What DSLR to buy?

[Nanu57v]

I have about $700 of economic stimulus in my pocket and a point and shoot held together with a mickey sticker. I enjoy taking pictures, but I'm not a pro by any imagination. I'm looking for a DSLR--I want to eventually get additional lenses, films, etc. Right now just body and basic lens. I don't know much about anything. I've looked at Nikon D40, D60, and Canon Rebel xt and xti. So, if you were me, what would you buy?

 

[Gdad]

Everything you need with $1 to spare.

http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=NKD601855VR

 

[ukcatfan]

To be fair, here is a Pentax offering. http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=PKK200D1855

 

[MICKEY88]

as long as we're being fair

Sony has the A200 $599 the A200 just won the European award for best entry level dslr
http://www.adorama.com/ISODSLRA200K.html

and the A300 for $699

http://www.adorama.com/ISODSLRA300K.html

 

[Groucho]

The Nikons are probably set up the most to be DSLR-beginner-friendly, with help screens and such. That being said, all the entry-levels can be pretty easy to use in Auto or Program mode or any number of scene modes.

The current generation of entry-level DSLRs are, alphabetically, the Canon XSi, Nikon D60, Olympus E420, Pentax K200D, and Sony A200. The current Nikon and Canon give you image stabilization (IS) with their kit lens, and only certain (usually more expensive) lenses have it. The Pentax and Sony give you IS with every lens; with the Olympus, you have to move up to the E510 to get IS with every lens. The older Nikons (D40/D40x) and Canons (XT/XTi) do not normally come with an IS lens.

There's lots of other little differences, too, and threads pop up on this topic all the time. You may want to flip through the first few pages here and read some existing threads.

 

[MICKEY88]

The Nikons are probably set up the most to be DSLR-beginner-friendly, with help screens and such. That being said, all the entry-levels can be pretty easy to use in Auto or Program mode or any number of scene modes.

The current generation of entry-level DSLRs are, alphabetically, the Canon XSi, Nikon D60, Olympus E420, Pentax K200D, and Sony A200. QUOTE]

the Sony A300 is comparable pricewise to the Canon and Nikon that you list

 

[ghost1000]

Having gone through this recently another thing to take heart in is that they are all good cameras. They all have their pros and cons you just have to see which fits best with you.

 

[Master Mason]

What no one has mentioned so far, is go down and play with them all, one of them will just feel better to you, either ergonomically or because of the menus etc. That's the one you should get.

 

[uva185]

I would strongly recommend the Canon XSi. The kit lens is a 18-55mm with Image Stabilization. If that lens is not sufficient for your needs you can buy the camera body only for $800 and then buy the lens you really want for free. Canon also frequently offers $100-$150 rebates so check their website for offers. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542180-REG/Canon_2756B003_EOS_Rebel_XSi_a_k_a_.html

The XSi has 12 megapixels, has a 3" LCD with Live View (which most DSLRs do NOT have), shoots up to 3.5fps, and has low noise even at 1600 ISO. I think it is one of the best consumer level DSLRs out right now.

 

[ukcatfan]

I would strongly recommend the Canon XSi. The kit lens is a 18-55mm with Image Stabilization. If that lens is not sufficient for your needs you can buy the camera body only for $800 and then buy the lens you really want for free. Canon also frequently offers $100-$150 rebates so check their website for offers. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542180-REG/Canon_2756B003_EOS_Rebel_XSi_a_k_a_.html

The XSi has 12 megapixels, has a 3" LCD with Live View (which most DSLRs do NOT have), shoots up to 3.5fps, and has low noise even at 1600 ISO. I think it is one of the best consumer level DSLRs out right now.

Based on the OP's stated budget, that is about $200 too much. Also, I would be extremely surprised to see a rebate on a model that just hit the shelves.

A few more comments:

- low noise at ISO 1600 - they are all good at 1600 now (even the smaller 4/3 sensor ones) Performance at 3200 seems to be the new benchmark

- 12MP - completely irrelevant at this level. The difference between 10-12MP is hardly noticeable. Going up to 14MP might be noticable

- Live View - many DSLRs have this now, but its usefulness is fairly insignificant. It still does not work like a p&s live view. Basically, I would not let it be a decision factor

- FPS - only helpful if you plan to shoot action/sports often

Kevin

 

[MICKEY88]

- It still does not work like a p&s live view. Basically,

Kevin

could you please elaborate on this..??

 

[uva185]

Based on the OP's stated budget, that is about $200 too much. Also, I would be extremely surprised to see a rebate on a model that just hit the shelves.

Thats pretty pessimistic. They are already offering a $200 rebate for the 40D which was released last September. I wouldn't be surprised to see a rebate this summer.

 

[Furgus]

What no one has mentioned so far, is go down and play with them all, one of them will just feel better to you, either ergonomically or because of the menus etc. That's the one you should get.

QFT....I would have a Rebel instead of my Nikon if I hadn't done this.( O man am I glad I did this )

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I have about $700..
if you were me, what would you buy?

I was you a few months ago. And I bought an Olympus E-510 with two lenses for $650 along with a Lowepro Slingshot for $70. I thought it was a good value and met my needs as a first time dSLR user. (Because the E-520 was just announced - which would not give you much more than you'd already have with the 510 - you might even be able to scoop one up for even less.) You must research any before you buy, and you must go try them out to pick the one that suits you best. Don't rush into it. Good luck.

 

[Groucho]

could you please elaborate on this..??

Assuming you can see past my "flawed logic" (as you wrote in your original, before-editing reply in another thread), I would assume that what Kevin means is that the Live View on DSLRs is never without compromises.

