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Post by Kirsty123 on Jun 2, 2005 22:31:57 GMT -5
Hello!
I have been thinking about jumping to a nice digital SLR but am worried about making the leap. I currently use a simple point and shoot (Olympus) or I borrow my dad's Canon A520. I am interested in learning more about photography and I would love to be able to play with shutter speeds, continuous shooting, aperture size etc.
My concern is that I will spend a big chunk of money only to be overwhelmed by the features and never use them! Any recommendations for a beginner who wants to get into photography? I think I'd prefer a digital and I'd like to get a camera I can grow into. Thanks for your help!
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Post by Kim on Jun 2, 2005 23:16:25 GMT -5
The beauty about the new digital SLR's is that they also have automatic features. I have the Nikon D70 and LOVE it. You can manually set it but it also has a dial with auto settings. It has portrait, night, scenery, macro etc. all you have to do is turn the dial to the right one and click away. When I really need to make sure I get a great shot, I try setting it up manually then also take it on one of the auto settings to make sure one or the other turns out. You can also see what the camera would use for a shot like that from what it uses on the auto settings. The beauty is that you will never outgrow one. I've added extra lenses and that sort of thing and it's always a new experience. It's a big chunk to pay but it's well worth it in the end. If you do get one, both Ging and I highly recommend getting a SLR backpack. It looks like a regular backpack only will fit all your gear on the bottom. The top is just like a regular backpack and can store whatever. I think this is the one I have (or something similar, I forget what the name of the backpack style I have is): www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/allWeather/Mini_Trekker_AW.aspxI think the two top contenders for a digital SLR, in my opinion, are the Nikon D70 and the Canon Rebel. Check the both out. I like the Nikon better, to me the Rebel feels a bit light which is weird for me. Kim |
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Post by Eagle on Jun 3, 2005 0:41:52 GMT -5
Kirsty123, I'm also thinking of taking the jump to dSLR sometime soon. As usual, my finances won't allow this at the moment which might be a good thing as it will give me a chance to research the various models and find the one that will be best for my needs. I'm presently using a Canon S-50 P&S (which does have a full range of both auto & manual controls), but I can certainly see the additional benefits of a dSLR. While travelling, I would probably carry both as the S-50 is a lot easier to pack around and therefore will probably be with me more often than the larger Camera. I'm a long term fllm SLR user and kind of miss the flexibility that provides. In terms of which model to select, a lot will depend on your budget. You can certainly start with just the basic kit and add lenses and accessories to it as funds allow. As Kim mentioned, two of the most popular models right now are the Nikon D70 / D70S and also the Digital Rebel (300D) / Rebel XT (350D). There's also the gorgeous Canon EOS-20D, which has a substantially more robust construction than the Rebels (it should with a magnesium & stainless steel chassis!), however it's a bit on the expensive side. The D70S & Rebel XT are the newest models, but I've heard rumours that Nikon will be introducing some new models this month. I've also heard that Canon expects to release 70 new models this year. Consequently, you'll have lots to choose from! Don't bother waiting for the "perfect" model with all the "bells & whistles" -- there will always be a better model on the drawing board, so find one that fits your needs and is available when you're ready to buy, and take the plunge! When you purchase the Camera, it will probably be provided with a "kit lens". Most of the so-called "experts" have rated the generic "kit lens" performance of most Cameras as somewhat mediocre, but the nice think with SLR Cameras is that you can just purchase the Body and pick whichever Lens you want. Initially you will also need some kind of Backpack or Camera Bag (check the link that Kim provided), at least one Memory Card, probably an extra Battery, a Skylight Filter to protect the Lens and perhaps an external Flash. Regarding the Memory Card it's probably a good idea to get at least a 512 MB and preferably a 1GB Card with a Camera of this type. You also want to look at a "high speed" memory card (at least 40X and possibly 80X). I'll elaborate briefly on the reasons for that. The Nikon has a 6 MP Sensor and the Rebel XT has an 8 MP Sensor. Those produce fairly large file sizes if full resolution is selected. If you don't buy a large enough memory card, you're going to run out of capacity real quick when you're shooting (not something you want to happen when you're out somewhere, and can't transfer the photos to your PC right away). In addition, some Cameras allow both JPEG and RAW versions of the same image to be saved simultaneously, which uses even more of the memory. Finally, most dSLR's have provision for a "burst" mode, where it takes a group of pictures very quickly. This is the reason for a high speed memory card -- if the Camera is unable to write to the card fast enough, the whole process slows down! I've found it extremely beneficial to both check reviews of the Camera models as well as User Forums. Sometimes the Forums are more useful, to see the experiences that real users of these products are having. If there are flaws or whatever, these usually start to show up on the Forums fairly soon. A couple of sites you could check are www.dpreview.com or www.steves-digicams.com (both good sites). Check all the sections to get a good overview (ie: Camera section, Lens section, etc.). If the cost and complexity of a dSLR is more than your budget will allow at the moment, you could also have a look at the "monster zoom" Cameras. Some examples are the new Canon S2-IS, the Panasonic FZ-5 (both 12X zoom) or the Canon Pro-1 (7X zoom I think?). One thing to remember is that with larger zoom ranges, having an image stabilized lens is important, due to the fact that when the lens is at full zoom the slightest motion causes a lot of "movement" of the image. If you did want to consider the S2-IS, I'd be tempted to watch the Forums for a bit, as it's a brand new model so there may be a few "bugs" to work out yet. Also keep in mind that the "monster zooms" don't have the interchangeable lens capability of the SLR models, so are not as versatile. I couldn't tell where you're located, as you signed in as a Guest. Therefore it's hard to suggest places to look for the best prices. You might want to register on the Board if you're going to be stopping by from time-to-time. When posting replies it really helps to know a bit about your location and so on. I hope this hasn't been too "long winded" of a reply. I felt it would be a good idea to give you some information to start with, in terms of things to look for when selecting a Digital Camera. If you need anything further, post another note. Cheers!!!
