Upgrading to a DSLR

[ms_mckenna]

OK I had planned on doing this about 6 months ago and we backed out. I think we are really ready to do it now. We went to the Balloon glow and the pictures we got with our Olympus even frustrated my husband. I cannot tell you how happy I was with how horribly the pictures turned out lol. I knew it meant that I finally got through to him. With trying to adopt a new little one he sees the jump to DSLR now as an important one to make!

We are looking at topping out price range wise with 800-900 for all the basics we would need to start immediately taking pictures. We currently have an Olympus SP-510UZ. We liked it ok when we bought it almost 2 years ago and I honestly still do most of the time. I am only really frustrated with my night pictures and my inside pictures lol. We know we will be making a commitment by buying a base which does honestly scare me a bit. I have never been very brand loyal. When I was researching a while back to buy I was really thinking of going with the Nikon. We are amatuers as far as photography but we will put the time in to learn how to use the camera. I would greatly appreciate any directions, or websites, or love and horror stories.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

There are great entry level DSLRs made by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, and Olympus. There are a few other DSLR makers, but those are the main five.

The best place for reviews that I know of are http://www.dpreview.com and http://www.steves-digicams.com/.

All five make very good and very comparable cameras. Even if you aren't brand loyal, it's worth getting to know the brands before you make a decision. Once your start to buy accessories (additional lenses, flashes, etc), you get somewhat locked into a brand. You can always sell all of your equipment used and start again, but it's much easier if you stick with one brand. Here are a few tidbits about how they differ from one another.

1) Olympus makes the smallest and lightest of the DSLRs. They make DSLRs with slightly smaller sensors, which allows them to use smaller lenses. You lose a little low light capability and a little control over DOF (ability to make stuff in the background blurry), but you get a smaller, lighter camera out of the deal.

2) Sony and Pentax build theirs with image stabilizers built into the camera. That means that you get image stabilization with all of your lenses. The tradeoff is that it the in-body stabilizers don't stabilize the image in the viewfinder, so you can't see how well it is working until you take the picture.

3) Canon and Nikon are the big sellers in the market. They make up about 90% of DSLR sales between them, which means it is much easier to find them, to find accessories, and to find information on how to use them. It's also easier to rent or borrow gear. They also have the largest selection of specialty lenses and accessories, but most of that stuff is in the $1,000+ range.

 

[ukcatfan]

Nothing against the brand, but it is going to be tougher to get low light shots with the Nikon b/c the only wide aperture lens in your budget (50mm f/1.8) will not auto focus on the entry level bodies that are in your budget. The lens will still communicate exposure info, so if you do not mind manual focus, it might not be a problem to you. It also might be hard to find an Olympus lens in your price range, but I am not that familiar with the line. With Sony, you might have to go for a used Minolta lens.

I personally have a Pentax K100D with a 50mm f/1.4 for low light. The current entry level from them is the K200D.

 

[Frantasmic]

www.popphoto.com has an article this month on the 5 entry level DSRs as compared in their labs: Canon XSi, Nikon D40, Olympus 520, a Pentax, and a Sony.

 

[Abby's Dad]

Handle them - "play" with your different choices in the store. There is a definite difference in feel from one to another, but there will be one that will feel right for you. Also, I guess sort of along the lines of feel, is the menu versus "button" philosophy of each brand, and how that works for you. For some brands you have to enter a menu for a number of routine choices, where others the more routine choices accessible by dedicated buttons or dials. Which is better? Again, that is a choice that you get to make, the one that works for you. The beauty of all of this is that once you make your choice, you have found YOUR camera. Not to influence you, but for me that was the Pentax K10D, which the current Pentax K200 is very similar to. When I was in film cameras, I loved my Canons. Enjoy the journey, and you will make the right decision.

Fred

 

[MCFADDEN5]

We want to upgrade from an old point and shoot camera also. What is DSLR or SLR cameras and what do they do different. To get a good one that will take good night photos want will we need to pay?

 

[ukcatfan]

We want to upgrade from an old point and shoot camera also. What is DSLR or SLR cameras and what do they do different. To get a good one that will take good night photos want will we need to pay?

