Help On Buying a New DSLR Please? 1st Post

[daz_uk]

Hi All

I came across a link to your website whilst surfing. Please can you give me some clear information for a regular guy like me, who is not a photographic expert by any means.

When my family and I (wife and 2 children aged 10 and 12) returned from vacation I decided that the Pentax compact camera was very deficient and its poor overall performance let us down. So I am looking for a new DSLR so I can take decent quality photos (hopefully).

In the past I owned the Olympus Superzoom 110 which was an excellent companion for me. Since then I have owned a Sony 3.2MP but my wife won the Pentax 5MP in a draw at work (!)

When I started to read reviews, and look in stores at DSLR’s, I was really impressed with the Nikon D80 (especially the view finder and build quality). But since then the Olympus D510 has arrived with more interesting functions as standard (Live View, dust removal, IS and also 2 lens pack).

As I haven’t used a DSLR before I wondered which will provide the best value for me and my family? Also for some reason (which I hope you will explain too) Olympus seem to be viewed as lower down the food chain as far as photography goes? Is this because they are the new kids on the block or are they inferior? Or is it the 4/3 system that they use?

Please try to help when you have a chance as I would like your opinion due to the clear, ‘no nonsense’ and honest style you guys use on here.

Take Care
Darren
Manchester, England

 

[The_Traveler]

Darren,
Have you looked back through the postings in this forum and the beginners forum?
There have been innumerable discussions of this ame topic.

 

[Don Simon]

Hi,

As Traveler says, there are many questions like this on an almost daily basis here - check back a page or two and you should find some which might help. Honestly, these sort of discussions always involve us telling you what we use, and why you should use the same. We can tell you what we like about various cameras and systems, but honestly only you can decide what's better value, based on the features you want.

I will just say a few things. Firstly about Olympus being the "new kids on the block". They've been making optical products since 1919, cameras since 1936, and digital ones since 1996, so I guess it depends on your definition of "new"

Also Olympus are definitely are not inferior quality. Canon and Nikon have the majority of the market. They have done for quite some time now, it doesn't mean their products are inherently better quality. Some people will tell you that the 4/3 system is a bad idea. Olympus, Panasonic and Leica(!) users will tell you otherwise.

Truth is each system has benefits, some are more important to some people and others to other people. Any of the dSLR systems (Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony) will let you take fantastic photographs... so take a look at their cameras, their lenses, their flashes, their prices, check out a few reviews, and, most importantly, get into a shop and try handling them yourself. Then make a decision, start taking photographs, and enjoy

 

[daz_uk]

Hey Guys

Thanks for your replies. I suppose I should have realised that I am not the first person to be involved in such a dilema!

I must admit I went to a store today and held the Canon D40, Nikon D80 and an Olympus E510... Again! The Nikon is great, but I cannot see past all the features on the Olympus and I take ZaphodB's point about Olympus not being apprentices!!

So the message is it's all about opinions at this level of camera and most people will be biased to their preferred brand as they would be with cars, watches, hifi, potato chips and any other product.

I'm off to look at previous posts now, so thanks again, but my favourite up to now is the Olympus because I think when they should soon establish themselves and they should be quite a decent camera manufacturer