I am thinking of DSLR

[Buschmaster]

Do you have a local camera store that will carry Nikon, Canon, Pentax, and Olympus? I think those 4 are all very important to hold as they will all produce very good images.

Just walk around the store, play with the menus, and look at the price tags vs. the features. You know, things you would consider when buying anything.

 

[FINNSWEDE]

Canon and Nikon are the top two. I would stick with one or the other.

FJ

I guess I am just overly presumptuous in assuming since you frequent Macrumors that you may be a Mac user. Following the above logic you clearly are an HP or Dell user. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Any DSLR out there is capable of taking great photos given quality lenses are attached to it. You need to find the one that fits your hand and feature list and budget and it is unlikely you will be disappointed. I personally have a Pentax k10d and am very happy with it.
(BTW, yes I see the signature, just trying to make a point.)

 

[Father Jack]

I guess I am just overly presumptuous in assuming since you frequent Macrumors that you may be a Mac user. Following the above logic you clearly are an HP or Dell user. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Any DSLR out there is capable of taking great photos given quality lenses are attached to it. You need to find the one that fits your hand and feature list and budget and it is unlikely you will be disappointed. I personally have a Pentax k10d and am very happy with it.
(BTW, yes I see the signature, just trying to make a point.)

OK point taken ...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Pentax cameras ... or Minolta, or Yashica or any of the others currently available, but as Canon and Nikon are (rightly) judged to be the top two slr manufacturers, I think it's a good idea to choose one or the other.

I have known many photographers who started their photography career using "other" cameras only later to change to Canon or Nikon. Changing a camera system can be a very costly affair as the trade in value of cameras and lenses (particularly for non Canon and Nikon) is very little.

Cheers FJ

ps Yes of course I am a Mac user ...

 

[Buschmaster]

Pentax holds a very fair trade-in value. Especially since you can buy used lenses. Buying used lenses is easiest to do with Pentax, and no one can argue that as there are waaaaay more lenses available for Pentax than any other system. That way you could (theoretically) sell them again at the same cost.

You would lose some on the body, of course, but not enough to really dent the wallet in the camera realm.

My dad shot Pentax and Canon his whole life. His most recent being Canon. I got the Pentax K110D and now if he got a DSLR he'd get the same. (Or maybe the K100D) I was at National Camera the other day and talking to the salesmen and he said "If the K10D had the word 'Canon' or 'Nikon' on it it would be the biggest selling camera by far."

He also said they're selling as many or more of those right now than the Canons or Nikons. But Pentax is a far cry behind so it's simply gaining a little bit with its current line-up.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

i'm looking at getting a 400D (or equivalent) sometime in the next year (when i have some money). I used a mate's 400D and it felt brilliant, and i haven't had any problems with my Canon S3 IS.

ps Yes of course I am a Mac user ...

no you're not, you're a mac whore

 

[Overclocker]

You've just basically whitted yourself down to the EOS 400D or the Nikon D40.

Just a quick question - why are most posters on the forums here Nikon users? Or is it just mere coincidence?

 

[Buschmaster]

I think it's mostly just coincidence.

I don't think the gap is all as big as we think it is. When I went to prom in May I saw 1 Canon, 1 Nikon, 1 Pentax, and 1 Oly. I thought that was interesting.

 

[pogieone]

I too am looking for a dslr

But my dilema is btwn the Pentax K100D and the K10D. I like the fact that the anti-shake is in the camera body therefore I could use any Pentax lens and get the advantage of the anti-shake. (Of course, not all lenses would be AF, oh well). I'm leaning towards the 10D for the extra MP and the dust and H2O resistance but I haven't been able to find one to play with yet. Few of the stores in the East Bay even carry Pentax. I find the Cannon XTi and the Nikon 40Dx too small for my hands. The 100D feels right.

 

[Buschmaster]

But my dilema is btwn the Pentax K100D and the K10D. I like the fact that the anti-shake is in the camera body therefore I could use any Pentax lens and get the advantage of the anti-shake. (Of course, not all lenses would be AF, oh well). I'm leaning towards the 10D for the extra MP and the dust and H2O resistance but I haven't been able to find one to play with yet. Few of the stores in the East Bay even carry Pentax. I find the Cannon XTi and the Nikon 40Dx too small for my hands. The 100D feels right.

The K10D and K100D are very similar cameras. They will have the same feel in your hands even if you will be able to feel the difference between them. Does that make sense?

You can find some really really good prices on either version right now online. That's probably your best bet for getting one.

