RobAnt

I think most DSLR users would say split your money on lens and body – or something similar. The quality of the lens is as important as the body. I started out with Canon (had some lenses from my film days so tied to that make) and went for a 400D which I used with an old EF 75-300MM F4-5.6 MKIII USM. Which was generally fine. Second hand you should be able to get both from somewhere like parkcameras.co.uk for easily under £400 and be able to rely on their guarantee etc. You could get something in the 28-70mm range as a standard lens for short range shooting such as the Sigma 28-70MM F2.8-4 DG for £70 and still have change to buy a spare battery and some cards for £500 (try 7dayshop.com).

I then got myself a better zoom lens and went for one of Canon’s L lenses – the EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM as an upgrade with the Canon EF 1.4x II extender) but that cost more than the £400D and 75-300 new! However, the quality of the Canon L glass is great.

I now have upgraded my body to the 50D and with the L lens range glass it takes stunning pics.

As I do landscape and other photography as well I have some other shorter lenses and again have quite a bit of L lens range glass.

I think the 400D (or Nikon’s equivalient) will do you fine for now and for a few years – put a 4 or 8Gb card in it and shoot RAW (not sure if you can do that on your current camera) and you should have plenty of space.

Be warned though – once you step down the DSLR route your wallet can take a pounding!

As stated on the UK Intellectual Property Office:

Ownership of photographs taken after 1 August 1989

The general rule about first ownership of copyright is that the author is the first owner.

If you create a copyright work, you become the ‘author’ so in the case of any photographs you take you are the first owner. However, an example where this may not be the case is if it was you who pressed the camera button and someone else who decided things like the camera angle, exposure and so on.

If you make a photograph with two or more people and each persons contribution to the photograph is not distinct, then you all become joint authors and joint first owners of copyright and the permission of each joint owner will be needed before such a photograph can be used.

This general rule about first ownership of copyright resting with the ‘author’ is, however, overridden in the case of photographs which are made by an employee in the course of employment; in this case, the employer is the first owner of copyright subject to any agreement to the contrary.

If you commission a photograph you will only be the copyright owner if there is an agreement to assign copyright to you.

If you commission a photograph for private and domestic purposes, since 1 August 1989 you generally have the right not to have the photograph exhibited in public or otherwise communicated to the public (such as by broadcasting) or copies of the photograph issued to the public.