Recommendations for Digital SLR Camera? (1 Viewer)

[Dago]

I've used a Canon AE-1 SLR for years, liking the flexibility of a manual camera. I've had it for 25 years and its still a great camera, never needing repair. The only thing I've ever changed is the batteries for the camera and the motor drive.
I like digital cameras and pretty much fried a Kodak 3.1 MP camera. It took good pit shots but not enough pixels for action shots.
I want to enter the 21st Century in photo technology.
I'm currently looking at Canon SLRs. Someone has suggested Nikons as well. I thought I could just get a Canon digital SLR body and use my current lenses with it. No such luck. So I will have to buy all new lenses to go with the camera.
Currently, I'm looking at the Canon EOS Rebel XT and XTi. I'm leaning toward the XTi (10.1 megapixels vs 8 megapixels for the XT) and it appears there are more setting options with the XTi.
Since I'm familiar with Canon cameras, I think it would be the logical choice. Any 'maters have experience with the Canon EOS XT or XTi? If so, any feedback is greatly appreciated.
I'm looking for a camera that will work well with action shots such as TF and FC at speed, as well as portraits. Thank you for your input.

 

[Horsepower & Heels]

I'm a digital gal, but I love my Canon 5D!

 

[Jenn]

I have the XTi and I love it. I'm still learning it of course, but I bought it with a kit lens 18-55mm and then got a 75-300mm lens.

I have the 4 GB CF card and recommend getting extra battery packs (most camera gizmos probably know this, but I learned the hard way )

Probably not much help. I'm still learning it myself and more apt to confuse myself in the process of telling you how great it is. I did blow up one of my pictures into 2 foot by 3 foot poster and they 'blowed' up quite nicely.

The canon SLR has a tendency to over-saturate. You can adjust that in the C.Fn thingy.

 

[HEMI6point1]

Don't have a DSLR as of yet but if I could I would get the EOS-40D, I love its images and Canon as the best choice of lenses. The Rebel XTi is a little lower cost but some people find the body too small and "plasticy." Both have the same image sensor but the 40D has a new imaging chip so image quality is a bit better, although it's hard to tell if you took an image, printed it out and looked at them side-by-side.

BTW, no matter what DSLR you get it's best to get the body only and go with a better lens, as the "kit lenses" often are rather soft. Remember, it's the lens that really determine quality. If you need to, buy a lower-end body and a nicer lens.

Speaking of lenses, I know some people are snobs for the Camera OEM lenses but 3rd party vendors like Sigma or Tamron are sometimes just as good and are at a much lower cost.

Some lenses to look into:

Sigma 24-70mm EX DG Macro
Sigma 30mm F/1.4 EX
Sigma 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 APO
Canon EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS
Canon EF 70-200 F/4L (they also make one with an image stabilizer aka IS)
Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 (only $70... really awesome for the price)
Canon EF 70-300 F/4.5-5.6 IS
Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 EX, or Canon's version.

Now I'm sure you know this BUT... aperture is import, the lower the number (F/ whatever....), the more light the lens can gather. A lens with a bigger F/ number enables you to use a faster shutter speed without having to raise the ISO speed, which keeps the noise down. Also, a lower F/ number lets you take photos in low light without flash, again without having to raise the ISO at least that much.

Hope this helps.

 

[Toejam]

I'm a digital gal, but I love my Canon 5D!

I'm glad you can afford one of those! I have a Nikon D200 and I love it! I have 3 lenses; a Tamron 18-200 f3.5, a Tokina 28-300 f3.8 and the Monster Sigma 50-500 f4.5

 

[Von Halen]

I have a 20D with a Sigma 24-70 EX DG Macro 2.8 lens, and a Sigma 70-200 2.8 lens. I love the 20D. I went with it over the Rebel because of the faster frames per second. I shoot a lot of hockey, baseball and Drag Racing and with sports you want more fps so you don't miss a shot. If I were buying today, I'd definitely get the 40D.

A friend just bought the Nikon D80 (?) and what a plasticky hunk of junk. Feels cheap in your hands.

Canon Forums

Click Here for some examples of my Drag Racing photo's from Norwalk that were taken with the 20D and the Sigma 70-200. These are natural photo's with no touch ups in Photoshop.

 

[Alan]

My wife has (2) Nikon D70 bodies, as well as a few different lenses, and has been very happy with it. She has taken some great pictures, especially some landscape shots. She blew a shot up of Mossbrae falls in Nor Cal, and it was stunning.

 

[Dago]

Thanks guys for the help. I tried Price Grabber and they listed I believe "US 1" which listed the XTi for $579 and change with a 18-55 mm lens with several package offers, one of them including a 70-300 Tamron lens. Should I go with that? What does that other Canon model retail for?

 

[Jenn]

Thanks guys for the help. I tried Price Grabber and they listed I believe "US 1" which listed the XTi for $579 and change with a 18-55 mm lens with several package offers, one of them including a 70-300 Tamron lens. Should I go with that? What does that other Canon model retail for?

I paid 800 plus or minus for my XTi Kit, with did come with the 18-55mm lens but since I went in there knowing little about SLR photography, I was willing to take my chances. I had heard pros and cons about getting the kit or just getting the body and decided on the kit because it would allow me to shoot out of the box and play with it.

My parents paid around $235 for the 75-300 Canon OEM lens, with doesn't have IS, the Canon IS model was over $600. I think the IS model is 70-300 and the non IS model is 75-300.

