Advice, opinions, greaty appreciated

[DisneyGuess]

I was not happy with a lot of our Disney pics that I took with my Canon Powershot P&S.
So, I've decided to get a DSLR with our tax return. I need some tips on picking one, maybe some suggestions on which ones are good. I gave myself a limit of $500. I want one with a decent kit lense & not too expensive add on lenses, flashes, etc.
It will be used mostly for vacation pics (beach & Disney), holidays, birthdays, outdoors, kids, etc., nothing too fancy or professional.
Thanks for any help!! I look at them in the store & I'm really dumbfounded.

 

[photo_chick]

Before I say anything else, I'll say what I always do. It's not the camera, it's the photographer. Pretty much any camera on the market right now is capable of making great images if you know how to use it well.

$500 will put you in the very entry level class of DSLR's. That's not a bad thing, just know that you won't be able to get much in the way of additional lenses or accessories with that budget. With that in mind, look at the cameras that fit your budget and go play with them at the store. See which ones have buttons that are easy to access, feel good in your hands, etc. All the brands are good, you really can't go wrong.

One thing to note... if lens cost down the road is a factor you may consider skipping the Nikon D3100. It cannot auto focus with some of the lesser priced lenses so if that's important to you, then you may not want to go that way. It's a great camera, it just has that limitation. Nikon has many different lens designations, so check out the chart at nikonians.org for a run down on that if you're interested.

You may also consider the mirrorless cameras. They run about the same as an entry level DSLR (some are a little less, some are a lot more) and are another great option.

 

[ukcatfan]

With that small of a budget, you are not going to get a whole lot. You are pretty much limited to the Canon T3 based on a quick price search I just did. While any DSLR will be capable of taking nice pics, you really are at the bottom of the line for entry level at that price. Also consider that you are going to have to spend a little more right away on things like extra batteries, possibly more memory, a bag, sensor cleaning kit (at least a blower), a nicer strap, etc. I would say that the extras end up being between $100-200 more.

As for the kit lenses, all are pretty much equal in terms of optical quality. The build quality winner IMO is Pentax. The Canon and Nikon ones are intentionally of a lower quality to encourage an upgrade. I have been using my Pentax kit for over four years and am still happy with it. I have a couple prime lenses to handle situations where it is too slow (i.e. aperture is too small). One of the biggest difference is that the front element rotates on Canon, Nikon, and I believe Sony kit lenses. The becomes a problem when using a petal hood or rotating filter.

Again, all are good, but I think you might want to consider increasing your budget some because I think it would be money well spent.

 

[wbeem]

I was not happy with a lot of our Disney pics that I took with my Canon Powershot P&S.
So, I've decided to get a DSLR with our tax return. I need some tips on picking one, maybe some suggestions on which ones are good. I gave myself a limit of $500. I want one with a decent kit lense & not too expensive add on lenses, flashes, etc.
It will be used mostly for vacation pics (beach & Disney), holidays, birthdays, outdoors, kids, etc., nothing too fancy or professional.
Thanks for any help!! I look at them in the store & I'm really dumbfounded.

Considering your budget, you may want to include top-end point & shoot cameras like the Nikon P7100 or Canon G12. The reason I mention these cameras is because they allow you to control your exposure variables - Aperture, ISO & Shutter Speed. Ultimately, it's your knowledge of how to control your exposure that makes a very important difference in your photos - you need to get away from the auto modes.

I have the Nikon P7000. It has great image quality, can work with external flash, supports auto-exposure bracketing and long exposures. Here's one of the first shots I took when I got it.


Fat Bottomed Girls, They'll Be Riding Today by wbeem, on Flickr

I still prefer a DSLR, but this is a camera I carry with me everywhere. It still has lag-time on the shutter, like other point & shoots. I can't stop down more than f/8. However, it has a wide focal range and shoots RAW files.

I don't want to talk you out of a DSLR, but I figured I'd throw these cameras out as an option. You may also want to look at the newer Micro 4/3rds cameras. Just stuff to consider because of your budget.

As Danielle said, it's the photographer who makes the difference. The way you make a difference is to control the exposure and composition.

 

[DisneyGuess]

That is a beautiful picture!
Maybe I just need help with knowing how to set me camera up right. I don't do a lot in Auto mode, I just don't like the way the pics come out.Maybe a higher end P&S would be better for me.
Here's an example of the pics my camera was taking. No matter what mode I tried, what settings I fiddled with, this is how most of my pic came out.

The bottom & the top look decent b ut the middle is whitish, kind of washed out looking. Any thoughts? This camera is a Canon Powershot ELPH 100 HS. I had the older model of this camera before my youngest broke it & loved it, never had any issues taking nice, clear, bright pictures. This one, I just can't get the good shots.

 

[wbeem]

I hope you don't mind, but I made some quick adjustments to your photo.

I whipped through this rather quickly, so taking more time would yield better results. However, I wanted to show you what you can do with some simple editing after you take the picture.

The adjustments I made are called Curves. You can find that tool in Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, and many other post processing software tools.

I made one for the middle, one for the signs, and another for the poles & garland. No single adjustment was good for the whole photo because of the range of highlights & shadows. So you adjust for the piece you want and exclude the rest. Then rinse & repeat for other parts of the photo.

Maybe what you need isn't a different camera, but some photo software. You don't have to spend $600 on Photoshop, either. Look at Photoshop Elements to do pretty much most of what you need. On the Mac, a program called Pixelmator was Apple's "App of the Year" and it's only $30.

 

[DisneyGuess]

That picture looks amazing!!! You did that with Photoshop Elements? 10?
I added the software to my Amazon Wish List. Maybe that is all I need for now. Thank you!

 

[wbeem]

That picture looks amazing!!! You did that with Photoshop Elements? 10?
I added the software to my Amazon Wish List. Maybe that is all I need for now. Thank you!

I did it with Photoshop CS5, but Elements could do this, too. All I did was add three Curves adjustments and layer masks. You use the layer masks to include/exclude what you want from each adjustment.

Have fun with it.

 

[boBQuincy]

There may be a smudge or fingerprint on the center of your lens.

 

[ThurlFan]

There may be a smudge or fingerprint on the center of your lens.

I would definitely check for this before shopping for a new camera. Retouching should be able to save the pictures you've already taken, but should not be necessary most of the time for vacation snaps.

The DSLR isn't going to magically produce better pictures. In "auto" mode with the kit lens, it's not going to significantly outperform a top point and shoot. I agree with wbeem about looking into something in the same category as the G12 if you are looking to upgrade - but first make sure your lens is clear. Be sure to use a lens cloth, and not a tissue or paper towel. In a pinch I've gotten away with an old flannel shirt, but just be sure you don't use a paper product.

Keep us posted on progress, we love to hear about photo-related purchases!

 

[photo_chick]

There may be a smudge or fingerprint on the center of your lens.

That's what I was going to say as well.