Good buy ?

Sorry if this is a bit cheeky but a friend has a 400d silver lens EFS 18 - 55mm which he has offered to sell me. I have a canon Ixus 800 IS which I'm really pleased with but my son's wedding's coming up and I'm tempted to get something with a few more pixels (and I might use it in my day job sometimes) It's only a couple of months old and hardly used (he took it on holiday and didn't get on with with it) wants £400 (GBP) what do you reckon ? Thanks for taking the time Roger

If you want to get in to Digital SLR then go for it. As you will gather I can not help you on UK prices, after the Ixus 800 IS its a whole new ball game.

Thanks Khall ... all I needed really ... a bit of encouragment. Regards Roger

Welcome to POTN, Roger. It's not a cheeky question at all.

£400 isn't an amazingly good price for a 400D with the kit lens: new ones are currently £479 from Warehouse Express, but Canon are still running a £50 cashback offer so the net price new would be £429. (And you could get it in black which is more cool.)

The difference between the 6Mp of your Ixus 800 and the 10Mp of the 400D isn't as great as you'd think. It sounds like a big difference but it's only 30% more pixels in each dimension: the images are about 3900x2600 pixels instead of 3000x2000. You won't see much difference, even with an A4-sized enlargement.

Things that will make a difference:
- there's no electronic viewfinder on the 400D, just a traditional optical one
- the kit lens doesn't have as much zoom range as the Ixus 800: in film-camera equivalents its roughly 30-90mm compared with the 35-140mm you're used to
- there's much much less shutter lag on a DSLR
- the low-light performance of a DSLR is vastly superior because the sensor is much bigger
- the larger sensor also means you can take photos with creatively blurred backgrounds
- pictures straight out of the camera are generally less processed, which is good because you have more control but bad if you want to just point & shoot
- you can spend a huge fortune on extra lenses etc. (and the people at POTN will be only too pleased to help you!)

As khall says, it's a whole new ball game. Many people find quite a steep learning curve with DSLRs and only you know whether you want to go for it. If you do, POTN is here to help.

Hello Roger;

£400 for the body & kit lens is as good as you're gonna get at this time...

Provided the kit is still in pristine condition (which it should be), I'd say it was a good deal...

Good luck;

Cheers;

Lee

There was some offers around only last month for around £360 for this kit after Canon cashback.

The cheapest I've seen is £464 right now less £50 cashback so thats £414

http://www.cameraprice​buster.co.uk/prod192.h​tml

Considering it's used albeit 2 months old, I would say that £400 is too much IMO. Maybe £350 is closer to being reasonable price, especially considering he is a friend who has already claimed back the Canon cashback!

check out Tesco direct - black 400D £358.97 with kit lens don't know about delivery

David

Davinor wrote in post #3572445
check out Tesco direct - black 400D £358.97 with kit lens don't know about delivery

No, that's the 350D. According to Camera Price Buster that's the best 350D deal around at the moment.

Tesco are selling the 400D with kit lens for £499.97. That's not such a clever price.

Delivery from Tesco Direct is £4.85 or you can order it and pick it up from some Tesco stores for free.

StewartR wrote in post #3572050
Things that will make a difference:
- there's no electronic viewfinder on the 400D, just a traditional optical one

You are listing this as an advantage - I hope.

DOH!!! ok - I'm just going to have to learn how to read
David

StewartR wrote in post #3572050
Things that will make a difference:
- there's no electronic viewfinder on the 400D, just a traditional optical one

bauerman wrote in post #3572937
You are listing this as an advantage - I hope.

Well, I think we can all agree that it's a difference!

Personally I think it is an enormous advantage. The "traditional" way of holding a camera supports it, stabilises it, and puts all the controls under your fingertips. Even if I had an electronic viewfinder on my DSLR I would generally not use it except in unusual circumstances.

But then I've never owned anything other than SLRs and now a DSLR, so perhaps my habits are a bit ingrained. I see some people who are moving from a digital P&S to a DSLR consider it as a step backwards, and they rightly point out that electronic viewfinders do have some advantages - especially the kind that fold out from the camera and can be tilted.

Really, it's just another thing for the potential convert to bear in mind, that's all.

StewartR wrote in post #3573463
Well, I think we can all agree that it's a difference!

Personally I think it is an enormous advantage. The "traditional" way of holding a camera supports it, stabilises it, and puts all the controls under your fingertips. Even if I had an electronic viewfinder on my DSLR I would generally not use it except in unusual circumstances.

I could not agree with you more here - LCD screens as a viewfinder may have a few logistical advantages - but a truly bright and clear optical viewfinder has so many more advantages that they are too numerous to list.

You'll get a brand new 400D kit for around £350 on ebay at the moment (but it's lottery, I know), I'd say you're mate was a touch on the high side.
I bought mine on ebay 2 months ago for £330. (was still sealed in box, apparently an unwanted gift....with receipt).