Recommendation for DSLR

[dr_zero]

What I think he is saying is there is no need to try and stay on the bleeding edge of technology the latest and greatest is not always the best bang for the buck.
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If you are wanting the widest availability of options as far as lenses go for the least amount of money the D50 is a better choice. I had rather spend the money I saved on lenses or a new case or whatever.

If you look at the megapixel myth you can see how alot of the selling of new products is hype.

 

[AlienBrain]

I can see buying a new top of the line camera if your making your living on your pictures but buying a entry level is like buying a Mac... its expensive and sure to be obsolete in less than 18 months.

I disagree with this statement. I know plenty of folks who are using the Canon XT which came out in 2005 and they are producing some amazing shots. 2008-2005 = 3 years > 18 months. I would argue that the quality of the pictures coming out of a modern dSLR camera is dictated moreso by the photographer (and lens) than the camera body. And, trust me, lenses make a world of difference. Slap a 70-200 f/2.8 on a Canon XT and slap a Tamron 100-300 f/5-6.3 lens (yes this lens did exist at one time) on a 5D and take a picture at the same focal length. I would bet that the XT set-up would produce a much better picture b/c of the much better glass.

And why did you have to bring Mac into this conversation? I have a Macbook Pro that I have used daily (more like hourly) for over 2 years and it has not slowed down whatsoever. 2 years > 18 months and it isn't even near obsolete.

 

[thomas998]

I'm confused, why would one of the latest entry level cameras be behind the curve more quickly than a camera that isn't even made anymore..are you just talking within the nikon line... across the board with all brands, some of the new entry level cameras, have better features..../autofocusing/metering, etc, than older midlevel cameras..

I shot for 20 plus years with 2 Minolta 9000s, were they behind the times in terms of autofocus speed and metering..yes,

but they were rugged cameras, I knew them well and knew exactly what adjustments to make to overcome their shortfalls,so although minolta came out with several generations of new cameras in those 20 years, I never saw anything in them that compelled me to spend more money...

as I stated in my other post, for many people who only get the camera out of the bag for birthdays ,holidays, occassional use.. any entry level camera will serve them well for years,,, any money spent above that is money wasted, simply to say you have the latest and best.

when I worked at Ritz camera, we had a sales associate that always upsold slrs, convincing people they needed a modle above the entry level camera..

he had the highest numbers in returns , because within a month or 2 customers realized they had been talked into more than they could handle.. they would return the camera if possible, and many people put them in closets to collect dust..

I'm committed to Nikon simply because of all the lenses I have from my film days... That's why I am not speaking as to Canons or any other brand, because I don't keep up with them or care to (I might realize that my Nikon is inferior and I can't afford to throw away 20 years of lenses).

The comment about the Mac and obsolesence was because every camera brand will always come out with a new camera and drop the older ones on a regular basis... but just like with a Mac it doesn't mean your older ones are any less than they were it just means the manufacturer will try and get you to keep chasing the next "improved" version.

In specific to the Nikon D50 which is much older than the D40, D40x and D60... their were improvement in the later models, but there were also some changes that were not improvement. The fact is the D50 provide some options that are superior to the newer 40 and 60... and while the D50 has much fewer pixels than the newer Nikon, that does not mean that its pictures are worse especially when most users will never be doing poster size blow ups. In fact, putting more pixels on the same size chip as Nikon did created other problems such as more noise and a lower natural ISO for the sensor.... if it were up to me and I only had a choice between a D50 and a D60 I would take the D50. I'm sure there are instances where a brand created truly better entry level cameras compared to their previous generations mid level cameras... I just don't think that was the case with Nikon. They just tried to created cheaper camera by leaving out things like internal focus motors.

 

[thomas998]

I disagree with this statement. I know plenty of folks who are using the Canon XT which came out in 2005 and they are producing some amazing shots. 2008-2005 = 3 years > 18 months. I would argue that the quality of the pictures coming out of a modern dSLR camera is dictated moreso by the photographer (and lens) than the camera body. And, trust me, lenses make a world of difference. Slap a 70-200 f/2.8 on a Canon XT and slap a Tamron 100-300 f/5-6.3 lens (yes this lens did exist at one time) on a 5D and take a picture at the same focal length. I would bet that the XT set-up would produce a much better picture b/c of the much better glass.

