Any photographers out there?

[Jnr Kisby]

I've got an Olympus E-410 and still love it as much as I did when I was bought it 2 years ago. Fantastic entry level camera which can be bought as cheap as £250. Its one of the most compact DSLRs on the market.

My only bug bear which is also a good point is it operates on a four thirds lens system which are very expensive and difficult to come by used. Basically a 40-150mm lens is actually 80 - 300mm. I personally use my camera for photography of birds, planes etc (far away items) and need a long zoom, the next lens I want is the 70-300mm (actual 140 - 600mm) but the cost is about £380 which is way out of my reach right now!

Dont really like the built in flash but this can be solved with a hot flash. The picture quality is stunning.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I personally use my camera for photography of birds and need a long zoom

It's amazing how many don't draw the curtains isn't it?

 

[emiaj365]

I'm after an entry level DSLR for number 2 daughter. I've narrowed down the list to the following:

Canon EOS 1000D
Nikon D3100
Nikon D5000
Pentax K-x
Olympus E450
Olympus PEN EPL-1
Sony a500L

Budget is £450 and not a penny more. So, have I missed something obvious? Of the models listed what would your choice be? As the deadline is mid June are there any alternatives on the horizon?

I've gone for slightly older models by choice as the prices are lower than the very latest and I'm determined to stick to the budget for a change.

Any advice gladly received :-)

I've used various Canons through my job for the past 3 or so years and they're pretty simple to use. I bought myself a Nikon D5000 about a month ago. It took a little getting used to but I'm more than happy with it. I daresay someone coming to it fresh without previous Canon experience may well have taken to it a little quicker.

You say your budget is £450. My D5000 was slightly dearer than that at £499, but I got 2 lenses with the camera for that price.

The guy in the store gave me the same response as someone on here when I asked which is better, Cannon or Nikon, by comparing it to the mac/pc debate. He did however say that the Canon would be slightly better at video, if that's going to be an issue?