Camera recommendations

[mally 832]

I'm a Canon man myself, but i have friends that use Nikon's. IMO there are just 2 makes of professional slr's worth buying and they are Canon and Nikon. The reason being is they do an excellent range of both standard and professional L lenses. The last time i looked at the rest there range of lenses available was very poor.

 

I generally only purchase the canon L series lenses, they are more robust and they hold there money well. You will never loose too much money on them as they have an excellent resale value.

 

As with anything In my opinion you do get what you pay for, That said though i bought a 'Nifty Fifty' (a canon 50mm F1.8 ) for just £50 and i have took some outstanding shots with this lense. Personally though i wouldn't buy any other lense but canon, i've heard some horror stories about tamron and indeed sigma lenses.

[Romany 1,065]

I'm a Canon man myself, but i have friends that use Nikon's. IMO there are just 2 makes of professional slr's worth buying and they are Canon and Nikon. The reason being is they do an excellent range of both standard and professional L lenses. The last time i looked at the rest there range of lenses available was very poor.

 

I generally only purchase the canon L series lenses, they are more robust and they hold there money well. You will never loose too much money on them as they have an excellent resale value.

 

As with anything In my opinion you do get what you pay for, That said though i bought a 'Nifty Fifty' (a canon 50mm F1.8 ) for just £50 and i have took some outstanding shots with this lense. Personally though i wouldn't buy any other lense but canon, i've heard some horror stories about tamron and indeed sigma lenses.

 

I agree with a lot of that mate, Im Nikon, and I only use Nikon glass..even if I have to save for it for a while. My mate uses only Sigma lenses on his Canon, simply for the cost, not for the quality, he has a Sigma 120-400mm zoom its ok, the Canon equivilent is a better lense, not twice as good, but its twice the price..Had I been a Canon man, I would only be using lenses with a red line on them..

[Romany 1,065]

You can get some good results from the Nikon -300mm, mine cost £ off ebay..all depends on how much you have to spend, but, go for the best you can afford..

 

 

i was looking at buying the nikon d70 last year,but after much thought i bought a sony a700,it was the in-body image staboliser that made me change my mind,that means unlike the nikon i don't have to be spending loads of extra money on image stabolising lenses,so that means every lens i buy is an IS lens.there is a big difference in price between an IS lens and an non IS lens.hope this helps

 

I would like to see how this compares to a IS lens. The way i look at it is that if "on camera" IS was so good the two top camera manufacturers would be using it. Not knocking your camera mate,just saying thats all.

Personally you want the fastest lens you can get, but for photography you also need a little fieldcraft and savvy. It doesnt matter what lens you are using if you cannot get near the subject. I always say that canon and nikon are both top class.....JMO JD

 

Agree fieldcraft and savvy are a must.Not long go a new camera myself.Dont think i have taken one good photo yet.using a nikon 70-300 lens.atb. Catcher Not down to the lens just me

 

Ive taken some really decent shots over the years with the -300mm, keep at it mate

Edited March 19, 2010 by Romany

[J Darcy 5,871]

I will just say that there is a huge difference between moving shots and stationary animals. Having spent the last 20 years of my life trying to get better coursing shots i can tell you that its hard.

 

Chalkwarren, if its rabbiting shots at speed you are after capturing then i woudl get a 200ml prime lens at f2.8 .

you wont go wrong. Its expensive and all that jazz,but you can offset the price of it against any profit you will make on the next book.

 

I shoot a 300ml f2.8 canon L series and i am happy with it.

Sure it cost alot,butits worth every penny.

 

Good luck..

[mally 832]

I will just say that there is a huge difference between moving shots and stationary animals. Having spent the last 20 years of my life trying to get better coursing shots i can tell you that its hard.

 

Chalkwarren, if its rabbiting shots at speed you are after capturing then i woudl get a 200ml prime lens at f2.8 .

you wont go wrong. Its expensive and all that jazz,but you can offset the price of it against any profit you will make on the next book.

 

I shoot a 300ml f2.8 canon L series and i am happy with it.

Sure it cost alot,butits worth every penny.

 

Good luck..

 

Please remember me in your will JD, i'd just love that lense but i don't have £3500 burning a hole in my pocket!!!

[J Darcy 5,871]

Neither do i now!!

Seriously Mally, if you want your pics to improve its the only way to go. I wish i had bought it many years ago.

For running quarry i do not think you can get any better, and when housed on the 50D it gives about 450 ml.....

But even with all the best gear pics of running quarry is hard and i think if i get one good shot out of 50 i am doing well......

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

I will just say that there is a huge difference between moving shots and stationary animals. Having spent the last 20 years of my life trying to get better coursing shots i can tell you that its hard.

 

Chalkwarren, if its rabbiting shots at speed you are after capturing then i woudl get a 200ml prime lens at f2.8 .

you wont go wrong. Its expensive and all that jazz,but you can offset the price of it against any profit you will make on the next book.

