[mashimarojkt]

howdy folks, lately ive been really interested in landscape photography. i used my old sony 3 mp cybershot camera and the quality is no way near the pro, look very amatuarish. so here i am posting a topic on which digital slr cameras should i get for a beginer? im not trying to be a pro, just doing it as a hobby. i want something that is good for its money, cuz they all tend to be quite expensive. so please do make some recommendations. thanks

[Angie]

Ooh, I'd like to know as well please n_n

[CatGoesMeow]

I Dont know alot about SLR's but I sell alot of Nikon D70's must be a good camera? =P

[watcher]

i have a few friends who own the canon rebel xt, and they were satisfied with it. however, many of them tell me the d50 is better and you get more bang for your buck. the d50 will cost you 600+ easy... (and it's considered an affordable slr)

how much are you willing to spend?

[mashimarojkt]

haha im just a newbie in this hobby, uhhh i say 500 or less is my budget... considering im a poor college student.... >_<

btw angie, i love your icon, myung hoon rocks!! hes one funny guy

[hyperballad]

i really doubt that 500 would cover an SLR :/

[watcher]

haha im just a newbie in this hobby, uhhh i say 500 or less is my budget... considering im a poor college student.... >_<

btw angie, i love your icon, myung hoon rocks!! hes one funny guy

under 500??
you can try looking for some deals with pentax digital slr's, or buy a used d50 or rebel xt.
im not familiar with buying used cameras...so...you'll have to research that on your own.

honestly though, if you want to get yourself an affordable and decent digital slr, expect to use around 700~1000 to get started.

i thought of getting one myself...but i decided to wait until i get my bonus at work so i can splurge a little bit and set myself up with something decent later.

[Angie]

Thanks n_n Yeah, MyungHoon is hilarious :]

I've been looking at the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D70s, but I can't decide which I would like better. At first I wanted to just get a regular point-and-shoot dica, but I already have my Nikon Coolpix 3.2 mp camera, and I like it. I also want to try to get more into the hobby of photography so I want a SLR that's easy to transition to from a regular digital camera D:

I still gotta save more thoughh.
I need a job ;o;

[watcher]

Thanks n_n Yeah, MyungHoon is hilarious :]

I've been looking at the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D70s, but I can't decide which I would like better. At first I wanted to just get a regular point-and-shoot dica, but I already have my Nikon Coolpix 3.2 mp camera, and I like it. I also want to try to get more into the hobby of photography so I want a SLR that's easy to transition to from a regular digital camera D:

I still gotta save more thoughh.
I need a job ;o;

i have several friends who own a rebel xt, and they all say the d70s performs better overall, and is worth the extra ~$100+. however, depending on your needs, it can be ~$100+ of quality you dont really need. the rebel xt should more than suffice for most people not in the professional field. plus, it's smaller and easier to carry around.

you cant go wrong with either one though.
if you're picky about getting better quality, go nikon.
if you dont mind the minor difference and would rather save a few bucks, go canon.

btw...i also have a 3.2 coolpix. it still rocks!

[Angie]

I knoww! The Coolpix rules n_n Although it's only 3.2 mp, my friends think I have a suuuppeerrr good camera or something LOL or maybe tehy just haven't seen good pictures. It really depends on the person taking the photos though.

Since I'm just a beginner and it's just a hobby, I might just go for the Rebel XT because I hear it's still greaatt qualityy n_n *searches froogle*

[danjchoi]

I wrote this in a post a while back, sorry if its loooonnnng

Keep in mind, that if you go DSLR, you're not just buying a camera, but you're also buying into a system. Let me explain.

In the world of DSLR, there's two main components that concern you:

1. The body--or simply, the camera itself.

2. The lens, which, remember, there are a variety to choose from. However, you can't use a Nikon lens on a Canon (with the exception of adaptors) and vice versa for the most part. Some companies do let you use other company's lenses, such as Sony---Konica (because the two companies merged) and Fuji's S-series (accepts Nikon F-mount lenses)

While purchasing a body (or a kit, which is a camera that comes with a lens), you may think that you're plugging a lot of money into the camera, but actually, in the long run, you'll be spending more money on glass (slang for lenses). This is why you should carefully consider which brand you go with (most likely Canon vs. Nikon), as once you buy one camera+lens, it'll be "cheaper" to stick with that brand as you purchase other accesories/lenses/bodies. This of course, only applies if you want to specialize--if you just want to stick with one lens (and save money), there are a few "walkaround" lenses (all-purpose lenses that you just walk with) available. In summary, body's may come and go (Canon and Nikon tend to update every 12-18 months, or when a convention like Photokina comes around every 2 years), but lenses are what you truly keep for future camera bodies.

