NSVWRX just went through this and now I am....:rofl: Where can I get good starter DSLR camera? I don't want to drop a ton of change on this....it's a starter for the wife and until she shows me she will use it enough to warrant $1000+ purchase I will not spend that much. Really only looking at Nikon and Canon but will entertain others if they are excellent DSLR cameras with upgradable lens and such. I need to school up on DSLR and how to take those AWESOME photos. Any sites for researching that will make sense would be appreciated.
I'll consider it but Nikon are more bang for the buck and more useable from what I read. Also heard lots of complaints about button placement.
Meh. You can't go wrong with either. Canon definitely has more market share than Nikon so cheap used units are easier. But the newer Nikons do have some cool features. The one Alex just picked up has two memory card slots. Something you can't get in canons until you step up to a 1D. Basically, until you want to drop some serious coin, either brand will be more than adequate.
As i said.. its hard to go wrong with the entry level nikons. The d3100 is SUPER light (500g) and has alot of the features of the more expensive canons. Full 3d matrix af is the nice-- has ADR as well. Hard to beat for 500 bucks.
You are buying a camera for a newb therefore I wouldn't go for anything more than a Canon Rebel platform or Nikon equivalent. She has no clue what half of the functions do so why overwhelm someone with a pro grade camera. The only real advantage the professional models have is pixels, lenses and frames per second. So unless she plans on framing poster size pics all over the house they are a waste of money for us mere mortals.
Yup. She is wanting to learn and work up to semi pro level. Wife has a serious passion for photography....I think she spent more than half her time on our recent vacation taking photos....lol. I'm very close to biting the bullet on a Nikon D3100. Then she can do private photo sessions with some local groups and friends to make money and buy a more pro level camera if she wants.
I've always found Nikon to be a bit more innovative than Canon. However, I complete agree with what Matteo said. It really comes down to how you and your hands like the menu and input style of the bodies. There's at least 4 levels of camera bodies not including the point and shoots (from amature through hobbyist up to semi-pro/pro full frame and finally Swim-shoot-model photographer-professional- full-frame-fury Hasselblad style). I believe often times you'll find yourself moving up through the lenses faster than the bodies themselves. The glass is what is most important, period. Nevertheless, it is in your best interest to find a camera body that can support both amateur and semi-pro level lenses (D and F mount with Nikon, for example). This will allow you to at least rent nice glass and continue to explore the hobby. The weight of the camera body is irrelevant to me. Wait till you slap on a large telephoto lens Almost all the DSLR's weigh the same and even a 1/2 lb body grows tiresome around your neck all day. Invest in a high quality trap and tripod and you'll be just fine.
Right, which means you can take the DX or FX lenses...unlike the D40 where you're stuck in the lower level of things. Oh, and the dual memory card bit is pretty badass from a backup point of view. You can set the camera to basically write to both simultaneously, creating a backup so that if your laptop were to catch fire with your SD card installed you'll still have your photos.
If you are going to shoot with a Nikon and are a amature I would recommend to purchase a used D5000 or a D3100. The guides and menu on a D5000 are very noob friendly and will actually tell you what aperture and Shutter speeds is recommended for different lighting. They both have the option to shoot HD video too. The lens kit is fine if you are just starting off which i believe is a 18-55 lens and I would also purchase a 55-200 nikon vr lens for your telephoto needs. To me glass is the most important purchase in photography but can be quite expensive.
Here are some shots I took with a D5000 and a tamron 17-50mm f2.8 lens. http://jalbum.net/en/browse/user/album/954133/
Nikons are all F-mount, the D3100 is a 'crop' sensor so is natively intended for a DX lens vs a G (pro level full 35mm). However, full frame pro glass is compatible with the consumer/prosumer crop cameras. SO on Nikon you can actually run any nikon glass from i think the early 70s to current on any prosumer/pro body and a consumer body like a D3100 will actually run lenses from the early 1950's. Nikon pro bodies actually have a 'crop' mode to run with a DX lens, dunno why but it works. (random tid bit because i'm bored)
Oh heyy. That STi I saw at school and at Indian Trail was there. The one with the 2 gold and 2 silver stock BBSs.
