Buying my first DSLR. Several questions

DMR921 · Mar 22, 2012

Hi. I am starting to get into photography and want to move from my compact to a DSLR. Any suggestions on a DSLR for entry level photographer? I borrowed a T2i from my school but its only 24hr rentals.. they also have a Nikon D90 which I dont see a point renting because it's not a realistic camera for me to purchase because of price. Overall I would like to keep price to around ~750-850. Price including lense(s)

I haven't completely decided between Nikon and Canon but Canon seems to be an overall better choice because that's what everyone I know has. Also.. any suggestions on first lense? T2i comes with 18-55mm from bestbuy but if it's a lense that wont do much for me.. then I would possibly consider purchasing the body and lense seperately. I know some of this depends on type of photography you enjoy which is listed below. General question.. is it a waste to buy lenses even if it doesn't "support" the type of photography you enjoy?

Types of photography I like aren't completely known as I don't have tons of experience yet but as far as viewing, flower photography (macro?) night-sky scapes, water scapes and nature scenes tend to catch my eye. I guess I really wouldn't be opposed to any type of photography but I see myself shooting sports the least.

Thanks in advance

apples · Mar 22, 2012

If everyone you know has a Canon then it might be easier to bum lenses off them to see which you like. 850 being your max, the T2i or T3i are pretty much what you can get unless you go second hand; they're fun too

DMR921 · Mar 22, 2012

And what if I wanted to bump up my price to like 1100? how much would that open my options?

WesternGuy · Mar 22, 2012

DMR921 said:
And what if I wanted to bump up my price to like 1100? how much would that open my options?

Probably not too much, but you could get a 60D body for that amount of money, but then you would have to come up with $$ for glass. Since you are just starting out, I would suggest you get the least expensive camera you can, like the ones you have been looking at - the T2i or the T3i or even the T3, and spend the rest on decent glass. If you buy a camera with more bells and whistles than you need, just starting out, then you will spend a lot of your time learning about, or trying to figure out, what the camera can do, rather than developing your knowledge of what it takes to make good pictures - exposure, composition, etc. - simple camera to start -> ease of learning IMHO.

As for your question - is it a waste to buy lenses even if it doesn't "support" the type of photography you enjoy - the answer, from my perspective would be a definite yes. If the lenses do not support the kind of photography you want to do, then you probably will not use them that much - a lot of $$ sitting around when they might be better spent on something you will use more often - make sense? My 0.02¢ FWIW.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

P.S. As apples has said, you can always explore the second-hand market. I know both B&H and Adorama sell refurbished units, but you would have to check out their sites to see what they have and their prices. Then there is always Amazon or e-bay.

DMR921 · Mar 22, 2012

Western, thank you for the response. Anyone be able to give me a rundown on the differences between the T2i and T3i? Is the $200 difference worth it?

cgipson1 · Mar 22, 2012

DMR921 said:
Western, thank you for the response. Anyone be able to give me a rundown on the differences between the T2i and T3i? Is the $200 difference worth it?

WOW! You are in luck! The CANON site has a COMPARE feature! Here is a link to the T2i and T3i compare I just did! (and I don't even shoot Canon)!

Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : Digital SLR Cameras

cgipson1 · Mar 22, 2012

and here is another comparison from DPReview.... and you didn't even have to type this in yourself... or google it!

Side by Side Comparison: Digital Photography Review

DMR921 · Mar 22, 2012

Awesome.. another jackass. If you didn't notice.. I said I am new to photography.. and reading **** on a specifications tab doesn't mean anything if you don't understand what it means. gtfo my thread k thx

also.. if you are going to be a smart ass over the interw3bz just by posting comparison stats the least you could do is at least compare the 2 cameras I listed.

cgipson1 · Mar 22, 2012

DMR921 said:
Awesome.. another jackass. If you didn't notice.. I said I am new to photography.. and reading **** on a specifications tab doesn't mean anything if you don't understand what it means. gtfo my thread k thx

Then read it anyway.. and what you don't know.. Look up! Learn! What is so hard about that? Or would you rather just be TOLD? Bet you would learn more my way! lol!

DMR921 · Mar 22, 2012

Kid.. maybe I already did look up the comparison on Canon's website. Maybe I did google it and it was just a bunch of threads typing paragraphs including the numbers of the comparison sheets.

cgipson1 · Mar 22, 2012

DMR921 said:
Kid.. maybe I already did look up the comparison on Canon's website. Maybe I did google it and it was just a bunch of threads typing paragraphs including the numbers of the comparison sheets.

KID??? hahahahaha... thanks! Whatever... I am glad you are planning on buying a Canon.. and not a Nikon!

scorpion_tyr · Mar 23, 2012

The T2i and T3i are basically the same camera from what I've seen with just two real differences:

The T3i has a swiveling and tilting LCD display... sounds good except it's just asking to get broken when you leave it out and bump into something the wrong way. The only thing it's really good for is for turning the dispay around so the glass isn't exposed when it's stored or transported.

The T3i also supports wireless flash control from the camera. Unless you have or plan on getting a 430EX II or 580EX II sometime soon and using off camera flash... its not worth anything to you.

Personally I would suggest the T3... not the T3i, just the T3. 12 megapixels is more than enough, and with the leftover money grab a couple of lenses. Lenses are a much better investment.