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Help me pick out a DSLR camera!

sheridesabeemer

I Used to Be Someone
When it comes to looking for a new computer, I can read the specs and know what is good, bad and ugly.
But I am currently contemplating the move from my point and shoot Cannon SD750 to a DSLR camera; and I don't know my aperture from my elbow. What I'd really like is some advice from some of you who know what you are doing.
Can I put together a decent package for under $1,500? I don't want something that is going to sit at home because it's to fragile or too expensive to take on the bike, I want a work horse that can live in the tank bag.
I am all for buying the model that was just replaced, no latest and greatest for me. Heck, you know I'll be buying it on eBay. :p But please, tell me which body and lenses I need to start out with.

ps. I can help you pick out a laptop in return. :laugh

I think I've done all I can do with the P&S
584228245_35592f79cd.jpg
 
It's a flow chart of choices.

1. Consumer DLSR or Prosumer DSLR or Pro DSLR

I'd vote for Consumer. Someday you'll replace the body and you'll still have the glass.
This brings us to the next choice - which system/glass (since you're buying into a family)

2a. Nikon or Canon

Either will treat you very nicely.

2b. This brings you to a Nikon D40X or a Canon Rebel XTi/Rebel XSi

And now we're down to the nitty gritty. Go to a camera store. Poke around and feel the different cameras. Compare ease of use for you. Consider features. Sleep on it. Think about it day and night.

For the basic reviews and feature comparisons: http://www.dpreview.com
For the best prices: http://www.dealnews.com

A few months ago I bought a Rebel XTi. The Nikon D40X was a bit more money. I liked that it had spot metering but wanted exposure bracketing - which of the two only the Rebel offered. Since any of the DSLR's will take fantastic photos with a decent brain behind the camera, I couldn't rationalize getting a D80 or any of the other cameras that are a chunk more expensive. Take the money saved and buy a better lens or two. The kit lenses are ok to start but even a $70 50mm lens will give you shots you dreamt of getting with a P&S.

Find the one that fits your budget, your hands, and any particular features you want.
 
I agree with most of what Knary had to say. I would just add the following: when it comes to more expensive cameras, you tend to pay for durability in addition to features. That's why I shy away from the less expensive versions. When I'm out shooting, I'll be out rain or shine, cold or hot, etc. The camera has to be able to take that type of use. For general shooting from the bike I use a P & S. When I'm going to travel with a tripod and lenses, primarily to shoot more than ride, that's when I'll pack my DSLR.
 
A very low light photo taken with that cheap-ish Rebel and cheap 50mm lens. Try this with a P&S!

206298513_jfjZP-XL.jpg
 
Nikon D40

Gail, I bought a Nikon D40 in June and am very happy. They have replaced it with the D40X which is a 10 mega pixel (The original was 6.something). It is a smaller body then a standard DSLR which I really like for traveling. I'm not a pro by any means but I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on my shots so I'm not too bad. The downside of the D40 is that it has to have the Nikon lenses since they made it small by putting the autofocus motor in the lens rather than the camera body. For me it was worth it to get the small size. You can probably still get a D40 and several nice lenses for under a grand. Good luck.
 
Gail,

I was excited to see your query and was already crafting a response when I read Knary's. I strongly agree with everything he says.

I used to be a major Nikon shooter. I switched to Canon, rather capriciously, when I went Digital. I used to see big differences between the two brands; now I feel that they are largely the same. Both make an excellent product, great lenses, advanced technology, blah, blah, blah.

I would get the new Canon Rebel XSi, though I have no reason to suggest against the Nikon.

In terms of "bang for your buck," it's all about the glass. Spend your money on lenses.

I'd look hard at Canon's 17-85 and their 70-200 f/4.0. This is, of course, very general advice and in complete ignorance of your shooting needs, etc. The 17-85 is a great on-the-bike travel lens and may very well be all the lens you need, at least to start. I would advise against buying the camera with a "kit" lens, opting instead to buy the body only and the lens or lenses you specifically want. I'm up to six and I'm convinced that that's too many!

Buy a flash. It's one of the reasons to go to a DSLR.

Spend some time over at dgrin.com. Take some time to peruse their flea market as well as their camera section. Very educational.
 
There's no substitute for going down and just seeing which one fits your hand. I went Nikon for a DSLR, though I have a Canon P&S.

