Entry level DSLR???

[Acuity]

Hey peoples,
Looking to properly dwelve properly into photgraphy, and my digital camera (Panasonic FX50) isnt cutting it as a proper camera for art purposes, and its really 4 a while just been my "take out to nightclubs and snap drunk friends" camera.

Anyone have thoughts for a relative beginner on a gd entry level dslr... a budget of around £300.

Thanks in advance

[ianm]

nikon d40 or the cannon (don't recall the letter) 40 seem popular - i'm starting out with the nikon d40x

[Acuity]

^good call on that nikon ian..

Nikon D40x - TrustedReviews

^it looks amazing....

im drooling at the prospect of the photos i could take with it

[ianm]

it is amazing - just looking at the box was amazing :D

haven't really had a chance to play with it properly yet, flicked through some manual but mostly i'm still getting up to speed on how dslrs work tbh - loads of buttons, menus and knobs on the damn thing lol

[Acuity]

lol you have one? take some pictures! post them up! because i fear that those pics posted in that review were taken by some ridculously experienced photographer, would be good to see what a normal person does with it initially... i cn only imagine all the knobs etc...i find with most stuff, messing about is the best way to figure stuff out, reading manuals gets me nowhere!

[ianm]

lol - sure, should be taking some this weekend, depending on the weather

[LeadMagnet]

I have a canon EOS 350D and i love it. So whatever the newer version of that is. 400D (or possibly 450D?)

[Acuity]

quick question to the two of you, are the batteries rechargeable? or AA etc, cos i know some ppl still insist on designin cameras without rechargeable batteries

[zumojuice]

At the end of the day, go in and have a play with them and see which you like. Most people gravitate to a make based on how they like to use it. Personally I like Canon's on useability and picture quality but that might be different for others.

[LeadMagnet]

Yes of course, afaik all decent DSLR cameras use proprietary battery packs, not AA or anything like that. They come with a charger and 1 battery pack.
The canon ones use battery packs like this:


The EOS series cameras are very power efficient so unless you use your camera alot, you won't need to charge it often. I only have a 1gb card but i can fill the thing several times before needing to charge the battery.
If you plan on taking LOADS of photos and don't want to charge or change batteries for days, you can get a battery grip that adds 2 (i think) extra batteries.

I don't know much about the Nikon cameras but it should be the same idea. They're both quality manufacturers so it's just down to personal preference for the most part which one you choose.