I shoot a 300ml f2.8 canon L series and i am happy with it.

Sure it cost alot,butits worth every penny.

 

Good luck..

 

 

Many thanks for that kind advice,...

 

I'll start saving up for the 200mm lens...

I might have to go without jumbo pies for a week,.but ,.feck it,..

 

Doubt I'll ever make any profit on my amateurish jottings and scribbles,...

 

All the best,..CHALKWARREN...

[J Darcy 5,871]

I know profits are wafer-thin, but it will be an investment that will last you the rest of your life.

Get a good CF card that will write quickly and your away!!!

[MuttleMcTuttle 21]

I will just say that there is a huge difference between moving shots and stationary animals. Having spent the last 20 years of my life trying to get better coursing shots i can tell you that its hard.

 

Chalkwarren, if its rabbiting shots at speed you are after capturing then i woudl get a 200ml prime lens at f2.8 .

you wont go wrong. Its expensive and all that jazz,but you can offset the price of it against any profit you will make on the next book.

 

I shoot a 300ml f2.8 canon L series and i am happy with it.

Sure it cost alot,butits worth every penny.

 

Good luck..

 

Please remember me in your will JD, i'd just love that lense but i don't have £3500 burning a hole in my pocket!!!

 

 

If you hold him down Mally, I'll get the lens off him

[MuttleMcTuttle 21]

At the end of the day it comes down to cost and how much you're prepared to pay vs what you want to get out of photography.

If you just want to take slightly better pics than the average compact can churn out, and only want to view them on screen and print up to A4 then you may be happy with cheaper lenses, but don't expect brilliant results if you are hyper-critical.

If you want a lens that will be tack sharp, weather-sealed, built to last, fast focusing etc, and you are considering selling your photos or printing them at A2 size, you will have to cough up for pro glass, be it Canon or Nikon.

At 6mp with a crop sensor, the D70 is much less likely to show up lens defects than a D700 for instance.

[rex 8]

At the end of the day it comes down to cost and how much you're prepared to pay vs what you want to get out of photography.

If you just want to take slightly better pics than the average compact can churn out, and only want to view them on screen and print up to A4 then you may be happy with cheaper lenses, but don't expect brilliant results if you are hyper-critical.

If you want a lens that will be tack sharp, weather-sealed, built to last, fast focusing etc, and you are considering selling your photos or printing them at A2 size, you will have to cough up for pro glass, be it Canon or Nikon.

At 6mp with a crop sensor, the D70 is much less likely to show up lens defects than a D700 for instance.

 

Some great replys guys thanks allot, but Muttle last comment sums me up really I am really only just starting out so I think a D70 with a nikon 300mm lense will be a good start to giving me better pic's than my cheapo compact point and shoot sony i have currently, if and when I get the bug, I can look at improving the quality of my lense.

 

Thanks again for all your comments much appreciated

[Romany 1,065]

At the end of the day it comes down to cost and how much you're prepared to pay vs what you want to get out of photography.

If you just want to take slightly better pics than the average compact can churn out, and only want to view them on screen and print up to A4 then you may be happy with cheaper lenses, but don't expect brilliant results if you are hyper-critical.

If you want a lens that will be tack sharp, weather-sealed, built to last, fast focusing etc, and you are considering selling your photos or printing them at A2 size, you will have to cough up for pro glass, be it Canon or Nikon.

At 6mp with a crop sensor, the D70 is much less likely to show up lens defects than a D700 for instance.

 

Some great replys guys thanks allot, but Muttle last comment sums me up really I am really only just starting out so I think a D70 with a nikon 300mm lense will be a good start to giving me better pic's than my cheapo compact point and shoot sony i have currently, if and when I get the bug, I can look at improving the quality of my lense.

 

Thanks again for all your comments much appreciated

 

Rex,try the 300 f4, its considered to be one of the sharpest 300mm f4`s on the market, its sharp from f4, and the AFS model can take a Nikon tele converter, and with the tc 1,4 is just as sharp all the way through, and on my D300 takes it up to around 420mm (dont beleive me, try it) It focuses down to 5 feet too. Ths older ASI model is built like a scaffolding pole,you can knock nails in with it, it dosnt take the tele converter, but the optics are excellent..dont forget though, you will now only have a 300mm prime lense, so you wont have the flexibility of say a -300mm or sililar. Check out Ken Rockwells site, and see what he has to say about some of the lenses on offer this might help you. Second hand the ASI goes for £300-£400 the AFS model about £700-£800. But like its been said earlier, the better glass does hold its price well, I bought an ASI second hand off ebay for £400 and have just sold it recently on ebay and got the same for it.

Hope you get what you want, and hope to see some pics soon.

[MrsChamp606 553]

you get what you pay for i reckon

[rex 8]

managed to steal my old mans minolta dynax 500si film camera with a tamron 70-300mm lense, not digital but before I part with any cash be good practice and cheaper haha! any of you guys every used this camera?