About to take the plunge into the world of DSLR (1 Viewer)

[FortySeven]

Hi.

So as the above goes I'm about to buy a DSLR. Now I have been looking at the Canon EOS 350D and both the Olympus E500 and E330. The thing is I get to play around with these in work all the time. I've also had the chance to play around with the Olympus cameras with their full range of lenses. I'm also waiting on the EOS 400D coming out so I can have a go at that too.

The thing is I've just spotted a deal of sorts which comprises of an EOS 20D and a world of glass plus extras as follows;
The kit comprises of:

1 Canon 20D SLR Camera.
1 Canon EF 17-40mm f4L USM Lens
1 Canon EF 28mm f2.8 Lens
1 Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II Lens
1 Canon EF 80-200mm f4.5-5.6 II Lens
1 Canon Lens Hood EW-83E and Lens Case LP1319 (for 17-40L Lens)
2 1Gb Compact Flash Cards
1 256mb Compact Flash Card
1 Lowepro Orion Trekker Photo Rucksack
2 Jessops 77mm UV Filters
1 Cokin 52mm 1A Filter.
1 PCMCIA CF Memory Card Reader

This goes for around a grand. Now that seems like a good deal to me. Is it? Would I be better going for this or sticking to the 350D/400D route?
Any advice?

 

[quasiquasi]

This goes for around a grand. Now that seems like a good deal to me. Is it?

If you're talking Euros I figure the bundle would be over two grand new - the 17-40 lens on its own costs close to €1000. If you're sure everything's in good working order then I'd say go for it. The 20D may be 2-year-old technology, but it's pretty good technology and lots of photographers are still using it. The current 30D, which is supposed to be a step up from the 400D, is almost identical to the 20D with mainly cosmetic improvements. The only benefit of the 400D, besides the peace of mind from buying a new camera, is an improved sensor with more megapixels. The difference between 8 and 10 MP is not something you'll notice unless your cropping heavily or printing large. Using a pro lens like the 17-40 or one of the primes as opposed to a crap kit lens will do a lot more for your pictures than 2 extra megapixels.

(I should probably mention that I don't own any Canon gear so I'm not talking from personal experience of either camera)

 

[mr pharmacist!!!!1]

that deal is amazing if its true.
make sure though everything works.
im using the 30d which as quasi has already stated isnt much of a step up from the 20d. apart from having a larger screen and spot metering (pretty much essential though)
im investing in a fish eye lens and a 17-40 lens next.
if you're thinking of taking your first step you really cant go wrong with the 350d.

 

[RSJ]

that deal is amazing if its true.
make sure though everything works.

That's what i was thinking. If it's off a shop, go for it, if it's off ebay or a private seller, i'd be careful. Actually if it were either (ebay/private) and it were me, i wouldn't take the risk.

 

[Theseus Mock]

That's what i was thinking. If it's off a shop, go for it, if it's off ebay or a private seller, i'd be careful. Actually if it were either (ebay/private) and it were me, i wouldn't take the risk.

a guy in work here got a new Rebel XT kit with the standard lens (ye 350D in europe) shipped from an eBay seller last week. It cost him about 550 euros shipped with no customs castration (he did use the work address here which is probably why). that sounds like a bargain

 

[RSJ]

Yeah but dude, the 350d with the lens is about e500 on ebay. The 20d (with no lens) is close to a grand, add on the lenses and everything else... Just looks too good to be true.

 

[mr pharmacist!!!!1]

i 2nd that. i was pissed whilst posting on here last night.
looking at that list again theres no way it can be all that gear for that price.
the 20d alone is a grand at least, 17-40 is about 900.
theres close to 5 grands worth of gear there

 

[Goff]

Sounds a bit too good to be true alright. What’s the deal with it? Where’s it from? If it’s not Hong Kong or somewhere like that, steer clear.

Otherwise, yeah, brilliant value!

 

[FortySeven]

It's all second hand gear. Now everything looks legit but at the price I'm not sure either. I will be talking to the guy a little bit later on this evening. I'll be able to get a much better idea then about what state the kit is really in

 

[mr pharmacist!!!!1]

if you can get a photo of the guy and post it up here.

