Looking for a DSLR w/ $450 budget

June 8, 2017

Basically the title, I'm trying to get into Photography but I can't find the right camera. I have a budget of $450 and any tips would be great.

Thanks!

Zando_ · June 8, 2017

I forget how much the Canon T5i is, but I think it's around that price. A cousin of mine had one, then it broke in a crash, and now he's getting a new one for his job (he does video/photography stuff), as they've gone down in price. Still a stellar camera though. I think the full name is Canon EOS T5i Rebel or something like that.

Mothballs · June 8, 2017

Pentax k-50's have gone down in price and are weather sealed if that's a helpful addition to you.

I think the K-7 is also in that range and also weather sealed.

Just be aware that they are not great if you're shooting sports or want to do video. They can take video, but the in body Image stabilization acts funny on the older cameras.

On the upside, I find the controls way more intuitive then Canon and Nikon.

porina · June 8, 2017

Don't overlook older used cameras. Bodies don't tend to hold value as well as lenses. Go back a few generations and you can get some real bargains.

I'm only really familiar with Canon myself. You'll have to look up what the equivalent US name is, but on Canon side 600D or newer has a great sensor and some video capability should it be needed later. You could go further back, but I'd personally draw the line at the 450D as the first model to come with live view which can help in some situations. It does depend on what you want to do. The rest of the budget typically would be spent on a lens or two to start with. Again, depends on the subjects. As a general purpose zoom are the various generations of 18-55mm lenses. Aim for an IS model if going for one, especially the early ones were optically better than the non-IS versions. 2nd lens could be either something like a 50mm f/1.8 if you want to try more on shallow depth of field, a 55-xxx zoom if you think you want to try more distant subjects e.g. wildlife. Or maybe a macro?

One thing I've learnt, as you get better, you find yourself less worrying about the gear and more about the shot.

June 12, 2017

On 6/8/2017 at 0:44 PM, porina said:

Don't overlook older used cameras. Bodies don't tend to hold value as well as lenses. Go back a few generations and you can get some real bargains.

I'm only really familiar with Canon myself. You'll have to look up what the equivalent US name is, but on Canon side 600D or newer has a great sensor and some video capability should it be needed later. You could go further back, but I'd personally draw the line at the 450D as the first model to come with live view which can help in some situations. It does depend on what you want to do. The rest of the budget typically would be spent on a lens or two to start with. Again, depends on the subjects. As a general purpose zoom are the various generations of 18-55mm lenses. Aim for an IS model if going for one, especially the early ones were optically better than the non-IS versions. 2nd lens could be either something like a 50mm f/1.8 if you want to try more on shallow depth of field, a 55-xxx zoom if you think you want to try more distant subjects e.g. wildlife. Or maybe a macro?

One thing I've learnt, as you get better, you find yourself less worrying about the gear and more about the shot.

After doing some research with what you've told me, I found an EOS SL1 for $150. I'm looking for a multi-purpose lens. I found the pentax smc-da which was $24, but I'm not sure if they're compatible or if I'll have to buy an adapter.

Thanks for the help!

porina · June 12, 2017

6 hours ago, jaffer said:

After doing some research with what you've told me, I found an EOS SL1 for $150. I'm looking for a multi-purpose lens. I found the pentax smc-da which was $24, but I'm not sure if they're compatible or if I'll have to buy an adapter.

Thanks for the help!

Look for a lens with native Canon EF (or EF-S) mount. I don't know what the adapter situation is with Pentax lenses on Canon, but that is not a common scenario. For native fit Canon lenses, there's obviously Canon themselves, but Sigma and Tamron also do a range of compatible lenses, if you make sure to get them in Canon fit. If you're just after a low cost general purpose lens, one of the Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS is a safe choice. They did quite a few versions of those, and in general the ones which include image stabilisation (IS) are better optically than ones without.