In the market for a DSLR

Jet · 12-09-2008, 04:22 PM

Here's where I'm coming from:
I've always enjoyed taking pictures, so 8 months ago I finally got my own camera for really--a higher end point and shoot with manual ap, ISO, and shutter speed (Panasonic FZ5). However, over the summer and the past few months, I'm outgrowing it, and it's time to move on.

So, here are my thoughts. I'd rather not spend a whole lot of money, but I do want value--while pretty much anything will be better than what I have, I do want something that is decent and will last a bit.

Price range: I'd like to keep it under $500, but if there's something, say, up to $800 (both prices with lens) that is a whole lot better then I might consider. I have plenty of time, so I am going to be looking for deals. I'm looking at used, not new!

Pretty much, my two friends (one of which is Ben) have convinced me to go with a Nikon, but I'm still open to Canon. I've been looking at the Nikon lineup, and am pretty familiar--Canon not so much.

So far, these are my thoughts:
-I like having the extra autofocus lens compatibility of, for instance, the D50 versus the D40.
-While 6MP is on the lower range, I'm fine with it. If need be, I'll just upgrade later!
-As far as lenses go, I really want a decent lens. From my looking around, my thoughts right now: less than 25 to more than 100. I've been looking at 18-105, or 18-200.

One last question: Can I get film lenses that are Nikon compatible and use them on my Nikon DSLR? I know the sensor size differs, so throws off the mm ranges, but I was thinking if I could get a lot of older film lenses for really cheap, it would provide some secondary lenses to play around with and get more experience with lenses in general.

Thanks so much in advance for any input!

Joshua

Irishwhistle · 12-10-2008, 12:35 AM

Well, I was pushing the for the D90 when Ben was in the market for a camera, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone... as far as I'm concerned Nikon and Canon are like Intel and AMD... just like people on a budget should go with AMD I'd say someone on a budget should go with Canon... on the low end you get more for your money. The D40/D40x/D60 is bottom line... kinda like the Canon XT, however the Canon XSi is nearly as good as the D90, which Ben has. So I'd recommend the Canon XSi for you, but of course it's a little over the budget, so you could always go with the Canon XS.

**vroom_skies** · 12-10-2008, 01:47 AM

Jet:
- I don't know if your only open to Canon & Nikon, but I'd urge you to look into all brands. Each brand has it's gems, and the one you need, might not be held by those two. Once again I'll be an advocate for Pentax, since most everyone else here is pro Canon or Nikon, which is fine, how ever not exactly fair when none of them have used a Pentax. Whats great is your buying used, you can get some killer deals on used Pentax gear, the two I'd recommend are of course the K10D (my camera) & K20D. If you can manage your better off with the K20D. One great thing about Pentax is that you can use any lens that was ever made for Pentax on these cameras (some may need an adapter). Plus EVERY single one of them would be stabilized, unlike with Canon & Nikon where you have to buy expensive IS & VR glass.
From a quick search on ebay, looks like you could get a used K20D for $650 (body only) or so, which would leave you with a lens for $150. If you factory in money you'd save with MS cash back, you could get a very nice package.
On the other hand you could get the K10D for $400 or less which would leave you with $400 for a nice lens. Once again add the MS cash back onto that and you could do even better.

Further more, don't limit your search to just those three. Make sure to look into Olympus, Sony, Samgsung, plus many others.

If you want to stay with Nikon, I would suggest a used D80 or D200.
With Canon I would go with a used 30D and maybe a XSI, but I'm really not a fan of anything lower then the D series lol (personal preference of course).

-Irish:
Ben was already planing on going with the D90, before you brought it up. Plus, it doesn't really matter who convinced who, not that I think he was convinced by anyone here, besides himself. Also, it's a smart move not to just recommend the two main brands. Just because they are the two "leaders" doesn't mean they are the best, and I can assure you, you won't find the best deals from those two. Especially when regarding price to performance. It makes sense that brands who are behind in sales, will have to cut their prices, so with that in mind, you'll get much better deals from the under dogs. Anyways, were here to help and in this case showing them the broad picture is beneficial instead of limited them, even if they end up going that route.

