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Used DSLRs
Natheo
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I need some help.
So I'm pretty sure I want to get a DSLR, but I'm not ready to drop a bunch of money on one just yet. As a background, photography is something I want to get more involved in, and I am to some extent with my little canon powershot sx200. I'm a writer for a campus newspaper right now, but I'm looking to get more involved with the photography end of things as well. So I want to get started with a DSLR. After googling around, I started to consider buying a used DSLR. I looked around on some various sites, but by my reckoning the consensus seems to point to KEH.com as the best spot to pick up some used gear.
I'm basically looking at canon and nikon, but I'm pretty sure I could be talked into pentax at this point as well. I haven't messed with a pentax, but while the nikon feels more solid in my hands, I like where the scroll wheel is placed on the canons.
So, lenses. Particularly kit lenses. Good enough to get started with? For example, if I buy
http://www.keh.com/camera/Canon-Digital-Camera-Outfits/1/sku-DC019990996190?r=FE
how far will it take me?
Just looking for some input on buying used DSLRs, getting started with slr photography, what sort of accessories I really need, etc.
edit: as far as what I'll be photographing, portraits are pretty much out. People doing things, indoors and out, landscape stuff, and probably animals when I go up north.
Thanks guys.
So I'm pretty sure I want to get a DSLR, but I'm not ready to drop a bunch of money on one just yet. As a background, photography is something I want to get more involved in, and I am to some extent with my little canon powershot sx200. I'm a writer for a campus newspaper right now, but I'm looking to get more involved with the photography end of things as well. So I want to get started with a DSLR. After googling around, I started to consider buying a used DSLR. I looked around on some various sites, but by my reckoning the consensus seems to point to KEH.com as the best spot to pick up some used gear.
I'm basically looking at canon and nikon, but I'm pretty sure I could be talked into pentax at this point as well. I haven't messed with a pentax, but while the nikon feels more solid in my hands, I like where the scroll wheel is placed on the canons.
So, lenses. Particularly kit lenses. Good enough to get started with? For example, if I buy
http://www.keh.com/camera/Canon-Digital-Camera-Outfits/1/sku-DC019990996190?r=FE
how far will it take me?
Just looking for some input on buying used DSLRs, getting started with slr photography, what sort of accessories I really need, etc.
edit: as far as what I'll be photographing, portraits are pretty much out. People doing things, indoors and out, landscape stuff, and probably animals when I go up north.
Thanks guys.
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Natheo on
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I would stick to Canon or Nikon
I'm in the Nikon camp, too, but that's not really a fair criticism of Canon. If Natheo gets a D40, D60, or D5000 then he won't have autofocus on any lenses that use the screw-drive, and unless you have a D300 or higher even your Nikon won't be able to meter properly with really old lenses.
Both Nikon and Canon have more than enough of a lens selection, and even though I prefer Nikon it's really a coin toss between the two of them if you have no prior allegiance. Natheo preferring the scroll wheel placement on the Canon is as fine a reason as any to go with them, and one of the main reasons I went Nikon is because I prefer the ergonomics.
And while you can't go wrong with the two big boys, the smaller manufacturers make great cameras too. The biggest disadvantage of going with someone like Pentax is the smaller lens selection, but if lens types you want are available for Pentax then what does it matter if Canon & Nikon have umpteen other variations available?
I think the big advantage of the nikon or canon is that there are loads of third party support for their devices far more than the smaller makes of cameras. Which means lower priced lenses, batteries etc.
There are Canon DSLR's that cannot mount EF-S lenses: D30 (not to be confused with 30D), D60, 10D (these are all 7+ years old), and 1DS, 5D (these bodies will set you back $1000-1500+ used). If you want to go real wide often (wider than 12-15mm full frame equivalent) then you might want to go with one of these EF-mount only full framers as there's not a whole lot of lens availability for going that wide on a 1.6x crop body.
However, given your specific situation, I would suggest you take a good, long look at Pentax DSLRs. They are the best made DSLRs south of $1k, period. I would put the build quality of the K10D/K20D/K7 right up there with the Canon 1D or Nikon Dx series. The Canon XTi feels like a dollar store knock off by comparison, and even the Canon 5D feels less sturdy. Add in that they're small, unobtrusive and very easy to work and you've got an ideal photojournalist's camera. Starting with the K7, they're also the only brand to boast weather resistant kit lenses.
