Digi SLR's

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I think the lens design is specific for the smaller sensor size. ie smaller and cheaper than the equivenlent film lens but not backward compatible.

Oops, yes your quite right, I've heard that too

I was thinking more of those people with existing lenses being able to use them on the new digital bodies.

If you wanted full compatibility either way round, you'd need to buy one of the rather expensive (I think) ultra wide angle standard EF lenses.

[AndyC_772]

Just found this thread. You guys should come over to Scoobynet for a while - there's an active group of photography enthusiasts on the Non-Scooby-Related forum and questions about digital SLRs come up all the time.

Popular wisdom is that Canon is ahead of Nikon in terms of digital SLR development. There are some excellent reviews on DPReview to help you decide too.

Pricewise, the 300D is by far the cheapest right now and delivers fantastic image quality, although it's a bit light and plasticky so you may prefer the step up to the 10D to get something that feels a bit more solid and professional. Also the 300D has (deliberate) limitations in terms of focusing and flash, which may be limiting. I've never used Nikon so can't really compare - I know there's a new model (D70) due out later this year. Nikon's sensors have been pretty unimpressive so far, though, and the SuperCCD in the Fuji S2 has its own issues too.

Second hand, there's nothing to beat the D30 in value terms - it still takes pictures every bit as brilliant now as it did when the camera was new. Yours on eBay from about £450-£500. Example pictures on my web site: here, here, here and here. You also get the added bonus that, with only 3MP to worry about, you get plenty of images on your memory card. If you're worried that 3MP isn't enough, mail me and I'll send you a full-size D30 picture to print out. Because the sensor is so much larger, you get vastly more detail in a D30 image (not to mention much less noise) than you would from a consumer-grade 3MP camera. Unless you're into huge enlargements, it simply isn't a problem.

The kit lens (18-55mm) that comes with the 300D is OK but nothing special - the camera can benefit from much better. It's a bit of an anomaly in that it doesn't work with any other camera - but every other Canon EF lens works with every EOS camera. You get the 1.6x FoV crop on digitals, of course.

There are always third party options too - for wide angles I use the excellent Sigma 15-30, which was about £400. It's prone to flare, but much cheaper than the nearest Canon equivalent (16-35 'L' series), and of course, it works on any camera including film. 15mm on my EOS 33 is pretty spectacular!

Be warned, a DSLR can be the start of an expensive hobby. I bought my D30 a couple of years ago along with the Canon 28-135IS (Image Stabilised) lens, thinking it would do just fine. Now I have half a dozen lenses, two flashes, two tripods, remote timer release, teleconverter, extension tubes... you get the idea. Oh, I've also upgraded the camera to the EOS 1D and put the D30 on eBay (bid now before it's gone - you've got until the end of the week!. Somehow I've ended up the semi-official photographer for the SIDC magazine too.

Importantly, all your lenses and accessories will be with you long after one particular DSLR body has come and gone, so choose your system wisely. I chose Canon and haven't regretted it at all, but it's worth finding a friendly local store and trying out a prospective purchase before parting with any cash. I have my own list of regular suppliers (heck, how much AM I spending??), mail me if you're interested.

HTH

Andy.