Recommendation for a DSLR Camera

[Raecheal]

I've ventured over to this section of dis. because I really need some help..,, I'm sure this question has been asked before.. but ANY help would be extremely kind!!


I would love some recommendations for a DSLR camera for a beginner. At this point, I'm really looking for an easy to use camera. So far, a friend has recommended the Canon EOS Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera which she says is good for beginners.


Is that a good camera for beginners?

 

[MICKEY88]

Sony, Nikon,Canon,Pentax, all make great cameras.

entry level dslr's , as well as higher rend dslr's have a full automatic setting that basically turn the camera into a high quality point and shoot

the best thing to do is figure out what you're going to be using it for, what features you would like or need, then go to a store or stores, and hold each camera to see which is most comfortable in your hands, and which has the best layout of controls etc....

what is the best to one person , might be the worst to you..

 

[annnewjerz]

Hi!

I agree with Mickey88 when he says that what may be right for one person, may not be right for you. I would go out to the store and hold at least a few different models/brands. I went to the store set on getting a Canon and ended up with a Nikon after I held a few different models and also scrolled through the menu and looked at the placement of the buttons---which I feel is important as well. Some menus may be a little more intuitive for you and others may be confusing.

Also, decide what exactly you want the camera for and figure out the limitations of each before you buy it. Don't worry so much about the megapixels and worry more about various functions the camera has (image stabilization built into the body, live view, bracketing, etc.), what lenses you will have to choose from, etc. since I think the most widely expressed opinion is that the lenses are what make the difference in image quality, rather than the body you choose.

Some good "entry-level" dSLRs might be:

- Nikon D40, Nikon D80, Nikon D5000
- Canon XSi, Canon T1i
- Pentax K200D
- Sony A300
- Olympus E-510, E-620

If you google "best entry level dslrs" you can come up with a lot of great reviews.

Good luck---can't wait to see what you do with it in December.

 

[VVFF]

I agree. The one of the most important first steps in picking a camera is to actually go hold them. Especially DSLRs because I find they all handle differently.

That is actually part of the reason I picked the Canon 50D over the Nikon D90, it simply was more comfortable to hold.

More than likely all the entry level DSLRs will have the features you need. However, another important step is to learn how to use a camera beyond point and shoot. Read Read Read Read. I have learned more by reading how to take pictures than I actually have by just taking them. That's because when you take them you may not get the results you want and sometimes you don't know how to fix that. You simply have to learn learn lean in order to get better.

In addition, if you plan to take this beyond the kit lenses, I would look at each manufacturer's lens selection. Make sure that they have lenses that you may want in the near future and that their pricepoint looks decent to you.

 

[scoot241]

Yes, the Canon XS is a good beginners camera. The XSi is very similar to the XS but adds a few features such as Live View, a larger viewfinder, and a sensor below the viewfinder that turns the LCD off when you put it to your eye. I bought the XSi because I liked having Live View.

My suggestion whenever one of these threads comes up is to recommend going to a store and handling all the cameras and see which one feels right in your hands.

 

[Docsknotinn]

The Canon XS is a very nice beginner camera. Nikon is a good choice as well. However I am going to depart from the group in suggesting other brands. Here's why. When you chose a camera body you first need to consider what you want from it. Are you really wanting to get serious about photography or do you just want snapshots? This may determine what lenses you want. While all of the other brands listed here make quality equipment, lens choice can be limited and even if those makers do manufacture a particular lens it can be hard to find and often more expensive than Canon or Nikon. In many cases third party lens choice will also be limited compared to Canon and Nikon mount options. When you chose a body consider the line of glass you are buying in to. You may upgrade your body in the future but you want the glass you but to last a long time.
The way prices have dropped you may seriously want to consider the 40D as well.
Happy shooting!

 

[doclegler]

I bought a Sony A300 a year or so ago and have regretted it ever since! Cannon is definitely the brand to go with.

 

[MICKEY88]

I bought a Sony A300 a year or so ago and have regretted it ever since! Cannon is definitely the brand to go with.

really ?? why is that..

 

[VVFF]

I bought a Sony A300 a year or so ago and have regretted it ever since! Cannon is definitely the brand to go with.

Really....why do you regret buying the Sony?

