What camera do I want to buy? Seems to be a fairly common question now, so lets see if we can help with that.
There are 2 main brands. Canon & Nikon. Other popular ones are Sony and Olympus. I've only listed Canon & Nikon as IMO that's where you should be putting your money. The others are good, just not as good. If someone wants to do the same as I've done for the others then feel free and I'll add it on. Stick to my format though![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
All prices have come straight from the Jessops site, so they might be a bit cheaper in other places. I just did it for a guide.
First off, the best thing to do is go into Jessops or somewhere and have a play with them. See what feels best in your hands, see what feels most comfortable to hold, use, menus etc. With a first DSLR you have no brand loyalty, you don't have to worry about lenses fitting etc, so you're free to chose any you like.
Next comes price, now obviously if you're just starting out you don't want to spend thousands on a pro camera, so I'm going to presume you want the base models..
Nikon..
The D3000 and D5000 have replaced the D40 and D60 respectively. You may find the older models for sale still, but they have been discontinued now. The D90 is the next stage up and what is known as "pro-sumer" a mixture of consumer camera and a pro model without getting into the really high end cameras that cost thousands. It's not going to be the best starting point for a beginner but if you have the cash and some patience, then it's a great camera.
D3000
There is no auto-focus in the body of this camera. Meaning any lens you buy that wish to AF with, the motor will have to be in the lens. This isn't really a big deal. 99% of lenses have the motor built in. The only notable exception is the 50mm f1.8.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d3000.asp
Current price : £479 with 18-55mm kit lens
D5000
There is no auto-focus in the body of this camera. Meaning any lens you buy that wish to AF with, the motor will have to be in the lens. This isn't really a big deal. 99% of lenses have the motor built in. The only notable exception is the 50mm f1.8.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/
Current price : £549 with 18-55mm kit lens
D90
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/
Current price : £799 with 18-105mm kit lens
Canon..
1000D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos1000d/
Current price : £399 with 18-55mm kit lens
450D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/
Current price : £499 with 18-55mm kit lens
500D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/
Current price : £599 with 18-55mm kit lens
50D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos50d/
Current price : £1065 with 17-85mm kit lens
There are 2 main brands. Canon & Nikon. Other popular ones are Sony and Olympus. I've only listed Canon & Nikon as IMO that's where you should be putting your money. The others are good, just not as good. If someone wants to do the same as I've done for the others then feel free and I'll add it on. Stick to my format though
All prices have come straight from the Jessops site, so they might be a bit cheaper in other places. I just did it for a guide.
First off, the best thing to do is go into Jessops or somewhere and have a play with them. See what feels best in your hands, see what feels most comfortable to hold, use, menus etc. With a first DSLR you have no brand loyalty, you don't have to worry about lenses fitting etc, so you're free to chose any you like.
Next comes price, now obviously if you're just starting out you don't want to spend thousands on a pro camera, so I'm going to presume you want the base models..
Nikon..
The D3000 and D5000 have replaced the D40 and D60 respectively. You may find the older models for sale still, but they have been discontinued now. The D90 is the next stage up and what is known as "pro-sumer" a mixture of consumer camera and a pro model without getting into the really high end cameras that cost thousands. It's not going to be the best starting point for a beginner but if you have the cash and some patience, then it's a great camera.
D3000
There is no auto-focus in the body of this camera. Meaning any lens you buy that wish to AF with, the motor will have to be in the lens. This isn't really a big deal. 99% of lenses have the motor built in. The only notable exception is the 50mm f1.8.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d3000.asp
![ANIKOCM205151568.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FANIKOCM205151568.jpg&hash=b94d00fea773fad63f6cd27093ea557f)
![ANIKOCM205151568_001.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FANIKOCM205151568_001.jpg&hash=0525fc859ceab97e508dec8cfab782e2)
Current price : £479 with 18-55mm kit lens
D5000
There is no auto-focus in the body of this camera. Meaning any lens you buy that wish to AF with, the motor will have to be in the lens. This isn't really a big deal. 99% of lenses have the motor built in. The only notable exception is the 50mm f1.8.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/
![ANIKOCM205149380.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FANIKOCM205149380.jpg&hash=c7a2abc3eb00d66b0d7fc1fc91557000)
![ANIKOCM205149380_004.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FANIKOCM205149380_004.jpg&hash=1690deed4556afc6f997fd439305d83c)
Current price : £549 with 18-55mm kit lens
D90
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/
Current price : £799 with 18-105mm kit lens
Canon..
1000D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos1000d/
![ACANOCM205147142.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FACANOCM205147142.jpg&hash=d07c275bea53659b8998ea5329aae046)
![ACANOCM205147142_001.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FACANOCM205147142_001.jpg&hash=6796bd8c0bb02e34199ba2b76ac45b4c)
Current price : £399 with 18-55mm kit lens
450D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos450d/
Current price : £499 with 18-55mm kit lens
500D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/
![ACANOCM205148849.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FACANOCM205148849.jpg&hash=4544d6ef68c7d4fb103c416dc065b1ff)
![ACANOCM205148849_001.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FACANOCM205148849_001.jpg&hash=906a23c93d7b9e1e0f509fa04a36c5f5)
Current price : £599 with 18-55mm kit lens
50D
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos50d/
![ACANOCM205141316.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FACANOCM205141316.jpg&hash=b3bb0131f2bb44d9d52b6b66fb69403e)
![ACANOCM205141316_001.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jessops.com%2Fce-images%2FPRODUCT%2FPRODUCT_ENLARGED%2FACANOCM205141316_001.jpg&hash=41b06ccce20a8a23391f35e4702b4227)
Current price : £1065 with 17-85mm kit lens
Last edited: