Please Help. I Have No Idea About Good Cameras.

[famsen]

I have been using digital cameras for several years now.
I have been using a Samsung 10.2 mega pixel camera for 2 years.
It only has 3x zoom. I have really been playing around with the features such as fireworks mode, night scenes, the timer, etc. I feel I have taken this camera as far as it can go. It's not bad for someone like me with no formal photography experience, I just love taking tons of interesting pictures and always looking for the perfect shot.
So I want to get one of those "good" cameras. One that all those people who look like they know what they are doing have; with large lenses and what-not but is also VERY easy to use. I love the way the pictures look when taken by the Photopass photographers and while I know those are probably exceptionally good cameras, I am sure they are super expensive. I am looking for something very easy to figure out, but takes professional quality pictures for the lowest price. Any ideas? I want to get one before our next trip in September so I have time to play around with it but have no idea where to start.
Thanks!

 

[disneyboy2003]

I assume that when you're describing "good cameras", you're talking about dSLR cameras, right? Similar to the photo of the Canon T2i below?

dSLR stands for digital SLR (single-lens reflex). You may remember those classic film cameras where you (1) look through a viewfinder, press the shutter button down and (2) you hear the click of a mirror inside the camera. That's an SLR camera. Nowadays, SLR cameras are digital...hence "dSLR".

Today's entry-level dSLR cameras are all good at taking pictures. It really doesn't matter what brand you choose, or how much $$$$ you spend. Today's camera manufacturers have made their dSLRs very very easy for non-photographers to get into photography.

In fact, Canon's commercials for their Rebel dSLRs *highlight* the fact that you don't need to know anything except use the dreaded "Auto" button to take great pictures ("dreaded" is my own editorial comment).

Or, if Ashton Kutcher can take great pictures with his Nikon dSLR, then it must be easy!

The point is, you can take great pictures with any brand's dSLR.

However, I must caution you, though, that it's just as easy (maybe even easier) to take HORRIBLE pictures with a dSLR. Just because you own a dSLR doesn't mean that your pictures will automatically be terrific! Because of this, I'd hate to see you spend $500-$1000 on a new dSLR camera, only to get the same or worse pictures! That's not good.

The key to great photography is knowing the basics of photography (ex. shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc). A great way to improve your photography is to spend a few bucks on excellent photography books. This is probably the most cost-effective way to improve your photography.

Here on this message board, folks commonly recommend Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson (link to Amazon). This book explains the basics of photography very well, with lots of pictures & examples.

You can also look at any Intro to Digital Photography book, too. There are dozens of such books. Just go to your local bookstore, and browse through them to see which one fits your reading & learning style. I spent some time and flipped through Digital SLR Cameras and Photography For Dummies, and even this book appeared quite good.

Anyway, that's the key to better pictures and better photography. It's not necessarily the camera.

 

[famsen]

Thanks for the info. Yes, I am talking about the type of camera you showed.
I am going to the library tomorrow and check out the books you mentioned.
I have been trying to education myself on ISO. I was so sick of taking fuzzy, shaky night pictures. Every time I tried to take a shot of fireworks if was a blurry mess. Then I found how to use the "fireworks" and "night" settings on my camera (duh!) and things got a lot better. In fact, I took my first great night photo of Cinderella's Castle last month! I was so happy.

 

[ukcatfan]

You already got good advice on what a DSLR is, so let me throw an option in the mix. The Pentax K-x is going to give you just about the most camera for the money right now. Check the prices on B&H, Adorama, Beach Camera, and Buydig. It comes in a normal one lens (18-55mm) kit or two different two lens kits (18-55mm and 50-200mm or 55-300mm). The one with the 55-300mm is one heck of a good deal!

 

[VVFF]

Thanks for the info. Yes, I am talking about the type of camera you showed.
I am going to the library tomorrow and check out the books you mentioned.
I have been trying to education myself on ISO. I was so sick of taking fuzzy, shaky night pictures. Every time I tried to take a shot of fireworks if was a blurry mess. Then I found how to use the "fireworks" and "night" settings on my camera (duh!) and things got a lot better. In fact, I took my first great night photo of Cinderella's Castle last month! I was so happy.

Next step is figuring out what fireworks and night settings are doing to make your photos better and do the same thing in a more manual mode(Av, M or Tv) if you have access to those modes.

 

[photo_chick]

A camera is only as good as it's user. Keep that in mind. And it does not take a DSLR to take good quality images. There are many higher end point and shoots out now that can hold thier own against entry level DSLR's with kit lenses.

It really comes down to how much you want to learn. If you're prepared to dive in and learn a lot and make a sizeable investment in not only a camera but lenses too, then a DSLR might be for you. But if you just want to point and shoot you might be better served by getting a better point and shoot than what you have. You have to decide how much you want to invest in both time and money.

as far as which entry level DSLR.. go to the store and hold the Pentax, the Canon and the Nikon entry level cameras and see which one feels right. You really can't go wrong with any of them unless one has a specific feature over the others that you want.

 

[seashoreCM]

Your next camera should have an f/1.8 or faster "standard" lens. I am guessing that your existing camera has an f/2.8 lens which is adequate for many things but indoor sports or nighttime shots are its weak points. The T2 pictured above has a slower lens, which would require a tripod just as often as your existing camera may.

For the P&S, 3x zoom is almost ubiquitous; several have 4x, a few have more. The typical dSLR comes with a lens with 2x to 4x zoom; you buy another lens kit (that snaps on in place of the first lens) to get higher zoom. With rare exceptions, as you zoom in, the widest available f/stop becomes smaller, thus a tripod is much more important for low light zoom shots.

You are probably ready to use a lot of manual settings. If your existing camera has full manual control, you might want to get used to that before buying a dSLR. While most dSLR's today also have automatic mode(s), the kinds of pictures you are describing suggest to me that you want to learn how to use manual settings. (Manual settings on a dSLR work the same way as manual settings, if present, on a P&S and work the same way as manual settings on a film camera.)

While you might buy a dSLR and put it on auto, you will get better low light pictures than on your existing P&S depending on the lens (see below) but chances are you will soon want yet more flexibility and the way to get that is to go manual.

Digital camera hints: http://www.cockam.com/digicam.htm

* By manual settings I mean things like f/stops and shutter speeds and priority, not kids and pets and sports and landscapes.

****************

The unit of exposure is called the "stop" where each stop represents letting in twice as much light as the stop you were at previously. The f/1.8 lens is about one stop faster (lets in twice as much light) as the almost ubiquitous f/2.8 of point and shoots. The dSLR typically has a bigger sensor (that which corresponds to the film in a film camera) which typically allows the camera to get by on half as much light in the scene (setting double the ISO) as a typical point and shoot while ending up with the same amount of graininess. (The higher the ISO the more the grain, all other things being equal.). So the typical advantage of the dSLR is two more stops than the P&S (get the same quality picture with 1/4 the amount of light in the scene that the P&S might otherwise need.)

If you ordered or got only an f/2.8 lens with your dSLR, the low light performance level compared with your existing P&S camera won't be that much improved, for example you might only have one stop worth of improvement, attributed to the bigger sensor.

With the lens open wider, you do have to focus more accurately.

 

[famsen]

Oh boy, you all have given me a lot to think about. I took a book about digital photography out of the library and plan on delving in.
Thanks for all the help and advice.
I do have a question; what do the Photopass photographers use? Do they change the lenses on the cameras often? I really have never seen them messing around with their cameras. The quality of the pictures, brightness and clarity of the backgrounds look great. I was wondering if they just go out in the afternoon with the lens on for that lighting condition and if they go out with the lens on for evening photos in front of the castle, etc. or if they are playing around with the settings on their cameras? They always make taking a great picture look so easy but I know there must be much more involved.

P.S. Let me just also add that I am talking about the QUALITY of the photo of the Photopass pictures themselves. The way they sometimes frame the subject or take take the photo during an unattractive pose is another matter.

 

[photo_chick]

I don't know what cameras they use. But keep in mind that many things affect image quality besides the camera body.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Photopass photogs use Nikon D40s, I believe (at least they used to). They are also not professional photographers. (There have been some threads about this in the past.) While nobody can argue that Nikon doesn't make wonderful cameras, there are some things about this particular camera you should research before you buy. (I'm not sure it applies to newer entry level Nikons but there were some autofocus issues, or lack thereof, on the D40 and D60 IIR.)

I want to get one of those "good" cameras. One that all those people who look like they know what they are doing have; with large lenses and what-not but is also VERY easy to use.

I don't know that there are any dSLRs that are very easy to use. You might want to look into the micro 4/3 cameras. Otherwise, you should know you'll probably need to spend some time learning a good bit about photography in order to work a dSLR. (Check out funkychunkymonkey's recent posts if you don't believe me - and no offense to her, she's doing great, but there is a definite learning curve if you've never used an SLR before. Oh yes, it gets very expensive, too. )

 

[ukcatfan]

Oh boy, you all have given me a lot to think about. I took a book about digital photography out of the library and plan on delving in.
Thanks for all the help and advice.
I do have a question; what do the Photopass photographers use? Do they change the lenses on the cameras often? I really have never seen them messing around with their cameras. The quality of the pictures, brightness and clarity of the backgrounds look great. I was wondering if they just go out in the afternoon with the lens on for that lighting condition and if they go out with the lens on for evening photos in front of the castle, etc. or if they are playing around with the settings on their cameras? They always make taking a great picture look so easy but I know there must be much more involved.

P.S. Let me just also add that I am talking about the QUALITY of the photo of the Photopass pictures themselves. The way they sometimes frame the subject or take take the photo during an unattractive pose is another matter.

Most are not trained professionals. Some actually have no clue about settings. Their management tells them what to do. It really does not matter what camera they use since about any DSLR would work for their shots. FWIW, I believe they use a Nikon D80.

 

[disneyboy2003]

Maybe it's just me, but I really haven't been impressed with my pictures from Photopass photographers. Many of my Photopass photos are out of focus, have poor composition (too much dead space), and have weird color casts (likely from Auto White Balance).

I wonder if my Photopass photos are worse because my wife & I tend to hit the parks at night, so trying to get good night photos is really tough.

Photopass photographers really don't adjust any of their camera settings or change their lenses. Their cameras are fixed on the tripod, and, like ukcatfan said, they just press a button. Since they're taking the same exact photo over and over and over again throughout the day, there's really no need to change settings or change lenses. Just use the exact same settings for the next family's photo.

Even though my wife admits that our own Disney photos are very good with our own dSLR, somehow we're always mesmerized by their "professional"-looking setup, their "professional" cameras, and their "professional"-looking Photopass photographers' uniform, so we always end up caving in and buying the Photopass CD. And every time we receive the CD of photos, we're always somewhat disappointed at the quality of the photos. We never learn.

So, as I mentioned earlier, the moral of the story is: just because you have a dSLR camera, it doesn't mean that your photos are automatically great. Many brides have been burned by this mistake, hiring a family member who *just* bought a brand new dSLR to take their wedding photos, thinking that owning a professional camera automatically means professional wedding photos...only to find out after the wedding that the photos didn't turn out at all!

Oh, and yes, Photopass photographers use the Nikon D80. I think I've also heard the D70 and D90, as well, but you'll have to double-check.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I just bought my first DSLR a couple of days ago..a Canon Rebel XS. Being that I am brand new to this kind of camera, I didn't want to spend over a certain amount..plus, I had read that lenses are what really matter in the long run along with knowing how to use the darn thing, of course.

Got it at Target for $499.

 

[ukcatfan]

I just bought my first DSLR a couple of days ago..a Canon Rebel XS. Being that I am brand new to this kind of camera, I didn't want to spend over a certain amount..plus, I had read that lenses are what really matter in the long run along with knowing how to use the darn thing, of course.

Got it at Target for $499.

I am not criticizing your decision and I am sure you will be very happy with it, but can I ask you a question? Why did you pick the XS when for the same amount you could get the Nikon D3000 or the Pentax K-x? The D3000 is slightly nicer, but the K-x blows the XS out of the water. Was it just because you wanted a Canon? If so, why not the XSi for only a little bit more? I just ask because I have always seen the XS as being in a strange market position.

 

[luvthemouse71]

Yes, I did want a Canon and was trying to keep my purchase within a certain amount . For my needs, I didn't feel there were important enough differences between the two..

 

[luvthemouse71]

Forgot to add, I think those of us that are new to this are better off with something simple. I know many feel like you should buy something fancier and then grow into it but sometimes, people get overwhelmed with too much at once-then they give up and don't pick up a DSLR again..I figure, I can learn on the XS and upgrade in a year or two.

 

[ukcatfan]

Yes, I did want a Canon and was trying to keep my purchase within a certain amount . For my needs, I didn't feel there were important enough differences between the two..

Fair enough. I have just always wondered why they even made the XS because it seems like people wanting Canon would go on up to the XSi anyway.

Forgot to add, I think those of us that are new to this are better off with something simple. I know many feel like you should buy something fancier and then grow into it but sometimes, people get overwhelmed with too much at once-then they give up and don't pick up a DSLR again..I figure, I can learn on the XS and upgrade in a year or two.

You have a little misconception here. All the entry level cameras are pretty much exactly the same when it comes to functionality. The differences are the capabilities. I am talking about things like a larger ISO range, less noise at a particular ISO, faster burst rate, etc. These enhancements do not affect how you handle the camera.