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Photography Photography Thread vs. BL Shutterbugs unite!
- Thread starter BA
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thanks -- your camera advice is always appreciated, BA. at this point, i guess i'm wondering what the extra $500-$600 buys when it comes to comparing the Nikon you mentioned to cameras like the Canon EOS series. maybe it's more about lenses.
I don't know man. It doesn't seem worth the extra $$ to me. I think Canons are notoriously over-priced, but some would argue they hold their value more than others....?
If I had to do it all over again, would I still invest in a Nikon DSLR? Yes.
Would I get the D40? Probably. But I'd give a stronger look at the D80.
If I had to do it all over again, would I still invest in a Nikon DSLR? Yes.
Would I get the D40? Probably. But I'd give a stronger look at the D80.
Raving Loony
Bluelighter
Not necessarily. A full frame Canon 5D now costs less than $2000US brand new, whilst offering ISO 50->3200 (and being full frame, it allows you to step down to much narrow apetures whilst retaining image quality). Yes that is a bit of money, but does any other manufacturer offer anything close to that in price? Nope. Nikon's top line lenses may have better MTF resoloution, but comparative lenses manufactured by Canon are often significantly cheaper.
As for the entry level market, hard to say which is best. I started out as a modest rookie and have expanded rapidly by buying lenses that will work on a full frame camera. Some people may never chose to take it that far. For those other people, they may want to consider the digital SLR cameras that have the anti-shake technology in the camera body. Personally that is not a technology that is high on my list because I like to see the stabilisation working through the optical viewfinder and to be able to take advantage of lens stabilisation when panning.
That said, if I owned a Nikon camera I would still be very proud of my choice and it would no doubt take stunning pictures. %)
As for the entry level market, hard to say which is best. I started out as a modest rookie and have expanded rapidly by buying lenses that will work on a full frame camera. Some people may never chose to take it that far. For those other people, they may want to consider the digital SLR cameras that have the anti-shake technology in the camera body. Personally that is not a technology that is high on my list because I like to see the stabilisation working through the optical viewfinder and to be able to take advantage of lens stabilisation when panning.
That said, if I owned a Nikon camera I would still be very proud of my choice and it would no doubt take stunning pictures. %)
Banquo, what is your budget? What do you plan to shoot? Landscapes? People? Kids? Street scenes? Indoor party/bar/low-light? Everything?
How big are your hands? Is it important that your camera be able to fit in as small a case as possible?
How big are your hands? Is it important that your camera be able to fit in as small a case as possible?
BA, very nice shots! Congrats on the setup!
Raving Loony, I didn't know Canon made a 28-70 L. I love my 50mm 1.4, but it's not an L. One day I hope to have a few L lenses, both zoom and prime.
Nikon vs. Canon: They're both great. You can't go wrong. If I had $2,000 and no kid, I'd buy a Canon EOS 5D (covers the body only, lenses are extra). Because I have a kid, for $1800 I'd buy the Nikon D300 - it's faster, even though it doesn't have that full frame sensor. $5000? Nikon D3. $530? The Canon Rebel XTi. Or for a bit more, the new XSi. $850 and large hands? Nikon D80. Just between these two companies there are so many choices. (And there's nothing wrong with the D40/D40x, either. I've heard it's great. I just know and like my XTi so it's easy to recommend. But if I had a choice between the XTi and the D80, I'd take the D80 because of the D80's larger viewfinder and auto ISO mode. Maybe the XSi has caught up in these areas?)
Raving Loony, I didn't know Canon made a 28-70 L. I love my 50mm 1.4, but it's not an L. One day I hope to have a few L lenses, both zoom and prime.
