Cheapest dslr camera?

usayit · May 15, 2009

Sw1tchFX said:
You actually own one of the samsung SLRs? Out of curiosity, why would anyone buy one of those instead of the pentax model? in fact, why would *anyone* buy the samsung unless it was at a retarded price, like $150?

No reason except that people on ebay search for "Pentax" all the time but not "Samsung". There are far better deals to be found under the Samsung branding. For me, I knew it would be fun to play with my M42, Kmount, and the 90mm adaptall macro with digital but I didn't want to spend a lot of money. The "retarded" price was the primary reason... in fact.. I'd rather have the "Pentax" branding.. it looks nicer in my collection (ah well...)

(btw. looking back the Samsung GX-1L with kit lens was actually $200.. still a good deal a year ago and perhaps today)

usayit · May 15, 2009

This was a test shot taken using:

Add 60s 135mm Takumar
Add 60s Asahi bellows unit
Add M42-K adapter
to One 2006 Samsung (pentax) GX-1L DSLR.
Mix in 1 Banana
and a touch of "Bored Photog".

and this was one of my early attempts at macro with the budget camera:

Samsung branding or not... still inexpensive fun.

lowcel · May 19, 2009

I just purchased a "cheap" camera the other day to start out with. I went with a Canon Rebel XS, wal-mart had it for $529 so I jumped on it. I actually thought that was expensive until I took my first few pictures. They were all better than the best picture I had ever taken with a p&s. What's bad is that my camera is pretty much entry level.

To make matters worse, I have already spent another $900 for a couple of lenses and a flash. I have only had the camera a little over a week and I'm already wondering if I should take the camera back and upgrade to the XSi.

JerryPH · May 19, 2009

Welcome to Photography. I started digital on a 1MP Kodak... today I am well over $10,000US in equipment and it keeps on getting deeper and deeper and deeper... lol

Figment · May 19, 2009

I too have recently jumped into the world of SLR (from my P&S Fijifilm 3MP Digi I bought from Target for $89 about 3 years ago)
My problem is I am picky about what I want, and that's making it a hard choice. However, I've found some pretty affordable cameras that'll do what I want to do and not break the bank. I don't need a bunch of lenses, fancy flashes and all that...for now.
Someone suggested the Canon t1i. At $899 that seems like a bargain to me, for my knowledge of Canon. (Been an AVID Canon user for years, and I swear by my GL1)
As for the OP, at 13 Years old... what do you need a DSLR Camera for anyway, ESPECIALLY if you're not concerned with Image Quality?
Mow some lawns, deliver some papers, clean some swimming pools. Work this summer. Come fall, you should have enough money to buy something nice, but I would suggest (And this is coming from someone who A: Has never owned an SLR Camera himself and B: Has worked pretty much every day since I was 13...Farmwork sucks at 13....) buying a Kodak or Fujifilm Point and Shoot (P&S) for under $100.
Just my 2 cents

adamwilliamking · May 19, 2009

blash said:
Bonus link for some light reading: How to Afford Anything

Linking to a Ken Rockwell article will only get you ridiculed and possibly banned. :mrgreen:

SrBiscuit · May 20, 2009

bangu...do you have any previous knowledge of photography?...
to dive headlong into the world of DSLR as a starting point is fine, but it aint a cheap hobby...it sounds like budget is a MAJOR aspect of your decision.
since that;s the case, would you be open to starting in film? you can get some very nice slr film cams for cheap, and from there you can build your knowledge of photo basics like aperature, shutter speed, ISO, composition...etc.
THEN if you like it, you might feel better dropping $400+ on a DLSR outfit...
PLUS...the longer you wait, the cheaper stuff gets (as technology furthers, and old models become obsolete).
if you INSIST on digital (and i wouldnt blame you if you did) maybe consider a nice advanced point and shoot or bridge camera. they offer some of the same features as dslrs like manual control over the functions (also a good place to build your basic photo knowledge).

just realize...if you love this hobby as we all do...say goodbye to extra $

what's your budget?

oh and welcome to the forum.

GTR · Nov 19, 2009

I know this is an old thread, and I know this is my first post, but I just had to say something in the mist of all this.

Let's put the whole thing in terms of cars, shall we?

Imagine a person who likes to drive. He likes his car to accelerate well, be comfortable, handle well, be fuel efficient, be easy to drive, be cheap to repair, and not be too expensive to buy.

Impossible? Not.

See, you could tell him an SSC Ultimate is the best accelerating car, Viper ACR (fastest production car around the nurburgring) handles very well, Rolls Royce Phantom is very comfortable, Prius is very fuel efficient, and Chevy Aveo is cheap. But you're not answering the question. This is useless information as far as average Joe is concerned.

The whole idea of coming on a forum to ask for information is to suggest two or more priorities in buying something, and find the perfect balance in between. In the case of the cars, think about BMW 3 series, older Mercedes E or C class, VW Golf, Mustang, Camaro, 350Z, so on. There is so many choices that you get to choose the one you want which has all you need.

What struck me the most was how someone said $1800 on a camera is normal. No, it's not. It's for professional photographers, normal is 100 dollars on a compact P&S camera. You know, those cameras that are, oh I dunno, normal? For normal people?

