beginners, where to start

[photo_chick]

My sister regualrly shoots her DD in cheer competitions. They use the same camera I do, a Rebel XT (any of the DSLR's with the right lens will get your job done IMO) but she dropped another $800 (used) on a fast telephoto lens. Something I have not done, though with my DD getting into dance I might. Like someone said above, you can get great shots with a much cheaper lens, but know if you want to be able to zoom in really close you wil have to invest in another lens.

 

[ksloane]

The D40 is likely not the best camera for your needs due to one main lack of feature. It does not have a focus motor in the body. It then needs to use a lens with a focus motor. Many Nikon lenses have one, but the one lens that you need does not. It is the 50mm f/1.8 prime. You would have to manual focus, which would not be ideal for action. The D50 would work, but they are very hard to come by now as they were discontinued a few months ago. You might find a Rebel XT with kit lens and get the ~$100 50mm f/1.8 and keep it under $600 total, but it might be closer to $700. The Pentax K100D with kit lens and their 50mm will put you closer to $700, but you get a better kit lens and a better 50mm out of it.

Kevin

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I'm going to add them to my list and go look now. A guy I work with had also mentioned the Rebel. I'm not opposed to spending $700. I look at it as a long term investment as my daughter is only 6 and we have MANY more years of athletics and twirling and dance (and who knows what else) and LOTS of trips to Disney.

 

[ksloane]

My sister regualrly shoots her DD in cheer competitions. They use the same camera I do, a Rebel XT (any of the DSLR's with the right lens will get your job done IMO) but she dropped another $800 (used) on a fast telephoto lens. Something I have not done, though with my DD getting into dance I might. Like someone said above, you can get great shots with a much cheaper lens, but know if you want to be able to zoom in really close you wil have to invest in another lens.

Thanks. With this being the third time this one's been mentioned I'm printing some info and taking it home to really look into this one....Don't think I'm anywhere near buying an $800 lens yet Maybe one day I'll feel bright enough to do that.. lol, and we are in a small town and so ball and dance performances are not from that far away....when video taping I don't zoom at all for dance and very little at ball games...

 

[ksloane]

I've always bought from major chains where I can walk in the store and pick out what I want when it comes to technology (and thus take it back if not happy), but wanted to ask if anyone has an opinion about: http://www.bestpricecameras.com

Seems they have the cheapest price I'm seeing for almost all of the cameras I've been looking into.

 

[YEKCIM]

FWIW, here are some sample photos from the S6000fd, from the Steve's Digicams review: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/fuji_s6000fd_samples.html

The noise is not bad, but ISO 1600 is about the usable limit, IMO. Fuji apparently uses some pretty aggressive noise reduction which, while it does keep the noise down, destroys a good bit of image detail, especially at 3200. That's the downside of the smaller sensor.

If the XT with the kit lens would suit your needs, that might be a good option, but you still would be limited by the relatively slow maximum aperture of the kit lens. Slow/Fast in lens parlance refers to the ability to gather light and transmit it to the sensor; therefore, a "slow" lens transmits less light, and a "fast" lens transmits more light, allowing faster shutter speeds, when necessary.

Another option, from the Nikon camp, would be a D50 body and the 18-135mm zoom lens. I have that lens and it is WAY sharp, as well as having a pretty decent zoom range, from wide angle to decent telephoto. It will be my primary WDW lens.

Sigma4Less.com has a refurbed D50 body for $440, at present, and the 18-135 is available from them for $285, so you'd be a little over your $700 budget with that combination.

Personally, with your stated objectives and budget, I'd give real strong consideration to the Pentax K100D @ around $500 with kit lens. I think there are some rebates available, too, but don't know the details. Had Mrs. YEKCIM not (almost) insisted that I buy Nikon, I would probably have ended up with the K100D. That said, I'm happy with my D50 and the 18-135. That range on a kit lens is not an option from any other dSLR maker, afaik.

