DSLR questions

DLL_4ever · Jan 21, 2006

My plan for the last month or so was to upgrade my current Panasonic LZ2 to a Panasonic FZ30 (because thats all i could afford)... however... i just came home from a trip to Blacks Photography store with my Dad, and we were (both) extremely impressed with this 1 DSLR that we saw. It was a Pentax *ist DL. After playing with it for a while, and after i explained to my dad how much better a DSLR camera would be instead of a high-quality compact camera, he told me that he could lend me an extra couple of hundred dollars towards a DSLR if i wanted :boogie:

I litterally jumped in the air, because i had asked him many times before to lend me a bit more money towards a DSLR but he said no theres no point, and blah blah blah.

ANYWAYS...

I was wondering, which of these DSLR kits would you recommend me going with?

- Pentax *IST DL W/18-55 Lens Digital SLR Kit.
- Olympus Evolt E-300 Digital SLR with Zuiko 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Kit.
- Nikon D50 Digital SLR Camera w/ 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G.
- Kinoca Minolta Maxxum 5D, 6.1 Megapixel, SLR Digital Camera Kit with Minolta Maxxum 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6(D) AF DT Zoom Lens.

Thanks for the help!

skiboarder72 · Jan 21, 2006

there are a ton of resources about this, i've been very happy with my d50 though:thumbup:

Rob · Jan 21, 2006

I'd advise that you look at the features in detail on dpreview.com and compare them, make some notes.

Then get yourself down to the camera shop and handle each of them and choose the one that feels best.

Or, flip a coin?

Rob

Fate · Jan 21, 2006

Ive always been a Nikon user

they're reliable, good quality and take great pics. My friend has the D50 and LOVES it!

digital flower · Jan 21, 2006

That's great news. Now the agonizing part, picking which one.

You can google "Camera model name vs. Camera model name" and come up with stuff like this:

Konica Minolta 5D vs. 7D vs. D50 vs. 350D

There probably are other, better, side by side comparsions available, this was just a quick search.

Good luck!

DLL_4ever · Jan 21, 2006

Rob said:
I'd advise that you look at the features in detail on dpreview.com and compare them, make some notes.

Then get yourself down to the camera shop and handle each of them and choose the one that feels best.

I've tried every one of them... i love them all!!! Their "feel", weight, and size are all pretty much perfect for me.

I've also checked out the details on every one of them and they're almost exactly the same in every way.. only very tiny differences.. The only "big" difference is that the Olympis and the Konica used Compact Flash memory cards instead of the SD cards (which the D50 and the Pentax use, and thats what i have right now...so i'd be saving like $50-$70 there, but thats not a big deal at all.)

Rob said:
Or, flip a coin?

haha, yeah, thats probably the best thing to do :mrgreen: It's so hard to choose!

DLL_4ever · Jan 21, 2006

digital flower pictures said:
That's great news. Now the agonizing part, picking which one.

You can google "Camera model name vs. Camera model name" and come up with stuff like this:

Konica Minolta 5D vs. 7D vs. D50 vs. 350D

There probably are other, better, side by side comparsions available, this was just a quick search.

Good luck!

Sounds like a good idea... i cant find any "Pentax *IST DL vs Nikon D50" though

I'll just keep looking though.. thanks for the tip!

digital flower · Jan 21, 2006

You can side by side specifications on the Pentax and Nikon by clicking on the 'compare products in this price range' link here. Doesn't have any type of user info though. They both look like pretty good cameras. My decision was easier since I had a few cards and lens that fit Nikon. One thing is the D50 runs on a lithum-ion battery which if its like the D70 battery, that's good:thumbup:

JonathanM · Jan 21, 2006

the Olympus E300 has now been superceded by the E500, nice piece of kit.

kfoster · Jan 21, 2006

Keep in mind that Konica-Minolta just announced that they are getting out of the camera business. I wouldnt worry about it if you are only looking at getting the body and maybe one or two lenses, because it should last for years. But if you are thinking of getting into buying lots of lenses then you may want to go with one of the choices that will be around for years to come.

K

Arch · Jan 21, 2006

Go for the D50. I'v had mine for about 3 months and well, sometimes i kiss it when no ones looking.

kelox · Jan 21, 2006

kfoster said:
Keep in mind that Konica-Minolta just announced that they are getting out of the camera business. I wouldnt worry about it if you are only looking at getting the body and maybe one or two lenses, because it should last for years. But if you are thinking of getting into buying lots of lenses then you may want to go with one of the choices that will be around for years to come.

K

Not true. They are going to stop making bodies, but the lenses are out there. You will simply not be able to pick up the KM branded lenses because they will not be produced, presumably. There are plenty of manufacturers of these lenses and plenty of lenses out in the market.

DLL_4ever · Jan 22, 2006

I've made up my mind... i'm going with this beauty

Thanks a lot for tips people! I really love this forum :cheers:

Rob · Jan 22, 2006

I'm sure you'll be really happy with it - it's a great camera!

Rob

kfoster · Jan 22, 2006

kelox said:
Not true. They are going to stop making bodies, but the lenses are out there. You will simply not be able to pick up the KM branded lenses because they will not be produced, presumably. There are plenty of manufacturers of these lenses and plenty of lenses out in the market.

The point I was trying to make is this. Why would you spend a bunch of cash on lenses for a Body they no longer make? In fact, theyre not making any bodies at all anymore, therefore, sometime in the future when your current body is shot you will have to look for a used body. And by then a used 5D or 7D will be so out of date it wont be funny.

And sure there are companies like Sigma and Tamron making lenses for KM, now. But are they going to continue, and for how long. They stopped making Canon FD mount lenses when Canon stopped making that mount, and there are plenty of people still shooting old AE-1's.

The way I figure it, if you already own a KM body, you should be in good shape for many years. However, if your looking for a new body, a new KM might not be your best choice. This all depends on what your looking to do with it. I would wait to see what Sony is going to do when it takes over the KM stuff.

Anyway, this is just my opinion. Isnt that what this forum is all about.

K