Looking for a DSLR, don't know where to start

[spacemule]

There's a timeline of the models on the bottom of this page.
​

 

[fido dog]

Get a Canon 300D (Digital Rebel) off Ebay. Sure it's a couple of years old, but I bet you can find one for cheap. I like mine so much that after upgrading I will keep it. You don't need to worry about frames per second because sk8ting is too fast! Plan your shots and shoot a frogs ass hair of a second BEFORE the desired result. My 300D has paid for itself many times over.

SK8TING'S NOT A CRIME!!

IT'S A LIFESTYLE!:mrgreen:

 

[DSLR noob]

I say a Canon Digital Rebel XT($445), an 8.2 megapixel 3 frame per second DSLR. A Canon EF 50 1:1.8 II ($75){this will be your skating lens because of a max aperture of 1.8 that will allow you to get blazing hsutter speeds to stop action} and a Canon EF 70-105 1:3.5-4.5 USM ($230). Then top it all off with a 2GB memory card ($50).

This brings you to a grand total of $800. Follow the links below for all product reccomendations, or forward it to your parents to go ahead and get that Chirstmas/Birthday gift ready to ship.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/371189-REG/Canon_0209B001_EOS_Digital_Rebel_XT.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12142-USA/Canon_2514A002_Normal_EF_50mm_f_1_8.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/206434-USA/Canon_6469A005_Zoom_Wide_Angle_Telephoto_EF.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...CF_2GB_U2_2GB_CompactFlash_Ultimate_266x.html

 

[Urban Grimshaw]

You don't need to worry about frames per second because sk8ting is too fast! Plan your shots and shoot a frogs ass hair of a second BEFORE the desired result.

That's exactly why you have to worry about it. 3fps isn't fast enough for skating. You might get lucky with it every so often, and depending on what you're shooting, but to seriously shoot sequences you need faster, which comes at a price.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about sequences until you get to grips with photography and have a little more cash.

And you'll get better advice in here in regards to frame rate, etc http://forums.skateperception.com/

 

[Brotage]

I say a Canon Digital Rebel XT($445), an 8.2 megapixel 3 frame per second DSLR. A Canon EF 50 1:1.8 II ($75){this will be your skating lens because of a max aperture of 1.8 that will allow you to get blazing hsutter speeds to stop action} and a Canon EF 70-105 1:3.5-4.5 USM ($230). Then top it all off with a 2GB memory card ($50).

This brings you to a grand total of $800. Follow the links below for all product reccomendations, or forward it to your parents to go ahead and get that Chirstmas/Birthday gift ready to ship.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/371189-REG/Canon_0209B001_EOS_Digital_Rebel_XT.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12142-USA/Canon_2514A002_Normal_EF_50mm_f_1_8.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/206434-USA/Canon_6469A005_Zoom_Wide_Angle_Telephoto_EF.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...CF_2GB_U2_2GB_CompactFlash_Ultimate_266x.html

thanks bro, that helps a lot, really considering that.

How do I know what lenses I can use for so-and-so camera?

And whats the deal with the 1.8 lens.. can I adjust aperture? or how does it work for that lens?

 

[DSLR noob]

you can adjust it, but it maxes out at 1.8 (smaller umbers are better) It will reduce your depth of field for beautiful blurred backgrounds to make your subject stand out, and it lets you use faster shutter speeds because it lets in more light. It also makes for a brighter viewfinder.

Sample (out of camera, REAL blur, no digital filters):
Blurred background for better subject definition
http://i22.tinypic.com/9lde2p.jpg
(I can't access my photobucket account so I can't rotate or resize after upload and my computer bogs when I have too many applications open. also: is anyone else having trouble with photobucket?)

 

[Brotage]

That's sick, so if I use that for skating it'll focus on the skater more and blur the background?

 

[DSLR noob]

yeah, and you'll be able to use a shutter speed like 1/2000(of a second) is broad daylight at ISO 100 to get a crisp shot, or a speed of 1/500 on a cloudy day to get (most likely) a still crisp shot.

 

[Brotage]

will it always have a really shallow DOF? or can I change that?

 

[DSLR noob]

you can change it. Stop down to 3.5 and it'll act like the kit lens opened up all the way @18mm or 5.6 to be opened up as much as the kit lens @55mm. Or F/8 is the "sweet spot" and the background will be in focus but your object that the AF system pics will be tack sharp!

 

[Brotage]

ehh. stupid question.. what are F stops? or whatever your talking about ,and how do I change them?

and once again, how do I know if one lense is compatible with a certain camera body?

