Canon 350D / 70 300 zoom

[HotRod]

Hi all , i have a 15 year old girl who is getting to photography and wants to use mine so i was thinking of getting a second hand one of ebay , i was thinking of a canon 350d and was wondering what you think of the camera and is it a good steping stone for her ....

[crafty1tutu]

Hi there, I think the 350D is a wonderful entry camera for someone starting out in photography. I used one for a couple of years and I bought one off Ebay for a friend a while back. I took it out and tested the camera and one of the photos that I took with the camera was asked to be used in a UK photographic magazine as an example of what the 350D is capable of. I used the 75-300 mm lens for years as well and until I could afford a designated macro lens, I used the Kenko Macro Extension tubes with this lens. You can look at the photo here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/83646071@N00/4502366220/in/set-72157618658088004/

[Tonym]

I bought a 350D with the 75-300 and the 18-55 kit lenses back in 2006 and learnt how to use a DSLR with it. I am by no means an authority on cameras but it has taken some great shots for me and the wife all over the world while we have been holidaying so I think it would be a great camera to start with. I have only just upgraded to a 50D 2 weeks ago and my experience tinkering with the 350D was all good and has helped me feel more confident to experiment with different settings.

[peterking]

This was my first DSLR and the only regret I have is letting it go.
A great camera and lens.
Nothing too spectacular but still great.

[mynxt]

It is what I am using at the moment and am more than happy with it. It has never given me a moments drama. I'm learning with it, and looking at buying a Tamron 15-70mm lens for it. I still use the original two kit lenses.
Thumbs up from me for sure :th3:

[calloyd]

The 350D would be an excellent starting point. After months of consideration in Dec 2004 I bought a Canon 300D with the 18-55mm lens and afterwards wondered what took me so long to buy them. The camera is easy to understand, has lots of features to practice on and gives great image quality. Good luck :)

[unistudent1962]

Hi, I've got a daughter the same age and I've passed on my 400D and 18-55 kit lens (Gave me a reason to upgrade to a 550D). The 400D and 350D have many common features and she had no problems utilising most of them. A word of warning about buying used equipment off eBay though. Make sure you ask the seller specific questions about the operation and condition of whatver you are looking at. I bought a 17-85 IS USM on eBay, asked what I thought were all the relevant questions, only to receive the lens and discover that it hunted when it was trying to autofocus. Long story short, the seller said that I hadn't asked him is it had any problems autofocussing, and the the problem was mine. $400 on eBay + over $300 for repairs so it amlost cost me as much as a new one would have. BUYER BEWARE.

[yogestee]

Rod,, I bought a 350D when they first came out in 2005 to trip around SE Asia with.. I wanted something light..

In 4 years I gave the 350D an absolute hiding racking up some 70,000 to 80,000 images on it.. I took the 350D into some pretty hostile environments and it never missed a beat.. I have since passed it down to my daughter and it's still going strong..

Did I mention image quality??

[Captured frame]

My first digital SLR was a 350D and it was an absolute beauty.Very sturdy for a plastic bodied camera,never had a hint of a problem the whole time I had it and it gave me some wonderful shots,started out with the kit lenses 18-55 (not very good) and the 90-300 (reasonable lens).Put some nice glass on it and it performs very well indeed highly recommend it as an introductory camera.

[Renae]

I highly recommend the 350D. I bought mine over 4 years ago and only upgraded to a 50D last December. It is a great little camera to start out with. I still have mine as a backup. :th3:

If you are looking for a great wide angle lens to match up with the 350D body (and doesn't cost the earth) the Tamron 17-50 is the way to go - it's a great combination.

[Kerro]

I have had my 350D and 2 kit lenses for about 4 years and am still using them, although now I have upgraded to better glass. When I get the 7D I will still be keeping the 350D as a backup.
Thumbs up from me. A great camera. :th3: