Newbie Needing Advice

[Ashley01]

I'm looking for some advice on buying a camera. I want something that takes really nice, clear, sharp, pictures, a good zoom, etc. But that is fairly simple, my friend has a Nikon not sure which kind but I do really like hers. Right now all I have is a point and shoot sony cyber-shot so I am looking for something that takes a lot nicer pictures so I can do pictures of my daughter myself. My price range would probably be somewhere around 600/700 or less is this possible? I really don't know anything about cameras so advice would be greatly appreciated!! TIA

 

[OrionsByte]

Define "nicer pictures." I'm sure the P&S you have now is perfectly capable of taking nice photos, and there's no reason to upgrade to a DSLR unless you know specifically what the limitations of your P&S are, and how you could get past them with a DSLR.

Better cameras don't automatically take better pictures.

 

[Ashley01]

Thanks for your Reply! Its old, probaly 3 1/2 years old now the pictures sometimes look grainy. By good I mean clear, more professional looking I guess? Maybe a camera can't do that lol maybe I'll have to improve my picture taking skills.

 

[Ashley01]

Oh, and I definitely noticed the difference in quality when I use my Sony and then I take the same picture with her Nikon.

 

[OrionsByte]

Well graininess is definitely something a better camera will take care of, but as far as "more professional-looking"... I don't want to keep nit-picking over semantics, but I've seen some nice professional-looking pictures taken with an iPhone. Photography is about light, and if the light is bad and you and I are standing in the same place taking a photo of the same thing, a $2000 difference in our equipment isn't going to make much of a difference on the result of the photo all by itself.

You might want to pick a few cameras that fit your price range and then do a search on Flickr for shots taken with that camera. That would give you an idea of the "graininess," but remember that it's first and foremost about the light, so getting that camera in your hands isn't going to give you the same results.

If you're feeling really brave, you could post a few of your photos for us to look at and we could tell you where you can improve before you invest in new equipment, and while you're working on that you can try saving up a little more.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Unless you can pinpoint some specific things that a 'better' camera can do (that yours can't), then its unlikely that just buying a more expensive camera will really improve your photos. A better approach would be to spend that money (or time) on learning how to take better photos. Books, classes, websites, practice etc.

That being said, any DSLR camera is a much 'better' camera than 95% of the 'point & shoot' style digital camera. A big part of that is that a DSLR camera allows you to take control of some or all of the functions of the camera, allowing you to create photos that are more of what you want...and less of what the camera 'thinks' you want.

Any of the entry level DSLR cameras would be a good starting point...but keep in mind that once you buy something like a DSLR camera, you are buying into a system. So if you buy a Nikon, you are (for the most part) going to have to use lenses, flashes and other accessories that are compatible with that Nikon system.
I'd suggest looking at the Nikons or the Canons...but there are other good options as well.

Just remember, that even though you can buy a better camera...you still have to put in the time & effort to learn how to use it. And we can certainly help with that

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

If you are after image quality, get a Canon 5Dmkii. You will not be dissappointed!!!

 

[Mike_E]

A D3100 With the kit lens Is what you are looking for. This may stretch your budget a little but is your best option new.

If you don't mind used there are more options.

I would also heartily recommend reading up on the subject of photography, even an old Sony can take some outstanding shots if you can put the user in expert mode.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Canon PowerShot G12 Digital Camera 4342B001 B&H Photo Video

 

[Village Idiot]

The problem is the lenses and the lighting. You can get any DSLR with a kit lens and it will be more than adequate, but if you want a better quality lens with a wider aperture, your choices are extremely limited until you start spending over $400 per lens. I've spent probably over $4,000 on 5 lenses. Additionally, you can start lighting for cheap, but if you ever want to do anything past hobby level, you'll easily start spending over $500 on lighting, and probably easily over $1,000. I've spent over $550 in the past couple months on two lighting modifiers. That's just the modifiers and not even the lights.

You can get into it with an entry level DSLR, but there's only so much you can do before you start to need to invest in more gear. If you honestly don't see yourself spending more than $700 ever, then you may be better off with something like a Canon GXX series or an Olympus Pen or similar camera. If you intend to actually learn about photography and invest your time and possibly your money, then find the best DSLR you can for your budget. Don't be afraid to look at used equipment either. If you're not interested in doing video, I'd recommend a used Canon 50D of Nikon D90 heads and toes above a new rebel series or DXXXX series camera.