System Camera - Which one to buy!?
Long story short - this is to all photographers out there that know their stuff - I need some tiny itsy bitsy help ^^; I'm planning on buying my first system camera - problem is, theres like thousands out there and I don't really know much about them either, since I don't have one (obviously). I did try reading articles and blogs about certain cameras - most common one i found was Lumix from Panasonic but I'm still lost. Anyhoo...
I'd like some tips and advices from you comrades about this ^^; Share your knowledge and guide me towards the right path~ A little of what I'm planning to take pictures of (and film) are my precious figures among other things - I do like macro photography (Been taking photos with my digital camera). Thats kinda my priority - but thats adjustable by lens. So the main thing - reasonable price, able to film (fast with more fps if thats possible? - guess then it'd have to be a video cam >>;) - I make movies so. But of course, I'd love to take scenic pictures and picture my figures~ thats the main thing (You still following? ^^;) Well thats it - don't know the details like 32342 blah blah lens or hisaodh mobo system or mombo jumbo so - any help is appreciated x]
Thanks in adv // ND
My personal favorites that are pretty decent in price are the Canon Rebels. They go between $500 - $700ish. But my all time favorites are the Nikon D-series. The cheapest is the D4o since it's an earlier model, but it's still incredible. I'm saving up for one. n___n
D-40*!
Agreed on this one. I think that Canon Rebels are a great way to jump into the higher end camera game.
canon 550d , belive me its a very wonderful dslr
mine's all taken on a 500d , take a look at my posts :3c
I agree, go for 550D. You won't regret it. It's an excellent choice for first DSLR.
If you don't mind a bit of a learning curve, the Nikon D300S is a great choice of DSLR. Keep in mind though it takes some getting used to....
D300s. just got one :)
How do you like your D300s? What optics have you tried so far?
You really can't beat Nikon's glass. don't get me wrong feature wise the Canon's and Nikon's are very similar. When it comes down to it you just have a hard time beating Nikon's glass.
Very expensive!
Thanks for the advices/suggestions so far - looking threw some info on them on their websites atm - They all seem so good x] Stumbled upon Casio Exilim as well, that any good?
a good resource to check out is http://www.pbase.com/ you can see what others are doing with which camera and get an idea of quality of the images.
btw, I'm a Nikonian, but also might like to pick up a Panasonic LX3 (or 4 if they ever release one) which seems like a little creative 16:9 gem.
Nikon D5000 or D90, or Canon EOS 500D or 550D (maybe the better ones, ne D90/D300s and the 50D will be replaced later this year)
Depends on the lenses you want and personal taste.
I wouldn't start with the lower ones.
Remember to hold the camera you want in your own hands before you buy it, or you'll end ob regretting it. (got a D5000 and bought a D300 some weeks later since the D5000 was to small)
With "lower ones" i'm refering to the Nikon D3000 and EOS 1000D
Why don't start with the lower ones though? I got a Canon Rebel a few years back as a gift from my mom but never had time to really get into photographing my figures. What would be the difference between the lower and mid-end models?
I bought a Nikon D60 a little over a year ago and while it's really a good DSLR I'm wishing I would have put out a little extra cash and got the D90 since it has video. (I'm also a Nikonian but don't pick only based on brand) :D
I'm very tempted to sell mine and go for a D90 or D5000. I missed the video so much I ended up buying a $350 sony digital video camera but now I have to lug both around.
If the cost isn't out of your range - a DSLR that has at least 720p video is a good setup. All you need then is a good fast lens and you can take some fantastic shots. Look at the 50mm lenses that go for about $100, you get so much quality for the money.
Thanks so much so far for all these suggestions! - Seems to me like i get to choose from 2, a Nikon D5000 or D90, or Canon EOS 500D or 550D - Reading threw a bunch of reviews and alike on them - they seem to be on par with each other, the D5000 and the 500D x] So hard to decide xD
Seeing as how you've narrowed it down a bit, look and see how the buttons are arranged. At this point, I'd go with what is easiest to understand, control-wise. I use an old Canon EOS 20D, and it's doing fine. Good Luck!
