New to photography with some camera questions :)

AprilArchambeau · Mar 27, 2009

Hello everyone my name is April! I am a 23 year old stay at home mom from WV. I have always loved photography to the point of paying TOO much money to have my 18 month old daughter's pictures taken way too often. I figured what better way to do it myself! I would ultimately like to get into this as a business! I love the outdoor pictures with scenery

I currently own a Sony Cybershot 13.6 mp camera that has a TERRIBLE shutter speed. I later found out that Sony's are terrible for this. Sometimes it takes up to 5 seconds to take a picture (of course I have the quality settings maxed not sure if that matters) anywho, sometimes it doesn't even take a picture.

I am a little overboard with picture taking, from her first year I have well over 1,000 pictures all in photo albums. But I am sure you all know how frustrating it can be to miss out on those moments because the camera will not take the picture :grumpy:

So, I don't want to get the basic SLR. I would like to get something that I can keep for a long time. The photographer that took my daughter's first year pictures has a Canon Rebel XT, she said it is a good basic user friendly starter camera.

The reason I bought my Cybershot is because the MP was so high, that might help with a point and shoot but I understand with an SLR the camera is what matters not the MP.

So the Cybershot still has a warranty against anything, including damage and everything, until September 2010. So I will get about $200 for it on eBay.

I did some research on some cameras and I think the Canon Rebel Xs would be a good camera for me, what do you all think?

And would you prefer Nikon over Canon?

Sorry so long but I have NO clue what I am doing so I want to start off right this time

. Thanks for reading and have a good day!!!

April

2ART · Mar 27, 2009

Hi April
It's a little difficult to give you precise advise or make absolute
recommendations. A novice motorist with a desire to make a living
from driving and making presumptions that they will keep their first
car for many years etc..you get my drift?

I'd say your photographer aquaintance's recommendation is a
reasonable one. You could also regard whatever SLR system you
buy first-time around as not necessarily 'the one' for life.

Nikon/Canon both excellent makes and both make very nice
basic DSLRs with good enough quality 'starter' lenses to impress
anyone moving up from a point and shoot digital.

Maybe buy a photography magazine which reviews cameras and choose
one with the highest 'score' thats within your budget.
Those will almost certainly be Nikons/Canons, Canons/Nikons as well
as probably Pentax or Olympus brands.

Find an established store which stocks these locally and try a few out
in the store. Most of these cameras are genrally offered with a 'kit lens'
(a zoom lens which provides wide-angle to portrait-ish focal lengths)
bundled-up with a USD300-600 price tag. Maybe further down the line,
you'll want another lens with a more specific focal-length or range of
focal-lengths as your photography establishes a definite purpose and style.

A 18-55 or 18-70 kit lens will enable you to make varied
pictures of your daughter, both close-up and scenes.

AprilArchambeau · Mar 27, 2009

Yea I should have been more detailed, I was not going to keep it "for life"

....Just until I get used to it and I don't think its enough and I upgrade, which I am sure wouldnt be that long ;-).....

Good idea on the magazine though, I will have to check out Borders next time I am in Maryland and see what I can find

Thanks!!!

Big Mike · Mar 27, 2009

Welcome aboard April.

I currently own a Sony Cybershot 13.6 mp camera that has a TERRIBLE shutter speed

For the sake of clarification. The Sony has a slow 'shutter lag'...not shutter speed.
Shutter speed is something else, and is much more important to know about. But rest assured, a DSLR camera will have a much faster 'shutter lag' so you won't have to wait for your camera.

And yes, for the most part, it's true that Mega Pixels are not the most important spec on a digital camera. There are many other factors that you should look at first.

You can't really go wrong with a Canon or a Nikon DSLR.