Noob... and oh so very lost...

Okay, I'm going to keep this as simple as possible. I have been weighing my options for a new DSLR. I haven't been into photography since High School, 10 years ago. I have been looking and reading up on a variety of cameras and I really need some opinions... So here's what I want and what I can spend...

I would like to get 10 mp, and price is something to consider. I don't want to buy used gear so that is out. I have looked at all of the low-end and mid-end DSLR's and I suppose here is my question. Can I get away with buying an Olympus 410? Or should I spend the money for the Nikon D80??? I don't want to spend more than a 1000$. I suppose what I am wondering is would a cheap Olympus 410 be sufficient for a beginner or after a few months will I be sorry I didn't buy the D80??? I realize they are two totally different animals, but I was wondering what everyone else did when they were starting out and is there really that much of a difference in features between the entry-level and the pro-sumer? Thanks in advance.

 

I was in the same situation as you are not very long ago.
I really wanted the D80 but it was too expensive back then. I think that the prices went down quite a bit, and it is much more interesting now.
I did look at the E-410 as well and decided against it, mostly because of the lens choice (though they are working on it) and the 4:3 ratio. This doesn't mean that it would not be enough for a beginner. As a matter of fact, I think that you can take some good pictures with any of the entry level DSLRs.
If those are your two options though, i think that the D80 is defenetly a sounder investment on the long term.


PS: I didn't buy any of those two in the end... quite curious to hear what you will choose

 

I started out with a D80 but mostly shoot with my 6MP D40 now. It does all I need it to do, is actually better in a lot of ways than the D80, and 6MP is still plenty big for large prints believe it or not. The biggest advantage that 10MP gives you vs 6MP is that you can crop a lot more of the 10MP image and still have enough resolution left for a nicely sized print.

I personally am not a fan of the Olympus cameras. They have much smaller sensors than most other DSLRs (with more limitations) and a pretty limited lens selection with not much room to grow. Of all the systems out there, Olympus' is the most limited. You're in much better shape with Pentax and Sony in that regard.

 

After re-discovering the joy of Photography recently, I decided it was time to get a DSLR... After days of reseach I ended up with a Canon 400D. Being such a hugely popular camera, I figured the masses can't be too far wrong, its 10mp also.

Also, the price of the 400D should drop a bit when the 450D comes out soonish.
And if Megapixels are criteria, the 450D is 12mp

Best of luck in your desicion making

 

See that's the kind of opinion I am looking for. I like the Sony outfits too, I am a little unsure of olympus. I have never really been a fan of theirs. I didn't know that they have smaller sensors, which is a very important piece of info and I thank you for that...

 

I am a long time Olympus user. I love their cameras and currently have the E-510. But this is a Canon/Nikon majority thread so I'm not even going to start defending the reasons I like Olympus, I'm outnumbered and I wouldn't be able to keep up with the thread.

My advice is to go and feel the cameras out since you won't jut be buying a body but a system. If you ever want to upgrade the body you will be stuck with that manufacturer if you want to keep on using your "old" lenses and accessories. They all have their advantages and disadvantages just make sure you compare them all and do try to shoot them all in a store at least, see what makes you feel comfortable

 

I think my fear with Olympus is the lens compatibility, but the prices look so tempting. I also don't understand what they mean by the 4/3 system so if someone could please explain that it would be greatly appreciated.

 

I'm a minority on a great number of issues relating to photography and that doesn't stop me from arguing. There are certainly some advantages to the 4:3 format since most print formats are actually closer to 4:3. It also makes getting extremely long views very easy because of the 2.0x crop factor vs 1.5/1.6 for Nikon/Canon. But that also makes ultra wide angles extraordinarily more difficult if you want very wide views. I priced out that Olympus ultra-wide and it was insanely expensive. Well over $1000 vs say a Canon 10-22 at $600? Due to the unique format, there's also virtually no third-party lens maker support for the Olympus mount. If your needs are basic though and you just want a camera body and a few basic lenses, you can get great results with any system.

 

Would you consider any Canon cameras? I have been looking into alot of cameras for myself and have been told that the 20D, 30D, and 40D are nice cameras. I don't have much to spend so someone suggested the 20D which still gives 8MP without too many differences from the 30D. I'm not positive you could get it new, so the next choice would be the 30D which can be had for well under $1000. The 40D is my dream camera but it tops out over $1000.

 

Personal choice.

I got a D80 and I love it.

 

If you are open to Canon, I am looking at the 450D XSI @ $799 or $899 w/kit. It is very comparable to the 40D that comes with a price of $1200 body only. If that is too steep of a price, the XTI is comparable with 8mp (I think) and a price of $699 with kit, also the price should go down soon since the 450D is coming out in April.

I find the cameras on the internet and compare different models by the spec sheet, the problem is I don't know what all of it means but then I ask.

Hope that helps some.
Crosby

 

4:3 is the ratio of the Sensor that Olympus uses. It is a format that Olympus came up with ( along with i believe Panasonic Kodak, Fuji...) How does that affect yoou?

1)The output files (photographs) come in a ratio of 4:3 ( i.e. for every 4 inches of width you'll get 3 inches of height) which is much closer to standard International photo formats than the 3:2 ratio that other manufactureres use which means less cropping of your photos when it comes time to print.



2)This size of the sensor gives you a 2x crop factor compared to the 1.6x crop factor of other manufactureres. This has benefits and disadvantages:

a) All lenses end up being much smaller than other manufaturers for the same 35mm equivalent focal length (i.e the 40-150mm olympus kit lens is equivalent to a 80-300mm and much much smaller in physical size. That is a benefit to you because your gear won't weigh as much especially if you have some zooms to carry around.​

b)Disadvantage is , because of the small sensor size and the bigger crop factor than other manufacturers. noise is something that introduces itself at higher ISOs (i.e. low light situations) but those problems are definately being overcome with newer models. The E-510 for me did not have anymore noise problems with the cameras it competes with.​

Hope that helps