Canon EOS 400D

#1 12-04-07

Hi everyone,

Has anyone got or used this camera? I'm still looking to upgrade and now have in the region of £500 to invest. Any advice would help, or indeed cameras of a similar spec.

Also, if it's not too cheeky, advice or help on where to get the best deal?

Many thanks,

Gina

Jim · #2 12-04-07

Hi Gina
I'm not a Canon user, but Autumn (Audrey) on this forum uses the Canon Digital Rebel XTI which is the same camera as sold in the USA.

You should go to a camera shop where you can handle the camera as well as a couple of others and see which fits your hands best.

Here is a comparison of the canon and its Nikon equivalent, the D40. He talks about other cameras as well, but in your price range the D400 and D40 are the two to consider

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/d200...d40-5d-xti.htm

There are other manufacturers, of course, and we all have our favourites so it's hard to be objective, but if I were starting again I would consider the Olympus and the Pentax cameras.

One other thing to consider is the fact that there are constantly new cameras being announced, and hence there are some *very* good deals to be done on the outgoing model.
For instance, Nikon's D70s can be bought, with a reasonable lens, for a little over £300 which is a staggering deal when you consider what you get. I'm sure the same thing applies to the other manufacturers, but you need to look and see which camera you like the feel of.
I may be harking on a bit about the feel of the camera, but that is probably the most important thing to consider. Few cameras are really "bad", but you won't want to carry one all day that is too big for your hands, for instance.
Once you have decided which camera you like best, only then is the time to look for a deal as these change all the time.
I have found that if I research the best price I can find on the web, then go into my local camera shop, they will just about match the price and then I have the advantage of having someone locally if anything goes wrong. (And things do go wrong!

)

I guess the best advice I could give you is don't rush in. Take your time, do your research and read the responses you get here and remember that most people will favour the same make that they own. That's only natural, but may not be the right choice for you.

Don't be afraid to ask any more questions. (There's no such thing as a stupid question. There are, unfortunately, stupid answers.)

Good luck and good hunting!

JIm

Autumn · #3 12-04-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim

Hi Gina
I'm not a Canon user, but Autumn (Audrey) on this forum uses the Canon Digital Rebel XTI which is the same camera as sold in the USA.

JIm

Hi to both of you.

The only Canon I have Jim is the Canon Powershot G3 with the tilt and turn lens. I wouldn't part with it for anything as I still find it an extradinarily good camera, although I have subsequently bought the Fuji Finepix S9500 with the 300 mm built in zoom lens. Also this year (on this Forum's Salon, I won a 2 Gb SD memory card

) so I had to buy a little camera to put it in

which was the Panasonic Lumix FX01 - so neat for a handbag.

I do not possess an SLR so I cannot advise you.

All I can say is I like all my cameras and am happy atm.

Good luck with your choice.

Jim · #4 12-04-07

Sorry Audrey! Sorry for any confusion, Gina!
I meant Jennifer (Cowcrzy06), who lives in the USA.
Jim

jds9000 · #5 12-04-07

I've had my 400D for a while and find it excellent .... light, plenty of features, and yes I have to slightly compensate for the dark photos, but can't grumble at the shots I get. I use all sorts of lenses ... from 28mm up to 300mm without any problems. At our local Jessops store it's £459, and I overheard the assistant say that Canon have a £50 rebate, so £409 with a 18-55mm kit lens is not too bad !

You've probably read the stats for it, but I like it because of it's speed. I know there's faster ones around, but I shoot a lot of motorsport (GP's, hill climbs, etc,) so need a good 'burst', and it serves me well. I also like close floral shots, macro almost .... and again, can't fault it. It's light enough to hold, and you can reach all the buttons easily, so if you want to change settings mid-shoot, then it can become second nature without looking.

At the current price .... I'd say it's a bargain .... but choose any additional lenses with care ....

Hope this helps ....

Jay

Http://www.irisdream.com

Pol · #6 12-04-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gina

Also, if it's not too cheeky, advice or help on where to get the best deal?

Many thanks,

Gina

I've always been very satisfied with the service from Warehouse Express. They're usually competetive, deliver quickly and have a good returns system.

I always look there first .. then use their deals as the starting point for comparisons elsewhwre ... though I've sometimes paid just a few ££££ more to get it from Warehouse Express as I've always found them to be very reliable.

Here's a link ......

As Jim said though - take your time over things.

Polly

guymclaren · #7 22-04-07

I do and I don't regret the purchase at all, Best camera I have ever owned.

Pops · #8 22-04-07

I have one Gina which is practically welded to my hand. It is fast, comfortable and the controls are easy to master.
You will need to give some thought to additional lense's. The 55mm kit lens isn't exactly top range.