Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Camera Suggestions... advice??

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
that_someone_special

that_someone_special

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
Messages
5,384
I am getting a new camera tomorrow and was wondering what people have that they would recommend? I am looking in the $900 or less range, but more might be ok as I am getting a discount
5.gif
2.gif


The ones I''ve been eyeing are:

EOS Rebel T1i EF-S 18-55mm IS Kit Linky

EOS Rebel XSi EF-S 18-55IS Kit Linky

EOS Digital Rebel XTi EF-S 18-55 Kit Linky

A more expensive camera might me on the horizon of, say next year, but this is the most I''m willing to spend right now as I''m getting an iMac and Macbook pro next week....

There were some Nikons I was looking at as well, and Nikon is all that I''ve ever owned, so I''m kind of looking at canons!

Please help!! Any advice on things you do/ do not like would be great.

(I might be leaving here in a bit, so I will check when I get back home)
 
Well, I think you''ll hear from both sides of the Nikon vs. Canon on PS.

I''m not involved in photography enough to know the major differences in the brands. But I have a Nikon D90, and I absolutely love it. I liked it better than the D80 and lower, for multiple reasons - I''ll go into them further if you''d like later, just let me know. It came with the Nikkor VR 18-105 lens.

FI had a Canon Rebel film that he loved as well. And I know many people that still love the Rebels, so I certainly don''t think you can go wrong with either one.
 
Yes tell me all!
4.gif


The D90 was one of the ones I was looking at. It''s about $999, but with the discount would be fine too.
 
I got my first DSLR about a year ago. Nikon D40. It''s pretty basic, but I like it.
 
Well, the XTi came out in August 2006. That's an eternity in camera time. I don't even see it listed where I get most of my camera gear from. I think the 2.5" display is a bit small these days.
Next, was the XSi which came out in Jan 2008 ($631 for the kit)
Finally, the T1i just came out at the end of March... and even shoots video... in high def($899 for the kit)

You'll find very detailed reviews of each here:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/

If you could be upgrading next year, the T1i will hold the most resale value. Both the XSi and the T1i have 3" displays...the newer T1i having a better high resolution screen. There is a good non-biased summary at the bottom of this page:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/page29.asp

I'm a Canon guy and use the next series up so I can't really comment on the Rebel series. I will say, it gets a "highly recommended" in the review but the review also encourages you to look at Nikon's D5000 (but it's over your budget).

Canon definitely has some things over Nikon and Nikon has some over Canon. Honestly, it's tough to go wrong. I will say, once you are invested in a few lenses, it gets a bit too expensive to change sides.

Treefrog
 
After researching this for what feels like years, I''m planning on getting the Nikon D90. I shoot mainly food for my blog and jewelry for PSers
2.gif
, so I''m going to have to invest in decent macro glass, but since I have a Nikon F4, I already have some lenses that will work with the D90 body, so that made my decision a bit easier.
3.gif


Although, I have friends who both just bought the Nikon D60 a few months ago (also food bloggers) and they both wish they had gone with a D80 or D90 at the outset.

When I was researching Canons, I found http://photography-on-the.net/forum/index.php?s=47e80164b05810979c2db5238b7c7985

And I also liked lurking the DP review forums - http://www.dpreview.com/forums/

We need MonkeyPie, Kelsey, and others who are pros to chime in here, though.
1.gif
 
Wow!! Haha we got the D90 when it was still reg price - $1299. Would have waited a while for it to come down, but we were taking a trip and wanted a DSLR, so we figured go ahead and invest in the one we liked the best. It still sells for that much around here. Is the $999 just the body?

