Advice on Cheap SLR Camera

[silverb]

Hello! Thanks in advance for your help! I'm looking at a cheap SLR camera for basic photography that's better than a cheap point and shoot. If you had your choice of any camera below, which would you choose (and hopefully why)?
-Canon Rebel 2000 EOS w/ Canon Zoom Lens 28-80MM 1:3.5-5.6 II
-Minolta Maxxum XTsi
or
-Minolta Maxxum 3Xi w/ 35-80 lens & 70mm lens


I really don't know much about photography so I'm seeking help from people who do know about it!


Thanks again.

 

[chuasam]

None of the above. Get a Nikon FE. Compatible with a lot of modern lenses...and IMHO one of the best SLRs ever made.

 

[icandide]

Get a good metal camera - it will last longer and take the bumps and bruises better. Nikon, Minolta,canon are all available at low cost on sleez-bay. Manual focus - manual operation.

Now I will go one further; get a fixed focal length lens. Somewhere between 40 and 70mm - the best you can afford (its the lens that gives you the image for the photo, not the light tight box they call the camera [light-room]). Learn to 'zoom' with your feet first. Learn to manually focus, select the shutter speed, and the f-stop. Then think about automatic this and that.

i.candide
Dangerous to oneself

 

[compur]

Hello! Thanks in advance for your help! I'm looking at a cheap SLR camera for basic photography that's better than a cheap point and shoot. If you had your choice of any camera below, which would you choose (and hopefully why)?
-Canon Rebel 2000 EOS w/ Canon Zoom Lens 28-80MM 1:3.5-5.6 II
-Minolta Maxxum XTsi
or
-Minolta Maxxum 3Xi w/ 35-80 lens & 70mm lens


I really don't know much about photography so I'm seeking help from people who do know about it!


Thanks again.

There's really not enough difference between the cameras you mentioned to worry about. All are equally capable of taking excellent photos and are equally easy to use. There's really no clear choice that is above and beyond the others in you list. Just insure your choice is in good condition and working properly.

 

[Crollo]

Learn to 'zoom' with your feet first

I never understood this advise. You can't just tell somebody that they can or can't do something, that's not going to help. You have to tell them when they can or can't do something.

To OP: Understand what focal lengths are appropriate for what situations, and then judge what focal length you wish to use for a situation, and when to just simply move as opposed to changing focal length.
You can't just change focal length instead of moving, and vice versa. Judge the situation yourself, and then decide what to do.

 

[belial]

Get a good metal camera - it will last longer and take the bumps and bruises better. Nikon, Minolta,canon are all available at low cost on sleez-bay. Manual focus - manual operation.

Now I will go one further; get a fixed focal length lens. Somewhere between 40 and 70mm - the best you can afford (its the lens that gives you the image for the photo, not the light tight box they call the camera [light-room]). Learn to 'zoom' with your feet first. Learn to manually focus, select the shutter speed, and the f-stop. Then think about automatic this and that.

i.candide
Dangerous to oneself

I also don't understand the need to try to force people to go old school. It doesn't make you a better photographer just a stubborn non adaptive photographer.

 

[bhop]

I also don't understand the need to try to force people to go old school. It doesn't make you a better photographer just a stubborn non adaptive photographer.

Actually going "old school" (i assume you mean fully manual) will make you a better photographer because it's easier to understand how shutter speeds and aperture affects your photos when you have to make all the adjustments yourself.

"Zooming with your feet" can also help you understand how to choose compositions that you might not have otherwise thought of since you can't just turn a zoom ring.

 

[chuasam]

I also don't understand the need to try to force people to go old school. It doesn't make you a better photographer just a stubborn non adaptive photographer.

kids these days...so impatient.
So unwilling to learn the basics and get a good foundation first.

The cameras listed by the OP are crap. Like I said...get the Nikon FE. A good metal camera with manual focus and lots of control.

 

[Derrel]

"Zooming with one's feet" is kind of a shorthand that SOUNDS GOOD, but which ignores the differences between using different focal lengths and using different DISTANCES to change perspective. "Zooming with your feet" is a sound-bite phrase. It's not conducive to truly learning the difference between altering focal length and the difference between getting closer or farther away. Quite a few people poo-poo the need for any lens between 35mm and 70mm....patently ridiculous...

I never use the phrase "zoom with your feet" because it is a meaningless, or even worse, an accidentally erroneous or ill-adisved, flippant suggestion...

Carry on.

 

[Mike_E]

I'd say go old school Minolta. One, if you leave it in a drawer and the batteries go dead you can still get it out and go shoot. Another thing is that (at least from my experience with the old SRTs) they get out of your way and let you just take pictures without whining for attention.

One more another thing, Minolta made some great lenses and you can get them for cheap these days.

You could get an SRT 201 with a Minolta 28mm, 50mm, 135mm and a 200mm and not look back. A Weston Master 5 or later -or other non-battery operated handheld light meter less than 30 or so years old would be a good thing too. Then you could pitch the batteries in the camera and never have to worry about them again.

 

[belial]

Actually going "old school" (i assume you mean fully manual) will make you a better photographer because it's easier to understand how shutter speeds and aperture affects your photos when you have to make all the adjustments yourself.

"Zooming with your feet" can also help you understand how to choose compositions that you might not have otherwise thought of since you can't just turn a zoom ring.

Actually several teachers condemn the old teach full manual first as you can quite often understand more by working on one part of the triangle at a time. As for "zooming with your feet" limiting composition abilities isn't going to increase your skill.

 

[bhop]

Actually going "old school" (i assume you mean fully manual) will make you a better photographer because it's easier to understand how shutter speeds and aperture affects your photos when you have to make all the adjustments yourself.

"Zooming with your feet" can also help you understand how to choose compositions that you might not have otherwise thought of since you can't just turn a zoom ring.

Actually several teachers condemn the old teach full manual first as you can quite often understand more by working on one part of the triangle at a time. As for "zooming with your feet" limiting composition abilities isn't going to increase your skill.

I disagree with all that, but you're welcome to your opinion. (as are those teachers)

 

[jake337]

"Zooming with one's feet" is kind of a shorthand that SOUNDS GOOD, but which ignores the differences between using different focal lengths and using different DISTANCES to change perspective. "Zooming with your feet" is a sound-bite phrase. It's not conducive to truly learning the difference between altering focal length and the difference between getting closer or farther away. Quite a few people poo-poo the need for any lens between 35mm and 70mm....patently ridiculous...

I never use the phrase "zoom with your feet" because it is a meaningless, or even worse, an accidentally erroneous or ill-adisved, flippant suggestion...

Carry on.

Would a better phrase be "framing with your feet"?

 

[prodigy2k7]

I disagree with all that, but you're welcome to your opinion. (as are those teachers)

I also disagree with you. It's easier to take one step at a time learning one thing at a time instead of having to control everything from the very first photo you ever take.

You are also welcome to your opinion as I am.

 

[bhop]

I also disagree with you. It's easier to take one step at a time learning one thing at a time instead of having to control everything from the very first photo you ever take.

You are also welcome to your opinion as I am.