Disneypal said:
I have always loved to take pictures. When I was 10 I got my first camera a Kodak Pocket. At that time I was taking pictures of the toys in my room and of my dog Buffy. As a teen I stepped up and bought a Vivitar with my Christmas money. Now I was taking pictures of all of my friends. When I got married we bought a Kodak 35 mm. Pictures were scarce then because we didn't have the funds to develop them but when we did they were of our trips to the park. When our kids were all born we jumped in and got a Minolta Maxxum 35mm. I didn't read the manual (with 3 kids who had time) and learned to use it by trial and error. I loved this camera and was very reluctant to change. Several years ago my husband bought me a Cannon Easy Shot for my birthday and I promptly returned it saying I wanted nothing to do with digital. A couple of years later our friends bought a Kodak Easy Share and went on and on about all of its great qualities and what nice pictures it took. So I finally gave in and we bought our first digital. This was a good camera to learn how to use digital and it does have several interesting, easy to use and helpful features but I am ready to move on.
The problem is I have no idea where to start! I read these suggestions, I look up the different cameras web sites, I ask my friends for advice, I constantly compare notes and it is as if I am reading a foreign language. Like I said I was never a manual reader, learned by trial and error and have no idea what to look for or beware of when I go to buy a new camera. Having said that I also want to by something that is useful to me, isn't more than I need and is at the most economical cost. I thought I had it narrowed down to the Nikon D50 or the Canon Rebel XT but honestly I am so confused I am ready to just throw my hands up and say forget it. You might ask what am I looking for? Here is what I have determined I need in a camera something to take stills of my family, pets and landscapes, action photos of my daughter cheering and playing soccer in a gym and sometimes outside at night, the ability to zoom in at my sons wedding (if he ever picks a date) and of course inside, outside, light dark, still and moving pictures on our vacations to Disney (hopefully this Christmas). Please enlighten me to the terms, fill me in on what I want and don't need and give me some advice on what camera to buy! Thanks in advance!!!
DisneyPal...
Digital photography *is* more complex, in many ways, than film photography, but the flexibility is much greater, as well...or at least, it can be. I suggest you familiarize yourself with the basic "lingo" of DP, before you dive into the reviews. You might find this glossary helpful:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/digi_dictionary.html.
Also, sit yourself down and have a talk with same. With pencil and paper, try to write down features and capabilities you really need/want in a camera, and others you'd like to have but are not essential. Once you have a better grasp on the lingo and what you really need in a camera, you may find it easier to narrow your choice to one camera.
I'm personally having a real struggle, trying to choose between the Nikon D50 and D70s. I like the more pro-oriented features of the D70s, but Kyle's point about the quality of the D50's ISO1600 images is very compelling, as well. I avoid high ISO like the plague, but there *are* times that it can't be avoided. In the end, I'll probably go with the 70s, but I'm still on the fence.
In your case, the D50 or the Canon XT either one would probably be more than adequate for your needs, although I have not even considered the XT due to widespread ergonomic complaints. I have not heard ONE complaint on the D50 and very few on the D70; everyone seems to love their Nikon and Nikon has, in my mind, at least, always been the "Cadillac" of pro cameras and, at least in the past, it seemed that most pro's used Nikon.
BTW, if you do go Nikon, and your budget can stand it, you might consider getting the D50 body only, and buying a better lens separately. The 18-55 is not a bad lens, from what I read, but the 18-70 that is the std kit lens on the D70s and D200 has a little more tele reach and has better image quality. The ideal lens may be the aforementioned 18-135, but it is not yet available. My choices for lenses are the Tokina 12-24 (35mm equivalent: 18-36) and the Nikon 28-200 (42-300 equivalent). I may add a 50/1.8 at some point, but I think the two zooms will cover my needs for a long time to come.
Good luck with your continued search; please post back with specific questions. This board (as well as the dpreview.com forums) is an excellent resource, due to the many knowledgeable forum regulars (of which I do not consider myself one, by the way) and their willingness to help.
~YEKCIM