Ok, so D90 vs D80, D60, D40 (those are the ones we looked at). We looked at the Canon also, and mainly first went by how they felt in our hands. We knew that both camera brands were comparable for us, since we'd done our research beforehand as far as what we wanted in a DSLR.
- The Canon wasn't comfortable in my hands, and FI felt the same way for himself. Especially when compared to the Nikons - they're just made differently, and the Nikon felt better for us. But it's something you've got to do yourself - feel which one fits in your hands and functions more easily for you.
- The D90 has high def movie function... +1 for the D90. (And we've used this TOOOOONS - I've captured so many moments with this that totally wouldn't come through in the photos. It's not for long movies, as it will only record 5 minutes at a time, and will overheat and turn itself and the whole camera off if you use it for too long.
5.gif
)
- D80 was heavy to me - much heavier than the D90, D60, and D40.
- D90 has the large LCD screen, and you can take the photo using the screen if you need to (not that I ever use that - it's actually easier just to use the viewfinder, and saves lots of battery life). Still, +1 for the D90, because you take the movies using the LCD screen.
- D90 just felt the best in my hands compared to the other 3, functioned the best with my hand movements... another +1.
- D90's MP was the highest of the choices... another +1.

Honestly, the movie feature was probably what gave us the push to choose the D90 over the other 3, as it was a BIG plus for us. I know that they'll keep coming out with cooler cameras with even more features and all, but for now, we've got something that works fantastic for us. I'm learning so much, and I NEVER want to go back to a point and shoot. Haha, I despise using the small one when I'm trying to capture something in my typical day, since I carry the small one in my purse for those random moments.

Besides that, I didn't know much about the feature comparisons between the Nikons. The guy told us some stuff that had been improved for the D90 using customer input and reviews from experts, etc, so the D90 was supposedly a great mesh of cool features and things that people wanted in a camera.

My cousin has a D40, and it still takes phenomenal pictures. I know at our family get-together, I learned that my D90 could take up to 9 photos in a row in on the self timer, but I'm not sure if hers had that feature, I never asked. Haha, that's the extent of my comparison.
1.gif


And if it helps at all, the Nikkor 18-105 lens that often comes with the D90 is wonderful.
 
EOS Rebel T1i if you ever might want to shoot video
EOS Rebel XSI if you dont.

The image quality between the 3 and the similar priced and MP nikons is pretty much the same for the body.
Some minor difference here and there but overall it is a wash.
It comes down to which fits your hands, which features you want and where you want to go in the future.
Canon's biggest advantage is with lens selection and price for a quality lens.
Nikon has slightly better bodies and flash system but the high end lenses are way overpriced and they don't have as great a selection as canon.
The lack of high end f-4 zooms is bad.
A 2.8 mid to long zoom is to heavy and bulky unless you absolutely have to have the added stop of light and take the time to learn how to hold it.

The canon 18-55IS is as good as or better than any kits lens in its class.
The canon 55-250IS which is many peoples next lens is the best lens in its class optically better than a lot of lens costing 2x-3x as much. They will however be better built but there have been very few complaints about it holding up.
Any of the canons and the 18-55IS and the 55-250IS + a macro + a 430 flash will do all most people need to do at a lower price than any other system.
 
Swedish Bean -

I love my Nikon D40. It feels really good in my hands and it does everything I need. I use the manual settings when I''m feeling artistic, but to be honest, the camera takes such great photos on automatic that I leave it there probably 75% of the time. I popped an 18-200 VR lens on it and never take it off. I have both an iMac and an MacBook Pro and when I use iPhoto I rarely need to adjust the saturation or temperature of the colors or the exposure. They''re perfect almost every time. I do have to use the straighten feature a lot but that''s my fault, not the camera''s!
 
Date: 8/21/2009 3:57:33 PM
Author:swedish bean

A more expensive camera might me on the horizon of, say next year, but this is the most I''m willing to spend right now as I''m getting an iMac and Macbook pro next week....
Click to expand...
I think you have gotten some very sound advice so far. Since you have plans to get a more expensive camera down the road, you might want to consider purchasing a camera body that is less expensive and investing in nice lenses. Then when you are ready to upgrade your camera body, you will be able to use the same lenses you had before, assuming you stay with the same brand. Check out local camera shops in your area, as I am sure they might have pre-owned cameras available for purchase.
 
