New to photography. Need advice.

jh3p · Feb 12, 2008

I've always been into photography but cameras are just too damn expensive. I've finally saved up a good amount of money to buy a camera with. My choices are the following: Nikon D80 Canon Rebel Xsi (Gotta wait until april) and a Canon G9. ( I know the G9 is p/s) I am looking to learn more about cameras and photography. In my opinion, I thought that in terms of price and quality, these were the best entry level cameras. Please feel free to correct me if im wrong. And please help me choose a camera... (Besides the Megapixels, I honestly don't know what else to look for. The numbers in the specs make no sense to me. Please tell me what i should be looking for) The only reason I added the G9 as an option was because you can actually put different lenses on it. I thought I should mess around with that for a few months before saving up and moving onto a DSLR. And another random question. I was browsing through different cameras. And i know there is no need for every single one of them, but do any photographers out there actually have a handful of cameras that they use? Ultimately I wish to pursue this as a pretty serious hobby but the prices of these cameras... :grumpy:

Please recommend some books also.

martinb · Feb 12, 2008

it's an expensive hobby, get used to it! Lenses don't get any better either.
Also, I haven't been on TPF much but I have seen my fair share of "what camera to buy" threads and "nikon v. canon".. just try the search button

DSLR noob · Feb 12, 2008

My setup since starting last year December 2006

Canon Digital Rebel XT w/ Kit lens: $670 (new, first DSLR and first camera)
Sunpak 58mm UV filter: $10
Canon 20D: $350 + Rebel XT w/ kit, (bargain used! was $650 before the Rebel XT kit trade in)
Canon 50mm 1.8 II: $80 (lens broke, I replaced it with next item)
Canon 50mm 1.8: $55 at a swap meet (1987 discontinued Mk I)
Canon 28-70 3.5-4.5: $60 used (the sharp prosumer lens from 1987)
Sunpak 52mm UV filter: $10
Repair AF on 28-70: $130 (this is more than I paid for the lens)
Sandisk 2GB Ultra II CF card: $80
Kenko circular polarizing filter 52mm: $15
Opteka 70" tripod: $45
Adobe Photoshop CS2: $659

Total: $2164 and that is a really cheap setup, this is bargain hunting and good luck at its finest (less than $110 for 2 GOOD lenses and 650 for a 20D body before the 40D was released). I'm hopefully going to get a Canon EF 70-200 F/4 L next adding another $600. Totalling $2764

I doubt you'll get your hands on todays equivalent of my gear for anything short of $2,500.(this is if you were ot start like I started TODAY, not 1 year ago, things have moved so fast, like, now that the 40D is newer, replace my 20D in the kit with the 30D and the CS2 with CS3 and the XT witht he XTi to match what is currently out to what I was buying in it's comparison for the times) Photography isn't cheap.

patrickt · Feb 13, 2008

It doesn't have to be expensive. When I started, in 1962, I bought a twin-lens reflex and had a ball taking pictures. Later I bought an SLR but I couldn't afford any lenses but the 50mm that came with the camera and I still had a blast. Then I got a wife and two kids.

gendarmee · Feb 13, 2008

Stay away from the G9 if you can afford the Dslr's, Anything over ISO 200 is crap, makes takes pics in the night a handicap.

Nikon D80 Sounds good Xsi is just 2.2 MP more, wouldnt really be of great help unless u print ur pics real big or would help you a tiny bit with cropping( spot metering, live view comes in though)
No real different from the 400D and would be expensive coz its new, I'd go with the Nikon D80.

But then its just my opinion...