~YEKCIM

 

[photo_chick]

I would say with which ever DSLR you get alsolook at a nice fast lens like the 50mm f/1.8 to add as well. If not when you purchase the camera, in the near future. They are not too expensive (mine was $65) and really let a lot of light in, like YEKCIM said, it will help you stop action in the low light situations. It will also be a great lens for indoor family events like birthday parties and holidays. IF you are able to get close when you shoot the 50mm might be just the ticket for you!

I am stuck in a large auditrium for DD's dance and we are not allowed to come up to the stage to shoot. So I really envy you beign able to get closer!

On the camera, I love my Rebel XT.... but if I were shopping now I would also look at the Pentax DSLR's. In the end you gotta find what fits you.

 

[handicap18]

I'll pretty much reitterate what the others have said. Your best bet would be the dSLR. It will give you the option of adding additional lenses that fit the subject your shooting along with giving you a better shutter lag (time from when you press the shutter release to when the camera takes the picture). With a dSLR it is pretty much instant.

Options for entry level dSLR's are the Pentax K100D, Rebel XT or XTi (the XT can be found less expensive), Nikon D50 (discontinued but still can be found either used, refurbished or even New in some places). The kit lens with any of them will do well though it doesn't have a wide range. There are upgrades available like Nikon's 18-70 or 18-135mm (the 18-200mm is great but priced well over $700), Canon's 17-85mm (I believe it is, but doesn't really get great reviews), Sigma had a very nice 18-125mm that has a mount for all 3 makers, but that is discontinued, you might be able to find some though. They are coming out very soon with a New 18-200mm that has OS (optical stabilization), but will be priced around $500.

In addition, you'll want one of the makers 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 (Pentax' version), they are great optically and inexpensive ranging from $80 - $200 depeding on the company you go with. There are also 85mm f/1.8's available from each company, though those run over $300.

For your softball/outdoor pics, you can go with a 70-300mm. Nikon and Canon make their own, or go with a Sigma or Tamron version which are less expensive. Some can be found for a little more than or right around $200.

You are correct about this being an investment, not necessarily in the equipment, but in gathering your families moments. If your serious about learning then you've come to the right place. There is lots to learn, but its not impossible. If you take the right attitude it can be lots of fun and very rewarding. You don't have to go the dSLR route. There are very good PnS camera's out there, however I don't know what kind of results you'll get with even the best one's for any indoor events.

Either way you go, this is a great place for support. You'll certainly get a lot of great help hanging around here.

Good luck with your search.

 

[ukcatfan]

I've always bought from major chains where I can walk in the store and pick out what I want when it comes to technology (and thus take it back if not happy), but wanted to ask if anyone has an opinion about: http://www.bestpricecameras.com

Seems they have the cheapest price I'm seeing for almost all of the cameras I've been looking into.

From http://www.resellerratings.com, it looks like they are a scam joint. Look at Buydig, Beach Camera, B&H, and Adorama.

Kevin

 

[YEKCIM]

From http://www.resellerratings.com, it looks like they are a scam joint. Look at Buydig, Beach Camera, B&H, and Adorama.

Kevin

Yeah, well known scammers; run away...run FAR away from these guys. The places Kevin lists are a safe bet, B&H in particular. If you are not going to buy local, pick one from his list (above).

~YEKCIM

 

[ksloane]

From http://www.resellerratings.com, it looks like they are a scam joint. Look at Buydig, Beach Camera, B&H, and Adorama.

Kevin

I figured as much....too much of a difference in prices. Thanks for the verification.

 

[Groucho]

There are also 85mm f/1.8's available from each company, though those run over $300.

I actually spent some time today drooling over the Pentax 85mm F1.8 and F1.4 lenses... but those are way over $300 if you even can find any! Sounds like they're worth it though...

For retailers, I had a very good experience buying from Beach Camera (great price and very quick shipping, same-day on July 3rd).

In terms of PnS cameras, lots are now advertising high ISO levels, but just because they can do them doesn't make them worthwhile. The new Olympus PnS goes to ISO 5000 but the quality is so bad that it's completely useless. Most PnSs can't go much past ISO 200 and maybe ISO 400 before starting to show serious level of noise. Some with larger sensors do better, and Fuji is the only company that consistently puts in larger sensors than anyone else, plus puts some unique features into the sensors to improve their performance. The only downside is that they don't have any cameras with IS and only the newest ones take SD cards.

