Buying my first DSLR: I want something compatible with the most accessories!

[Rockworthy]

Hello helpful forum. Like the title said I am about to buy my first DSLR. I've got about $300 to spend on a camera/lens combo. Used of course. One very important thing for me: I want to be able to use as many different types of aftermarket flashes and other accessories. I'm thinking of avoiding Canon all together because they have a proprietary flash connector. I don't want to be stuck with a camera that only accepts their own company's overpriced stuff. I want a camera that's compatible with almost everything. Is this possible?

 

[480sparky43 42]

Hate to burst your bubble, but Nikon has a proprietary flash system too. At least for their CLS system.

However, just about everyone uses the same hot shot (as well as the old PC) connection.

 

[Derrel]

Ummm, yeah, what 480sparky said...

OTOH, Canon can accept LENSES that are fitted with like eight or nine different lens mounts, via the use of glassless, $14-$17 lens adapters...which makes a Canon digital EOS SLR a very handy rig for using off-list lenses. You will not have autofocusing, or automatic lens diaphragm, operation, but a veritable BOATLOAD of used lenses can be fitted and shot. Kind of a fun deal, really!!!

 

[thetrue]

Where are you located? I know that the local Craigslist usually has some nice used bodies, most of the time with a kit lens and maybe a nifty fifty.

 

[TCampbell]

The hot shoe isn't quite proprietary. If you want to use a manual flash you can mount most manual flashes to the shoe (you have to verify that the trigger voltage isn't too high for the camera - e.g. a website like this one: Photo Strobe Trigger Voltages ) but the CENTER pin is hot and the shoe itself is actually the ground. If you short across the two (e.g. grab a paper clip and touch it to the center and ground), the flash will fire.

The REST of the pins (four extra on a Canon... not sure how many on a Nikon) are the "proprietary" bit. Those pins control the Canon E-TTL flash system. Nikon has extra pins which control their iTTL system.

So really these cameras are compatible with standard manual flashes PLUS their own proprietary flash to use the extra features. But you don't _have_ to buy their proprietary flash AND there are even third parties that are compatible with the E-TTL or iTTL features (you have to read carefully... turns out most 3rd party flashes don't actually implement all the features and, when they do, they cost nearly as much as the Canon or Nikon brand flashes and you don't save much.)

The wonky cameras are things like Sony where the hot-shoe design is completely proprietary and a standard manual flash wont even slide into to the shoe.

And, BTW, EVERYONE has at least a semi-proprietary flash. You'd have to go back QUITE a number of years to find a camera with a basic center pin and ground and no extra pins. There is no industry standard for those extra pins... only the center pin and ground plate are standard (on most cameras with standard hot shoes.)

 

[KmH]

Except Sony, all other camera makers pretty much use the industry standard hot shoe layout - ISO 518:2006.

Sony uses the odd-ball iISO hot shoe layout they inherited when they took over Konica Minolta's camera and film business in 2006.

 

[Light Guru]

Hello helpful forum. Like the title said I am about to buy my first DSLR. I've got about $300 to spend on a camera/lens combo. Used of course. One very important thing for me: I want to be able to use as many different types of aftermarket flashes and other accessories. I'm thinking of avoiding Canon all together because they have a proprietary flash connector. I don't want to be stuck with a camera that only accepts their own company's overpriced stuff. I want a camera that's compatible with almost everything. Is this possible?

With a budget of only $300 flashes are the least of your worries.

You may be able to find an ok used camera body but you will not be finding any good glass to go with that camera body.

 

[Rockworthy]

Thanks everyone, I think I see now. What I want to be able to do in the future is have this camera synced with a few studio strobes. Should I have to worry about camera compatibility then? I don't want to have to spend an extra grand on a studio strobe just because I bought one brand or another camera.

 

[480sparky43 42]

Thanks everyone, I think I see now. What I want to be able to do in the future is have this camera synced with a few studio strobes. .......

You can buy hot shoe to PC adapters at any camera store. The only thing you would need to worry about is the trigger voltage.

 

[bratkinson]

It sounds like the OP is looking to run rather than walk at the very start. With a budget in the $300 ballpark for camera and lens, the farthest thing from your mind should be studio lighting. For portrait (studio) work, you'll need better lenses than $300 for body and lens can get you...even used.

Learn the basics of photography as well as your camera and build from there.