As to the lens line up, the Pentax K-mount almost exactly as many lenses as Nikon's F-mount and far, far more than Canon's EF+EF-S mounts. Granted, only some of them are autofocus lenses, but with Pentax's DSLRs offering interchangeable focussing screens this is a fairly minor point. The huge amount of old, manual focus glass is a big selling point for Pentax DSLRs, as it's incredibly cheap source of high end glass.
So give Pentax a good look. A Pentax K10D is a lot more camera than a Canon XTi and can be had for about the same price. Oh, and buy Pentax gear at the unofficial Pentax Forums. Huge, extremely active B&S board with far better prices than KEH.
(Qualifications: Shot with a Pentax DSLR+film system for 2 years, which I switched out for a full frame Canon digital system a year ago.)
I'm looking at picking up this combination to work with, I keep seeing a 2.8 zoom as being recommended for what I'm trying to do.
http://www.keh.com/camera/Pentax-Digital-Camera-Bodies/1/sku-DP029991014490?r=FE
http://www.keh.com/camera/Pentax-Manual-Focus-Non-Mfg-Zoom-Lenses/1/sku-PK099990262130?r=FE
I plan on looking at the unofficial pentax forums, but my fiancee just decided to purchase an xti for her trip to s. korea (and since she wants to take up photography, but wasn't really comfortable with to lack of auto or scene modes on some models). Bought it ex+ from keh, and was extremely satisfied with how nice it looked, original box/books/disks all in great shape.
I'll probably pick up kit autofocus lens as well, for the weather resistance, which having thought about it became a huge consideration for me.
Now I haven't had a ton of practice with manual focus, but it is something that i'll do with my P&S if i'm screwing around, and I work with cameras for the broadcast classes at my school, so I'm pretty confident in it.
Does all that look good?
The lens is all wrong, though. You have picked a shitty, shitty lens. Prior to Very Recently zoom lenses were, as an absolute rule, complete shit. They sucked at max aperture, they sucked when stopped down and they sucked at every point in between. You have selected a 3rd party zoom lens from the dark ages. It is $29 used. This should be an excellent hint that it's terrifyingly bad.
What you want instead: Get a first party manual focus 50mm. A Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7. It'll report the aperture to your camera (so you can use your auto and semi-auto settings) but is still manual focus and brilliant. Yes, having a single focal length will be tough. But if it's too long, get further away. If it's too short, get closer. If you just can't do those two things, get creative. It'll be worth it in the end. Then begin saving up for something like a Pentax DA*16-50mm f/2.8. If you get a good copy it is so, so good. Thus, it is $750 used. But honestly, that's cheap for decent modern glass and it will retain that value beautifully.
Oh, and when you go hunting for a kit lens make sure it is the "WR" variety. The older kit lenses looked rather similar but were not sealed - they lack the "WR" designation.
So, this?
I can deal with 109.00. Unfortunately KEH just sold through on the used k10ds, but I found one on pentaxforums.com that a guy wants 350 for that seems nice and comes with a few things.
On old zoom lenses being absolute shit, does that apply across the board? Like, would a Pentax 35-105mm F3.5 A be garbage as well?
Just wanted to say that I picked up that Canon 50mm lens a while back (maybe on your recommendation?) and it is buy far the best $100 I've ever spent. It honestly looks like a cheap piece of junk, but it takes absolutely phenomenal shots for what it costs. It's great for taking pictures of my daughter inside when I don't want to worry about a flash. I just set the aperture to F/2.2 and go to town. Anyone with a Canon SLR needs to buy that lens.
That is a mighty fine lens you've linked. Hopefully the fellow on the Pentax forums comes through. If you're not adverse to buying from them, you can probably get that same A-series 50mm for $60 or so - or even find a used FA 50mm f/1.4 for $250ish. What you've got linked will definitely work, though.
Pretty much any pre-digital Pentax zoom lens is pretty crummy. Canon/Nikon made a few good ones in the years preceding the digital camera release, but they really came into their own with modern optics and lens coatings. There are a few notable exceptions - the Pentax-A 70-210mm f/4 and the related Vivitar 1-series 70-210mm lenses are quite decent. I don't know of any older wide to normal zooms that were any good.
I feel like I'm fanning potential fanboy flames here but I'd highly suggest buying Nikon or Canon. Photography can be, if you wish, a very local thing. You'll eventually run into other photographers and could develop friendships with them over time. I can't tell you how many lenses I've borrowed from fellow photographers or lent out to friends.
i'd go with the suggestion of Canon or Nikon. Although, I might wait until after Turkey day for any big Kit sales.
