Hello! And kit question

hsmom · Jun 21, 2008

Hello all! I'm looking to move up from my fuji point and shoot to a dslr. I have pretty much narrowed it down to the nikon d80 and the canon xsi. I won't bother to ask which is better :lol:

My question is about kit lenses. There are a couple of sales this week that include two lenses:

Nikon d80 with a 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens and a Nikon Nikkor 55-200mm AF-S DX Zoom Lens f/4.0-f/32

or

Canon xsi with a 18-55mm lens with optical image stabilization and a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III zoom lens

Most of the time I will be taking pictures of my children and family. The prices on these kits seem good ($1199 & $999), but are the kit lenses good enough for what I will be shooting or would I be better off to save my money and buy the body and lense seperately?

Thanks for any advice!!! Sorry to be such a noob :blulsh2:

P.S...one more question. The canon has the dust reduction system and the nikon does not. Is dust a big problem in normal everyday use? Thanks!

elemental · Jun 21, 2008

Either of these cameras will be a huge upgrade over a point-and-shoot, but I'm not sure if the glass you're looking at is appropriate for your application.

The 55-200mm and 70-300mm lenses you are looking at are telephoto zooms- used for taking pictures of things that are far away lie wildlife and sporting events. If you think you need a lot of zoom, these are good choices, but otherwise they are excessive. For family pictures, you probably don't need them.

The 18-135mm Nikon lens, however, is a nice lens for a "do-it-all" focal length range. There are compromises associated with a "do-it-all" lens, but at this stage you are probably not worried about them. For your application, the 18-55mm kit lenses are probably all you need to start with.

Dust is a problem from time to time, but the real question is do dust reduction systems make a huge difference, and many seem to think not.

ANDS! · Jun 21, 2008

The prices on those kits are NOT good. Why are you buying new? Check your local Craigslist.

As for which to buy, get the D80. Dust cleaning/reduction - just get a rocket-duster and do it yourself. Takes all of a few minutes and the duster costs like a few bucks.

hsmom · Jun 21, 2008

ANDS! said:
The prices on those kits are NOT good. Why are you buying new? Check your local Craigslist.

As for which to buy, get the D80. Dust cleaning/reduction - just get a rocket-duster and do it yourself. Takes all of a few minutes and the duster costs like a few bucks.

The kits included other things such as bags, batteries, filters, etc.. I just listed the lenses. The reason I'm buying new is for the warranty.

Wendy

ANDS! · Jun 21, 2008

Ahh the mythical warranty, thatll cover everything EXCEPT what actual happens to the camera (if anything happens at all).

As for whats included, bags can be had on the cheap, I would HOPE any new camera comes with a battery and as far as filters go, really most just need a polarizing filter starting out.

Personally I would pull the trigger on a D80 from B&H for 750 (if youre deadset on not buying used) and just get the lens elsewhere (CL again for example).

Mystwalker · Jun 21, 2008

If you are a "beginner" get it new with warranty from a reputable source - B&H, Adorama, Amazon ... or CostCo

CostCo has great return policy (90 days on camera I believe) so get either one and return it if you do not like. Craigslist will not give you a return policy and unless you know what to look for, you are gambling that the seller is not trying to pull a fast one. "Peace of mind" is worth the couple hundred you save from going CL or Ebay.

For your purposes, you will be using the 18-xx lens the most.

Personally, I would get the XSi because it is a newer camera + the two lens cover 18mm to 300mm while Nikons is only 18mm to 200mm. Also, 18-55 has IS. Nikon's is called VR - do not see it on your description for Nikon lens.

Crosby · Jun 21, 2008

Hey Wendy,

Welcome to the forum.
Either camera will do fine. I like Canon and almost got the Xsi but went with a 30d. I'm a little confused, if you can get both lenses and the Xsi body for $999 that would be a great deal. Last time I looked the Xsi was $899 w/lens and 799 w/o. Don't know about the Nikon.

I have two cheap lenses 75-300mm and 28-90mm. Both f/4-5.6. For your everyday pics, (outdoors and well lit pics) they work great. But as soon as it gets a little dark the long focal lengths of the long lenses are pretty much useless, unless you have a tripod. I have a cheap tripod that helps out, but it still isn't that great since I don't have a remote trigger. (when I hit the shutter release, it shakes the camera on the tripod and at slow shutter speeds it shows up as blur or just soft pictures)

Having said that, I like both of my lenses for now. I am getting to the point that I want better lenses and really need better lenses. So, my plan is to put in some OT at work and save for them.

I think buying new is great, at least you know what you are getting.

Edited: Dust reduction I think is 'self cleaning sensor'? I don't have it on mine, I used this to clean my sensor... Self Cleaning Sensor causes your sensor to vibrate the dust off. If it is lightly stuck dust, it should come off. But if its stuck a little more, it won't help. I don't regret not having it.

Get one of those and start taking some pics and post them so we can see too.

Have fun.

hsmom · Jun 21, 2008

Crosby said:
Hey Wendy,

Welcome to the forum.
Either camera will do fine. I like Canon and almost got the Xsi but went with a 30d. I'm a little confused, if you can get both lenses and the Xsi body for $999 that would be a great deal.

Well, I'm back from the store

I went with the XSI kit with two lenses for $999. They had other packages for more $$ that included bags, extra batteries, tripods, etc, but I stuck with the body and two lenses. I did spring for the 4 year extended warrenty (which I never do!) because it cover accidental damage and included two cleanings a year. Thanks for the welcome & advice!!

Wendy