whats a good slr digi camera to buy?

[Rustlestiltskin]

i'm looking at the deals that cc and best buy got on slr digi cameras and the ones that I see are nikon d40,d60 and canon rebel series. of course theres sony and other brands but what brand and series you guys think is a good camera to start out with that provides good pics. let me know guys/gals.

 

thanks,

paul

[mrs.cos]

Im in love with Canon XSi, but you gotta realize you cant just ask "what should i buy" Your either a canon person or a Nikon person.

 

Decide that then buy.

 

Also, im sure sony makes a good camera, but i would personally stick with the canon or nikon.

[Buteo]

Im in love with Canon XSi, but you gotta realize you cant just ask "what should i buy" Your either a canon person or a Nikon person.

 

Decide that then buy.

 

Also, im sure sony makes a good camera, but i would personally stick with the canon or nikon.

bingo! Canon XSi

[Tractor]

Yeah if your a canon guy and not wanting to pay for the prosumer models yet (40D, 50D, 5Dmk2) then XSi is awesome. Its basically a 40D camera minus the magnesium body and a few pro features. A great starter SLR camera.

 

I don't know much about Nikons, but basically those two brands are the only ones I'd consider since they have the largest following and thus the largest amount of interchangeable lenses and accessories to utilized as your interest grows.

[street pilot]

Nikon or Canon.

The body does not matter nearly as much as the lenses or shooter.

I've seen some decent HD video come out of the new D90 though. It has live view too, which is a first for DSLR.

[mrs.cos]

It has live view too, which is a first for DSLR.

The XSi has this as well

[TheHaze]

Another Canoner here. I've got a Rebel Xti.

[TTQ B4U]

Not so much the body but the lenses and entire system. All have their pro's and con's.

 

I'm a Canon shooter with an 1DMKII and a 40D but came from Nikon and am somewhat familiar with their newer models.

 

What type of shooting do you plan on doing? How much will you be using it? Budget? Casual shooting/family, Serious Hobby or do you want more?

 

I prefer the pro/semi pro body's myself. Better AF systems, better build, better viewfinders, typically faster frame rates, more thought-out ergonomics on controls, heavier-which is better but mom's usually prefer small and light, etc...but then I shoot sporting events and am a serious hobbiest/semi-pro shooting events.

[street pilot]

The XSi has this as well

 

Good point, looks like the XS does as well. I guess its been on them longer than I thought. Still something to keep an eye out for if you need/want that functionality.

[Tractor]

The XSi has this as well

 

Yeap been around almost 3 years now on the canon side;-)

[smokin5s]

I have a Nikon 40D and LOVE it... by far the best camera that I have ever owned. If you are looking for shots that you need to be quite, keep in mind that the Nikon lense is considerably quieter than the Cannon. One big downfall of the Nikon is that the AF motor is built into the lense instead of the body so glass can be more expensive.

[sol740]

Nikon or Canon.

 

X2

[tasteslikeKevinBacon]

i'm a canon guy, but that's only because my friend sells me all his old parts when he upgrades

[TTQ B4U]

I have a Nikon 40D and LOVE it... by far the best camera that I have ever owned. If you are looking for shots that you need to be quite, keep in mind that the Nikon lense is considerably quieter than the Cannon. One big downfall of the Nikon is that the AF motor is built into the lense instead of the body so glass can be more expensive.

 

Canon's older non-USM lenses (like Nikon's AF-D's) can be heard, but most of today's lenses use USM (Ultra Sonic Monitor). They use internal focusing rings and are silent. you can't hear it unless you're the one holding the camera. I shoot at concert halls and it's never been an issue even to the folks next to me in the front row.

 

IMO, I prefer a body with the AF system as in the end, the systems are more durable and less prone to failure. Also, I love the quality if the older Nikkor 50 mm F1.8D (and the F1.4D) and would hate to lose AF with them.

[Rustlestiltskin]

good info guys, I appreciate it. still a tossup as to what I want. either going w/ nikon d40,d60 or canon rebel equivilent

[Rustlestiltskin]

bump. what ur guys opinions on the d40 by nikon. they got a good deal on that at best buy right now. camera, normal zoom lens, bigger zoom lenz, carry case w/ instructional dvd, and battery for like $550 or somethin

[HAOLE]

I was looking at buying one a few months ago and someone told me that the nikons have the auto focus electronics in the lens instead of the camera body, the leads to more expensive lenses. True or not? I dont know.

