SLR Digital Camera

[kayak karl]

im looking to buy a SLR digital camera. my son just bought a Rebel Canon. i like the pics. any suggestions for somebody starting out again since 35mm B&W . i want a good body. can add lens later. any advice would help

KK

 

[46er]

You can't go wrong with any body from Nikon or Canon, although Canon has had problems with the releases on their latest bodies. If your looking for an entry level, you might want to take a look at the Nikon 3000. The site at the link has lots of info with camera reviews and a buying guide. Its always best to find a shop that has what your interested in so you can see how it feels in your hands as the controls are laid out differently between brands. I happen to use Nikon gear.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

If you have lenses from your 35mm camera you may want to check those cameras with that mount first to see if they can still be used.

 

[dogg57]

Karl What kind of budget are we looking at?Also The body's all feel different,most body's today are smaller then yesteryears 35mm film.I would tell you to go with a battery pack on the bottom it makes the camera easier to grip at different angles, of course it gives you much more time in the field with extra batteries.

 

[james ungehajer]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

The above link is where i bought my Canon Digital Camera from.

Jim

 

[PancoastDrifter]

Having just gone through this the past six months... Go with a cheap body and buy good lenses. You can always upgrade the body later. If I had to pick one lens to start I would go with the 18-200mm and that would cover most immediate needs. Most kit lenses are garbage. I found some good deals on Craigslist. Saved lots of $$$!

Besides DPreview - Gordon Lane at Camera Labs and his videos really helped me figure things out. Just type the camera name in the search bar and he has reviewed them all. I ended up buying the Nikon D90.

I also echo the comments on the battery grip. The bodies are very small and just that more space to grip is an improvement besides the extra battery life.

 

[Jason Howell]

Ok Preface:

The best camera is any camera you can afford including a pencil if you've got the skills. Many great pictures have been taken with home constructed pin hole cameras that cost no more than the cardboard they were made from. But, if what your photographing doesn't want to wait around for you to setup and expose then you'll have to look for different options.


If you need a rugged/cheap/ and quality camera I think the Canon 20d is hard to beat. I have found people on craigslist selling their cameras mostly above market value. More likely to find a good deal on a well cared for camera on a photography forum like photography-on-the.net or fredmiranda.com If you are patient a good deal will come along. A Nikon D40 is another excellent choice.

As for lens selection, this depends entirely on the photography you want to do. A good lens, especially a zoom, will be much more expensive than your camera, but is also a good investment because lenses do not lose much value if they are very well cared for(and you keep a UV filter on the front end to avoid lens damage).

For general photography, you will love that 18-200mm IS lens from canon or nikon. If that's what you're doing then feel free not to read any more.

If you want to do specifics like close up macro, long range telephoto, extreme wide angle, or low light photography there are many other lenses to consider. Generally I know canon lenses much better so I'll stick to them.

Best cropped sensor(20d, rebel,etc) wide angle lens
Canon 10-22mm or Tokina 11-16 for canon

Macro(for extremely close up pictures of bugs, plants, or just a regular headshot type lens)
100mm 2.8 Macro
or
60mm 2.8 EF-S Macro (plus full body shots of people)

Low light value lens
50mm 1.8

Long distance Lens
This one is harder because the prices get astronomical. If you want to do bird photography, you won't be happy with anything under 400mm which will get you quite far on a cropped sensor camera. Great pictures can be taken with less focal length, but getting tight shots is much easier with all that reach.

Some good lenses for this is the 100-400mm IS 3.5-56 or 400mm 5.6, but they are both extremely expensive.




Again, used is the best way to buy. Definitely stay out of the Box stores, theres zero benefit from buying from them.

If you don't want to buy online, try Webb Camera in Philadelphia, I bought my camera from them.

 

[dogg57]

Nikon D40 has 2 models to it,D40 and D40x the problem with the D40 and the D60 they do not work the auto focus on some lens If you can swing it look at a used D80 new would be a D90 Less money is the new D3000 Great deal at B&H $449.99 Also I belive the 40 is soon to be no more
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=635660&is=REG

 

[PancoastDrifter]

It is mandatory to understand the crop sensor vs full sensor. When buying lenses for a cropped sensor you are lengthening the focal length because of the camera architecture. So when you put a 50mm lens on a crop sensor camera it is effectively a 70-75+mm lens, depending on the brand. I would recommend a 35mm f1.8 on a crop sensor for that reason. The Nikon DX format is essentially 1.6 times the focal length of the lens you are attaching. This is the main reason the kit lenses are 18mm and up. They translate to 28.8 mm lenses when put on a crop sensor body.

 

[dogg57]

Very good info.I would say the average joe might not worry about this.But it is a Great thing to know and understand. Do you know If Karl has bought a new camera yet?I do enjoy your photos(PancoastDrifter)

 

[46er]

It is mandatory to understand the crop sensor vs full sensor. When buying lenses for a cropped sensor you are lengthening the focal length because of the camera architecture. So when you put a 50mm lens on a crop sensor camera it is effectively a 70-75+mm lens, depending on the brand. I would recommend a 35mm f1.8 on a crop sensor for that reason. The Nikon DX format is essentially 1.6 times the focal length of the lens you are attaching. This is the main reason the kit lenses are 18mm and up. They translate to 28.8 mm lenses when put on a crop sensor body.

Nikon is a 1.5 factor, which is the most common among different camera brands. Canon is 1.6. In actuality the focal length is not lengthened, just that the sensor is smaller than a full 35mm film frame, which is the frame standard used on most DSLR's, so the image is effectively 'cropped' within the camera.

The 'factor' explained, and it's not Bill O'Reilly.

http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/crop-factor.html

Don't get to tied up with this, many folks have, its just not worth it. Just remember that the lens focal length is the focal length engraved on the lens barrel. Just multiply that times the factor used by the camera mfg you select to buy from. Unless of course you buy a 'full frame' DSLR, then you get the full 35mm sized sensor. That factor is described for the different brands in the link above.

 

[PancoastDrifter]

I didn't actually read the wiki articles. I was going off memory, which as proved, is failing.

 

[46er]

I didn't actually read the wiki articles. I was going off memory, which as proved, is failing.

Wait till your my age. I have reminders for my keyboard keys.

Just be happy you didn't choose an Olympus 4/3 system

 

[entropysedge]

if you like going someplace where the people working there know their cameras, try Allen's Camera Shop over in Levittown PA. Its where I go to get my equipment and their prices are pretty close to what you see on B&H.