Photo Critique and Upgrade Suggestions Appreciated

[LiveStrong2009]

Hello everybody! I just became a member of this forum, and I am hoping that you guys can give me some guidance. First of all, here are some of my favorite pics that I have taken. Do you have any suggestions about anything? Composition, Subjects, etc?

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I am looking for some guidance with cameras too. At this point, I have been using a Nikon Coolpix. It is great for a P&S, but obviously has limits, which I feel I have reached in some situations. I am thinking about upgrading to a DSLR, but have some conflicting suggestions from people. A store will tell me that any of the DSLRs will get me good pictures, however my father is telling me not to bother, because unless I get a really expensive DSLR, the Coolpix will be just as good. The research I have done on my own has led me to the Nikon D5000, Canon Rebel XSI, and the Canon Rebel T1i are all possibilities. Do you have any suggestions on other cameras to consider?

-Dave

 

[Felix0890]

Pics are not showing.

Abut the camera upgrade: I have the XSi and like many will tell you, it is a great entry-level DSLR. No, a high end model is not necessary to make the upgrade worthwhile. Any DSLR will give you many more artistic options than a point and shoot.

Canon vs. Nikon
To be honest, either one is great. There are many that will fight over one being better than the other and will tell you that brand X has more [insert random spec/feature] than brand Y. Although on paper one brand may have this and that while the other doesn't, most of these features are so miniscule that they have very little effect while shooting in the real world.

Also, remember that when you buy one brand, you are not just buying the camera, but their entire system. Meaning, if you buy Canon, you can only buy Canon products or 3rd party products made for Canon. From my experience 3rd party products (Tamron Lenses)for Nikon are more expensive while some accessories for Canon are more expensive. It all evens out in the end and you should pick a camera based on your personal preference. I, for example, picked Canon because all the photographers I know and like shoot Canon so they can share their equipment with me while out shooting.

XSi vs. T1i
The 3 megapixel difference (I think it's only 3 . . .) is not a huge deal. Again, the specs look better on paper but you won't notice a difference in the real world unless you're a pixel-peeper. The only feature that the T1i has that makes it stands out from the XSi is the video recording feature. Although there are times when I wish I had the video recording for a random youtube video, it's not something I looked for in a DSLR since I prefer still photography. I'm also a college student and am on a tight budget so coughing over an extra $200 for the video feature alone seemed wasteful and stupid. If money is not an issue or you really want the video feature, go for the T1i. I will state that you can shoot video with the XSi by means of a free 3rd party software that uses the liveview on the XSi while it's tethered (connected) to your computer. You can't, however, shoot with sound although this can be fixed by using a microphone.

Hope that helps.

 

[LiveStrong2009]

I cannot seem to get the pics to show on the forum properly.

TPF - a set on Flickr

 

[Felix0890]

You seem to have composition down perfectly. Your creativity combined with a DSLR would allow you to get shots that are even better.

 

[LiveStrong2009]

Felix0890, i just looked at your Flickr pics and profile. Are all of those pics shot with the Canon Xsi? Does that camera seem very durable?

 

[Felix0890]

Felix0890, i just looked at your Flickr pics and profile. Are all of those pics shot with the Canon Xsi? Does that camera seem very durable?

They were all taken with my XSi. The camera is durable, yes. Ever since I bought it months ago, it has traveled with me literally everywhere I go. It has bounced around in my car while I drove on the freeway at 100mph a handful of times. There's not a day that I leave it at home. My friends and family stopped looking at it as a camera a long time ago and now just refer it as my detachable limb.

EDIT: If you end up going with the XSi or T1i, don't bother getting the kit lens. I got it and purchased a 50mm 1.8 ($75) and I almost never use my 18-55mm kit lens. I sometimes force myself to use it to give myself an excuse not to sell it. The first two shots on my stream (my eye and dog) were taken with the kit lens. As you can see from the eye pic, it has good detail but it would have come out way sharper if I had taken it with my 50mm.

 

[LiveStrong2009]

Thanks for the advice! Although the video feature may be useful at times, that is not why I am buying a camera at all. I would go buy a video camera then... The most important things to me involve the ability to shoot more incredible pictures, and I need a durable package to do it with. Although I take good care of my possessions, while hiking, or urban exploring accidents can happen. Thanks for the advice, the xsi has been my primary focus since I started looking at the DSLRs in that price range.

Call me an idiot if you like, but what exactly is the difference between a 50mm 1.8 and any of the other options available?
Do you think the kit lens on the t1i would be better quality? How much do you think a good lens would cost for that?

-Dave

 

[themedicine]

The kit lens on the ti1 is the same lens as the xsi so no, its not better. A 50mm 1.8 would be a good lens to have for sure, but the 18-55 isn't completely useless or anything, they are ok for doing walkaround type shots and I've seen gorgeous photos created by them.

 

[LiveStrong2009]

One of the first posters mentioned a 50mm 1.8 for 75$. Is there a missing zero or something? How is a 75 dollar lens a good lens?
Since I am new to the DSLR world, I am wondering what these numbers mean exactly.
Do you have a link to that lens Felix?

The only differences between the xsi and t1i appear to be higher iso range on the t1i and a few WB options. The website says that the t1i does not have burst mode. Is that just telling me that it doesn't have a preset to take exactly 16 pics with 1 click or something similar? I can still hold down the button and it will continuously take pics right?

-Dave

 

[themedicine]

If its telling you no burst mode that means that you won't be able to just hold down the button, but that's weird it doesn't have that.

the 50mm 1.8 is basically the best lens ever for the money. They really do run that cheap but trust us, its nice.
canon 50mm 1.8

the first one is imported the second one is USA. get the USA.

 

[Felix0890]

Like themedicine already said, the 501.8 (known as the nifty fifty) is the best bang for the buck for a beginning dslr buyer. It's the 1st lens many buy because for the $75 you pay (cheaper in some places), you get a difference in image quality 5x better than the kit lens.

No, the kit lens is not useless. Like I said, I still use mine sometimes. However, get the camera with the kit lens, take some pics, then take some pics with a 50mm1.8 and you'll be like "whoah, this cost me $75?" I know that's what I said when I first saw the first pic I took with it.

The reason I said not to get the kit lens is because you can buy the cheaper and better 50mm and start saving for a better quality lens in the similar focal range. That way you're not wasting money on something you might not use that often.