O.o
good suggestion, while I have learned to use Nikon's features, I find that they are somewhat cumbersome to get to on the D300s, and the video mode isn't easy to access. Though not a canon shooter, I have played around with the EOS 7D and found the ergonomics to be quite nice....
i suggest the D3000.... here's a Editor's choice:
http://www.photoreview.com.au/Nikon/reviews/digitalslr/nikon-d3000.aspx
I picked up a Sony Alpha 330 for about $650.00 CDN last x-mas.. My main reason for going with the Alpha was that I had a Minolta Maxum 7000, and the lenses for the Maxums fit and work with the Alphas.
This past weekend I wandered into a pawn shop, and picked up a 100-300mm zoom Minolta AF lens for only $58.00 CDN.. A new Sony built lens would be in the $300 - $350 range... Works just fine..
If I hadn't had the Minolta, it would be a toss up between a Canon or Nikon..
My 0.02 worth...
I would Recommend the Nikon D5000 as it shoots HD Video and Lenses are generally cheaper on the Nikon cameras.
That said, i just recently bought a Sigma 70-300mm Telephoto lens and it was only £50! Which is bargen if you ask me.
One other good point going for the Nikon D90 is the body has it's own auto focus motor. My D60 is like the D5000 and doesn't have one. What that means is if you use a lens that doesn't have it's own auto focus motor you have to manually focus each shot....
My Nikkor 50mm f1.8 lens (http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/5018af.htm) was less than $100 and takes great shots but I don't get auto focus. :( To me that ended up being one of my regrets about the D60.
If you want a good Camera for starters, Canon's new EOS 550D would be so far the best I could recommend. If you want something a bit better than that, I'd chose Canon EOS 40D... and if you want the best in the line, get a one-digit D-SLR. XD
In a nutshell, I'd recommend EOS 550D and 40D. Just avoid EOS 50D. XD
I agree kellycakes... I use and recomend Canon... but if wanto to spend yor money for shure go for a Nikon!!!!
This is what i have and it's an awesome partner, but if you are getting a new camera, go get it's brother the 550D with kit II you will love the flexibility and the ability to shoot at night.
Plus you get 30FPS HD video recording option for mic input... Really loved it when i touched the demo kit sometime back...
what is your budget? For all the recommendations here, the most important question is, what can you afford?
This question while very obvious as the most important one, seems to be always neglected or relegated as the side quest whenever buying where instead it should have been the first question asked.
Once you have answered that, then you can start nailing down the choices base on that budget.
Oh, budgets no problem, I can actually afford most of them. Just that I want quality and price to go hand in hand so that i don't need to spend too much on the camera alone. But like 900$ ish? (6000-7000 kr).
Went out to the shop where you could try most of their cameras just some min ago. Fell in love with the Nikon D5000 18-55. Fits perfect in my hand and Ive already learned how to use it after an hour of tingeling with it (and asking loads of questions to the one who helped me there). Love the photos i took x]. I might just buy it, was at a price of 5700 swedish kronors. Thanks again so much for the help guys!
My my, you should really think about this hard... Nikon's are very pocket-friendly considering lenses since Nikon's mecahnics are in the camera's body itself. For Canon though, the mechanics are in the lenses which makes lenses much more expensive compared to Nikon's and the camera itself. If you're looking for budget-friendly kits, I'd go Nikon. But if do have the time for intensive study of what a D-SLR can really do, I'd personally suggest Canon. Takes a few times to master its concept, but once you've inserted yourself into the machine, you will see what a D-SLR can REALLY do.
I will - and i shall think about it hard. Gonna wait like another week or two till i actually buy it, so i can think about it. Since I am a beginner at this, and this will be my first camera - a nice Nikon sounds nice atm. And budget-friendly kits sounds nice to me as well as i am studying atm. I'll give myself a couple of years till i really start digging myself into what a DSLR can Really do ;p
Well... either way, I'll leave you with my dad's wisest words! XD
"Instead of buying a low-grade now, and eventually upgrading into the high-grade... If I were you, I'd by the top-grade now no matter how expensive. Because upgrading a few times from the low-grade may end up to be twice or thrice more expensive than buying today's top-grade."
get the d5000 but for me i buy the d90
The D90 was kinda over my budget - when i earn a bit more then maybe xD
Think I'll be going with this :] Thanks so much for the help once again x]
let your hands choose for you . . . does the camera fit your hands . . most important . . . I used Leica and Nikon (s5mm film) and used Canon now - all great machines. :D