Need help...

[Big_Bird]

Ok, so I've been looking into getting a new camera for a while but I've not been 100% as to what to look for and what exactly I am lookig at. I don't have a huge budget as I am paying for college and car payments. I prefer raw pics and am into urban/country settings and car pics.

My friend has been pushing towards cannon, but again im not sure what im looking at.

This is the camera I have been using, not sure what it is, a Sony something

and a link to some pics
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86563


ANy hep in my situation is greatly appreciated.

 

[newrmdmike]

this isn't an end all source, but it can help you choose something i'm sure.

dpreview.com buy from bhphotovideo.com or adorama.com also check keh.com - i buy used stuff from them, and no you don't have to worry about it working, their system of rating the quality of what they are selling is great, and i'm always suprised by how nice the equipment i buy from them is (condition wise)

my immediate advice would be to get away from sony. . . sorry sony fans.

 

[rmh159]

My advice would be to decide what type of budget you're working with and if you can squeeze a bit more out to get into the dSLR range you're probably better off in terms of quality and definitely in terms of longevity.

If you can get about $600 that should be enough for a Nikon or Canon dSLR. Not sure how other brands compare but I'd say the differences between Canon and Nikon (at that price point) come down to personal preference.

 

[hawee99]

Yes if you really wanna shoot in RAW, I'm Pretty sure you have to get an SLR. Correct me if I'm wrong. If RAW isn't imperative and you don't need a full on SLR, I really like the Canon S series. S2, S3, S5. But as stated you can find a pretty good deal on the Canon XT or Nikon D40, both pretty good starters for the price I believe

 

[NoFilter]

Ok, hawee99, I have to correct you. You can shoot raw with many advanced point-n-shoots. Cameras like the Canon G6, oluympus 5050 & 5060, a bunch of the Panasonics/Leica cameras as well. Of course, for many of those you are paying the same money as an entry level DSLR.

 

[Big_Bird]

What exactly is an SLR? sorry, excuse my noobness, i really want to learn all about this stuff. So for my style and budget, the Canon XT or Nikon D40 would be best?

 

[jstuedle]

SLR stands for "Single Lens Reflex". This basically means that as you look through the viewfinder, you are actually looking through the lens. Lenses are interchangeable. A big advantage. Because the view you get is through the lens, you won't have the lag, or delay in what you see on the electronic screen of a non SLR. We call that type of camera a point and shoot or P&S. Other advantages of a SLR are more manual control, a wider choice of accessories like lenses, macro attachments and better flashes. Really, too many to list here. The biggest advantage in my eyes is the ease of creative control a SLR gives you. More freedom, less constraint.

 

[AUZambo]

...dpreview.com buy from bhphotovideo.com or adorama.com also check keh.com ...

my immediate advice would be to get away from sony. . . sorry sony fans.

Take it back!!

I love my Sony! Anyway, in addition to those stores listed above, check out Cameta Camera. It's an Ebay store, but they're a BBB member and are very reliable.