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My first SLR

A path trodden many times before with responses usually beginning:
- do you know one end of a camera from the other
- what photography do you do
- what is your artistic style
- what do you want to achieve
- lens choices and availability may dictate your direction

and so on and on and on. Any camera will do arguably, if it's your first.

If you want quietness and street style, buy Leica or Voigtlander or classic Nikon or Pentax manual, if you want quality manual lenses on digital but Nikon or Pentax etc.

I suspect you will get many different answers but it's a bit like saying I'm going to take up a sport for the first time ever, do I choose running or swimming (ignoring rugby, tennis, lacrosse, athletics, triathlon, cross-country, mountain biking, road cycling, karate, kung fu, boxing, etc. etc. chosen at random)
 
The new Sony A100 looks as though it could be good. Will take a wide variety of old and good Minolta lenses too as well as new Sony-rebadged Minolta and Zeiss lenses.
 
Which camera is the most comfortable in your hands?

If you no existing lenses then you can choose whichever suits you best

I have had good experience with the Olympus E1 - which is now available at bargain basement prices.
 
If you no existing lenses then you can choose whichever suits you best
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Unless must have a 'must have' function that only exists in brand x then the idea of selecting the lens or system of lenses that meet your needs may well be the way to go.
 
Great - thanks for that all. I've no idea the sort of thing I'll be shooting at present - although I favour people and colour (I'm really not a black and white kinda guy). - and I have no existing lenses.

I've seen a lot of sample pics from both and have to say I'm favouring the Canon at the mo.
 
Or a D50 if money is tight, there is very little difference between a D50 and d70 to a novice.

If I were purchasing again I would check out the lenses on eBay as an idea of what is out there at what price.
 
GreatNorthWood said:
Canon EOS 350D

or . . .

OLYMPUS E500
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I have the Canon with the kit lens and I'm very pleased with it. It takes great pictures, is very easy to use and has the facilities to take you further when/if you want to learn more about photography.

Mick
 
The Canon sensor is recognised as having much less noise at higher ISO than the Nikon 50 or 70.

I recently bought a Canon 30D and I am very pleased with it
 
Will you be using the DX lenses designed just for the digital bodies or those that work with both digital and non-digital bodies?
 
Auric,

I also bought the 18-70mm DX lens with the D200, and the SB600 Flash unit.

As I have an FE all manual camera I also have 28mm, 50mm 1.8 AIS, 35-70 AFD, and Sigma 105mm macro/portrait lens'.

Only used the 18-70mm lens so far thought (nice it is too).

Would love the new 18-200 mm VR lens but the wife would kill me!!

Cheers,

Taffyboy
 
Having existing lenses that will work with the new body does lower the cost of a new system and recycling glass is always a good idea.
 
auric said:
Having existing lenses that will work with the new body does lower the cost of a new system
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The only downside is if you take a lot of wide angle shots. Your existing 28mm on a DSLR is the equivalent of a 45mm unless the camera has a full frame sensor. Of course, it does mean your 300mm effectively becomes 480mm.

I bought the 350D with the kit lens (17mm-85mm) so I still had proper wide angle for indoor shots. I'd too would love the Sigma 18-200 but I'll have to cycle my 28-300 first.

Mick
 
Agree with Mick on the wide angle front, but as you say you gain on the longer focal length end.

Its only a matter of time before Nikon and other Glass suppliers release more flexible range lens'.

Cant win em all!
 
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