Im a complete nube please help

Donplayer813 · Oct 29, 2009

First off i would like to say hi to everyone , and thanks in advance for reading

I'm 22 always been a fan of photography and trying to pic it up more as a hobby now . Me and my fiance are researching around for a good starter camera, but to be quite honest I don't know if we are ready for a DSLR like the D-series or rebel line .

Being a starter I dont want to limit myself to grow by buying a camera that i'll grow out off immediatley ... I have seen a couple of cameras that catch my attention please help me decide what I should be looking at because I want to enjoy photography not be over-whemled by it .

The cameras I have looked at (but not limited to) are :

Nikon D40-90
Sony HX-1
Canon Rebel

fokker · Oct 29, 2009

Either of the nikons or canons mentioned are perfect for you. They won't break the bank (personally I would buy second hand when starting out and look out for a package deal with lots of accesories) and leave plenty of scope for improvement through changing lenses etc. You won't outgrow it for a long time, plus you won't regret moving up to a DSLR, it will change your outlook on life I promise!

Donplayer813 · Oct 29, 2009

LOL thanks for the quick reply should i shoot for the d90 then or will that be just to much to handle for a beginner

PhotoXopher · Oct 29, 2009

If you can swing a D90, go for it! I'm new to this myself and up until last December (or thereabouts) I didn't even know what aperture was. I started out with a D40, a month or so later I got a D80, then Best Buy had a sale on D200's so I got one of those, sold the D80, took back the D200 and got a D90 and sold the D40.

Whew!

Anyway, the D90 really isn't any harder to work than a D40 - in face I think it's easier since you have more direct control vs having to go into the menu system for certain commonly used functions.

Plus the dual command dials are great!

If you're interested in geotagging your photos, the D90 has that ability as well with an add-on GPS unit.

Donplayer813 · Oct 29, 2009

thanks i keep lookin at shots on the D90 that lok amazing , how was your d80 ?

Donplayer813 · Oct 29, 2009

And im the same as you NOYZE i really dont understand much of the science of photograpy yet

PhotoXopher · Oct 29, 2009

D80 was great... and since you asked I'll do a quick run down of why I kept switching.

D40 - D80
I wanted dual command dials and Commander mode (wireless flash ability built in).

D80 - D200
I wanted GPS ability, and it was only $599 brand new at the time.

D200 - D90
High ISO on the D200 sucked, the D90 had everything I wanted and does high ISO incredibly well. I bit the bullet and haven't looked back since. Video was an added bonus, I do use it and love that it has it.

In the end I came out about even on all my buy/sell stuff but a little more research would have spared me the trouble. In a way I'm glad it happened this way though I got some experience with a nice range of camera bodies in a short period of time :lol:

BuS_RiDeR · Oct 29, 2009

I am a Canon man.... But if you go with the Nikon D90 I am sure you'll be happy. Its a great camera. I was VERY close to buying the D90. But I chose the Canon 50D, since I have other Canon gear from my 35mm that works with it.

They are both great cameras (I did a LOT of research before buying... hehe)

The Nikon D90 falls in between the Canon T1i and the Canon 50D... except that the D90 does hi def video.

Check Camera Labs: Digital Camera, DSLR and Lens Reviews its a yet another great resource for info and comparisons.

BuS-RiDeR
Canon 50D
Canon Elan II

Donplayer813 · Oct 29, 2009

Damn d90 sounds bad ass , how do you feel about the sony hx-1 panoramic mode , does the d90 offer anything like that ?

JayCanon · Oct 29, 2009

Welcome to the forum!

I think your best bet would be either the Nikon or Canon. Those companies have been established for a long time, and you're more likely to get better technical help here on the forum since the overwhelming majority use either Nikon or Canon.

You shouldn't be worried about whether or not you feel you're ready for a DSLR. They can be used in a fully automatic mode which will help you get familiar with it. Aside from having to zoom manually, they can essentially work the same way as a point-and-shoot camera does. A good DSLR will last a long time - no need to worry about growing out of it. They are all high quality and capable of anything your creativity and skill level allows.
If you get a camera body with a "kit lens", that would be a great way to learn the camera and all it's features. Then you can always upgrade lenses later, depending on what you like to shoot.

Once you have a DSLR, there will be nothing holding you back. The sky will be the limit. You can take the hobby as far as you want to go.

PhotoXopher · Oct 29, 2009

No, but there's all kinds of great photo stitching software out there - some really nice ones for free, too.

Donplayer813 · Oct 29, 2009

Thx bus for the add ill definatley check it out , im just kinda scared to be overwhelmed by all the options on the d90

Donplayer813 · Oct 29, 2009

Thx Jaycanon , you kinda hit my concern on the head with your answer , i thinkthe D0 will be alot of fun , my fiance will also be getting into a photography class next semster so I think it will be a great buy