DSLR question HELP PLEASE! Help me spend some money ;)

J

Jedi

[H]ard|Gawd
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Mar 26, 2005
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Im in the market for a new DSLR camera and Im torn on what to get. can some of you give me your opinions on what to get?

Im looking at a canon 30d, xti rebel, nikon 200d, anything else.. those are my 3 top choices right now... so help me spend some cash on a new camera!
Thanks!
 
Hi, I am a 30D owner for about a year now. My friend is looking into getting the 200D.

I love my 30D expect for one thing. The way to change functions requires me to go into the menu system to change them or press at least two buttons to get to. It seems like the 200D has a lot more button on the camera itself so you can easily get to. One other thing to keep in mind is the choose and prices of lenses you are going to get. The canon have this "L" line that will cost an arm and a leg for them (or at least to me). I think Nikon usually have cheaper lenses / equipments.
 
The D200 is intended for experienced photographers and does not have scene modes. If you need a "green camera" (full auto) or any "sports" or "portrait" etc settings, consider instead D80, D70S, D50 or D40
 
How much do you want to spend, total on lenses and other gear?
 
just to start off id like to spend as little as possible ... this is what i was looking at
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8268144&type=product&id=1170290375334&ref=10&loc=01

Canon 30D with a nice Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens not bad i have a 12% off coupon and a $100 gift card so that would make it pretty cheap.

I have a 8 gig CF card all i need is a wide angle at this point.

Im just having cold feet on the camera cause its an 8.2 mp where as the XTi and the rest are 10.0 MP i almost feel i should wait like canon is going to release a 40D or something ..

Then again i hear good things about Nikon so im kinda torn being a canon guy. I mean I loved my 10D but i just needed a few better lenses when i dumped it.

ugh.. decisions... decisions i just hate spending that much cash and being like aww mann i wish i would have got this one instead.

I have about 2k to spend on this so thats why im considering all options.
 
At this level your lens selection will have a greater impact on image quality than the megapixel count of your sensor. The combo you're looking at isn't a bad place to start, but you'll be lacking on the wide end and the lens is only so-so.

For $2k another combo to consider would be a 20D, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, and either a 70-200 f/4 or a 70-300 f/3.5-5.6 IS. That gives you a lot of range, a x0D style body that you should be used to using, and two very sharp lenses.
 
stuff2sell said:
just to start off id like to spend as little as possible ... this is what i was looking at
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8268144&type=product&id=1170290375334&ref=10&loc=01

Canon 30D with a nice Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens not bad i have a 12% off coupon and a $100 gift card so that would make it pretty cheap.

I have a 8 gig CF card all i need is a wide angle at this point.

Im just having cold feet on the camera cause its an 8.2 mp where as the XTi and the rest are 10.0 MP i almost feel i should wait like canon is going to release a 40D or something ..

Then again i hear good things about Nikon so im kinda torn being a canon guy. I mean I loved my 10D but i just needed a few better lenses when i dumped it.

ugh.. decisions... decisions i just hate spending that much cash and being like aww mann i wish i would have got this one instead.

I have about 2k to spend on this so thats why im considering all options.
Click to expand...


Just so you know, read the back of that 12% off.....no DSLR's. Sorry. I would go in and show it to them and be like "I know this shouldn't work, but can you knock like 6% off and meet me in the middle?"

Where do you live? because if it's near me i can do that for you.....
 
fugu said:
At this level your lens selection will have a greater impact on image quality than the megapixel count of your sensor. The combo you're looking at isn't a bad place to start, but you'll be lacking on the wide end and the lens is only so-so.
Click to expand...

I agree....whole the combo you listed isn't a bad place to start, you could go better. Its all about what you think you will use in the long run.


What shots do you take? This will help with the kind of lenses you need, which will help up spend your money......of unknown amount.
 
A lot of people have had problems getting the 400D aka XTI to expose properly. Obviously you have EC at your disposal, but that still doesn't excuse the consistent underexposure problems that many that plague many owners.

For $2k, a 30D & 70-200 f4L, and 17-85 IS might be a good choice unless you need more reach.

I personally would get a D80, 70-300VR, and a 18-70. With any leftover cash, I'd get a nice prime or macro lens.
 
