Perhaps, but Zeiss will licence their design work and name to anyone these days. It's becoming less of a distinction and more of a commodity.
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What camera offers the most bang for the buck?
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Perhaps, but Zeiss will licence their design work and name to anyone these days. It's becoming less of a distinction and more of a commodity.
If yo want best bang per buck, buy a new body and a used lens (or two used lenses) The technology inside the dSLR body is changing fast and a one generation old body is dated already. But optics is a mature technology and is not moving so fast. there are many very old lenses that are as good as new ones. A 10 year old lens is not even "old".
The used pro-quality lenses are good investments and can be sold again for nearly what you paid. They last "forever". Canon and Nion both have robust second hand markets, stuff is easy to find. Used kit lenses are a great bang to buck ratio too because they are hard to sell the price is low. The Nikon kit 18-55 lens is very good, Canon's is kind of cheap
There are exception to the don't buy a used ody rule. If you could find a Nikon D50 for $400 or less it wouod be a good deal and they are not to hard to find, if you can wait. The D50 is still current generation technology
The used pro-quality lenses are good investments and can be sold again for nearly what you paid. They last "forever". Canon and Nion both have robust second hand markets, stuff is easy to find. Used kit lenses are a great bang to buck ratio too because they are hard to sell the price is low. The Nikon kit 18-55 lens is very good, Canon's is kind of cheap
There are exception to the don't buy a used ody rule. If you could find a Nikon D50 for $400 or less it wouod be a good deal and they are not to hard to find, if you can wait. The D50 is still current generation technology
Agreed. Pentax offers a better camera + decent kit lenses for less money.
You can say the same about Olympus, but if you want to buy more lenses, I find their lenses are expensive.
Pentax has lots of lenses, but I think you'll be limited in terms of where you can buy them. However, if you plan on shopping online at massive, trustworthy stores like B&H, it wouldn't be difficult to buy a Pentax lens, so I think the whole "Nikon and Canon lenses are more readily available" argument is blown out of proportion.
If you want best "Bang for your Buck", I say go with:
1. Pentax K100D or K100D super
2. Nikon D40
3. Pentax K10D
4. Nikon D40x
The Nikon D40s and D40x are great beginner cameras for people moving to digital.
But supposedly, the lens on the R1 is ridiculously good. It's one of those lenses that would sell for the price of the R1 if it was sold separately by Nikon, Canon, Olympus, etc.
bousozoku,
What you say re: CZ lenses may be true in general, but by all account the lens on the R1 is abolutely fantastic. I would love to a have a lens with this range on my Canon body. Sadly their is no such beast. Nor may there ever be, I suspect that not having a mirror/space (SLR) to contend with, allows for much of the optical benefit that traditional rangefinders have had in the past and that 3/4 systems have tried to build around.
What you say re: CZ lenses may be true in general, but by all account the lens on the R1 is abolutely fantastic. I would love to a have a lens with this range on my Canon body. Sadly their is no such beast. Nor may there ever be, I suspect that not having a mirror/space (SLR) to contend with, allows for much of the optical benefit that traditional rangefinders have had in the past and that 3/4 systems have tried to build around.
To me, the best value in dSLRs these days is the Pentax K10D. For under $1k (I've seen $800) you get things like full weather sealing, built-in anti-shake, a very well built body, etc. that normally would force you to pay almost twice as much for a Canon or Nikon.
The K10D + DA 16-45mm SMC, is a terrific value and can produce photos rivaling the best dSLRs on the market.
The K10D + DA 16-45mm SMC, is a terrific value and can produce photos rivaling the best dSLRs on the market.
Maybe, but Pentax lenses are expensive, and there is less selection among the 3rd party manufacturers.
Olympus gets my vote
You can pick up an E-500 or better at the price point you're talking about or less with a good lens or two.
The two kit lenses that come with the OLY SLRs are good performers if you use them the right way. Far better than the coke bottle Canon gives you with the Rebel or 20D etc. You could also get the excellent 14-54 F2.8 for about $400 to go with any of the bodies. I have to E-500 with the 14-54 and have been very happy with it. I've done both amateur and professional work with it.
