I've been debating for months whether or not I should get a proper Digital SLR. I have other cameras, but a D-SLR and a number of good lenses provides more flexibility than any non-SLR camera can, regardless of how good it is. Unfortunately even the basic ones are expensive pieces of kit, especially the new ones with the extra features like sensor cleaning and anti-shake. €899 seemed to be a pretty good price for what I was looking at. Then, as I mentioned in a previous post, I discovered that the sensor cleaning mechanisms on the new cameras didn't work properly and a simple blower works better. With that fact came the option to buy an older model that was being flogged off cheap(ish).
Last weekend I wandered into town, had a look around and ended up buying a Canon 350D for €599. I'd like to say it was an impulse buy but at this stage I'd been in and out of the camera shops staring at Digital SLRs and the bundle offers so many times that the staff probably thought I was some weird obsessive compulsive. In the end I opted for the simple one lens kit since one shop assistant had told me to stop being stupid about getting a high spec camera with extra poor quality lenses in the box. Instead I should just find a cheap basic model camera and buy a good lens to go with it. I might not have bought the camera in his shop (Camera Exchange on George Street) but I will be going back there to get a lens or two.
Later someone asked me how many cameras I now own. I never dump cameras, strange but I just don't. I'm a gadget nut so over time I've built quite a collection without even realising it. Two digital compacts, two film compacts, two phones with cameras (my Sony Ericsson k800i is my new compact general use out around town camera as well as my phone), a film SLR (Sigma SA7), the Fuji s9500 bridge camera and now a Canon 350D D-SLR. Hmm, I think I need a cheaper hobby. :-)
So far though I haven't had a lot of time to play with it I'm quite impressed with the Canon. It has enough extra little bits and pieces features wise to keep me entertained for a long while. It is smaller that the other two cameras (as you can see from the photo) which makes it feel a little strange in my hand but I'll get used to it. The lens that came with it is acceptable for general use though I hope to get another one or two soon. The one thing I found odd is the fact that there was no compact flash card in the box. There was an offer to send off for one but that had expired. Many cameras come with some token amount of memory in the box so people can start playing straight away. Fortunately I've got 5 GB of compact flash for the Fuji so I just put one of the cards into the Canon when I left the shop. I got a "free" bag with the camera, it's a generic Canon bag and not very good. That's going to hold the Sigma I think and the Sigmas bag will end up holding the Canon.
I'm hoping to take the Fuji and the Canon out at the weekend and do a comparison, though I need to pick up a lens for the Canon first to match the lens range of the Fuji.
Last weekend I wandered into town, had a look around and ended up buying a Canon 350D for €599. I'd like to say it was an impulse buy but at this stage I'd been in and out of the camera shops staring at Digital SLRs and the bundle offers so many times that the staff probably thought I was some weird obsessive compulsive. In the end I opted for the simple one lens kit since one shop assistant had told me to stop being stupid about getting a high spec camera with extra poor quality lenses in the box. Instead I should just find a cheap basic model camera and buy a good lens to go with it. I might not have bought the camera in his shop (Camera Exchange on George Street) but I will be going back there to get a lens or two.
Later someone asked me how many cameras I now own. I never dump cameras, strange but I just don't. I'm a gadget nut so over time I've built quite a collection without even realising it. Two digital compacts, two film compacts, two phones with cameras (my Sony Ericsson k800i is my new compact general use out around town camera as well as my phone), a film SLR (Sigma SA7), the Fuji s9500 bridge camera and now a Canon 350D D-SLR. Hmm, I think I need a cheaper hobby. :-)
So far though I haven't had a lot of time to play with it I'm quite impressed with the Canon. It has enough extra little bits and pieces features wise to keep me entertained for a long while. It is smaller that the other two cameras (as you can see from the photo) which makes it feel a little strange in my hand but I'll get used to it. The lens that came with it is acceptable for general use though I hope to get another one or two soon. The one thing I found odd is the fact that there was no compact flash card in the box. There was an offer to send off for one but that had expired. Many cameras come with some token amount of memory in the box so people can start playing straight away. Fortunately I've got 5 GB of compact flash for the Fuji so I just put one of the cards into the Canon when I left the shop. I got a "free" bag with the camera, it's a generic Canon bag and not very good. That's going to hold the Sigma I think and the Sigmas bag will end up holding the Canon.
I'm hoping to take the Fuji and the Canon out at the weekend and do a comparison, though I need to pick up a lens for the Canon first to match the lens range of the Fuji.
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