 

[FINNSWEDE]

But my dilema is btwn the Pentax K100D and the K10D. I like the fact that the anti-shake is in the camera body therefore I could use any Pentax lens and get the advantage of the anti-shake. (Of course, not all lenses would be AF, oh well). I'm leaning towards the 10D for the extra MP and the dust and H2O resistance but I haven't been able to find one to play with yet. Few of the stores in the East Bay even carry Pentax. I find the Cannon XTi and the Nikon 40Dx too small for my hands. The 100D feels right.

I had the same dilemma when I was looking to buy, I ended up with the k10 for pretty much the reasons you stated. However, if you will be doing lots of shooting in lower light situations (indoor sports like basketball for example) I hear that the k100 has a slight edge in low light because of the fact that it has less pixels packed onto the sensor (bigger pixels can gather more light). And unless you intend to make lots of big prints, (like posters) 6mp is plenty for what most people do.

If the k100 feels right in your hand that is also a big plus, as the k10 is quite a bit bigger. To me, the k10 was perfect, the k100 was pretty good, and the d40 wasnt too bad, but the rebel xt especially felt like I would drop it, it fit me so poorly (the big canon, the 30d fit well, but cost quite a bit more). Also, if you dont have unlimited funds, spend less on the body and it leaves you with more for lenses, etc.

Yes, they are not quite as readily available as Canon or Nikon, but for me, comparing features and prices, Pentax was the clear choice.

 

[FINNSWEDE]

OK point taken ...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Pentax cameras ... or Minolta, or Yashica or any of the others currently available, but as Canon and Nikon are (rightly) judged to be the top two slr manufacturers, I think it's a good idea to choose one or the other.

I have known many photographers who started their photography career using "other" cameras only later to change to Canon or Nikon. Changing a camera system can be a very costly affair as the trade in value of cameras and lenses (particularly for non Canon and Nikon) is very little.

Cheers FJ

ps Yes of course I am a Mac user ...

Of course there is no doubt that Canon and Nikon are the top two in terms of popularity, they are by far the biggest and that has its advantages. To me, though, that alone isnt enough to steer me to them. I was within inches of buying a Canon 30d until I actually went to a real camera store and got to play around with the Pentax which has features that the Canon doesnt. The only thing I was concerned about was that the Canon had 5 fps shooting while the Pentax was 3. But now that I have had it, I discovered that 3 fps has been adequate. I dont think there is a difference in quality.

What is it that causes one to change camera systems? Is there a common reason? I am genuinely curious since like you said, it is such a pricey affair and I am sure a huge hassle. Are the reasons something that would apply to the modern products?(I started a thread with this question as i got more curious the more I thought about it and didnt want to get off topic here. I hope this is the right way to go about this.) https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=3727340#post3727340

Cheers,
Jason

 

[failsafe1]

Your post head sounds like a magic trick. I will try to guess a DSLR and see if we can agree. The D40 would fit your needs nicely. I use both Canon and Nikon for work and personal use and both are great systems so it comes down to what you can afford or perhaps a specific feature over another. I think most prosumer cameras are roughly equal so you the D40 is a nice start. Nikon makes some nice lenses so you can build a great system from there. You won't have the problem of the lenses locking you to one type of camera body that you might have with Canon for instance.

 

[kitki83]

Pentax Package Deal

I saw someone mention Pentax, I did not know they made digital. After looking I really like this package deal for beginners? If you are still doubting your choice.


Here is a good Deal on Canon
Check it out, seems cheaper too.

 

[cube]

Take a good look. You can save more than $50+memory card:

http://www.abesofmaine.com:80/abeimg/rebates/pentax-dslr-07-31-07.pdf

 

[cube]

Here is a good Deal on Canon
Check it out, seems cheaper too.

You can't compare the budget build of the 400D to the serious K10D, which just lacks a metal body.

 

[kitki83]

You can't compare the budget build of the 400D to the serious K10D, which just lacks a metal body.

I am not comparing but offering sources of cheap prices when he want to order, because sometimes the higher end cameras have better deal than cheaper ones. So helping him out.

 

[cube]

If you want something cheaper than the K10D, the K100D has basically the same rebate offer. It's a bit cheaper from Beach if you only buy the kit, and from Abe's if you also get the 50-200.

 

[Mac-Addict]

Ok well I think I am going to buy a Nikon D40 but first I am going to try it out at a store, I was thinking about Aperture but its like.. A lot of money. So I checked out Lightroom Adobe and thats a lot of money.. Any ideas on a cheaper alternative?