If you really want to go against the grain for an awesome performer, you can get the 2003 Olympus E-1. It's their older professional body, and damn near indestructible. The pixel sites are huge because the sensor is only 5.5 Megapixel, and the enlargements are phenomenal because it approximates film grain so well and the colors and contrast are so classically Olympus punchy. I am thinking of selling my 8 Megapixel E-500 and getting the 5.5 Megapixel E-1.
You can pick up an E-500 or better at the price point you're talking about or less with a good lens or two.
The two kit lenses that come with the OLY SLRs are good performers if you use them the right way. Far better than the coke bottle Canon gives you with the Rebel or 20D etc. You could also get the excellent 14-54 F2.8 for about $400 to go with any of the bodies. I have to E-500 with the 14-54 and have been very happy with it. I've done both amateur and professional work with it.
If you really want to go against the grain for an awesome performer, you can get the 2003 Olympus E-1. It's their older professional body, and damn near indestructible. The pixel sites are huge because the sensor is only 5.5 Megapixel, and the enlargements are phenomenal because it approximates film grain so well and the colors and contrast are so classically Olympus punchy. I am thinking of selling my 8 Megapixel E-500 and getting the 5.5 Megapixel E-1.
I agree to some extent - but having a larger user base for your camera is always a plus for support.
Plus try hiring a lens that's not Nikon or Canon - much harder (if not impossible in most camera shops) to find them as they are the market leaders by a long way.
Buy Used
Try find a used DSLR body. As a new generation of bodies are released there are plenty of people selling there older ones to pay for the latest and greatest.
A used Nikon D70s goes used for around $500 with the kit lens (18-70mm and it is a good lens). It is a far better camera than the D40 is.
Lenses hold there value, bodies do not. Buy used, people that buy DSLR cameras tend to take care of them very well. You dollar will go a lot farther.
I am not pushing Nikon, it just what I am familiar with.
Try find a used DSLR body. As a new generation of bodies are released there are plenty of people selling there older ones to pay for the latest and greatest.
A used Nikon D70s goes used for around $500 with the kit lens (18-70mm and it is a good lens). It is a far better camera than the D40 is.
Lenses hold there value, bodies do not. Buy used, people that buy DSLR cameras tend to take care of them very well. You dollar will go a lot farther.
I am not pushing Nikon, it just what I am familiar with.
Yes, used D70s is preferable to new D40. NOT D70 (without "s") because of risk of BGLOD.
But a new K100D kit is cheaper and it has antishake. Given that you're saving quite a but of money, maybe thinking about which other lenses you might buy in the future is not so important and you might just switch if you want later.
Most bang for the buck? I would have to say this "Pentax"...
According to the description, it's a C.I.A. single-shot gun-camera (1966)
The Stinger is a single-shot re-loadable .22 magnum pen-gun, perhaps the single most popular weapon of the C.I.A. In 1966 the Stinger has been "swallowed" by an Asahi Pentax 35mm SLR and properly cocked via cameras film advance lever. It shot by shutter release button breaking the lens elements in front of it. photo: CIA website
For me, a close second would have to be this Leica.
You can read about it here.
Sadly, I couldn't afford the Red Dot, but I did have one of these Mattel Official Agent Zero camera guns as a kid.
Hope that helps!
According to the description, it's a C.I.A. single-shot gun-camera (1966)
The Stinger is a single-shot re-loadable .22 magnum pen-gun, perhaps the single most popular weapon of the C.I.A. In 1966 the Stinger has been "swallowed" by an Asahi Pentax 35mm SLR and properly cocked via cameras film advance lever. It shot by shutter release button breaking the lens elements in front of it. photo: CIA website
For me, a close second would have to be this Leica.
You can read about it here.
Sadly, I couldn't afford the Red Dot, but I did have one of these Mattel Official Agent Zero camera guns as a kid.
Hope that helps!