Most bangs for your buck - IQ on a budget

[grimep]

Thanks for the info. For dark indoor photography with the main subjects being a 3 and 5 year old running around like crazies I was anticipating some sort of prime with a low f-stop, or a fast zoom lens rather than a big telephoto. I know sod all about lenses but presumably the 70-300, with its 4-5.6 aperture range is best suited to well-lit outdoor photography?

 

[mikehit]

Yep - the 70-300 is really for outdoor stuff but with f4 at the short end and 3 or 4 stop IS it will do indoor at the short end as well.

The 50mm f1.8 is a real gem - at under £100 it is almost disposable. You will find heaps of discussion about f1.4 v f1.8 and some pros have posted that the difference in image quality is minimal, though the f1.8 is smaller and lighter: the f1.4 is better built but their view is that if the f1.8 breaks they just buy a new one. However, on a APS-C it is not a lens for indoor groups (that is where the kit zoom comes in).

If indoor kids is your main thing at the moment, I would say kit lens for groups, plus 50mm f1.8 for low light. Then decide if you want/need to go to a tele zoom for outdoors or buy a decent flash for better indoor work.

These three sites are my first port of call for second hand stuff.

http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/

http://www.mifsuds.com/acatalog/Used_Canon_EOS_Lenses.html

http://www.lcegroup.co.uk/Secondhand-Search/

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Looking at picking up a used DSLR early in the new year. I sold my Nikon D70S rig a couple of years ago and fancy trying a different brand (no reason as to why, just for a change).

Budget for a body is up to £450. At the moment i'm looking at the Canon 5D MkI and Pentax K5. I'm leaning towards the Pentax more, as it'll be smaller/newer/better LCD/better AF etc. What do you guys think?

 

[grimep]

Finally got around to it... in case anyone's interested.

New Nikon D3100 body, £215

New Nikon 35mm DX prime lens, £125

Been deliberating cameras for about 10 months. Finally realised that an "entry level" DSLR is in fact as good a camera as I'll ever need, as well as being small and light. Job's a goodun.

 

[tkimages]

If it feels right in your hands, then it's right for you. Don't even think about cameras again, just use it, and use it a lot to learn it's and your limitations. That way your images will just get better and better.

 

[rockmeister]

If it feels right in your hands, then it's right for you. Don't even think about cameras again, just use it, and use it a lot to learn it's and your limitations. That way your images will just get better and better.

+1:^

 

[grimep]

will do