New Canon...

SheilaO wrote:

Would any Canon afficionado be able to assist me? I need to update my camera, and I will be staying with Canon as my lenses are all that make (28-135 mm, 50 mm and 18-55 mm). My present camera is a Canon DSLR 300D, and it’s twelve years old. I would appreciate some advice on the best model to get, and whether it would be a good idea to buy secondhand.

Many thanks,Sheila

Welcome to the forums!

Open Talk is not necessarily the best place to ask a Canon-specific question, but perhaps we can help steer you to the correct section of the forum. If you wish to stay in the “consumer” model series, the Canon Rebel (200D-800D) Talk will be your “home.” If you wish to upgrade to an enthusiast-level camera, which facilitates your taking more-direct control of your shooting, and offers such features as the ability to micro-adjust your camera’s AF with individual lenses, the Canon EOS 7D/10D-80D Talk section is the place to look. EOS M Talk is the place for the more-compact mirror-less system cameras, which can use your lenses, with an adapter.

I started with a second-hand XTi, a.k.a. 400D, which my wife had bought from a colleague, to try digital shooting. (She had subsequently become a dedicated Nikon fan, when her employer issued her a Nikon D300s.) I appreciated a camera with more-direct control, better ergonomics for my hands, and better weather-sealing, so bought a second-hand 40D.

My next step was a new 7D, in late 2010, for even better performance, for some of the shooting I planned to do, and even better weather-sealing. I soon added a second, pre-owned 7D, because I was using my cameras while on duty, as a public servant, and felt compelled to exercise a professional level of care and diligence. In 2014, I upgraded to 7D Mark II cameras. So, other than the 40D, I cannot be helpful with specific information on Rebels, EOS 100D-800D, and EOS 10D-80D cameras, though they are very good cameras, depending upon one’s preferences.

The EOS M system is nicely compact, with its own EF-M lenses, and an available adapter which allows using your EF and EF-S lenses. I really liked my M3, which I used with the adapter. I would still have it, but Hurricane Harvey decided otherwise. (Fortunately, most of my things, including the rest of my Canon gear, survived.)

Buying pre-owned/second-hand cameras can be a very good idea. Buy smart, from reputable sellers, for best results. I live near Houston Camera Exchange, in Texas, which are reputable, and honor a 30-day warranty. That is where I bought my pre-owned 7D in early 2011, and my pre-owned 1Ds Mark III, in 2018, plus most of my pre-owned lenses.