 

[MICKEY88]

The Canon XS is a very nice beginner camera. Nikon is a good choice as well. However I am going to depart from the group in suggesting other brands. Here's why. When you chose a camera body you first need to consider what you want from it. Are you really wanting to get serious about photography or do you just want snapshots? This may determine what lenses you want. While all of the other brands listed here make quality equipment, lens choice can be limited and even if those makers do manufacture a particular lens it can be hard to find and often more expensive than Canon or Nikon. In many cases third party lens choice will also be limited compared to Canon and Nikon mount options. When you chose a body consider the line of glass you are buying in to. You may upgrade your body in the future but you want the glass you but to last a long time.
The way prices have dropped you may seriously want to consider the 40D as well.
Happy shooting!

WOW, that's rather harsh implying that unless you use canon or nikon you only take snapshots...

I respectfully disagree..
there are many older pentax lenses to be found, and Sony users can find an abundance of Minolta lenses,,
although many people scoffed at Sony getting into the dslr business, saying they wouldn't invest what it takes to be successful, I think their growing line of cameras proves otherwise.. and as the camera line grows, so does the lens supply as Sony and 3rd parties make more lenses for the dslrs..and Sony's zeiss glass is top rated..

I personally find it an injustice to scare people away from Sony or Pentax, they both make top quality products, I know several pros who shoot nikon or canon, who went out and bought a sony 900 for their studio work, because nothing could touch it at the time..

 

[zackiedawg]

I'll stick to the wider recommendations of the rest of the group so far - I don't think you'll go wrong with any DSLR brand you decide on. And I personally wouldn't worry in your case about the lens selections and such, because the limitations one might encounter for buying future lenses wouldn't impact 99% of all amateur photographers...really the only areas in which Canon and Nikon's larger lens selection might pay dividends are when getting into very rare or serious pro glass, and few amateur shooters will ever be looking for that type of lens. And Olympus, Pentax, and Sony/Minolta still have hundreds of lenses available both from their own collection and third-party manufacturers. And all have their own high end lenses as well - Sony with Minolta/Sony G glass and Carl Zeiss glass, Olympus with the higher end Zuiko offerings, etc. Not to mention some very close alliances between some third-party lens manufacturers with camera companies (Tokina and Pentax, Sony and Tamron).

Also, as a side-point on the price of lenses...in some cases the other manufacturers actually have LESS expensive lenses than Canon and Nikon, due to the fact that with Sony, Olympus, and Pentax, the stabilization is in-body and saves having to spend extra for stabilization in lens. This lets you have the advantage of IS/VR/SS with all lenses, including even primes that are not available stabilized with Nikon or Canon. And there are always used lens options with all manufacturers - Pentax, Olympus, and Sony all use the same lens mount systems that hark back to the film SLR days, meaning older lenses will work just fine and even be stabilized.

That said, I think you'd be in fine shape looking at Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, or Panasonic. Of utmost importance is the feel and handling of the camera in your hands - do you like the grip, button layout, weight, and feel? It would be a shame to pick out a camera that others recommended only to find you aren't comfortable shooting with it and end up leaving it behind instead of bringing it along.

And don't overlook some of the new classes of interchangeable lens cameras that might be a good solution for someone new - Olympus and Panasonic's Micro-4/3 cameras for example, that function very similarly to P&S cameras, with no mirror assemblies and electronic viewfinders/live view, yet still with interchangeable lens options like DSLRs. They have much larger sensors than P&S cameras, and the same high-ISO abilities and speeds as DSLRs in a smaller and lighter package.

Why limit yourself? Look at ALL options, and make the best choice based on the widest possible selection of cameras...you never know where the perfect camera for you may be lurking out there, or what brand-name badge it might be wearing.

 

[VVFF]

WOW, that's rather harsh implying that unless you use canon or nikon you only take snapshots...

I respectfully disagree..
there are many older pentax lenses to be found, and Sony users can find an abundance on Minolta lenses,,
although many people scoffed at Sony getting into the dslr business, saying they wouldn't invest what it takes to be successful, I think their growing line of cameras proves otherwise.. and as the camera line grows, so does the lens supply as Sony and 3rd parties make more lenses for the dslrs..and Sony's zeiss glass is top rated..