On basic systems, the mirror needs to flip up to view it, then flip down to autofocus, take the photo, flip back up, etc... noisy and mostly good for tripod or situations where it's difficult to see through the viewfinder.

Some, like the XSi, do contrast-detect AF so the mirror doesn't need to flip down to AF, but it's much slower than normal focusing and slower than PnS focusing.

Others, like the Olympus E330 and Sony A300/A350, use a second dedicated sensor in the viewfinder. That means AF in Live View is just as fast as normal focusing, but Live View no longer has 100% coverage, there's no image stabilization, there's no alignment overlays, no true magnification to help when manually focusing, and most painfully, the design means a much smaller tunnel-like viewfinder and on the Sony's, a smaller onboard flash which doesn't pop up as far, increasing the chance of redeye and the other unflattering things that go along with a flash near the lens and is more likely to be blocked up a lens. On the Olympus E330, the viewfinder is not only smaller but dimmer, as light is sent to both sensors at any given time, where the Sony has a mechanical switch to choose the sensor.

Point being, they all have drawbacks and none are going to be behave just like the LCD in a PnS.

Back to Kevin's message - as for ISO 1600, most are very good, though the Sony A350 is not all that good, worse than the 4/3rds sensors in the current Olympus models offers. See the reviews at Camera Labs for some examples. And I think the Nikon D60 is the only current entry-level DSLR to offer ISO 3200. (The Pentax K100D did, but the K200D doesn't, though the D60 and K200D use the same sensor.)

The XSi can't do ISO 3200 but I suspect you could get somewhat usable results by shooting at -1.0 exposure compensation and pushing it in post-processing. You can also do the same any DSLR with good ISO 1600 performance. I'm no Canon fan by any means, but the XSi is a very strong entry in the under-$1k DSLR field. Too bad it still has the usual Rebel "ergonomics".

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

I have about $700 of economic stimulus in my pocket and a point and shoot held together with a mickey sticker. I enjoy taking pictures, but I'm not a pro by any imagination. I'm looking for a DSLR--I want to eventually get additional lenses, films, etc. Right now just body and basic lens. I don't know much about anything. I've looked at Nikon D40, D60, and Canon Rebel xt and xti. So, if you were me, what would you buy?

I see you live in PA, if you are near Allentow go to Dans Camera city, they will let you "play " with the cameras and help you find which is best suited for you. (can you tell I love this camera store). I personally have the Olympus E500 and love it, I am still learning it, but for those who just want to have a DSLR you can set it to auto and get by just fine. I am one who wants to fine tune things so I am usually in P, A or S. So many people have different opinions on what to buy. The best thing to do is like a PP and I said, go and try them out. Have fun.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I believe that on the Oly E-510, you do not lose IS when using Live View.

 

[MICKEY88]

Assuming you can see past my "flawed logic" (as you wrote in your original, before-editing reply in another thread), .

hmmm well if you want to bring up old posts, at least this time you seem to be presenting facts, on that other thread, you were contradicting every pro photographer and dozens if not hundreds of articles written on proper camera holding technique, based on your holding technique, which you yourself stated you had never thought about, you just did it that way at WDW..

 

[ukcatfan]

could you please elaborate on this..??

Assuming you can see past my "flawed logic" (as you wrote in your original, before-editing reply in another thread), I would assume that what Kevin means is that the Live View on DSLRs is never without compromises.

On basic systems, the mirror needs to flip up to view it, then flip down to autofocus, take the photo, flip back up, etc... noisy and mostly good for tripod or situations where it's difficult to see through the viewfinder.

Some, like the XSi, do contrast-detect AF so the mirror doesn't need to flip down to AF, but it's much slower than normal focusing and slower than PnS focusing.

Others, like the Olympus E330 and Sony A300/A350, use a second dedicated sensor in the viewfinder. That means AF in Live View is just as fast as normal focusing, but Live View no longer has 100% coverage, there's no image stabilization, there's no alignment overlays, no true magnification to help when manually focusing, and most painfully, the design means a much smaller tunnel-like viewfinder and on the Sony's, a smaller onboard flash which doesn't pop up as far, increasing the chance of redeye and the other unflattering things that go along with a flash near the lens and is more likely to be blocked up a lens. On the Olympus E330, the viewfinder is not only smaller but dimmer, as light is sent to both sensors at any given time, where the Sony has a mechanical switch to choose the sensor.

Point being, they all have drawbacks and none are going to be behave just like the LCD in a PnS.

That pretty much covers what I was talking about. I have also heard that the typical LCD frame refresh rate on DSLRs is not as fast as a p&s, but I have no direct knowledge if the XSi will be that way.

Kevin

 

[ukcatfan]

Thats pretty pessimistic. They are already offering a $200 rebate for the 40D which was released last September. I wouldn't be surprised to see a rebate this summer.

If you say so. I believe it is more realistic and you are daydreaming. The Rebel line is a much higher volume seller than the xxD line, so you should expect larger rebates in a shorter time frame for the 40D. I have heard that the 40D sales were impacted by the anticipation of the XSi. People upgrading from an earlier Rebel wanted to see if they could save a few bucks with the XSi and still get the upgrades they were wanting, hence an earlier rebate on the 40D was needed to boost sales. There is also the D300 that hurt 40D sales, but that is another story. The XSi is expected to be a pretty popular camera, so why would they rebate it only a few months after the release? That just does not make good business sense. Lastly, they still have stock of XT and XTi models, so they are going to clear those out cheap before ever going with a rebate on the XSi. I think a rebate on it is more realistically the pre-holiday shopping season and around $100. The regular price should come down a little before then though.

Kevin