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Post by dumbdiety on Jun 3, 2005 8:55:48 GMT -5
What Eagle said. ;D
I was gonna reply, all ready to type out and everything...then I saw Eagle already posted, so it's a moot point to post anything else. What would we do without you Eagle? ;D
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Post by LHR02 on Jun 3, 2005 9:07:08 GMT -5
If you are set on a SLR I urge you to take a good hard look at the Nikon F65. I love this camera. Fully auto or fully manual as you choose. The one thing that backs this up for me is the lenses. Should you decide later to go digital, as Kim says and rightly so, her Nikon digital is among the very best. But she and I could trade lenses effortlessly...the ones for my film camera will work perfectly with her digital. A HUGE selling point for Nikon if you want film now but think you may eventually go to digital. Since the value of my lenses mow is probably 4-5 times the cost of the camera body knowing I can use them for a digital is a big selling point should I ever decide to go that route. If you decide to go film now....insure the lenses are interchangeable with their digital ones before investing.
ging
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Post by GaryMcDonald on Jun 3, 2005 21:30:44 GMT -5
I recently bought a nikon N75 film camera. I love it. I ordered it from Cameta Camera in NY (just search yahoo). I got it for about 175.00 US less than what they retail.
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Post by LHR02 on Jun 4, 2005 7:12:54 GMT -5
Ooohhh....one generation newer than mine! These are terrific cameras. Have you played around with the focusing yet? Hooray! Another Nikon FILM person on the board. ;D
Welcome Gary!
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Kirsty
Full Travel Member
Posts: 38
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Post by Kirsty on Jun 4, 2005 8:56:56 GMT -5
Thank you all!!! This has been really helpful! I think I may splurge this summer and get me a fancy camera! Now I have got lots of research to do  PS- I'm registered again! My user name switched and I was just to anxious to wait for my activation code so I posted as a guest...I'm from Victoria, BC!! Thanks again |
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Post by triple5funk on Jun 30, 2005 9:30:08 GMT -5
i'm a beginner as well, but i'm "going back to the drawing board basics" and purchased a manual hardy canon ae-1 with autowinder. my sister, who is getting into photography professionally, is quite pleased with my choice. she's trained on film but is now using a canon mark II 1d (which has become her prized expensive investment). BUT for those that really want to get into digital and don't necessarily need to make the $4700 plunge just yet - i'd go with Eagle's suggestions on the nikon or canon. i wouldn't go with any other brand. unless of course you can afford a leica.  |
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Post by MuvverRussia on Jun 30, 2005 20:04:31 GMT -5
i wouldn't go with any other brand. unless of course you can afford a leica. Leica's digital offerings are an absolute rip off - avoid. Quite simply, you are paying for the packaging and the brand - whilst the lens is a Leica, the CCD and image processing electronics are Matsushita (Panasonic), so you can save a lot of money by going for the equivalent Panasonic (same lens and electronics, different body shell). |
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Post by triple5funk on Jun 30, 2005 22:30:39 GMT -5
really? that's too bad considering they take so much pride in the craftsmanship of their manual cameras.
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Post by Eagle on Jul 1, 2005 1:38:43 GMT -5
Muvver, I've heard the same thing -- the Leica Digital models are rather "uninspiring" to say the least (and probably overpriced for what one is getting)!
My choice for a quality dSLR would be the Canon 20D over the Leica (if I could afford it). I believe a larger size CCD sensor (35mm equivalent) is used in the 20D and Digital Rebel, which is a bit of an advantage.
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Post by MuvverRussia on Jul 1, 2005 3:52:02 GMT -5
The Leica digilux 2 (US$1500) is exactly the same at the Panasonic DMC-LC1 (US$1200) - $300 for a different brand and a different casing. Both are good cameras, but a $300 difference for a different brand is really going too far. The same is true for other cameras in their respective model ranges.
Most dSLRs use 35mm equivalent CMOS sensors rather than CCDs. A 35mm equivalent CCD would be extremely expensive to make and unless you are looking at studio level equipment there's no real benefit to be had over a large CMOS sensor.
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Post by Eagle on Jul 1, 2005 13:40:41 GMT -5
Muvver, thanks for the correction. I realized after I posted that I should have specified CMOS as the sensor type. The larger 8MP/ 8.2 MP sensors used in the Canons seems to produce excellent images from what I've seen (although the smaller CCD in my S-50 also produces good images).
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Post by LHR02 on Jul 1, 2005 13:57:47 GMT -5
Okay you two.....this 'was' a SLR post...not a 'digital' one!!!  |
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