 

[ChrisA]

Ok well I think I am going to buy a Nikon D40 but first I am going to try it out at a store, I was thinking about Aperture but its like.. A lot of money. So I checked out Lightroom Adobe and thats a lot of money.. Any ideas on a cheaper alternative?

So what lenses will you buy for your D40?

You will not be able to use many of Nikon's best. For example
the 50mm f/1.4 is AF-D not AF-S. Think through what lenses you
might want now and later. And also think about if you will want to shop for a used lens. You can buy a good 80-200 used for $650 but a new AF-S lens that will work on the D40 costs more than double that price. Look at the TOTAL system some year from now. A body that can't use a 50mm, 85mm or 80-200 would be usles to me. But then if you never plan to buy thse lenses why care if you can't use them? Just so long as you've thought about it, you'll be OK. What you don't want is a surprise like "What do you mean I can't use a 50mm lens?"

Which DSLR body you buy hardly matters. There is less different between them then most people think. No one can see the differences between one body and another when they see the final image. But lenses are vastly different and can be very much not alike.

As for Aperture being expensive. use iPhoto. Or take a photo class at the local community collage and get a student discount on Aperture. Apple sells it for $150 to students.

 

[cube]

Another negative vote for the D40 because of the lens options. Get a used D50 or D70s instead.

 

[roebuck86]

I have recently took the plunge into DSLR photography. After considering a D40/D40x I went ahead and bought a second hand D70. My housemate has the D40, so I tried it out, but I found it was far to small for my hands (I have small/medium hands) It felt far too small and too light. I read quite a few reviews and forums about the d40 and the limited number of lenses put me off and heard a few people suggest the D70 as they could be picked up second hand quite cheap.

In the end I decided to go for a second hand D70, £320 with a bag and 512Mb card. This slightly undercut the D40 in price, but the D40 takes great pictures and I certainly wouldn't knock it, it just wasn't for me

 

[cube]

Google BGLOD, that's why I said D70s, not D70. Nikon might offer a free repair in your country, but if it happens you'll miss shots if it's your only camera.

 

[Mac-Addict]

So what lenses will you buy for your D40?

You will not be able to use many of Nikon's best. For example
the 50mm f/1.4 is AF-D not AF-S. Think through what lenses you
might want now and later. And also think about if you will want to shop for a used lens. You can buy a good 80-200 used for $650 but a new AF-S lens that will work on the D40 costs more than double that price. Look at the TOTAL system some year from now. A body that can't use a 50mm, 85mm or 80-200 would be usles to me. But then if you never plan to buy thse lenses why care if you can't use them? Just so long as you've thought about it, you'll be OK. What you don't want is a surprise like "What do you mean I can't use a 50mm lens?"

Which DSLR body you buy hardly matters. There is less different between them then most people think. No one can see the differences between one body and another when they see the final image. But lenses are vastly different and can be very much not alike.

As for Aperture being expensive. use iPhoto. Or take a photo class at the local community collage and get a student discount on Aperture. Apple sells it for $150 to students.

I am going to try out the lenses that come with it and then later buy more once I have built up a knowledge of how DSLR's work. As for the 50mm lenses, I don't think I would get that much into photography before I buy my second camera and I don't think I would need to have a camera that can send me too far into the future (most likely 2-3 years). And I'm not too sure if the collage near me would accept me.. I'm only 13 .

 

[Socorso]

I checked out the Canon and the Nikon before I bought. They are definitely comparable. Until I picked them up. I found the Canon (XT Rebel) felt small in my hand and ultimately uncomfortable. The Nikon had a better feel. It had the right weight in my hand and felt better built.

I could wrap my hand around the Nikon comfortably to take shots one handed. The Canon was awkwark to hold and keep your finger on the shutter with one hand.

Not sure if the D40 is any different size wise from what I purchased which is a D50 (the predecesor?). I've had it for over a year and still love it and never regretted my decision.

 

[Father Jack]

What is it that causes one to change camera systems? Is there a common reason? I am genuinely curious since like you said, it is such a pricey affair and I am sure a huge hassle. Are the reasons something that would apply to the modern products?(I started a thread with this question as i got more curious the more I thought about it and didnt want to get off topic here. I hope this is the right way to go about this.) https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=3727340#post3727340

Cheers,
Jason

Hi Jason I think the reason most photographers change systems is that the majority of pros use Canon or Nikon. The assumption being if most professional photographers use these cameras, there must be a good reason. ......


FJ