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I'm looking for my First DSLR. I have about 500 pounds to spend.
I'm not a complete novice - I had a 35mm EOS 300 and Lenses that was stolen a couple of years ago.
at the time, a DSLR was just out of reach, price-wise so I opted for a Finepix s9500 as a compromise which I was generally pretty pleased with, though the optics at the long end of the lens are pretty ropey. A few months ago, the command wheel broke (like thousands of others, I gather!) Fuji want 100 quid to fix it, so I have resolved to put this money towards a DSLR instead and never buy Fuji again.
I am looking at an EOS 400D with the kit lens and a Tamron 55-200 lens. together, on warehouse express this works out
at 469 pounds
the other option is the Samsung (Samtax? Pensung? I am assuming it to be the same as the Pentax K10D) GX10 with an 18-55 & a 50-200 lens. with a 50 pund cashback this will be 479 pounds.
my main issue is reliability, given my problems with the Fuji .
Samsung are an unkown quantity and I don't want to have to spend extra getting things fixed further down the line. my last Canon, though a cheap model, took plenty of abuse.
ease of use is another issue - I do know my way around a film SLR, and always found the 'scene modes' useful for general point and click use, when taking pictures of friend s and family etc. Is it possible to use the Samsung/Pentax in a similar way? I will most of the other features in time, but is it just too much for a first DSLR? I am going to South Africa mid-feb and want to get to know my new camera a bit before I go....
RAW/jpeg - the reviews seem to mention that the Jpegs on the Samsung are not up to scratch and that images need editing afterwards or shot in RAW - I have a really old second hand version of PS elements (2.0) but don't really know my way around it so am not too confident with 'post-production' editing. coming from mostly film, I would rather do as litte as possible to a photo before printing. If i solely use RAW will I have to edit each photo individually? if I do will this be time-consuming?
I would like to be able enlarge to A3.
sorry if this is a no-brainer!
Any help and advice will be gratefully received!
Thank you
Just to add another one into the mix Warehouse Express are currently offering great bundles on Nikon D40X, you can get:
Nikon D40X | Nikon 18-55mm Lens | Lowepro Rezo 140AW Bag | Using Your Nikon D-SLR CD-ROM | 52mm UV Filter | 52mm CPL Filter | 1GB SD Card | Cleaning Cloth | Spare Battery | Card Safe | Camlink TP2800
all for £465 with £40 cashback.
Quote: If i solely use RAW will I have to edit each photo individually? if I do will this be time-consuming?
Not necessarily, depends what software you use. But if you're not confident with photo editing etc; you may find it a steep learning curve. Not sure about other makes but Canon and Nikon usually allow you to shoot jpeg and raw at the same time (so you can have the best of both worlds - convenience of Jpeg and the RAW files for later processing). It uses more memory card space but that is cheap now.
I did consider the Nikon, but I'm bit clumsy and and am scared of getting dust on the sensor - it has no dust reduction system, but I am assuming that dust is a problem and that the dust reduction systems dowork. the only other thing that put me off the Nikon is that there seem to be far fewer compatible lenses? I won't buy loads of expensive lenses, but i like the idea of being able to pick up cheap second hand lenses with good optics. it seems that Canon and Pentax have much more to offer in this department.
the price is good, but the cashback only applies 'till tomorrow, so I don't have much time to decide if I do want it, also with a compatible 55-200 lens it's more expensive.
thanks for the help though!
it would be good to know if you can shoot RAW and jpeg at te same time, as Henchard suggests
Yes, the Samsung GX10 is bassed on the Pentax K10D - a very impressive camera for the money. But then, so is the Canon.
See if you can try out both Canon and Pentax in a shop. The Canon is quite small - some love this, and others hate it. Which are you?
Quote: my main issue is reliability, given my problems with the Fuji .
Samsung are an unkown quantity and I don't want to have to spend extra getting things fixed further down the line. my last Canon, though a cheap model, took plenty of abuse.
