D3000 or 1000d or E520

[jamed2017]

Hey guys,
Im looking at buying one of these cameras, i'm tempted by the D3000 as i here nothing but good things about nikons.
I've had a play on my girlfirends D50 which i really liked but find the D3000 a bit smaller and a bit to entry level. (bit to small, bit to toy-ish)

At this point i must stress i'am no photographer and this will be a first time purchase however i dont want to out grow the camera in a year if you know what i meen Rolling Eyes

1000D looks okay but seems a bit old and i worry if i buy one it will soon be replaced.

Im open to any sugestions around the 300-400 mark.
Which would you guys go for?

Thanks for your time
Jimmy

[ianpinion]

Hi Jimmy and welcome to the forums.

There are so many good entry level DSLR cameras to choose from at present that deciding which one is best is nearly impossible. You see all the entry level cameras offered by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax and Panasonic can all take great pictures once you know how to use it. In fact choosing between them may come down a personal preference regarding a feature one has that another doesn't or you may like the build quality of one over another.

Now, you've already torn into the Nikon D3000, which is a great camera and likewise you've rebuffed the Canon 1000D. I dare say you could equally find fault with the Sony a230 or Olympus E520 too, so the only way you might answer this is to try a few of them out in a shop. See if you like how the camera's controls are laid out, see how you get on with the menu systems and judge how it feels in your hands when taking a photograph. You might still want to buy on-line as you may be able to buy one at a better price than you can on the high street.

Another consideration, if your girlfriend already has a D50, would you be looking to buy further lenses and other equipment that you could both use? It could save you both money in the long run, which would mean you looking to buy another Nikon. Of course if the D3000 doesn't float your boat, then why not look at a secondhand or reconditioned D5000/D50/D60/D70/D80/D90 that was available within your budget?

Your only other option is to save up for a bit longer and get a better camera, either a Canon 450D/500D or a Nikon D5000 or aSony a550 or an Olympus E620 that are all priced between £500 - £600?

[jamed2017]

Ive just had a quick look and managed to find a 450D for 440 with memory and case which is not a bad deal
I've also found for the same price the olympous 520 with 2x lenses.
D5000 is still out of my price range.

Im torn between the extra lenses, the usabillity of the d3000 and the features of the canon.

[Sue Allen]

If you're worried about outgrowing the camera quickly don't forget Nikon have decided to limit their entry level cameras to using AF-S or equivalent lenses. You can still mount most other Nikon fit stuff but will only be able to manually focus. This could be a pain if you see a second hand bargain lens or if your girlfriend has a lens you want to borrow that does'nt have the inbuilt motor.

[ianpinion]

Originally Posted by jamed2017

Ive just had a quick look and managed to find a 450D for 440 with memory and case which is not a bad deal
I've also found for the same price the olympous 520 with 2x lenses.
D5000 is still out of my price range.

Im torn between the extra lenses, the usabillity of the d3000 and the features of the canon.

All I can say is try them to see which one you are happiest with. Sometimes just comparing them on paper won't find you the answer and purchasing a camera is very much a personal process. Features that would be a benefit to me could be a hindrance to you, so take your time and try to give them both a quick road test.

That price you found on the Canon 450D looks a good buy if it is supplied with an IS lens. The Olympus too could serve you well as those two lenses are optically pretty good for kit lenses.

[Durbs]

Despite being a Canon 1000D user, I'd say if you're girlfriend uses Nikon, I'd go that route - purely as you can share/borrow any accessories or lenses either of you have.

Having said that, I love my 1000D and it does all I could want of it. If you go this route (of the 450D), make sure you get the 18-55 lens with IS (Image Stabilistaion) as it makes quite a difference.
I find Canon's fairly intuitive to use, but can happily play with Nikon's too and can find most of the functions logically.
Best advice would be to get to a camera shop and hold each one to see if it fits your hands

[jamed2017]

I have to say guys im rather tempted by the E620 as i found one with the 2x lenses for less than 500.

What you guys think?
Im really not sure but the 2x lenses tempt me. Does anyone know if it has remote control software like canons?

[ianpinion]

Hi Jimmy,

I use the E620 myself and I'm really impressed with it so far. Its simple to use and quicker to set up than the Nikon D3000 because the guide is more intuative. They used the sensor from the E30 in this camera which is a step up from what's in the E520 or the E450 and their predecessors. It has image stabilisation in the camera body, so need to have it in the lenses. With two lenses it's a great deal for a starter kit if you're really tempted, but in your situation I would not rule out the Nikons just yet. To think I paid almost £500 for the body on its own (because I already have those two lenses in my collection).

