Want to buy my first DSLR - advice please.

[ALXBWSCREW]

and a 50mm F1.8 prime lens.

Only after you sort yourself out with a standard zoom lens. That's not the first thing on the mind of someone searching for his first DSLR.

 

[Lightning Count]

Going into town tomorrow, gonna be trying the Canon and Nikon out for myself, might even buy if I can find a good price.

 

[edkwon]

Get a Canon 550D or 600D and a 50mm F1.8 prime lens.

No, 50mm is not the best first choice for a crop sensor camera, full frame? yes, but its better to start out w a 35mm prime because it's a little less restrictive for composition and still can produce beautiful shots for a beginner with no experience for using primes. A 50mm OTOH is relatively too long and will just frustrate and annoy the user and make him wonder how he can capture anything when the image is too 'zoomed in'.

 

[Lightning Count]

So I actually ended up buying a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ45 bridge camera.

This was mainly due to the fact that was nowhere I could try out a Canon 550D or Nikon D3100, the only place that stocked either was Argos and they don't offer try before you buy, plus their prices were much higher than the ones I found online. Accursed small towns with not much choice, next time I will go to Aberdeen where I will have more options.

Anyway looking back I think this is the right choice, it's a big step up from my compact and it will me allow to play around with F settings, aperture settings etc without worrying about lens choices, plus it only cost me ?249.

I think I am gonna use this as my mainstay for about 6 months, till I have got it all figured out then move on to the DSLR, so expect me to Necro this thread about Christmas time. There are some rather nice mountain views to be seen around these parts, so I might go hiking and give the Panorama mode a try.

 

[Redliner]

Well, click the shit out this camera! Congrats and ask if you need anything else.