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Question for all you camera and picture guys


Guest GMoney

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I am looking to get a decent digital camera to step up my picture game. I have my Sony for the point shot crap at the bars but i want to start taking pictures of cars, places i have been, and what not, i guess just a general all around camera.

 

Is there one out there that will do all this for a reasonable price. If so what is that one and what else to i need. I would like to do some fisheye stuff, what are some good lens to have?

 

Thanks

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the D40 is a great camera (i have one) the D80 i alot better camera with more technical features, i would say the D40 if your looking for something to start out with and learn on and then move up to a better camera. lenses are crazy expensive if you go with a nikon lense, i think there fisheye was around $500, you can buy a cheaper ones off of ebay though.
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Not sure what system you're looking for ie DSLR or Prosumer model with perhaps additional but limited lenses. I'm not a fisheye shooter but you may want to surf on http://www.dpreview.com and search for non SLR models that have fisheye lens ability.

 

If you're looking at a DSLR, I would suggest you worry less about the body but look more at the lenses you'll be looking to buy. Nikon and Canon are great all around for bodies and lenses. I'm biased as I shoot Canon and love their lens choices. I have several primes and a handful of telephoto zooms, mainly their L-Series (best glass).

 

I would suggest sinking the bigger bucks for the best glass you can get but tempter that with how often you'll use it. I stepped down on my macro lense as I don't shoot with it all that often and certainly not critical work with it so for me the value wasn't there in spending a lot.

 

However on my walk around and other lenses, especially tele lenses, I buy big dollar stuff.

 

Nikon makes a nice entry level as does Canon. Both will do the job but you'll want to look at glass. Bodies will come and go but lenses will tend to stay with you for quite a while.

 

Here's what I have

 

Canon EOS 40D (Semi Pro body) & 1DMKII (Pro body)

Canon 10-22mm Wide Angle - super quality for non L glass. (crop body only)

Canon 24-70L My favorite walk around lens - Leave it on 90% of the time

Canon 70-200L IS - Excellent for sports indoor or outdoor / portrait work

Canon 100-400L IS - Best Zoo and wildlife lens....great for daytime sports

Tamron 90mm Macro - Best value

Canon 35mm prime - Excellent bar scene combo with my cameras

Canon 50mm prime - Nice portrait lens for situations where I need portability

Canon 135mm prime - Excellent indoor sports lens

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

 

is where I buy most all of my gear.

 

 

ie....Nikon, Canon, etc...Personally, I shoot Canon and love their system. They have an overall wider assortment of lenses and are known for quality glass.

 

I am looking to get a decent digital camera to step up my picture game. I have my Sony for the point shot crap at the bars but i want to start taking pictures of cars, places i have been, and what not, i guess just a general all around camera.

 

Is there one out there that will do all this for a reasonable price. If so what is that one and what else to i need. I would like to do some fisheye stuff, what are some good lens to have?

 

Thanks

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Canon Rebel and buy your lenses do do what ever you want.

 

Heh heh. Do do.

 

Seriously though, there is a lot of value in entry-level cameras either with Canon or Nikon. Start reading reviews and consider what's important to you. The only universal truth in the DSLR world is that *it doesn't pay to skimp on lenses*. Plan on spending at least as much on good lenses as you do on the body, to start out. After that, you may find yourself spending much more depending on what's important to you. At the moment Canon is going through product releases, so in the next few months the 30D and the Rebel XTi, which are both very very nice cameras, will be coming down in price. They are being replaced by the 40D and XSi, respectively.

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I'm biased towards Canon, but I know that Nikon is the other pro camera maker. For me and the extremely long exposures I shoot (if I had a DSLR I'd be shooting 20 minutes or more per frame) Canon has the lowest signal to noise ratio. What that means for you in shooting cars and scenery is that you can use higher ISO values in your shots without inducing a grainy look to the photo. You'll especially start to notice this in low light conditions when the ISO starts to get bumped up to keep the shots short.

I really want to get a Canon 20 or 40D for what I do, but I'll only need a body for what I do with it.

 

If your just looking for a really good camera for shooting and don't want to spend up and over $1000 for the set up I highly recommend the Canon Powershot line of cameras. I have the S2-IS and now they have the S3 and S5 models out. The S models have full manual control and a bayonet ring for attaching wide field and telephoto lenses or filters. On top of that most camera reviews rate that line of camera at or near the top in all reviews I've read.

 

Evan

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