[jamed2017]

I've thought about making the stretch for a d5000 but the extra price has put me off.
I can get the D5000 for 540. with 1 lens and a lot of goodies
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-NIKON-D500...item20ae68be37

Or a E620 with 2 lens.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-OLYMPUS-E6...item45f0890d72

The olympus has taken my fancy with its pop out screen and that it can be controled by pc. With this i would also have the same lenses as my girlfriend has for her nikon so that would be rather usefull.

How do you think i would find the e620 as newb to dslrs ian?
Oh and does it feature a light like the d50? Small thing but just wondering.

Big cheers
Jimmy

[chris-p]

I know I'm jumping into a thread in the middle of a discussion, but...

You're a self-proclaimed novice with no real camera knowledge so I wonder why you've basically discounted the EOS1000D and D3000. I'm not knocking the Olympus system (used an E-510 as my first digital SLR and was always very pleased with it) but you're not going to notice a difference between them if you've no experience and nothing to compare to.

For what its worth, the best value for money entry level systems are those from Olympus and Sony.

To address some of your other points...

Originally Posted by jamed2017

At this point i must stress i'am no photographer and this will be a first time purchase however i dont want to out grow the camera in a year if you know what i meen

You're not going to outgrow a camera in a year. You might want new lenses and other accessories but there is no point in worrying about outgrowing the camera itself.

Originally Posted by jamed2017

1000D looks okay but seems a bit old and i worry if i buy one it will soon be replaced.

This happens and there is nothing you can do about it. Digital and electronic technology moves on very quickly but a new model doesn't automatically make the preceding one useless. If a camera is replaced, 90% (or more) of the technology in the outgoing model is used in the new one most of the time.

Originally Posted by jamed2017

Im torn between the extra lenses, the usabillity of the d3000 and the features of the canon.

Ultimately, the extra lenses are going to give you a more flexible system out of the box.

Originally Posted by Sue Allen

If you're worried about outgrowing the camera quickly don't forget Nikon have decided to limit their entry level cameras to using AF-S or equivalent lenses. You can still mount most other Nikon fit stuff but will only be able to manually focus. This could be a pain if you see a second hand bargain lens or if your girlfriend has a lens you want to borrow that does'nt have the inbuilt motor.

This is true but just about every lens Nikon have made in recent times is an AF-S lens (so they have the AF motor built into the lens allowing autofocus on the entry level cameras). While Nikon are trying to make their entry level cameras cheaper by removing the AF motor from the camera body, they aren't stupid and the range of AF-S lenses covers an enormous scope up to (and including) some of their top end pro level kit costing thousands of pounds.

Originally Posted by jamed2017

The olympus has taken my fancy with its pop out screen and that it can be controled by pc.

The pop out screen is an advantage. I wish more SLR makers would put them on their cameras as it makes live view much more useful.
The PC control, for me at least, wouldn't be a deal breaker. If you're planning on shooting a lot of studio or indoor macro stuff then it could be useful but I wouldn't get hung up on it.

Originally Posted by jamed2017

Oh and does it feature a light like the d50? Small thing but just wondering.

By light, I think you mean the AF assist lamp which is to the upper left of the lens (when viewed from the front) on the Nikon. If so, no, the Olympus doesn't have one, it uses it's pop up flash as an AF illuminator, a feature which you can turn on and off as and when you need it.

Originally Posted by jamed2017

How do you think i would find the e620 as newb to dslrs ian?

Although this is aimed at Ian, I will say that the Olympus menu system is quite good and I think the interactive display screen that Olympus use is one of the best implementations of this system that any manufacturer has.

All round, you seem to be swayed towards the E-620 and thats no bad thing. It's a better specified camera than either the EOS 1000D or the D3000 and, with the extra lens, a much more enticing and flexible "out of the box" package.
All the cameras mentioned here are very capable and can produce very good results. While I understand your concern about bodies being replaced with newer models, it's not something I would worry about.

The most important thing is that your first dSLR is going to teach you a lot about photography. From composition and the sort of things you like to shoot, to how to use more advanced features and the technical aspects of the camera. It's about learning, which is why choosing your first one is so hard. All round, the Olympus E-620 (or E-520) will offer you the most "learning ability" in a single package as you've got more equipment to use and learn from.