Help buying first DSLR

[mattgwinn]

I am also looking for a camera along the same vein.

I currently own a Canon Powershot S5 IS which works fine for shots outside or in well lit areas, but I need something that works better in low light situations like concerts and sporting events where I am too far from the subject to use a flash. I am not very happy with the noise level on the S5.

I will also be starting on my photography degree in January and need a good camera that is versatile, can use a variety of different lenses with minimal hassle and won’t have to be upgraded as my classes get more difficult.

Cameras I am currently considering include:
Canon EO Rebel T1i EF-S
Canon EOS 50 D
Nikon D90
Nikon D5000

I am happy to hear alternatives that come in under $1200

Thank you

,Matt

 

[JustAnEngineer]

The Nikon D90 is a good camera. The Canon EOS 50D is priced similarly. As lower-priced options, would you consider an EOS 40D or EOS Rebel XSi?

For $1200, you could get one of those less expensive cameras with two or three lenses, a flash and a tripod.

 

[n.thrasher.09]

EBAY EBAY EBAY!!! You cannot go wrong with EBAY. Everything I mention in this post is available to you from ebay. I would recommend a Sony a200 10.2mp. This camera is simple to use and has in body anti shake (Canon and Nikon the anti shake is in the lens') and can be used with any Minolta "A" mount lenses, making it easier to get great glass at a reasonable price. You can get an a200 with an 18-70mm 3.5-5.6 lens new off of ebay for anywhere between $450-500 and then if you look into the minolta lenses you can get some of the best glass (for the price) ever made. A 28mm f2.8 regularily sells for $60-80 a 50mm 1.7 about $150 and if you are looking for a great zoom lens for those long shots, a 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 with macro goes from $100-150. There are more options available to you with the Sony/Minolta brand than with any other brand. With the anti shake being part of the camera body itself you will not have to pay the premium for your glass to get the same feature from either Canon or Nikon. There is alot of great stuff out there but Sony/Minolta can help you achieve your goals at a fraction of the cost that Canon or Nikon can.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

EBAY EBAY EBAY!!! You cannot go wrong with EBAY. I would recommend a Sony a200.... Sony can help you achieve your goals at a fraction of the cost that Canon or Nikon can.

I believe that things go wrong with e-Bay purchases much more frequently and with greater risk than if you buy from B&H Photo Video or Adorama.

The Sony α200's CCD sensor has poor high-ISO performance. The Sony kit lens is optically inferior to the kit lenses from Nikon and Canon. The Sony lens lineup (23 α lenses) is much smaller than the wide selection available for Nikon (30 AF-S + 21 AF + 3 PC-E lenses) and Canon (54 EF + 5 -E lenses). There are more used Nikon AF-S and AF lenses and more used Canon EF lenses available than used Minolta Maxxum AF lenses. Quality Sony G lenses (that rely on the camera's sensor-shift anti-vibration system) are significantly more expensive than similar lenses from Canon (and even Nikon) that have the optical image stabilization/vibration reduction buit into the lens (Shop for a 300mm f/2.8 lens if you doubt this). The advantage shifts to Sony when you consider Sigma and Tamron and look only at the lens models that lack optical image stabilization/vibration compensation, since they are priced reasonably for all three mounts. Tokina offers only one of their lenses in the Sony α mount.

If you do choose a Sony camera, you'd have to spring for the α700 to get the CMOS sensor with good high-ISO performance like the CMOS sensor in the Nikon D90. The Minolta 50mm f/1.7 and 70-210mm f/4 "beercan" are two popular used lenses to add to a Sony α camera.

 

[KmH]

EBAY EBAY EBAY!!! You cannot go wrong with EBAY. Everything I mention in this post is available to you from ebay. I would recommend a Sony a200 10.2mp. This camera is simple to use and has in body anti shake (Canon and Nikon the anti shake is in the lens') and can be used with any Minolta "A" mount lenses, making it easier to get great glass at a reasonable price. You can get an a200 with an 18-70mm 3.5-5.6 lens new off of ebay for anywhere between $450-500 and then if you look into the minolta lenses you can get some of the best glass (for the price) ever made. A 28mm f2.8 regularily sells for $60-80 a 50mm 1.7 about $150 and if you are looking for a great zoom lens for those long shots, a 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 with macro goes from $100-150. There are more options available to you with the Sony/Minolta brand than with any other brand. With the anti shake being part of the camera body itself you will not have to pay the premium for your glass to get the same feature from either Canon or Nikon. There is alot of great stuff out there but Sony/Minolta can help you achieve your goals at a fraction of the cost that Canon or Nikon can.

One would easy conclude you're an eBay seller and/or a Sony a200 owner who bought on eBay.

Your recommendations don't address the OP's wants at all, as pointed out above.

Sony makes gear essentially as good as Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Olympus if you compare apples to apples, like comparing the Sony a200 to a Nikon D40 or a Canon XS.