That was just a tad bit off topic lol
Bob

Irishwhistle · 12-10-2008, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vroom_skies

-Irish:
Ben was already planing on going with the D90, before you brought it up. Plus, it doesn't really matter who convinced who, not that I think he was convinced by anyone here, besides himself. Also, it's a smart move not to just recommend the two main brands. Just because they are the two "leaders" doesn't mean they are the best, and I can assure you, you won't find the best deals from those two. Especially when regarding price to performance. It makes sense that brands who are behind in sales, will have to cut their prices, so with that in mind, you'll get much better deals from the under dogs. Anyways, were here to help and in this case showing them the broad picture is beneficial instead of limited them, even if they end up going that route.

He very well may of chosen without me, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make, I meant that for Ben Nikon is a good choice, and I would recommend it, but that doesn't mean that that's the right choice for everyone.

Well, I personally can't recommend Pentax (just like I can't recommend Via processors) or most other of the less popular brands since I've never used one... they're probably very good, but I've never tried one... I've tried Nikon, Canon, Olympus, and Fuji... Nikon, Canon, and Fuji are good, but I don't like Olympus... if Olympus cameras were good I'd recommend them, but since they aren't I don't recommend them.

**vroom_skies** · 12-10-2008, 02:19 AM

It's just that I found the first line sort of a mute point and a little like gloating. Millions of people buy Nikon, as well as Canon & Pentax, so it doesn't strike me that one person should matter that much. I apologize if I misunderstood the point you were trying to portray however.
You don't need to have experience with a brand to throw it out there. I haven't used much of Oly or Samgsung, but it's still best that the OP knows about those options. I'm just saying it's in the OP's best interest if we give him all the options, whether or not we like the brand, hate the brand or don't know the brand.

That's all,
Bob

PS- I totally forgot about Fuji, you should so get the S5.
PPS- As a side note, we really can't factor our likes and dislikes into the equation. I really don't like Canon, but that doesn't keep me from listing them. I don't need to push their brand, but it might be the perfect fit for the OP, so I have to included them.

Irishwhistle · 12-10-2008, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vroom_skies

It's just that I found the first line sort of a mute point and a little like gloating. Millions of people buy Nikon, as well as Canon & Pentax, so it doesn't strike me that one person should matter that much. I apologize if I misunderstood the point you were trying to portray however.
You don't need to have experience with a brand to throw it out there. I haven't used much of Oly or Samgsung, but it's still best that the OP knows about those options. I'm just saying it's in the OP's best interest if we give him all the options, whether or not we like the brand, hate the brand or don't know the brand.

That's all,
Bob

PS- I totally forgot about Fuji, you should so get the S5.
PPS- As a side note, we really can't factor our likes and dislikes into the equation. I really don't like Canon, but that doesn't keep me from listing them. I don't need to push their brand, but it might be the perfect fit for the OP, so I have to included them.

That's okay, I understand completely, and I fixed the first line.

RE: PS- The S5 would be awesome... only problem is it's twice as much as the OP is willing to spend, but yeah, I highly recommend the Fuji line... I'm not too familiar with their DSLR line, but my S700 has been awesome!

RE: PPS- Well, I personally prefer Nikon over Canon, but that's just preference, I've found that Olympus, however, is just bad.... poor quality, etc

**vroom_skies** · 12-10-2008, 05:55 AM

The S5 can be had for about $700 body only on ebay it looks like.
Wouldn't be a bad deal.
Fuji will most likely be falling out of the DSLR race, but your investment would be in all Nikon gear anyways, so you wouldn't loose any of it if they do go under.

Bob

Jet · 12-10-2008, 02:25 PM

So, about the whole compatibility thing--what lenses fit what?

I'd also rather stick to the $500 number for the total of a body/lens...So any suggestions around a strict $500 limit? Especially Canon--because I'm not familiar with their naming scheme.

[-0MEGA-] · 12-10-2008, 05:53 PM

The Canon Rebel XS/i are also good and come with great IS kit lenses.

Jet · 12-10-2008, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [-0MEGA-]

The Canon Rebel XS/i are also good and come with great IS kit lenses.

