Digital Camera Needed

[Riggs]

Hey all, I'm in need of a digital camera for doing hw reviews. Should take better pictures than my sony 3.2mp and have 5x or more optical zoom. Want a good camera, <325$ negotiable, depending on what you recommend. :) Thanks.

:up:

[MikeB12]

check out http://dpreview.com/
they have good reviews.

I'm kinda partial to canon powershots for a decent point and shoot camera.

I like this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120285
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_sx110is.asp


but I just have a little a520

[twilyth]

Check out the Nikon coolpix S710 - I just got it and might do an overview - haven't decided. It's pretty new and didn't find any reviews at the usual sites. But it has 14.5MP chip and a really wide ISO range for a subcompact. It also has a lot of other features you would normally only find on an SLR. Get a high speed SD card (133x or better). Optical zoom is only 3x though. :)

[MaxxxRacer]

d40 is a good choice, and the stock lens does decent macro. Its nothing like having a macro lens, but it will serve you well.

[Robbie]

I think the d40 is sort of pushing his less then $325 price limit. I would go with a nice canon powershot. You can get excellent pics with them and I have been very happy with mine. I have upgraded to a eos 40d now and it takes better pics but it is also somewhat bulky. I still use my powershot for carrying around and I use my slr for more serious stuff.

[Riggs]

When I went to the camera shop today, I compared p&s cameras like the powershot sx110 with 10x optical, a fujifilm with 15x optical, and a nikon coolpix p80 with 18x zoom. The coolpix had the best out of those cameras, but it had the highest price tag of 400$. Then I took the D40 out, and shot some pictures. I stuck the sd cards in their testing computers, and the D40 was much clearer, and there wasn't much noise at all. I think that it warrants the extra 40 dollar price tag, especially since it will do better in low light conditions, has lens upgradeablility, and has a much bigger sensor for letting light in. I always was one of those who thought more megapixels=better. :) Needless to say, I'll get the D40 tomorrow, a case, a 4gb sd card, and possibly with a 70-300mm sigma lens. I'm so excited! :)

[Nate P.]

Riggs;3365678']...and possibly with a 70-300mm sigma lens.
For what? Surely not HW reviews...

[Riggs]

For what? Surely not HW reviews...

Up north. Taking further distance pictures of deer, and other things out there in nature. :) I'm not that dumb to buy a 300mm zoom lens to take pictures of hw. :) I might just wait and not get another lens, maybe just wait till Christmas and get a nice one.

[MaxxxRacer]

Riggs;3365732']Up north. Taking further distance pictures of deer, and other things out there in nature. :) I'm not that dumb to buy a 300mm zoom lens to take pictures of hw. :) I might just wait and not get another lens, maybe just wait till Christmas and get a nice one.

Good choice in the camera sir. I had a feeling that once you tried a Nikon SLR, P&S would seem like a painful endeavour.

I dont know how much you want to spend, but if you want a good tele, the 70-300VR is bar-none the one to get. Well its bar none under 500 dollars anyway.

Last thing. DO NOT rent any pro lense. You may want to try them out, but its just not worth it. You return the lens and then want to run right back into the store to drop 1700 dollars on a piece of metal and glass.

[Riggs]

I know, I cant afford it anyways. :p Are sigma and tamron lenses good? I can get 70-300 for 180. I need one with an autofocus engine thing built in for the d40, so it might limit my options.

[Riggs]

What about Sony A200 DSLR? It has alot more features, and has the autofocus engine inside the camera, so any used minolta lens will work. :) Better lens included, 15-70mm macro, and the camera is 10mp instead of 6. The choices the choices. :(

[Riggs]

Went and shot again. The canon rebel xs shot better color in low light than the D40 or D60. The A200 didn't shoot that great. Probably going to get the rebel on monday. Don't want it from best buy, they probably dont service it that well. Nikon/Canon store will service much better I think. :)

[MaxxxRacer]

The XSi is a good camera, and if it fits your hand nicely I would go for that. Your lens options for canon are currently a bit wider than for Nikon. The only thing I can really nock on the XSi on is the small viewfinder and smaller LCD compared to other SLR's.

I would not get near a sony if I were you. Their lens selection is not up to par with Canon or Nikon.

With regards to Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina. Sometimes these manufactures make excellent leses, but for the most part their Canon/Nikon equivalents are much better. One example of a 3rd party manufacture being better than Canon or Nikon is Tokina with the 11-16 F2.8. This lens is better than both the canon and nikon offerings in its class and is cheaper. My suggestion to you. If you are interested in a Sigma/Tamron/Tokina lens, read all the reviews you can and then see what owners are saying about it. If everyone likes it then you are good. But one thing you will see with most 3rd party lenses, namely Sigma, is that their quality control sucks compared to Nikon/Canon. You will find that with Sigma 1 in 10 of their lenses has some defect in the glass, so you a good chance that you will need to return one of these lenses. From 3rd parties, Tokina has the best QC, but still not as good as Canon or Nikon.

