Buying a digital slr in Dublin (1 Viewer)

[W.]

Hi,

I'm in the market for an entry level digital slr. Recommendations of what to buy? Also better to buy online or around dublin, if dublin then where?

 

[W.]

dont make me register on boards.ie

 

[magicbastarder]

if in dublin, and it's canon or nikon, check out gunns, the camera exchange, and conns, in that order.

 

[Janer]

What's your budget?
Canon have bought out a new 1000D entry level which is their intro model while Nikons is the D40x.
Their the 2 biggest market leaders so it's easier to get your hands on lenses if you choose one of them.
I myself have the Canon 450D.

Buying online is obviously cheaper or if you don't fancy taking that route Calumet of Belfast is your best bet.

http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/store/canon1000D
http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/321-350K/
http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/355-580E/
http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/item/355-580B/

If you're going to buy in Dublin then I too would recommend Gunn's of Wexford street as their after service is def head and shoulders above anyone else.
boards.ie photography forum is excellent for picking up tips learning stuff and reading Janer post's.

 

[Janer]

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=65463&cat=51
4000 is not many clicks for a full year. Mine has almost 8000 and it's only 3 months old.

 

[Goff]

http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=65463&cat=51
4000 is not many clicks for a full year. Mine has almost 8000 and it's only 3 months old.

Yeah, well, you might want to take it easy, Janer. Although Canon don't publish their shutter actuation stats, for the lower end models, they're not that great. You might get twenty to thirty thousand at best, before having to send it off to be mended. Which will cost. More than the second hand resale value for sure.

 

[Janer]

I hope to have the readies for a 40D when this one dies

 

[RSJ]

For general camera tomfoolery buy nikon. Better lens compatibility means you spend less on lenses so can afford a better body. Get online and try get a second hand D70 or D200. Deadly cameras. If you're shooting gigs go for Canon, unless you can shell out more for a nikon D300, it's the first one that doesn't get dead noisy at high ISOs. The rest you're waisting your time for gigs unless you want to use a flash.

 

[La La]

Canon have bought out a new 1000D entry level which is their intro model while Nikons is the D40x.

Nikon swiftly replaced the D40x with the D60 I believe - though from what I have read, in buying the latter, you are spending a few hundred more on pretty much the same camera.


I think I'm buying a Nikon D40 this week (unless I can find a Canon 450D for cheap somewhere - unlikely.

 

[Goff]

D40 or D40X? I'd recommend the X. The D40 is only 6 megapixels and feels a lot more plasticky than your normal Nikon. It takes good photos though but not great for making larger prints. Not sure if the body on the X is any better but it is a superior camera judging by results on flickr. The problem with buying the entry level model is you'll soon want a better one. So you're probably better off waiting and saving a bit more. I learned that mistake the hard way. Although I still love my 350D.

 

[La La]

D40 or D40X? I'd recommend the X. The D40 is only 6 megapixels and feels a lot more plasticky than your normal Nikon. It takes good photos though but not great for making larger prints. Not sure if the body on the X is any better but it is a superior camera judging by results on flickr. The problem with buying the entry level model is you'll soon want a better one. So you're probably better off waiting and saving a bit more. I learned that mistake the hard way. Although I still love my 350D.

im actually going to gunn's in about half an hour to physically look at some of them - always makes a big difference holding them than just researching on the intertit.


interestingly, this link may be of some interest to people: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

i spent ALL DAY on this yesterday. does anyone know what the import duties are on cameras into ireland though?

 

[Goff]

I "think" it's the 21% VAT on what the current RRP in Oireland is. I could be wrong though. BHPhoto's a great shop. I remember flicking thru' the brochure in Neary's one night as one of the barmen goes there all the time and had it with him. He had a hard time getting it back from me. See what deal they can do for you in Gunn's. The entry-level models they probably won't make much of a profit on anyway, so you probably won't make much of a saving. But you know them, so they'll do their best. I was thinking of heading up myself to look at lenses, but I doubt I'll have time now. Oh and let us know how well Catherine is looking. ;-)

 

[mr pharmacist!!!!1]

two b&h brochures arrived in the post for me last week.
cnt get mi bnr 2 go dwn!!!!one

 

[La La]

is catherine the lovely one who is on a first name basis with you from teh get go? i love her.

she also has a massive engagement ring thingy though goff.

she's steering me towards the nikon d80 OR the canon 450d. it all depends on money! so - do i go b and h and hope i dont get import taxed or do i support the lovely people at gunns? dilemma.

 

[RSJ]

Entry level models are good if you're just looking for a step up from a compact, but if you're in any way serious, i'd say get the best second hand model you can afford. I've not used any of the cameras mentioned, but i've read the reviews of the D60 and they're not great a tall a tall. I'd say check ebay for second hand D200s or the like.

BTW FYI in case i didn't mention, the D300 is oney amazing.

 

[Goff]

D300 is grand. But it's not a 5D. (Both lovely cameras, btw).

Anyway,

Yeah, LaLa, Cath is the good looking one with the engagement ring and the new child, who's mad into me (not really) and very expert in the owl' camera department (and the model trains, if ye ask)....

(Was she asking for me?)

LaLa, do you know anyone coming back from Hong Kong? Even for a visit? Newsanky?

Anyway, how did ye get on apart from getting the hard sell?

 

[La La]

D300 is grand. But it's not a 5D. (Both lovely cameras, btw).

Anyway,

Yeah, LaLa, Cath is the good looking one with the engagement ring and the new child, who's mad into me (not really) and very expert in the owl' camera department (and the model trains, if ye ask)....

(Was she asking for me?)

LaLa, do you know anyone coming back from Hong Kong? Even for a visit? Newsanky?

Anyway, how did ye get on apart from getting the hard sell?

sometimes i feel like a nerd for not having bought one while I had all that time in HK - but then again I was earning just enough to see me through paying rent and buying food until my next pay cheque would come in.

my friends would be going as far as the UK and most of them have already done that and returned to HK this summer.

i'll think of something. anyway, it's funny because I wasn't exactly looking for entry level but didnt want anything too fancy but had already kind of narrowed my research down to the 450d and d60. im glad she steered me away from the latter though. i have a day off tomorrow so i'm going to go foraging again. she was great help though and recommended dpreview.com which i shall check out now.

 

[hugh]

do i go b and h and hope i dont get import taxed or do i support the lovely people at gunns? dilemma.

I'd say you will 99% for sure get hit for the import tax so you really have to assume it's gonna happen and factor it into your calculations ....

 

[RSJ]

If you can wait two months i'll be in NYC around the 10th of october, i can pick you up stuff and put the hardware in one package marked gift and the manuals and boxes etc in another. I would imagine that'd get you past the import tax. It's two months away though.

Goff - i was close to buying the 5D until the guy who was selling it told me there's slight vignetting on ultra wide angle lenses. He said it was barely noticable but since i'm shooting with an 11-16 these days, i figured i'd give it a miss. Plus the D300 has ISO 6400 and a few deadly feature like the live preview thing (sounds gimmicky but is actually deadly for taking shots you can't fit a camera and your head into) and the active D lighting (basically onboard software that sorts out high contrast scenes to give a perfect overall exposure). Kinda bummed that the D700's been announced since, but i've heard it's only a D300 with a larger sensor. Meh...

 

[Space]

I'd love a live preview on my camera.