Choosing, and buying, an SLR is about as stressful as buying a car, or a high end hi-fi system. Everybody has an opinion and everyone’s owns system is the very best. Much of what people will tell you is complete bollocks.

Part of the problem here goes back to the days of film. Before zoom lenses really improved in quality a typical system would consist of camera and three or four lenses. This was not an insignificant investment. As the (by in large) the different systems were not compatible you were kind of stuck with the system that you first bought. And as we got to the higher range there was – and still is – a massive debate between the followers of Nikon and Canon.

These days anyone looking to experiment with an SLR for the first time is in real luck. There is an amazing range of excellent cameras on the market today, especially within the £300 to £500 range. You can take your pick from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, Olympus, and so on. Whatever your choice you won’t go far wrong. But I know that doesn’t help. So here are some tips (and no doubt others will add more).

Firstly, two key principles for buying your first SLR:

1. Prudence

2. Buy your first camera from a store rather than over the net.

Prudence

You do not need to spend a lot of money on your first camera. As with a lot of things in the consumer market you do tend to get what you pay for but the higher end cameras have features that it will take some time to learn how to use properly. I could say you’d be best buying the best camera that you can afford — fine if you can and want to, but this isn’t really necessary.

The Store

It is so hard to choose between the various makes and brands that it is very hard to make a final decision! However, the feel of the camera makes a big difference. How heavy is the camera? Will this be too much if I’m out on the hill? Does it feel comfortable in the hand? Believe me, comfort is a big issue? Do the controls feel intuitive or baffling?

When I bought my DSLR I narrowed the choice down to a Nikon and a Canon. I made my choice on camera handling. For me, the Nikon just felt absolutely right in my hands, and that was enough for me.

Locking into a Brand

Before I move on I thought it right to make this point. These days there is no real need to lock yourself into a brand like we did in the days of film. Cameras today come with a kit lens, a zoom, and most of these are pretty good. Typically a zoom range will go from 18- 55 mil which is a pretty good spread from wide angle to medium tele (I’ll explain all this later). What this really means is that this one lens replaces three of the old, set, focal point lenses.

As most kits now come with good lenses you could make your next camera something from another range. For example, I currently have a Nikon. I could stick with Nikon, in which case the next time round I would just buy a body – but I wouldn’t save that much money. If I wanted to swap to Canon there wouldn’t be much in it.

Of course, if you’ve bought extra lenses then this point becomes less valid. But most people don’t need to. I shoot all of my photos with one lens. I would like an ultra wide zoom but have been put off buying it buy the idea of having to lug it about!

Back to those megapixels

I really want you to consider these last! Of course, 12 is better than 6 but you might not notice for the photos you take. Most experts will say that there’s not much gain in trading up from 10 to 12. Look at price. If your budget feels happier at 6 to begin with start there.

Megapixels really only make a big difference when we are enlarging. I’ve got some poster-sized landscape prints that are superb taken from my 6 megapixel camera. The lens I use if very sharp and that sharpness carries on to the print. You have to really get up close to see the ‘grain’ of the pixels on the print.

Using the Web

There are a couple of very good websites to help you narrow down your range. But I would seriously advise going to a shop where you can fondle the goods, to make your final choice. But these are places to look at:

Digital Photography Review (they speak English here!)

Ken Rockwell.com – a great site with simple advice.

Some Initial Ideas

You need a camera with a manual mode. I don’t think it matters what kind of data storage you use, compact flash or the smaller SD chip cards. Most low to medium ranges now use the SD format, but this is not something to get hung up about.

Neither should you get too worried about the LCD screen on the back of the camera. These are useful but not that useful. If your shooting landscapes you’ll probably find the sun mucks the image up anyway. Blurb and salesmen will try and tell you that this screen is better because it is bigger, sharper or brighter. I don’t think this matters – it certainly isn’t something sufficient to chose one camera over another.

So, some first ideas

Starting from cheap and getting more expensive.

As I write the Nikon D40 would set you back about £370. This is a 6 megapixel camera but don’t let that put you off. There are plenty of professionals (on the web) who use this as their leisure camera. This camera comes with a great lens and has received rave reviews

Moving up the price range a little the Canon 450D and the Nikon D60 are well received.

The 450D is a 12 megapixel camera which is available for just a little under £500. This is nicknamed the Digital Rebel, which was supposed to be the digital camera for everyman. For many people — at the moment—this will be a great entry camera.

The Nikon D60 with lens can be bought for less than £400. This is a 10 megapixel camera but reviews suggest that it’s performance is up there with the Canon; again be wary of the megapixel debate.

There are also good cameras to consider from Olympus, Pentax, Sony and others. Do some homework on the websites above and draw up your shortlist. But you should be more than happy with anything from any of these brands.

Getting Pricier

Personally, I wouldn’t consider paying more for a first DSLR. You pay more for the quality of build, water-proofing and so on. However, my camera has been all over the place and is of a similar build quality to those listed above — it copes with most things that are thrown at it. Chris Townsend — no mean photographer himself — takes kinds of cameras out in the wilds.

Looking for a Deal

New cameras are being introduced in these ranges at a hell of a speed. This means the prices of existing cameras are falling. The D60s big brother is the D80 and a D90 is due out in the autumn. But the D60 will be around for a while and it is a great camera.

So, look at these websites and others. See what’s available locally or within a reasonable journey. I really do think it’s a good thing to buy your first camera where you can have a good look at it first.

By all means seek out the advice of others but be a bit wary of the line that says this is by far the best. Seek the cameras out, have a good play with them and then make your own decision.

Next up: Let’s get started – Exposure.