Originally posted by Winmar
Why don't they make cameras to last these days? Is it because they want you to buy their spare parts? A used camera could be good. Cheaper than duty free? My mum's going back to England for a holiday in July, so I could get her to take one for me then.
Money - people want all the latest gizmos and technology, but there's only so much they're going to pay for it. So while these cameras are technologically very advanced the manufacturers have to skimp somewhere, and that somewhere is build quality. Older SLR's would have been predominantly made of metal with a few plastic bits, you'd be hard pressed to find any metal on a modern entry level SLR.
As for the used option, yup, you should be able to find something cheaper than duty free, depending on which model you want - there aren't many savings to be had on a second hand version of the latest model. If your mum is heading to London tell her to drop in and see me.
Where you pissed off that you paid so much for yours in comparison to Mark's, or just glad that you got a good deal for his one? 
Pleased I got such a good deal - I'm used to the value of cameras dropping at insane rates. Really I'm lucky - poor bastards leave the store every day with digital cameras not realising that the moment they leave the store the value plummeted.
How much would a lens with a big-arsed zoom cost?
Not a frightening amount - you could get a Nikon 75-300 for around £160, a Canon 75-300 for around the same price if you decided to get a Canon camera. However the one I would recommend is actually by an independant lens maker, Sigma - they make a 70-300 APO MAC Super for around £180. It's a better lens and also has a half life size macro feature for close up work, so it's very versatile.
Which cameras give the best quality photos? Nikon? Or are the big brands pretty similar?
The 64 Million Dollar question.
It's a matter of personal taste really, but the main thing I would point out is that these days you are not so much buying a camera but buying into a system. Once you go with one manufacturer you'll be buying their accessories, although lenses are made by other companies too (Sigma, Tamron). Nikon and Canon are the market leaders and which one you got for is really down to how comfy you feel with the camera - go to a shop and try one out if at all possible. I still think the Nikons are slightly better made (we're talking at entry level here, so cameras under £700 ish) but there really isn't much in it. And you'll find that cameras like the F65 and the Canon equivelant, the EOS 300V, will pretty much do the same things. However you may well find the Canon a little cheaper and you'll definately find Canon accessories cheaper - one thing you find out really quickly is that Nikon and 'cheap' don't go together.
Minolta - don't even go there. Cheap shitty bodies, but they do make good lenses. I'm not saying anymore.
Pentax - a strange one. They really can't compete with the big boys anymore, but to be fair they make really good entry level cameras and as long as you don't mind the fact that they don't make alot of lenses, are not supported by many independant companies and don't have a decent semi-pro body to upgrade to (should you ever wish to) then I would actually recommend looking at them. The Pentax MZ-7 was a good entry level model, probably the sturdiest entry level model these days. And you can use the old manual focus lenses on the new auto focus bodies - good for picking up cheap bargains.
So would you like to become a professional photographer, or do you just want to do it as a hobby?
*sigh* Who knows.
I have a degree in Documentary Photography (I graduated 3 years ago) but I got stuck working in camera stores and my confidence isn't real good. I sort of feel it's a bit pointless trying to do anything with it - London is flooded with photographers and wannabes. Mark pushes me along, and is going to put my work up on UM (when it's good enough, of course
), but other than that I can't see myself actually making money from it.
Don't worry about the questions - I'm used to it and it makes a change to be asked questions about cameras by someone who is actually polite.
