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Beowulf
16th-April-2010, 01:06 PM
Well - I have the 350D, and quite simply, I love it. It's a wonderful little camera. OK - so it's not that little, but it's still wonderful.

I HAD the 350D. I may have it again.. if I can justify paying the £200+ ish (at least) to get it repaired. Given that the 350D is currently about £350 (how convenient .. the prices match the name!!) do I want to spend 2/3s of it's price to get it repaired? Do I get it repaired, then trade it in for a new camera? do I NOT get it repaired and use the £200+ to offset what I would have got as a trade in anyway? do I not get it repaired, then take it in for a trade in anyway and not fess up about it needing repair? :whistle: (Ok no that last ones not really an option I'm too honest and I'd stutter and stammer if they asked me "does it work?" directly. :blush:)

am in a bit of a pickle. I'm not going to have a decent camera for our honeymoon as repair is going to take 4 to 5 weeks at least. :tears:

I suppose I could just <cough> Appropriate <cough> some of my wedding gift money :wink: (again.. joking ! My better half reads this forum remember :D :awe:)

I just don't know what's best. The 350D is a bit long in the tooth and I would like an upgrade at some point. I just can't justify spending £600 on a new camera. But then is Spending 1/3 of that to get something old repaired false economy?

philsmove
16th-April-2010, 02:34 PM
my experience is that once a camera starts to wrong, it keeps going wrong. Most repairs are only garenteed for ~ 3 months and then the guarantee only covers the bit that went wrong

I have also found estimated repairs are a bit optimisic

My advice is spend the £200 on a new camera, even if it's a compact

Beowulf
16th-April-2010, 03:39 PM
my experience is that once a camera starts to wrong, it keeps going wrong. Most repairs are only guaranteed for ~ 3 months and then the guarantee only covers the bit that went wrong

Yeah that was in the back of my mind too..

Beowulf
20th-April-2010, 01:19 PM
Yeah that was in the back of my mind too..

well , after much deliberation and self torture (especially when I saw the price of the 450d and IS lens kit..) I've decided to repair my old one and make do and mend until it breaks again. I can't justify the expense not with the single most expensive event next week. It does mean I wont have a camera with me in Venice, but no biggie .. My gorgeous Wife (as she'll be then) will have her compact one.

Who knows the way things are going with clouds of Volcanic ash etc.. we may need to use every spare penny we've got to pay for a taxi to take us all the way there :wink:

Beowulf
18th-May-2010, 01:57 PM
well , after much deliberation and self torture (especially when I saw the price of the 450d and IS lens kit..) I've decided to repair my old one and make do and mend until it breaks again.

Hmm.. the best laid plans of Mice. (and men? what have men got to do with anything?!") I didn't end up getting the 450D as I planned... I ended up getting the 500D instead !! Well the way I figured it, I needed a good camera for the honeymoon, and this is a pretty good one.

Didn't go for the big lens kit so saved a bit there, do miss my zoom lens though, might treat myself to a decent IS zoom once I've paid off the honeymoon.. so in about 9 or 10 years then :wink:

Lory
29th-May-2010, 06:09 PM
I didn't end up getting the 450D as I planned... I ended up getting the 500D instead !!
Didn't go for the big lens kit so saved a bit there, do miss my zoom lens though,

What lenses did you have for your 350d? Don't they fit this model?

Beowulf
29th-May-2010, 06:53 PM
What lenses did you have for your 350d? Don't they fit this model?

yes.. but they're currently in getting repaired with my EOS 350D ..

actually , that's not "strictly" true.. I do have a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III USM lens.. but I don't like it that much. It came with my original non digital SLR kit and it's a bit "FLAKY" too.

my Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC Lens is the one I'll use when it comes back from Jessops.. they've had it and my camera for repair now for well over 6 weeks :(

Lory
29th-May-2010, 07:37 PM
it's a bit "FLAKY" too.


It that a technical term? :D

Cruella
30th-May-2010, 11:52 AM
It that a technical term? :D

I bet 'Jessops' isn't :wink:

Beowulf
30th-May-2010, 01:22 PM
It that a technical term? :D

VERY ;)

What I mean is, it's not very solidly constructed.. it has an unnerving "wobble" about it. Feels a bit like a blue peter project fashioned out of washing up liquid bottles and toilet roll tubes. At least it would were it not for the fact it's so darned heavy. it's got the slowest and noisiest auto focus I have ever used, and it's "twitchy" (another technical term) you compose your shot, you focus, and you listen to it constantly twitching back and forth between a couple of focus settings.. it just can's seem to settle on a fixed focus.

