I am currently thinking about buying a SLR camera and im wondering which one of them is the best value/quality. I have seen on previous posts on this forums that there have been a few new ones released recently?? could someone please confirm this ??

I am currently thinking about buying a SLR camera and im wondering which one of them is the best value/quality. I have seen on previous posts on this forums that there have been a few new ones released recently?? could someone please confirm this ??

How Now go for the 400d canon!!:D

How Now go for the 400d canon!!:D
D'ya think ara sure I might aswell cause im fed up of this f****in Digital Camera cause it never f***in focus's properly when I want it

Try shooting in continious mode as this will capture at least one frame in focus.

Try shooting in continious mode as this will capture at least one frame in focus.

Yeah thats what I do - I always get a few on focus so it does help..

Theres a good alternative to teh Canon 400D though, very good reviews and affordable starter camera. I'm looking at getting one myself...

Heres a review on it

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz50/

:)

The Canon 450D will be released during the month, and will increase the MP to 12.1 and will take 3.5fps.

As for Nikon I used to have a D50, which I found great. The D40 on the other hand is a cheaper cut down verison, which I won't go for (if used mainly for motorsports) the D40 has auto focus the older D50 had 5 and so on.

Most camera including SLRs need to be set in continous autofocus in order for then to follow a car etc. It should be in the menu even in compact digital cameras.

@smeggle- if you thinking of getting the panasonic try it out first, I was using my friends one which was the top of the range last year and it has loads of shutter lag, so bad for motorsports.

@smeggle- if you thinking of getting the panasonic try it out first, I was using my friends one which was the top of the range last year and it has loads of shutter lag, so bad for motorsports.Maybe you forgot to turn on the antilag :rolleyes: Cameras are a bit like rallycars,if you ve money to spend,its no hassle spending it and even after spending all the money you still mightened be able to work it:eek: sound familiar

Well for one, what lenses do the Panasonic use???
as the most important aspect of any camera is the lens, this is where Canon and Nikon are way ahead on the lower to mid end budget!
You can have Auto this, Servo that, Anti Roll Bars, Spot metering, whatever... but the quality of the lens is where its at!
However when it comes to taking good pictures, it is the wee gadget behind the camera that comes in to play.
Nikons and Canons will both take equal great shots at fast cars, flying bullits, flowers, mountains, rivers, Birds even:)... they just have slightly different gizmos. Ask 50 pro photographers what is better; Canon or Nikon at shooting Rally cars, and you will proably get 25 thums up of each!
Find your budget range, then start reading independant online reviews about your Panasonic, Olympus, Nikon, Canon, or any other make you like to consider!

The Canon 450D will be released during the month, and will increase the MP to 12.1 and will take 3.5fps.

As for Nikon I used to have a D50, which I found great. The D40 on the other hand is a cheaper cut down verison, which I won't go for (if used mainly for motorsports) the D40 has auto focus the older D50 had 5 and so on.

Most camera including SLRs need to be set in continous autofocus in order for then to follow a car etc. It should be in the menu even in compact digital cameras.

@smeggle- if you thinking of getting the panasonic try it out first, I was using my friends one which was the top of the range last year and it has loads of shutter lag, so bad for motorsports.

shutter lag is 0.009 of a second...

Heres a write up I have on it.. I'll know soon enough how good it is as I have a bid in for one on ebay. May be slightly under the class of other cameras but as a starter camera I'd say it will do what most need. I especially like the I - ISO feature...


Product Description

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 Digital Camera incorporates a high quality Leica DC lens with 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 35mm - 420mm on a 35mm film camera) and the MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) system in addition to an enhanced CCD capable of recording 10.1-megapixels, and a large 2.0" Free-angle LCD. The DMC-FZ50 is further distinguished from other cameras by its full manual controllability using traditiuonal barrel contros for zom and focus and a full range of aperture and shutter settings for more creative shooting. It also boasts the Venus Engine III high performance image processing LSI to dramatically reduce image noise - even when using the high sensitivity setting of ISO 1600 at full resolution.

10.1 Megapixel CCD
The DMC-FZ50 features a 10.1-megapixel high resolution CCD provides smooth color gradations and highly detailed images with which you'll be able to print photo quality images up to print sizes of 20x30."

