Be Excellent To Each Other

My camera is broken. I've given up hoping that the shoemakers elves might come in and fix it overnight.

It was a Canon 550d, which I genuinely liked. Now, I'm going to admit that I'm a bit nervous posting this as last time I asked camera advice it prompted a discussion over why my camera was shit, and why my phone was shit. I'd just had a baby, wasn't working and had no money to replace either, so it just wasn't helpful. Sorry, I do appreciate advice, but a few folks weren't listening and didn't care for what I was asking about (SD cards), and just piled negativity in to prove who was most right. Please guys, I really don't want that again as my situation hasn't changed and I'm off work with the little one, and have never earned as much as many folks here, so please be sensitive.

I have been saving a long while now for something else, but I think this probably needs doing first, as I use my camera loads.

I've got just shy of £500, so I'd like to get something I will enjoy using for years, and if that means I can get a model that takes better pictures than my last one, then that's all good. I guess flexibility is what I'm looking for, so something that performs well in low light, has good white balancing, a nice focal distance range with any accompanying lens, yadda yadda. Something that handles red and magentas well would be great, too. I'll use it a lot for taking pics of knitting things, so a decent macro setting would be good. I'll be mostly taking pictures of knitted stuff and Darwin, so babies and bbbb... bonnets?

I might not get it immediately, so maybe Father Christmas might put a little extra towards it if I wait and if it's worth it, but I'd like to start reading and choosing now.

Obviously, I'm not looking to just spend as much money as possible for the sake of it, so if I can get something good for cheats then it will mean I can start saving for that boob job* again quicker.

*

Ta, x

The 550D was a great camera, and I'd have no qualms about recommending just getting an updated version of the same. It'll take your old lenses then, too.

Yeah what's actually wrong with it? As Cras said that's still a good camera, is it not worth sending it away somewhere to get fixed?

Or if you do want new and updated, the 750D is available for about £450.

It keeps cutting out and rejecting any SD card put in it. The SD card contacts have been cleaned. Sometimes it doesn't turn on. Sometimes the screen comes on but is corrupt (not in picture display (as I can't get that far due to SD card not being read) but just the settings screen). About 15% of the time it turns on. Other times it is completely dead.

It's not consistent in which fault, which is part of the problem. When I tried googling it most advice is that it's knackered beyond reasonable cost to repair against fix.

It's entirely possible that some employee at a camera shop knows exactly what causes the fault, so it's worthwhile taking it into a shop anyway.

I agree with Grim.. it won't harm getting it checked

They might - might - do a trade-in on a busted camera, too.

I've not seen an actual camera shop in years, so I'll have to have a think about the practicalities of that, as it's not like I can get to any nearby towns to look further afield.

Thanks Craster, I'll add that to the list of ones to look at. Well, it's the only one on the list so far, but hopefully I'll find a few to compare it to.

Some stuff in here Mimi:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/sho ... ?t=1330839

It does sound like some sort of power issue. Have you got more than one battery to try?

Honestly I'd be a bit surprised if it's not fixable at all, though.

Brill, I'll have a proper look through that tonight when I'm not being quite so climbed over Mark, thank you!

I do dare say it is probably fixable, it's only because where I'd searched earlier seemed to suggest that repair costs for similar symptoms as those my camera had meant it was more financially viable to get a new camera as not much more expensive and then under warranty, but I will still have a look and try to find out more about repair options.

I have to agree with the C man, and not only because he pays me to.

The 750D is not only going to accept your lenses, but it'll have a similar (if not identical) button layout, the same settings, etc, etc.

Also, it's a bloody good camera. Hell, I've still got my 350D.

And actually, the price I quoted is with a kit lens, which you probably wouldn't need assuming you already have at least one - so you can probably find it even cheaper body-only.

Is there a reason that people prefer Canon over Nikon?

It was my first, and I'm therefore used to it, and all my lenses fit. Not much more to it than that

No, just need to go for one or the other really.

If I remember rightly, Zardoz is a dirty Nikon user.

Yep. Mark and Nervous Pete too. Although I think Pete sold all his Nikon gear for a smaller Fuji(?) set up.

Fair enough. Thanks guys.

I think Grim… prefers Nikon whereas I only wear Adidas

You are a terrible human being

Isn't Canon cheaper, or is that not a thing any more?

I prefer Nikon, the controls always seem more logical to me than those on Canon cameras.

Have you tried updating the firmware, Mimi? It might give it a kick up the arse.

http://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer ... e=firmware

I don't think that was ever in doubt