Digital Camera Opinions

[Evilhomer99]

Wondering if anyone owns a D-SLR at about the $800 Range, any suggestions?

 

[jpeyton]

Including lenses?

 

[ElFenix]

yeah, what's your lens budget? and what are you taking pictures of?

might want to look into pentax K100D and the sigma 18-200 or tamron 18-200.

 

[shuttleboi]

Choose an SLR for the family of lenses, not for the body. You're going to upgrade the body every 3-5 years, but your good lenses will last forever.

I have a Canon 5D now, but I started off in 2003 with the Digital Rebel and the Tamron 28-75mm, a combination which I dearly loved.

 

[pkme2]

Canon EOS with its family of interchangeable lenses can't be beat. My students have gone that route for that very reason.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/contr...etailAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=11933

 

[JulesMaximus]

I recently bought a 30D to replace my aging 300D (first generation digital rebel) and I love it. I have some decent L glass which I've had for a few years.

 

[Evilhomer99]

Well, i'm strictly using it for an upgrade, not proffesional. I like to dabble in photography, So guess i'd like a basic package with good multipurpose lense, and good lens expandability. I just dont know much about what is too much, or too cheap. How many lenses would I need to casual use? And I guess my budget would be 700-1000 for camera, and at least one lens.

 

[pkme2]

Canon Rebel

 

[AndrewR]

It seems you've been attacked by the Canon rabble, but keep an open mind. Here are your choices.

Canon -- you can see that above.

Nikon -- Older choice, the D50 which can be had for about $600 with a basic lens. That saves some money for either a longer lens or perhaps an external flash which can be very nice. If you want a little more functionality (not too much though), consider an older D70 or D70s, which are a little more substantial but also a little more expensive. Nikon has not announced a replacement for the D50 though it's expected before Spring. The D70 replacement is the D80 which runs about $1100 with a kit lens.

Pentax -- Older choice, the *istD series which can be found under $500 from what I remember seeing. Pentax is nice because you can use ANY Pentax lens so your ability to buy off eBay is good. They have new ones that are still very affordable, the K100 or K110. I honestly don't know much about them. One criticism of Pentax is the lack of a wide variety of lenses, which may or may not matter depending on how much you get into your hobby. Pentax is one of two manufacturers that uses in-body stabilization, meaning that every lens is image stabilized, unlike Nikon and Canon which sell very expensive versions of their lenses that are stabilized. Only the newer ones use this (not the *istD line).

Olympus -- Older, E300 (~$500). Newer, E330 ($800) or E500 ($600). Olympus has a long reputation, but they've struggled a little with digital from what I've seen. They are respectable cameras from what I know, though one big criticism is dim viewfinders (which makes focusing a pain). These use the 4/3rds system which spans a few manufacturers, theoretically giving it a wider range of lenses.

Sony (formerly Konica-Minolta formerly Minolta) -- KM 5D, KM 7D, or Sony A100, about $600, $700 and $800 respectively with a kit lens (first two might be hard to find, except for auctions). This is my brand (7D) so I have to admit to a little bias. These are the other cameras which use in-camera stabilization, the 7D being the first to do so of anyone. Minolta is one of the older camera companies so there are a ton of used Maxxum (now Alpha mount) mount lenses available, and Sony has committed themselves to continuing the mount and has already introduced some new ones including three by Carl Zeiss. The A100 just came out this summer and has received excellent reviews. I love my 7D.

Panasonic and Samsung -- both have DSLRs out now, but I don't know much about them.

Did I miss anyone?

 

[GTaudiophile]

$1000? Ouch!

Nikon D50 + Tamron 17-50 F2.8 = $983.95.

This of course does not include cleaning kit, memory card, memory reader, tripod, case, etc.

Edit: Far be it for me to recommend Nikon over Canon but there is no other way to get decent glass for under $1000.00.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
It seems you've been attacked by the Canon rabble, but keep an open mind. Here are your choices.

So what? You're the voice of reason and logic and you're completely unbiased in this debate? Give me a break. I've never attacked anyone here for suggesting Nikon, in fact, I've always been very supportive of those who've bought or suggested Nikon gear. I think Nikon and Canon are the only real, decent choices in DSLR. Obviously I'm going to recommend Canon but I'll freely admit that Nikon is also an excellent choice. Those are really the only two I'd consider though.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Go to www.FredMiranda.com and register on their forums. They've got a terrific Buy/Sell section. If you really want value, I would go used.