Date: 8/21/2009 6:36:07 PM
Author: rainwood
Swedish Bean -

I love my Nikon D40. It feels really good in my hands and it does everything I need. I use the manual settings when I''m feeling artistic, but to be honest, the camera takes such great photos on automatic that I leave it there probably 75% of the time. I popped an 18-200 VR lens on it and never take it off. I have both an iMac and an MacBook Pro and when I use iPhoto I rarely need to adjust the saturation or temperature of the colors or the exposure. They''re perfect almost every time. I do have to use the straighten feature a lot but that''s my fault, not the camera''s!
Click to expand...
How do you like them? I am reaaaally excited as these are my first Macs (always had pc''s!) I am thinking of grabbing Aperture while I''m there too- have you used it? (In addition I am getting CS4 too, I have CS3 student edition, but for PC, so I need to get that, as well, thus why this camera purchase is on a budget!) I am reaaaally excited but am taking this one weekend at a time!
 
Date: 8/21/2009 5:30:40 PM
Author: strmrdr
EOS Rebel T1i if you ever might want to shoot video
EOS Rebel XSI if you dont.

The image quality between the 3 and the similar priced and MP nikons is pretty much the same for the body.
Some minor difference here and there but overall it is a wash.
It comes down to which fits your hands, which features you want and where you want to go in the future.
Canon''s biggest advantage is with lens selection and price for a quality lens.
Nikon has slightly better bodies and flash system but the high end lenses are way overpriced and they don''t have as great a selection as canon.
The lack of high end f-4 zooms is bad.
A 2.8 mid to long zoom is to heavy and bulky unless you absolutely have to have the added stop of light and take the time to learn how to hold it.

The canon 18-55IS is as good as or better than any kits lens in its class.
The canon 55-250IS which is many peoples next lens is the best lens in its class optically better than a lot of lens costing 2x-3x as much. They will however be better built but there have been very few complaints about it holding up.
Any of the canons and the 18-55IS and the 55-250IS + a macro + a 430 flash will do all most people need to do at a lower price than any other system.
Click to expand...
Wanna go shopping with me?
10.gif


The place I''m going I''ve bought from before and they are SO great there. I think I might get a macro too, but we''ll see, that might have to wait!

Thank you for all of the information EVERYONE.. I''m soaking it all up (and re-reading it to make sure I''ve got it!)
 
Swedish Bean -

I was a PC person for a long time, but am so glad I switched to the Mac. It''s geared so much more for my interests. I do run Parallels and Windows for work because I work from home a lot, but I''m on the Mac side for all of my non-work time. I will say that I prefer Word for Mac to Pages but otherwise I like the Apple software better.

As for photography, I''ve stuck with iPhoto and find it meets most of my needs. I bought Photoshop Elements back in my PC days and just didn''t have time to figure it all out. And I''m not sure I need to. I did film photography for a long time and so I still compose most of my photos in the camera before I shoot. Most of what I end up doing is either straightening or sometimes adjusting the exposure and highlights if I was in a difficult light situation. And I love doing the slideshows with music and the photo albums from iPhoto. I''ve done them for us and as gifts. They''re a lot of fun to do and pretty easy to figure out. There''s a lot to be said for software that doesn''t take a manual and long tutorials to figure out.
 
I can''t believe I missed this thread! Some photography geek I am!

You have already gotten some great advice from others here, and I think it makes a difference to get opinions from people that have actually owned the cameras you''re interested in. I have only ever owned Nikon bodies (once I got past the point-and-shoot stage), so I know very little about the Rebel, XTi or whatever. I will tell you what I have had, though.

