Deal or no deal?

elemental · Jun 4, 2008

Ptyler22 said:
How about a Canon EOS 20D from the adorama rental department they are selling for 400. Just the body. They say on a scale of 1- 10 they would give it an 8.3. Good? no good?

That is a very nice camera, but realize that you've jumped from a brand-new just-released entry-level Olympus DSLR to a four-year-old prosumer Canon. This is a pretty big jump. In its time, the 20D was called "best in class" by DPReview, but at the same time it's been a while. I can't say how the 20D holds up against today's best though- some of the features (1.7" LCD?!?!) are certainly going to feel dated.

What are you looking for from your camera? It seems to me like you're jumping all over the place looking for an inexpensive first DSLR. What are you going to use this for? Are you new to photography in general, upgrading from a point and shoot, or coming from film? What do you want to shoot?

I think you have plenty of good options, but a little research and soul-searching now could pay off in a year when you have the equipment that best suits what you're doing.

Ptyler22 · Jun 4, 2008

elemental said:
That is a very nice camera, but realize that you've jumped from a brand-new just-released entry-level Olympus DSLR to a four-year-old prosumer Canon. This is a pretty big jump. In its time, the 20D was called "best in class" by DPReview, but at the same time it's been a while. I can't say how the 20D holds up against today's best though- some of the features (1.7" LCD?!?!) are certainly going to feel dated.

What are you looking for from your camera? It seems to me like you're jumping all over the place looking for an inexpensive first DSLR. What are you going to use this for? Are you new to photography in general, upgrading from a point and shoot, or coming from film? What do you want to shoot?

I think you have plenty of good options, but a little research and soul-searching now could pay off in a year when you have the equipment that best suits what you're doing.

I shoot all kinds of stuff, from just random shots outside, to track meets and shooting car shows, and at racetracks. I am only 15 so I haven't been into photography for too long but I have really started to get more interested in improving my shots and getting better. The biggest holdup is my camera (HP R817) it takes good pictures to a point but it gets hot REALLY fast and then it gets really grainy. And it's a compact camera so it's not good for sports and the zoom is only 5x. I have some shots uploaded onto webshots if you want to take a peek. For the track pictures I used my friends Olympus E500. That was about a month ago and when I used it, it was the first DSLR I had used and when I used it I decided I really wanted one. Thanks

If you only want to look through a couple I would say the top albums are Photography, Track, and Newport Concourse. That's actually a lot of pictures still, but if you could just check some out if you have a chance, that would be great. Thanks alot!

http://community.webshots.com/user/streettuner22

Ptyler22 · Jun 5, 2008

Would you say that the lens deal is good? to get the 40-150mm for only $100? Its a little too much money for me but if I won't be able to get that lens for that cheap another time I might as well get it now.

elemental · Jun 5, 2008

Ptyler22 said:
I shoot all kinds of stuff, from just random shots outside, to track meets and shooting car shows, and at racetracks. I am only 15 so I haven't been into photography for too long but I have really started to get more interested in improving my shots and getting better. The biggest holdup is my camera (HP R817) it takes good pictures to a point but it get hot REALLY fast and then it gets really grainy. And its a compact camera so it's not good for sports and the zoom is only 5x. I have some shots uploaded onto webshots if you want to take a peek. For the track pictures I used my friends Olympus E500. That was about a month ago and when I used it, it was the first DSLR I had used and when I used it I decided I really wanted one. Thanks

If you only want to look through a couple I would say the top albums are Photography, Track, and Newport Concourse. That's actually a lot of pictures still, but if you could just check some out if you have a chance, that would be great. Thanks alot!

http://community.webshots.com/user/streettuner22

I took a moment to look through your Newport Concourse pictures, enough to see that you have an eye for this. A DSLR will put you much more in control of your photomaking, and make the process more fun. Honestly, for the purposes you mentioned (which are pretty much all-around standard shooting unless the racetracks include cars racing), any entry level camera will be a huge improvement. Chances are there is no single best camera for your uses that we could dictate. I would recommend going to a local camera store and holding a bunch of entry-level cameras, playing with the menus and firing off a few shots with each. It will become clear which camera you like, and you really can't go wrong (in my opinion). Case in point: I was about ready to order a D40 or a Rebel last year when I decided to go to a store and hold both, and it turned out I liked the Pentax K100D much better. To me, it felt more solid, fit my hands better, and seemed fairly intuitive to operate.

There are plenty of kits you can get for around $500 these days. I would go out and get a feel for some of them and then try to make a decision.

