i need to know

somedumbname · Mar 26, 2008

I am very new to photography, i am considering buying one of the following: xti, xsi, or nikon d60.

i will be shouting mostly nature. i have always had cannon p&s but i love the view finder on the d60. i do not care what the name on the outside of the unit is. i just want to decide on what camera to get. any help will be appriciated.

cheers

Big Mike · Mar 26, 2008

Welcome to the forum.

Your best bet would be to hold the cameras in person and compare them. The one that feels right to you, is probably the best choice.

My only concern with those choices is that the D60 does not have an internal focus motor, which means it won't auto focus with many Nikon lenses.

shorty6049 · Mar 26, 2008

check out the newest Sony DSLRs, (a200, a300, and a350) or the a700 if you can afford it. They're all getting very good reviews and would be excellent entry level DSLRs.

table1349 · Mar 26, 2008

First, do not check out the Nikon d60, or the Sony a200, a300, a350 or the a700. Do not check out the Canon XTI or any other camera body just yet.

You say you want to shoot mostly nature. The first thing you need to do is figure out what equipment you need/want to take the kind of photos you would like to take. Here is a good thread from another forum on the subject.
http://photo.net/learn/nature/atkins-primer
Do some research here as well.
http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/

Now, once you have an idea what you will need/want now and in the future you are ready to go look a systems, not just cameras. You are not buying a camera, you are buying into a system. Point and shoots are an all in one. DSLR's are not. Look at the lenses available with each system you are interested in. Do they have the lens coverage you want. Check out the cost of the lenses as well. This can matter later on down the line. Check out the other accessories each system provides, battery grips, flash units, remote capabilities etc. If you do this you will probably narrow down you choice of systems from there.

Canon and Nikon have the most complete lineup of lenses. That does not mean, Sony, Pentax or Olympus will not meet your needs. You have to define those needs first.

Once you know what your needs are, then go look at camera bodies. Hold them, get a feel for the controls, their location, ease of use etc. Check out the lenses you are thinking of and the other accessories you want.

This will take a little bit of time, but if there is one thing I have learned about people getting into photography seriously for the first time; If you pick a system you do not like, you will not use it, If on the other hand you get gear you love, you will look for every excuse to be out using it. Good luck. Hope this helps.