Looking for a DSLR, don't know where to start

[Brotage]

I'm finally feeling confident in being able to pick out my lenses and my body. just one more thing about autofocus

under the d40x it says

"Autofocus is supported only with AF-S and AF-I CPU lenses, which are equipped with an autofocus motor"

and then with lenses they all say something like AF, AF-S, and when you get into different brands of lenses like Tamron or Sigma they say "For Nikon AF" or "For Nikon AF-D"

and im guessing autofocus is when the camera auto focus' for you, but what does that have over using your hand?

 

[DSLR noob]

incorrect terminology try this

(NOTE: effects are different because the lens on both a digital and film camera has the effect of a lens of 1.6 times the focal length when put on the digital camera. A 50 mm lens on a film camera will be a 50mm lens. A 50mm lens on a digital camera will still be a 50mm lens but the picture will look as if it were and 85mm lens on a film camera.)

-wide angle-on a film camera, less than about 24mm /on a digital less than about20mm
-mid range(normal)-on film about 30mm to 85mm /on digital about 25mm to 60mm
-mild telephoto-on film about 90 to 145mm/ digital 75mm to 120mm
-telephoto-on film about 150 to 250/ digital about 125mm to 200mm
-supertelephoto anything above previous values

-zoom- not what some would say as "how close something looks". Zoom only means how much a lens can change. For example a lens that can go from 18mm to 75mm has more zoom(75-18=57) than a lens that goes from 300mm to 350mm(350-300=50) even if the 350mm is WAAAYYYYYYYY more magnified.

 

[DSLR noob]

autofocus is SOOOOOOOOO much faster. You definitely want to have it there. That is a major reason that most people don't buy the D40 is that it doesn't autofocus with all Nikon glass.

 

[Brotage]

But you can still use your hand right? but with auto focus it's like you just look through the viewfinder and its already focused? and thats all AF is..?

The thing that bugs me is that nikon goes from the D40, D40x which are both not to bad price wise, then it takes a 300$ jump to the D80. Canon does the same thing, with the XT, and XTi, and those seem pretty "meh"

Would it be a pain in the ass to not be able to use auto focus?

 

[DSLR noob]

yes! and AF can switched off if you're a manual focus junkie. af happens when you press the shutter down halfway

 

[tbsdphotog]

With the Canon Xti the autofocus is built into the camera body. This makes the lenses lighter and a little less expensive since the autofocus mechanism is in the camera and not the lense. Also the XTi has a automatic sensor cleaning system which may be very useful to you if you are a beginner and do not know how to clean your camera properly. The D40 is a great camera too, but I would spring for the d40x for the extra boost in resolution. I actually own both of these cameras and find myself using the Xti more beacause I have more lenses for it.( lenses for the canon are less expensive). As others have said here, the camera body does not make the shot the glass does. So consider the camera model who has the most decent affordable lenses for your budget. As others have suggested a good lense to start with is the canon 50mm F1.8. This is a great fast lense that is inexpensive. If you buy the xti in the kit, it comes with a 18-55 f3.5-5.6 lense which isn't very good but serves it's purpose. I would also recommend the sigma 28-70 F 2.8. It is great inexpensive fast all purpose zoom if you must have one.

 

[Brotage]

Ok, great help thanks guys.. but still more...

I read somewhere on a review that the XTi didn't have a Bulb setting, so I went and looked at the d80 and d40 and neither did they? is this typical for DSLRs?
I'd really like to experiment with it and skating shots and other long exposure things.

And flashes? how important is it? and when would I use it? Theres an indoor skate park where I'd live thats usually really dusty, if I use a flash there will it catch all the dust?

Edit: it just occured to me that the bulb setting might not be on the little wheel thing.. but then again maybe its just not there.

And my mom had this thing from her old camera, pretty sure it goes over the lens, its got a square in the middle with 4 diagonal lines coming from each corner, when I stick it over my camera its like looking through a kaleidoscope. anyway what are these called? and arent there different ones?

 

[Tolyk]

Brotage, I'm not sure about the XTi, but the XT I have has Bulb. I also have had no "meh" experiences with the XT. Not everyone who buys a camera and throws up a customer picture actually knows how to use their camera

If you're on a tight budget, another way to go would be to buy a used or refurbished unit. Adorama sells them, that's where I bought mine.

You can figure out which lenses work on which cameras by learning the mount types. Canon pretty much sticks to their new bayonet style mount which is the EF mount. I'm not a nikon user so I'm not sure what their latest mount is, but I have an F-mount Nikon lens that's sitting collecting dust.

DSLR Noob answered most of your questions but missed answering on the Prime. A prime lens is not a zoom, it's a fixed lens. The 50mm f/1.8 for example is a prime lens.

Also DSLR Noob, I believe you were still a bit off in your Wide-angle/Telephoto answer, as far as I've ever read and heard 50mm is standard, anything below it is wide-angle, anything above it is telephoto. 50mm is as pretty close to what the human eye sees at, and that's what they base it off of.


That thing you described your mom having sounds like an old focusing film/square. I'm not entirely sure though, I've never actually seen one

 

[Brotage]

The more and more I look at this place the more and more interested I get... I can't wait to get my camera.

Been looking at Infared shots, with the weird colors and such (plants being a pinkish, or blue color and so on)
How do I do these? I know I need a filter but do I need a special kind of camera? and how much does a IR filter cost?

 

[tbsdphotog]

The more and more I look at this place the more and more interested I get... I can't wait to get my camera.

Been looking at Infared shots, with the weird colors and such (plants being a pinkish, or blue color and so on)
How do I do these? I know I need a filter but do I need a special kind of camera? and how much does a IR filter cost?

Infared shots are usually done with a special film. You can buy this flim at your local camera store( but watch out because some 35mm slrs are not compatiable with it. Like the canon k2) you have to refigerate the film so wait until you are absolutely ready to use it. Basically the film is sensitive to the red part of the spectrum of light. This light cannot be seen with the naked human eye but every thing gives off this light. I'm not sure if you can achieve this with a Dslr, as I have never tried it. But I think that you can buy a filter that will mimic this effect. Glad to see the photo bug has bit you!