And why did you have to bring Mac into this conversation? I have a Macbook Pro that I have used daily (more like hourly) for over 2 years and it has not slowed down whatsoever. 2 years > 18 months and it isn't even near obsolete.

Sorry but in the Digital world, the camera body becomes more important than in the film world. In film I could shoot with the same lens and same film and exchange a n60 body with a F5 and get the same result... you can't slap the same lens on a D3 and a D1 and expect the same result, because now the camera body is also the film. And just as film improved over the years so has a sensor... Now I don't think you see that much of a gain in the past couple of years, probably not enough of a change for a casual user to notice if they are only snapping vacation photos and printing them out in 4X6 sizes... I do agree that the lens is very important... I just don't think we have quite reached the point where the bodies are interchangable.

And yes I know your make is just as fast today as it was 2 year ago. My Mac is just as fast today as it was last Fall when I got it... but it isn't the fasted Mac anymore. It was last fall, but now the white books are faster than it. That was my point... that the faster, biggest, best will always be changing... you can't focus on trying to keep up like some Mac addicts to or you'll buy yourself into the poor farm.

 

[AlienBrain]

I understand what you are saying now ... cool.

 

[Troop o' Goofs]

Is it worth the extra $50 to go from the D60 to the D80 for the autofocus mechanism?

 

[ukcatfan]

Is it worth the extra $50 to go from the D60 to the D80 for the autofocus mechanism?

IMO
YES!!!

 

[Groucho]

The AF is only part of it, the D80 offers more advanced features, a huge one being the front dial. Both cameras use the same sensor, so if you shoot raw, you will likely not see any image quality difference. (The D60's jpg engine is probably more modern than the one in the D80.)

The only "downside", if you can call it that, is that it's a bigger, heavier camera.

 

[thomas998]

Is it worth the extra $50 to go from the D60 to the D80 for the autofocus mechanism?

If you plan on buying even one lens beyond what comes with the camera you will quickly find that you can save more than $50 by buying a AF lens without the built in motor that will only work with the D80... its easy to justify the $50.

 

[sdzman]

I just bought my first DSLR, a Nikon D40. I got a great deal ,<$600.00 for the D40 w/ 18-55mm & 55-200mm VR lens kit. It should arrive early next week.

 

[heatherbelle]

I'm confused, why would one of the latest entry level cameras be behind the curve more quickly than a camera that isn't even made anymore..are you just talking within the nikon line... across the board with all brands, some of the new entry level cameras, have better features..../autofocusing/metering, etc, than older midlevel cameras..

I shot for 20 plus years with 2 Minolta 9000s, were they behind the times in terms of autofocus speed and metering..yes,

but they were rugged cameras, I knew them well and knew exactly what adjustments to make to overcome their shortfalls,so although minolta came out with several generations of new cameras in those 20 years, I never saw anything in them that compelled me to spend more money...

as I stated in my other post, for many people who only get the camera out of the bag for birthdays ,holidays, occassional use.. any entry level camera will serve them well for years,,, any money spent above that is money wasted, simply to say you have the latest and best.

when I worked at Ritz camera, we had a sales associate that always upsold slrs, convincing people they needed a modle above the entry level camera..

he had the highest numbers in returns , because within a month or 2 customers realized they had been talked into more than they could handle.. they would return the camera if possible, and many people put them in closets to collect dust..

I only get my camera out for birthdays and holidays and I loved my Minolta very much. It is the best camera I have ever had and never got a bad picture. Except of fireworks of course, but that was my fault and not the camera's. I took some fab photos in the dark, when I discovered that special film.

I am going to take a look at the Sony's thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Troop o' Goofs]

Ok, so I went out and held a few cameras and the Nikon D80 and the Sony A300 both feel right (I have long fingers and the size is about right).

I found this deal online for $629.00 --- does this sound like a good deal, specifically with the lenses they offer? I will be trying to find out if this site is an "authorized dealer" and what the return policy is. There are a number of other "deals" for the D80.

• Nikon D80, 10.2 Megapixel, SLR Digital Camera Body with 1 Year USA Warranty
• Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D Autofocus Nikkor Lens
• New! Nikon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6G AF Zoom Nikkor Lens
• 2GB SD Memory Card
• SD Memory Card Reader
• Deluxe Digital Camera Carrying Case
• Deluxe Lens Care & Maintenance Package
• Full Size Tripod
• Pack Of LCD Screen Protectors
• CapKeeper

 

[peyjax]

Ok, so I went out and held a few cameras and the Nikon D80 and the Sony A300 both feel right (I have long fingers and the size is about right).

