my first camera

alexlang

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hello all, im new here to the forums
im going into sophmore year of high school and im seriously considering getting a film SLR. ive been into photography for about 2 years now- using a mix of different film and digital point and shoots. i decided to go with film for the slr due to price.

anyway the two cameras im looking at are the Nikon N80 and the Canon EOS Elan 7n. The main things im looking for are both auto and manual settings, fast enough shutter speed to capture sports (1/4000 min.), and compatibility with external flashes (is the n80 compatible?). are theyre any other things i should be concerned with?

next come the lenses...for the primary lens im thinking a basic 50mm with around an f/1.4 or 1.8, also maybe a 75-300mm with around an f/3.5 or 4. I need some filters as well, blah blah blah.

Since i have around 600 bucks for all this, i was thinking i would prolly get most of this used (ebay?). so are these choices ok? am i doing anything drastically wrong? thanks for your time

-alex
 
You can't go wrong with either of those cameras. You might have a hard time finding a used EOS Elan 7n...seeing as that model is fairly new. You might find an EOS Elan 7 or two though.

You might consider an EOS Rebel...they are less expensive than the Elans. The Rebel is not built as tough as the Elan but it is lighter. I don't think the Rebel goes up to 1/4000 but 1/2000 isn't too bad for sports.

Both the Canons and the Nikon are compatible with external flash units. There are dedicated flash units that will be more compatible than non-dedicated units.

The 50mm 1.8 lens (for either brand) is both affordable and very good.

As for the longer zoom...I might wait and see if you are going to want a longer or wider lens than the 50mm. You might end up wanting something wider instead.
 
I was in the EXACT same position as you not too long ago. Those were my two choices. Look at the options that both brands offer as you're buying into a camera system. They're both solid cams and I doubt that you'll have problems with either. Having a F100 I have to plug Nikon. :D Good luck.
 
Alex,

I have a Canon Rebel 35mm and I love it. It's a great camera for the price and it takes amazingly clear photos. Kits are priced fairly for first time buyers too. You can usually get a bunch of goodies in the kits such as lenses, tripod, eyecup, hood, uv filter, etc. at around 200-400 smackers depending on where you buy it.. But be aware that when (and you will) upgrade, the resale value on the rebels is not too high. Good luck and welcome to the forum!!
 
Sometimes you need to beware of what you're getting in the packages. Often times you do get what you pay for, and you don't want to pay for something you don't need.
 
I have a 35mm canon rebel too... It's great. Haven't had any problems with it yet...

I paid $340 (AU) for mine... At the time there was a promo in australia - my camera came with a free camera bag, a roll of 36exp film, a book on the lenses, and a lens cleaning cloth... (all of which i have used at least once)... I have taken probably 20-25 rolls on it since i got it in april... and the batteries are still going strong.

I did take some photos of fireworks on the weekend - I had a bit of trouble with my lens focusing - but I am pretty sure that is my extra lens that I was using, because it isn't the fastest (f/4.5)...

the shuter speeds are 30seconds - 1/2000th... (Or the book says up to 6 hours on bulb)...

Hope that helps somewhat.
 

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