The big differences are that they can change lenses, have much larger sensors (less high ISO noise), are more responsive, and you look through the actual lens when looking in the viewfinder. Oh, and they can end up costing a small fortune


P.S. Just a SLR is a film version

 

[4formickey]

the sony 10.2mp digital slr camera kit alpha is on sale at sears for $499 but some have reported getting it as low as $180. A good camera plus you are getting the lens also.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

the sony 10.2mp digital slr camera kit alpha is on sale at sears for $499 but some have reported getting it as low as $180. A good camera plus you are getting the lens also.

With Sony you can get an A200 with a 18-70 zoom lens for $499 - and wow, what a deal for $180! You could add on a Sony 28mm 2.8 for $250 or a used Minolta 50mm 1.7 which is what I picked up for $100. Also, Tamron and Sigma have some well liked zooms for low light in the $340-$450 range. I also have the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 and really like it.

As was mentioned the Sony has image stablization in the camera and it will work with any of the auto focus Minolta lenses as well as the Sony lenses.

I have a Sony a700, bought it two months ago, and have found it easy to use, love the pictures and have not regretted the purchase. You'll probably want to go to a store and try holding all the different cameras to see what first of all feels good to you.

 

[MonoManBlue]

you should be able to find a Nikon D80 ( i have one) for around your budget with the shorter lense (18-55) and that would autofocus with that 50mm prime lense.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

you should be able to find a Nikon D80 ( i have one) for around your budget with the shorter lense (18-55) and that would autofocus with that 50mm prime lense.

Ditto. I just saw this at the local Ritz Camera. If going w/ Nikon, in your budget, I would get the D80 for a little more flexibility. You can always add on the 70-300VR a little later on for about $400. They also have the 55-200 for quite a bit cheaper. Although as far as the 50mm 1.8 prime lens goes ($100), I can AF w/ it but I usually shoot in Manual anyway so for me it's no big deal. I suppose it's a big deal if you want to be able to AF and you can't so in that regard, if going w/ Nikon, I'd spend a little more and get the D80.
Good luck!

 

[dr_zero]

Ditto. I just saw this at the local Ritz Camera. If going w/ Nikon, in your budget, I would get the D80 for a little more flexibility. You can always add on the 70-300VR a little later on for about $400. They also have the 55-200 for quite a bit cheaper. Although as far as the 50mm 1.8 prime lens goes ($100), I can AF w/ it but I usually shoot in Manual anyway so for me it's no big deal. I suppose it's a big deal if you want to be able to AF and you can't so in that regard, if going w/ Nikon, I'd spend a little more and get the D80.
Good luck!

I agree with going somewhere and checking to see which fits best in your hands but I really like the Nikon Family.

The D80 has the extra gear so it can use just about any AF lens made for or by Nikon in the last 20 years that opens up alot of options.

There are lots of people selling off their film cameras and lenses that have no idea with the right body you can still use the lenses so you can find some real bargains out there!

 

[tubachick]

I too was thinking of upgrading to the DSLR. and thank you for many of your suggestions.

I saw a Pentax 10.2MP D-SLR Camera w/ (2) lenses & Vertical Grip (K200 model) on QVC for the special value today, just wondering what anyone thought of this set up.

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail/params.item.tsv!.tpl.tsv.cm_scid.TSV?cm_re=PROMOTIONS-_-TSV-_-E05417,TSV&cm_sp=TSV-_-HP-_-IMAGE

 

[thomas998]

best thing you can do is go to a camera store and hold them in your hands... even the best camera will not make you happy if it feels clunky in your hands. And oddly enough some cameras just don't feel right... Its possible that you could get used to an awkward feeling in a camera but its just as possible that the little edge that doesn't feel right will be like a stone in your shoe, each time you use the camera it will bother you a little more... and a little more... before you throw the camera on the ground and stomp it to death in a fit of rage - or maybe not.

 

[DawnM]

the Canon 40D felt "clunky" but it also felt very durable and solid, unlike the lighter plastic based ones.

