Help with picking a new camera.

[ajkramer87]

I am in need of some help with picking a new camera. I'm using a canon rebel
xt. I feel that I have out grown the camera and am ready to get something better. I had my mind set on getting a nikon d90 but am starting have second thoughts. Everything I read is always the same. I don't care that it takes video. If I was concerned with that I'd buy a camcorder. Is there anything out there that I could look at that is in the same class as the d90 but is focused more on taking pictures and not video?

 

[Montana]

Canon 50D. Step up from the D90 and the XT. No video, but you get microadjust and lots of other "goodies".

 

[Josh66]

If you have outgrown your camera you shouldn't have to ask what to get next.

:er:

 

[Hardrock]

Canon 50D. Step up from the D90 and the XT. No video, but you get microadjust and lots of other "goodies".

+1 ,I Upgraded from a XT to a 50D and it was a huge difference.

 

[Diamond Dave]

Just because the d90 takes video doesn't mean it's not a fine still shot camera body. All of the top Nikon and Canon bodies shoot video, but they're still primarily meant for photography.

In what ways have you outgrown the XT? What won't it do that you want to be able to do?

 

[KmH]

the d90 but is focused more on taking pictures and not video?

You are mis-informed.

The D90 is firmly focused on making high quality still images. And it kicks the behind of it's Canon counterpart in the useable ISO department in the bargain.

The video function is just gravy.

 

[Josh66]

What lenses do you have?

 

[J Man]

What is your budget for a new camera?
As mentioned before, what lenses do you have for the xt? If you have 10 lenses it would not make sense that you would need a different camera where you would have to start all over buying new.

I am on my second Canon currently using a xti. No problems with the first one just wanted more megapixels. If I upgrade again it will be to a medium format but that will be after prices come down some.

 

[george elsasser]

Unless the camera is keeping you from some certain kind of work you want to do I myself would invest in other photographer's books, ie: Ansel Adams, Ralph Gibson, Garry Winnogrand or what ever photographers' work you like. This will improve your photography a lot faster than a new camera. A great learning book is Looking at Photographs by John Szarkowski. It would be an extremely rare thing to find no other photgrapher's books in really good photographer's home.

Better cameras do not make better pictures, growing photograpers do. I mean this to be helpful, it really deepends on your goals as a photographer or a person, you may have no interest in looking at picture books or already own a bunch.

On cameras if I had many lenses of 1 company I would not jump ship, too much hassel. Nikon, Canon what ever more or less the same, especially in a digital world. When I buy a digital camera I look at it as a refridgerater full of film and remember ultimately it is disposable so what are the dollars and cents as it relates to my shooting habits. These days the cameras get improved slightly often but I find it helpful to wait at least 2 generations before I bother to pay much attention. I can vouch for the D90 it's the plastic version of the D300 both of which are the FX versions of the D700 and D3 which are both DX meaning full frame.

Out of my posted images here: 1st image 1977 was from a used Olympus 35mm film camera, 2nd 1987 was from a Nikon point and shoot 35mm film camera, 3rd 2005 was from Nikon D70 digital w a $120 70-300mm lens, 4th 2008 was from a Nikon D3.

I have a 20x30" print here from the 6 megpix D70 that I did all the darkroom work on in PS that looks incredible. There are lots of things to consider, I just wanted to point out there are more options than you may have thought about.
The best time I ever had was going to a photo workshop in Vermont in 1980, if you have never attended one Maine Photographic workshops are fantastic.

Hope something here is helpful, if digital had not shone up and I did not shoot weddings for a living I would still be using 2 Nikon F100 film cameras until they broke and could not be repaired. If I never shot a wedding or any paying photo job I would still be using my used Nikon F2 with my hand held light meter. I would not have bothered with any of it unless I needed it.

 

[ajkramer87]

Thanks for all your feedback. The main reason that I'm looking to get a new camera is because I don't care all that much for my xt. Don't get me wrong I got some good pictures with it but it's just enough. I played with a buddys d90 and was hooked. I'm not really concerned with the Money side. It was my first dslr. I bought it used fairly cheap just to play with it. I just feel it's time to move on. I have the kit lens 18-55mm and I bought the 75-300mm lens. I should have no problems selling this setup. Again thanks for all the feedback. Im looking forward to what this site has to offer.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

Neither of the lenses that you have (discontinued EF-S 18-55mm USM kit lens and cheap 75-300mm) are good.

 

[inTempus]

If you shoot with your buddy all the time, get the D90. It would be fun (IMHO) to have similar cameras to screw around with.

Ignore the video feature if you don't want to use it. I have it on my cameras and I totally ignore it. You'll forget it's even there. I do.

You can't go wrong with the D90, it's a great body at a great price.

If you want to stick with Canon and money isn't a concern, check out the 7D. It's amazing and the autofocus system is class leading.