Despite my friends being Nikon fans, I'm seeing the XTi is really cheap for a 10MP. I'd love a Nikon, but I'm having a hard time swallowing all of their 6MP, and the 10MP are out of my range. Right now, the XTi would be $335 body only, or a bit over $400 with the kit lens.

I'd obviously try it out, etc, but does anyone have any suggestions for a wide to decent telephoto lens? Preferably under $200. I noticed the Tamron 18-200, which is right around 200, but it doesn't have image stabilization and pretty slow AF.

12-09-2008, 04:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jet VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5,628	In the market for a DSLR Here's where I'm coming from: I've always enjoyed taking pictures, so 8 months ago I finally got my own camera for really--a higher end point and shoot with manual ap, ISO, and shutter speed (Panasonic FZ5). However, over the summer and the past few months, I'm outgrowing it, and it's time to move on. So, here are my thoughts. I'd rather not spend a whole lot of money, but I do want value--while pretty much anything will be better than what I have, I do want something that is decent and will last a bit. Price range: I'd like to keep it under $500, but if there's something, say, up to $800 (both prices with lens) that is a whole lot better then I might consider. I have plenty of time, so I am going to be looking for deals. I'm looking at used, not new! Pretty much, my two friends (one of which is Ben) have convinced me to go with a Nikon, but I'm still open to Canon. I've been looking at the Nikon lineup, and am pretty familiar--Canon not so much. So far, these are my thoughts: -I like having the extra autofocus lens compatibility of, for instance, the D50 versus the D40. -While 6MP is on the lower range, I'm fine with it. If need be, I'll just upgrade later! -As far as lenses go, I really want a decent lens. From my looking around, my thoughts right now: less than 25 to more than 100. I've been looking at 18-105, or 18-200. One last question: Can I get film lenses that are Nikon compatible and use them on my Nikon DSLR? I know the sensor size differs, so throws off the mm ranges, but I was thinking if I could get a lot of older film lenses for really cheap, it would provide some secondary lenses to play around with and get more experience with lenses in general. Thanks so much in advance for any input! Joshua __________________ http://www.joshualongeneckerphotography.com

12-10-2008, 12:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
Irishwhistle Diamond Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 4,445	Well, I was pushing the for the D90 when Ben was in the market for a camera, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone... as far as I'm concerned Nikon and Canon are like Intel and AMD... just like people on a budget should go with AMD I'd say someone on a budget should go with Canon... on the low end you get more for your money. The D40/D40x/D60 is bottom line... kinda like the Canon XT, however the Canon XSi is nearly as good as the D90, which Ben has. So I'd recommend the Canon XSi for you, but of course it's a little over the budget, so you could always go with the Canon XS. __________________ Desktop / MSI Wind U100 Netbook AMD 64 X2 2.6GHz / Intel Atom 1.6GHz 2GB DDR2 800 RAM / 1GB DDR2 667 RAM 9600GT 512MB GDDR3 GPU / Intel GMA950 ASUS M3A76-CM / Intel 945GSE Chipset 120GB IDE HDD (lol) / 160GB HDD Last edited by Irishwhistle; 12-10-2008 at 03:46 AM.

