First DSLR Camera?

argyle409

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About 2 years ago I was really into photography and was seriously thinking about getting a slr camera but instead I bought a bike and the whole photography thing went down the drain. But I'm back into it now, just my Kodak V550 isn't really cutting it for me anymore an I put a bit of a dent into it when I threw I fell off a 20ft cliff skiing.

So I need some help to pick out a slr camera pretty much got either Canon or Nikon, my school has a Nikon D40, D70, an D90 that I have been using. I can get a canon rebel for a bit cheaper from a friend, but I've been use to the Nikon and it seems easy to learn then the cannon. I want a slr camera that will be good for everything, and I don't want to drop a ton of money since I'm planning on taking it as a profession or anything.
 
What types of photography are you interested in? For example: landscapes, action, macro, animals, weddings, etc. That will have a big effect on my recommendation.
 
The D90 would be a bit too much in my price range, also its quite big I'd like something a bit smaller

What types of photography are you interested in? For example: landscapes, action, macro, animals, weddings, etc. That will have a big effect on my recommendation.


I'd be using it for everything pretty much, but I'm really into bmx and mtb so actions shots and sequence photos, but I also would like to take still photos like landscape since theirs alot of nothing around my school. Also I like making HDR photos so I don't know if that has any effect either on choice.
 
If the D90 is too much and too big, but you want a DSLR... there's not a lot left to recommend. I highly recommend the Nikon D40 -- it's very light (or at least as light as an SLR gets), very small (again... as small as an SLR gets), and very easy to use. It's also good for all-around general purpose, and going VERY cheap nowadays (around $400 US).

But, if you're thinking that the D90 is too big... are you really sure you want a DSLR? It's not the smallest one out there, but it's certainly on the small end.
 
If the D90 is too much and too big, but you want a DSLR... there's not a lot left to recommend. I highly recommend the Nikon D40 -- it's very light (or at least as light as an SLR gets), very small (again... as small as an SLR gets), and very easy to use. It's also good for all-around general purpose, and going VERY cheap nowadays (around $400 US).

But, if you're thinking that the D90 is too big... are you really sure you want a DSLR? It's not the smallest one out there, but it's certainly on the small end.

maybe I don't know what I'm talking about then since I was told dslr or slr is pretty much any camera with separate body from lens (rebel, nikon D-models, 20D, 3D)?
 
You are talking about getting a DSLR, the D stands for being digital, a SLR would be talking about a Film Camera.
Since the D90 sounds to be to much and too heavy the D40 would be the camera for you and there is loads of posts talking about what to get as a starting kit, such as what lens to get.
 
You are talking about getting a DSLR, the D stands for being digital, a SLR would be talking about a Film Camera.
Since the D90 sounds to be to much and too heavy the D40 would be the camera for you and there is loads of posts talking about what to get as a starting kit, such as what lens to get.

so there is no point to get something in between the D40 an D90, are all those models just about the same or what? Also is there any reason no one recommend some sort of a canon, is there just nothing good to start with
 
First, SLR means "Single Lens Reflex" which means a very specific way of building a camera, which involves a mirror which redirects the image from the lens, up through a viewfinder, and then swings out of the way and allows the film or sensor to be exposed with the exact same image. This is in contrast to Rangefinders, which had a separate viewfinder which saw a slightly different image than the lens would pick up.

The main other obvious feature of SLRs are interchangeable lenses. This is in contrast to point-and-shoots, which have one lens bolted on to them. There are Digital SLRs, and Film SLRs, but I am betting that you really only want to know about digital ones.

All that said, you do sound confused -- are you sure you need an SLR? Why do you want one? Is there a particular reason that a good point and shoot wouldn't work just as well? I HIGHLY recommend the Canon A-series of point and shoots. They're light, many have stabilized lenses which are great for low light, and they're also very inexpensive.

OK, back to SLRs, in detail, the Nikon models "between" the D40 and the D90 are:

- D40x (same as the D40, with a 10 MP sensor and a slower flash sync)
- D50 (older version of the D40, bigger and heavier, focuses all AF lenses)
- D60 (newer than the D40 but otherwise very similar)
- D70 (older version of the D80)
- D80 (older version of the D90, very good, focuses with all nikon AF lenses)

The smallest and cheapest is still the D40, unless you can find a used one. It's a great choice, if you really do want a SLR.

I can't speak for Canon SLRs other than to say that the Rebel XT/XTi come highly recommended as well -- but someone else will have to help you there.
 
You are talking about getting a DSLR, the D stands for being digital, a SLR would be talking about a Film Camera.

An SLR would be talking about a single lens reflex camera, whether it's made for 35mm, 645, 6x7, or APS-C digital. An SLR is a camera that uses an automated mirror to look into the viewfinder and through the lens. There are SLRs with fixed lenses (definitely one of the 35mm EOS cameras- the 650 maybe?) and some non-SLR cameras with interchangeable lenses (a few rangefinders, for example).

If you want high-performance BMX or other action sports shooting, some sort of higher-level camera is definitely a must. If you want to get something digital, a digital SLR is your best bet. However, to get the huge feature improvement over a compact point-and-shoot, you need to deal with a larger camera. The D40 and D90 are both big compared to a little point-and-shoot digital. Does the size difference between the D40 and D90 make that much practical difference?

That said, if the D90 is out of your price range and smaller is better, a D40 is a fairly solid choice. A D40 would be a huge improvement over your current camera, and they can definitely be had cheap. I would look for a used camera from a reputable reseller- KEH is my personal favorite.
 
Also is there any reason no one recommend some sort of a canon
Probably because you said this in your first post:
So I need some help to pick out a slr camera pretty much got either Canon or Nikon, my school has a Nikon D40, D70, an D90 that I have been using. I can get a canon rebel for a bit cheaper from a friend, but I've been use to the Nikon and it seems easy to learn then the cannon.
Canon does have entry level DSLRs that are comparable to the entry level DSLRs from Nikon. If you're interested, look at the Canon XS, XTi, XSi and the new T1i.
 
First, SLR means "Single Lens Reflex" which means a very specific way of building a camera, which involves a mirror which redirects the image from the lens, up through a viewfinder, and then swings out of the way and allows the film or sensor to be exposed with the exact same image. This is in contrast to Rangefinders, which had a separate viewfinder which saw a slightly different image than the lens would pick up.

Ahh, beat me to it.
 
I have a D40, Im pretty happy with it as an all round camera although im now finding something with more frames per sec would have been very useful for some of my recent shoots
 
does canon make a camera similar to the size of the D40?
if the D90 is too big/heavy i can't think of a better choice than the D40, too bad they don't make the 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 anymore. i have one and i love it because it's light as a feather.[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][SIZE=+1][SIZE=+3][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]
 
Olympus makes some of the smallest DSLR's out there.

Most are weather sealed too. The unfortunate bit is that the sensor is much smaller and if you're shooting BMX/sports without flashes, you're going to want a camera that can support a faster shutter speed than Olympus has to offer.
 

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