Camera Advice Please

[pixiedustmomma]

Hello Everyone!

Before I only had a budget for a point and shoot but now I talked Hubby into a DSLR!!!

Now I need advice on which one to get. I read a lot of reviews and I know a lot of people who have DSLR. Most of them have Canon but my husband came home from work this morning talking about Nikon. He said you just lose a couple options with Nikon but you still get great pictures. I believe he was talking about a Nikon D3100. My cousin has a Canon T1i and I have a friend who has a Canon T2i. I also have a friend who has a Nikon D50.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? I think I can push my budget to $800. Believe me I get anxiety spending that much money on one thing. Before I used to just look at these cameras just thinking I would never get one. Now that I talked hubby into it I am feeling overwhelmed.

Any advice would be great!
Thank you so much in advance.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You cannot put a price on beautiful pictures of you kids and vacations.

You could probably find a used dSLR for $300.

 

[artistico]

the right camera with low badget camera is -----------> Nikon D3000
but with those budget who you have ...
Fujifilm FinePix S2550HD 12.2 Megapixel Bridge Camera

i think this is the best for you !!!!!

 

[pixiedustmomma]

Thank you both. After talking with my sister and then talking to my husband we are going to invest in a nice camera. I'm just not sure which one.

 

[mom2rtk]

If you decide to increase your budget, then it really opens up a wealth of possibilities. Be sure to review ALL the options. I have a Canon and love it. But when my friend was recently in the market for a starter DLSR, I helped her evaluate all the options for the money, and she enedd up with the Sony A500. For $550, she got a great camera with great features (like high ISO and a nice high frames per second rate) with the kit 18-200 lens. I believe Pentax has an offering with similar features in a similar price range. Additionally both cameras had image stabilization built into the camera itself.

I don't think you'll be sorry for getting something a little nicer.

 

[d3mckinl]

I feel you pain with the overwhelming amount of information and reviews out there. I just got my first DSLR about a month ago and recieved lots of help here.

To sum up what I learned;

Will your friends let you borrow lenses? if so then going with their brand ay save you a little cash and help steer you towards one brand over the other.

make a list of what kind of pictures you take and the bells and wistles that will assit your photo personality. allong that list also think about what compriises you are willing to make and what is a must have.

Most importantly before you drop the cash, get your hands on the actual model you are considering and play with the buttons and feel of the camera. the sizes on paper are often very small but the layout and feel can make or break a selection.

 

[DPK400]

My advice to you would be to go in and use some of the ones you mention. DSLRs have much more power and consequently more options, so pick one you are comfortable using. Another suggestion would be to become extremely familiar with it's settings before you go. Perhaps even practice changing some of the settings in the dark (since it will happen while you are down there). There is very little difference between pro-sumer model Canon and Nikon DSLRs so they will both offer very nice picture quality which, if properly used, will exceed all Point and Shoots. Enjoy and good luck!!

 

[photo_chick]

Anyone who tells you that X camera is the right camera for you is wrong. sorry to be blunt, but you can't know what will be the right fit for someone else. It's like shoes. Only you know what's right for you.


You already have a budget... narrow down the choices based on that. Don't forget to include any extras there.

Look at the features those cameras have.... any of them any more important than others to you? that might help you narrow it down more.

Lastly, go to the store and play. hold the cameras that you've narrowed your list down to in your hands. Play with the buttons and make sure they're easy for you to use. Go with the one that feels the best in your hands.


A word on the Nikon's. I've seen a lot of people lately getting the very entry level models (like the D3100) and not realizing you will not get full use out of some of the less expensive Nikon lenses. Like the $100 range Nikon 50mm f/1.8 will not auto focus on that body. But you can buy a more expensive 50mm f/1.8 that will auto focus on those bodies. I'm not knocking the cameras here and if it happens to be the right fit for someone they should totally go that way. I'm just pointing out that while you may save on the body you could end up spending more on lenses that auto focus, if auto focus is a feature that's important for you. It's another one of those make sure you really know what you're buying things.

 

[ukcatfan]

I don't think that there is a such thing as the "best" DSLR for any price range. There is only the best DSLR for YOU! People can give recommendations all day long, but that not mean that you will like it. All current models are capable of very similar results, so most of the decisions come down to the brand/model having the features you want, the available accessories/lenses you want, the feel in your hands, and it fits your budget now and in the future.

Canon and Nikon are the most popular, so many automatically recommend them. There are more lenses, flash systems, etc. available for them, but this is really only an advantage if you are in the professional ranks. Almost all consumer level options are available for all brands when you consider 3rd party options like Tamron, Sigma, Tokina, etc. I suggest you consider Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, and Olympus.

There are also non-DSLR interchangeable lens cameras to consider now. Sony has two varieties. One has a mirror that does not move and uses standard Minolta mount lenses. They are the A line (A33, A55). The other one is the NEX line which use their own line of lenses. Then Olympus and Panasonic offer the Micro 4/3 mount. The advantage of these systems are that they are smaller and more lightweight. The disadvantage is that you do not get an optical viewfinder and have to use the LCD or some have a little LCD that is like an optical viewfinder.

My personal preference is Pentax. I suggest giving the Pentax K-r a consideration.

 

[bob100]

the right camera with low badget camera is -----------> Nikon D3000
b
i think this is the best for you !!!!!

Buzz - wrong!

Before I only had a budget for a point and shoot but now I talked Hubby into a DSLR!!!

Now I need advice on which one to get. I read a lot of reviews and I know a lot of people who have DSLR. Most of them have Canon but my husband came home from work this morning talking about Nikon.My cousin has a Canon T1i and I have a friend who has a Canon T2i..

your husband is confused. Get a Canon T2i and 18-55IS for $500
enjoy

 

[pixiedustmomma]

Thank you all for the advice. It was really helpful. I have plans to go test a few out to see which one I like the best and make sure it has a features I want. My 4 year old has been sick the last couple days so I haven't had a chance to do it yet.

 

[WDWFigment]

It's hard to go wrong with any of the current entry level options by Nikon or Canon, and even Pentax and Sony have some pretty strong entries!

For more detailed recommendations, see the link in my signature.

 

[cbombard]

For what it is worth.. I think getting your hands on your top choices is best..
When I was shopping.. I had narrowed it down to a Nikon or Canon.. and for me the big reason I went with the Nikon d40 was that it felt better to me when using it..

I am agreement with WDWFigment.. all the entry level ones seem to get great reviews.. Also check out www.dpreview.com for their reviews of your choices..

 

[snowangel72]

I am not sure why but I have always stuck with Canon. I guess the reason is that I have several CF cards that I can interchange within cameras. I would test them both out. I would have no idea how to adjust the settings on a Nikon because Canon is just so second nature to me! Go with what you feel is easier to adjust aperature and shutter speed etc.

 

[ukcatfan]

I am not sure why but I have always stuck with Canon. I guess the reason is that I have several CF cards that I can interchange within cameras. I would test them both out. I would have no idea how to adjust the settings on a Nikon because Canon is just so second nature to me! Go with what you feel is easier to adjust aperature and shutter speed etc.

Just an FYI for you, but Canon only uses CF on the top of the line cameras now (7D, 5D, 1D). All their p&s and consumer level DSLRs use SD.