DH was sold on it immidiately.

They also have $200 rebate until the 17th of July, making it a good time to buy.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-40D-Dig...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1216049433&sr=8-2

Dawn

best thing you can do is go to a camera store and hold them in your hands... even the best camera will not make you happy if it feels clunky in your hands. And oddly enough some cameras just don't feel right... Its possible that you could get used to an awkward feeling in a camera but its just as possible that the little edge that doesn't feel right will be like a stone in your shoe, each time you use the camera it will bother you a little more... and a little more... before you throw the camera on the ground and stomp it to death in a fit of rage - or maybe not.

 

[Abby's Dad]

I too was thinking of upgrading to the DSLR. and thank you for many of your suggestions.

I saw a Pentax 10.2MP D-SLR Camera w/ (2) lenses & Vertical Grip (K200 model) on QVC for the special value today, just wondering what anyone thought of this set up.

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail/params.item.tsv!.tpl.tsv.cm_scid.TSV?cm_re=PROMOTIONS-_-TSV-_-E05417,TSV&cm_sp=TSV-_-HP-_-IMAGE

That is a good price, but for me, I would go through a reputable camera store rather than QVC, but that's just me. The price for what you would get in this package would be $1025.85 at B&H Photo. Pentax offers a rebate of $100 on this camera, and a rebate of $25 on the grip, bringing the price down to $900.85, which seems like a pretty decent price to me. From the link that you included, it looks as though this same rebate is available to QVC purchasers.

As to what you would get - again, the camera needs to fit you. I have a Pentax K10D, and this camera has many of the same features. The lenses are what are considered "kit" lenses, or entry level lenses. That said, in the world of kit lenses, these are pretty well reviewed. This seems like a pretty good deal to me - anytime a legitimate operation beats B&H, it's a good price. As to the choice - you have great choices out there, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, and Sony. They all have great cameras and lenses, and they will all be very happy to have your money. They all also have differences in how the camera feels and works, and that is where the hard work comes in - deciding which one is for you. If you have already done that part, and know that the Pentax is for you, then great. As indicated, I have my prejudice, as I own a Pentax, am very happy with it, and wouldn't hesitate to go with it again, and yes, I own the two kit lenses you are interested in, along with several others, and am very pleased with them. Does that mean that I will never replace them with a better lens - no, but at this point in time the replacement isn't in the budget (but that doesn't mean that I am not plotting, er, planning).

Hope this was of some help, and best wishes.

Fred

 

[ms_mckenna]

Thank you everyone for your info. We are going to go to a camera store this weekend and check out the options and hold them etc. We are leaning more toward a Nikon or a Cannon at this point but who knows when I can see them in my hands lol. DH has said that he wants the ability to AF so we will have to take that into account. I am thrilled at the propect of NOT having AF.

 

[hornislander]

Thank you everyone for your info. We are going to go to a camera store this weekend and check out the options and hold them etc. We are leaning more toward a Nikon or a Cannon at this point but who knows when I can see them in my hands lol. DH has said that he wants the ability to AF so we will have to take that into account. I am thrilled at the propect of NOT having AF.

I went to the local photo shop to handle a few. The Nikon D80 was definitely the fit for me. But before I made the purchase the salesperson said that Nikon had a special that allowed you to take home a D60 or D40 and give it a test run. So knowing that the D60 and D80 had many similar features i said "why not?" I have had it since Saturday and will return it on Wednesday.

The results that I have received are great and have reinforced my decision. Something you may want to check into!! Good luck!

 

[DawnM]

The rebate on Canons ends on the 17th, so you might want to see if you can go earlier if you are interested in a Canon.

Dawn

Thank you everyone for your info. We are going to go to a camera store this weekend and check out the options and hold them etc. We are leaning more toward a Nikon or a Cannon at this point but who knows when I can see them in my hands lol. DH has said that he wants the ability to AF so we will have to take that into account. I am thrilled at the propect of NOT having AF.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

FYI the Olympus E-510/520 also have in-body Image Stablilization.