the gear back to Jesseps, so often your in reality buying gear thats been only used once before.

Make sure you put the camera on your hoshold insurance too, just in case.

[dvtimes]

If I remember USM (which is on cannon gear including my camera) is how the lense moves in and out.

Basicly USM is smooth, quick and quiet.

I think traditional lenses use ballbarings or somthing like thst. You do feel the diffense. I would opt for USM if you can afford it, but its a lot more expensive, it will not affect the shots, it just feel nicer.

[dvtimes]

f/4-5.6

These numbers refer to the amount of light basicly that gets through the lense.

The more expensive lenses will alow more light in.

Why is this important?

On a camera you have the f number and time to take a shot.

If its dark, the exposer takes longer.

On a digital its a bit different, as the cheap ones will simply take a quick shot, but it will be grainy. But on the pro ones, they now act more like 35mm film, so you can take longer exposer for better shot (as you do with film).

Niw if you plan to take still shots, such as a house, exposer time is not a problem, as the building will not get up and move, while you take the shot.

But it does matter for such as a car race.

If you took a pic of a car with a cheap lense, it will not let much light in, so the pic will be blured.

But on a pro lense, it will let it so much light, that you will get a sharp pic. In fact it may look like the car is not moving.

Now on zoom lense, because they are longer, its more expensive to make them alow lots of light, so thats why thay cost more.

In many ways with lenses, you not buying a brand name, but quality.

[dvtimes]

But, you may want to ask the experts on http://www.photographyheaven.net/forum/ as they will know far more about it.

Most of these chaps eact and breath cameras.

The danger with photography is that bying cheap can cost you more in the long run. It makes more sense to buy decent gear. It should also last longer too.

But as I say, it makes sense to have a decent 35mm slr as backup.

[xcite-tv]

Thanks for all your replies guys.

I am also looking at getting a zoom lense for the camera. I want to get the longest I can without spending stupid money which seems to be a 300mm but there is a HUGE price variance in them (cheapest is about £120 right up to £1800).

Can anyone explain the difference in them and also what USM and f/4-5.6 (for example) means? Also any opinions on Sigma lenses rather than using Canon ones?

Thanks

Jase

Try and stick with Canon if you can for lenses the huge price difference is in the light capabilities of the lens.
as the cheaper one but a much wider apature setting therefore needing more of the expensive stuff in the lens (Glass)
For example a nikon 50mm f2.8 lens is going to be cheaper than a Nikon 50mm f1.2.... so the f number is just the apature range. USM is the Ultrasonic motor. which makes focusing etc quieter

Sigma do make a couple of very good zoom lenses for the new canons but choose carefully and make sure they do work with the new range of digital camera's

good luck

[-HF]

The best thing to to is look in the photo magazines as they review lenses.
precisely. and the number of adverts in a magazine that happen to promote exactly the products being reviewed in that very issue is just for decoration and surely has not the slightest influence on the reviews.