15 year old SLR

[Jonny TVR]

I bought a Canon SLR about 15 years ago and used it for the first 5 years then only sparingly. I suppose its the usual thing where camera phones are now so good and handy that you rarely end up taking your bulky SLR with you. However the images on the camera phone aren't brilliant and there are times I want better. What would you guys recommend .. compact, around £500 to £1000, simple to use.

[TheRainMaker]

The default answer seems to be a Sony RX100, might be a good place to start looking.

[Jonny TVR]

Thanks Rainmaker. Can a lazy dummy photographer like me use it?!

My old camera is a Canon EOS 2000D Digital SLR. Will I notice the difference in picture quality?

Edited by Jonny TVR on Tuesday 23 June 10:20

[Derek Smith]

I've got a compact - Panasonic TZ25 - and a micro 4/3rds CSS - Panasonic G7. I'm sure that either of their replacements might well suit you. However, it's horses for courses. What do you intend to use the camera for?

I doubt my choice will suit you, but it might.

Go to a camera shop. I went to one near me, Park Cameras, and they let me handle a range of cameras, from DSLRs to the latest (and rather impressive) bridge cameras. The G7 sort of fitted in my hands. I went to find out what was on offer and bought the G7 there and then. The sales staff were excellent at their job as they didn't say anything, merely answered my questions. It's a great technique.

Don't take advice about cameras on a forum. Go to a camera shop and play with them. Go to two. Park staff know more than most and don't seem to have favourites.

[Simpo Two]

Jonny TVR said:

I bought a Canon SLR about 15 years ago and used it for the first 5 years then only sparingly. I suppose its the usual thing where camera phones are now so good and handy that you rarely end up taking your bulky SLR with you. However the images on the camera phone aren't brilliant and there are times I want better. What would you guys recommend .. compact, around £500 to £1000, simple to use.

One might argue you already have a better camera, and you save up to £1,000.

Jonny TVR said:

Thanks Rainmaker. Can a lazy dummy photographer like me use it?!

My old camera is a Canon EOS 2000D Digital SLR. Will I notice the difference in picture quality?

If you can work a DSLR you can work a compact. The quality of the result (whatever 'quality' means, it's a very over-used word) will largely depend on the user I think.

Derek Smith said:

Don't take advice about cameras on a forum. Go to a camera shop and play with them....

Derek gives advice then says don't take it. Second bit is right - you can only make a final decision when you get your hands on them and test the ergonomics.

If you stay with the DSLR you'll have up to £1,000 to buy lenses, flashguns, tripods etc with.

One thing - according to dpreview the 2000D came out in 2018 so how is it 15 years old?

[Jonny TVR]

My mistake its a Canon EOS 450D

[mike80]

One of the smaller mirrorless cameras and a couple of lenses might be worth looking at? Depending what you need in terms of focal length etc. really, but you could probably get a Fujifilm X-something and a couple of lenses for that budget. Not too bulking and the option to upgrade as you go along if you feel like it.

Fuji X-E3 https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-phot...

Fuji 16-5mm lens https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-phot...

Fuji 55-200mm lens https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-phot...

Just over £1000, there's plenty of choice of lenses depending on what you want to do.

[rich888]

Jonny TVR said:

My mistake its a Canon EOS 450D

What lenses do you have?

[Jonny TVR]

rich888 said:

What lenses do you have?

Not sure its jut the one that came with the camera

[Starfighter]

Most likely the 18-55. Not the best lens out there by any meaningful measure. This will be the limiting factor with what you can do with your SLR rather than an older body. The 450d is a decent body it will comfortably capture images at peasant as good as as most new compacts and many bridge cameras so don’t dismiss it.

The most important question you need to answer is what type of photography you want to do. This will scope out the type of camera functions you need and where we can point you.

[Jonny TVR]

I now understand the importance of the lens. It was mainly the bulk of my existing camera. I could try harder to take it out with me. With regard to shots I want to take some decent pictures of my cars. I also want to take pictures when I'm on holiday various subjects. When I first got the camera I read the book and did loads of interesting shots with shutter speeds and with moving objects etc. However within a month I had forgotten all of that. I sometimes need to take close up product shots

Edited by Jonny TVR on Thursday 25th June 08:57

[Simpo Two]

I was thinking last night... why not get the 2000D (the body is only £299 at Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-2000D-DSLR-Camera-B... sell the 450D on eBay, and buy the lenses etc that you need to do what you want? A bit of application and you'll be away

[Jonny TVR]

Thanks simpo but I'm starting to think keep it and buy a couple of lenses.

[CRA1G]

I should have read the category listing.......

I clicked in expecting a nice story about a certain Mercedes.....

[Jonny TVR]

CRA1G said:

I should have read the category listing.......

I clicked in expecting a nice story about a certain Mercedes.....

Disappointing!

[Simpo Two]

Jonny TVR said:

Thanks simpo but I'm starting to think keep it and buy a couple of lenses.

A sound decision. The main shortfall will be high-ISO performance but if you don't need it, carry on.

Product photography... ah yes now lighting...

[Jonny TVR]

Which additional lens/ lenses do you think I need?

[Simpo Two]

Jonny TVR said:

Which additional lens/ lenses do you think I need?

What are the products and what kind of result do you want to achieve? (an example would help)

[Jonny TVR]

Simpo Two said:

What are the products and what kind of result do you want to achieve? (an example would help)

They are 2AA torch size for example with white background or cut outs.

[Derek Smith]

Simpo Two said:

Derek Smith said:

Don't take advice about cameras on a forum. Go to a camera shop and play with them....

Derek gives advice then says don't take it. Second bit is right - you can only make a final decision when you get your hands on them and test the ergonomics.

If you stay with the DSLR you'll have up to £1,000 to buy lenses, flashguns, tripods etc with.

One thing - according to dpreview the 2000D came out in 2018 so how is it 15 years old?

To be fair, I was giving purchasing advice rather than being specific as to which camera.

When I was looking for a DSLR, the sales bloke took me through Canon and Nikon in detail but they all felt a bit big in the hand. He then suggest micro 4/3rds and as soon as I picked up the G7 it felt right. The chap still offered other cameras to try but he, like me, must have known that I was sold on the G7. He even suggested going home and thinking about it, while showing me examples of 4K video. It would be wrong to say that he didn't start selling as soon as he came up to me, but there was no pressure. It was enjoyable in fact.

I bought an 'end of line' Velbron tripod at Park about 15 years ago for videoing rugby matches in all weathers - except balmy warm days of course. I said it'd likely take a bashing and when I gave him my budget, he said it was a bit low but they'd got an ex-display I might be interested in. No box, but they threw in a carrybag. I still use it, although not for rugby. It is just the right height at maximum, no something I can say about most others in the price range.

I tried it with my then camera and it was great. I don't buy such things online any more.