Looking for decent/older DSLR recommendations in the $500 range.

[MTVision]

They are manual, indeed, which I don't mind. If I end up not liking it, I can always just get the new one that I listed.

But it won't meter either.

 

[lieforalie]

They are manual, indeed, which I don't mind. If I end up not liking it, I can always just get the new one that I listed.

But it won't meter either.

Is it useless if it doesn't meter?

 

[MTVision]

Are you a beginner? Do you know how to figure out the exposure by looking at light? I personally would just spend the extra money on a lens that auto focuses and meters.

 

[subscuck]

You seem to be piling helping after helping on your plate, and not sure where to stick the fork first. Slow down. Get your camera, get the standard 18-55mm kit lens and a copy of "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Work with those three things for a while, and once you start figuring things out a little, and start increasing your knowledge, you'll know what you need. You appear to be shopping based on price, rather than shopping based on knowledge.

 

[lieforalie]

You seem to be piling helping after helping on your plate, and not sure where to stick the fork first. Slow down. Get your camera, get the standard 18-55mm kit lens and a copy of "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Work with those three things for a while, and once you start figuring things out a little, and start increasing your knowledge, you'll know what you need. You appear to be shopping based on price, rather than shopping based on knowledge.

My goal here is to research enough about cameras/lenses before purchasing so that I can make an educated purchase, and not get something blindly. I chose my camera, and now I was looking for a good lens or two to get me started. I didn't understand that the E lens wasn't compatible with newer D80, but after finding that out, it was easier to decide what I need. No harm in wanting to get started off on the right foot, yes?

 

[subscuck]

No harm in wanting to get started off on the right foot, yes?

No, there isn't. However, reading tech specs and lens reviews won't tell you if it's a lens you should own. Probably just about everyone who jumped into this hobby, including me, bought lenses at the beginning based on someone telling them "get this lens, it's so sharp you need kevlar gloves to handle the prints", or "this is the best lens for (insert type/style of photography)", then found that one or more of those lenses sat in their bag, unused, because it wasn't a lens useful for the type of photography they did most. A kit lens will show you rather quickly what focal lengths you'll use most, as well as what types of shots you want to get, which will then lead you to intelligent choices for lenses based on what you shoot most, not what they shoot most. For instance, 50mm's are always recommended because it was a pretty standard lens in the days of film because with 35mm film, or full frame digital, slr's, it provides normal perspective. That is, the field of view closely matches that of the naked eye. However, most people who recommend a 50 do so without realizing this is a throw back to the good old days of film, and on a crop body, it's actually just over the line into telephoto territory. For normal perspective on crops, you're looking at a 30 or 35mm lens. That's why I recommend shooting with a kit lens for a while. Figure it out on your own and buy what suits your needs​, not someone else's.

 

[lieforalie]

Well, I took the advice on the kit lens and cancelled my 50mm 1.8d order. It seems like the best option for me to figure out what I need. In preparation for tomorrow when my camera arrives, I was shooting with my Minolta SRT 101 35mm which has a 50mm 1.7 lens on it, and I was finding that it gives good bokeh (heh, look at me with the photog terms) when I'm in the 3-15ft range from the subject, but anything past 15ft is basically all focused, and anything closer is obviously a blur. I also found that when I wanted to take a wide shot of a building, I could never get far back enough without crossing the street, and even then it wasn't far enough, so I'll definitely need the wider range that the kit offers. Down the road, as advised, I can decide what lenses I should pickup based on how the kit lens works for me. Thanks again for all of the input, everyone, it really has been incredibly helpful. Between this forum, dpreview, and a few of my photographer friends, I have learned so much! Expect C&C pictures posted up in the beginner's section after my camera, and kit, (hopefully) arrives tomorrow! This thing will never leave my side!

 

[Infinite_Day]

Think that was a good call. It's not as though they're going to run out of lenses and you can always sell the kit lens if/when you decide to upgrade to another lens. For what it's worth - a 50mm prime is a good walkaround lens - even on a DX body unless you focus on wildlife or architecture photography. I have three primes and rarely use my 18-105 kit lens unless I need the wide angle end. Hope you enjoy your new gear.

 

[lieforalie]

I have three primes and rarely use my 18-105 kit lens unless I need the wide angle end. Hope you enjoy your new gear.

Do you not shoot a lot of wide shots, or does the zoom you have work alright for your wide angles when needed?

 

[LuigiVN]

You could also wait until Black Friday, last year a friend of mine got a T1i (500D) for about $450 with the kit lens. I bought a $300 Rebel Xti some months ago off amazon and I love it, but low light capability isn't really great... Try to get at least a Xsi or 40D. For the lens I'd recommend the EF 28-105 USM f 3.5-4.5. Great build quality, 7 blade aperture, moderately fast aperture and good IQ, you can get it for about $130-180 on ebay.

 

[lieforalie]

You could also wait until Black Friday, last year a friend of mine got a T1i (500D) for about $450 with the kit lens. I bought a $300 Rebel Xti some months ago off amazon and I love it, but low light capability isn't really great... Try to get at least a Xsi or 40D. For the lens I'd recommend the EF 28-105 USM f 3.5-4.5. Great build quality, 7 blade aperture, moderately fast aperture and good IQ, you can get it for about $130-180 on ebay.

I already purchased a used (EX+) D80 from KEH.com for like $325, which I thought was a pretty sick deal. So, I'm a 'Nikonian' now, so Canon lenses don't help me. I'll definitely watch the BF deals for a new lens (or two) depending on what I need, but for now the kit lens will help me figure out what I need to drop the real dough on.

 

[Infinite_Day]

Do you not shoot a lot of wide shots, or does the zoom you have work alright for your wide angles when needed?

Right now I don't shoot a lot of wide shots. Where I live isn't the best area for nice landscapes and that is what I'd primarily use a wide angle for. The 18-105 isn't bad - it just isn't quite as sharp as I'd like it to be sometimes. Like somebody else said, it's useful for trying to figure out what focal lengths you have a tendency to use most. I have two more lenses on my wish list which will replace the 18-105 when/if I get them.

 

[lieforalie]

Camera arrived this morning, and this thing is in mint condition! For 'EX,' I was expecting it to be worse. The only thing that has even the slightest wear is the plastic LCD cover. I'm curious to see the number of shutter actuations. My lens is arriving within the next hour or two probably, so I'll upload a photo to Flickr and check the EXIF data there. !!!!

 

[lieforalie]

I found that my actuation count is 34795, so I guess that makes the EX condition even though it's mint cosmetically. Still, not a bad deal in my opinion! First photo right here! I can't complain about the quality of the kit lens!

 

[flatflip]

What is / was the kit lens for a D80?