I haven't yet found the limits of this camera and being able to play with aperture and shutter speed to make an image is nice. I came from a 35mm background and always missed being able to make long exposure shots or accent a particular object in a frame with depth of field control.

You might want to check in your area and see if there's a local camera club. When Tina and I got our first SLR, we joined the Greater Lynn Camera Club and took a bunch of their courses. It taught me the fundamentals of photography, which have stuck with me. I don't know if there's an equivalent in your area, but if there is, it's time and money well spent, especially this time of year.
 
I like the image of the Canon sensors, so I went with a Canon Rebel XTi and a second zoom lens. I got away for well under $1K. The other big thing for me was the User Interface and how it fit my hand. I liked the UI on the Canon better than the Nikon. I also liked the fact that it took Compact Flash and batteries that I already have from the PowerShot I had and wore out.

The biggest thing for me though was the way it felt in the hands.
 
This is good stuff, I like the flow chart approach. I have seen that the EOS Digital Rebel XTi is the #1 Canon camera on Flickr; there is something to be said about following the masses in this category. Funny thing is when I look at the pictures taken with it, I realize, I don't see things in real life that clearly!

Good advise about touch and feel, I think I've been in a camera store once, and that was to buy a tripod, I needed to touch and feel that. I'll ask the NH Flickr crowd what camera store they recommend.
 
Gail, I bought a Nikon D40 in June and am very happy. They have replaced it with the D40X which is a 10 mega pixel (The original was 6.something). It is a smaller body then a standard DSLR which I really like for traveling. I'm not a pro by any means but I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on my shots so I'm not too bad. The downside of the D40 is that it has to have the Nikon lenses since they made it small by putting the autofocus motor in the lens rather than the camera body. For me it was worth it to get the small size. You can probably still get a D40 and several nice lenses for under a grand. Good luck.


I'm about ready to pull the trigger on one of these deals........
http://www.ritzcamera.com/static/content/promos/One-Week-Sale-RC.html

comments?
gsjay
 
This is good stuff, I like the flow chart approach. I have seen that the EOS Digital Rebel XTi is the #1 Canon camera on Flickr; there is something to be said about following the masses in this category.

I'm probably a year away from going the digital SLR route, but starting to think seriously about it.

The XSi is a newer version of the XTi. I looked at it a bit tonight and the Canon lenses. I think my first choice would be the 55-250mm Canon EF zoom lens. I used 200mm, 100-200mm, and 100-300mm Canon FD lenses for many years and was quite happy with them. The new 55-250mm Canon EF lens would suit me even better.

I think I just picked out my next setup but need a new washing machine. :bluduh
 
The new Nikon 10 and 12 megapixel cameras have an auto stabilization feature that eliminates the need for a tripod and can use Minolta auto lens.
 
Choosing a DSLR (Long)

Like Kbasa I am a Canon point and shoot and a Nikon DSLR guy. Some of the lowest end DSLR don't work with all the lenses a manufacturer makes. Check about that before purchasing.
In DSLR you've got Nikon people and Canon people. They are both great. Go to the best camera store in your area and handle the cameras. I have one in my area that is full of camera nuts. Find one, they are invaluable. I pay more than I need to many times to help keep them open. Much like bikes, one brand or the other will speak to you. Hold it in your hands, bring it up to your eye, do the controls feel right or awkard? Does one seem intuitive? Do the menus make sense, or do they seem to be in a foreign language?
I do slightly disagree with Tom on one thing. The kit lense is usually very functional and is nearly free with a lot of cameras. Lenses made by Nikon or Canon are very saleable, and if you want to trade up later, you can sell or trade it. I have a 18-70 MM kit lense that is light and my favorite for indoor snapshots. (Even though I have other lenses that would do this OK but cost several times as much)
Do not leave the store without a UV Filter for your lense, and always keep it on. If you like the lense later you can get a circular polarizer for it. UV's are cheap, circular polarizers not so much.
Most consumer cameras have a flash built in. At some point that will become inadequate for your needs and you will want a better one. You want to make sure it is compatible with your camera so it will read TTL (Through the Lense) so it will meter perfectly. The best ones will zoom with your camera automatically. Sorry for so long. You will love it.
 
Take a look at Olympus.

You do need to go look at the different models and handle them, like a bike fit is very important. While you're at it, Gail - take a good look at the Olympus DSLRs. They have features you can't get from either Cannon or Nikon.