I personally find it an injustice to scare people away from Sony or Pentax, they both make top quality products, I know several pros who shoot nikon or canon, who went out and bought a sony 900 for their studio work, because nothing could touch it at the time..

pfft...my Canon 50D has BAFKMG (for those of you that are uninformed that Best Angle Finder Kodak Moment Getter). Bet your silly Sony toy doesn't have that!

 

[MICKEY88]

pfft...my Canon 50D has BAFKMG (for those of you that are uninformed that Best Angle Finder Kodak Moment Getter). Bet your silly Sony toy doesn't have that!

no need I have it built into the photographer..

 

[KarenAylwood]

Yes, the Canon XS is a good beginners camera. The XSi is very similar to the XS but adds a few features such as Live View, a larger viewfinder, and a sensor below the viewfinder that turns the LCD off when you put it to your eye. I bought the XSi because I liked having Live View.

My suggestion whenever one of these threads comes up is to recommend going to a store and handling all the cameras and see which one feels right in your hands.

I have the Canon XSi and love the feature that the LCD turns off when you put your eye to it! That alone is worth the price difference to me.

OP~ go to the store and hold them. I found that the XSi was the best for me (and that was before it's price drop, and I still don't regret it). I'll eventually move up to the 40 or 50D but that will take some time. I went in ready to buy the Nikon D40 but I was quickly won over by the XSi, even with the higher price tag. It was also rated the best of the entry level dSLR's at the time in Consumer Reports (things have probably changed since I bought it a year+ ago, but then again, they always do ).

 

[VVFF]

no need I have it built into the photographer..

Oh yeah well mine has 4 stops of BAFKMG technology, that's the latest! It literally pushes my body into the correct position for the picture.

 

[MICKEY88]

Oh yeah well mine has 4 stops of BAFKMG technology, that's the latest! It literally pushes my body into the correct position for the picture.

I just did the firmware upgrade, while you were posting , I have 8 stops..

it will reposition my subject, background objects and even adjust ambient light,

 

[VVFF]

I just did the firmware upgrade, while you were posting I have 8 stops..

it will reposition my subject, background objects and even adjust ambient light,

Canon Sucks I should have bought a Mickey88 camera!

 

[MICKEY88]

Canon Sucks I should have bought a Mickey88 camera!

I hear the new Pentax in the mickey colors is even better, it moves lines to the side so you can be first to get the character shots, it upgrades daily passes to annual passes and gets you free room upgrades..

 

[JoeDif]

The Canon XS is a very nice beginner camera. Nikon is a good choice as well. However I am going to depart from the group in suggesting other brands. Here's why. When you chose a camera body you first need to consider what you want from it. Are you really wanting to get serious about photography or do you just want snapshots? This may determine what lenses you want. While all of the other brands listed here make quality equipment, lens choice can be limited and even if those makers do manufacture a particular lens it can be hard to find and often more expensive than Canon or Nikon. In many cases third party lens choice will also be limited compared to Canon and Nikon mount options. When you chose a body consider the line of glass you are buying in to. You may upgrade your body in the future but you want the glass you but to last a long time.
The way prices have dropped you may seriously want to consider the 40D as well.
Happy shooting!

I use an Olympus E510 and various Oly and Sigma lenses and that camera and it's lenses takes some fantastic snapshots

I read recently that the majority of average DSLR users will buy and use 5 or fewer lenses during their cameras lifetime (yes I know most of us on the DIS are above average ). It seems that no matter which brand you purchase, there's going to be enough lens choices to keep you happy.

 

[C&B Young]

I've ventured over to this section of dis. because I really need some help..,, I'm sure this question has been asked before.. but ANY help would be extremely kind!!


I would love some recommendations for a DSLR camera for a beginner. At this point, I'm really looking for an easy to use camera. So far, a friend has recommended the Canon EOS Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera which she says is good for beginners.


Is that a good camera for beginners?

I see you're in Ontario. Staples right now has the Rebel XS kit for $499. I (think it's with the non-IS kit lens though). BUT here's what you can do (speaking for personal experience). Go to Future Shop or Best Buy and ask them to do a price match. I did this and got the IS kit, plus they beat the Staples price by 10%. You'll end up with the Rebel XS IS kit for $494 plus tax. If the difference in kit lenses happens to come up (which I doubt it will), hey you're a beginner, you didn't know, right?