I found this deal online for $629.00 --- does this sound like a good deal, specifically with the lenses they offer? I will be trying to find out if this site is an "authorized dealer" and what the return policy is. There are a number of other "deals" for the D80.

• Nikon D80, 10.2 Megapixel, SLR Digital Camera Body with 1 Year USA Warranty
• Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D Autofocus Nikkor Lens
• New! Nikon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6G AF Zoom Nikkor Lens
• 2GB SD Memory Card
• SD Memory Card Reader
• Deluxe Digital Camera Carrying Case
• Deluxe Lens Care & Maintenance Package
• Full Size Tripod
• Pack Of LCD Screen Protectors
• CapKeeper

I am a newbie, but that sounds too good to be true. There is one thing I have learned quickly and that is there are a lot scam artists on line when it comes to cameras. They lure you in and then try to upsell, when you don't take the bait all of a sudden the camera is out of stock.

You would be hard pressed to find the Nikon D80 body only at that price let alone all the extras. Stick with peoples recomendations here. Beachcamera.com etc. Try looking it up on dpreview.com and they have a list of reputible sellers.

 

[ukcatfan]

• Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D Autofocus Nikkor Lens

28mm is not very wide on that camera. It has a 1.5x crop factor, so 28 becomes 42mm. The average p&s starts ~ 35-38mm, so it is not even that wide. The 28mm lenses are the ones that were made for film. The reason you see all the kit lenses starting at 18mm is that when you apply the factor, you get... 28mm.

 

[MonoManBlue]

The kit lense with the D80 will either be

18-55

or the more standard and preferred

18-135


that price though cannot be for a brand new one unless its a scam or a second. The body alone is still going for more than that.

 

[Troop o' Goofs]

I took the plunge today and as a Father's Day gift and Anniversary gift my wife bought me a Pentax K200D. I should have it within the week and I am looking forward to testing it out next weekend.

I wanted to thank everyone on the boards who have responded and those of you who I PM'd. Everyone's input was appreciated.

Now I move on to figuring out what lenses to save up for.

I will probably be looking at a moderate telephoto, macro and wide angle lens in the coming months.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Groucho]

Congratulations! Let us know how you like the camera and if you have any questions.

 

[thomas998]

Ok, so I went out and held a few cameras and the Nikon D80 and the Sony A300 both feel right (I have long fingers and the size is about right).

I found this deal online for $629.00 --- does this sound like a good deal, specifically with the lenses they offer? I will be trying to find out if this site is an "authorized dealer" and what the return policy is. There are a number of other "deals" for the D80.

• Nikon D80, 10.2 Megapixel, SLR Digital Camera Body with 1 Year USA Warranty
• Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D Autofocus Nikkor Lens
• New! Nikon 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6G AF Zoom Nikkor Lens
• 2GB SD Memory Card
• SD Memory Card Reader
• Deluxe Digital Camera Carrying Case
• Deluxe Lens Care & Maintenance Package
• Full Size Tripod
• Pack Of LCD Screen Protectors
• CapKeeper

You don't mention which site it is... but their is a large number operating out of New York that are horrible. If it is one that is located in New York the following site will be useful, just enter the company name and you can find out about them.

http://newyork.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=24&id=7ebe68e4-3db7-4d13-a004-72634b4feab1

Frankly what you describe looks fishy... Those lenses aren't the standard ones that come with a D80 kit... so it means that whoever is selling it is just slapping in some non-kit lenses... also the following:

• Deluxe Digital Camera Carrying Case
• Deluxe Lens Care & Maintenance Package
• Full Size Tripod
• Pack Of LCD Screen Protectors
• CapKeeper
are probably complete junk.... a deluxe dgitial camera carrying case could be a cheap vynil bag... a lens care package could be the trusty lent free cloth... the other item are likely just as flimsy. In general when they offer bonus items it should raise a red flag.

 

[dr_zero]

When I was looking at a Nikon body I called Nikon to get some more information and the guy there told me about http://www.resellerratings.com/ and it saved my but from getting scammed.
Now I read up there before I order online.

 

[Troop o' Goofs]

So, I got my Pentax K200D today and was playing around in the backyard. First shot with the camera and here it is:

Didn't want to overdo it with the size, I can upload a larger size if needed. Just wanted to post my first pic, with my first DSLR.