 

[RSJ]

Here, while we're talking gear, anyone used this? Very tempted, last few times i've been out and about with my camera, been very frustrated with my lenses, looking for a good wide(ish) to tele zoom and this one has fairly good reviews, especially compared with the Nikon which is about 2.5 times the price and supposedly not worth it.

 

[tripoli]

That's a lot of glass to take a chance on. Plus, you might not necessarily notice faults at the outset.

Just on the 350D, I have one and am very happy with it. Picture quality is superb and functionality is very good. Two points to consider though...the screen is too small and depending on the size of your hands, you might find the physical size of the camera a bit of a nuisance too. As i'm sure you are aware, the battery grip for an extra 100-130euro will sort that problem but it doesn't make the screen any bigger .

Good luck.

 

[FortySeven]

Thanks for all the advice people. Tripoli, I know what you mean. It is one of my main concerns about the amount of glass. Honestly I myself wouldn't be able to pick out the faults or know what to look for. I'm hoping a friend of mine can help me out in that regard.

 

[tripoli]

Check out Canon's new 400D (350D replacement). Bigger screen, ten megapixel...

I say start off yourself and build up your own lenses as per your requirements. Do your own research and learn the merits of each type rather than just inheriting a load of someone else's gear. Plus,for what it's worth, I haven't heard great reports about that Canon telephoto lens.

 

[quasiquasi]

Check out Canon's new 400D (350D replacement). Bigger screen, ten megapixel...

Unless you're tied to Canon for some reason, I'd also suggest looking at the Nikon D80 when it comes out, mainly because Canon kit lenses are not known for their quality and Nikon tends to do better here (not sure what lens will come standard with the D80).

The bundle you've found is still an amazing deal, but it might be better to take the conservative option (new gear) if you have any doubts about the condition of the camera or the 17-40 (consider the other lenses free gifts).

 

[magicbastarder]

i got the olympus e-500 recently - not the most popular choice, but it allows me to use my existing olympus MF lenses via an adapter. very happy with it so far; two lenses come with it for under a grand; my main beefs so far are the small viewfinder, and USB1.1 transfer. am going to get a card reader to get around that though.

 

[FortySeven]

I've had a good play around with the Olympus E-500. The twin kit is very tempting. Where did you see it for under a grand? I know there are two twin kits availible. One that the Dixons chain has been selling and another one. The Dixons one is cheaper but comes with a very very low quality lens (17-40mm I think) Hense why it's cheaper.
Cheapest I've seen the twin pack with the 14-40mm & 40-150mm lenses has been E1199 Also comes with a 1GB SanDisk Ultra II CF card.

How are you finding the E-500?

 

[magicbastarder]

it's available in the camera exchange or in conn's for €995, with the two lenses. i got it in the camera exchange.
the manual focus option on the lenses is poor - the MF ring just engages the AF motors, it's not directly coupled, so is very fiddly; dunno how this compares with canon or nikon lenses.
menu is fairly easy to get around - took a couple of days to get used to it, but i was new to digital photography.
it's not great at speeds above 400ASA; i believe canons are best in low light. also, the AF on the nikons and canons is supposedly better; that said, it's reputed to be the best DSLR for under a grand.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

i got the olympus e-500 recently - not the most popular choice, but it allows me to use my existing olympus MF lenses via an adapter. very happy with it so far; two lenses come with it for under a grand; my main beefs so far are the small viewfinder, and USB1.1 transfer. am going to get a card reader to get around that though.

Im playing arround with getting the pentax k100d for similar reasons, you can use any k-mount lens with it and I have a heap of old and not-so-old pentax lens.
Its only 6.1/6.3 mp tho...might wait till they bring out a higher-end model

 

[magicbastarder]

you lose functionality though (on the olympus; and i believe the situation is similar with old nikon lenses on nikon DSLRs) as there are only electrical couplings on the DSLR lenses, and only mechanical couplings on the OM lenses. e.g. whatever aperture you select on the lens is automatically engaged, not just at exposure time. some metering modes don't work due to lack of said coupling, but enough do that that's not a huge issue. also, olympus don't recommend all apertures - given the size of the CCD sensor (smaller than on nikons or canons), the focal length conversion factor is 2x, rather than the more usual 1.6x.