New Camera.. help? :)

[ElmoTe]

Heya everyone I am a newbie looking for some camera advice,can anyone help me please?

Recently i have decided to steup up from amaetur point to point shooting to more safisticated photography so i thought i might buy a new camera to go with the idea ,as i have been using my point to point camera for almost 6 years now and the piexels and the quality of it is not very good(its really really grainy :/)

I really like the idea of maybe having a micro 4/3 since it is simliar to a DSLR and may be i can get the feel of it and then later on i might buy a new body or something... I have been thinking about the new panasonic GF1 or the cannon G11 or the the Nikon D5000...however i have quite a tight budget and i hope that this newcamera can last me quite a long time ...can somebody enlight me with some advice please? Are there any panasonic or Nikon users around?

The reason i want to buy a micro 4/3s is because i can have interchangeable lens and the body is really light and small ,but is it true that they only have a limited number of lenses ,unlike the Nikon one which there are lots of different lenese available?However the Nikon is rather heavy and bulky i must say despite the fact that they have lots of usful lenses...would a standard or a entry level DSLR last a very long time ( usage)?

Would a Nikon D5000 be worth the money? But as a amaetur ( like me lol )would it be too much to handle? or would I be better off with a G11 or a micro 4/3s?

I thank you in advance in reading this and helping me!

 

[benlonghair]

Well, if you decide to go with an EVF (which if I understand correctly all micro 4/3s are) you are definatly going to be limited by lens selection. Although I want to say that all olympus lenses mount up to their PENs.

As a beginner the D5000 or even a D60 or D3000 would be fine to start with. What will frustrate you (or at least did and still does me) is the inability to throw the background out of focus as easily as you'd like with the slow kit lens. This can be easily remedied with a $200 35 1.8, but that's more money.

Really, getting your hands on a camera for a couple days would be the best way to decide.

 

[LCARSx32]

Heya everyone ...would a standard or a entry level DSLR last a very long time ( usage)?

I'm still using a Canon 300D ("Digital Rebel"). It was released way back in 2003 (7 years, already?!) and I still get great shots from it. DSLR's definitely aren't as convenient as a point-n-shoot, but having had a DSLR for 4 years now (bought mine used on eBay), I can't stand to go back. Whenever someone hands me a PS, I start looking to see what manual settings it has. I can't help myself.

But everybody's different. If you're looking to get into more serious photography, then you'll need an SLR. If you're just wanting snapshots of the kids that aren't grainy and a convenient size, a higher end PS will be better for you. You can still take great pictures with a PS, it just limits your options.

Welcome to the site, by the way! When you get whatever camera you decide on, you should post some pictures. The people here will give honest, if not a little blunt, criticism that will help you grow as a photographer.

 

[tirediron]

The Nikon D3000/5000, D40/40x/50/60 are specifically designed as entry-level DSLRs. As far as quality and longevity goes, well, you get what you pay for. I believe they're all warrantied for 2 years and have a 100K life-expectancy on the shutter.

The Olympus line is very good, but as mentioned, a lesser selection of lenses. That may not concern you so much now, but could be limiting later on. As mentioned above, get them in your hands. Head down to a REAL camera store (not a big-box electronics store) tell the clerk what you want and how much you have to spend and then see what you like out of the models that fit your needs.

 

[KmH]

The Nikon D3000/5000, D40/40x/50/60 are specifically designed as entry-level DSLRs.

And the D90.

As far as quality and longevity goes, well, you get what you pay for. I believe they're all warrantied for 2 years and have a 100K life-expectancy on the shutter.

Unfortunately, that's not quite right.

Nikon bodies are warrantied for only 1 year here in the US, and shutter life expectancy on all the Nikon entry-level cameras, D40/D40x/D60/D90/D3000/D5000, is currently only 50,000 clicks.

However Nikon lenses, once registered with Nikon, get their warranty extended to 5 years.

 

[benlonghair]

The Nikon D3000/5000, D40/40x/50/60 are specifically designed as entry-level DSLRs.

And the D90.

I wouldn't put the D90 in there simply because it has an AF motor in the camera. From what I've seen from nikon that's the big step up to the 'pro-sumer' market.

 

[tirediron]

Unfortunately, that's not quite right....

