EOS 60D Too much for a novice

[newtodslr]

Hi folks,
just joined the forum recently so first post after the introduction. I want to take the plunge and buy a dslr, i have looked at both Nikon and Canon and am swaying towards Canon, hence joining this forum, but do you guys think that the 60D would be too much for a novice like myself. I didn't want to buy a lower spec camera and maybe after a while outgrow it and have to upgrade a bit. Also there are a fair few permutations as to different kit lenses, i would be taking shots of landscape/scenery, also wildlife and family shots, any recommendations would be gratefully recieved.
Thanks in advance, Jim.

[tesarver]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Welcome to the forum Jim, and no I don't think a 60D would be to much for a novice. In fact it is a very good camera to grow with as you become more experience IMO.

Tom

[Muscat]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

I would agree with Tom in that the 60D is a very good camera and one that you could grow into, it is as with most of the Canon DSLR range easy to use and produces great results.

[Illy]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Hi N2DSLR
Depending on your budget...? Have your thought about the new 6D? You would find the integral GPS an excellent tool for scenery/scapes and it is extremely fast and accurate. Would also suggest the 40mm pancake lens. This combination works a treat for most of your requirements, maybe not the wildlife, but just about everything else.
Illy

[S_J_P]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Depending on budget I'd say the 60D's a good starting camera which'll see you through a few years, but it's getting towards the end of its life cycle and is likely to be replaced before long, but of course that means it's competitively priced.

The lenses are the key to good quality photographs, so I'd start with thinking about what glass may suit your requirements and then decide what camera will fit. Don't scrimp on glass as it's something which will last your entire photographic life and so you'll only need to invest once (if you invest wisely).

So, any idea on total budget?

[newtodslr]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Thanks for the replies, the 6d is out of my price range unfortunatley. sjp i guess my total budget would be around £1000.

[Nathaniel]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

The 60d is an excellent camera. I have one. Then go for the 18-55mm ii lens and the 55mm-250mmm lens which are both very good for starters and long after. They will come well within your budget.

[colin C]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Excellent choice and the 60D will grow with you as your photographic abilities improve. You can start with it in fully programmed mode and it will do much of the work for you and when the time is right for you, you can take more and more control.

[Hereford_EOS]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Hello Jim and welcome to the forum.

The 60D is an excellent and very capable camera.
As someone just starting out then the 60D is a great camera to start from.

I would say if landscape or portrait is going to be your main interest then also consider a full-frame camera such as the 6D or 5D mkIII.
If your main interest is going to be wildlife then the 60D or 7D (both being APC-S (crop) cameras).
The main difference between a full-frame and APC-S cameras is the FOV (field of view), obviously the full-frame camera has a sensor 1.6x larger than a APC-S camera. The larger FOV of the full-frame camera is more suitable for landscape and low-light situations.
A 20mm lens on a full-frame camera would give a FOV of 32mm when on an APC-S camera (20mm x 1.6 = 32mm)

Then there are the lenses.
The "L" (luxury) Canon lenses are superior to the non-L counterparts.
The full-frame camera can only use EF lenses whilst an APC-S camera can use both EF and EF-S lenses.
There are no "L" lenses in the EF-S range.
An EF lens on an APC-S camera can use the sweet spot (centre) and often can give better results.

The real investment is in quality lenses.
The latest cameras are out of date every 2 years whilst quality lenses hold their own for many years.

[bobowen]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Hello and welcome to the forum.
One idea which you may want to consider is a second hand body such as a 40D (which I consider a classic) with a new good allrounder lens such as the EF-S 15-85 or as already mentioned, an investment for the future such as the EF 24-105L. Either of these combinations would be within budget.
Just a thought,

Bob

[Woolley]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

With £1000 budget, Wex have a good combination going.

60D seems ideal. All the automatic stuff while you're learning but very capable once you get the hang of it.

[S_J_P]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Another option is the EOS 650D, still a very capable performer and is one of the only Canon models to use the new touch-screen technology which works very well. WEX have it bundled with the 18-135 for £795 or with both the brilliant value 18-55 & 55-250 for £778.

I went the 60D/superzoom route originally (Sigma 18-250) and all I'd say is don't do the same, you'll more than likely grown out of the superzoom idea very quickly. Superzooms are convenient but the trade-off is quality.

For what it's worth, my suggestions would be:

650D + 18-55 + 55-250 for for around £778 and add a decent bag, filters, strap etc (for an all-round system)
60D + 18-55 + 55-250 for around £950 plus a bag (for quality and flexibility)
60D + 15-85 for around £1,200 (for all-round quality) - Don't underestimate how much wider 15mm is than 18mm!

[briansquibb]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

Hello and welcome to the forum.
One idea which you may want to consider is a second hand body such as a 40D (which I consider a classic) with a new good allrounder lens such as the EF-S 15-85 or as already mentioned, an investment for the future such as the EF 24-105L. Either of these combinations would be within budget.
Just a thought,

Bob

I would suggest that the 5D1 would be a better option than the 40D and they are about the same price

[Alan Campbell]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

With £1000 budget, Wex have a good combination going.

60D seems ideal. All the automatic stuff while you're learning but very capable once you get the hang of it.

I think thats a great deal and one i would go for if starting out.
I would recommend purchasing the grip as well as it gives you plenty of options for holding the camera.
I first started out with a 30D and Grip about 8 years ago and have eventually upgraded to the 7D for wildlife photography after selling my 30D on,so there are plenty of 2nd hand bargains to be had aswell.

Alan

[bobowen]

Re: EOS 60D Too much for a novice

I would suggest that the 5D1 would be a better option than the 40D and they are about the same price

Good point Brian especially if you want to go straight in to full frame- I'm just a 40D fan!
Comparison between the 2 can be found here http://www.bobatkins.com/photography...s_eos_40D.html

Bob