Choosing a DSLR as a beginner.

[MadsKaizer]

Hello All

I am a 26 year old electrician from Denmark and among my hobbies you will find high voltage and being a soldier. Just to give an idea of what field I will be using a future camera.

As for the High voltage its very bright streamers/sparks/flame-like electrical discharges into air or other materials, common is high UV, high speeds (firing from 1 to 200+ fps) and often photographed in the darkness.

As for being a soldier its mostly "nature shots" and action pictures.

I currently have a Canon Ixus 70 and hopefully I can mention a compact here without being booted out, its also running with CHDK software for manually doing all settings as shutter speed and iso levels, its all been fun and games and I just new something better. Here is a good example of what kind of pictures I am doing.

High voltage pictures: http://www.disorder.dk/?page_id=100

Army pictures: http://www.disorder.dk/?cat=8

I have been talking to friends that own a dslr, reading reviews and drooled abit over this and that

So what I have come down to is basicly 3 cameras, Canon EOS 450D, Olympus E-420 and Canon Exilim EX-F1.

In Denmark I can get them at the following prices:

Canon EOS 450D, 18-55mm IS lens kit, about 920$
Olympus E-420, 14-42mm + 40-150mm lens kit, about 800$
Casio Exilim EX-F1, 1180$

The 450D really is from my understanding a really good camera and takes some great crisp pictures but comes with only one lens.

The E-420 comes with 2 lenses and is the cheapest of the 3 but it also seems to have more noise at lower iso levels, atleast in the reviews I have seen.

The EX-F1 is just different, all the video modes are mindblowing with HD video, 30 - 1200 fps video modes etc, at the moment I use the limited video abilities of my ixus. But as this camera is no real dslr it got great troubles with noise at lower or even normal iso levels compared with the 2 other cameras. I fear this would pose a great problem towards taking pictures of my high voltage project but all the high speed photoabilities will go great with controlled eletrical explosion discharges or almost any military activity involving weapons.

I am trapped between the ability to record movies at high speeds and 60fps stills, and the more crips and clean higher resolution pictures the dslr offers.

Unfortunately I do not have the money for both types of camera, so I will have to choose my fate and hopefully you people can point me in the right direction after reading this nearing book length article

Kind regards
Mads

 

[Overread]

I think you have to really pick between video and camera - there are some new DSLRs comming out with video as a feature (nikon D90) but these are in the price band above what you list.

Personally I would also not consider the 450D - rather look at the 400D due to the fact that the 450D, whilst having a higher mp count, does as a result have a smaller fps burst than the 400D.
Coupled with the right lenses (glass) a 400D - even a 350D - is a very capable camera to use.

 

[MadsKaizer]

The pricetag on the 400D and 450D are 120$ different and I can only find that 400D can shoot 3fps and 450D 3.5fps.


Another thing, damn you for mentioning that D90, maybe I will sell important stuff to get my hands on that

 

[Overread]

I think then the 450D reverts to RAW shooting it goes down to only 1.5fps. And there is a very strong chance that you will (in the end) wind up shooting RAW

and yes at the moment the D90 is very impressive camera - though canon still have at least one more camera to announce this year (5d upgrade/replacement)

 

[MadsKaizer]

A friend of mine would sell me his 350D cheap, just have to find out how cheap

As a beginner I doubt that the slower AF the old lens have will be something for me to notice since I got no experience with the newer lenses. But exactly how much faster is it?

The sensor cleaning in the 350D, is it only a manuel menu setting that can be activated for a clean or is it as the new ones automatic on startup?

 

[Overread]

If its like the one in my 400D then its both - you can set it to automatic (best setting) or manual only. All it really is a little shake of the sensor when you turn the camera off - takes about one second.
As for the kit lenses - the 450D has the best one there are no arguments their - but most people end up replacing the kit lens for the starting level cameras - they are again budget work and lenses are a key component in photography -- first comes the photographer, then the lens, then the camera body - so most people invest in new lenses before even upgrading to a more pro body.