Wanting to buy first DSLR have $1000 budget.....

[Troy.G]

I'm wanting to buy a dslr in which I can take pictures of cars and motorcycles with a blurry background. Currently I've been using
a Sony Cyber-Shot in manual mode but can't get the look I'm going for.

My budget is $1000.00 for body and lens. Any suggestions on what would be the best combo to take such pictures?

I'm looking for a mid range body so I have room to grow. I don't really want to much of an entry level model, but I do have a budget
so might have to stick with entry level still.

Thanks.

 

[astroNikon]

I would suggest a Nikon D7000 (used) and a 50mm f/1.8 lens, both would be under your budget. There are a ton of other options within Nikon plus Canon and other makers.

But the D7000 is a semi-pro camera which was replaced with the D7100. But it still is awesome at 16.2MP sensor and will give you alot of growth both as a photographer and lens and equipment. And the lens will allow you to get the background Bokeh (out of focus) that you are looking for without breaking the bank. The 50mm is called a Prime, which is it is ONLY a 50mm versus a zoom. But low priced Zooms won't give you a nice background bokeh that you may be looking for.

 

[480sparky]

I'm wanting to buy a dslr in which I can take pictures of cars and motorcycles with a blurry background........

ANY DSLR can do that. More to the point, can YOU?

It's not the camera...... it's the person using it that makes the shot.

........ But low priced Zooms won't give you a nice background bokeh that you may be looking for.

I'm thinking the OP is asking about slow shutter speed / panning.

 

[TCampbell]

The Canon 60D has come _way_ down in price now that Canon has released the 70D. This is a mid-level camera with body controls arranged more like the pro bodies. A 60D with an 18-135mm kit lens is about $1000.

The Nikon D7000 also lands in your range (Nikon now has the D7100 but that's above your price range.) A D7000 with an 18-105mm kit lens is also about $1000.

You may ultimately want some better glass... and if these moving shots (e.g. races?) then what lens you need depends on how far you'll be from the action. A 70-200mm would be great for shooting if you're near the track, but if you're way up in the stands, the cars and bikes are going to be very tiny. If these are daytime shots then you could get by with an f/4 version of the lens.

If these are non-moving cars and you're looking for blurred backgrounds, then you want a lens with a low focal ratio. A 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom will give you a shallow depth of field at f/2.8 (so you get the blurred background) and the range is versatile for non-moving subjects because wider focal lengths (those toward the 17mm end) tend to stretch the depth of the image and this elongates the subjects and the long end (55mm) will tend to flatten the field, avoid wide angle distortion, and improve the background blur at low focal ratios.

Just be warned than f/2.8 zoom lenses aren't cheap. A 17-55mm f/2.8 lens would use up most of your $1000 budget all by itself. It's probably best to just get the body and kit lens... and then buy a low focal ratio zoom at a later date.

 

[Troy.G]

Thanks for the reply's. The objects would be non-moving, like at car shows.

 

[KmH]

What will the car and motorcycle images be used for?

Top quality car and motorcycle images are usually made using supplemental lighting of various kinds.

Rolling shots are often done using a variety of camera rigs. In a lot of rolling shots the car is only moving at walking speed.

Racing shots generally require long reach telephoto lenses.

 

[480sparky]

Thanks for the reply's. The objects would be non-moving, like at car shows.

Typically, car shows cram the cars side-by-side as they're profit-motivated venues. That, or they're just in such a small area for so many cars. So it's durned difficult to get a shot of a specific vehicle without other cars & people in the background.

To get the bokeh you're probably desiring, it's best to take an individual auto to a dedicated space where you have control of the background.

 

[Troy.G]

The cars and motorcycles are still and placed in proper backgrounds with good distance. I know how to get the bokeh, just needed
ideas on the camera and lens that would be nice for this type of work and price.

 

[astroNikon]

And don't forget a tripod, or a monopod.

 

[480sparky]

A used Nikon D40/50/60/70 with a kit 55-200mm will do the job.

 

[jman6785]

go with a better lens over a better body.

 

[goodguy]

Two camera combinations I can suggest are these.....................

1.Nikon D5100 with its kit lens 18-105mm VR + 50mm 1.8G
2.Nikon D3200 same lenses

The 50mm 1.8G is a great not expensive lens that will give you excellent bokeh (blurred background) and the 18-105mm VR is a fantastic all around lens for most of your needs.

If money is short you can get instead of the 18-55mm VR and that will save you about 200$, this lens is good too but has a shorter less usable zoom range.

The D5100 is an excellent camera and is located higher then the basic D3200 but the D3200 is newer so its well worth considering.

If you are wiling to compromise and not get a zoom lens and just get the prime lens the 50mm 1.8G for taking pictures of the cars then you can even get the D5200 which is an even better camera then both the D3200 and D5100 and in the future you can get yourself a nice zoom lens.

Frankly I would get the D5200 with the 50mm lens and then look for a used zoom lens for about 150$.

Either way all these 3 camera are good choices and will do the work you describe with no problems.

 

[TCampbell]

So the good news is... when the camera isn't moving and the subject isn't moving... the camera can take as much time as it needs to get a great exposure. There's no need for a high performance focusing system, lenses with responsive/snapper focus motors, nor a need for high ISO speeds (which can result in "noisy" images.) This will save you from needing to buy top-end lenses for high performance action photography.

The quality of the bokeh is not only influenced by the f-stop (lower values = larger openings and are preferred) and the focal length... it's also influenced by the number of aperture blades and their shape. For example, on the Canon, the 50mm f/1.8 has only 5 blades and are not "rounded" -- it yields a nervous/jittery quality to the background blur. But the 50mm f/1.4 version of the lens has 8 blades and does a much better job. The f/1.2 version (which costs considerably more than the others) has an even better shape and the bokeh quality is improved yet again. Both the Canon and the Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 lenses have fairly well-rounded aperture blades and yield a nice quality to the background blur.

You can also go for primes (non-zooming lenses) as these typically have much better focal ratios and often cost less even while giving a higher quality image. The trade-off is that you'll have to change lenses to change your angle of view and zoom with your feet (which, if you're controlling the environment for the shoot, is probably not an issue. This is more of a problem in public spaces where you try to step back to get the composition that you want... and someone walks into your way.)

 

[Braineack]

Thanks for the reply's. The objects would be non-moving, like at car shows.

Car show shots are boring, get a $100 PNS.

 

[Troy.G]

Thanks for the reply's. I ended up going with the 5100 and a 50mm f/1.8 lens. After adjusting
settings and taking a few shots around the house and outside, It's just what I was looking for.
I'm sure your going to see me on here pretty often, great site!

Thanks again,
Troy