Only 50K for the shutter? Ouch! Warranties do differ between countries, so that's something best confirmed by the OP in his home area.

 

[ElmoTe]

Thanks every one for the advice ,they helped a lot :hug:: I think i am elimanating G11,and s90 out first because i would like the have a nice view finder and a interchangeable lens...then I think i am going to get rid of panasonic GF1 as i have heard that its quite shaky as it doesn't have Image Stablisation in the body...( i am not qutie surea about this..) I have quite shaky hands ,unfortunately however does the D5000 or the T2i have image statblisation installed in the camera body in the first place? :O I think NIkon's lens have VR..which is simliar ...or is it? I am not quite sure XD sorry for the blondness XD what about cannon 's lenses?

I have also heard that the D3000 and D5000 would fustrate ethuisats a lot once they get used to the camera- what about D90? I have looked on the internet and electronics stors near my house- they are having a promotion of D90 until the end of summer- the discount made the price of D90 smiliar to the D5000... should I go for the D90 instead because i think i am going to keep this camera for quite a while.. and since i think D 90 have the simliar functions as the D5000 and it even has a brighter and larger viewfinder ( unfortunately the weight also increase too ) But I don't want the camera to be over complicated that i would never understand... would a D 90 do the job?

Thanks guys your comment really helps! :hug::

 

[PJL]

^ Nikon only does image stabilizing through their VR lenses; there is no in-body stabilizing. Canon is the same way, except they call theirs "IS."

If you can feasibly swing a D90, go for it. You won't be disappointed, and it probably is a better long-term investment.

 

[SwiftTone]

This is from Nikon's website for the D5000: "Testing to over 100,000 cycles assures precision and long shutter life." I thnik that qualifies it for over 50,000 life expectancy for shutter actuations. However, I don't believe the warranty is on the shutter actuations itself, but on the time frame of one year.

 

[ElmoTe]

okayy i think i am going to go for the NikonD90 hopefully ( fingers crossed)unless the price is...way over my expectations ( moneywise ,wouldn't be much different from the D5000,would it?)..hopefully it won't be because appearently it is on sale til the end of the summer ,so yea! Thanks soo much for the advice

 

[PJL]

You're looking at not an insignificant cost difference. I realize you're not in the US, but this is just to give you an idea:

A Nikon D90 - just the body - will run you about $850; with a kit lens, you're looking at around $1,150.

A D5000, on the other hand, with the kit lens is about $700; if you want to go manufacturer refurbished, it's around $540.

There is also buzz that the D90 is reaching the end of its manufacturing cycle and will be replaced soon, which could explain the discounts.

 

[Ron Evers]

Well, if you decide to go with an EVF (which if I understand correctly all micro 4/3s are) you are definatly going to be limited by lens selection.

Ben, that is only true to "native M4/3" lenses. M4/3 cameras will mount almost any old film camera lenses & there is a lot of old good glass out there to be had cheaply. On my Panasonic G1 I use lenses of Minolta, Pentax, M42 & M39 mounts with appropriate adapters.

 

[Lazy Photographer]

It's funny reading your concerns. I went through the exact same ones. I was totally used to a small point & shoot and was very concerned a large, heavy DSLR would not get used nearly as much. I was also concerned about the learning curve. I was drawn to the same cameras you've mentioned for the same reasons. In the end I bought a Canon T2i with a battery grip! And very much to my surprise I simply LOVE the larger size and would probably find a small point & shoot awkward now. Now I'm sorry I didn't go with the 7D. As for complexity, I got over that really quick by doing three things: 1. I bought and read cover to cover the book "Understanding Exposure," 2. I read the manual cover to cover in the first week or so I owned the camera, and 3. I simply refused to shoot in any of the auto modes. It was short term pain followed by long term satisfaction. I guess my message here is don't be too concerned about the size of a DSLR, you'll be surprised at how quickly you get used to it. It actually helps with keeping the camera more steady. Oh, one last thing: my T2i does not have image stabilization built into the body. It's not a problem since both my lenses are IS. That was another big concern for me and was drawing me towards the Olympus M4/3rds cameras. In the end it turned out to be a non issue. Best of luck.

P.S. Like you, I got a lot of help form this forum when I was agonizing about which camera to step up to. The folks here were a great help.