Digital SLR help

GWC Community GWC Hive Mind
#1

This has been baking my noodle for while. Obviously the two big players are Nikon and Cannon. and yea! for me i’ve managed (did some things i’m not proud of :rolleyes: ) a good discount on some Nikon models. I’m not really into photography but i wouldn’t mind a good mid range camera so if i really take off into photography as an all out hobby. I don’t have to buy a new camera in a few months down the road. and of course i don’t want to pay a lot. I’ve been looking at the D40 and D60 as a start and they all seem to get good reviews. The nice young lady at the camera shop told me that even though the D40 only has 6 mega pixels; its still a great camera cause you only really need more when blowing up pictures bigger than 8x10 and i don’t see myself doing that.

but the Cannon’s seems to get slightly better reviews on there cameras, but on lenses Nikon seems to have an edge. and than there ISO which is supposed to be important and I don’t know what the heck it is. She mentioned noise and that didn’t seem to make sense. Than my head turns around a few times. and I felt sleepy. So I came home.

So maybe you all can help what SLR camera would you suggest any brand just on the modest side of the price range

#2

A good site to look at in depth reviews is http://www.dpreview.com/

The D40 has been around a while–is this being sold as new? I have no experience with the Nikon DSLR but hear good things. The lens selection is not as diverse–both in range and price as Canons.

I use a Canon DSLR. I started with a Rebel and now use a Rebel XTi. It has been replaced and can be picked up quite cheaply. The Canon XS and XSi are the newer models and have been reviewed satisfactorily.

Be forewarned that there is a steep learning curve for a DSLR. When I first got mine I was disappointed in the result. Most point and shoots highly saturate and sharpen in camera giving eye pleasing results. Be prepared to do some post process and trial and error with a DSLR. The beauty is that it cost nothing to shoot more. If you are a hobbiest without significant digital experience you might well be served with a higher end point and shoot such as a Canon G10 or Panasonic LX3. I am looking at these two because I want an “always” camera with me. Panasonic also has a new DSLR out called the G1. It seems to create a new paradigm for DSLRs.

Hope this is a good start.

PS megapixels are overrated. More pixels is not always better. Anything over 5 is going to be fine for 11 X 14. Don’t let high MP count be the deciding factor.

#3

I have a Nikon D80 and it has been quite good and had a LOT of use. I got it because I had lenses from my nikon film cameras. This is an inbetween model, you can use it very automatically or not. I have had enlargements up to 20x30 with excellent results. Probably either nikon or canon would be fine if you are a novice. My suggestion is to get the name brand lenses though. ISO is equivelent to film speed. So the darker it is the higher the number you would need to get the correct exposure. Brighter, lower speed is ok. If you want action, you may need to set the iso higher to capture action without blur (faster shutter speed). The trade off is that the higher the iso, the more “noise” you have-the gradation of tones in the picture is less smooth and you can see dots. Like film grain if you are familiar with that.

I don’t know if there is necessarily a steep learning curve with a dslr. If you buy it from an actual human at a store and not online then they can explain some of it and set some of the settings so you can at least go and shoot. It is easier than learning on a film slr because you get instant results and can adjust accordingly.

Also, it may help to make up your mind by going and playing with the cameras. Some feel better than others in your hand.

Oni
(horse photographer)

#4

We ended up getting my wife a Nikon D80. The clincher? She liked the way it felt.
That may sound like a weak argument, but if you’re serious about photography, I would recommend you go to a store where you can handle cameras, and try them out. You can make your decision based on features and reports, but if you don’t like the way it handles, you won’t want to take pictures to begin with. It won’t matter what amazing thing the camera can do.

So that’s my recommendation. To up the value there, you might find a handful of cameras that meet your criterium and go check them out after that. Once you find the camera you like, find it for a good price.

Note: I’m not the photographer in the family, these notes are based on my experience shopping with my wife for a camera. I’m tech support.

#5

Not a weak argument at all. How it feels is of great importance. If you can feel comfortable and manipulate the controls without distracting from your composition, so much the better.

Now go shoot shoot shoot