Ptyler22 · Jun 5, 2008

elemental said:
I took a moment to look through your Newport Concourse pictures, enough to see that you have an eye for this. A DSLR will put you much more in control of your photomaking, and make the process more fun. Honestly, for the purposes you mentioned (which are pretty much all-around standard shooting unless the racetracks include cars racing), any entry level camera will be a huge improvement. Chances are there is no single best camera for your uses that we could dictate. I would recommend going to a local camera store and holding a bunch of entry-level cameras, playing with the menus and firing off a few shots with each. It will become clear which camera you like, and you really can't go wrong (in my opinion). Case in point: I was about ready to order a D40 or a Rebel last year when I decided to go to a store and hold both, and it turned out I liked the Pentax K100D much better. To me, it felt more solid, fit my hands better, and seemed fairly intuitive to operate.

There are plenty of kits you can get for around $500 these days. I would go out and get a feel for some of them and then try to make a decision.

Ok, thanks for looking. I don't know of any specific camera stores around but circuit city and target, staples... have lots of the cameras I am looking at in stock at their store. You said there is no specific camera that would fit my needs but do you think that the D40, D40x, D60, or E-420 would be an okay fit? Any other suggestions that you prefer?

Ptyler22 · Jun 5, 2008

On pc connection there is an "open box" d40x with 18-55mm lens. It is $519. Is this risky to buy an "open box" camera? thanks

PhotoDonkey · Jun 5, 2008

Have you tried looking in the yellow pages for photography equipment? If you have a local photography store it should be listed.

Ptyler22 · Jun 5, 2008

Ok, thanks I'll look for some.

elemental · Jun 6, 2008

Ptyler22 said:
Ok, thanks for looking. I don't know of any specific camera stores around but circuit city and target, staples... have lots of the cameras I am looking at in stock at their store. You said there is no specific camera that would fit my needs but do you think that the D40, D40x, D60, or E-420 would be an okay fit? Any other suggestions that you prefer?

Rather than no specific camera to fit your needs think of it as many different cameras that could fit your needs. I would remove the D40X from your list, and the D60 as well if you are looking for maximum bang for your buck. I would add the Canon Digital Rebel XT, Pentax K100D, and Sony A100.

You still seem top be doing this search based on the best deal you can find, and I still worry that you will leap without making an informed decision. My advice would be to get together a list of options (much like you are already doing) and read up on the strengths and weaknesses of each. Go to a store and hold each in person (I can't stress enough how important this is). During this phase, keep an open mind and see what "speaks" to you without judging on brand or list price. Once you have picked your favorite or favorites, then seek out the best deals. For example, if you decide the K100D is best (like I did- cough cough), call around to all of your local stores, check reputable websites (and disreputable ones too), and check eBay. If you can find a price that works, go for it. If not, move on down your list. Approaching it this way ensures that you get the camera you like best that is price-reasonable.

You have yet to suggest a bad camera, I just worry that you haven't done the legwork to find the best camera.

Ptyler22 · Jun 6, 2008

elemental said:
Rather than no specific camera to fit your needs think of it as many different cameras that could fit your needs. I would remove the D40X from your list, and the D60 as well if you are looking for maximum bang for your buck. I would add the Canon Digital Rebel XT, Pentax K100D, and Sony A100.

You still seem top be doing this search based on the best deal you can find, and I still worry that you will leap without making an informed decision. My advice would be to get together a list of options (much like you are already doing) and read up on the strengths and weaknesses of each. Go to a store and hold each in person (I can't stress enough how important this is). During this phase, keep an open mind and see what "speaks" to you without judging on brand or list price. Once you have picked your favorite or favorites, then seek out the best deals. For example, if you decide the K100D is best (like I did- cough cough), call around to all of your local stores, check reputable websites (and disreputable ones too), and check eBay. If you can find a price that works, go for it. If not, move on down your list. Approaching it this way ensures that you get the camera you like best that is price-reasonable.

You have yet to suggest a bad camera, I just worry that you haven't done the legwork to find the best camera.

I think it is just that I am too overwhelmed with all the options and cameras and places to look. I will try to go look and feel some of the cameras tomorow. The only one that I sorta move down on my list is the A100, my teacher has one and he brought it in to class for me too look at and I had a cramp in my eye for the rest of the day from squinting through the view finder which I didn't have when using my friends E-500 for a much longer time period, but other than that I haven't used any other slr, and there are so many options and things to consider, it just alot for me to remember all the facts about all the differant cameras and such. On dpreview the comparason is very good but I don't know wha most of the stuff means to tell you the truth. I feel much better talking to somebody directly, so that I can ask specific questions and things. If you have AIM or an instant messenger where I can talk to you it would be greatly apreciated. Thank you very much.