DSLR camera help

[fac]

after reading the posts, I decided to check out the Canon Rebel T3i, instead of getting a package, I plan to buy it with the standard lens but add a 75-300mm, or a different range, but I noticed some of them listed as EF mount, some as EF-S mount, is the EF-S mount for T3 and the EF mount for T3i?

 

[rnorwo1]

I have a Nikon D3100. I love it. It does really well in low light without the flash but YOU MUST GET OFF OF AUTO!!

Now before you get nervous, let me say that the d3100 is super, super easy and user friendly. I brought mine last may right before I went to Paris. I signed up for a very easy on line DSLR camera basic class (15bucks) and then started shooting.

PM me and I'll send you the link.

I am never on auto any more. I primarily use the A function or the Manual setting.

My kit was 700 bucks and I got a zoom lense and a normal 55 lens.

I am not a pro by any means but I'm starting to get better.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely check the d3100 out. I think all of your pics turned out great, and much better than what I would have gotten with my canon. In your pic of the Arc, there's a man on one side and his foot is blurred a bit... that's what mine are usually like in low light, but pretty much the entire photo, so this is definitely much better.

Both and other.

A dSLR camera has a much larger sensor than a point and shoot. Thus, it will do better in low light.

Operator error also comes into play. If you don't understand why a photo is poor taken in low light conditions, you can't fix it. Shutter speed is the main reason, it must be fast enough to be able to stop the blur in where you say "subject move it's blurry." Once you know why shutter speed is important, you can also learn that part of the reason is how you hold your camera. A more stable stance will get you better results at a lower shutter speed. The photographer uses his body to stabilize the camera, hold the camera up to the eye, feet a bit more width apart, and elbows tucked in to stabilized as opposed to the people who hold a point and shoot out at arms length looking at the LCD screen.

Now for the other, which is the lens. The aperture opening limitations will determine whether you can or can not achieve the shutter speed needed in low light situations. Point and shoot cameras don't have very large aperture, but also, the kit lens that come bundled with most "beginner" dSLR cameras don't have very large aperture either. That is why the 50mm f/1.8 is a pretty popular lens. It has the wide aperture that allows you to be able to select a higher shutter speed for low light conditions without compromising with higher ISO that may produce too much noise.

That should have been "subject moves", but guess you got my point I have played a bit with the shutter speed as well as with the other settings and I didn't get much better results. So you're saying that if I do upgrade to, say the d3100, I need to make sure that I get an additional lens that has at least a f/1.8 to get decent low light shots? Thanks for all of the info, I don't want to waste any more money. Whatever I choose, I will definitely invest in a book or class.
Thanks!

 

[rock_doctor]

Oh man!!! Can't believe I missed that. I totally didn't see that in their ad. I think I did pretty comparable though with the T3 with kit lens, bag, memory card and UV filter for $450. My DH will be totally surprised. It's actually his Christmas present but I'm sure he'll share.

Don't count on him sharing.... You may need to get one for yourself.

That is a great price. I always take pride in my ability to stretch a dollar but you did considerably better then i did for the same items. You get points for well spent money! Now check ebay for extra batteries. There are tons of them and for a 10th of what they would cost from Canon.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The important thing to be aware of about the entry level Nikons before you buy:

Like Nikon's other consumer level DSLRs, the D3100 has no in-body autofocus motor, and fully automatic autofocus requires a lens with an integrated autofocus-motor.[2] With any other CPU lenses the camera's electronic rangefinder can be used to manually adjust focus

If that doesn't make sense to you, you should do more research about it. For many people, it won't matter much. For others, it may.

Oh, and debating the merits of Canon vs Nikon is kind of like doing the same for Ford or Chevy; Toyota or Honda. They're both great and you're unlikely to see major differences between the two on the same level. Basically it boils down to personal preference. Whatever you buy should feel great in your hands and the dials and such should be intuitive. Remember, a great photographer can get amazing shots with a cell phone, and a not so great photographer can't get great shots even with Ansel Adams' camera. Knowing what you're doing goes a long way to getting good photos with any camera.

it is rude to use the knowledge of the saleman when you have no intention of purchasing. Part of the reason stores like Ritz are more expensive is because they have knowledgeable sales staff and you pay for that.

Would you say the same for looking at cars at a dealership? How do you know if you want to buy there if you don't test it out, ie the whole experience? Maybe that salesperson's knowledge or helpfulness might be the thing that makes you pay more for their service. Or maybe not. But as consumers interested in many things when they make a purchase, of course it's ok to, well, Shop! Otherwise, I really wouldn't rely on any salesperson's knowledge - it's important to do your research yourself. There is a lot of misinformation out there.

Just a warning to all those considering purchasing a dSLR. Ask yourself if you really want to carry all that stuff around all the time. If you don't, consider one of the mirrorless options like the Olympus PEN, the Panasonic G3 and the Sony NEX. They're smaller to carry around but have almost the same capabilities of their larger cousins. Again, research before you buy.

