Help me buy a Digital SLR camera

TheBigDaddyDowd

So right now I'm using a six megapixel Olympus fe-200 point and shoot and I want to upgrade. My wife and I are starting to take more trips and going to more concerts so I'm looking for a DSLR. This will be my first camera and I'm looking for general advice on what I should pick up to start out with. DSLR's at Best Buy were around $500-$700 so that's the price range I was looking at. So can anyone recommend me a camera to start out with?

Uncle Long

The latest in consumer base-level DSLRS are the Canon Rebel Tli and the Nikon D5000. Both will stretch your budget. Have a look at the Canon Rebel XS, Xti, and XSi, which are all more affordable and produce significantly improved image quality over a point and shoot. On Nikon's side you also have the Nikon D40, D60, D90. The D40 and D60 won't be around much longer and both can be had on the cheap, however they do not have an in-body motor so you will be restricted in which lens you can purchase. Lenses marked AF-S have their own motor and work on the D40 and D60. The D90 does incorporate an in-body motor and has the same/improved sensor as offered in the pro-level Nikon D300.

Now, the other thing that you're really going to want to look at is glass. Lenses are expensive. Really expensive. Chances are you'll buy a kit that comes with an 18-55mm lens. Both Canon and Nikon offer these kits. Other kits have other lenses, and that's going to be up to you what focal lengths you're interested in. Though, despite the recent improvements in kit lenses, you're not getting the cream of the crop by any means, and the image quality between a kit lens and top level glass or even the Canon or Nikon 50mm f/1.8 (~$100) will be noticeable. That being said you can purchase the body only and purchase any specific lens. The 18-55 mm kit lens is more versatile for a beginner, but the 50mm is as cheap or cheaper and provides substantially improved IQ and low-light performance.

There are also solid performers in the Pentax, Olympus and Sony lines, but I haven't used them and don't feel comfortable giving advice either way.

Canon and Nikon are the big two in the industry right now and at the consumer level it's going to come down to what feels the best in your hand, as the models are quite comparable and all are capable of producing stunning results.

If you think that you'll be looking to purchase a more sophisticated DSLR after this one, then make sure you handle the upper tier bodies while picking your first DSLR, as once you start to build a lens collection it tends to be quite expensive if you suddenly want to switch brands.

Also, drop a line in the photo thread in AC. We tend to be pretty helpful if you have more specific model questions, and it's a great place to see some great photography and to learn the craft.

Good luck!

Edit: Canon also has the 20D, 30D and the 40D which can be purchased used for unbeatable prices. These are a step up from the Rebel line in terms of build quality, size and weight. Best Buy does have the Nikon D200 as a new body-only for $599 in store if you can find it, and that would be a phenomenal deal as well. Also a solid performer with increased build quality, size and weight. It does boast a weather-sealed body, which is nice.

Jeix

Keep in mind a lot of bigger concerts wont let you just walk in and start taking pictures with a DSLR, they don't ignore them like point and shoots.

Gafoto

My recommendation is you buy the previous generation of entry level Canon SLR, the Rebel XSi. It'll save you hundreds and probably make you quite happy. The money you save will probably have to go right into a telephoto lens unless you're right next to the stage.

yalborap

What Uncle Long said about the D40 and D60 isn't entirely accurate. A non AF-S lens will work, as in you can put it on and shoot and such, but you won't be able to autofocus with it. I can't autofocus my 50mm on my D40, for instance. Now, this isn't always a big deal. Most of my stuff I manually focus anyways, so the 50mm is still fantastic. It is something to note, however, and can influence which camera you get.

You should also consider if any of your friends are photographic enthusiasts, and if so, what they shoot. If you're shooting the same brand, then you could borrow their lenses or vice versa, get some help if things go awry, and so on.

Finally, consider if you really want an SLR. I mean, they're fantastic if you really get into it, but they're BIG. And yeah, you won't be able to sneak one into a concert or anything. If you just want something good, I'd honestly suggest a Canon G10, or the G9, which if memory serves is actually slightly better. They're manual-capable point and shoot size cameras, and while they lack the interchangable lenses of an SLR, they DO have most of the other good bits, including a hotshoe if you wanted to tinker with off-camera lighting, and if you were to get really into it, they'd still make for an excellent backup camera, walking-around camera, etc.

EDIT: Oh, whatever you end up choosing, do be sure to consider stuff like the sheer amount of extra hard drive space you'll start taking up. A 10 megapixel camera means some serious filesize increases over a 6 megapixel, even just shooting JPEG. And if you start getting into RAW, your numbers will go through the roof.

Wiley

Since this is already about DSLR cameras I thought I'd throw this in here. Is the additional 300-400 dollars worth the step up from the D60 to the D90?

muninn

I would look at Nikon D50. It contains a focusing motor, and can be had really cheap these days.
I find it superior to the D40 which replaced it.

Zeon

muninn wrote: »

I would look at Nikon D50. It contains a focusing motor, and can be had really cheap these days.
I find it superior to the D40 which replaced it.

Same goes for the D80. Replaced by the D90 and is pretty much the same camera minus 2 megapixels and movie mode. I have one i picked up for about 1/2 of the brand new price after the d90 came out, and its pretty good.