Cheap second hand first DLSR

[trisnpod]

I know there are probably loads of threads like this already, but I couldn't find one that quite matched what I'm asking.

I'm looking for recomendations for a cheap second hand DLSR (ideally around £50-60 but I can go higher if its really worth it) to replace my bridge camera which has developed a large blurry section in pictures. I'm thinking of choosing something mainly around cheapness and value for money until I've got enough experience to know what I want out of a dslr to spend more on one.

My main choices at the moment would be either a nikon d70, 60 or maybe d40x. The prices for these cameras are particularly attractive (around £50 body only maybe less for the d60 and 70, around £100 for the d40x) and they seem to be decent cameras. The d40x has 10mpx, more than the 6.1 on the d60 and 70. I'm not sure if 6.1 is really enough but also not sure if it's worth paying quite a lot more for a few more mpx on the d40x.

However I know that the megapixels number isn't the most important thing about a camera so it would be interesting to hear any other reasons to choose between those cameras.

It would be helpful to get some recomendations from people for similar cameras in this price range. I don't have a brand preference although I've heard that nikon lenses are generally cheaper than canon. If it helps, I'll mainly be doing landscape photography although I'm not looking into lenses at this point. If I need to provide more info please ask!

 

[bicycle_repair_man]

Don't just look at eBay. Places like Wex and mpb sell second-hand kit and you'll get a warranty.

 

[bjornl]

I know there are probably loads of threads like this already, but I couldn't find one that quite matched what I'm asking.

I'm looking for recomendations for a cheap second hand DLSR (ideally around £50-60 but I can go higher if its really worth it) to replace my bridge camera which has developed a large blurry section in pictures. I'm thinking of choosing something mainly around cheapness and value for money until I've got enough experience to know what I want out of a dslr to spend more on one.

My main choices at the moment would be either a nikon d70, 60 or maybe d40x. The prices for these cameras are particularly attractive (around £50 body only maybe less for the d60 and 70, around £100 for the d40x) and they seem to be decent cameras. The d40x has 10mpx, more than the 6.1 on the d60 and 70. I'm not sure if 6.1 is really enough but also not sure if it's worth paying quite a lot more for a few more mpx on the d40x.

However I know that the megapixels number isn't the most important thing about a camera so it would be interesting to hear any other reasons to choose between those cameras.

It would be helpful to get some recomendations from people for similar cameras in this price range. I don't have a brand preference although I've heard that nikon lenses are generally cheaper than canon. If it helps, I'll mainly be doing landscape photography although I'm not looking into lenses at this point. If I need to provide more info please ask!

The d40 was also highly regarded in its time and is super cheap. The best camera (by a fair margin) of the Dx0 era was the d90. It used the same 12mp sensor as in the professional d300.
The kit lens (18-55 vr) is surprisingly good. Nikon (and almost everyone else) has mastered the kit lens because they sell 1000's of them for every other lens made. The Nikon 18-105vr is a more useful lens and is often for sale cheaply because they stopped making it (replaced by the better 18-140).
My brother had a d70 and loved it. He took a great many wonderful photos with it. Unlike the d40, d60, d40x, the d70 (as well as the d80, d90 and d200) has a screwdrive focus motor. This older technology allows these cameras to auto-focus some really nice, and really cheap lenses. For example the 35mm f2, 50mm f/1.8d 50mm f/1.4d, 85mm f/1.8d and so on. However the nicest cheap lens for a DX body like all of these are, is probably Nikon 35mm f/1.8g. It works equally well on any DX body as it has it's own focus motor.

 

[trisnpod]

So the 350d arrived and so has the 18-55mm lens (I got the non IS one in the end). However it looks like the scroll wheel isn't working properly - I made a new thread here: http/www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3563603/eos-350d-scroll-wheel-working.html