 

[Lewisc]

Only an issue if you already own older lenses which will work with the camera but the lens doesn't have a motor. Otherwise make sure whatever lenses you buy will fully work with your camera. (includes a focusing motor).

Unless something has recently changed none of the Canon DSLRs include a focusing motor in the camera body. Your point is valid but I believe it applies to either brand camera.

Some retailers package cameras with different lenses. You want to make sure whatever lens is included with the package is the appropriate lens. Some disreputable places might package a lens without a motor, without VR (vibration reduction) or with a less expensive third party lens.

I agree there probably isn't a big (any?) real difference between a Nikon and similar Canon DSLR.

Some people like to spend time in a B&M store but purchase online. Save a few dollars and might find a vendor which doesn't collect sales tax. I have an issue if the person has zero intention of paying any price premium and will be ordering online.

Places like Amazon and Newegg don't sell new cars. New cars are still generally sold in a new car dealer. A salesmen who treats you right still has a shot of making the sale, even if you were planning on purchasing from a different dealer.

The important thing to be aware of about the entry level Nikons before you buy:



If that doesn't make sense to you, you should do more research about it. For many people, it won't matter much. For others, it may.

Oh, and debating the merits of Canon vs Nikon is kind of like doing the same for Ford or Chevy; Toyota or Honda. They're both great and you're unlikely to see major differences between the two on the same level. Basically it boils down to personal preference. Whatever you buy should feel great in your hands and the dials and such should be intuitive. Remember, a great photographer can get amazing shots with a cell phone, and a not so great photographer can't get great shots even with Ansel Adams' camera. Knowing what you're doing goes a long way to getting good photos with any camera.


Would you say the same for looking at cars at a dealership? How do you know if you want to buy there if you don't test it out, ie the whole experience? Maybe that salesperson's knowledge or helpfulness might be the thing that makes you pay more for their service. Or maybe not. But as consumers interested in many things when they make a purchase, of course it's ok to, well, Shop! Otherwise, I really wouldn't rely on any salesperson's knowledge - it's important to do your research yourself. There is a lot of misinformation out there.

Just a warning to all those considering purchasing a dSLR. Ask yourself if you really want to carry all that stuff around all the time. If you don't, consider one of the mirrorless options like the Olympus PEN, the Panasonic G3 and the Sony NEX. They're smaller to carry around but have almost the same capabilities of their larger cousins. Again, research before you buy.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Places like Amazon and Newegg don't sell new cars. New cars are still generally sold in a new car dealer. A salesmen who treats you right still has a shot of making the sale, even if you were planning on purchasing from a different dealer.

The point is that consumers have a right to decide where they want to shop and that many factors influence that decision.

 

[prncess674]

Would you say the same for looking at cars at a dealership? How do you know if you want to buy there if you don't test it out, ie the whole experience? Maybe that salesperson's knowledge or helpfulness might be the thing that makes you pay more for their service. Or maybe not. But as consumers interested in many things when they make a purchase, of course it's ok to, well, Shop! Otherwise, I really wouldn't rely on any salesperson's knowledge - it's important to do your research yourself. There is a lot of misinformation out there.

I never said don't shop around. Do all the research you want, but don't go into a store that you have no intention of purchasing from and take up the time of a salesman so you can then go online and purchase it for a few bucks cheaper. If you want to save money by shopping online, by all means do so but don't steal the salesman job from other paying customers.

To put this in Disney terms how would you like it if a family came in an hovered over your character dinner and took photos with the characters as "test shots" so when they met the characters in the park they would know exactly what shots they wanted to get.

 

[NLD]

Just popping in to say the lack of a focus motor in the entry-level Nikon DSLRs became an issue for me.

For people considering jumping into the DSLR world...

If you love photography and think you're going to really get "into" it, the lack of an in-body motor truly is something to think about. I had no photography experience and no old lenses when I started. So that wasn't the issue.

The issue is that when I wanted to start buying more lenses, my choices were limited---I either had to buy AF-S lenses (lenses with a motor in them) or, if I bought a non-AF-S lens, accept manually focusing.

If all you're ever going to buy are entry-level and kit lenses, this isn't a big deal.

If you start wanting more, it can become an issue. Then again if you start wanting more than kit lenses, there are probably other reasons you'll want to upgrade the camera body anyway.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just popping in to say the lack of a focus motor in the entry-level Nikon DSLRs became an issue for me.

For people considering jumping into the DSLR world...

If you love photography and think you're going to really get "into" it, the lack of an in-body motor truly is something to think about. I had no photography experience and no old lenses when I started. So that wasn't the issue.

The issue is that when I wanted to start buying more lenses, my choices were limited---I either had to buy AF-S lenses (lenses with a motor in them) or, if I bought a non-AF-S lens, accept manually focusing.

If all you're ever going to buy are entry-level and kit lenses, this isn't a big deal.

If you start wanting more, it can become an issue. Then again if you start wanting more than kit lenses, there are probably other reasons you'll want to upgrade the camera body anyway.