[hpfiend]

We are also looking for a digital SLR

 

can the xsi rebel shoot video as well? My point and shoot have always done decently for me and I would figure with a quality lens and a big memory card it would be even better. I am not trying to go pro- just document some family videos that are bearable to watch.

 

I guess I consider myself a canon guy over nikon- I had a 3.2 mp Canon Elph and I absolutely loved the camera function and picture quality until I dropped it. I then got a Nikon coolpix 3700 and it was a piece of @!#% in comparison- nowhere near the picture quality and very cheap/non intuitive controls in my opinion. I hate the nikon.

 

Thanks,

Andrew

[igotaprestent4u1647545491]

Canon and Nikon are both great.

 

Go to the store, see what feels best in your hands and buy that one.

 

Both of them probably have more potential that you'll ever need to make of it.

[TTQ B4U]

bump. what ur guys opinions on the d40 by nikon. they got a good deal on that at best buy right now. camera, normal zoom lens, bigger zoom lenz, carry case w/ instructional dvd, and battery for like $550 or somethin

 

The D40 or D40x ?

 

the 40x is a nicer camera overall. 10mp's is a nice average for today's DSLR's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a MP fan-boy, but 10 allows for significantly more detail and cropping ability. They made some other tweaks in terms of ISO ability and it's slightly faster, although 3 frames per second is still slower by today's standards.

 

Both are nice though and decent cameras for the price point they serve.

 

My biggest piece of advice is to consider the glass. Regardless of brand/system, get good glass and wiegh the options and what you'll be using. I guarantee if you go average to low cost glass, you'll likely be disappointed. Maybe not all the time, but most of the time.

 

Case in point....look at the range you'll be using most often. For me it's 24-70mm. That's the lens that's on my camera 80% of the time. Invest stronger there. If telephoto or wide angle is less of a percentage as in my 20%, start lower level there....but keep your everyday lens as a better quality.

 

I can't keep my passion here short, so PM me or we can talk via phone and I'll give you my insight there. Budgets do play in as I know, but I thought you should see the flip-side of spending a few more bucks on one good lens vs the same money on two average ones. The weak point in a system will be what stands out, and typically it's the lens.

[TTQ B4U]

I was looking at buying one a few months ago and someone told me that the nikons have the auto focus electronics in the lens instead of the camera body, the leads to more expensive lenses. True or not? I dont know.

 

 

yes/no. Not all Nikons lack the in camera motor. Mainly just the entry level ones. it's not a bad thing but just different. they do it to maintain price-point for entry level users. it mainly limits those of us who have existing lenses that do not have motors inside. there are plenty of old to not-so-old nikon lenses to be had that are excellent in terms of quality and optics, but would then be manually focused on these newer entry level cameras.

[TTQ B4U]

We are also looking for a digital SLR

 

can the xsi rebel shoot video as well? My point and shoot have always done decently for me and I would figure with a quality lens and a big memory card it would be even better. I am not trying to go pro- just document some family videos that are bearable to watch.

 

The Xsi won't do video. I can't comment too much on that function as I'm not a huge video-guy. The nice thing about DSLR's that do shoot video though is the ability to control the depth of field. It's a very cool-professional look when you can have nice forground focus complimented by a beautiful bokeh/blur in the background.

 

The downside is on most brands, video shooting is still at Gen 1. They don't do motion well and lower light isn't as great. It's a nice benny to have, but I wouldn't base my purchase based on it. You'll likely not use it as much as you would think. No more so than a simple P&S would be used. For family memories....stick with a true video camera. Vise-versa too.

 

Anyway, the Xsi IMO, is a superb camera and above some of the other mentioned thus far. Especially in terms of sensor quality and image quality. That said, it is also more costly. It's about value and depends on the user. I spend more on higher priced gear, but then I am using the upper end features that are included on those cameras. Not everyone will.

[TTQ B4U]

Nikon or Canon.

The body does not matter nearly as much as the lenses or shooter.

I've seen some decent HD video come out of the new D90 though. It has live view too, which is a first for DSLR.

 

Olympus had live view 3yrs ago (Jan 2006). They were actually the first. Then Panny through an OEM of the same body. Nice, but a little over-rated IMO. The major brands finally picked it up as a differentiator though.

[Smokey]

Tim, do you have a site that you suggest where I can read up on different options and what might work for me?

 

Basically, I'm coming from the point and shoot world, but I want the ability to take nice photos of cars. I'm not sure where that places me on how many features I'll use or even what lenses I'd want/need....I'm completely lost there...any central resource I can start researching at?