Never used the Samsung or the Pentax, but from reviews and user comments, I don't think this should be much of a concern.
Quote: ease of use is another issue - I do know my way around a film SLR, and always found the 'scene modes' useful for general point and click use, when taking pictures of friend s and family etc. Is it possible to use the Samsung/Pentax in a similar way?
I believe these are standard across all lower end DSLRs
Quote: RAW/jpeg - the reviews seem to mention that the Jpegs on the Samsung are not up to scratch and that images need editing afterwards or shot in RAW
I have seen this as well, it does seem to be a consenus.
Quote: have a really old second hand version of PS elements (2.0) but don't really know my way around it so am not too confident with 'post-production' editing. coming from mostly film, I would rather do as litte as possible to a photo before printing. If i solely use RAW will I have to edit each photo individually? if I do will this be time-consuming
Check to see if the Samsung comes with software for converting RAW files. (the Canon does). RAW conversion can be a steep learning curve, but shooting RAW does offer many advantages. It doesn't have to be that time consuming either.
Quote:
I would like to be able enlarge to A3.
No problem with either camera.
Quote: RAW/jpeg - the reviews seem to mention that the Jpegs on the Samsung are not up to scratch and that images need editing afterwards or shot in RAW
Pentax does less sharpening of the JPEGs by default. You can set the amount higher if you want.
With highest contrast and sharpening settings in-camera, the images are too sharp for my taste.
A thing to keep in mind is that once sharpening is done "in camera" you cannot un-do it later.
You can always add more later with photo editing software.
The camera does not know how you will be viewing or printing the images. Proper sharpening is very dependent on the final output. You should not allow the camera to destroy your images without your control.
If you're using RAW, these settings don't even come into play. (they may be used as defaults for the converter but do not permanently affect the final image)
Canon and Nikon are the most popular, don`t discount Pentax, Sony, Olympus.
These smaller brands have a smaller lens line up`s but on a plus the bodies all have IS, Canon/nikon don`t.
Quote: ease of use is another issue - I do know my way around a film SLR, and always found the 'scene modes' useful for general point and click use
There all good for this, the E510 having a slight edge having live view.
here
Going by your posting your very hung up on review`s and there generally not something to take as gospel, they vary so much from place to place 
Would be much better checking the brand forums on various sites and read the plus and minuses from real users for a better picture.
This time last year I was looking at the 400D. D80 and K10D. The K10D inched it over the D80, I found the 400D too small. It's personal preference, but I've been very happy with the K10D. Don't overlook the shake reduction, sensor cleaning and water resistant features: my K10D easily coped with Arctic seawater and freezing temperatures. It does shoot RAW and jpeg at the same time if you wish. No, it does not have scene modes. Since acquiring it I have been moving towards freelance work: I have uploaded several batches to Alamy without a single rejection. The K19D is a serious camera, but it still comes down to personal feel and preference. All the cameras in the price range will serbe you well.
Stuart
You've got some sound advice there. Don't let the lack of scene modes put you off the Pentax.
What sort of pictures are you going to be taking in South Africa?
Depending on that, I'd be tempted to trawl lens reviews and recommendations then buy a body to match.
As for post-processing, it's a fact-of-life that DSLR output can always be improved with at least one human-eye tweak in Photoshop
Thanks for the help folks, I had a fondle of the cameras in a shop and have gone for the Samsung - feels really butch and has a reassuring weight to it. weatherproofing was also a plus point (seems to work too, fortunately for Stuarty!).
It seemed fairly straightforward to use as well. I've ordered it, but it has not arrived yet. I will hopefully be posting some shots from it soon..... thanks again.
I sometimes use the Samsung GX10, brilliant little camera - BUT I find the Samsung software a bit clunky and I have yet to find a way to view the thumbnails via adobe but the free software FastStone image viewer solved all these problems.
It also does a few image mnipulations so it's a real bargain piece of software.
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