Need a lot of help choosing a camera to buy!

[MykulPasskwa]

7) The T3i is a fine camera. Unless you've acquired an exclusive contract to do all photography for National Geographic, I have NO idea what this person thought would be any kind of limiting factor. The T3i can use essentially ALL Canon lenses and lenses made for Canon cameras.

14) Essentially a non-issue. Get a bunch of smaller cards, like 8gb. Get class 10 so you have good write speeds. They're cheap and plentiful.

I'm pretty upset at your reply only because I wish I had consulted this forum first, however thank you because now I know I should have kept it. The storage I don't really care about I only answered it because it was a question.

If you wish not to be limited in the future, you need to drastically raise your budget.

At the same time, if you only take snapshots, what camera you get doesn't really matter.

Could you give me a good idea of how much I need to "drastically raise [my] budget"? More for curiosity than anything else. Also I only put that I take snap shots because it was either snap shots or large print, and I can't think of a practical reason why someone entering photography would jump right into large prints.

I'm with others in this thread, there was nothing wrong with that entry level Canon.

2) Thats actually a steep requirement. For example, only 2 Nikon DSLRs currently fulfill it - the entry level D3200 (24 Megapixel) and the flagship D800 (32 Megapixel). All other current Nikon DSLRs have only 16 Megapixel (and thats the native resoltion, thanks to Demosaicing the actual resolution is lower).

10) Um. Then why do you need 18 Megapixel ?
15) Just for the record - DSLRs in general suck for video. Awful autofocus, monosound, sound of the lens on the video, etc. Get a dedicated video camera to really have fun. Damn, even just get an iPod and at least you'll get fast video autofocus with that.

I only put 18MP because I just wanted to put something that was "average" for whats out there. anything in the double digits i'll be happy with, but I was just filling empty space when I filled out that part of the questions. And I dont really care about video either, I just know most DSLR's come with a video capability so I put yes. You had a lot of great points I didn't add, but I'm taking them all into consideration, so thank you very much!

Technically with that budget you could try and get a Canon t$i which is slightly newer so it will last longer than t3i, plus it has AF during video recording if you get an STM lens with it. I think a t4i with 18-135mm STM would be the perfect deal because it will allow you to shoot from cityscape to landscape while giving you continuous AF in video. It'd be a perfect "one-lens" solution for traveling.

Thank you! I'm going to seriously consider this now that I have the opportunity and everyone is saying I could have stuck with the T3i.

Your budget fall short of your expectations to build a camera system as you described. I have owned Nikons for over 40 years and have shot with Canon and other brands in between, always returning to Nikon, for the simple fact nobody out does them in optics. So staying in you budget and still having money left over to purchase lense etc, I would suggest the NIKON D90. Often you can find them in a kit form with lens etc. EXCELLENT Camera for the price and you have a whole series of DX lenses to choose from, especially if you are doing travel photography. Look I have been around the block, and can highly recommend this model camera, because I have used it already and found it to be an excelent overall camera from a person who wants great results on a budget. It will easliy do everything you have listed and more. Again I am a NIKON person and recommend to you a model that meets your criteria. I have recommended this camera to several friends and co workers ALL have been very satisfied with the resutls and the camera itself. If you are overseas and in the Military, you should be able to pick this camera up for a great prices with AFEES.

The NIkon N90 has:

• 12.3-MP DX-format CMOS sensor
• Brilliant 3-inch, 920,000-dot Color LCD
• EXPEED image processing concept

The D800 has 36.3MP FX-format CMOS sensor and worth every cent you purchase this camera for. You should care about that, as if you crop in close to photos, the more pixals the better results you get when blowing up photographs. Using a 200mm VR lense you can enlarge a photo almost four times and still have no noise, and the reason in using the D800 your 36.3MP comes into play. the D800 acts more like a Medium Format Digital than a 35mm. So it makes a great difference and not just Nikionians care about this, all serious photographs do, as the result of you shoot is really determined when you process the shot.

This is probably the one I want to consider the most only because I know I like Canon but your argument was very convincing so I may switch to Nikon. The D90 sounds like a great camera for me, and I'm curious of some other models. Thank you very much for the detailed reply!

 

[3bayjunkie]

Nikon D5100 with 18-55mm lens. Ok next question?

Sent from my iPhone using PhotoForum

 

[EDL]

Any of the entry level cameras by the major brands will do just fine. Nikon D3100, D5100, Canon T2i, T3i or T4i, etc. If you want to step up a little higher (in addition to more money) you'll need to think about what type of photography you want to do the most. The answer could be important in deciding which brand/model to go with. There's not a huge difference in performance across the entry to mid level cameras across brands as far as the bodies go, but the lenses are where the money (and image quality) is at. Once you spend several thousand dollars on a quality lens or two you're not going to want to change brands and have to start over again.

 

[MykulPasskwa]

Any of the entry level cameras by the major brands will do just fine. Nikon D3100, D5100, Canon T2i, T3i or T4i, etc.

Thank you. It seems like more and more people are recommending the D5100 so maybe thats the one I should go with. Ill test it out and see if I get that gooey feeling.

 

[Ebvette]

That is an attitude thing from a person, I happen to beleive some of the best photos taken were taken by PEOPLE who knew how to capture the photo with the resource they had. Give me any type of camera, and I will capture very good photos, because its how the PERSON sees and takes the photo, the camera is just a tool, once a craftsman knows how to use that tool, you will get great results.

Sorry you ran into a Nikon Snob, and they are out there, I respect ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS and people who are willing to learn, I don't respect those who buy the best equipment, only to brag about it and not know who to use it. Regardless if it is NIKON, SONY, Canon, Olympus, etc. I judge a person as a person not what they posses......so sorry you had a bad experience with a snob.....

 

[Ebvette]

Sorry typo that is D-90 thank you for the pick up here.....:thumbsup:

 

[Ebvette]

Any of the entry level cameras by the major brands will do just fine. Nikon D3100, D5100, Canon T2i, T3i or T4i, etc. If you want to step up a little higher (in addition to more money) you'll need to think about what type of photography you want to do the most. The answer could be important in deciding which brand/model to go with. There's not a huge difference in performance across the entry to mid level cameras across brands as far as the bodies go, but the lenses are where the money (and image quality) is at. Once you spend several thousand dollars on a quality lens or two you're not going to want to change brands and have to start over again.

You bring some good choices here for him, but I think shooting for a little more complicated camera will give him the urge and tool needed for him to grow. I say keeping a camera at his level for three years is enough time to feel confident for the next level, with the D-90 that really gives him all the bells and whisltes needed to keep him shooting and learning for three to four years to really know all about that camera, considering he is in a lower mid range skill set. My concern with the camera you mention are for a few hundred more you get a much more versitile camera, but still excellent choices, this is were the buyer needs to see, feel, and try what he want to purchase.

 

[DennyCrane]

At the end of the day, the person pressing the shutter release is far more important that what's underneath the shutter release button. A great photographer could make a masterpiece with a point and shoot and a hack could make a lousy snapshot with a Nikon D4 or a Canon EOS 1D X.

Ignore ANYONE who steers you toward a particular brand. Go out and see what YOU like and what feels best. Canon works for me, Sony works for other people, etc.