Buying a Camera

dcgolfdr · 08-12-2009, 03:12 PM

I wanted to get some input on a new camera, since many on here have posted some awesome pictures and seem to know what to look for I figured this would be a good place to start. I don't have much experience outside of an automatic camera so I guess that would make me clueless on the subject.
Thanks in advance.

dcgolfdr · 08-12-2009, 03:23 PM

sorry for posting in the wrong section just saw the forum on photography.

quagmire · 08-12-2009, 03:25 PM

What kind of camera are you looking for? Just a regular Point&Shoot or a DSLR?

KingOfJericho · 08-12-2009, 03:36 PM

I have a Nikon D80 that I love. The new D90 is the balls.

dcgolfdr · 08-12-2009, 03:50 PM

DSLR is what I want to get and don't want to spend more than 2K, I want to be able to take a variety of pictures, I have a 7 mo old and want to be able to take awesome pictures as he grows up. 2K should be able to get me a body and a couple of lenses, I hope.

quagmire · 08-12-2009, 04:02 PM

I have a Nikon D60 and I love it. I have nothing, but good things about the D90 though.

lyndon_h · 08-12-2009, 05:51 PM

You'll first have to pledge your allegiance to a camera brand. You can't go wrong with Canon or Nikon. I went the Canon route myself (Xsi to 5dMkII). If you have a friend that is in photography you might consider getting the same brand camera as him/her so you can borrow lenses and equipment.

Remember to spend your money on glass which will retain its value over time and give you the flexibility to move to full frame (if you decide to do so over the years). This means you'll want to purchase EF lenses (if going the Canon route).

If you have 2k to spend, would suggest (for a Canon solution. I dont know enough about Nikon).

body:
Canon 40d or 50d slightly used (700-850)

flash:
430exII (250). Many people skip the lighting but this actually more important than your camera.

lenses:
nifty 50 ($100) Allows you to play with bokeh on the cheap. And you can always sell it for the same price.

24-105L (1000). Great lens with a good focal length
OR
70-200f4is (1000) Very sharp lens

Artmasterx · 08-12-2009, 06:13 PM

Go to a store and check them out, the weight of SLRs can vary a lot. At work I use Nikon D200s at times, and they are very heavy compared to my Nikon D60 I have at home. It does have more features, but for most people the D60 level of camera is sufficient.

If you are doing indoor photography, definitely allocate some money for a nice low-f lens; I am actually thinking of getting that f/1.8 50mm nikon lens.

One thing to keep in mind as well is that lenses hold their value pretty well, while camera bodies are not as good. So if you buy a lens and decide you don't like it, I would bet you could get 75%+ of your money back selling it on eBay, even after several years as long as the condition is good.

Also, it will be worth setting aside $200 or so for a nice flash, they can be especially good for indoor photos as well.

My opinion is that the once you reach the nice DSLR level, lenses provide more benefit for the money than a top of the line camera body. If you are doing fancy post-processing, want RAW image format, want very high resolution images, or want a high degree of control of minor settings, then a better camera body may be what you need.

carve · 08-12-2009, 06:30 PM

Both Canon and Nikon have some excellent entry-level SLR's now. There are brand-whores for either, but they're really both excellent. If I were you, I'd get a mid-entry level body and put the rest of the money in lenses. I'd also want 1080p video, preferably with over 20 fps, if I were buying today. A Canon XSi or T1i are good. You'll want good low-noise performance at high ISO for indoor kid photography. Canon used to be significantly superior when I bought two years ago, but I think they're both pretty good now.

The hard choice though are what lenses. Both brands are great, but again, there are tradeoffs. A good lens today will still be a good lens when your camera is long obsolete, and you'll want several, so once you decide to go with a particular brand it's not easy to switch.

I was in a similar situation 2 years ago before I went on a 9-month around the world trip. Here's what I got...

Caonon Rebel XTi with 4-gig card (huge at the time- sized to make DVD backup convenient)
Canon 10-22 Wide Angle Lens. This is arguably the best wide lens available in any brand, and I like wide angle photography, so it swayed me toward canon
Sigma 17-70. This is my walk-around lens. It's pretty nice, but in hindsight I slightly wish I'd got something a bit better. Very good deal for f 2.8 though.
Canon 70-300 IS. The sharpness of this lens is amazing. It's sized for full-frame (although still light weight), so you're just looking through the "sweet spot". Worlds better than the older 75-300.

I could've saved a lot of weight by getting a wide range 18-200 lens, but they tend to be slow and have a lot of compromises to acheive that range. The simplicity is tempting while traveling though. Nikon arguably has the best wide-range lens.

I also got some nice polarizing filters and a remote shutter release. Overall, I was very happy with this set up. I sure do wish SLRs took nice video a couple years ago though....I had to lug a seperate camcorder with inferiro video quality.

You can see my picks at www.flickr.com/adamandshawn

Sony and Olympus have their ups & downs too, but you'll have more options by going with a big brand.

