Need camera recommendation FAST - help please!

[Adamneedsadvice]

Hey everyone, I want to buy a digital slr camera today or tomorrow and I need recommendations fast. I just graduatated college, am low on money, so im pretty much limited to those stores / companies offering financing - so Sony, or Best Buy. I dont want to spend a ton of money right now though. When I was looking at Sony Cameras, I was basically looking at the alpha500's ones around 6-700. I looked at best buy though, and they offer longer financing (good for me) except theres a wide variety to choose from. Reason I was looking at sonys in the first place was because I recently bought a handycam xr550v for videos, ... funny too because these digital slr cameras apparently have really nice videos on them... (well not the sony ones pff hope it doesnt turn out to have been a waste after I get a slr camera...)

Heres the link to the best buy cameras. (I am willing to spend more here since financing is for longer)

Body & Lens - BestBuy

please help, I need a good camera, that will take create crisp, finely detailed prints with for modeling portfolios 9x12 (thats how little details of skin, pores, etc.) I also want to use it for architectural photographs, landscapes, action shots, etc. It would be really nice to have crisp prints 24"+ for artistic shots. (probably not possible with a not 2500+ budget huh?) The crisper the images at larger sizes is always better, obviously, as well as ability to take pictures in all degrees of lighting, so high ISO. Ive been looking through cameras for weeks, and trying to compare, they all seem similar or have little differences, and ones I think seem better, people seem to not like (sonys) seems people prefer nikons?

I was also looking at sony nex cameras, for whatever reason, reviews I read had them taking better pictures than comparably priced slr cameras, not sure why though because everything I heard, says dslr cameras are better picture quality than nex, even though its good too.

anyways, please take a look at the cameras offered at that link, and let me know if any of them are good. I dont know a whole lot about cameras, I am new.

Eventually Id like to get one of the top of the line models, but for now I just need something thats really good picture quality and not too expensive.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[KmH]

please help, I need a good camera, that will take create crisp, finely detailed prints with for modeling portfolios 9x12 (thats how little details of skin, pores, etc.) This requires a camera that has a full frame (FF) sensor that has lots of mega pixels, like a Nikon D3X or a Canon 1Ds MK III, both about $7,000 (no lens). There are less expensive full frame cameras like the Canon 5D MKII and Nikon's D700, both about $2500 (no lens). And then there are the lenses and you would need to be sure they work on a FF camera.


I also want to use it for architectural photographs, landscapes, action shots, etc. It would be really nice to have crisp prints 24"+ for artistic shots. (probably not possible with a not 2500+ budget huh?) The crisper the images at larger sizes is always better, obviously, as well as ability to take pictures in all degrees of lighting, so high ISO. Here you would want a crop sensor camera. Most don't have great high ISO performance, only OK high ISO performance.

In both your stated wants sections, good lenses are paramount. For low light situations and the sharpest possible focus you need lenses that can open wide, and that have constant apertures when zoomed. Lenses like that are generally not inexpensive.

Ive been looking through cameras for weeks, and trying to compare, they all seem similar or have little differences, and ones I think seem better, people seem to not like (sonys) seems people prefer nikons?

Does your budget include various lenses and the other accessories you will need, like lighting, light modifiers, tripod, etc?

Sony has not been in the camera business very long. They bought Konica-Minolta about 8 years ago.

Sony has only a tiny share of the dSLR market and obviously they make many, many different kinds of products. Canon and Nikon pretty much stick to optical and imaging products and pretty much evenly split about 80% of the dSLR market.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

From your post, I don't get why you need a camera today. Is what you are going to do with it really worth paying 2x or more its value because you use credit?

Get a job, save your money and pay cash. You'll be amazed how much more you can buy when you pay cash.

 

[AlexL]

T2i! It takes great photos Then the rest of the money can go to good glasses! But if you have a big budget, the 5Dmk2!

 

[mtfd635]

You need to define your plan.
Your range of equipment indicates an uncertainty in goals.
Any of the better cameras on that list will provide sharp pics in varied conditions if the operator understands the equipment. Are you willing to commit yourself to many hours of research, study and practice to properly utilize the investment?

 

[table1349]

I'm going to take a different track. Why do you need it fast??? Did you choose a college in a day, choose a car in a day, buy a house in a day. If you are talking about a $100.00 point and shoot that is a different matter. When you buy a DSLR you aren't buying a camera, you are buying a system.

You will be far better off in the long run if you study you needs and the various systems and pick a camera not for today, but pick a system for tomorrow. You will end up getting much more for you money in the long run if you do a little homework and get the right tool the first time.

 

[dws1724]

I'm going to take a different track. Why do you need it fast??? Did you choose a college in a day, choose a car in a day, buy a house in a day. If you are talking about a $100.00 point and shoot that is a different matter. When you buy a DSLR you aren't buying a camera, you are buying a system.

You will be far better off in the long run if you study you needs and the various systems and pick a camera not for today, but pick a system for tomorrow. You will end up getting much more for you money in the long run if you do a little homework and get the right tool the first time.

This is very, very good advice. As was said any of the cameras from any of the makers will do a fine job if you do your part. While you are doing you research one thing you will constantly run into is people telling you that the body is only a small part of the equation and lenses are more important. Find the body that fits you and is comfortable for you to hold and then spend your money on lenses.

 

[DennyCrane]

This:
Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EOS-1Ds Mark III
This:
Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 50mm f / 1.2L USM
And this:
Canon U.S.A. : Consumer & Home Office : EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

 

[Adamneedsadvice]

Thanks guys, but I guess one of the main things I wanted it for, finely detailed portfolio shots, ins't possible to achieve unless I spend over $7,000 so I guess I'm gonna forget this all together. ( I can see pores on stills from my video camera, so this kinda of confuses me, be it they arent very crisp) Thanks for your advice, saved me from wasting 1000$ on a camera. (PS those sony support people piss me off for claiming the alpha500's and nex would be able to take high quality potraits 9x12..)

 

[JustAnEngineer]

$6120 EOS-1Ds Mark III
$2400 EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
$1460 EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
or? $1870 EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
$1310 EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
=====
$11290+

Can we all play that game?

Option 2:
$2400 EOS 5D Mark II
$1210 EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM
$ 490 Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
or $380 EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
$ 800 (in kit) EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
$ 395 Speedlite 580EX II
=====
$5295+

Option 3:
$7400 D3X
$2220 AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
$ 490 Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
or $1225 AF 85mm f/1.4D IF
$1720 AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
=====
$11830+

Oh dear. $2500 budget?

Option 4:
$ 595 EOS Rebel T1i
$ 595 EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
$ 490 Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM
or $345 EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
$ 460 Tamron Di-II AF17-50mm f/2.8 LD
$ 250 Speedlite 430EX II
=====
$2290+

 

[Adamneedsadvice]

Thanks,

Okay, I am thinking either the EOS Rebel T2i or the EOS 7D. BIG price difference between the two, any informative advice?