Recommendation Needed

meanbean81

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We are upgrading our P&S this weekend and I need DSLR recommendations. I have read tons of reviews on different cameras and have only managed to confuse myself. We do not have any experience so we would need something user friendly to learn on. We have a newborn so we are taking a lot of low light pictures. I also have a child that plays softball so I need something that will take good pictures there are well. We also travel a lot so we take a lot of nature pictures as well. I would like something that will shoot decent video if possible but it is not a requirement. Our budget is under 1000 but I would like to stay under 800 if possible. Also, do you have any recommendations on additional lenses that we should buy in the future or books/videos to help the learning process?

I started out looking at the Nikon D3100 but wasn't sure if this was going to be a good buy. The video tests that I watched really discouraged this idea.

Any help is greatly appreciated!
 
the d3100 is a good cam to start with, but i think it is quickly outgrown. try looking at the d5100
 
Whatever you decide on, save about $200 in your budget for a flash.

So, if you want to stay under $800 total, you need to be looking at a body and lens combo that is around $600. Have you thought about craigslist? What city are you in?
 
If you want to go new, the D5100 is a good camera, as well as the Canon bodies in that price range (T2i, T3i). Used, though, could save you a bit of money on the body and give you more to put towards glass. Nikon D90 bodies are pretty inexpensive right now, or a Canon 40D like I have can be found for under $500. I didn't have much of a budget when I got my first digital, either, but I decided to sacrifice megapixels (which don't really matter unless you're doing heavy cropping or big prints) for better performance overall than an entry-level camera. ISO numbers can be deceiving, too -- even though a camera says its capable of an astronomically high ISO doesn't mean the results are usable. At the highest ends of its ISO range (12,800 and 25,600), pics from the D5100 can look pretty terrible.

As far as taking pictures in low light, such as a newborn, you should invest in an inexpensive "fast" prime lens, such as a 50mm f/1.8. That will allow more light in to take pictures with higher shutter speeds. They cost around $120 new for Canon or Nikon. I took most of the pictures of my son after he was first born with a Canon 50mm f/1.8.

For sports pictures, you'll probably want to buy a telephoto zoom. Nikon makes a 55-200 with vibration reduction for about $200. Canon has a 55-250 with image stabilization (same thing as VR, just different name) for about $250. And there are a bunch of manufacturers that make 70-300mm lenses without image stabilization for $200 or so for Canon or Nikon.

Edit: Kerbouchard makes a valid point, too.
 
I will not have to worry about the sports lens until later on since her softball season is finished for the year. She won't start up again until the spring so I really wanted to focus on learning to use the camera and invest in the prime lens first. Our main goal is to have equipment for our beach trip in August and to be able to take quality shots of the baby first.

I live in Northeast Georgia, kind of in the middle of Athens & Atlanta. I did check out craigslist but nothing really caught my eye. Is there much of a cost difference between the Nikon & Canon lens? We were hoping to take advantage of the 20% off coupon at Staples this weekend so we will not have to pay full price for the kit.

I really appreciate all of your input!
 
If my budget were to make me choose between a fast prime or a flash, I would go with the flash.
 
Go in and handle the cameras and see what feels right.

Modern cameras these days can produce wonderful image if you make the right decision ;)
 
Go in and handle the cameras and see what feels right.

Modern cameras these days can produce wonderful image if you make the right decision ;)

We are planning on doing that tomorrow. I just wanted to narrow it down some beforehand. :)
 
We ended up buying the T2i today. Can you guys recommend accessories as far as lens/flash etc that you think we should start looking for? Also, what are a few good reference materials that will help us learn how to properly use this camera?

Thanks again for all of your help!
 
First and foremost: Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" and "Learning to See Creatively" will go a LONG way in make your snapshots pop into photos. As far as accessories:

A tripod. Get a decent one that you can afford. If at all possible take your camera to a store, set up the tripod and mount your camera and use it. See how it feels. Does it feel wobbly? Easy/fast to put up and take down? Smooth panning/tilt etc?

Depending on your budget a great flash is always a GREAT investment. I see that you said you take a lot of low light shots so DEFINITELY get a flash of some sort. I have not gotten one yet but I wish I could afford one. I keep hearing a LOT of people say to get the Canon flashes such as the Canon Speedlite 580EX II 1946B002 B&H Photo Video or the Canon 430EX II Speedlite TTL Shoe-Mount Flash 2805B002 B&H Photo if you need a little more budget friendly version.

For landscape photos you might want to look into a graduated ND (Neutral Density) filter. This will help you get some REALLY great landscape shots with proper exposure of sky and land. graduated neutral density filters I am sure someone can point into a good deal on one of these.

You can also do some research on youtube and google about Do It Yourself diffusers and reflectors. These can come in really handy for a ton of different things. Especially for the indoor shots of a newborn. You don't want the flash firing directly at them and waking them up/disturbing them.

I am sure others will be along with more.

I do have one question though. Why did you go with the T2i instead of the T3i? I REALLY love the articulating screen on my T3i.

Edit: Forgot. Get a couple of SDHC cards for it. I think 16GB is a good medium size that is priced right. I have a 32 for mine with two 4GB ones as back ups "just in case" the 32 fills up. Depending on how much video you shoot you may opt for the 32 GB cards.

Also! Wow I cannot believe I forgot this. Get a Pearstone spare battery! If you go on extended days/trips where you cannot recharge a battery then add batteries accordingly. I think my Pearstone actually lasts longer than my Canon batter but I could be wrong. And the Pearstone was half the price. Get one for now and you can always add another down the road.
 
Last edited:
meanbean81 said:
We ended up buying the T2i today. Can you guys recommend accessories as far as lens/flash etc that you think we should start looking for? Also, what are a few good reference materials that will help us learn how to properly use this camera?

Thanks again for all of your help!

I'm assuming you picked it up with the kit lens? If so, I would just play with it and find where you're lacking and go from there. Other than experience, I like Understanding Exposure and a thorough read of your manual. Really, what got me started was leaving my camera in manual mode, taking crappy exposures and trying to figure out why they came out crappy (and not doing that again).
 

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