Thread: DSLR

Who owns one and what kind?

The family needs a solid long term camera that will last this decade.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16830113222

Pricey but excellent for long term.

Let me share my DSLR buying experience.

Late last summer, I finally made the jump and bought my first DSLR. I had been contemplating the purchase for about 2 years and had been reading reviews all over the internet. I finally decided on the Nikon D5000, and bought it at the local Best Buy during a sale. That night, while researching the Nikon software to be sure it would function properly on a 64 bit OS, I discovered that there was a recall on my camera. And not just mine; virtually every D5000 being sold in America was affected. Seems there was a faulty circuit board or something similar that would, randomly, prevent the camera from turning on. Nikon's solution? Sell the unsuspecting consumer the faulty camera and then have a recall! After registering your camera, you'd be notified that it was subject to a recall, and you'd have to ship it to New York to have it repaired.

Well, I was none too happy. The shipping was paid for by Nikon (you were provided a printable shipping label), but the principle of the thing really pissed me off. Nikon was knowingly selling a defective product and inconveniencing the consumer to get around a general recall. They should have pulled every affected D5000 from every retailer, and sold them only when they were certain the problem was fixed.

So, I went back to Best Buy, and swapped the Nikon for the Canon EOS Rebel T1i. It cost a few dollars more, but I think it's actually a better camera, and I'm extremely happy with it. And I forever struck Nikon off my shopping list.

OK, let me say a few words about DSLR's in general (I'm no expert; I'm really an amateur photographer, but I've read a lot about these cameras). Think of the camera as a lens platform. Whichever camera you buy, it will be superseded almost immediately by something better, less expensive, and with the latest "gee whiz" gadgetry. Spend as much money as you can on the lenses. The lenses are forever. If you "buy good glass" it will last a lifetime; the camera, on the other hand, likely won't. So research the lenses as much, or more so, than the camera.

If you really want a Nikon (and I did ), check out this website: http://www.kenrockwell.com/. It's one man's opinion on a variety of cameras and accessories (and he's a Nikon man), but it's clearly written and he has good reasons for his recommendations. By the way, he called the D3000 "the worst DSLR Nikon has ever made." He did like the Canon T1i, calling it "Canon's second best digital camera ever, right behind the $2,700 5D Mark II, which is Canon's best, regardless of price."

Another good site for info is Steve's Digicams (http://www.steves-digicams.com/). Lots of good reviews, and the forums are good for additional feedback from the consumers. Also, for Canon owner forums go here: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/. For Nikons, here: http://www.nikonians.org/

As I said, I'm very happy with my Canon. It is substantially cheaper now than when I bought it 5 months ago. I've seen it on sale at more than one location (Costco, for example) for about $850 with the same two lenses I have: the usual kit lens, the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, and the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 Telephoto Zoom.

If at all possible, I'd recommend trying out the cameras at a real photo shop before purchasing. Talk to a knowledgeable sales person (I didn't find one at Best Buy) and handle the cameras. Make sure it feels right in your hands, and navigate through the menus to see how intuitive they are. These thing are damned complicated, and it can be hard to get to what you're after at times.

Before my experience, I'd have said that "you can't go wrong with Canon or Nikon." I'm a bit more cynical now; before you purchase any of these cameras, you should look over the consumer forums to be sure there aren't "issues" with whichever camera you're planning to buy.

Good luck!

http://www.dpreview.com/

A great site for camera reviews.

I agree with what Olin said. When you buy a DSLR camera, you will more than likely purchase several lenses over the years. These lenses in some cases are more expensive than the camera body itself. You should really toss it up between Nikon and Canon. Both companies have great camera bodies for under $700 that will allow you to upgrade in the future with any compatible lenses you may purchase.

Personally, I have a couple DSLR cameras, both Canon. I started out with the Canon EOS Rebel Xt (discontinued) about 4 years ago but recently upgraded to the new Canon EOS 7D. If you are interested in a good starter Canon camera, I highly recommend the Canon EOS Rebel XSi. I would still consider this an entry level camera, even if it is not the lowest level camera on Canon's lineup.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=16307

Here it is at Amazon.com. If you select to see price in cart, it is only $559 with free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-...4957909&sr=8-1

Read some reviews on them, go to your local Best Buy or electronics store and play with them. You are likely to find a Nikon equivalent that has the same features. Both companies have great track records... it just all comes down to preference and feel. Either way, DSLR is the way to go. It is an expensive upgrade from the traditional point and shoot cameras, and you will find that you can easily spend thousands of dollars on upgrades, but your pictures will prove to be worth the expense.

Excellent responses.

I will be researching on Cannon this afternoon.

I have used 3 different Canons over the past 5 years for skydiving photography, the XT, the XTi, and now the T1i. They all were awesome, not really much difference between them even with the move from 8MP -> 10MP -> 15MP... I am just an upgrade whore I guess, plus I put over 10,000 images on each of those shutters and they do have a limit (though it's probably 20-50k from what I've heard). You'll get best prices from Amazon and BHPhoto... also search slickdeals.net as Canon has crazy MIR's a lot of the time.

I see that Sony acquired Minolta cameras.....

The only SLR type camera and lens I own at the moment is some vintage equipment!
here are the links

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._35mm_SLR.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=263602_263622

Also read about what APS-C is, as most of the consumer price range cameras these days are APS-C... each mfr has their own implementation of it.

I'll second the XSi. I've got Canon EOS Rebel XSi and love it. Also, depending on your need, it's cheaper to rent lenses if you're not going to shoot a lot. I've found you can rent a lens that runs $1600 for like $75 a week. The kit lens that comes with the XSi is a good lens, but if you want something with zoom, Canon makes a great 18mm-200mm lens. It costs as much as the camera, but its versatility will save you the pain of lugging around extra lenses and having to swap lenses frequently. There is also a 50mm f1.8 lens that Canon makes that's outstanding for shooting portraits. It's incredible for low light situations and with high ISO settings will allow you to shoot indoors without flash.

18-200mm lens:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-18-200mm...4968266&sr=8-1

50mm f1.8 lens:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8...4968318&sr=1-1

Also, not to count out Sony or Olympus... as they both make great stuff, but Canon and Nikon simply own the DSLR market due to the fact they have standardized lenses and many upgrade options out there. And I also agree to buy your camera from Amazon. I saved hundreds on my Canon 7D.