08-12-2009, 03:12 PM	#1
dcgolfdr Wheelsucker 212 Rep 1,280 Posts Drives: Truck Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Arlington, VA iTrader: (16)	Buying a Camera I wanted to get some input on a new camera, since many on here have posted some awesome pictures and seem to know what to look for I figured this would be a good place to start. I don't have much experience outside of an automatic camera so I guess that would make me clueless on the subject. Thanks in advance.
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08-12-2009, 03:23 PM	#2
dcgolfdr Wheelsucker 212 Rep 1,280 Posts Drives: Truck Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Arlington, VA iTrader: (16)	sorry for posting in the wrong section just saw the forum on photography.
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08-12-2009, 03:25 PM	#3
quagmire I am Gundam 199 Rep 1,211 Posts Drives: 2017 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	What kind of camera are you looking for? Just a regular Point&Shoot or a DSLR?
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08-12-2009, 03:36 PM	#4
KingOfJericho Major General 2458 Rep 7,341 Posts Drives: Yes Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CT iTrader: (1) Garage List 2010 135i Coupe [5.26]	I have a Nikon D80 that I love. The new D90 is the balls.
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08-12-2009, 03:50 PM	#5
dcgolfdr Wheelsucker 212 Rep 1,280 Posts Drives: Truck Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Arlington, VA iTrader: (16)	DSLR is what I want to get and don't want to spend more than 2K, I want to be able to take a variety of pictures, I have a 7 mo old and want to be able to take awesome pictures as he grows up. 2K should be able to get me a body and a couple of lenses, I hope.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-12-2009, 04:02 PM	#6
quagmire I am Gundam 199 Rep 1,211 Posts Drives: 2017 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	I have a Nikon D60 and I love it. I have nothing, but good things about the D90 though.
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08-12-2009, 05:51 PM	#7
lyndon_h Lieutenant Colonel 41 Rep 1,917 Posts Drives: e90 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Madagascar iTrader: (2)	You'll first have to pledge your allegiance to a camera brand. You can't go wrong with Canon or Nikon. I went the Canon route myself (Xsi to 5dMkII). If you have a friend that is in photography you might consider getting the same brand camera as him/her so you can borrow lenses and equipment. Remember to spend your money on glass which will retain its value over time and give you the flexibility to move to full frame (if you decide to do so over the years). This means you'll want to purchase EF lenses (if going the Canon route). If you have 2k to spend, would suggest (for a Canon solution. I dont know enough about Nikon). body: Canon 40d or 50d slightly used (700-850) flash: 430exII (250). Many people skip the lighting but this actually more important than your camera. lenses: nifty 50 ($100) Allows you to play with bokeh on the cheap. And you can always sell it for the same price. 24-105L (1000). Great lens with a good focal length OR 70-200f4is (1000) Very sharp lens
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08-12-2009, 06:13 PM	#8
Artmasterx Captain 48 Rep 886 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: MA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 Volvo V70R [10.00] 2007 BMW 335i [10.00]	Go to a store and check them out, the weight of SLRs can vary a lot. At work I use Nikon D200s at times, and they are very heavy compared to my Nikon D60 I have at home. It does have more features, but for most people the D60 level of camera is sufficient. If you are doing indoor photography, definitely allocate some money for a nice low-f lens; I am actually thinking of getting that f/1.8 50mm nikon lens. One thing to keep in mind as well is that lenses hold their value pretty well, while camera bodies are not as good. So if you buy a lens and decide you don't like it, I would bet you could get 75%+ of your money back selling it on eBay, even after several years as long as the condition is good. Also, it will be worth setting aside $200 or so for a nice flash, they can be especially good for indoor photos as well. My opinion is that the once you reach the nice DSLR level, lenses provide more benefit for the money than a top of the line camera body. If you are doing fancy post-processing, want RAW image format, want very high resolution images, or want a high degree of control of minor settings, then a better camera body may be what you need. __________________ Current: 2007 335i sedan Alpine White \| Sports \| Premium \| Cold \| Comfort Access FORMERLY: 128i coupe Alpine White \| Sports Package \| Black Leather
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08-12-2009, 06:30 PM	#9
carve Major 192 Rep 1,105 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: usa iTrader: (0)	Both Canon and Nikon have some excellent entry-level SLR's now. There are brand-whores for either, but they're really both excellent. If I were you, I'd get a mid-entry level body and put the rest of the money in lenses. I'd also want 1080p video, preferably with over 20 fps, if I were buying today. A Canon XSi or T1i are good. You'll want good low-noise performance at high ISO for indoor kid photography. Canon used to be significantly superior when I bought two years ago, but I think they're both pretty good now. The hard choice though are what lenses. Both brands are great, but again, there are tradeoffs. A good lens today will still be a good lens when your camera is long obsolete, and you'll want several, so once you decide to go with a particular brand it's not easy to switch. I was in a similar situation 2 years ago before I went on a 9-month around the world trip. Here's what I got... Caonon Rebel XTi with 4-gig card (huge at the time- sized to make DVD backup convenient) Canon 10-22 Wide Angle Lens. This is arguably the best wide lens available in any brand, and I like wide angle photography, so it swayed me toward canon Sigma 17-70. This is my walk-around lens. It's pretty nice, but in hindsight I slightly wish I'd got something a bit better. Very good deal for f 2.8 though. Canon 70-300 IS. The sharpness of this lens is amazing. It's sized for full-frame (although still light weight), so you're just looking through the "sweet spot". Worlds better than the older 75-300. I could've saved a lot of weight by getting a wide range 18-200 lens, but they tend to be slow and have a lot of compromises to acheive that range. The simplicity is tempting while traveling though. Nikon arguably has the best wide-range lens. I also got some nice polarizing filters and a remote shutter release. Overall, I was very happy with this set up. I sure do wish SLRs took nice video a couple years ago though....I had to lug a seperate camcorder with inferiro video quality. You can see my picks at www.flickr.com/adamandshawn Sony and Olympus have their ups & downs too, but you'll have more options by going with a big brand.
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