Digital SLRs, questions from an amateur

Yes. I bought a zoom lens after a couple of months and a prime after another few but I still dont have a flash.

I'm a total amateur and dimwit but love using my D-SLR (Canon 450D). Started with only the basic package and now have a zoom lens too, but the one it comes with is fabulous and I'd happily have stuck with that.

Unless you're going to use the functionality of an SLR, I'd recommend you go for a good bridge camera - such as the Canon G9 or Fuji F30. They'll do everything you want, you have the ability to adjust the ISO, spot meter for light, etc, without being as costly as a DSLR.

Thanks for all your replies, I think I'm going to have to do a bit more research into what exactly I want. Thanks Crantock, I'll add those to my list of ones to look at.

I've got both of these cameras ? Different cameras suit different people, of course, so here's my feedback.

I've been pretty disappointed with the G9. Although you can can control it, the small sensor means you don't see a huge amount of difference in Depth of Field resulting from selecting an aperture. It isn't hugely responsive and the noise is pretty bad from ISO 400 upwards - you pretty much have to use it at ISO 200 down. It can take fab photos if the lighting conditions are right but I took one of some backlit birds in a puddle that, although the manual controls allowed me to nail the exposure, I could just not use. I think the noise reduction had gone mad with it - it looked like a waterpainting. I now only use it on RAW (and be aware that not every RAW convertor can read the G9 RAW files). I'd also like to see it with a wider lens but that's not a fault with the camera per se.

I think it's a pretty good compact camera as far as compact cameras go, but once you're used to a dSLR it just doesn't compare. I do use it as a smaller walk around camera though.

Thanks Zippy, I've been looking at revies for the G9 and they are pretty mixed, the digital SLRs I'm looking at are not that much more expensive, so I may just make the big leap. Now I've seen a Sony one (either the alpha 200 or 300), so that's given me even more to compare. Okay a few more questions, I'm looking at Kelkoo and comparing 4 different cameras, the Nikon D60 and D40x, the Sony alpha 300 and the Canon 400D:

http://digitalcameras.kelkoo.co.uk/ctl/do/compareProducts?pid16=18991191&back=%2Fcp_124901_filter_camera_type_digital_slr.html&pid14=17118932&catId=124901&pid15=18927941&pid11=18000442

So, is there any real difference between pop up flash and built in flash? What is image stabilisation and is it important, as the Sony one is the only one that has it? Does anyone have any experienec of any of these that they could share? 🥳

I bought the D60 a couple of weeks ago. So far I'm just using it on the automatic settings, but hope to start a photography course soon to help me get more out of it. As a complete amateur I've found it fairly intuitive to use (so far). I just bought the kit lens, and I have a bag for it, and will look at different lenses etc as I go on. Nikon are doing a cashback deal at the moment so you can claim some of the money back. They did a similar offer earlier in the year, so you might find you can get that. I think Canon do cashback as well.

Ha ha - I've just been looking at the reviews of the G9 too and have discovered they are on the whole much better than they used to be - it used to get a real slating. Perhaps it's down to expectations - when it first came out there was an expectation that it could almost be a dSLR replacement and it just isn't. But it probably is a very good compact camera, IYSWIM.

I've always been a Canon girl - I've owned the Canon 400d (now have the 40d) and it is a great camera. I hear the 450d (its replacement) is even better and comes with a better standard kit lens.

Regarding flash - to be honest, the more you get into photography the less you'll want to use the camera's flash. The problem of all built in flash (pop up or not) is that it's very close the lens. This causes red eye but also means that the photo can be a bit flat and boring. Much better to get the flash off the camera so you can create some shadow and interest. This is not as complicated or expensive as it sounds. I rarely use my camera's flash, either on my dSLR or on the G9 - I prefer to brace the camera against something stable if possible.

Image stabilisation can be quite handy as it allows you to use a longer lens in darker conditions than without it. It basically tries to judge whether the photo will be prone to camera shake (normally due to handholding with a slower shutter speed) and to offset this. The canons don't come with it in the body but some lenses have it built in. I think it's a personal choice and for me this wouldn't be a deal breaker. Others might think differently though.

I can't know anything about the other cameras but I do seem to remember that those two Nikons don't have a lens motor drive (or something) so can't use the full range of Nikon lenses. I'm not sure if this is an issue or not.

You can get a wide converter for the g9.

and i suspect OZ is talking about issues with the G7 and G8's. The G9 is a great camera for what it is. remember the size difference between a PAS and a DLSR.

all on camera flash is rubbish, as oz says. but tbh, its quite a leap between using a PAS as a PAS and using off camera lighting. get to know the camera first.

This might be of interest.....

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=102548

price crash clearance sale

Yep, I think this is what I meant by expectations. I was talked into the G9 by a photogapher friend (we are both very much amateurs) and I believed his hype that this was getting close to a dSLR. Stupid of me. Our styles are very different and I just think the G9 suits his better than mine. The G9, for what it is, doesn't really suit me or the shots I like to do. I do wonder if there are any variations in the copies, given there is such a wide range of opinions (I can't go and nick my friend's camera to compare, for other reasons)

Well I#m off to the airport in a few hours, so I may have a play if they have any in the shop at the airport. At least just to get a feel of them and then I'm going to have to read up and figure out which of the functions are most important to me, because from the comaprison thing I did they all seem to have good and bad points.

Well I've had a chance to play in the airport. They have the Sony 350, the Canon 450 and the Nikon D60. I actually quite like the Canon, even though I'd been just looking at the 400 and not the 450 - it wasn't too heavy and the guy in the shop said it was the best of the three. Still want to have a play with them all properly, but I'm going to a Jessops on Friday so I can try them all out then.