Digital SLR's

[sammm]

I know some of y'all have one. Which one do you have and/or which one do you want?

[cwisenheimer]

This is a little like asking about turbos/supers. The first question for you is: how do you plan to use it? Family photos, sports, vacation, portraits, etc.?

My daughter has a Canon EOS. The camera itself is nice, not super capable but cheap (relatively speaking). The real key is to get good lenses. Any pro spends their money on quality glass, not megapixels. The nice thing about Canon is they have a 50mm 1.8 lens for $100. For almost all cases, you would find yourself leaving that lens on, unless you need a really long zoom for something. It's good in low light (and the on-camera flash on most cameras is usually useless except for close photos), good for stopping action in medium-to-good light, and excellent for portraits. For an all-around camera at a low cost, it's pretty hard to beat. Craigslist or ebay is where I'd start too. JMHO

[cone-cerned]

I like Canon. I have a 10D and a 30D.

You can do great work with any one of the DSLR's. In that respect, photography is like autocross, the operator makes the most difference. I have a friend from high school that is an avid photography. He enters a lot of photography contest, he has won a lot of awards and has many photographs selected for display in galleries. He uses a Canon EOS Digital Rebel, I think it's older 300D.

edit: cwisenheimer is correct about the lens.

[sammm]

Thanks guys....I'm obviously no professional. Just looking for a 1-size-fits-all type camera. I used to like to play with photography back in the 35mm days.

[Squid]

I also use a 300D Canon -- cwisenheimer is spot-on -- "Glass" makes all the difference. I found that out between a Tameron and Canon lenses, the Canon makes a world of difference in a side by side shooting test.

Feature wise, the camera is comparable to my A-1, and takes great photos, when the operator cooperates.

My "daily" lens is a Canon EF-S 17-85mm, eventually I want to get one which is a bit wider and longer ... 18-200 or thereabouts.
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consum...f_4_5_6_is_usm

[Majik]

1 for the Nikon crowd here. They also have some nice glass at a reasonable price. I have a 50mm 1.8 that was right around $100 and any of the third party lens companies make glass for all the major models. I think that every company has something similar in each price point. What I like to recommend is to go to the store and hold the models you are interested in. The way the camera feels in your hand can make or break it in an all else is equal situation.

[tailchaser]

Whichever you buy, get a fast 50mm and a fast 28mm lens and you'll be happy. Zoom lenses are cute, but unless you're willing to shell out $1k plus, they'll frustrate you and produce mediocre images. If you've got a few grand worth of canon or nikon lenses, the choice is easy. Otherwise, you honestly can't go wrong with either. Nikon has better flash systems at the moment, but I'm about ready to add a Canon 5D Mk whatever to my toolkit. My 20D is still working strong after years of use, abuse, drops, spills and occasional cleaning.

[onething]

Ford & Chevy. Nikon and Cannon are pretty equal. I had both back in the day, but since I started with Nikon, I always went back to it because the controls were more familiar. Of course, back in the day we had to load film and manually focus the camera. Current pro's like lost216 think that is like charcoal on the cave wall.

[CosmosMpower]

Go to the store, play with a basic Nikon and Canon to determine which user menus/interface you like better. From there you can look at the models in the line based on budget, needs. You basically have "consumer" level stuff which is generally smaller, lighter, compact but with less features, "prosumer" which are larger more robust bodies that have more pro features and "pro" level stuff with larger bodies, full frame sensors, weatherproofing, more frames per second etc.

Just keep in mind the lenses are a large part of the determing factor to the image quality and you'll probably end up spending as much or 2-3X more on good lenses than cameras if this becomes a serious hobby. Primes will get you some of the best image quality at lower cost at the expensive of flexibility. If you're traveling I'd get a nice fast zoom but if you're shooting portraits or landscapes just get a few primes. In general most of the "kit" lenses that come with the cheaper bodies are crap. Also lenses generally lose value WAY slower than camera bodies so that's a plus.

I haven't shot in a while but I think I'm going to buy a 5dMk2 or a 7D if I start again. I still have my 50 and 85 F1.8, 18-50 F2.8 and 24-105F4L.

[patf]

Sam

i migrated from an old Olympus 2n i bought with lawn mowing money in the early 80's to a nikon D-70 in 2000ish. As Cosmos states go play with them to see who's menu you like better. Each has its nuances, but it comes comfort in handling and menu operation. I still do shoot in manual sometimes and getting there can be a challenge with some.

A few more thoughts:
I don't use a 50mm anymore, i got a small decent zoom that is my everyday lens (18-200) , i have a high dollar VR big zoom i use for photography of airplanes (80-400)
Do not get a body that uses CF memory. the boards wear more than SD bodies and you will have issues in the long run
Most are using the same CMOS sensor between several bodies in their lineup, the options defining the price point

That being said i am ready to pull the trigger on the D7000 as soon as fiscally possible for my upgrade.

dpreview dot com can add to your confusion/decision..