And that's the thing, most people end up wanting more lenses once they realize the kit lenses can be limiting.

 

[Lewisc]

New Nikon lenses come with a motor. Aftermarket lenses from companies like Tamron are available with a motor. Plenty of lenses to pick from. Might be more difficult to find a compatible used lens.

Unless I'm missing something Canon also puts the motor in the lens. I'm not even sure Canon lets you use a manual focus lens.

I guess you're giving one of the reasons why some people might prefer an expensive Nikon.

Pea--People can purchase wherever they want, for whatever reason. Some of us think it's rude to bother a B&M store if you don't have any intention of buying from that store.

Just popping in to say the lack of a focus motor in the entry-level Nikon DSLRs became an issue for me.

For people considering jumping into the DSLR world...

If you love photography and think you're going to really get "into" it, the lack of an in-body motor truly is something to think about. I had no photography experience and no old lenses when I started. So that wasn't the issue.

The issue is that when I wanted to start buying more lenses, my choices were limited---I either had to buy AF-S lenses (lenses with a motor in them) or, if I bought a non-AF-S lens, accept manually focusing.

If all you're ever going to buy are entry-level and kit lenses, this isn't a big deal.

If you start wanting more, it can become an issue. Then again if you start wanting more than kit lenses, there are probably other reasons you'll want to upgrade the camera body anyway.

 

[mrodgers]

New Nikon lenses come with a motor. Aftermarket lenses from companies like Tamron are available with a motor. Plenty of lenses to pick from. Might be more difficult to find a compatible used lens.

I don't think the issue is the quantity of lenses available, but that the cost of motors in the lens is greater than one without.

Pea--People can purchase wherever they want, for whatever reason. Some of us think it's rude to bother a B&M store if you don't have any intention of buying from that store.

I agree, it is rude. Going to a car dealership and test driving a car, then deciding you don't like the salesman or dealership and won't purchase from them is different than going into a camera store to bother the store/sales with full intention of purchasing on the internet.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Pea--People can purchase wherever they want, for whatever reason. Some of us think it's rude to bother a B&M store if you don't have any intention of buying from that store.

I understand that line of thinking. But. During the process, who's to say that the friendly and knowledgable service won't in fact sway someone to shop there instead of Amazon or Newegg? I've seen it discussed both ways. Some people are willing to pay more for the personal service and that's cool. Many don't need help, just a product. There's room for everyone, I think.

 

[LisaR]

I understand that line of thinking. But. During the process, who's to say that the friendly and knowledgable service won't in fact sway someone to shop there instead of Amazon or Newegg? I've seen it discussed both ways. Some people are willing to pay more for the personal service and that's cool. Many don't need help, just a product. There's room for everyone, I think.

I shopped for our camera at three local stores and ended up buying online. I will likely never step foot in two of the stores again. They were not at all helpful and in one I couldn't even get waited on. However, the third store was fantastic! I didn't like the way the Canon felt and was pretty much sold on the Nikon which this guy didn't have in stock so I purchased online. But because the guy at that store was so nice, I signed my son up for his beginner group class. That went extremely well and my son is now going to have three private lessons from this guy after the 1st of the year (Christmas present). While the guy didn't get my camera sale, if I hadn't walked into that store pretty convinced I was buying a Nikon online, he would likely have never received any of my business.

 

[NLD]

New Nikon lenses come with a motor. Aftermarket lenses from companies like Tamron are available with a motor. Plenty of lenses to pick from. Might be more difficult to find a compatible used lens.

Unless I'm missing something Canon also puts the motor in the lens. I'm not even sure Canon lets you use a manual focus lens.

But there are a NUMBER of Nikon lenses currently available to buy that do NOT have a focus motor.

This isn't an issue for Canon because all Canon lenses have motors. This is not true for Nikon.

Furthermore, if you have a choice between an AF-S lens or a AF lens in Nikon, the AF-S lens is more expensive.

That Nikon "nifty fifty" for approx $100 that so many people like won't auto-focus on an entrly level Nikon. The 35 1.8 will... but that's not the same focal length. (Probably a more useful focal length on DX, but if you WANT a 50mm 1.8, then you've got to get the AF-S... more expensive than the AF.)

And when you get into fast telephotos you're talking serious $$. I've got a 80-200 2.8 that I bought used for somewhere between $900-$1000. The new, current version of the lens is a 70-200 2.8 VR II. The 80-200 doesn't have a focus motor. The 70-200 does. The 70-200 is selling for $2400.

Now, maybe the 70-200 is a better lens. But to me it's not $1400 better. I LOVE my 80-200--it's sharp, the bokeh is beautiful.

In fact since upgrading my body, I haven't bought a single lens with a focus motor in it. Not on purpose, that's just how it's worked out so far.

It's not the same for Canon.

I'm not trying to steer anyone away from Nikon--I'm a Nikon shooter, love my camera, love my lenses.

It's just a reality for Nikon entry-levels that I think people deserve to be aware of.