Of course, the importance of body can't be ignored. This is where your personal opinion comes strongly in. This is also where it is crucial for you to go into a camera store (one that specifically sells cameras, not just another Circuit City), and test out the model itself, and ask any questions you have. Take a feel for yourself which camera body is most comfortable for you. Would you be okay holding this for prolonged periods of time? Check out the button layout. Is it concise and easy to access? These factors are some basic factors, but important nonetheless.

Off tangent: In this scenario, IMO Nikon wins against Canon by a landslide. Nikon cameras are shaped more like their F film cameras, and feel wonderful, especially that D200; I'm sure Tepper knows, right? wink.gif But once again this is subjective; I know people that love Canon's ergonomics (it's said that many more females like the Canon feel, but I don't know about that one)

Other factors you should consider:

Accessories=more $ you will have to spend:
1. Flash. Crucial: 200-400$ for a nice one
2. Memory (most likely CompactFlash cards). Neccesity: 60-200$
3. Tripod (or monopod, which is a "tripod with one leg"): 50-200$
4. Cases to make sure your baby is safe smile.gif: 30-infinity$

Rental Factor: If you have to borrow a lens from someone, make sure they have the same brand as you.

Resale Value: If you want to resell your camera, Nikons usually get back more $ (caveat emptor).

Upgrade Value: Which brand will come out quicker with the next lens/body? Canons usually do. An analogy: Canons=PC, Nikons=Mac

Durability/Customer Service: Sometimes ambiguous. I've heard horror stories from both. I tend to hear more QC (quality control) issues from Canon, but then again, they have a way bigger market share in DSLR

Price: The big one. When shopping, however:

MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SOURCE IS RELIABLE!

Countless number of people have been scammed by companies like "Broadway Photo," aka Brooklyn Thugs. If you are buying online, research the shop on sites such as: resellerratings.com

You can see some of the shady camera stores in Brooklyn at: http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/

That being said, let me give you some subjective suggestions as to what to buy concerning budget:

$500-1000: Nikon d50 or d70/d70s. Definitely. Canon Dreb (Digital Rebel) doesn't compare IMO. If you want excellent jpgs straight out of the camera, d50 can't be beaten. <------------if you can wait, you may want to wait until the brand spankin-new d80 is on the market and reviewed, or until Canon's offerings at Photokina are announced.

$1000-2000: Canon 20d/30d. D200, fantastic camera it is, is out of your league if you want a decent lens to go with it (body alone is $1699 for D200). <---------Price may have dropped/be dropping now that d80 is announced.

$2000-3000 (and above): If you can push some more $, go with the Canon 5D. It's very comparable to the pro EOS-1D series, and for a budget FF (full-frame) body, its pretty nice. If you're strickly in this range, stay with Nikon's D200 and get some glass such as 18-200VR. Very nice.

Well, that's about it. Whew, I wrote too much; hope it helps people!

[mashimarojkt]

WOW that is alot of information to keep in mind! thanks danjchoi, you sure filled up almost all the questions i had in mind. now i have 1 more question: whats the difference btw dslr cameras and slr-like cameras? other than the HUGE price difference i noitice. it look very similiar to me. i've been searching around the net and read off magazines today, the d50 is really impressive compared to some more expensive cameras.

[Tepper]

Mmmm Nikon D80 is coming. D70s:D100 as D80:D200

[erure]

i am also in the same boat as well and have been considering either d50 or rebel xt... this is a stupid question but does d50 run on lithium ion battery or two AA batteries? >_<;;

[danjchoi]

whats the difference btw dslr cameras and slr-like cameras? other than the HUGE price difference

Slr's are different in that they use a mirror (usually a pentagonal one called a 'pentaprism') to project the image into the viewfinder. This way, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) better than non-dslr's. In other words, what you see through the dslr in the viewfinder (the peephole you look through to take pictures) is much more accurately depicting the picture you want. In P&S, you get more 'distortion of reality' because they (usually) don't use such a system.


