I have longed for many years to have one of those big fancy cameras. At first the cost was a factor and made my cost-benefit analysis lean towards the negative as I couldn’t justify how much I’d use it and whether I really needed it. Perhaps it was just procrastination as it took me 6 years before I even joined the digital camera owners club and even then it was a gift so I hadn’t had to purchase it. But now, I have been researching the options and living in the land of bargaining and cheap prices. Everything came together and I can now tick off another thing on my wish list - a Canon 550D.
Canon 550D with 18-55mm kit lens
It has the highest specs of an entry-level DSLR with an 18 megapixel sensor as well as 1080p Full HD video functionality and all this at 2/3 of the retail price back in South Africa. This is one electronic gadget where I will have to read the manual but I’ve experimented a little with it and it takes awesome pictures on the fully automatic setting so far so good. Lots to learn though and before you start I know kit lenses aren’t the best but I’m going to learn the ropes with that and do some more research before I decide which lens to buy next, as they are about 1/2 the price over here. And I’ve bought this just in time for my Summer Holiday / African Adventure (see next post coming soon)
Hi Rory,
Great idea to buy a DSLR. I bought the Sony Alpha a couple of years ago now and haven’t looked back. There is a lot of hype about lenses and anyone you speak to will tell you that you need a hugely expensive lens if you want to take really good pictures. Probably true. You need a really expensive squash racquet to play top level squash, but a mid range one is sufficient for most of us.
While you are still at the ‘automatic levels’ stage (I’m only just slightly beyond this after 2 years), my advice is don’t waste R30K (or even R20K) on a fancy telescopic lens (the really fancy ones are around RK80). The cheaper ones (I bought an OK one in Spain for R1500) still take great pictures and anyway its only the pros who can tell the difference. Remember that you’re also going to need a proper flash at some stage and they start at around RK3 (I’ve just bought a generic which, while not fully automatic only set me back R800).
Have fun now and when you become more proficient, you can always spent the big bucks and sell the old lenses and flashes!
Cheers
Paul
Very VEEERY nice, Peter!
Just in time for your return visit too! What’s the zoom like on that baby? I hear there are still a few foreigners in our fair cape that could do with a little photographing (you know, those one’s that aren’t averse to a bit of topless sunbathing
)
& 2/3 the price! Might have to dust off my old techno-wishlist and send you a little shopping request. How much does one of these bad-boys go for over there? – http://www.canon-europe.com/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_Camera/PowerShot/PowerShot_D10/
Great camera Rors – you’ll have loads of fun with it
I promise you, it will be well worth the money spent on it as it will last a lifetime, had mine for almost 6 years now – see you soon – travel safely…
[...] months ago I bought a Canon 550D with the 18-55mm kit lens, as you may have read about here, and haven’t regretted it since. However it wasn’t long before I wanted more. I [...]
[...] 2. My new toy – Canon 550D [...]
[...] my stuff and immediately went for a walk along the pebble beach with my, still relatively new Canon 550D wanting to capture some of the superb beauty of the area. taking a sunset stroll on the Kaikoura [...]
You will LOVE having a DSLR! They are so great!
I am LOVING it !