Does anyone have a digital SLR camera?

[Kim]

Just wondering if anyone has a digital SLR? I'm drooling over the Nikon D70 but the price of $1800 (CND) is brutal!

They do have a payment plan but can I justify it before the expense of the wedding? Haven't decided. I have the Nikon Coolpix 800 right now and do love it but I would love to explore a broader range of photography.

I would looooove to own this camera.

So anyway, gushing over now, does anyone have a digital SLR?

Kim

[Eagle]

KIM, The D-70 looks like an awesome Camera. It achieved the coveted "Highly Recommended" rating on DP Review!!! Unfortunately, it's a bit beyond my financial resources at the moment, so I'll have to stay with my S-50 Digital for now.

I can appreciate your financial dilemma, with the upcoming wedding (you could always drop some "hints" about the wedding gift that you want?).

Cheers!!!

[Michelle]

Kim, I just bought the Sony DSC-V1... It's digital, but not an SLR. However, it does have different functions that will produce pretty much the same results as an SLR. You can manually control pretty much everything (focus, shutter speed, exposure) to compose the picture how you want, or you can have the camera do it automatically for you. It's a great little camera and it's only about $800CAD. It's got a Carl Zeiss lens, and it's 5 Megapixels which produces great quality shots! I would say if your looking for a camera that will produce great quality pictures, you should definitely check it out.

www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv1/

Let me know if you have any questions about it!

~Michelle

[Kim]

I'm really dying for the SLR - that's my big problem.

I do have the Coolpix which I love, it's been a great camera but I do need to upgrade. There have been a couple separate times like the Toronto Sun article where people have needed high resolution photos and I haven't been able to give it to them.

I was considering buying a standard SLR just because I love photography but now I'm like what the hell, mine as well get what I want! I always thought I would go with a Pentax but I have to say I love my Nikon just as much. Both brands make exceptional products.

Some of the specs of the D70 are 6.1 megapixels, 3 frames per second, 144 continuous shots, power up time instant to .02 of a second (wow!), resolution 130k pixels, image sizes up to 3008 x 2000.

I'd like to get it before our honeymoon to have time to get use to it - it's hard to take the dive to spend that kind of $$ though!

Kim

[Kim]

Get this - my dream camera is so popular that you can't get one here without putting down a deposit and getting on a waiting list!

(I've been phoning around..)

Looks like you can get one in a week to two weeks if you put down your deposit. If not, it's going to be at least 6 weeks to a month.

Guess it's everyone elses dream camera too! ;D

[Michelle]

LOL... Just do what I did... Walk into the store just to "look" at the camera and talk to the salesguy to see how good of a deal he can give you... Then when the deal sounds too good to be true, without hesitation, say "I'll take it!". Then voila! You have a new camera!

That's what my brother and I did.. I walked out of the store with a new camera and walked out with a new video camera. We really only went to look though! But now I'm happy and I went ahead and bought it (even though it means working more to save money for the trip) because I'll come home from the trip with great pictures!!!

Go ahead Kim, SPLURGE!! ;D You know you want to!!

[Patrick]

Hey Kim, yes the D70 looks really sweet, and I'm sure there's big demand for it right now. I've got the Canon EOS Digital Rebel 300D which is comparable and it's awesome!

Shop around online if you can too. I got mine from a Camera Shop in the Internet and they're located just west of me in Ontario. I saved a few hundred dollars going that route.

[LovinEurope]

i too am dying to get a digital SLR and because i have friends that are photographers, taken classes and work in shops like Blacks that really recomend and swear but the cannon digital rebel. its about $1300 CAD and lenses are about %250CAD, i'm saving for one as we speak. BTW is it a good idea to take an SLR with a lens backpacking or would i be better off just take my little full automatic pentax?

[Kim]

I did end up getting the Nikon D70 and I can't say enough about it, it's truly my dream camera. LovinEurope - the Canon Rebel (digital SLR) was my second choice, also a great camera.

The only disadvantage of course is the gear, depends on whether you mind packing it around or not. I know that Dustoffmom and I both have camera backpacks where the body, lenses etc. all fit into compartments which helps alot.

Hard call - I have a point and shoot which is handy but you will find once you start using a digital SLR, you can't go back!

Kim

[LHR02]

Well I am still a film gal and have a Nikon F65 which I adore and this last trip I bought, as Kim said, a camera backpack which I strongly suggest if you are taking more than a point and shoot. I will allow that along with the 'body' I also took 4 lenses....all of which equaled quite a bit of weight. And having toted that all around Italy for a month at the end of the day I found that two lenses would have done me just fine and halved the weight. I used almost exclusively the 24-70 mm wide angle or the 70-300 mm telephoto. And they actually were all I needed for 99% of any shot I needed. I hade a mid-range in between those two and another telephoto.....never used them. Yet, too costly to leave behind in the room or at least to me. If you decide to go the body/lens route I strongly suggest you look into a camera backpack.....much more protection than any 'normal' pack can offer! But pick a couple of all around lenses to take and leave the others at home! ;D

[LovinEurope]

Kim - What's a camera backpack, is it a feature that's built into a backpack? If so how do i know that this feature is an option? What pack do u use?

Jaymi Dee

[LHR02]

A 'camera' backpack is one built specifically for cameras and lenses. Some hold only the body and lenses in well padded and protected 'pockets' within, others like the ones Kim and I have incorporate the features of the padded packets and space to hold normal daypack things. They are normally a bit larger than the usual daypack but offer such a greater range of protection for you equipment that the larger size is worth the aggrevation. Do a google search for camera backpacks...there is a wide variety available. Normally they run in the $100 and up range, but if you've hundreds/thousands invested in equipment it is a small amount to protect them. If you want to use it while traveling I really urge you to get one with room for daypack items...i.e. guidebook, water, whatever.

Here is one of the better known camera only packs:

www.photographamerica.com/packs.htm

and here is a daypack/camera pack:
www.ebags.com/lowepro/orion_trekker/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=3328

[dougjones]

some people consider my camera a digital slr, some consider a prosumer camera, it's a minolta dimage 7hi. I like it a lot and got a great deal on it (almost $1000 off the canadian retail price).

[Yam]

Seems I read this thread a bit late! hehehe Anyways, here are my 2 cents. I was confronted with the same dilemma (Nikkon D70 vs Canon 300D) a couple of months ago, and went with the Digital Rebel for various reasons. First, the obvious price difference of $400 cheaper approx. DRebel has a higher max resolution (3072 x 2048 vs. 3008 x 2000), because it has a higher efective megapixel count (6.3 vs 6.0). ISO rating is more flexible on the DRebel, allowing 100 and a super fast 3200, whereas the D70 goes from 200-1600. DRebel is slightly lighter and smaller, so easier to carry around. Although the D70 has a faster shutterspeed (1/8000 vs 1/4000) that I really miss sometimes. Anyways, you can't go wrong with neither of them, since both are excellent DSLR's. ;D

PS - The camera backpacks and such are way cheaper on B&H Photo. www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=147606&is=REG

[LHR02]

Ah! I know you are serious if you talk to me about B&H. ;D 3 lenses, numerous filters, backpack, lens covers, flash....I can't spend much time looking at their catalogs or I am quickly broke! ;D They've quite a bit of my money as it is.