Olympus has the smallest DSLR, the E-410 and the only models with in-camera image stabilization, the E-510 and E-3. This is a key feature because all other designs put the image stabilization into the lens which makes for a more complex (read: delicate) and expensive design. With the Oly approach, all your lenses have stabilization. All their models have a better sensor cleaning system (which they originated) than any competitor. Also, only Olympus gives you image preview like a P&S camera (called Live View). The E-330 model has a magnesium frame which is a Pro camera feature but at a consumer price, and you can get an adapter for it specific to use either Nikon or Cannon manual lens, or all the classic Olympus OM-series lenses.

The Olympus current generation lens are all designed specifically for digital use rather than (in some cases) being recycled film camera designs. They are smaller, and incorporate intelligent design to pass image correction information to the camera to be included with the photo meta data.

Given that you are moving up from a P&S camera, the E-410 could be an excellent choice because it has a number of easy to use modes and is designed as an introductory DSLR model for people making just this upgrade.

Anyway, you can see more here: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_digital_slr.asp
 
You do need to go look at the different models and handle them, like a bike fit is very important. While you're at it, Gail - take a good look at the Olympus DSLRs. They have features you can't get from either Cannon or Nikon.

Olympus has the smallest DSLR, the E-410 and the only models with in-camera image stabilization, the E-510 and E-3. This is a key feature because all other designs put the image stabilization into the lens which makes for a more complex (read: delicate) and expensive design. With the Oly approach, all your lenses have stabilization. All their models have a better sensor cleaning system (which they originated) than any competitor. Also, only Olympus gives you image preview like a P&S camera (called Live View). The E-330 model has a magnesium frame which is a Pro camera feature but at a consumer price, and you can get an adapter for it specific to use either Nikon or Cannon manual lens, or all the classic Olympus OM-series lenses.

The Olympus current generation lens are all designed specifically for digital use rather than (in some cases) being recycled film camera designs. They are smaller, and incorporate intelligent design to pass image correction information to the camera to be included with the photo meta data.

Given that you are moving up from a P&S camera, the E-410 could be an excellent choice because it has a number of easy to use modes and is designed as an introductory DSLR model for people making just this upgrade.

Anyway, you can see more here: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_digital_slr.asp

Good points on internal IS, the VR lens for the Nikon are also a good bit heavier, or so with the 70-300 and I would assume that any lens that has the motor and electronics in it would be.

Also for aux lenses look at Sigma and Quantaray they seem to be pretty good quality and can save you a few bux is cost is a consideration. I have the Quantaray 90mm fixed Marco lens and have been very happy with it.

Note too that while zoom lens are nice for the range they provide, a fixed focal length lens generally renders a better image. I found that one zoom lens I was looking at buying, a Nikor no less, had a lot of wobble in the front section. don't know if it was just that one lens or not, but I didn't buy it that’s for sure, since that was the only one they had in stock.

As for kit lenses, I have to say I'm pretty happy with the Nikor 18-50 that came with both my D70 and D80, when I priced the body separately it didn't really save me much, and as someone pointed out you can always sell it later.

Sinse you're getting your first DSLR, I wouldn't go overboard on lenses to start, just in case you decide its not right for you, since they do take up more room and can easily get out of hand when you start adding lenses and such. I'd wait a good 6 months. you really only need to 2 lenses to start anyway if you go with zoom, one in the 18-55-60 or so and another to cover 70-200 or 300. You can always add later if you feel you are really going to get into DSLRs down the road.

RM
 
When you buy a DSLR you are really investing in a lens system. If you become an avid photographer, there is a good chance that you will replace the camera body in a few years as technology becomes better and cheaper (similar to PCs). But you will still have your lenses, and you may end up investing a lot in good glass. Canon and Nikon are really the top two choices. They offer an extensive array of lenses, and several other companies also make lenses to fit these cameras. I originally bought a used Canon Rebel/300D, and I recently received a new Canon 40D as a gift. Don't overlook the possibilty of getting something used. At this point, I have invested thousands in Canon lenses, so I will be sticking with them.

For Canon, you can generally safely purchase stuff here
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=14

and here
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/board/10

Don't be fooled by the megapixel ad claims. More pixels does not necessarily give you a better picture. A DSLR will give you better pictures in low light and other difficult situations.

Finally, if you buy new, be very careful of where you buy from. There are a lot of dishonest dealers on eBay and in NYC. Some reputable places include B&H and Adorama. They have very competitive prices and good service.

Enjoy.
 
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