12x Optical Zoom LEICA DC Lens
The Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens provides a 12x Zoom equivalent to 35mm - 420mm focal length with a 35 mm film camera. The lens unit is comprised of fourteen elements in ten groups including three aspherical lenses and an ED lens, All these are incorporated to generate low distortion and high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit. The Extra Optical Zoom of the DMC-FZ50 is made possible by using the center part of the 10.1-megapixel high resolution CCD, and further extends the powerful 12x optical zoom to up to 21.4x for 3-megapixel image recording.

MEGA O.I.S. with Intelligent ISO Control
The MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) system compensates for handshake - the major cause of blurred images. Every slight hand-shake movement is detected accurately with the sampling frequency at 4,000 times per second and is compensated to render clear, sharp images. In addition, movement of the subject, the other major cause of blurred images, is suppressed by Intelligent ISO Control (I.I.C.) and available ISO1600 high sensitivity recording capabilities. The incorporation of I.I.C. allows the automatic adjustment of the ISO setting and shutter speed that best suits the situation by analyzing the speed of subject movement. If the subject is moving, the ISO setting would automatically rise to allow a higher shutter speed. On the other hand, if the subject is still and no movement is detected, you can take beautiful natural images with a low ISO setting.

High Picture Quality, Quick Response Image Processing LSI: The Venus Engine III
The DMC-FZ50 camera utilizes the Venus Engine III Image Processing LSI to realize high sensitivity recording. The noise reduction system is greatly improved by removing noise at the processing stages in series. First, critical noise is roughly undraped and the chromatic noise and the luminance noise are separated to respectively go through the supplemental noise reduction process so that the remaining noise is appropriately minimized. Furthermore With its multi-task image processing capability, the Venus Engine III also boasts outstanding response time with a shutter release time lag of as short as 0.009 seconds and a shutter interval of 0.8 seconds. Together with the fast startup time of approx. 0.7 seconds, the quick response of DMC-FZ50 enables easy capture of those spur-of-the-moment shots. Another benefit of the efficient Venus Engine III is long battery life - sufficient to shoot approximately 360 pictures (CIPA Standard) on a single charge.

Full Manual Controllability
The DMC-FZ50 is equipped with two rings on the lens barrel that provide manual control of zooming and focusing, thereby allowing quick and fine control that cannot be achieved with button or lever operation. This kind of analog control is highly valued by high-end users not only for its precise controllability but also for the feeling of traditional manual operation that would be found on film cameras. Furthermore, with the two dials located under the index finger and the thumb, you can easily compensate the exposure directly in addition to adjusting the shutter speed and the aperture smoothly and naturally. The Function Button serves as a shortcut for commonly used settings such as recording image size, light metering, AF area, white balance, and ISO sensitivity, allowing them to be set easily.

Free-angle LCD and High Resolution EVF
The 2.0-inch flip-out high resolution LCD is adjustable to 180 degrees both vertically and horizontally. This assists in smooth shooting even when using high- and low-angle shooting positions. The pixel mixed readout method performed at the CCD achieves high sensitivity to offer sufficient brightness for easy shooting even in low-lit situations, while the Power LCD function boosts the brightness level by 40% to secure clear view even in sunny outdoors. The DMC-FZ50 is also equipped with a high resolution EVF to encourage active shooting.

Fast Auto Focus
The AF mode can be selected according to the shooting situation: 9-point, 3-point high speed, 1-point high speed, 1-point normal speed and Spot. In the 1-point and 1-point high speed AF mode, the AF area is selectable from the nine focusing areas with the joystick to best fit the composition of the subjects. Also, the AF assist lamp helps quick, accurate focusing in situations where focusing is difficult due to the lack of light.

VGA and Widescreen Motion Image Recording
In addition to standard VGA (640x480 at 30 fps) motion image recording, the DMC-FZ50 also records stunning full-size movies in wide-aspect VGA (848x480 at 30 fps). Shooting is one thing but viewing is another, and you will be suitably impressed by the 16:9 moving image when it is displayed on a wide screen TV. In addition, the brightness level of these motion images is also enhanced as a result of the pixel mixed readout method performed by the CCD, and zooming while recording motion images is also possible with the manual zoom ring.

