Camera_Gear: DSLRs

This is a thread where I'd to hear about your DSLR camera. Treat this as if you were doing a one or two paragraph review of your DSLR, what you like and what you don't. Don't worry about it being professional, I want to hear what YOU the photographer think. Would you buy another one, if not what would you buy, and why.

RM

Very timely. I am considering a low-end DSLR to carry with me on the bike for some of the more valuable photo-ops I may come upon. I will still carry my Canon A85 to have handy in my jacket. I am bouncing back and forth between the Canon EOS xti (400D) and the Olympus Evolt 410. Anyone already have experience with either or both of these?

I'd get one of these.. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos40d/

I DID get one of those, a Canon 40D. Great camera.

I was a Nikon user, tried and true, for many years in the days of 35mm film. When I returned to school, and poverty, I was cameraless for a number of years. When my wife and I decided to tour Australia one year, I decided it was time for a DSLR. Rather capriciously, I decided to go with Canon, a Rebel XT (350D). Recently, I sold that camera and purchase a Canon 40D. I have collected the following lenses to use with it:

• EF-S 10-22
• EF-S 17-85 IS
• EF 70-200 2.8 IS
• 50mm 1.4
• 85mm 1.8
• 100mm 2.8 Macro

The 40D is a beautifully designed camera. Larger than the Rebel, it fits will in my large-ish hands. The camera is a 10 megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor using Canon's Digic III processor, the same used in Canon's pro SLR's. The camera also has interchangeable focusing screens and shoots at 6.5 fps It has lightning fast focus and performs well at higher ISOs, though it is not the market leader in this category. It has a wealth of custom functions and an excellent, intuitive user interface. One of its noteworthy features is the self-cleaning sensor which helps to keep dust at a minimum. It has a larger, brighter viewfinder than previous models and FULL information in the viewfinder (like ISO). Another new feature of this camera is its live-view function, the ability to see through the lens with the LCD monitor. This is unusual as DSLRs go. It even has a 5X and 10X magnifier to aid in precise manual focusing.

There's tons more to say about this camera, but link Burnzilla posted above says it all far better than I could. If you're in the market for a DSLR, at the prosumer level, this is a good choice.

DSLR Nikon

I used Nikon 35mm and could not get used to the "feel" of a Canon. I had a D70 and recently went with a D80. 10Megapixel and a lot of good consumer features. I believe you should look at the lenses first and then decide the camera. Once you start non a Nikon or whatever, you are going to collect those lenses and not want to change. For some reason I have always felt more comfortable with Nikon, and honestly I don't know why?
On the other hand I am a dedicated Canon Point and shoot user.
Go figure.

MLS2GO said:

I believe you should look at the lenses first and then decide the camera. Once you start non a Nikon or whatever, you are going to collect those lenses and not want to change.

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This is sage advice.

MLS2GO said:

For some reason I have always felt more comfortable with Nikon, and honestly I don't know why?

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I'm going to go out on a limb and say you feel that way because Nikon has, for so many years, consistently made such superior quality equipment, up to and including their current offerings. It's really hard to argue with their level of intelligent design and consistent success.

Every major brand has their fans. You'll hear Pentax and Olympus users wax eloquent about their stuff, too. Most everything coming out of Japan in terms of photographic equipment is so good now, it's uncommon to find a real dog.

I have a Rebel XTi, aka a 400D. I have it about 1.5 years, after the XT. It is smaller than the 40D, and the major shooting difference is how fast the 40D and the 400D shoots in succesion, as both do, but the 40D recovers and shoots additional photos faster.

I have lenses as follows:

A Canon 28mm-135mm IS lens for everyday shooting.
A Canon 10mm-22mm wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide angle lens for those group and landscape shots
A Canon 100mm-400mm IS L lens for deep stable telephoto images
A Sigma 105mm macro for shooting small things BIG

It is a blast, easy and as hard to use as you want to delve in, and takes beautiful jpg and RAW images. It comes with RAW software, DPP and ZB, but I also use Lightroom and PS CS3. Vista has the codecs for it.

But the lenses are the best part of the experience, so make sure you know what you want. If I upgrade the camera to a 40D, I can use all of my lenses, too. I am no rush to replace this camera, though.

I concur in the endorsements of the Canon EOS 40D. I recently replaced my trusty 30D with one, primarily to take advantage of the 40D's larger LCD screen with Live View Mode (handly for studio shots).

The Canon DSLRs have successfully converted me from a dyed-in-the-wool film fan to digital (though I still hang on to my Rollei SL66 medium format and Gowland 4x5 view cameras). I'd been using Olympus and Canon point-and-shoot digitals for a few years, but wasn't impressed by the results. The DSLRs, however, are light years better, so to speak

The digital camera I really lust after is the Leica M8 (I'm an old Leicaphile), but its purchase price of over $5,000 can buy a whole mess of AC Schnitzer goodies for my K1200R Sport or a very nice Edelweiss tour. I suspect, however, that the images from the dreamed-of Leica wouldn't be noticeably better than the ones I'm enjoying from my Canon.

I have been using Nikons since my first, in the early 1970s, when I could finally afford one, an FTN:

<img border=1 width=400 src=http://www.switkin.com/photography/equipment/nikonftn/nikonftn.jpg>

But my first one was black.

Then I went through several Nikon SLRs, from the F2 Photomic on up to the F5.

So, with a bunch of Nikkor lenses in tow, when it came time to go digital I stayed in the Nikon family. Started with a D1X, then a D70, then a D200, and lastly the D300:

<img border=1 src=http://photo.net/equipment/nikon/D300/nikon_d300_front.jpg>

This camera has a 400+ page owner's manual. It can do far more than I could possibly ever achieve. It is a fabulous camera. Would I get another one if this one was, say, stolen? In a heartbeat.

