Dslr for a newbie

[tarzansmom]

I am looking to upgrade from my point and shoot to a dslr but I honestly don't know which one to get. I have a $500 budget. Which ones would you suggest and what accessories do I need? Mostly wanting to take photos of landscapes and of course the kiddo he plays numerous sports so a camera that can capture without blur is important. Thanks

 

[photo_chick]

A DSLR is no guarantee that you will be capturing sports pictures without blur. And there are many cameras, not just DSLR's, that can handle sports shooting.

I'd go look at the models within your budget and play with them. See which one fits well in your hands. At that level they're not going to have huge differences between them and you really can't go wrong with any of them.

Sports pictures... indoor our outdoor? How much zoom do you need? Different situations require different lenses so be sure to factor that into your budget.

 

[havoc315]

Starting out, all dSLRs will give you what you seek. The differences are somewhat subtle.
In your price range, Nikon d3100, possibly a deal on the Canon t3i, Sony a37.

Each of those come with a basic kit lens. So only necessary accessories are memory cards and maybe a book or 2 on using dSLRs.

Personally, I've been shooting with Sony, which has less market share than the other 2. It's slightly different than a true dSLR though the differences may not seem obvious to you. It has an electronic viewfinder instead of optical, and can shoot at faster speeds. It also has better video autofocus.
Nikons have the reputation as the best image quality.
Canons are super popular and loaded with consumer friendly features.

 

[traylorc]

As Danielle mentioned, purchasing a DSLR will not guarantee you will not have pictures with blur. One of the biggest myths in photography is the idea that purchasing a more expensive camera will yield blur free pictures. Preventing blur is the job of photographer, not the camera.

After you purchase your new camera you might want to purchase the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It will help you understand the relationship between ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Understanding those three items are your best defense against blurry pictures.

Good luck...enjoy your new camera.

 

[tarzansmom]

Thanks. He plays both indoor and outdoor sports. He is in basketball and soccer and also snowboards. I will check out the suggested cameras.

 

[photo_chick]

Thanks. He plays both indoor and outdoor sports. He is in basketball and soccer and also snowboards. I will check out the suggested cameras.

For indoor sports, unless you're going to put up the cash for faster lenses which can easily run over $1000 on up, you might also consider some of the higher end point and shoots in your search as well. There are a few that have a wide aperture throughout the zoom range and it can be really beneficial here. It's not a necessity, but if you just get an entry level DSLR with a kit lens and an entry level telephoto zoom (which is the most you'd have the budget for) then you're probably not going to be in a much better position for indoor sports (as far as the ability to get a fast enough shutter speed to stop motion) than you are with your current point and shoot.

 

[lhermiston]

Check Amazon.com. I was looking for my first DSLR and last fall they had a great deal on a Nikon D5100. It's very user-friendly and I love it. I'm still learning the bells and whistles, but that's part of the fun.

I paid about $650 and it came with an 18-55mm lens. I know that's a little higher than you want to pay, but I've found my camera to be a great investment.

And, if you create an account on Amazon and do enough searching for DSLRs, they'll start sending you emails when deals come up.