Canon Eos 500D - any suggestions pitfalls?

[Johan Etsebeth]

Hi, I'm planning to buy my first DSLR and had a look at the Canon Eos 500D with an extra lens (300).

Any suggestions or pitfalls I should consider?

Any comments will be treated as constructive.

Thanks,
Johan

[LeonardF]

Hi Johan

Are you buying new or second hand? This is an older body so make sure you are not paying too much. I assume the second lens is a 70-300mm. Does the lens have an image stabaliser? If not it may be better to consider some of the bundles that have the 55-250 IS lens.

[JAvA]

Johan, I am also looking at a 500D and yes, watch what you are paying if you are looking at 2nd hand - if you look at the classifieds in the past few months, 2nd hand 500d's have been selling in the range R 3500 for a body only up to in excess of R 6000 for a body and kit lens.
The main online dealers now only stock the 550D & 600D as the 500D launched in March 2009 is now 3 years old.
Game ( and occasionaly Hi-Fi Corruption), although not my favourite place to shop for electronic goods, at the moment has the 500D with 18-55 & 75-300 IS lenses on special for R 5999. Brand new, 0 actuations, 24 month guarantee so any 2nd hand 500D you are considering must really be priced VERY well, to make it worth your while.

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

on that topic, there are 2x 5DmkI's available at ODP for R6900

[LeonardF]

That Game deal is quite interresting. Firstly that 75-300 lens is not an IS (Image Stabiliser) model. They also make no mention of the 18-55 being the IS model either. If you look carefully at the writing around the edge of the lens it is the old non IS Mark II. The 500D normally came with the 18-55 IS kit lens which is a much better lens. You can check the reviews on all of these lenses on www.photozone.de
You will also still need to buy a bag and a memory card. I think it would be a better deal to look at the new 600D with the latest model 18-55 IS MK2 with Bag and 16GB 30MB/S memory card for R6895. They even throw in a training course. Also keep a lookout for the Nikon bundle deals.

Just make sure you do your homework before buying.

[JAvA]

That Game deal is quite interresting. Firstly that 75-300 lens is not an IS (Image Stabiliser) model. They also make no mention of the 18-55 being the IS model either. If you look carefully at the writing around the edge of the lens it is the old non IS Mark II. The 500D normally came with the 18-55 IS kit lens which is a much better lens. You can check the reviews on all of these lenses on www.photozone.de
You will also still need to buy a bag and a memory card. I think it would be a better deal to look at the new 600D with the latest model 18-55 IS MK2 with Bag and 16GB 30MB/S memory card for R6895. They even throw in a training course. Also keep a lookout for the Nikon bundle deals.

Just make sure you do your homework before buying.

Very interesting ! I only saw the current Game ad after I had seen the 500 D and two lenses in a store - this was about 4 months ago and both lenses were definitely IS models; I went to specifically look at this as it sounded a bit too good to be true. Maybe the special changed, differs from store to store or the wrong stuff is shown in the ad ? Will try and have another look at their store.
Not sure if it is different at other Game stores, but the shop assistants would not know the difference between IS & non-IS ........... when I in fact visited them, they were trying to convince a customer that all the Canon lenses they sell would be compatible with his Nikon D5100!

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

... when I in fact visited them, they were trying to convince a customer that all the Canon lenses they sell would be compatible with his Nikon D5100!

ooooh....

[Johan Etsebeth]

Eventually settled on a Nikon 5100, with an 18-55 lens, a 55-200 (VR), 2x 16GB SD cards (should actually one have been 1, they made a mistake), and the latest Photoshop software all for R8999.

Took some photo's with it over the weekend and it has many Effects and Scene setting (less manual interaction required), so I'm quite impressed :-)

Thanks for all the advise, it was VERY helpfull

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

"photoshop" meaning elements 10?

[JAvA]

Very interesting ! I only saw the current Game ad after I had seen the 500 D and two lenses in a store - this was about 4 months ago and both lenses were definitely IS models; I went to specifically look at this as it sounded a bit too good to be true. Maybe the special changed, differs from store to store or the wrong stuff is shown in the ad ? Will try and have another look at their store.
Not sure if it is different at other Game stores, but the shop assistants would not know the difference between IS & non-IS ........... when I in fact visited them, they were trying to convince a customer that all the Canon lenses they sell would be compatible with his Nikon D5100!

As promised went to chat to Game - the 500D special @ R 5999 according to them was initially in late 2011 with 18-55 IS & 55-250IS lenses. Everytime it has been @ R 5999 in the past few months it has been with 18-55 III and 75-300 III non-IS lenses. At the moment they have stock of this at R 6999.