Hi everyone this is my 1st post in here so be gentle please, I've been looking at getting my first DSLR and have read what most on here advise to do when your looking and I now have my heart set on a 40D, and whilst looking for the best deal I have just come across this :-

Canon EOS 40DRechargable battery BP-511A,
Battery charger CB-5L,
wide strap,
interface cable,
video cable CD-ROM & user guide.
Canon 17-85f4/5.6 EFS IS LENS

all for £949 (incl a 5% discount) which seems about the norm unless buying on ebay, however on the same site they also have

Canon EOS 40DRechargable battery BP-511A,
Battery charger CB-5L,
wide strap,
interface cable,
video cable CD-ROM & user guide.
Canon BG-E2N Battery grip for 40D with AA Battery Holder.
Canon 17-85f4/5.6 EFS IS LENS

for exactly the same price :wonder: , seems like you get the grip free but the thing that bothers me is where it states "with AA battery Holder", does this mean I can only use AA's or can you also use extra rechargeables with this unit or is it best to use the AA's or am I just being thick and missing something :Whatever_ ?

the site is A J Purdy & Co Ltd - Imaging Division (http://www.ajpurdy.co.uk/erol.html?gclid=CJLY64SLlJECFQ1ZMAodAndxGQ#12644X0 )

AJ Purdy is reputable

The grip allows you to use 2 of the standard batteries, or as a last resort (ie you're miles from a charger) you can put 6 AA batteries in it.

I'd go for the latter.

Sounds like a good price, especially including the grip. :thumb:

AJ Purdy is reputable

The grip allows you to use 2 of the standard batteries, or as a last resort (ie you're miles from a charger) you can put 6 AA batteries in it.

I'd go for the latter.

Surely you mean the former ;)

You only get limited life out of AA's.

As for the 2nd offer, snap it up before they spot their mistake! :D

If you are spending about a grand you could spend less on the camera body eg 400d and also afford a decent tripod, flash and perhaps (up for debate) a better lenses.
I didn't do this but retrospect is a wonderful thing and experience never comes cheap.

If you are spending about a grand you could spend less on the camera body eg 400d and also afford a decent tripod, flash and perhaps (up for debate) a better lenses.
I didn't do this but retrospect is a wonderful thing and experience never comes cheap.


So what lens would you suggest as I was thinking of and additional lens ?

Depends what you plan to shoot. Landcapes, Portraits, Macro, Birds / Sports / Aircraft...

Looking at landscapes, wildlife, sports

landscapes need wide angle (normally), the lens with the camera will go some way for this. For sports and wildlife you'll need reach, 300mm minimum.

Ah well,I bought the 400d with the standard lens and have hopefully got use of white balance and composition down ( to a degree ). I've come to the conclusion that I like taking candid shots of family and friends so want to avoid getting right in their faces and alerting them to when I will take a shot so hopefully will shortly buy a 24-105 L f4 IS. I also love early morning and evening light on landscapes and so will go for a 10-22mm. I also love looking for macro compositions so will probably buy a 60 or 100mm macro lens.
Yes i Know way over budget but the point i am making is that up to a certain price camera bodies do approximately the same thing and are changed regularly in the canon nikon arms race so that they are effectively dead money which you will never recoup. I tried the 40d and it felt great in the hand, no vibration and the larger screen colour reproduction did look very good, shooting the higher frame rate per second is not that important to me as i don't shoot sport or motorsport currently. Lenses especially L glass feel and work so much better and keep their value. I know little about the lens that you intend to buy.
You need to figure out what type of photography you enjoy and direct resources that way unless money is no object. I would spend the bulk of your budget on high quality glass.
Best plan of all is borrow a camera for a bit, the scary thing for me was that i think that i got better results using a standard canon 300d with no preconceptions and theoretical knowledge, i guess everybody goes through this?
Whatever you buy I'm sure that you will enjoy it.

As a second lens I had my eye on this EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM.

VJ, grab that second option because as CW says it's surely a mistake ;)

I have a 40D and love it. I expect to be loving it for several years to come.