Canon Rebel XT: $500 or lower shipped
Canon 20D: $750 shipped
Nikon D50: $475 shipped, not as easily found
Tamron 17-50mm: $419 shipped in either Nikon or Canon mount

2GB Sandisk Ultra II CompactFlash: $55 shipped
Sterlingtek Battery: $10-15 shipped
Wired remote shutter release: $10-15 shipped

 

[Rogodin2]

I have a Nikon D70-I bought it from my friend for $200-and I'm going to drop about $500 on a good lens-using a Nikor FFL 50mm

Rogo

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AndrewR
It seems you've been attacked by the Canon rabble, but keep an open mind. Here are your choices.

So what? You're the voice of reason and logic and you're completely unbiased in this debate? Give me a break. I've never attacked anyone here for suggesting Nikon, in fact, I've always been very supportive of those who've bought or suggested Nikon gear. I think Nikon and Canon are the only real, decent choices in DSLR. Obviously I'm going to recommend Canon but I'll freely admit that Nikon is also an excellent choice. Those are really the only two I'd consider though.

So what? Someone is looking for a camera and has probably 0.01% chance of ever needing professional level gear. Canon and Nikon both make excellent cameras and lenses but so do other manufacturers -- far be it from a Canikon groupie to admit that (notice, I've admitted the reverse).

I think the only DSLR in the sub-professional market which made the correct decisions about ergonomics is the Maxxum 7D because I almost NEVER have to navigate menus. Can someone, especially an amateur hobbyist, get excellent results from another camera? Certainly. Can they get excellent results from a Pentax, an Oly, a Sony, or even (*GASP*) a Samsung? They sure can.

Quit being such a fanboy and acknowledge that there are other camera systems besides Canon and Nikon. Heck, the new Pentax is weather sealed -- how much does Canon charge for that feature? $5000?

 

[GTaudiophile]

The Pentax K10D Hands-On Preview from DPreview.

I must say, I am impressed.

$899 Body
11 AF Points
Weather Sealed
10.2 MPX CCD
Best-In-Class Viewfinder

No doubt Canon/Nikon could learn a thing or two from Pentax.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: AndrewR

So what? Someone is looking for a camera and has probably 0.01% chance of ever needing professional level gear. Canon and Nikon both make excellent cameras and lenses but so do other manufacturers -- far be it from a Canikon groupie to admit that (notice, I've admitted the reverse).

i believe i am a canonikon guy (well, canon), and i recommended the pentax

<--- only just realized that nikon obviously derives from ikon, like pentax derives from contax (and is a far better name than pentacon)

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AndrewR
It seems you've been attacked by the Canon rabble, but keep an open mind. Here are your choices.

So what? You're the voice of reason and logic and you're completely unbiased in this debate? Give me a break. I've never attacked anyone here for suggesting Nikon, in fact, I've always been very supportive of those who've bought or suggested Nikon gear. I think Nikon and Canon are the only real, decent choices in DSLR. Obviously I'm going to recommend Canon but I'll freely admit that Nikon is also an excellent choice. Those are really the only two I'd consider though.

So what? Someone is looking for a camera and has probably 0.01% chance of ever needing professional level gear. Canon and Nikon both make excellent cameras and lenses but so do other manufacturers -- far be it from a Canikon groupie to admit that (notice, I've admitted the reverse).

I think the only DSLR in the sub-professional market which made the correct decisions about ergonomics is the Maxxum 7D because I almost NEVER have to navigate menus. Can someone, especially an amateur hobbyist, get excellent results from another camera? Certainly. Can they get excellent results from a Pentax, an Oly, a Sony, or even (*GASP*) a Samsung? They sure can.

Quit being such a fanboy and acknowledge that there are other camera systems besides Canon and Nikon. Heck, the new Pentax is weather sealed -- how much does Canon charge for that feature? $5000?

You're the one who accused me and everyone else here who suggested buying Canon gear of being "Canon rabble." Yeah, I like Canon gear. I'll admit, I'm not up on any other DSLR cameras other than Canon or Nikon. I've found that Canon and Nikon tend to dominate the DSLR camera market though and their lenses are second to none once you go to their professional stuff.