I began with a Nikon D60. Something to consider when you get a new camera, is whether you will be willing to invest in other lenses than the kit lens that comes with it. I had the 18-55mm with the D60, and survived with only that lens for months without an issue. Once I started trying to go pro, though, my options were limited by funds and gear. The D60 does not have internal motoring - meaning that it focuses the lens for you - so if I wanted auto I had to buy a lens that had motoring inside, which cost WAY more. Manual focus is virtually impossible if you are shooting a moving subject, unless you have an insanely good eye, which I did not.

So I upgraded. I now own the Nikon D200 and D300, both of which have internal motoring so I can use virtually any Nikon lens on the market. The best part about these cameras is that they have much more superior sensors for light, and less "noise" (graininess) in dark situations. My photography has grown by leaps and bounds just since moving up in camera quality, but they are significantly more expensive and require more knowledge.

I think if you are using the camera casually, a Nikon D90 will be your best bet, for a couple of reasons.

1) More options for camera lenses, if you decide you want more than the kit lens. It has that wonderful internal motoring. (Which, btw, is not a terrible lens, but isn''t great, either. Something to think about. I can help you research a much better lens if you need it.)
2) More options for lighting. The D90 has the same sensor as my D300, meaning it handles low-light situations on a much better scale. Less graininess, and more chances to shoot handheld as opposed to needing a tripod all the time.
3) Very, very user friendly. My FIL took one a friend bought to Trinidad a couple weeks ago, and I took it all out of the boxes and put it together for him before he left. It is very similar in body size to the D60 (if you have small hands, like me, this is brilliant), and everything is fairly easily accessible. The only downside is that you have to go through the menu to change things like the ISO, as opposed to the D300 which has all of that programmed into external buttons right by your fingers.

I have a lot of resources if you would like to do some reading on the camera, or other lens options. I can also do a side-by-side comparison of some of my shots from the D60 to the D300, which is ridiculously different.

A recent shot with my D300. The clarity is rather striking at this level.

3764275148_6e47ccc7ee.jpg
 
Monkeypieeeeeeeee! I was hoping you would respond ;) (and I LOVE that picture)

I went shopping at 10am this morning so I did not see this response (until now).

I was dead set on the Canon, it was on sale... untiiiiillll..... Well ok, I got the Nikon D5000. My mother actually got the same camera too. Honestly, the guy was a great sales guy. He didn''t hate Canon or Nikon, and didn''t seem to care which one I got, other than making me happy with my purchase. He was so kind! We spent over an hour looking at cameras, bags, and everyyyyything, I spent A LOT in extras and what not, but it''s fine, I am really happy with my purchase. I even have a lense or two that I have in my sight (well, I got a new camera bag to house them too
5.gif
)

It really came down to what I could afford, what I was comfortable with, and some of the reviews I had read. Of course the D5000 I had not read about
20.gif
20.gif
20.gif
but am quite please with it anyhow.

SORRY to let anyone down. I should''ve made this post sooner. And due to the discount, I had to get the camera THIS WEEKEND (I would''ve waited to learn more).

Sooooo...... good god, the cheapest lense that I liked was $990 and the camera was only $850
4.gif
3.gif
So, maybe an xmas gift to myself? OR BIRTHDAY GIFT for myself (november) ??
27.gif
27.gif
27.gif
 
Here is the link to the camera if anyone is wondering.
LINKY
 
Date: 8/22/2009 5:47:38 PM
Author: swedish bean
Here is the link to the camera if anyone is wondering.

LINKY
Click to expand...

I hadn''t even thought about the D5000, but I don''t know too much about it. I''m glad you found something though! I''d love to see some shots from it - it''s so new, I haven''t even seen it in any of my local shops yet.
 
I have a D90. Had a D50. I haven''t used the D90 much since I''ve been focusing on 35mm B&W. I use CS4 and Lightroom for editing.
 
Date: 8/22/2009 6:06:35 PM
Author: waxing lyrical
I have a D90. Had a D50. I haven''t used the D90 much since I''ve been focusing on 35mm B&W. I use CS4 and Lightroom for editing.
Click to expand...
I am hoping to get CS4 next saturday as well. At that point, I wonder if Aperture is even worth it??
 
