I'm sorry I meat to say I can't afford the D80.
That made me think, but the body has to do with the quality of the pic also, other wise every one will be buying the cheap ones and putting the $ towards the lenses.

Now I found this kit which I can get it for about $520-550. what are your thoughs about that?



Man I wish we had a photography sub-forum. I think this thread would make a good buyers guide IMO.

 

Its not a bad price. The only thing is that second lens is actually an older model. That 55-200 is inexpensive, but they came out with a 55-200VR lens that is also well priced. Much better lens.

 

Here are some options I found on B&H Photo. They are very reliable vendors.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...on_6+Megapixel

 

Funny, I was about to PM MC or GTPNU for a Photography Subforum within the Media Share section.

Bodies are secondary to the lenses. If you're going to do low light work, I'd just put $$$ into a wide aperture lens if $$$ is tight and if you're going to do handheld work.

Controlled tripod work does not require such a wide aperture lens as the tripod will even things out.

Any of the latest DSLRs will provide great performance. Again, if I was in your shoes, just get either the Canon or Nikon entry level DSLR and later, you can find out more about "luxuries" on the bodies.

The entry level bodies can produce the same image quality as the higher end bodies at lower ISO's... it's just at higher ISOs that the noise levels of the higher end stuff shine through. Also, the higher end bodies from Canon are full frame sensor bodies, but you'll be paying through the roof.

Canon's new 40D will be hitting the US in mass shortly... and is out in limited quantities. It has high ISO performance BTW if that matters to you.

But again, I think you will be doing more tripod work than anything, and that pretty much even things out as you can shoot at ISO 100 where noise levels are at it's lowest. Just get the entry level stuff, and sell it when and if you want more "luxury" stuff on the body. To simplify, the low end bodies can produce the same image quality at lower ISOs... the higher end bodies just has more features to allow for easier photography like better auto focus, bigger view finder, better metering, and high ISO performance.

 

Good point and as he said, get the quality lenses. Then if down the road you decide to upgrade the camera, the compatible lenses will still work for you...
The latest consumer lenses on the market are extremely well made. You won't be disappointed...

 

Use Nikon. In my opinion they are the most flexible. I had used them since 1972. I love the nikon mount. I can use that same mount in my new nikon d2 I use. I had used in the past Olympus- which, is a great system. But I am always go back to nikon.

Out of all of my format systems. I use the Nikon the most.

Good luck with our choice.

George from Pasadena,

 

I'm leaning towards the Nikon D40. I have to stick with Circuit City (I can get employee discount ). If I don't go through circuit City then I use this people which have pretty good prices and they are up the street from me. My budget is $850. I already have a tripod and reflectors. Show me a good package with the D40 or XT ( I like the bigger LCD display of the D40 over the XT though).

 

If Circuit City, I would just get the base package with the one lens then use the left over money to buy a nicer second lens depending on your needs. That base price is pretty good especially if you can get a discount too.
Here are some lenses I would recommend:
Nikon:
55-200 AFS VR
70-300 AFS VR
18-200 AFS VR
Sigma
10-20 HSM
30 F1.8

These are all great lenses and cover alot of different ranges depending on your needs. You will also eventually need a flash like the Nikon SB-600.

 

Did you feel the D80 and D40? Theyre almost identical in size.

D80 W=5.2 H=4.1 D=3.0 1.5lbs.

D40 W=5.0 H=2.5 D=3.7 1.1lbs

I had a D40 and sold it to get a D70S which Im currently selling. Im hoping to get a D80 or a new D300. Good Luck with your choice.

 

Dude im selling my Nikon D70S for $750 incase your interested. It is in pristine condition, no scratches or anything. It almost brand new. Memory, and lense included, with original packaging.

 

What lens?

Oh I also found this. Is a good explanation that MP really doesn't matter. It looks like the 8 mp XT at higher ISO has less noice than the 10 mp XTi

 

either one of those two cams you're looking at would be good man - the only big difference I can think off between those two are: compact flash vs SD card, CMOS sensor vs CCD for Canon and Nikon.

I'm using a Canon now and love the smooth and low noise pix produced by the CMOS. It's a very good and efficient sensor design, and now even the new Nikon D300 is using CMOS technology.