Edit: if shopping online probably want to make sure you get a US kit, gray market is cheaper but has no warranty here.

[CosmosMpower]

With all this 50mm 1.8 talk going on keep in mind most cameras are 1.6 or 1.3x crop factor so your 50mm on a dslr is really about a 80mm so if you want a true 50mm you need something like a 28 or 35mm.

[POS Racing]

I used to like to play with photography back in the 35mm days.

[cone-cerned]

[OZMDD]

I'm a Nikon guy, though the Canon's are excellent cameras. I have an older D50 I used for 10 years and its still going strong, but I decided to upgrade when the kiddo came along so I could have video capability on my DSLR. After looking at all the choices, I actually bought the D3100 package from Costco. It does everything I need, shoots HD video, and works with all my old lenses (mostly, I have a couple of non-motorized lenses that I have to manually focus) and there wasn't really anything the more expensive models offered that I needed. It really is a fantastic camera, and the 2-lens package deal was under $700!! Even though I could've bought one of the higher-end models, I am really pleased with the D3100. There is a premium 35mm 1.8 Nikon lens for under $200 that is excellent.

[2K Miata]

The best camera you can buy is the one you will actually bring along with you. Annie Leibovitz, the famous portrait photographer, said that the iPhone is the best camera now-a-days. Maybe not the best picture in quality, but it is the camera you have with you so you can take a picture.

There is lots of mention about DSLR, multiple lens kits and fixed focal length lenses in the posts above, but I've found that most of these things usually stay in the closet.

I've been using SLRs and DSLRs for more than forty years now. I've studied photography for 3 years in college. I've worked with commercial photographers and taken pictures for work as a graphic designer for the past 32 years. I have bought several thousands of dollars of camera gear over the years. I've aquired several pro quality lenses and 2 camera bodies and most of the time the gear sits in the closet because I don't really like dragging photo equipment around.

Recently I bought a crop sensor camera. These are cameras that have a smaller sensor than the DSLR APS C sensor and the bodies and lens are a fraction the size of DSLRS. And since the sensor technology has improved exponentially over the past couple years, this new generation of crop sensor cameras are matching the quality of some of lower level DSLRs. The quality of 4/3 sensor images are really impressive and will fulfill most needs of amateur photographers today.

But you've really got to decide what you want from a camera. Do you print out images at 4x5, or 16x20? Will you just view them on screen? Do you really want to be switching out lenses and zooming with your feet? Do you want to haul around a big heavy bag of gear or carry something that will fit in a small sling bag?

If you want to take really nice family and travel pictures and view your images on a 24" computer screen, or ipad, or online, or print out smaller than 16x20. I would recommend one of the 4/3 cameras from Sony, Nikon, Panasonic or LUMIX. The sensor on these cameras is more than enough for 99% of consumer image requirements. They have all the features so you can "get into" taking pictures, but the program and green modes will work 90% of the time and produce stunning pics. They have interchangeable lenses also if you want to get into photography deeper.

If you decide to forgo the crop sensor cameras then buy the best fast zoom lens you can afford with the body you choose. There are lots of sites out there with measure-baters so you can get lost in all the nonsense they spew. But some research at places like dpreview will give you some clues to what is a good camera for your needs.

Good luck with your search and keep an open mind out for DSLR alternatives.

All I know is the crop sensor camera I have gets used a lot more than my big old bag of several fixed focal length lenses and two fast zooms a 300mm tele and two DSLR bodies. On a recent trip to Jamaica I brought the crop sensor and the DSLR. I took a lot of pictures with both setups and you can't tell which camera took what photo. Printing them out at 5x7 and they are both wonderful. Next year the DSLR stays home.

[sammm]

^Interesting, thanks. I hadn't heard of 4/3 cameras before. I do enjoy throwing our P&S digital in a coat pocket or backpack. And you're spot on on what it would be used for 99% of the time - travel and family pics. But I'd like to play around a bit more with settings and such once in awhile.

Off to research!

[onething]

Post what you decide. I never heard of the 4/3 stuff and I'm lazy.

[OZMDD]

Yep, the 4/3 cameras are outstanding. In many ways, they act like a point and shoot, just MUCH better quality. I'd have gone with the new Nikon if I didn't already own lenses and flashes for the DSLR body. A friend in Houston is a pro photographer and he raves about his. Costco had them too, around the same $600-$700 price point with some accessories.

[Miatamoto]

Sammm, check on Craigslist for some great used deals on cameras and lenses.

I picked up a Nikon D5000 for $200 last year (with one kit lens). I picked up a 35mm f1.8 for $180 also. I mainly shoot with the 35mm prime.

I used to have an Olympus E600 with a 4/3s sensor. They're full body DSLRs but smaller. Great for travel but felt like a full size camera in your hands.

Both have there strong points but Nikons and Canons seem to be the best for finding good inexpensive lenses.

[wrx74]

http://olympusomd.com/en-US/