Basically you have to ask yourself if you like Nikon color or Canon color. They both have their own style and are quite different. Just look at the galleries or visit the forums on dp.;)

How about a nice wide 10-22mm lens for nature/landscape, a 17-70 walkabout lens, and a cheap prime like a 50 or 85mm for the car shots and portraits?
 
5D with a 24-105L :)

Or a 30D with a 17-85 is a good starting point...
 
Mercypoint said:
Hi, I am a 30D owner for about a year now. My friend is looking into getting the 200D.

I love my 30D expect for one thing. The way to change functions requires me to go into the menu system to change them or press at least two buttons to get to. It seems like the 200D has a lot more button on the camera itself so you can easily get to. One other thing to keep in mind is the choose and prices of lenses you are going to get. The canon have this "L" line that will cost an arm and a leg for them (or at least to me). I think Nikon usually have cheaper lenses / equipments.
Click to expand...

What functions do you need to change regularly that require you to go to the menu?

I'd rather have to press 2 buttons to change a setting than to accidentally hit 1 button and change a setting and lose a crucial shot.

I would go with a Canon before a Nikon, and I'd go with the 30D before the XTi (even though the XTi is more megapixels)
 
4b5eN+EE said:
MEGAPIXELS DO NOT MATTER!
Click to expand...
Yes, it does. I don't buy into the ZOMGPIXLARZ hype either, and a compact camera with 10+ megapixel is just a waste of transistors, but for certain things, higher resolution = higher quality, as long as you have the equipment to take advantage of it. For example, when I capture textures, I'd much rather use the photo dept's EOS 5D than my own K100D, partly because the much higher resolution (and the fact that it's just a better camera, obviously). More data for me to work with.

The "it's the photographer, not the equipment" thing is only true insofar that a good photographer with a bad camera will get better images than a bad photographer with a good camera. A good photographer with a good camera will take better pictures.
 
ok, your right, but my statement more of a general statement. You have a very specific purpose for the 5Ds huge pixel count, but for anyone that isn't gonna be printing above 8x10 (my D1H does that fine...) then seriously....megapixels don't matter, anything on the market now is fine...

Im just having cold feet on the camera cause its an 8.2 mp where as the XTi and the rest are 10.0 MP i almost feel i should wait like canon is going to release a 40D or something ..
Click to expand...

that is what kinda made me have to say something, sorry if I was a little too blunt.
 
I agree on the mega pixels dont matter over a certain point. It is all a matter of when you print. A 6MP camera will print good sized images clearly. But it all you are going to do is use them on your computer and, e-mail them then you dont need even 6MP. Id suggest either the D50 or, D80. Both are good cameras and, the D50 can be found inexpensively now. The D80 takes more of a learning curve compared to the 50. I would get the 18-200 VR if you can find one it is a good range. Or you can get a Tamron 28-300 it is a great cheap walking around lense and, it only costs about $250 so if it gets broke you wont cry.
 
Another vote for D80+ Nikkor 18-200mm VR.

I've also been hunting for a DSLR combo as I'm making my purchase next month. I've decided to get the D80 with 18-55mm kit lense because it's (the lense, not the camera ;) ) cheap and I could always use a backup lense. I'm also getting the 18-200mm VR lense which isn't cheap, but is highly versatile and especially useful for someone who travels and doesn't want to carry around a bunch of lenses all the time. I'm also getting the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 lense. The 50mm is sharp, cheap, and works well under low lighting conditions.

D80 18-55mm kit + 18-200mm VR + 50mm f1.8 = ~$2000.

I will also get a B&W UV filter to protect my lense and a Lowpro Slingshot AW200 bag. I think this is an ideal setup for practically anyone.
 
I recently upgraded to the Pentax K10D, and I must say that all those reviews calling it "excellent" are definitely right. When it comes to feature set and build quality, it is definitely on par with the D200, but it costs a LOT less. It's got a good weight to it, is very sturdy and has "weather proofing," just like the D200. But price-wise, it's more comparable to the D80. It also has image stabilization built in, so you don't have to spend extra money to get it in the lens. I got mine with a 17-70 Sigma, but I'm going to add an 18-200 zoom lens soon as well. Possibly the Tamron one.

I am VERY pleased with it so far. Only disadvantage I've noticed so far is the fact that the RAW files are uncompressed, so you can only fit about 110 of them on a 2 gigabyte SD card.
 
id say xti but id like the d30 but dont pass up the d80

they are all nice what can you afford?

save and get the xti and a nice is lens
 
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