Me? Well, I've been looking for something decent for a while now. While those $100 cameras can do the trick, they don't have the quality I want. Asking for perfection is one thing and asking for being able to recognize my face in a portrait picture is another. And, seeing as how most of my pictures would be resized before being published, I don't see the point of spending any more than $400 on a camera. Especially if it is going to be carried around. I don't want to ruin the joy of a vacation because I have to carefully carry an expensive camera. And its not like the job market is any good, so can't be too careful with my money.

So I, too, am looking for a $400 camera with quality 4 times as good as a $100 camera. That's not asking for a bargain, that's asking for something logical. I'm doing my own research for now, but I'd appreciate any input, without mentioning how many truckloads of money you have spent on yours. Thank you.

righteous_bucks · Nov 19, 2009

I spent $280 on my Canon 20d, and $90 on my first lens, the 50mm f1.8. There you go, under $400 and a good camera and lens.

Oh, and for $280 I got the camera body, 3 batteries, battery charger, 1GB memory card, a shutter remote, and a bag, so you could probably go even lower on price if you just get the camera. My girlfriend got a Canon Rebel XT for $220, you could get that, the 50mm f1.8 lens, and the kit 18-55mm IS lens for all around $400, you just have to look around for deals.

Any of these cameras and lenses I mentioned would give you a great starting setup.

usayit · Nov 19, 2009

GTR said:
So I, too, am looking for a $400 camera with quality 4 times as good as a $100 camera. That's not asking for a bargain, that's asking for something logical. I'm doing my own research for now, but I'd appreciate any input, without mentioning how many truckloads of money you have spent on yours. Thank you.

It is definitely possible and reasonable. The good news is that technology has advanced far enough that even DSLR cameras of a couple years old (or more) on the used market are in your price range and should deliver more than 4x the quality of a $100 camera. If you scroll back in this old thread, you'll see me posting about my Samsung GX-1L + kit lens that I found on ebay for $200... and that was a year ago.

Technology rat race is what is currently driving people's purchases at the moment. As such, older cameras have depreciated well into your range. You just have to do diligence, research, and make sure the used camera is in good condition.

One place to do research is Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ. Their reviews from years ago area still available and a timeline dating back to 1995. (I wouldn't go with a camera less than 6 megapixels). Buy & Sell New & Used Cameras â Canon, Nikon, Hasselblad, Leica & More - KEH.com is a good place for used equipment.

In regards to the "normal" range of $$$ spent on equipment. You are in a photography forum. People here gravitate towards providing the best for their hobby. As such their concept of expense towards photographic equipment are going to be a bit blown out of proportion. THis is true with any place were people of a specific interest gather. This includes car forums. IMO, photography is a bit worse at the moment because of the sudden flood of digital. People are more preoccupied with equipment (high iso, megapixels frames per sec, etc..) because that's the attraction of technology.

Derrel · Nov 19, 2009

GTR...not too long ago I was browsing the on-line used section on a real, non-New York, non-Los Angeles professional photo supply store. I was surprised to see two Nikon D2h cameras listed, one for $200, the other for $170. Now, originally the D2h cost $3495, and the price slowly went down and down as the camera did not sell well. And shortly before the camera was discontinued, Nikon one day,out of the blue, reduced the price $1,400. Overnight. Just to clear the channel of older units. It was possible to buy the last few thousand D2h models at $1900. That was approaching five years ago now.

If you look around the web, but NOT the web sites of the largest, busiest, highest-traffic companies, but on the web sites of smaller companies, it's possible to find extraordinarily good deals on what was at one time, top-line professional gear. Used d-slr bodies are now pretty affordable, if you buy from a company where real people sell equipment on consignment, through the photo stores. At The Big Five web sites, prices are the highest the market will bear.

iolair · Nov 19, 2009

I recently bought a used Canon 20D (with no lens) via eBay for £165, and a used film Canon EOS camera to get its lens, flash gun and case for £50. eBay's good - there are some decent bargains if you know what you want and are patient.

If you're starting, though, you could do worse than to get a decent compact camera for even less money than that - make sure it has the P, A, S, M modes ... and learn to use them. More importantly, read and study photos to learn about light and composition.

CWN · Nov 19, 2009

Nikon D1 @ KEH for ~$100, plus some cheap used lens from the same place = pro body DSLR < $200

GTR · Nov 19, 2009

Thanks the input guys. I'm researching all the cameras you've mentioned.

I also forgot to mention that I had to very often use my P&S camera to record videos. So a camera that can also record is what I'm looking for. I was looking at the Pentax K-X. Very nice camera, just a bit out of my price range.

But my main concern is lighting. Cameras fall short in dim lighting. They get blurry because the shutter isn't getting enough light to capture fast enough, they get noisy on ISO, and they paint your face white with a flash. It's funny because the nightlife is where I want to use the camera for mostly. Clubs, concerts, street racing, you get the idea.

As for exaggeration in car forums; I guess so, at least when you're talking about 400hp+ from a 90s Chevy. Could cost a good 5 grand. But then again, I check Camaro forums mostly, it's probably a different story at the import forums.