Know that if you go into a "private" camera shop, they will steer you towards Nikon, always. I think the profit margins are bigger for them. The technical comparison on features, fit and feel are nearly identical.
There is a ton of good 3rd party glass out there that can be had for a fraction of the branded stuff. I'm still shooting my Canon RebelXT, and I need a couple more lenses (dont we all?), but it has been everything that I've needed.
Joe's Stream.
It's refurbed, but I suspect cameras are one of the things that refurbs are just fine.
This is $150 cheaper than just the body on amazon, and it comes with a lens.
Even if I end up with buyers remorse, I turn a profit.
I doubt I will.
Also you are my hero, I dub you the pentax fairy.
(I've heard really shaky things about Pentax cameras. Buyer beware. There is a reason everyone buys Cannon and Nikon, and it's not because everyone likes paying more for a name.)
And yeah, I understand there has been some concerns about pentax playing third wheel to canon and nikon, but I also got some pretty glowing advice in this thread about them. I did research out the k series really well, and I was pretty dead set on going with the k10d despite it being regarded as an older camera. There were a lot of comparisons to the k-x, and similar offerings from other manufacturers.
But a k20d for 500? I'm on it. I've read a lot of things about the construction of these cameras that mirror what Dark Moon said. Build quality on par or better than more expensive cameras, weather resistance, these things really appealed to me. Sure, the vast array of external controls (AF point mode, AF drive mode, bracketing, file format, AE-L, AF, exposure compensation, ISO, and anti-shake along with 2 customizable dials) will probably take awhile to wrap my head around, but I'm sure it will be worth it.
From what I read, the k20d has wonderful low iso image quality, which stays good up through 1600. I read that the ergonomics are excellent, the viewfinder is bright, and the camera just has a really good, solid overall professional feel to it. Sure, the autofocus might not be as fast as some newer offerings, and it's continuous fps might not be as fast either, but these are things that I find it offering to a lesser degree, as opposed to other cameras completely lacking aspects of the k series that I think I'll appreciate.
Hyper program sounds like it will be fun to use, SR is built into the body, and hopefully lenses will remain affordable for my budget for awhile, even if I have to stick to old MF primes.
So yeah, I realize what I'm getting into by not going with nikon or canon, but I'm pretty confident about this one.
From my understanding in the DSLR market, Pentax lenses are harder to come by, but they've used the same mounting for years, so there's literally decades of lenses available or something? I was in the market myself earlier this year for a DSLR and was probably going to end up going with a Pentax myself, as they seemed to have a slightly better price point and their recent iterations are reviewed almost universally as high if not slightly higher than the comparable Nikon/Canon. Only thing which seemed like a particular oversight was a lack of autofocus points on the low-end model. But for the most part, they've got less history, but they've upped their game to compete with the big boys.
And then one of my coworkers upgraded his camera and was looking to unload his previous Canon with lens, carrying case, and 2 gig memory stick for super cheap, so I just jumped on that. :P
So I've got one which was entry level 6 years ago or so and a lens which can't move forward to better cameras, but it's an awesome way to get used to using a DSLR and was super cheap, so whatever.
Now to be fair, all SLR's may just use a standard lens connection scheme now, I just know all Canon SLR models can share lenses really easy, from the lower end XTi all the way up to the high end EOS bodies.
Basically, once you buy into a brand, you're with that brand for the long haul. Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc all use different lens mounts, so you can't use Nikon lenses on a Canon without an adapter (which do exist, IIRC).
I'm a Canon shooter, 'cause the reviews of the XTi from a few years back when I bought my first DSLR all said it was more rugged and tougher than the comparable Nikon at the time, and since I bought the camera to take to Nicaragua and other dirty, rugged places, I went with that. Now I shoot with a 7D, which is fantastic because video production is my main gig, and photography is more of a hobby. I've got a couple nice lenses now (EF 28mm f/1.8 and EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS), and I'll be buying two more over the next year (50mm f/1.4 and a telephoto zoom tbd). That'll end up being quite a few thousand dollars worth of lenses, so it doesn't make any sense for me to jump to Nikon, 'cause it'll be a huge investment to replace all those lenses.
Nikons are great, though. The high-ISO capabilities of their newer cameras are mind-blowing. My 7D can shoot at ISO6400, but it ain't pretty; very noisy and grainy. The Nikons can get useable images at ISO12000 and higher!