Nikon vs. Canon: They're both great. You can't go wrong. If I had $2,000 and no kid, I'd buy a Canon EOS 5D (covers the body only, lenses are extra). Because I have a kid, for $1800 I'd buy the Nikon D300 - it's faster, even though it doesn't have that full frame sensor. $5000? Nikon D3. $530? The Canon Rebel XTi. Or for a bit more, the new XSi. $850 and large hands? Nikon D80. Just between these two companies there are so many choices. (And there's nothing wrong with the D40/D40x, either. I've heard it's great. I just know and like my XTi so it's easy to recommend. But if I had a choice between the XTi and the D80, I'd take the D80 because of the D80's larger viewfinder and auto ISO mode. Maybe the XSi has caught up in these areas?)
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I'd much rather spend $600-$700 than $1000-$1200. If there is a large difference in quality, then it would be easier to justify spending more. My pics, so far, have mostly been taken with a pocket cam. imho, my composition and art sense have developed to the point where the hardware is holding me back. A couple of people have asked me to photograph for pay, and I can't very well do this with my little Panny Lumix. But I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon, which is another important point.Johnny1 said:
I learned on an old Nikon 35 mm, and Canon does seem to spend a lot on flashy marketing, which is why I'm hesitating to spring for a 40D or other higher priced Canons.
I do have small hands if that means anything. Sorry to sidetrack the thread. Hopefully there is someone else who this information will help.
Of all the DSLRs I've held - the Nikon D40 is the smallest, followed closely by Canon Rebel. Pentax also makes a very small entry level one, too. It will come down to preference and how you like the feel of them.
Now that I've had mine for a while, and have toyed with the larger D80 - I prefer the feel of that over my smaller D40.
Now that I've had mine for a while, and have toyed with the larger D80 - I prefer the feel of that over my smaller D40.
Actually, Banquo-
If you dont see yourself spending lots of money on lenses down the road, I would look into what they call "super zoom" cameras. Here are some examples.
Fuji
http://www.adorama.com/IFJFPS8000FD.html
Canon
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/495623-REG/Canon_2077B001_Powershot_S5_IS_Digital.html
Panasonic
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pana...96550/catOid/-13062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
For the price, they offer INCREDIBLE zoom ranges with all sorts of manual control over shutter settings, aperture, exposure, etc. Ive played with that Fuji first hand and it is BAD ASS. All of them are incredible zooms, but that Panasonic is king. Seriously. 18X?!
If you dont see yourself spending lots of money on lenses down the road, I would look into what they call "super zoom" cameras. Here are some examples.
Fuji
http://www.adorama.com/IFJFPS8000FD.html
Canon
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/495623-REG/Canon_2077B001_Powershot_S5_IS_Digital.html
Panasonic
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pana...96550/catOid/-13062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
For the price, they offer INCREDIBLE zoom ranges with all sorts of manual control over shutter settings, aperture, exposure, etc. Ive played with that Fuji first hand and it is BAD ASS. All of them are incredible zooms, but that Panasonic is king. Seriously. 18X?!
Banquo said:
The Canon Rebel XTi (known as the 400D elsewhere) is excellent, but someone with very large hands might find it a bit hard to hold and operate. That's why I asked. It looks like the new XSi has a bigger viewfinder, which means when you look though the lens to compose the shot, the picture is bigger and brighter. That's nice, but I rarely have a problem with the viewfinder size on my XTi, and the price on the XTi is very good right now.
I agree with BA that the D80 is a great camera to hold and shoot. But it's more than the XTi by $263 on Amazon. That money could go toward a lens. And you have to buy a memory card (get a fast 4GB card, Compact Flash if you get the XTi, SD if you get the D80), and perhaps a carry case once you have the camera and lens. Then you're done.
So based on your budget, I would recommend the XTi + one lens to start with. Otherwise I recommend the D80 + one lens. Here are three lenses you should consider:
Sigma 30mm f1.4. $370 from Amazon ($15 more for the Nikon version). This is the equivalent on the XTi of 48mm on a 35mm film camera, or what is traditionally called a "normal" lens. It also is capable of lower-light photos compared to other lenses.