Personally, if it's something you think you might get really into I'd buy a decent entry level body and get some halfway decent glass. Yeah, I'd go with Canon or Nikon. YMMV.

 

[MazerRackham]

Go with Canon and buy my 17-40L and 70-200L lenses!

 

[Staples]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I recently bought a 30D to replace my aging 300D (first generation digital rebel) and I love it. I have some decent L glass which I've had for a few years.

How much better is the view finder. I have been thinking about upgrading too. I tried to look at the ones at BB but none of them have lenses on them and the sales people kept walking around me so I was uncomfortable.

 

[Staples]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
The Pentax K10D Hands-On Preview from DPreview.

I must say, I am impressed.

$899 Body
11 AF Points
Weather Sealed
10.2 MPX CCD
Best-In-Class Viewfinder

No doubt Canon/Nikon could learn a thing or two from Pentax.

That looks to be a hellava deal. There are no sample pictures up there but everything else seems to be really good on that camera. If I didn't have so much in Canon lenses, I might have looked into one of those. Well, I still am, who am I kidding.

 

[soydios]

I have a Nikon D50, all ordered from Amazon.com:

- Nikon D50 w/ 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens ($650) <-- decent lens (distortion at 18-24mm, vignetting at 45-55mm)
- Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 kit lens ($200) <-- surprisingly good lens for the price
- Nikon Accessory Pack for Nikon DSLR, includes a nice gadget bag, 52mm UV filter, and EN-EL3a battery ($75) <-- awesome deal, good bag, original Nikon high-capacity battery, decent protective filter
- Sandisk 2GB UltraII SD card ($90) <-- you need this to use the continuous shooting feature
- Hoya 52mm filter kit: 1x UV and 1x Circular-Polarizer filter ($40) <-- good protective filter and a circular polarizer for minimizing outdoor glare off reflective surfaces

~$1100 after it was shipped to me

I have a pair of 30-year-old Nikkor lenses from my dad's Nikkormat FT film SLR, and they work just fine on the SLR (must be in manual or shutter-priority mode, does not work with light meter): a 50mm f/1.4 for portraits and a 135mm f/3.5 for telephoto. Those two lenses, plus the entire suite of Nikkor lenses (my next upgrade will most likely be the 18-200 VR and an SB-800 speedlight, maybe in a year or two) and accessories, is why I decided to go with Nikon. Nikon cameras are endlessly upgradeable, all of it with high-quality Nikon original accessories and lenses. Sigma and Tamron are good, but IMHO, nothing matches Nikkor or Canon. And with regards to Canon versus Nikon lenses, just to add fuel to the fire: Nikon makes rifle scopes, and Canon does not.

I love the feel of the D50, and IMHO, its bang-for-your-buck can't be beat in the DSLR market. The battery life is simply epic; you will be limited by your memory card, not by the battery, especially with the second battery in the Nikon Accessory Pack. Nikon also handles higher ISO (sensitivity) better than the entry-level Canons, because of bigger sensors with less pixels crammed in. On my D50, ISO 1600 is for emergency flash-less indoor shots, but ISO 800 has acceptable noise levels. ISO 400 is what I use for general use, and ISO 200 is for portraits with a tripod or outdoor sunlight. The camera retains most of the features from its bigger brother, the D70s. For things like white balance, however, you need to use the on-camera presets. Beware, however, that the D50 alone cannot act as a master for an SB-800 remote speedlight group; you need to mount an SB-800 to the on-camera hotshoe to do that.

 

[foghorn67]

Remember with the choice in the body, you will be married to the system it supports. Canon and Nikon have the greatest range of products from themselves and third party. The lens selection is vast. And they offer USM (Canon) Silent Wave (Nikon) and HSM (Sigma's version of USM/SW).
I learned I cannot live without speedy AF. Not only do these motors make AF snappy, they really are silent.
On lens IS is better. Expensive yes, but it comes handy on longer focal lengths compared to sensor based IS.
The Pentax has a limited selection of AF lenses. Maybe not your concern if you are a begginer. Read some Canon and Nikon forums on popular boards like Fred Miranda. Nikon and Canon users always seek advice on what lens to get for their purpose. It's because they can afford to be picky because of the vast selection. With Pentax, you might seem stuck.
Pentax does have the mount system that includes every Pentax SLR lens made since like 1971 or something. There are some great MF prime lenses for awesome prices. Fun for landscapes, portraits, street photography. Not my thing though. Everyone differs here.
Nikon too will support The Nikon MF lens mount, just be careful to check compatabilty before you have your heart set on a specific lens.
The other thing too. I found some great aftermarket batteries for my Canon for 12 bucks each. Nikon users will say the same. Does Sterlingtek make Pentax batteries? The optional grip for the Pentax K10d doesn't take AA's like the Canon or Nikons do. That concerns me a little.
Plug in support for camera/sensor specific RAW processing, noise reduction, lens correction is geared towards Nikon/Canon.

