Buying my first DSLR and kit?
Ok so I'm going to finally buy a DSLR, so Its actually a couple of questions in one,
1 - some good online uk sites to buy, so I can compare, there's no shops where I live so going to have to buy one blind so to speak, so -
2 - recommendations, - I know that everyone has very different opinions so I'll narrow it down a bit, I'd prefer Nikon or canon and I'm looking at up to max of £1000, (for both camera and lens) poss more for accessories. I'd like to be able to get both a good compatible telephoto zoom with IS and decent macro lens along side.plus all the good things u'd want on a DSLR
3 - what other kit items are 'indispensible' for general use and macro, ie filters, flash, ect.
4 - anything anyone thinks I might have forgotten to mention.
hope someone can help, thanks in advance.
1. Warehouse Express & Calumet are where I tend to buy gear. John Lewis would also be good. If you can get to a camera shop, it's a good idea to try out models in your price range, as what suits me may not suit you.
2. There's no real difference in DSLR's at similar price points, so the Canon/Nikon thing is really down to personal preference & how it feels in your hand (hence the suggestion to actually hold them). I'm more familiar with the Nikon brand (I have 3 Nikon DSLR's) so my suggestions are more related to their models. You can get a D5200 with a two lens kit and have money over to buy a macro lens & a good tripod. But I'd say go for the D7000 - this model has a focus motor in the body (which the lower level models don't) so you have a wider range of lenses that will autofocus on the D7000.It also has Nikon's wireless off camera flash system built in, which could be handy later.
3. A tripod is a must have - for landscapes and macro work. I use UV filters on all my lenses for front lens element protection, but some people hate 'em. If you do decide to use them - buy the best - Hoya or Tiffen. Flash is always handy to have, particularly for macro work (a good macro lens I recommend is the Sigma 50mm or the 105mm f2.8 lens - tack sharp, both of them). Flash is pretty essential if you get into portraiture.
4. Camera bag, spare battery & spare memory cards are pretty useful too.
There's little difference between Nikons and Canon DSLRs at similar price ranges.
Your budget is unrealistic. Think around £600-£700 for a new entry level DSLR camera with a kit lens (a current model, not older models which may be considerably cheaper). A proper macro lens will set you back around £400 alone, and a decent telephoto zoom could be anything between £400 and upwards. There are cheap telephoto zooms too for under £200, but you pay for what you get.
External flash units are not included in DSLRs sold with kit lens, add another £200 - £400 or so. Filters are not included in the kits either.
Well I can give you the short or the long answer.
The short answer would be the Nikon D5200 with a kit lens in a bundle (probably going to be the 18-55) which has a pretty short focusing length. You could probably even get a teleconverter and throw it on there too and end up with everything you wanted for very cheap.
What you really should take the time to do though is have a quick read of this page here. It explains everything you need to know in order to answer that question yourself:
http://thecamerablog.blogspot.com.au/