Camera recommendations for a newb?

Jenifer

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So... I'm looking at buying my first "real" camera. :blushing:

I've always loved photography on a basic level, without knowing anything about the ins and outs... my camera is always in my bag. My dad was a photographer (although we've never discussed it and I've never seen his stuff other than pictures of me), so maybe it's a genetic thing?

Anyway, I'm in the market for the best camera I can find for the money. Looking at the books, I think my cap is going to be around $2000. I'd like to be able to get some starter lenses for that money, too... so... what kind of quality am I looking at with that budget? What would you recommend?

Someone suggested a Canon Digital Rebel...

Thanks guys!
 
you might find some value in searching the forums for this topic as its brought up about once a week on here. Having said that, i would suggest canon or nikon , because if i didnt, everyone would disagree with me because they're all fanboys... ;-)
 
i would like to mention though, I love my sony dSLR (a100) and i'm planning on upgrading to the a700. The a700 falls in your price range (at 1400 dollars without lens) and has some really nice features such as a VERY high resolution 3" screen, in body focus motor as well as in camera image stabilization (wich is about on par with the image stabilized lenses from canon/nikon wich you pay extra for) so dont count other brands out till you've tried everything and done your research. Like i usually say though, dont let US decide for you, thats like an arranged marrage. Nobody wants that. You need to fall in love with the camera before you take the plunge, so choose wisely!
 
you might find some value in searching the forums for this topic as its brought up about once a week on here.

Sorry, sorry! I've been rooting around and reading past posts but hadn't gotten to a search yet... maybe after my breakfast McRib shows up... :D

Thanks everyone. Budget is for the camera plus lenses... although I guess if I needed a bigger one I could wait a little longer (we're talking two months out as it is).
 
Get the best lens(es) you can for your budget. The dpreview site helped me decide on an older Canon so I could spend more on the lens.

Go into a local camera shop and ask them for some recommendations too, mine was great for letting me play around with each camera and different lenses. Depends on what subjects you want to shoot too.

Image stabilization on either the body or the lens would be reeeeally nice.
 
along the lines of the lens thing, a lot of people say that you should consider the body as an accessory to the lenses, because lenses will last longer and retain their value, while a body will not, and without good lenses your image quality might suffer
 
i would like to mention though, I love my sony dSLR (a100) and i'm planning on upgrading to the a700. The a700 falls in your price range (at 1400 dollars without lens) and has some really nice features such as a VERY high resolution 3" screen, in body focus motor as well as in camera image stabilization (wich is about on par with the image stabilized lenses from canon/nikon wich you pay extra for) so dont count other brands out till you've tried everything and done your research. Like i usually say though, dont let US decide for you, thats like an arranged marrage. Nobody wants that. You need to fall in love with the camera before you take the plunge, so choose wisely!

I have to agree. It's hard to go wrong with Canon or Nikon - I've owned them both. But I love my Sony a700 because it's the right camera for ME. I never would have known that if I didn't try a bunch of them first.
 
oh, an dont let the dealer talk you into a camera either!!!! i cant stress this enough. I was at a local camera shop a few days ago, and watched a salesman (a dedicated nikon shooter) sell a woman a nikon dslr (plus a filter, extra battery, and memory card; they're very pushy on accessories there) and talk about the nikon like it was the only camera for her. I dont think he even mentioned canons and his way of "showing" her the sony, was by picking up an a700 behind the counter and saying "then you also have these, wich is pretty close to that nikon" . he didnt bring it over and show it to her or anything. I think a lot of salesmen have somewhat of an agenda, and they'll sell you whatever THEY want you to buy, and kind of make the other cameras/brands sound less desirable, wich is a shame, and in my opinion unethical. So beware, ask to see all the cameras you're looking at and have them tell you some specs on each so you dont make a decision based on what THEY like.
 
haha, yeah, the salemen know a wealth of information about most of the cameras if they're any good, and they CAN give you good advice, but just be careful that they're not trying to push one brand over another because of personal preference. The camera store near me is full of these types of people though. They sell filters like its their only job and push push push on accessories. I waited in line to talk to someone for about 15 minutes the other day and 2 different associates sold people filters that they probably didnt need, for prices that were probably unreasonable for what they were getting. They also sort of tend to talk down to you , acting like they know everything about cameras and you know nothing, so when they tell you you need a filter and a battery and a nikon camera, you better listen . its very aggrivating. I dont want to go into a camera store to be bullied around by these guys, yet it seems to happen almost every time. It doesnt help that i'm rather short and still in college, so they have some leverage on me age-wise (stupid kids dont know anything about cameras right?) ahh, sorry, had to vent a little there. Just dont let anyone choose your camera for you is all i'm trying to say!
 

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