 

[maddermaxx]

Seems to me you need to learn more about Photography/Camera's in general before making this decision.. So far it seems you don't know what you want 100% in a camera.

And F/stop is the maximum aperture of a lens. Change it is changing your aperture.

All modern Canon digitals use EF mount. or EF-S

 

[DSLR noob]

okay, light enters through the barrel of a lens onto the shutter of a camera. The shutter opens for a given time and the image is recorded on the sensor(or film) behind the shutter that was blocking the light. For light to get through,it must past towards the front element, the focusing element, and an adjustable hole (much like the iris around a pupil in your eye except made of aperture blades) then out of the back element into the camera. As you adjust this opening the amount of light that can get through changes. There is a numerical value for the opening. A smaller number means it is open more, an aperture of zero is a camera with no lens. The numerical value represents a stop, or one value of exposure. For the perfect exposure, you have to have the aperture and shutter line up in a ratio. If you speed the shutter up one stop, you open the lens one stop. It will remain 1:1 ratio. To overexpose or underexpose a picture you change the ratio. As more light gets in, you can use faster shutter speed and reduce blur (more open lenses also blur the background and foreground in front and behind your subject more) Closing this hole is called "stopping down" because you will reduce the exposure stop value of th aperture(or raise the #). If you throw your camera into "P" mode, that is program AE where the camera selects the values for both shutter speed and aperture. If you compose your shot and press helfway, the camera will tell you what it is going to use. You can change these values for desired effect and the camera will keep them the same stop ratio.

For example. You see a picture you want to take. You're in P mode (aAVOID AUTO MODE, P is basically auto with control of the ratio, full auto sets one ratio rather than giving you a set to choose from) you hold up the camera and press the shutter halfway, the camera focuses, sets up a ratio for the scene, and gives you values in the viewfinder.

Let's say the camera tells you, that for this situation, you want to use an aperture of F/4.5 and a shutter speed of 1/15th of a second. Well you know by practicing that you can't handhold the camera at 1/15 and get a shaper picture, you also want the background blurry. so you turn the wheel and watch the values change to

F/4.5 and 1/15(you start with this) "ugh, no, I can't handhold this, my picture will be blurry"
F/4.0 and 1/30 "still not fast enough"
F/3.5 and 1/60 (most cheap lenses can't open up any more than this) "maybe, I'd prefer more security"
F/2.8 and 1/100"ok shutter speed's good, but let's blur that background a little more"
F/2.0 and 1/120"a little moe..."
then F/1.8 and 1/150...... "perfect, thanks canon for making the 50mm 1.8 so affordable"

-click-

and a beautiful picture shows up on the LCD screen.

Do you get it?

Overexposed 1.5 stops:

good exposure:

underexposed 1.5 stops:

(what I was saying earlier is that most lenses have the absolute sharpest subjects at F/8)

 

[Brotage]

I wish I could have saved you the time and said I already knew that..

perhaps I should have said I know what it does, just don't know what its called, or abbreviated as.

I feel perfectly comfortable with my film camera, just when I look at cameras online I don't know what the letters and numbers mean.

I can't thank you enough for taking so much of your time trying to help me, but yeah, I got how the camera works I just can't apply it to what I see online if that makes any sense?

however, im still a bit blurry on this lens stuff, maybe I just need to focus more... *cough*

Could anyone explain the difference between telephoto, and prime? I'm guessing wide angle, just gives you a wider angle..

I like looking at the customer pictures on amazon for each camera and I can usually find some that make me go "wow" but going through all the XT's they're all pretty lame.
But it would also be pretty unfair to judge it off something like that especially when its probably the persons fault

Anyway im also looking at Nikon D40x and this lens http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/97413-GREY/Nikon_1902_Normal_AF_Nikkor_50mm.html

anyone have anything to say about this?

 

[cameramike]

i just got the rebel xti and LOVE IT. just about everyones going to tell you its not the camera that makes the picture but the lens. invest in the glass not the camera is something else you'll hear. telephoto means its going to "zoom" in more on something depending how much of a "zoom" depends on the type of a lens, a 500mm is going to have more than a 300mm. I could be wrong but im pretty sure a prime is something like the 50mm f1.8, it is a fixed lense with a very open aperture allowing you to get super crisp clean shots.

when you decide on a camera it will tell you what type of mount it is. if you have a canon camera obviously a nikon lens isn't going to work.