Help please...

[J.Bat]

Ok I am new to photography so i need help with which camera to get, either

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1204499154&sr=1-1

or a nikon D-40

or a nikon D-100

Thank you...

 

[Antithesis]

We need to know what your going to use it for. I'd recommend going into a store and seeing how different cameras feel in your hand. You'll find that the consumer grade Nikons generally feel like they have a little bit of a better build than the consumer grade Canons.

Also, I'd get a d40 before a d100.

 

[J.Bat]

Well I am wanting to do photography cause I am skilled in Photoshop and want to get into senior pics and what not, what should i do?

 

[J.Bat]

Anyone?

 

[Socrates]

Anyone?

Be patient. You waited all of thirteen minutes!

Now, tell us a bit more about yourself. Experience with SLRs, including film SLRs? Budget? What will you do besides senior pics or is that it?

 

[J.Bat]

This is my first SLR experience, and my budget is about 600 dollars, I just love photography, so I want to do nature and all that, including senior pics.

 

[WDodd]

They are all without a doubt good beginner cameras. At www.dpreview.com you can compare the features side-by-side.

Given the limited description of what you would like to do with your camera its really hard to say which one would be the best for you. If someone is charging you for senior pictures, many here feel that if you are working as a professional (aka charging) you should have professional quality gear.

What would you think if you take your kid to get their senior pictures and someone is using a consumer grade dSLR? This is not saying you cannot produce quite exceptional images with that camera but its an ongoing debate around here.

The only real advice I have to offer you about choosing a camera is to make sure you research some used gear. There's a buy and sell section here as well as on other photography related forums in which you could land yourself a really good deal on a body, thus leaving more room for good glass. (Good glass is more important than a good body)

 

[J.Bat]

Ok thank you a lot, and I am assuming glass is lens?

 

[Mav]

Get either the Canon XTi or the Nikon D40 with the basic kit lens, and then a 50mm f/1.8 lens from either which is a great starter prime/portrait lens. That'll be right at about $600, and you'll be able to get great results from either. Note that you'll have to manually focus the 50mm lens on the D40. Be sure to read this thread before you buy a D40 to make sure you're aware of and understand its limitations.

 

[Sandspur]

Well, among those three, the D100 is the only one that is built to last. It was the entry level "pro" Nikon when it was introduced ... but that was at least 6 years ago. So the technology is pretty antiquated.

Back then the D100 sold for $1995.00!

So, from the standpoint of quality construction and durability, it's head and shoulders better than either of the other two. But it's not nearly as sophisticated as the other two technologically. Things just change so fast these days that even the cheapest DSLRs now have more sophisticated (and in most cases, superior) sensors and processors.

I've used a D100 professionally for five years now. It's still my favorite workhorse camera. I'm upgrading soon to a D300, but I'll keep the 100 around as a backup.

For around $600, you'll be getting a Used - maybe VERY used - D100. So I'd be real careful there. And if someone is selling you a "brand new" D100, just be aware: Nikon quit making them a LONG time ago, so it's probably been sitting forgotten on a shelf somewhere for quite a while.

The D40 and the Rebel are very lightweight, plastic camera bodies. They're not designed to last more than a couple of years. So don't expect them to. They're strictly entry level DSLRs. But add some decent lenses and a good flash, and then when the camera body dies just replace it.

 

[J.Bat]

Ok thank you so much, I think I will go with the Canon with the upgraded lends, or should I buy the body only and the good lens?

 

[brileyphotog]

I may be a little late but I would echo Sandspur. The D100 may not have the newest bells and whistles but it is definitely the most solid...and it still takes one heck of a picture.

I'm not too familiar with the Canon options but the used Canon equivalent of the D100 might also be worth looking into.

There are a lot more good manufacturers than Canon and Nikon as well...you might want to shop around a little bit more.