Looking at buying a DSLR Camera

AJDellinger

I've been looking for a quality DSLR camera to start getting into a bit of photography as well as do some videography. I've come to some conclusions from my semi-extensive research based on attempting to understand specifications that I don't fully comprehend. (The bigger the number the better, except when not at all. Or something like that.) Basically, I've whittled my list down to the Canon T2i, and Nikon D90, Sony Alpha SLT-A33. (Which I guess isn't actually a DSLR, which is why it's got a "T" instead of an "R." Letters are important in this.) My budget leans toward the T2i, but if I'm going to spend the money I figure I should do it right. Any personal experience/opinions on the cameras I've listed or can you point me in the direction of some I may have overlooked?

For more complete disclosure, my leaning toward the T2i has to do with video quality, the mic input, and the bang-for-buck value of it. Talk me in to or out of this.

tek

I can only speak to Canon as that's what I own and use. I started with the Digital Rebel, and moved my way up to a 30D. Today I shoot with a 7D and the same 30D, sometimes I get to play with a 5DMkII. The best advise I can give you is get it in your hand and play with it. From my journey, the consumer bodies are straight forward, too much so in my opinion. I found myself wanting the features on the pro-sumer bodies pretty much right away, which is what landed me with the 30D. As far as brand selection, this comes from research, hands-on and personal preference.

wonderpug

I think your best bet is to try the T2i and the D90 in a store to see if you have a natural inclination to the Canon way of doing things or the Nikon. You're not just buying your first SLR right now, you're choosing the platform you're most likely to stick with whenever it's time to buy a new one.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Sell some internal organs, maybe some bone marrow, get yourself a Hasselblad.

Usagi

tek wrote: »

I can only speak to Canon as that's what I own and use. I started with the Digital Rebel, and moved my way up to a 30D. Today I shoot with a 7D and the same 30D, sometimes I get to play with a 5DMkII. The best advise I can give you is get it in your hand and play with it. From my journey, the consumer bodies are straight forward, too much so in my opinion. I found myself wanting the features on the pro-sumer bodies pretty much right away, which is what landed me with the 30D. As far as brand selection, this comes from research, hands-on and personal preference.

Basically this in entirety

I went DSLR shopping after using a film SLR for ages, found I disliked the consumer models partially for their simplicity but mostly because they felt cheap and plasticky. However, this experimenting helped me discover that Sony, Pentax and Nikon bodies don't fit in my hands well, but Canon bodies fit perfectly.

Eventually I found a marvelous deal on a barely used Canon 40D over at KEH, and aside from barely having time to use it due to work and such I love it to pieces.

So advice: don't shy away from used gear (especially lenses) from a reputable site like KEH, and more importantly: go and physically handle the cameras that you're interested in

Varinn

I just so happen to have a nikon D40 that I've been looking to part with as I no longer have an interest or the time to partake in the hobby. If you'd be interested in some more details shoot me a PM and I can get some lists of what's included and a few pictures of it.

Hank_Scorpio

Canon T2i is the last DSLR you'll ever need, it's awesome. But try it out for yourself at a store along with a Nikon to make sure.

AJDellinger

I appreciate all the feedback, I plan on heading into a few local shops to get my hands on some of these.

Varinn wrote: »

I just so happen to have a nikon D40 that I've been looking to part with as I no longer have an interest or the time to partake in the hobby. If you'd be interested in some more details shoot me a PM and I can get some lists of what's included and a few pictures of it.

Took a quick look at the Nikon D40 and saw there was no video recording mode so unfortunately I'll have to pass, but thank you for the offer.