What's the cheapest route to go for DSLR?

[m2kewl]

go get it used on the fredmiranda.com B/S forums

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: kitkit201
you can get a d70 for 650 or less 😉 very nice camera... !🙂 check my photoblog.. i switched from the 300d to the d70 because of the ease of use and the kick ass battery life!

I'd be amazed if I charge my 300D up once a month...then again, I almost never use the on camera flash and I never review pictures on the camera with the LCD either.

Besides, once you start investing in glass it's much more difficult to just switch brands like that.

qft.

I've got Minolta glass for my film SLR. I was waiting for Minolta to join the DSLR game but they haven't. At least not in the affordable range. So I'm probably going to bail on Minolta and go Canon or Nikon. There's all kinds of glass and accessories for those two brands that can't be found (at least not easily) for the less popular brands.

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: m2kewl
go get it used on the fredmiranda.com B/S forums

Boioioioing. Thank you so much. :heart:

 

[yhelothar]

*ist DS body only costs $560 at www.buydig.com
If you want a great portable dSLR with a great line of lens, and a great viewfinder, the pentax is the best choice.
One thing that is commonly overlooked nowadays is the viewfinder. Typical budget SLRs, such as offerings from your favorite Canon digital rebels, and Nikon D70s, both use low quality pentamirror viewfinders that result in low resolution and low magnification. Pentax actually includes a pentaprism viewfinder that you will usually only find on higher end models. This is a critical aspect that is imperative to have accurate manual focusing.

Pentax also has the best compatibility with old lens. You can fit on anything from over 30 years ago with full lens functionality. With a $10 adapter, you can use even older lens that use the screwmount.
Now why would you want to use old lens?
First of all, the price, you can get great lens for a fraction of the cost.
In two weeks, I have amassed a total for SIX lenses for ~$400 from ebay.

SMC DA 18-55mm kit lens - $105
SMC FA 35-70mm/80-200mm circa early 90s -$85
SMC M 50mm F/1.4 circa early 80s from ebay for $55
SMC A 135mm F/3.5 circa late 70s from ebay for $45
Super Takumar 300mm F/4 circa late 60s for $105.

If bought new, such a lens collection would have set you back over $2000.
Aside from the lack of autofocus, the old manual focus fixed focal length lenses have about the same quality as the new lens if not better. In fact, they are in many aspects better. Nothing beats the smooth focus of a manual focusing lens. Autofocus lens in comparison, have loose focusing mechanisms, so the motor can spin it more easily. If you ever used both autofocus and manual focus, the difference is like night and day.
And don't overlook Pentax's quality either. According to Lumious Landscapes, they have the best fast fifty, and their limited line of lenses are the highest quality ever made.
Here are some great reviews of Pentax lenses.
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-02-11-24.shtml
But I've taken pictures that look just as wonderful with another, albeit completely forgotten aristocrat ? the M42 screwmount Pentax Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f/1.4. This is one of my favorite lenses, in fact. Its results can be simply gorgeous. Of course, to use this lens you'll have to put up with using a Spotmatic, one of the greatest SLRs in history but long in the tooth today. An engineer at a Japanese camera company told me that if this lens were manufactured and marketed today, it would most likely have to sell for $1,200 to $1,500. I got mine for $60.

Here are a few pics I took with it..
Macro with the 135mm F/3.5 with a Leica closeup lens I got from ebay for $5
another macro
yet another one
Sample shot I took with my 300mm F/4 that only cost me $105, this lens would have cost over $1200 new
Don't expect to get anywhere near this kind of sharpness with $200 cheap zoom lenses.

 

[yhelothar]

No :heart: for Pentax here 🙁

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
No :heart: for Pentax here 🙁

I read it. Thanks for taking the time to post that :thumbsup:

I'll keep Pentax in mind if I decide to go DSLR in the future 🙂

Now take a picture of your eye with your hot macro action and post it in here and add it to the collection 😀

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
No :heart: for Pentax here 🙁

I'm trying to find a good comparison of the current affordable line of DSLR cameras. The Pentax looks very tempting though. I've seen them being sold used for under $500. Same with the Digital Rebel though. Decisions decisions.

 

[kitkit201]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: kitkit201
you can get a d70 for 650 or less 😉 very nice camera... !🙂 check my photoblog.. i switched from the 300d to the d70 because of the ease of use and the kick ass battery life!

I'd be amazed if I charge my 300D up once a month...then again, I almost never use the on camera flash and I never review pictures on the camera with the LCD either.

Besides, once you start investing in glass it's much more difficult to just switch brands like that.

The only reason why I was in a good sitution to switch from Canon to Nikon was because my best friend had a Nikon D70 and so we switche DSLR' for a week. He came back to me because he loved the 28-135mm IS that I had on it and he liked it even more because of the "IS" feature. I loved his D70 becuase i can go shooting 1500 shots and the battery will still have juice. Granted that the IS probably did take a big part of the battery life out of the 300D, but in my opinion, it was too flimsy and felt cheap... IMHO!

So.. the trade was this.
My...
Canon 300D
18-55mm Kit lens
28-135mm IS lens
Box and manuals

For his
Nikon D70
QUantaray 18-50mm Lens
Nikkor 70-300 Zoom Lens
SB-600 Flash

I later got a Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 for the Nikon and it literraly blew me away.. As you can see, I didnt' really start investing in glass, so I was fortnately enough to "switch" without it interfering too much.

To me, the D70 just felt more solid, professional..

Yes, you can get the D70 for 650 or less. I remember seeing someone selling the body for like $550 or something, so go on Fredmiranda.com and check it out!

Thanks Upscillion for taking me back to this thread.. it's been a while since i actually actively participanted in a thread this long 🙂

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
No :heart: for Pentax here 🙁

I'm trying to find a good comparison of the current affordable line of DSLR cameras. The Pentax looks very tempting though. I've seen them being sold used for under $500. Same with the Digital Rebel though. Decisions decisions.

The quality of the bodys are all about the same. It should be the lenses that you should be looking at. Canon does make great lenses, under the L line. Unfortunately, those lenses start at over $400 usually.
Pentax, on the other hand, you can buy some old kick ass lens for $60 that could often match or possibly even beat Canon's brand new L lenses.

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
The quality of the bodys are all about the same. It should be the lenses that you should be looking at. Canon does make great lenses, under the L line. Unfortunately, those lenses start at over $400 usually.
Pentax, on the other hand, you can buy some old kick ass lens for $60 that could often match or possibly even beat Canon's brand new L lenses.

Do you have much experience with Nikkor lenses? If so, how would you rate them?