Date: 8/23/2009 11:58:11 AM
Author: swedish bean
Date: 8/22/2009 6:06:35 PM

Author: waxing lyrical

I have a D90. Had a D50. I haven''t used the D90 much since I''ve been focusing on 35mm B&W. I use CS4 and Lightroom for editing.
Click to expand...

I am hoping to get CS4 next saturday as well. At that point, I wonder if Aperture is even worth it??
Click to expand...

Yes and no. Aperture does different things, it''s a completely different source. I would suggest getting CS4 first and see if it has everything that you need - I bet it does! Photoshop is the best
36.gif
 
Date: 8/23/2009 12:14:36 PM
Author: MonkeyPie

Date: 8/23/2009 11:58:11 AM
Author: swedish bean

Date: 8/22/2009 6:06:35 PM

Author: waxing lyrical

I have a D90. Had a D50. I haven''t used the D90 much since I''ve been focusing on 35mm B&W. I use CS4 and Lightroom for editing.
Click to expand...

I am hoping to get CS4 next saturday as well. At that point, I wonder if Aperture is even worth it??
Click to expand...

Yes and no. Aperture does different things, it''s a completely different source. I would suggest getting CS4 first and see if it has everything that you need - I bet it does! Photoshop is the best
36.gif
Click to expand...
Well, I do love, and use PS. :)

I am looking for a program that can organize the pictures... iphoto then? I swear I heard that Aperture did that too, but better?? I might have to play around in the Apple store with it before this purchase.

As far as this thread, I used to really love photography and fell out of it a few years back (ok, by few, I mean 6). I now have way too much time on my hands, and after reading some threads by Haven, I noticed I have no hobby (thank you! and I mean it, and if you see this, I think your concept/ idea is great!) So I am trying to turn my down time (which is nearly every hour awake) into hobby time. I invested SO MUCH time into learning about diamonds that if I can do that, I could do that again, with cameras. So just thanks everyone for helping out.
 
Date: 8/21/2009 5:30:40 PM
Author: strmrdr
EOS Rebel T1i if you ever might want to shoot video

EOS Rebel XSI if you dont.


The image quality between the 3 and the similar priced and MP nikons is pretty much the same for the body.

Some minor difference here and there but overall it is a wash.

It comes down to which fits your hands, which features you want and where you want to go in the future.

Canon's biggest advantage is with lens selection and price for a quality lens.

Nikon has slightly better bodies and flash system but the high end lenses are way overpriced and they don't have as great a selection as canon.

The lack of high end f-4 zooms is bad.

A 2.8 mid to long zoom is to heavy and bulky unless you absolutely have to have the added stop of light and take the time to learn how to hold it.


The canon 18-55IS is as good as or better than any kits lens in its class.

The canon 55-250IS which is many peoples next lens is the best lens in its class optically better than a lot of lens costing 2x-3x as much. They will however be better built but there have been very few complaints about it holding up.

Any of the canons and the 18-55IS and the 55-250IS + a macro + a 430 flash will do all most people need to do at a lower price than any other system.
Click to expand...


I have two Canon cameras. Three years ago I became really into photography, and my parents bought me my cameras. I have a Canon Rebel K2 which is a basic film camera, and I also have a digital Canon Rebel XSI. I highly recommend Canon's, I actually learned on my Dad's old less expensive Canons from the 70s. He wouldn't let me use his expensive cameras but even at 30+ years old it's a great camera. As far as digital goes, I looked into other bands's and it basically came down to lenses for me. There are so many more options with Canons and I think the beginner cameras are great quality for a lower price point. The other great thing about the Rebel XSI is it's really easy to use. I can be completely automatic or you can do everything manually.


ETA- Oops, sorry I should have read your last post before I posted. I hope you like your new camera! You really can't go wrong with either Canon or Nikon! Enjoy it!
1.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top