I would like to buy my husband a digital camera with a SRL how much will this set me back in the UK?

Question

By SRL I mean a Single Reflex Lens, I won't say money is no object but I know realistically they are expensive pieces of kit.

Jeez sorry SLR then I didn't say the camera was for me what do I know?

Answer 1

It depends on which one you go for. I personally use the Canon 300d...but this has now been "surpassed" by the Canon 350d....and there is also quite a serious range of Nikons out there too.

If price is an issue, definitely go for the Canon 300d. It will cost you about £400 now, but you may be able to get it cheaper if you shop around. I have played with both the 300 and the 350, and I have to say that I much prefer the 300 even though it is considered older. The body is much sturdier and more of the size of a "standard" 35mm SLR, whereas the 350 is more like a modern digital camera and is smaller and more plasticky.

The 350 will cost you upwards of £500 and is closer to the price of the Nikon digital slr range (upwards of £600).

But it really is the same as most things - you get what you pay for...there is a whole range of Canon and Nikon "professional" SLRs (for the reeeeaaally serious photographer) that start at £2000 and work upwards.

Its also worth noting that with the Canon 300d you can use pretty much all of the old auto lenses that Canon brought out for the "standard" camera range...so its quite cheap to work with....and I must also point out that the quality is still absolutely superb. Here's a review to whet your whistle:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_eos300d.asp

Good luck! (feel free to email me if you want more info)

Answer 2

I'd recommend you stick with Canon or Nikon. These two brands are as good as any for entry level gear, and superior to all others if your husband ever decides to expand or upgrade later on.
With Nikon, your cheapest option is the D50 body with an 18-55mm kit lens. This costs L 429 at Dixons. This lens is fairly poor quality, however. If you want to consider more expensive Nikon options, first replace the lens with the Nikon 18-70mm. If you have still more budget, upgrade the body to the D70s (recently discontinued but still very good), or the even more expensive but brilliant D80 (a new model).
Canon options. With Canon, I would pass on the 300D. That model is two generations old and it's a rather sluggish camera. The current basic model is the newer - but also recently discontinued 350D. The 350D also has an 18-55mm kit lens. This package costs L 434 at Dixons. My upgrade path for Canon would be to get the 17-85mm lens instead of the 18-55, and if your budget allows, to then get the new 400D body instead of the 350D.
All of the above suggestions are fantastic value for money, so really, you can't go wrong. Perhaps have a look at them in a shop. The Canon models are much smaller than the Nikon models - this can be a good thing or a bad thing (personal preference).
Whatever you get, remember to buy a memory card, too. For your memory card, I can highly recommend the Brand SanDisk, model Extreme lll, size 2 giga-bytes. Depending on the specific camera you get, the card should either be type CF or SD (the shop will know). Everything else you need (batteries, cables, software, etc.) is included with the camera.
How's that for a shopping list?

Answer 3

There are two cameras you should consider. The Canon EOS 400D and the Nikon D80:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/canoneos400d/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/

These two are the best entry level (ie affordably priced) digital SLR cameras made currently. Since it is a gift, you will want to buy these as a kit (kits come with a lens while buying the camera as the body only does not come with a lens). I like the 18-135mm lens that comes with the Nikon a hell of alot better than I like the 18-55mm lens that comes with the Canon (however, I prefer the Canon to the Nikon, in general). What's the difference? Other than the taking better pictures, the Nikon lens has alot more zoom to it and a wider angle of view at the short range. It's alot more versatile lens for the average camera user. Your husband will probably like it better.

You will also need a memory card for the camera. For a camera like this, what you want is a 2 gigabyte SanDisk Extreme III card. If you buy the Canon, you should get this card in the Compact Flash version. If you buy the Nikon, get it in the SD (Secure Digital) version. These are expensive (well, only compared to the cheaper memory cards which are dirt cheap). About a hundred dollars american for one. The reason is they are very high speed. You could get by on a cheap memory card but there are certain things an dSLR camera does that might require a faster card. For example, if you take pictures in burst mode (hold down the shutter button for multiple pictures in rapid succession) and/or take pictures in RAW format (the files for these pictures are huge), the camera could be limited by a slow card. Better to just buy a decent memory card in my opinion.

Answer 4

personally I wouldn't spend anything above £50 on eBay - there is no guarantee you will get the item, it could be a refurbished unit or worse still an empty box. for the kind of money you are looking to spend you are much better off going to a local store where you can take it back with any problems and you'll have a UK guarantee - for a real SLR or SRL as you like to call it and not just a look alike one then I would go for a canon - price around £500

Answer 5

Buying your husband any kind of electronic is risky. Since men, like myself, are particular. Save your time and money and get him a gift certificate from a local camera shop. That way when you give it to him, he won't have that look on his face like "Oh, great, not quite what I wanted, but thanks". It's like me buying shoes for my wife. Trust me on this.

But if you must get him a digital SLR. I would love to get my my hands on a 5D Canon. Or for 1/3 the price you could get a Fuji S3. This will set you back about $1000us.

Answer 6

IT'S SLR CANON D80 OR THE SONY ALPHA ARE GOOD CAMERAS
THEN A COUPLE OF ZOOM LENS LOOK FOR KITS AS THIS BRINGS THE PRICE DOWN

Answer 7

SLR - digital or not?
if not digital £200 upwards
if digital £300 upwards

Answer 8

I would look in the Argos catalogue for prices then go on eBay to see if I could get one cheaper you may save yourself a few quid.

Answer 9

If you are not permanent resident here you may get a better deal elsewhere. The mark-up on goods in this country is atrocious.

Answer 10

dahl, its single lens reflex, SLR