What Camera to Buy!?

[Alicia]

I hope some of you more experienced photography lovers can help me out. I know very little about photography but am very interested in it. Right now I just own a simple digital camera that cost a couple hundred a few years ago. I want to purchase a digital slr camera with some more options. But there are so many out there in many different price ranges. I really can't spend over $1000 right now and that would have to be inclusive of lenses and what not. Do you have any advice on brands, capabilities, megapixels, and all the rest. I don't know what to look for.

Thanks,

Alicia

 

[whitley]

Hi Alicia! There are a few option for under $1000 out there.... I was just in the same position as you. There are a ton of people on here that will say ONLY get Nikon or Canon because they are the highest quality cameras out there, and if you ever upgrade to a "pro" camera you will be able to switch out lenses from your old camera. I really wanted to get the Nikon D40x, but I went with the Olympus E-510.... I chose the Olympus because it has a couple of features the Nikon and Canon at this level didn't have. I am really glad I chose the Olympus because the features are easily accessible/viewable and make it pretty easy to learn as you shoot your pictures (easy to see what changes what and what settings make what pictures, etc) Also for under $1000 you get the Olympus and 2 kit lenses (14-42mm and 40-150mm). I have really enjoyed my Olympus, so I just wanted to let you know, but I can't wait until I upgrade to a Nikon or Canon (I still need some convincing as to which way to go, my mom is a Canon user and my Uncle is a hard core Nikon guy). Anyways, good luck on your camera search!

 

[Alicia]

Thanks for the response whitley! I actually was just at Costco and saw both the Nikon Dx40 with two lenses and the Canon xti with two lenses both under $1000 with a 1 year warranty! Are those really good deals? I wonder if those are just the best two to go with or not. Can't wait for more responses!

Thanks.

 

[Coldow91]

Yeah those seem like some pretty good deals. I would recommend either Nikon or Canon, but also maybe Pentax or Sony. I would see if you can hold the D40x or the XTi in your hands and if it feels good to you get it.

 

[Stranger]

Though i am a firm believer in Nikon, i would buy the XTI over the d40x. The limitations (i hope i dont get hounded for this) of the d40x just dont match up side by side with the xti

 

[JerryPH]

Though i am a firm believer in Nikon, i would buy the XTI over the d40x. The limitations (i hope i dont get hounded for this) of the d40x just dont match up side by side with the xti

The D40X has nice potential, but I have to agree with you... though it is easy to go over $1000 if you don't shop around when buying new equipment.

 

[NateS]

I just ordered a D40 myslef. I was actually considering an XTI but it feels like a cheap toy compared to the D40 as far as build quality. I plan to upgrade to a D80 or D200 in a couple of years when I gain some experience though so it's a little different.

I feel, personally, that the glass is more important on an entry level DSLR than the camera itself. The Nikon kit lens is much better than the XTI and with the money I saved by getting the Nikon, I have a half the money toward a really nice AF-S 70-300 Nikkor lens.

 

[Alicia]

Can you guys give some specifics? Like what does the Canon have that the Nikon doesn't? And why does the Canon feel like a toy? You mean the hardware is light and cheap feeling? And why is the glass important?

And at Costco these two Cameras are w/in $50-100 of eachother so there really isn't a price difference. They both come with two lenses. Am I missing something? Maybe I should look at the packages closer?

Also, what do I need outside a standard package? Do I need a flash? Anything else?

Thanks so much!

 

[NateS]

To me, the Canon felt cheap. It felt very "plasticky", almost like a toy. The D40 felt very solid and sturdy. I don't know how else to explain it. Your best bet is to go hold both of them and see what you think. The lens greatly effects the quality of the picture you get. The lens that comes with the D40 is better than w/ the Rebels.

Since I plan to upgrade camera's down the road, I got the less expensive D40 and am spending the extra money on a really nice Af-S 70-300mm Nikkor lens. This way when I upgrade cameras down the road, I'll already have a great lens to use. (getting other lenses too, but that's the most expensive one)