Remember, with DSLR, you don't have the convenience of a live lcd (i.e. you cant preview and frame the picture throught the lcd screen)! This means that for every shot, you'll have look through the viewfinder. This may change in the future, but probably not anytime soon.


In addition, versatility. Although these slr-like cameras may seem like dslr's (especially the body), another one major difference is that you're stuck with the lens, which is permanently attached the body. (I know, I know, slr doesn't necessarily mean removable lens) Sure, there are attachable "zoom lenses" and "wide angle lenses" you can put to the end of the lens, but they're usually 3rd party and arent great either in build or optical quality. With a 'real' slr, you have the opportunity to change your lenses as you see fit. For instance, say that you want to take a picture of an eagle sitting on a cactus about 80-100 yards away. With the attached lens of a non-slr or slr-like camera (which will most likely be a 17-50mm lens, more on that later), you won't be able to get a shot close enough. By attaching a telephoto lens, you would be able to. Likewise, if you wanted to do macro photography (really really close-up), doing it with the wrong lens would be much harder.


Other than that, there are a few other features that true dslr usually have that others don't (like spot metering, bracketing, MLU, flash synch), but if you're just beginning, these usually aren't the biggest of your concerns.

does d50 run on lithium ion battery or two AA batteries?

It runs on a proprietary (specific and special) kind of battery (kind of like the batteries for camcorders)
However, if you do get a battery grip:




you can put two of these special batteries in, or you can stick in the adaptor (comes with purchase of grip) that lets you put in 6 AA's instead.

[Po1aris]

the canon digital rebel xt is a good dslr to start out with. the model just had a 100$ price cut.

[hayabusa01]

Remember, with DSLR, you don't have the convenience of a live lcd (i.e. you cant preview and frame the picture throught the lcd screen)! This means that for every shot, you'll have look through the viewfinder. This may change in the future, but probably not anytime soon.

Wrong. The photography magazines I've been looking at all feature D-SLR's that have live-LCD previewing with the LCD screen, as does my own D-SLR camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 with a Leica lens, a great camera but there are better choices out there). They're excellent too because they don't have the lack of perception as point and shoot camera's.

[danjchoi]

Wrong. The photography magazines I've been looking at all feature D-SLR's that have live-LCD previewing with the LCD screen, as does my own D-SLR camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 with a Leica lens, a great camera but there are better choices out there). They're excellent too because they don't have the lack of perception as point and shoot camera's.

Doh! and Touche . I didn't mention Olympus'/Panny "Live view" feature. Pretty much what that means is that the mirror locks up (remember, the mirror is what reflects the light from the lens glass onto the OViewfinder), shutter is opened, and the 'live image' from the sensor is plugged straight into the lcd. Actually, believe it or not, Canon has a minor form of this live view, in its 20da. However, it's a tweaked camera meant for astronomy. I think those are the only (consumer) camera's out there with the features. (Lumix L1 comes out on the 31st)

That being said, the feature is as of now poorly implemented, and not worth the hassle. I think i read someone write that it's more like a solution looking for a problem. For instance, the only way to get the preview is to lock up the mirror, which renders the viewfinder pretty much useless. I won't even mention the noise, poor DOF, and lack of metering (in a or b mode respectively)

Oh, btw. Your Lumix isn't a slr. It uses an EVF (electric viewfinder). It doesnt use a mirror (doesn't have one, actually), and the image on the lcd preview is actually straight from the sensor. If it was truely slr, then movie mode wouldn't be possible. It's not slr.

[hayabusa01]

After doing some further research on my Lumix, no wonder it's listed with D-SLR models.... it's because it has performance equal to that of D-SLR's. (hey hey, we got each other... haha)

The EVF does piss me off, but it saves a lot of battery life. Movie modes are so ghetto on digital cameras... and it's hardly worth including in my opinion.

[linker]

slrs and dslrs are for professionals and hobbyists. you might want to consider a prosumer "point and shoot" type of camera. the image quality is very good these days, and itll offer better value than an slr. of course, whatever you get, research well, find professional reviews, and dont be fooled by manufacturer specfications.