Well, as I understand it, a lot of issues with your retro glass comes down to the location of the AF motor (if you intend to use it). I think it was the D40 that didnt have the AF motor on the body, and had no choice but to rely on the AF in the lens. And thank you for the correction on the mount nomenclature.
Correct, it boils down to the generation of autofocus on the lens if there is AF built in. The d40 is one of the first really popular prosumers, that lacked the AF drive motor in the body, and also lacks a aperature collar on the body to let the camera know what aperature such classic lenses are set to. So the consumer/entry level dslr's w/o the drive motor can actually accept more lenses than a prosumer/pro body with the mechanical drive motor. Granted the lens only works in full manual mode, but it can work. That aperture collar is really important bc a really old nikkor lens won't have a tab to come in contact with it, and can actually distort/break that collar and give you a really bad day. Now to get more on topic for the sake of not being an ass, basically if you have a consumer level nikon body, you can rock whatever lens you want that is sold NEW retail and it will work, and most of the time, pricing will make it very evident if you're looking at a fullframe/pro lens. Sorry Cool for getting all techno-babble, and drifting a bit...
Cool, least I remember the D40 was on that list But I still fail to see how the D40 even gets you off the basic consumer level. And FWIW, BestBuy's super Nikon promo sale is now over
Now the long road to picking and choosing lens. Man there's so much reading to do and so many options. I'm forseeing thousands in lens and upgrades....LOL.
You'll only need one -- Nikkor 18-200 VR 2 . Nevertheless, the Nikkor 50/1.8 is damn near impossible to pass on at its price point. It is a prime lens, meaning non-telephoto, which is wonderful as it forces you to think differently about how you compose a shot. It's large aperture also makes it a great lens for quick portraits, pets and small children that cannot sit still. And for kicks, here's the aperture mechanism from a Canon 50mm (thanks wikipedia).
Correct me if I'm wrong but don't believe that a Nikkor 50 1.8 would not be a compatible lens with his 3100 because it does not have a built in motor in the body and he would only have the ability to manually focus. I think a better buy or something just as good as the 50m would be the NNikon - AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 Lens for Nikon F-Mount Digital SLR Cameras because of the built in motor in the lens.
Excellent point, I completely forgot about that. The 35/1.8 works well from what I have read. I almost bought one at BestBuy last weekend when they were on sale to try it out.
Yep, both nikon lenses. 18-55 comes in the d3100 kit. 55-200 (didnt mean 18-200) http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-55-200mm-VR-Vibration-Reduction/dp/B000O161X0
If you have never shot with a fast lens I would at least advise you to rent one from keh or your local photobarn since your located in Gwinnett. There is a world of difference when you can shoot with good glass. For a budget and best bang for the buck I would suggest a tamron 17-50m f2.8 It holds its own when comparing to the Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G DX selling for US$1199 When the tamron is only $399 Here is a review by Thom Hogan enjoy http://www.bythom.com/1750lens.htm
Buying a DX lens for a FX designed camera is stupid unles you already own the DX lens. Direct quote from Ken Rockwell.
To tell you the truth you should not even bother with the 18-55 kit lens and just by the 3100 body and use the extra money you saved to purchase a tamropn 17-50mm f/2.8 fast lens that will stay on you camera 80% of the time trust me on this. I have gone thru what you are going thru now.
Too late. Already ordered the camera. We gonna stick with the 18-55 lens and get familiar with the camera for now. This summer I'll get a better lens.
Supposedly that 18-55 is a real decent starter lens with decent sharpness to boot. I used the 18-70 kit lens that came with my D70 forever and three days ago for at least year and enjoyed it.
KEH.com (actually local to Atlanta), Adorama and B&H used is about the only way I buy glass unless I just can't find it anywhere else. I have a wide range...but the ones I use the most are the Tokina 12-24mm/f4, Nikkor 35mm/f1.8, Tarmon 28-75mm/f2.8 and the Nikkor 80-200mm/f2.8. Everything else is specialty... Lens choice depends greatly on what you will be shooting. I used the 12-24 for landscapes, car shots, mountain biking...the 28-75 for portraits...35 for indoor and shot where I really want a drastic DOF...and the 80-200 for sports. So when you are looking to upgrade your lens...really take into consideration what you like to shoot the most. Camera bodies will come and go...but you will keep lenses for forever...