it's a long lens, and because of it's length and weight it's nigh on impossible to use without a tripod (to be honest.. it's a zoom lens, so I rarely use those without a tripod anyway.. am far to wobbly for my own good.. even without a camera !!)

and of course, as it was designed for a film camera you've got all the issues associated with the Focal Length Multiplication / crop factor to deal with too.

in a word "Flaky" :wink:

Lory
30th-May-2010, 03:46 PM
in a word "Flaky" :wink:

I had a go with 'The Wanderer's' lens at Southport, that's huge and heavy too (not sure what lens it was) but I have to confess, the judder during focussing was quite un-nerving :what:

Having very unlimited experience with large zooms, I wasn't sure if this was simply 'normal'

rtwwpad
31st-May-2010, 02:21 AM
I had a go with 'The Wanderer's' lens at Southport, that's huge and heavy too (not sure what lens it was) but I have to confess, the judder during focussing was quite un-nerving :what:

Having very unlimited experience with large zooms, I wasn't sure if this was simply 'normal'

On cheap lenses yes. If you cast your mind back to the 70-200 you played with me with you will recall it didn't do that but that's why it's 2k. Speaking of which I thought I smashed 6k of kiton Friday when someone at my sisters wedding took out my tripod. Thankfully the lens hood hit the ground first and exploded saving the lens and the d3s just picked up some Tarmac scratches

Beowulf
31st-May-2010, 09:07 AM
On cheap lenses yes.

ah oh, my one IS cheap ! Even cheaper than you'd think !! :blush:


If you cast your mind back to the 70-200 you played with me with you will recall it didn't do that but that's why it's 2k.

2k..? that's more than my camera, all my lenses... and probably the computer I use to process the images all put together :lol:


Speaking of which I thought I smashed 6k of kit on Friday when someone at my sisters wedding took out my tripod. Thankfully the lens hood hit the ground first and exploded saving the lens and the d3s just picked up some Tarmac scratches
:sick::really:

Lory
31st-May-2010, 10:27 AM
If you cast your mind back to the 70-200 you played with me you will recall it didn't do that but that's why it's 2k.

STOP IT! You know you're only making me jealous! :devil:


Speaking of which I thought I smashed 6k of kiton Friday when someone at my sisters wedding took out my tripod. Thankfully the lens hood hit the ground first and exploded saving the lens and the d3s just picked up some Tarmac scratches:eek: Come to think of it, I've taken proper insurance out on my camera but I haven't added the lenses :doh::rolleyes:

But I have just ordered a polarising filter and lens hood, for two reasons, one's the obvious and the other's to give a little added extra protection.

Beowulf
31st-May-2010, 07:04 PM
I have just ordered a polarising filter and lens hood to give a little added extra protection.

I leave a skylight filter on all my lenses at all times. A lot cheaper than a decent polarising filter too. :waycool:

philsmove
31st-May-2010, 07:27 PM
One side-effect of the polarizing filter is that it absorbs ~1.5 stops of light, so unless you nedd one eg for lanscape work, the UV filter is a better bet

philsmove
31st-May-2010, 07:41 PM
STOP IT! You know you're only making me jealous!



How about one of these (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08013101sigma250500.asp):drool:

Lory
31st-May-2010, 08:00 PM
How about one of these (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08013101sigma250500.asp):drool:

Nahhh, its not very pretty and green doesn't suit me :innocent:

I'd hate to think how much one of those would set you back? :what:
Posted via Mobile Device

Beowulf
1st-June-2010, 01:28 PM
I'd hate to think how much one of those would set you back? :what:
Posted via Mobile Device

not that much.. only about $38,000.00 according to the Sigma Website !!

:eek:

jiveclone
2nd-June-2010, 01:29 PM
Or only $28,999.00 on amazon, Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way)....

http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-200-500mm-Ultra-Telephoto-Nikon-Cameras/dp/B0013DAPNU

Beowulf
2nd-June-2010, 01:48 PM
Or only $28,999.00 on amazon, Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way)....

http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-200-500mm-Ultra-Telephoto-Nikon-Cameras/dp/B0013DAPNU

ooh a veritable bargain !! I'll buy two ! :wink:

Beowulf
2nd-June-2010, 02:06 PM
I actually just got my EOS 350D and Sigma 18 - 125 lens back from Je$$ops.

I'll give it a good try out over the next week I guess and possibly pinch the lens for my new camera. Can't really justify any reason to keep it though.. a good camera but not as good as my new one.

Seems to have had a very thorough going over by Jessops repair though and not as expensive as I initially thought either.

Anyone want a recently refurbished Digital SLR? one careful geeky owner :wink: :na:

Yet another thing to list on eBay .. .. .. eventually !