If you want a camera system you would like to 'grow' into, upgrade bodies, lenses, flashes. Canon and Nikon are the way to go.
If you want a full featured camera for entry level price, Pentax looks hot if you are not picky on lens and flash selection.
I am a Canon nut. But I am recommeding the K10D for my dad. I think he will have fun reliving Pentax MF primes for not much money.

 

[Czar]

Get a 400d body and a 50mm f1.8 lense from canon, an excelent start

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Staples

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I recently bought a 30D to replace my aging 300D (first generation digital rebel) and I love it. I have some decent L glass which I've had for a few years.

How much better is the view finder. I have been thinking about upgrading too. I tried to look at the ones at BB but none of them have lenses on them and the sales people kept walking around me so I was uncomfortable.

I was comparing the two yesterday afternoon and the difference is huge. The viewfinder on the 30D is not only larger but it is brighter and clearer. I always had a difficult time using manual focus on the 300D but with the 30D I can really tell when it is in focus. I think manual focus on the 300D is pretty much useless.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: AndrewR
It seems you've been attacked by the Canon rabble, but keep an open mind. Here are your choices.

So what? You're the voice of reason and logic and you're completely unbiased in this debate? Give me a break. I've never attacked anyone here for suggesting Nikon, in fact, I've always been very supportive of those who've bought or suggested Nikon gear. I think Nikon and Canon are the only real, decent choices in DSLR. Obviously I'm going to recommend Canon but I'll freely admit that Nikon is also an excellent choice. Those are really the only two I'd consider though.

So what? Someone is looking for a camera and has probably 0.01% chance of ever needing professional level gear. Canon and Nikon both make excellent cameras and lenses but so do other manufacturers -- far be it from a Canikon groupie to admit that (notice, I've admitted the reverse).

I think the only DSLR in the sub-professional market which made the correct decisions about ergonomics is the Maxxum 7D because I almost NEVER have to navigate menus. Can someone, especially an amateur hobbyist, get excellent results from another camera? Certainly. Can they get excellent results from a Pentax, an Oly, a Sony, or even (*GASP*) a Samsung? They sure can.

Quit being such a fanboy and acknowledge that there are other camera systems besides Canon and Nikon. Heck, the new Pentax is weather sealed -- how much does Canon charge for that feature? $5000?

You're the one who accused me and everyone else here who suggested buying Canon gear of being "Canon rabble." Yeah, I like Canon gear. I'll admit, I'm not up on any other DSLR cameras other than Canon or Nikon. I've found that Canon and Nikon tend to dominate the DSLR camera market though and their lenses are second to none once you go to their professional stuff.

Personally, if it's something you think you might get really into I'd buy a decent entry level body and get some halfway decent glass. Yeah, I'd go with Canon or Nikon. YMMV.

I must have forgotten the "" as it was more a term of endearment than an indictment.

As for their lenses being second to none, you are blinded by your loyalty. Minolta G-series lenses are easily as good as Canon's L glass, without question. There are some L-series lenses which are matched by other manufacturers' offerings. My Minolta 70-210mm f/4 is noted for being a very fine lens (I can vouch for that), and those that can have compared it to Canon's L-series.

I just wish they made lenses like that one still -- metal construction, built like a tank, and very fine optics for a not-astronomical price. Now, they run about $150, which is a steal, but they were built in the mid to late '80s and are still going strong. Does anyone think the plastic lenses are going to do the same in 2026?

Carl Zeiss lenses are widely considered among the best in the world, and those used to be Contax only. They'll work on Canon with an adapter, but now CZ is preparing lenses for Sony's line. The word is out on their quality, however.