Looking to buy new camera

Hi all

my other half is very kindly wanting to buy yours truly a new camera...an upgrade ..currently have Canon Powershot SX50 and looking at the Nikon P900...which seem a little hard to find new.  Found it an a website called wowcamera.com..or SLRHUT.CO.UK.....I was wondering if anyone had heard of them or used them before. Also if any suggestions on alternative cameras around £500- £600.

Any advise much appreciate

Linda

  • Linda I would look at some of the reviews before you purchase a new camera
    I bought a second hand lens from jessops it was ex demo and it was advertised as mint and it was. They sell new and secondhand cameras. I have also used Harrison’s in Sheffield they too do new and secondhand.
  • Thanks ILR...its just that I dont always trust reviews are genuine!...We would need to go into town for Jessops...if its still there! ?? Internet is easier given the state of Scotland with local outbreaks here and in Glasgow...not worth venturing out for. ...unless they are online..duh ..linda!! lol
  • Just checked jessops in Glasgow is still there, you can buy on line too. Checkout the secondhand cameras as well you usually get a warranty and can save quite a lot from the new price.. the reviews on companies before you buy can be well worth having a look.
  • Hey Linda, before I got the dslr (Nikon d5600... entry level camera) I used a Panasonic fz150 bridge camera, similar to the P900, but not quite the same zoom. I think there is now a P1000 with even further zoom reach. The panasonic was great for not having to get too close to your subject, but there is a definite improvement in image quality with a dslr, even with just the kit lenses. I think I got mine with a 70-300 lens and a 18-55 lens for about £600 a couple of years ago.
    It depends what you want to do with the pictures once you've taken them, I've probably 15-20 on various walls taken with the dslr, but only a couple with the bridge camera. If you're not planning on decorating with them then a bridge camera's versatility is tough to beat.
  • It's worth looking in to the companies before deciding to give them your money - SLR Hut for example, state in their "About Us" section :- "Note: We prepay all duties required to get the product in your hands, you will never be required to pay any additional taxes to receive your order, VAT is never charged on any order"
    That rings alarm bells - it suggests they're not a straightforward retailer, but more likely operating in the grey areas of legislation (there are a few companies like that, Simply Electronics is another). The item is unlikely to be official UK stock (which is why any warranty will be from SLRHut most likely, not the manufacturer), but from an international source and technically, you would probably classify as the legal importer (SLR Hut being the Agent). Now plenty of people successfully buy from grey market sources like this, but only you can decide if you want to take the risk.
    Be wary about their stock too - I noticed on their site (as an example) they are selling the Canon 7D brand new. That camera has not been current for at least 7 years now (the 7D2 is the current version). So any "Brand New" 7D cameras must be very old stock! Or the product is left on the site as a hook - you "buy" the affordable 7D then they ring you up and say "Sorry, we cannot get it, we can offer you this more expensive model for just a little extra" and you can end up blowing your budget.
    Wow camera I know less about, but again, it isn't UK stock (check the warranty page - Canon/Nikon etc is a "UK Supplied Warranty" unlike the "UK HTC Warranty" which is obviously provided by the manufacturer). Their returns department (should you have any need to return the product after purchase) is in Luxembourg.
    At the end of the day, the choice is yours, but be aware you will not be buying genuine UK stock from a genuine UK company unless the price is on a par with the likes of WEX (who can be treated as the gold standard). This may not matter, the savings may be too irresistible, but now you know a few more of the ins & outs :-)
    The second hand route is definitely an alternative (MPB as mentioned are good, I've used them myself), and will come with a warranty as well
  • That made very interesting reading, WJ. I must make sure Limpy reads this!

    For the record I'm now using a Canon 5D mark 2. How good is it? Well, I'm trying to work out how to have myself cybernetically attached to it because it is just so good! It's quite old and you'd quite possibly get it for a reasonable price second-hand.
  • Thanks PB...yes it will be to put on walls if pics are ever good enough lol
  • Wow WJ....thankyou so much for that very...it certainly pays to do your research !
  • Thanks Clare will have a look at your camera aswell...back to the drawing board for now!
  • It's all about the research then Linda, not just in the vendors, but also in the quality of the images the equipment will give you. I've got loads of pics that look good at 6x4inch, but when they're enlarged to A4 (the biggest I've gone) more often than not the images aren't up to scratch. There's probably some formula more proficient photographers than me could tell you about pixel density and quality of image at various sizes, but I'm only in it for the fun!!
    Also, I expect your printer might need looking at too lol.