I'm sure you know this site already, but just in case you don't, it'll help with camera info: www.dpreview.com/

like a few have said here, invest in a decent lens too, not just the camera. Here's a shot taken with an 8mp Canon 30d. Either nikon or canon would be just fine

 

Well I have narrow it down to a Canon. I didn't like how limited the D40x is on lenses. so I'm between the XT and XTi. The only thing I don't like about the XT is that it will only do 3 frame per second vs the XTi will do 28 (depending on the settings). since I shoot mostly motorsports and air shows, I think the XTi will be better for me. Also my whole family uses Canon so I can always get a god lens when I need it.

 

A used 20D or 30D > Rebel series

The larger viewfinder, 2nd wheel, and larger magnesium body will be appreciated a few months from now. The Rebel series has a small viewfinder, less-than-ideal ergonomics, and is too small when mated with a heavier, more robust lens. If you do get a Rebel, you'll want to purchase a vertical grip.

Your info on FPS is slightly incorrect. Both are rated at 3 FPS. The difference is in the size of the buffer, which the XTi has more. FPS is overrated and is something amateur Canon owners try and use to make their system superior over Nikon, which has lower FPS ratings. Pros will rarely go into high burst mode - why? Because proper timing is what gets you the shot, not firing 20 shots in hoping of getting that one good shot. Machine burst mode results in hundreds of extra shots to go through at the end of the day, most of them looking pretty much the same.

With the 40D now on the market, prices of the 20D and 30D will drop. I'd suggest buying one of those and investing in a Tamron 17 50 f2.8 or Canon 17 40 f4.0L as a wide angle zoom lens. This will get you started with the basics, then you can look at the accessories such as filters, tripods, flashes, camera bags, etc.

 

Actually the Nikon D40X has a higher FPS. I wish I could get a 20D, 30D, D70 or D80. They fit my hand better but if I go that route then I have to stick with the 18-55mm lens. I have a long drive from SoCal to Ohio on Oct and I think I will use a zoom lens for some shots. I already have some accessories, specially for a Nikon since I have a 35mm Nikon.

 

If it's not in your price range, I think the XTi would do just fine for you over the 30d. The extra stuff you get from a 30d are luxurious features that are nice but not necessary for regular everyday shooting. For me, the important thing is storage type, sensor type, and lens. Based solely on those, the XTi is no different from the 30d, with a little more mp.

If you're narrowing it down to just either rebel, the XTi has slightly newer technology, bigger 2.5" screen, and the extra mp would help when you're shooting planes and need to crop. If burst capacity is important to you, the XTi is better on that too, with 3fps for 27jpegs/10 raw VS 2.8fps for 14jpegs/4 raw. It does cost about $200 more than the XT, but it seems worth it in the long run. The 1.8" screen on the XT is way too small. good luck


400d
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...on_eos400d.asp

350d
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...on_eos350d.asp

 

that is funny yet so true. When I let my friends use my cam, they automatically turn it into a sup-machine gun, thinking if they shoot more, there's more chance of a good shoot. Then I sit there and sort through 40-50 useless shots, identical to each other lmao

 

Actually, the D30 uses Canon's DIGIC II sensor, while the 400D (aka XTi) uses the newer DIGIC III. The XTi shots are somewhat noisier in higher ISOs. Why? The photo dudes think it's because of the higher pixel count. That's why you will actually have some experienced novices/pros recommend the lower pixel 350D (XT) over the 400D (XTi)

BTW, I'm really debating selling off the XTi and getting a 40D or keeping it as a backup.

If you're like me, learning the settings and the camera's limitations took me a year of shooting. Through use, I've learned I wanted better performance in certain areas, which you will only learn with experience.

Again, the 350D or 400D can take as good a shot as the higher end models. You'll just have more difficulty getting it in challenging situations. But getting a better lens, flash, and tripod makes things a bit easier. BTW, a tripod is a must. Invest in one ASAP.

 

BTW, awesome shot.

 

I already have a tripod. I use it with my S3 IS a lot. Can some one explain to me the Canon lenses system? I mean like with series are the best one all the way down to the lesser lenses.