 

[ksloane]

Just wanted to take another opportunity to say thanks to everyone for all your wonderful help! (and I know continued help)....

I am tentatively deciding to go with the Pentax K100D....not buying for at least another week though (I want to make myself do as much research and thought as I can stand before purchasing ).

By looking at the dealers ya'll recommended, I am thinking that I am probably going to buy it as a "kit?" with the 18-55 and then buy one additional lens (I'm guessing either the 50-200 or 50mm f/1.4 based on my readings so far). I'm setting aside reading that portion of the posts and researching for tomorrow....I think my brain is fried for the day.

If anyone has a recommendation for which one I should buy first please let me know...it may already be in here as I've kind of grazed over that part of the information as of yet as I could only deal with one thing at a time...

Thanks again and I'll probably be back tommorrow with more questions!

 

[Groucho]

Just wanted to take another opportunity to say thanks to everyone for all your wonderful help! (and I know continued help)....

I am tentatively deciding to go with the Pentax K100D....not buying for at least another week though (I want to make myself do as much research and thought as I can stand before purchasing ).

By looking at the dealers ya'll recommended, I am thinking that I am probably going to buy it as a "kit?" with the 18-55 and then buy one additional lens (I'm guessing either the 50-200 or 50mm f/1.4 based on my readings so far). I'm setting aside reading that portion of the posts and researching for tomorrow....I think my brain is fried for the day.

I know that feeling...

Well, the 50mm F1.4 is really a terrific lens for Disney (used mine more than any other lens last trip), however you get an extra $50 in rebate money if you buy the camera and the 50-200mm at the same time. You're definitely going to want more zoom than you get with the kit lens sooner or later, and it's a very nice companion lens, especially for the price - I think your total will be about $575 for both after rebate.

 

[DisTeacher07]

Hey guys!
Quick question-- I've been looking into getting a digital camera for awhile. I just want something simple to take family photos, etc.

I know the basics... more megapixels, better pictures. A friend said not to get Olympus because it's a good camera, but camera cards are too expensive. Another friend swears by Nikon. I'm only looking to spend up to $150 and a Nikon fits right into the price range, but how much is a camera card going to run me? And, what do I do size wise?

I'm completely oblivious to anything related to this so ANY advice you could offer would be wonderful! TIA

 

[YEKCIM]

Take a look at this thread; lots of good info here. Also, don't buy into the "more megapixels is better" mentality. There are other things to consider, as well, and 5-6MP is plenty, if all you are doing is making 4X6's, 5X7's, and 8X10's or uploading to a photo hosting site like smugmug or photobucket.

~YEKCIM

 

[DisTeacher07]

I'm looking at a Nikon Coolpix 7.1mp digital camera. My sister is pressuring me to just get it already! Should I? Is it any good?

Also, I can get a memory card for a really good price. It's 2GB... how many pictures does that hold?

THANKS!

 

[YEKCIM]

Try reading some reviews:

www.dpreview.com
www.steves-digicams.com
www.dcresource.com
www.imaging-resource.com

~Ed

 

[DisTeacher07]

Thank you Ed! You've been SO helpful through all of this. I really appreciate it

 

[disneydreamin247]

I have been into photography for a while, but never owned an SLR or dSLR. I would like to be able to take better pictures than my PnS will allow. My question is, what would you recommend as a good camera for a beginner? My photos will typically be of my my family, or on vacation. I was looking at a Rebel xti or a Nikon D40X

 

[fan1080]

I suspect you will get alot of different suggestions, from people who have, and like, the gear they have.

I have a D40. Other than the autofocus motor issue, I love it. Why are you considering the D40X over the D40? If it's because of MP, don't bother, not worth the extra cash and some say it even hampers photo quality, go with the D40.

I can't comment on the canon.

I will add this though. I've had the D40 for almost a year now. I really like it but I find myself wanting easier access to some features (ease of changing ISO, autofocus modes, metering modes, etc). I can change all those settings, but it's not as easy to access as it is on the higher level models. That shouldn't be a show stopper for you though, but something to keep in mind.