[Soulburner]

Riggs;3367185']Went and shot again. The canon rebel xs shot better color in low light than the D40 or D60. The A200 didn't shoot that great. Probably going to get the rebel on monday. Don't want it from best buy, they probably dont service it that well. Nikon/Canon store will service much better I think. :)
You can't test color in a store on the camera LCD. The white balance plays the role there and you don't even know how each camera is handling that. Both cameras do fine with color and I wouldn't use that as the basis of your comparison.

In general Nikon's white balance is very accurate.

BTW Maxx, he said Rebel XS, not XSi...big difference.

[Nate P.]

BTW Maxx, he said Rebel XS, not XSi...big difference.
I think the sensors are the same though.

[Riggs]

You can't test color in a store on the camera LCD. The white balance plays the role there and you don't even know how each camera is handling that. Both cameras do fine with color and I wouldn't use that as the basis of your comparison.

In general Nikon's white balance is very accurate.

BTW Maxx, he said Rebel XS, not XSi...big difference.

Yeah, i never did any manual adjustments. Would the D40 with 6mp's last a while, I wont be doing that big of prints? Or is the upgrade to the XS/D60 a better path to take? Sorry for the noobiness, it is a big step to take from p&s to DSLR. I think that the D40 might the one. :)

[twilyth]

I just want to mention a practical issue that often gets overlooked. A camera doesn't do you any good if you don't have it with you when you need it. My first DSLR was, at the time, a fairly expensive Sony. I've always loved Zeiss optics. But I wouldn't carry it around with me all the time because I didn't want to leave it in the car and it was too heavy and bulky to hold on to for long periods of time. As a result, most of the times I wanted to take a good quality picture, I didn't have it with me.

So this time I decided to go to the other extreme and get a subcompact I could comfortably fit in a pocket. I've only been using it for a few days and I'm already very happy that I made the choice I did. I haven't done a side by side comparison of photos yet, but I'm sure the Nikor glass lens is probably in the same class as Zeiss plus I have almost twice the resolution. But most importantly, I have already gotten several shots that I would have missed otherwise. It's also much more convenient since I don't have to plan every shot I want to take.

If most or all of your shooting is going to be under controlled conditions, then a DSLR is the way to go. But if you plan to be even a little spontaneous, think seriously about something that you can easily carry around. :)

[Soulburner]

I just want to mention a practical issue that often gets overlooked. A camera doesn't do you any good if you don't have it with you when you need it. My first DSLR was, at the time, a fairly expensive Sony. I've always loved Zeiss optics. But I wouldn't carry it around with me all the time because I didn't want to leave it in the car and it was too heavy and bulky to hold on to for long periods of time.
That's why you get one of these:

http://products.lowepro.com/product/Voyager-C,2075,41.htm

I never go without it. I use it diagonally, with the strap over my left shoulder and the camera by my right hip. It is contoured so it isn't the same if you turn it around - hard to explain. It makes my D300 + Lens + Flash feel about 1/4 of its weight and you can use it all day without any pull on your neck like a neck strap.

Once you get used to it, there shouldn't be any place you can't take it, except for concerts or overly anal museums.

[twilyth]

You know, I never thought about getting a neck strap or sling or large fanny pack. D'oh! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Soulburner]

This one can be used as a neck strap - but its much better over the shoulder ;)

[Riggs]

I just want to mention a practical issue that often gets overlooked. A camera doesn't do you any good if you don't have it with you when you need it. My first DSLR was, at the time, a fairly expensive Sony. I've always loved Zeiss optics. But I wouldn't carry it around with me all the time because I didn't want to leave it in the car and it was too heavy and bulky to hold on to for long periods of time. As a result, most of the times I wanted to take a good quality picture, I didn't have it with me.

So this time I decided to go to the other extreme and get a subcompact I could comfortably fit in a pocket. I've only been using it for a few days and I'm already very happy that I made the choice I did. I haven't done a side by side comparison of photos yet, but I'm sure the Nikor glass lens is probably in the same class as Zeiss plus I have almost twice the resolution. But most importantly, I have already gotten several shots that I would have missed otherwise. It's also much more convenient since I don't have to plan every shot I want to take.

If most or all of your shooting is going to be under controlled conditions, then a DSLR is the way to go. But if you plan to be even a little spontaneous, think seriously about something that you can easily carry around. :)

I can still use my P&s sony, but I dont mind carrying something like this around. Mostly controlled situations though, I want something that will last, and the DSLR's seem like they will more than a P&S. Even the 6MP DSLR takes better pictures than the 12mp P&s's. Upgrading lenses is nice too. My parents like the idea of getting a nice one now, and not worrying later, unlike what I had to do with my sony. I also will use zoom, and even with those fancypants 18x opticals, they looked like crap after 8x zoom, and DSLR's still look sharp and clean at high zoom....

I guess you get what you pay for in the end.
I was originally looking at point&shoots, but these reasons are why I want a Digtal SLR.

[Riggs]

Edit: I think I found it. I'm looking at a Pentax K200D. I can get a good macro lens with it for the price of a Canon Rebel XSi.

[Riggs]

I got the Pentax w/ the 18-55 lens last night. I might be able to get a free lens from a family friend, so that sealed the deal. Can't wait, gonna be alot of fun.