I think Joe told me that it figures out to different numbers because of digital vs. manual.

 

[Toejam]

An 18-55m Lense is Useless unless you do strictly close-ups IMO! Since 90% of shots require some Zoom, I highly recommend an 18-200 Min.

 

[Jenn]

An 18-55m Lense is Useless unless you do strictly close-ups IMO! Since 90% of shots require some Zoom, I highly recommend an 18-200 Min.

I take a lot of close ups of the kids and such.

 

[Von Halen]

Make sure you get the U.S. body!

There are guys out there selling some of the Canon internals in extremely cheap bodies. I have a friend that is a Pro Photographer and he said they purchased several to test them and they were terrible.

He also brought I think a Fuji SLR to the rink the other night and got some absolutely stunning pics. It was the first time he'd tried that camera in that setting and he was totally geeked about its performance. I'll find out what model it was and post it.

 

[Toejam]

I take a lot of close ups of the kids and such.

Oh I'm sure, but having a 18-200m allows you to take anything without changing lenses and That can be a Major Pain! They now have an 18-250m out, but it's pricey, around $500!

 

[willy]

Unless you're doing pro stuff..it's absolutely absurd to pay the prices that some of this stuff is.

I bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 last year and I'm absolutely thrilled by what it offers just a normal (kinda) guy.

12X Zoom with a digital capability for 64X..

And the price was way cool..

It's less than $500..but it all comes down to whatcha wanna do!

Here's the review:

Steves Digicams - Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 - User Review

And here's a pic of a boat from 75 yds:

And a house from a 1/4 mile..

Oh..and a closeup I did for a photog class of silk flowers at a cemetary..hey the teacher was a kook..LOL:

 

[Toejam]

David's right in the fact that if your just a casual Hobby shooter, a Point and shoot Digital camera's probably best. And IF you shoot Jpeg format like 90% of the photogs out there do, you don't need a 10-12 MP camera! My First Digital Camera was a Kodak 6490, it took great pics, had 10X Zoom and 4 MP. But like most P & S Camera's it was SLOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! You'd want to take a quick pic, you'd have to turn it on............than adjust the zoom............than take your pic! By the time you turned on the camera and it was ready to shoot you killed 4-5 seconds at least! A Digital SLR is instant! You turn it on Point adjust and BAM!

 

[Smiley]

My personal choice for DSLR until I can afford a 5D is the XTi, I started with a Digital Rebel and now own and XT and an XTi. They are great cameras. When I was shopping for my first DSLR one of the sales people at the local store asked me what I would be shooting. I said mostly sports, but also some wedding type stuff. He siggested the Canon and I went with it. The best line he gave me was when he asked if I watch sports on TV. I said yes. He then said, do you notice all the huge white lenses in the press boxes, they are ALL Canons.
I've used my father-in-laws Nikon D70, and think it's a wonderful camera as well, but at this point I am a Canon guy. The one thing about the DSLRs (or SLRs) is that once you go with a Canon or Nikon, or other, you pretty much stay the course due to incompatabilities in lenses and such.

I carry a point and shoot for simple stuff, but you really can't beat a DSLR for speed.

I clicked the shutter in this picture the instant I saw the flash of yellow.. I could not have gotten this picture with a point and shoot.

Or this picture:

 

[Jenn]

Oh I'm sure, but having a 18-200m allows you to take anything without changing lenses and That can be a Major Pain! They now have an 18-250m out, but it's pricey, around $500!

See, that would be cool. I'll have to look for that, or hint it for my birthday. I always worry about getting dust or something in the glass or body when I change the glass.

Some of the pictures I've taken, my brothers and sisters have had blown up or used some of them for Christmas cards and stuff. So maybe they'll think of it as an investment .

 

[G'ginna]

See, that would be cool. I'll have to look for that, or hint it for my birthday. I always worry about getting dust or something in the glass or body when I change the glass.

Jenn, one of the things I learned back in my rodeo days was that a film bag is great when you are in a really dusty area and need to make a lens change. (It looks like a black windbreaker without a neck and a zipper at the bottom.) The only catch is that you have to make the switch by feel, but with practice you can do it easy.

 

[__]

I'm glad you can afford one of those! I have a Nikon D200 and I love it! I have 3 lenses; a Tamron 18-200 f3.5, a Tokina 28-300 f3.8 and the Monster Sigma 50-500 f4.5

Joe, how are the Tamron lenses? I have a Nikon N60 right now w/a 28-200lens and am thinking about a Nikon D80. However, the local camera shop says that the optics in a digital are very different than my N60 film camera. They claim that my 28-200 lens will work like a 56-400 lens on a digital SLR. Not sure if they're just trying to sell me a new lens or what? If I do need a new lens, the Tamrons seem to be priced the most competitively. Thoughts?

 

[Toejam]

See, that would be cool. I'll have to look for that, or hint it for my birthday. I always worry about getting dust or something in the glass or body when I change the glass.

Some of the pictures I've taken, my brothers and sisters have had blown up or used some of them for Christmas cards and stuff. So maybe they'll think of it as an investment .

One more thing, ALWAYS FILTER YOUR LENSES! I was told that back in 1986 when I first went 35m, replacing a scratched $30 Skylight or UV filter is FAR cheaper than replacing a scratched $350 lense! My Brother in law found that out the hard way!