I have a Canon S70 P&S, which is fine for carrying in my tank bag and does a pretty good job, but not up to the caliber of a DSLR.

There are Nikon people and there are Canon people. Perhaps it's a little like pickup trucks -- either your Ford or Chevrolet, and never the twain shall meet. (I have a Ford F250 diesel to carry my Nikons )

bmwdean said:

I have been using Nikons since my first, in the early 1970s, when I could finally afford one, an FTN:...There are Nikon people and there are Canon people. Perhaps it's a little like pickup trucks -- either your Ford or Chevrolet, and never the twain shall meet. (I have a Ford F250 diesel to carry my Nikons )

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Jeff, thanks for the shot of the FTN. That was my first Nikon, too. But then I switched to the Canon F1, which I felt was a much better body. After years of Canon, they switched to autofocus and I was left with a bunch of FD lenses that would not work on the new bodies. After a brief stay with Minolta (they used to have the best AF of anybody) I went back to Nikon. I'd hate to name all the Nikon glass I have, but I don't even think about changing! I've also come to love the wireless flash capabilities with the D200 and a couple of SB800 flash units! So much nicer than all those cords and connectors I used to have to use.

Done it Again - Sort of...

In 77 when I got back into motorcycling, I sold off a big bag of Pentax bodies and lenses. They took up too much space. I bought a nice little P&S. It took the pictures I needed. In 2006 I bought a Nikon D50 plus accessories. It does a wonderful job of taking pictures of my grandchildren and birds. On bike trips - I take my old Nikon Coolpix 995. I bought it used and cheap on eBay. It seems rugged and packs small. After using the D50 the 995 seems like a POS - but I'm rugged too.

37071 said:

On bike trips - I take my old Nikon Coolpix 995.

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The Nikon Coolpix 995 is something of a phenom in the compact camera market. Its still prized by ebayers as a great all-in-one camera that takes especially good close-up images. It's swiveling screen is something designers have moved away from and I, for one, miss. I had one and a 950 before it. GREAT camera.

Nikon makes a wide angle lens for this camera. IMHO, the camera is incomplete without it. You might look into one.



It's a WC-E63. Some mamby-pambies claim it's too big, but they just intimidated. This camera/lens was SUCH a nice combination; I really miss mine. . . .

If you'll allow me a walk down memory lane, here are a few of my favorite 995/wide angle shots:

bmwdean said:

There are Nikon people and there are Canon people. Perhaps it's a little like pickup trucks -- either your Ford or Chevrolet, and never the twain shall meet. (I have a Ford F250 diesel to carry my Nikons )

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i had a ford truck and it was the world's biggest POS ever. my camper is based on an F450... ditto. that said, i see plenty of old fords on the road, so no doubt it is just my dumb luck.

and... i have had nikon since the days of F2AS, and bought the first automatic (shutter speed) FE. i sold the F2AS (big mistake) and kept the FE).

i have some nice nikkor lenses, and i have been holding out, waiting for the day when nikon came out with a full-size image sensor that i could afford.

still waiting...........

so now, i have a dilemma, and i wonder if the assembled experts can help me.

i am looking at two options:

1) Canon EOS XSi (aka 450D)... just announced and available soon.... where i would have to buy new lenses.

2) Nikon D300... where i could use my lenses, even though they don't have autofocus. Cost is higher than the Canon, but I would not have to buy lenses (I think)

both have smaller-than-full-size chips. other than the cutoff (i like wide angle photos) how important of a shortcoming is this? i remember reading/hearing somewhere that the lenses for digital cameras are different than the film cameras... is this true?

both have 3" displays and live view function (important feature to me)

The Canon uses CD cards, the Nikon CF... and i lean toward the SD.

and when did lenses get so *freakin expensive???* (my old nikkor AI lenses are going for, like, $35 on eBay... )

which way should i go?

ian

(ps=> sorry to be a little OT here, but i didn't think this merited its own thread, and this thread looked to be the best place to ask.)

Visian said:

i had a ford truck and it was the world's biggest POS ever. my camper is based on an F450... ditto.

ian

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Very sorry to read that.

So ... are you going to move over to a Chevy, Dodge, or Tundra (no diesel available in the latter)?

P. S. My F250 has been a reliable workhorse. Just change the oil. I would get another.

I was a little disappointed in that some of my lens for the FTN did not fit the D70 or D80, the interface ring just would not quite mate up and latch. The one that did only had a mechanical linkage for the F-stop so the digital could not get a reading from the lens. With the lens for the newer film cameras that probably that may not be a problem. I know that had I known that before getting the D70 I might have gone with something else in a DSLR but when they came out with a $300 dollar off deal for a while even though I wasn't quite ready to buy well....how could I resist!

RM

DSLR's

I've had Nikons for decades: FE, 601 M, 601, Koolpix something, and currently a D 40.

I've always really liked them, and really like the new D 40. It's nice and light, and has more features than I'll ever use. Like Kbasa, I keep it in a saddle bag (in a Lowe case) and the point and shoot goes in the tank bag.


Rinty

I got a Pentax K10D last year. I have used Pentax 35mm SLRs for years and they are tough. I love this camera, I have the Pentax 16-45 for my main lens and a 50-200 for a zoom. I got the Pentax AF 550 flash for christmas. It takes great photos, it is large and takes up a bit of bike space, but what you can do with it. I will send a few other photos.

Pentax K10D. A night shot with no flash;

Pentax K10D Close up;

bmwdean said:

P. S. My F250 has been a reliable workhorse. Just change the oil. I would get another.

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i'd rather hear about your camera!

(and pardon my n00bishness if i have started a religious war...)

ian