Warm Welcome and Advice..?

R.D. · Jun 27, 2010

Hello, My name is Ray but people call me RD.

I'm a veteran who has always had a fondness for art and more specifically photography. My wife's grandfather does aerial photography and her uncle has his own company.

Anyway, I recently went from avid lover to beginner, now its almost time for my birthday and I want a professional camera to start playing around with. Many have told me Nikon D40 would be a good place to start but figured I'd take any advice from any pro's out there. the budget is basically up to $600 or so and I do understand the importance of lenses and flashes.

Thank You in advance, if you leave links to recent posts i'll C&C.

subscuck · Jun 27, 2010

Welcome. I'm new, too (to this forum, that is). I don't mean to sound like a downer, but for $600 you're looking at an entry level SLR with a kit lens. There's nothing wrong with that, they're all very capable cameras with great IQ, and the kit lenses are down right decent. The point is, a flash and lenses will have to wait til another day. On the Canon side, you'd be looking at a Rebel XS with 18-55mmIS kit lens for $500, with some money left for memory (I'd suggest two cards at the very least, biggest and fastest your cam will support) and maybe a nice neoprene strap. That's more than enough to get you through the learning curve. For that money, anything on the Nikon side will be equivalent in features and performance. There will be slight differences, but nothing to get hung up about.

R.D. · Jun 27, 2010

would it be a wise investment to put a few hundred more and grab the Canon Rebel T1i?

This will be a heavily attended to hobby and at most amatuer work for friends and associates.. not starting a business.

Also, I plan to purchase the lenses and flashes later as I come across projects and shoots with the need for them.

Thank you subscuck for the input and welcome to the site as well.. I'm on the Illinois side of St. Louis.

subscuck · Jun 28, 2010

R.D. said:
would it be a wise investment to put a few hundred more and grab the Canon Rebel T1i?

If it were my money to spend, I'd still get the XS kit and put the extra few hundred into a lens. But that's me looking back over the years! The biggest real difference between the XS and the T1i is video. The XS doesn't have it. Is that a deal breaker for you? For me it's not. I have an HD camcorder to do video, because that's what it's designed to do best. I have SLR's because still photography is what they do best. IQ between the XS and T1i is pretty close. More MP's on the T1i mostly just means bigger print sizes. The T1i also does a little better at high ISO, but that's what NoiseWare is for. I still shoot with my 350D from time to time, and with good glass, I'm still amazed what that 8MP, second generation digital Reb can do. The XS is a better camera, so...

Also, I plan to purchase the lenses and flashes later as I come across projects and shoots with the need for them.

OK, rule number one in photography; There is always something you need. LOL. Seriously, if you can pony up a few hundred more, put it into a lens. Only having one lens will drive you crazy pretty quick. 55mm isn't a lot of reach, and you'll soon wish you had more. And look into Nikon as well. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the XS competes with the D90, or whatever their entry level was when the XS came out. Most important is to actually hold them in your hands. If you can get to a real camera store, handle them both and see which one feels best in your hands, which has the better (for you) control layout. Ergonomics are very important. An SLR that feels good in your hands is one you'll want to use. One that doesn't feel good, not so much. And most important, take your time deciding. Once you buy a cam and some glass, you're pretty much married to that brand.

R.D. · Jun 28, 2010

Great advice, thanks. Sounds like a good plan.. I'll take a visit to some camera shops and look at some entry level and maybe get a good lens to pair with it.. Thanks again, man.

subscuck · Jun 28, 2010

No problem. One other caveat, though. When you're ready to buy, buy on line from B&H or Adorama. They're cheaper than the big box stores, and the people who work there are photographers, so they use the gear they sell. Can't say that about the 18 year old kid at BB. B&H is awesome. It's huge (the store in NYC is about a block long), the pros shop there, has a sterling reputation, and most importantly, they have outstanding after purchase support. They won't forget about you after you give them your money. Amazon is OK pricewise (sometimes cheaper than B&H, sometimes not), but they don't sell the entire Canon or Nikon line. They have what they have, and you get no support. They're a we-have-everything-under-the-sun retailer, not a camera store. If you have a bricks and mortar, real camera store in your area, and price wise they're close to B&H, consider supporting your local economy. And lastly, if you see prices on line that are substantialy lower than B&H, run, Forest, run. It's a scam. Oh, and avoid Tri State, they're masters of the Bait and Switch.