Newbie from Alberta

mwcfarms

No longer a newbie, moving up!
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Southern Alberta
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www.deannachambers.com
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Hey everyone just a quick hello. Mother and farmers wife living in southern alberta. Im new to photographty mostly. Ise a Canon P&S currently. I shot with a pentax 35mm in highschool and some ad copy work straight out but my memory is short and Im planning on purchasing a new DSLR at the end of the month and get back into it. I am currently debating between a Nikon D90 with an 18mm-105 VR lens (kit lens) and then getting a 50mm to complement it or the Canon Rebel T2i 18mm to 55mm kit lense and then getting another lens to complement. I want a camera that will last me for a couple years to learn the art and function capability of my camera in manual mode. I have small children so will want something that does great portrait work and probably will want something that has good macro capabilty. Now my husband wants me to get some good farming shots also so something scenic. I know tonnes of variety scale here haha. Any advice from the seasoned experts is appreciated.
 
Welcome aboard. How's the weather down there, sunny & windy as usual? :lol:

Pretty much any Digital SLR camera will fit the bill for what you listed, although none that I know actually have a 'macro' mode or feature like P&S digicams do. With an SLR, macro is all in the lens or lens accessories, so again, any camera will do.

One thing to note is that you mentioned two cameras that are in different categories. The D90 is Nikon's current mid-level (prosumer) model, while the T2i is in Canon's Rebel line (entry level). Comparing the two would be like comparing apples to oranges in a way.
A better comparison would be to compare the D90 to the Canon 50D, or the Nikon D60 to the Rebel T2i
Either brand is great, so don't put too much thought into which brand. Instead consider if you want an entry level body or a mid level body. The entry level cameras are still capable of high image quality, the biggest difference is the size, weight, build and ergonomics of the bodies. The entry level cameras are small and light, with a lot of plastic. The more expensive models are bigger, heavier, more robust and usually have more direct access controls/buttons.
I think the best thing to do, would be to go into a camera store and hold the different models in your hands. I'm not sure where you are, but if you go into Calgary, there is Vistek and The Camera Store, both of which are great.

As I mentioned, any DSLR will likely meet your needs, so the more important decision should be the lens. For example, unless you need/want the bigger body of the mid-level bodies, you would probably be better off with a cheaper camera and them putting more money toward a high quality lens.
 
Thanks Big Mike, ah a fellow Edmontonian. Yup windy as usual but I will take the wind that comes along with the +18 today. Bliss. I have held both and I will say that with a lense on both felt pretty similar to me weight wise. Thanks I will definetly stop at one of the stores. I hate going indepth with camera guys in store because they always want to make a sale and until I am 100% comfortable with my decison Im not spending that money lol. I totally agree about the lenses lol so with that in mind do either companies have better lenses compared to the others. I have read tones of articles about Canon's cheaper plastic lenses moving into primes and then the luxury lines. I have budgeted around 2000$ for the camera and a decent lens. Hopefully thats enough to get me started. Thanks for the tips. I appreciate it.
 
do either companies have better lenses compared to the others
Hard to say. Overall, they are very similar. They both have a wide range of lenses...from crappy plastic kit lenses to tack sharp, wide aperture zoom lenses that cost a couple grand.
You could also consider other lens manufacturers like Sigma & Tamron. They both make some pretty good lenses that are less expensive than the Canon or Nikon equivalent.

I think that your plan of having a normal range zoom and complementing it with a fast prime is a great way to get started. Question is; do you want a zoom with a high level of image quality (at the cost of all else) or do you want more range, smaller size, cheaper etc? There are certainly many, many options to choose from.
 
Personally I would rather spend the money for the image quality and learn how to use one lens properly. Once you know something well you can always apply it to a broader scale. Thats my thinking anyways.
 
Thanks for the welcome guys. Question about lenses. Now I know that generally Tamron and Sigma lenses are less expensive than say Nikkor lenses of the same scope but are there any mechanics differences or maintenence/structure/glass quality issues I should be aware of when looking at buying my glass. I have pretty much decided to go with the D90 and if I go to the camera store i can get the kit lens and then the one prime I am looking at but there is another camera store in Calgary my friend is recommending and they have alot of Tamron/Sigma lenses that they recommend based strictly because they are cheaper. Thoughts and comments from the professionals. Thanks guys in advance.
 
You can't really compare lenses based solely by brand name. Sigma & Tamron make some great lenses, but they also have some low quality ones. The same can be said of Canon or Nikon etc.

You can usually get a lens from Sigma or Tamron, that is cheaper than a similar lens from Nikon, but there is a limit to the similarity.

What I usually say is that a top of the line Sigma/Tamron lens is about 80-90% as good (image & build quality) as a similar Nikon/Canon lens....but it's usually about half the price. For some people, that's a great bargain, but for other people, that last 10-20% of quality, is worth double the price.
Keep in mind, that is talking about the top of the line lenses.

If you are talking about mid-level lenses, something like an 18-105 VR, then you could probably get a Sigma/Tamron for the same price, but with better specs (F2.8 max aperture, for example).

So you really need to compare lenses on a lens by lens basis.
 
Ok thanks BigMike, thats kind of what I was thinking but its good to see numbers regarding the last 10 to 20%. And I dont think that starting out it will show much of a difference for me now as say to a couple years down the road. But I will let you know how it goes.
 
Hey BigMike just wanted to say thanks for the tip on TheCameraStore they were really helpful not pushy and answered all my questions etc. Cant wait to go back in a week and get my camera. So thanks again. I mean its not an Edmonton store but it comes close Lol. :thumbup:
 
Yes, it's a really good store, if only because of all the stock they have for us gear heads to look at & play with.

There was a member here who worked at that store, his name was Dean (I think).
Met up with him and a few other members for a day of shooting in Calgary.

They usually have pretty good prices anyway, but just in case, I'd suggest you check the web sites of some other Canadian stores. Reason being is that I think they will price match to other 'in-store' prices. In Edmonton, we have a local chain called McBain camera and they also have a price match pollicy, so I usually check out Vistek and The Camera Store etc. to find the lowest price and have them match it.

Well actually, I usually buy my gear out of the US....B&H specifically. Even when the exchange rate is down around .90, it's still cheaper with most things, even after shipping. But with the dollar currently at about .98, the savings are even better.
That being said, I do like to support the local stores when the price isn't too far off.
 
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I love McBain, we were in Edmonton over Christmas and I convinced my bf's hubby to buy her a SLR from them hehe. I will have to check out B&H and see what I can find for lenses after a couple months. Gotta let the hubbies sticker shock wear off ya know. :sexywink:
 

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