12-10-2008, 01:47 AM	#3 (permalink)
vroom_skies Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CT Posts: 2,793	Jet: - I don't know if your only open to Canon & Nikon, but I'd urge you to look into all brands. Each brand has it's gems, and the one you need, might not be held by those two. Once again I'll be an advocate for Pentax, since most everyone else here is pro Canon or Nikon, which is fine, how ever not exactly fair when none of them have used a Pentax. Whats great is your buying used, you can get some killer deals on used Pentax gear, the two I'd recommend are of course the K10D (my camera) & K20D. If you can manage your better off with the K20D. One great thing about Pentax is that you can use any lens that was ever made for Pentax on these cameras (some may need an adapter). Plus EVERY single one of them would be stabilized, unlike with Canon & Nikon where you have to buy expensive IS & VR glass. From a quick search on ebay, looks like you could get a used K20D for $650 (body only) or so, which would leave you with a lens for $150. If you factory in money you'd save with MS cash back, you could get a very nice package. On the other hand you could get the K10D for $400 or less which would leave you with $400 for a nice lens. Once again add the MS cash back onto that and you could do even better. Further more, don't limit your search to just those three. Make sure to look into Olympus, Sony, Samgsung, plus many others. If you want to stay with Nikon, I would suggest a used D80 or D200. With Canon I would go with a used 30D and maybe a XSI, but I'm really not a fan of anything lower then the D series lol (personal preference of course). -Irish: Ben was already planing on going with the D90, before you brought it up. Plus, it doesn't really matter who convinced who, not that I think he was convinced by anyone here, besides himself. Also, it's a smart move not to just recommend the two main brands. Just because they are the two "leaders" doesn't mean they are the best, and I can assure you, you won't find the best deals from those two. Especially when regarding price to performance. It makes sense that brands who are behind in sales, will have to cut their prices, so with that in mind, you'll get much better deals from the under dogs. Anyways, were here to help and in this case showing them the broad picture is beneficial instead of limited them, even if they end up going that route. That was just a tad bit off topic lol Bob __________________ www.rsiphoto.com My Flickr Winner of the photography tournament theme: Flowers, Sunsets, Water Scapes, Blurs 2.0, Lightning/Fireworks, Vivid, Flowers in an Abstract Art Form, Waterways, PC Inurds, Most Confusing Image, Fire, Artificial lighting & Rocks. Last edited by vroom_skies; 12-10-2008 at 01:50 AM.

12-10-2008, 02:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
vroom_skies Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CT Posts: 2,793	It's just that I found the first line sort of a mute point and a little like gloating. Millions of people buy Nikon, as well as Canon & Pentax, so it doesn't strike me that one person should matter that much. I apologize if I misunderstood the point you were trying to portray however. You don't need to have experience with a brand to throw it out there. I haven't used much of Oly or Samgsung, but it's still best that the OP knows about those options. I'm just saying it's in the OP's best interest if we give him all the options, whether or not we like the brand, hate the brand or don't know the brand. That's all, Bob PS- I totally forgot about Fuji, you should so get the S5. PPS- As a side note, we really can't factor our likes and dislikes into the equation. I really don't like Canon, but that doesn't keep me from listing them. I don't need to push their brand, but it might be the perfect fit for the OP, so I have to included them. __________________ www.rsiphoto.com My Flickr Winner of the photography tournament theme: Flowers, Sunsets, Water Scapes, Blurs 2.0, Lightning/Fireworks, Vivid, Flowers in an Abstract Art Form, Waterways, PC Inurds, Most Confusing Image, Fire, Artificial lighting & Rocks. Last edited by vroom_skies; 12-10-2008 at 02:31 AM.

12-10-2008, 05:55 AM	#7 (permalink)
vroom_skies Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: CT Posts: 2,793	The S5 can be had for about $700 body only on ebay it looks like. Wouldn't be a bad deal. Fuji will most likely be falling out of the DSLR race, but your investment would be in all Nikon gear anyways, so you wouldn't loose any of it if they do go under. Bob __________________ www.rsiphoto.com My Flickr Winner of the photography tournament theme: Flowers, Sunsets, Water Scapes, Blurs 2.0, Lightning/Fireworks, Vivid, Flowers in an Abstract Art Form, Waterways, PC Inurds, Most Confusing Image, Fire, Artificial lighting & Rocks.

12-10-2008, 02:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
Jet VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5,628	So, about the whole compatibility thing--what lenses fit what? I'd also rather stick to the $500 number for the total of a body/lens...So any suggestions around a strict $500 limit? Especially Canon--because I'm not familiar with their naming scheme. __________________ http://www.joshualongeneckerphotography.com

12-10-2008, 05:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
[-0MEGA-] VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Goffstown, NH Age: 21 Posts: 28,943	The Canon Rebel XS/i are also good and come with great IS kit lenses. __________________ Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 4.1GHz Asus Rampage Formula X48 ATI 4870 X2 2GB GDDR5 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 960 300GB Raptor // 2x 750GB Creative SB X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty SilverStone 750W +12V@60A 3DMark06: 22605 www.photosbygeoff.com

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