Canon 50mm f1.4. $297 from Amazon. This is equivalent to 80mm on the XTi. (Nikon 50mm f1.4 is $290 from Amazon, equivalent to 75mm on the D80). These lenses are mild telephoto compared to the normal 50mm lens, which is flattering for portrait shots. Also capable of lower-light shots. Both Canon and Nikon make very cheap 50mm f1.8 lenses, but in addition to losing a bit of aperture compared to the f1.4 versions, they're built poorly and the image quality is also not as good.
Tamron SP 17-50 f2.8 Di II LD Aspherical. $423 from Amazon for Canon version, $447 for Nikon version. Gives you approx. 28-80mm equivalent zoom range. Much more versatile than either one of the two lenses I listed above, but image quality is not quite as good as those (depending on your 35mm film experience, you may be surprised at what a big difference a good lens makes).
For all the above lenses, you should carefully save the packaging and do some test shots. Sometimes there are bad copies, which means it's time for an exchange or return.
You should go to the camera store and handle each of the cameras you're considering. Ask the salesperson to show you the basic controls. This will be very instructive about which is the best camera for you. But don't handle a camera that's out of your budget.
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recons said:
Duh. No kidding.
But for the money, an image stabilized fixed lens with an 18X zoom (28mm - 504mm equivalent) this is a good alternative for someone who KNOWS they'll never spend money on extra lenses. Compact, huuuuge focal range, and pretty decent images right out of the box at a reasonable price.
syymphonatic
Bluelighter
old trusty, my pentax K1000:
my weekend crafty fun (for emulsion transfers and classic look pics), the polaroid land 440:
digital snapshot/internet photos, the fujifilm finepix a700 (it was free):
for road trips, memorable event parties, and jokes, the polaroid one600 classic:
i prefer film to digital, which is why my one digi camera is so crap, but seeing as how i am a BFA photography major in 2008, i will have to buck up and gothe digital route at some point.
my weekend crafty fun (for emulsion transfers and classic look pics), the polaroid land 440:
digital snapshot/internet photos, the fujifilm finepix a700 (it was free):
for road trips, memorable event parties, and jokes, the polaroid one600 classic:
i prefer film to digital, which is why my one digi camera is so crap, but seeing as how i am a BFA photography major in 2008, i will have to buck up and gothe digital route at some point.
tribal girl
Bluelight Crew
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- Jan 29, 2006
- Messages
- 13,269
syymphonatic said:my weekend crafty fun (for emulsion transfers and classic look pics), the polaroid land 440:
I want one! :D
Are those the cameras where you have to peel off the film after you've taken the pic?
syymphonatic
Bluelighter
yep it is, i've only just started experimenting, there's a HUGE amount of techniques out there for this. here's a full online book on the topic that's really helpful: http://www.pacificsites.com/~hdupre/trans.html.
i got mine in perfect working order. not even a one crack in the bellows. it was from a thrift store for $5. film's expensive but ordering online gets you sweet deals. it's soooo much fun!
i got mine in perfect working order. not even a one crack in the bellows. it was from a thrift store for $5. film's expensive but ordering online gets you sweet deals. it's soooo much fun!
So I finally won an ebay auction for a new lens.
Today I got a 1970'ish Nikon 135mm f/2.8 Q for $27 including shipping.
Manual focus. Manual metering. Faaantastic!
Yesterday I bought a new UV/have filter and a polarizing filter (72mm).
Today I got a 1970'ish Nikon 135mm f/2.8 Q for $27 including shipping.
Manual focus. Manual metering. Faaantastic!
Yesterday I bought a new UV/have filter and a polarizing filter (72mm).
Dtergent
Bluelight Crew
Film
Nikon F90X
Digital
Canon PowerShot A560
I don't use extra lens. All my camera stuff was given to me.
Nikon F90X
Digital
Canon PowerShot A560
I don't use extra lens. All my camera stuff was given to me.