On the lens front, I used a 17-85mm lens a lot for a couple of years. Good quality, very versatile, and IS. I swapped it for a 17-55mm f/2.8, but there's a massive difference in price. I'm sure you'll be very happy with that advertised outfit as it stands for a while :)

Looking forward, take your time. In particular, a lot of people go for the 24-105mm L which is excellent, except that I tend to shoot more at the wide end and would be forever changing lenses with my Canon EF-S 10-22mm if I had that L lens. That is also Canon's thinking, which is why the 10-22mm, 17-85mm IS and then the 70-300mm IS make such a great combination. However, each to their own. Just don't rush in to expensive potential mistakes.

And yes, don't forget a bigger flash (430EX is excellent) and tripod, but more importantly, you'll defo need some extra memory cards and a spare battery.

Have fun :)

Richard.

Well just purchased it so now I need to be patient while I wait for it too arrive. All I went for was the kit I mentioned in the OP, things like extra lenses, tripods, flash, extra memory, bag will come in time :eek2: , blimey I'm on the slippery slope already.....


Vaughan

If you are new to DSLR or any camera with decent aperture, time or fully manual control, I suggest getting a decent photography book. You can't go wrong with the ones from National Geographic (it doesn't have to be digital focused book). Take your time and don't let yourself suck into all the latest gadgets and technical trends in photography. Just go out to play and learn photography, it's awesome!

If you are new to DSLR or any camera with decent aperture, time or fully manual control, I suggest getting a decent photography book. You can't go wrong with the ones from National Geographic (it doesn't have to be digital focused book). Take your time and don't let yourself suck into all the latest gadgets and technical trends in photography. Just go out to play and learn photography, it's awesome!

Oh I am new to DSLR, have been doing plenty of reading and think when I get the camera I will start with this http://bbs.scoobynet.com/photography-360/543761-understanding-photography.html to get me going and then as you say move onto a book or 2, which means playing, learning and enjoying. Thanks to all for your advice to me and in this section of SN in general.
:thumb:

Vaughan

Have to swim against the tide here. For that money I reckon you could pick up a used 5D and a 50mm f/1.4. OK, not a zoom but as a starter kit it's just impossible to beat what you'll get with that. As an interim, buy a used 28-105 f/3.5 then when you're ready sell for what you bought it for.

:)

Mike

Oh I am new to DSLR, have been doing plenty of reading and think when I get the camera I will start with this http://bbs.scoobynet.com/photography-360/543761-understanding-photography.html to get me going and then as you say move onto a book or 2, which means playing, learning and enjoying. Thanks to all for your advice to me and in this section of SN in general.
:thumb:

Vaughan

This is about the only forum on SN where you get sensible answers and no muppets.

Have to swim against the tide here. For that money I reckon you could pick up a used 5D and a 50mm f/1.4. OK, not a zoom but as a starter kit it's just impossible to beat what you'll get with that. As an interim, buy a used 28-105 f/3.5 then when you're ready sell for what you bought it for.

:)

Mike

Quite possibly but I really wanted something new, I could have also saved if I had got it from HK but again wanted something from the UK.

As for the lens would it give me that much more than the 18-85 I get with the kit ?

Vaughan

This is about the only forum on SN where you get sensible answers and no muppets.

Oi! :p Watch out, there's plenty of us in here, rather more than there are in the muppet forum these days ;)

Quite possibly but I really wanted something new, I could have also saved if I had got it from HK but again wanted something from the UK.

As for the lens would it give me that much more than the 18-85 I get with the kit ?

Vaughan

When I started getting in to taking pics 3 years ago I got a D30, then traded up to a 10D then got the 5D. The 5D is the best there is for that money, I should have gone for it earlier and saved on the losses upgrading. The 40D is very good but IMHO the 5D offers so much more. You can, if careful, buy from the Canon outlet as refurb for good money and get a 1 year warranty.

I'd go to a camera shop and try the options out first. Look through the viewfinder and you will immediately see the difference.

Anyway, just my point of view :)

i'm a little sad people don't start with a prime these days, but still...

a used 5D and 50 f/1.4 would be my choice if it would fit in my budget.