Direct Print Capable
With PictBridge direct printing, users can make prints by just connecting the DMC-FZ50 camera to a Pictbridge -compatible printer via included USB cable. The Direct Print mode is easily accessible via the mode dial so that you can easily access the print control features.

They must have improved the panasonic a lot so, I found it a great camera only for the shutter lag.

D'ya think ara sure I might aswell cause im fed up of this f****in Digital Camera cause it never f***in focus's properly when I want it

Opps!!!!!!!

They must have improved the panasonic a lot so, I found it a great camera only for the shutter lag.
well I will find out soon enough - I have one on the way from the states..:D



jaysus though - my bank manager is gonna swing for me :o:

I went for the Canon 400D in the end !! its on the way from the states aswell

I went for the Canon 400D in the end !! its on the way from the states aswell


Ha ha - The exchange rate at the moment is brilliant lol :D

Got mine a good 30-40% cheaper than I would here or Britain...

Ha ha - The exchange rate at the moment is brilliant lol :D

Got mine a good 30-40% cheaper than I would here or Britain...

Ya I know I reckon I saved upwards of 350 !! lol

Ya I know I reckon I saved upwards of 350 !! lol


I got the 40d and saved 500€ on the irish price!!:eek:

I got the 40d and saved 500€ on the irish price!!:eek:

where?, what website

i am in the same position with the exchange rate at euro to sterling and 150 sterling cashback from cannon.what website are you dealing with???

got mine on e-bay ...

where?, what website


got it from ebay!!!

Got mine on e-bay aswell an i amn't too sure about how much I saved yet but I think it probably was about 40% - 45% cheaper than here

remember customs love their letters demanding money after your camera arrives

remember customs love their letters demanding money after your camera arrives
This didnt happen to me before as I bought a 4gb memory card from the states before !!!

This didnt happen to me before as I bought a 4gb memory card from the states before !!!


small bit of a difference between a 4gb memory and a 400d:D

small bit of a difference between a 4gb memory and a 400d:D

that shouldn't make a difference

any parcel over EUR40.00 and the customs will start smiling!

any parcel over EUR40.00 and the customs will start smiling!
I know of a few people who bought goods from america over EUR40.00 and there wasn't a word out of cutoms

that shouldn't make a difference

what was the price of the 4 gb and what was the price of the 400d get 10% of it and i think the custom crowd will see the difference and will look for the money :D

mabey big mouth here should have kept his mouth shut about the late letter coming in the post after the new toy arrives from outside the EEC.
but i thought that if it wasent mentioned more people could get sucked into a false sense of security when buying abroad.
i only can speak of goods coming from the east but i presumed that the wild west was under the same rules.i have seen posts on other forums stating that only for the seller saying the goods were of less value, that this led to a big reduction in the bill ending on the door step of the purchaser, from the man with the tan.sorry the tax man.:laugh:

mabey big mouth here should have kept his mouth shut about the late letter coming in the post after the new toy arrives from outside the EEC.
but i thought that if it wasent mentioned more people could get sucked into a false sense of security when buying abroad.
i only can speak of goods coming from the east but i presumed that the wild west was under the same rules.i have seen posts on other forums stating that only for the seller saying the goods were of less value, that this led to a big reduction in the bill ending on the door step of the purchaser, from the man with the tan.sorry the tax man.:laugh:

Dunno - customs never even opened the parcel I got - seals weren't touched or nothing....

Have heard though that they were supposed to be going to hit ebay stuff but as of yet I've been ok - Fingers crossed it stays that way :D

Dunno - customs never even opened the parcel I got - seals weren't touched or nothing....

Have heard though that they were supposed to be going to hit ebay stuff but as of yet I've been ok - Fingers crossed it stays that way :D
I reckon the west is still O.K.

I reckon the west is still O.K.


Hopefully its a right ***** otherwise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i was talking to an american who was complaining about the cash back offer canon is offering on its eos cameras in europe .another person commented that with the prices being so low for canon products in america there was only 30 to 50 dollars or euros of a difference when both prices were compared:)