Hey Im looking to get a SLR and start taking some sweet photos. What are some good cameras to begin with that arent ridiculously expensive, but of good quality? I was recommended the Olympus E-510.

Thanks

 

There is a photography sub-forum... just so you know, and there are alot of active professional photographers there who would be glad to help you out with this.

I like the Canon Rebel.

 

i just bought muhlady a nikon d60

 

I strongly suggest the Olympus E-500 or E-510, its only disadvantage would be the high cost of lenses and limited amounts.

In the end it doesnt matter, the camera plays a rather small role in the success of the photo, just buy something.

 

What's a comparable camera to the 510 that has a better selection of lenses?

 

woops didnt see it. Ill go post there. thanks!

 

thread moved

 

Your same priced Canon and Nikon are going to have the better selection in lenses. I think those are the 400D and D80, I forget I been out of the game for awhile.

You must take into account the Olympus uses a 4/3 lens system with has many advantages but comes at a price. Your basic lenses are decently priced, but the faster lenses, extreme shorts and longs add up quickly.

It depends what you plan to shoot and what kind of lenses you think need and decide from that.

For me I would always go for the E-510, but personally I think people over think lenses and buy stuff they dont need, but I know I'm the minority that go against buying a 1000 different attachment for a camera.

Just be careful who's advice you take(include mine as well), many people arent happy till they convince you to buy the most expensive of everything and 100s of it.

A fancy camera cant make up for lack of talent, in some cases it hurts it. I think the E-510 to be a perfect mixture of friendliness and professionalism, but I cant say anything bad about the Nikon and Canon counter parts.



The thread has been moved, people here can tell you more then me.
To be honest I just use point and clicks now, I hate big cameras now.

 

I just bought a Nikon D40 and I love it. It is my first dSLR camera and I couldn't be happier. I am about to post up some pictures that I took with it in the media share section. Check them out and you can get an example of what a week-and-a-half owner can do

 

Go to a store and handle everything in your price range. Buy what is most comfortable in your hands.

There really isn't a huge difference in any of the major brands at any of the price points, and most of the kit lens are pretty good too (probably in the 18-55mm range or there about).

Once you start shooting think about where you would like more or less of something and let that guide your lens collection. Dpreview has great forums broken out into brands, which have a huge amount of info and great pictures in them.

I use a Pentax K10D with the 18-55 kit lens. I have found I like macro photography and a bit of longer stuff, so after seeing some pictures taken with the Tamron 70-300, and talking with a friend in Calgary that has one I ordered one (yesterday...). A nice compromise lens that gives me a bit more "reach" both in Macro and distance. Plus it was a huge bargain at $136 shipped. A dedicated macro lens is easily 3 times that and a 300mm telephoto, maybe as much as 10 times...I figure that 6 months or a year from now I will have a much better idea of where my interests lie based on my photo collection, then I can put some money into dedicated lenses.

Remember though, it is about taking the pictures not the equipment and digital "film" is basically free so take lots of shots.

 

Canon Rebel XT, great starter, very cheap

 

I'm using Pentax K100D, extremely cheap.

Takes good enough photos. It's not the camera its the photographer!

Used it for about a year, and I've taken a few photoshoots of buddies cars and what not. Its very good camera to learn on.

I'm beginning now to get jealous of the Nikon/Canon quality over mine and the lens options they have so I will be switching hopefully in a few months time. But we'll see. I love taking photos but I can't justify blowing so much money on equipment. I might even stay with the 100D.

 

Honestly I would go with either a Nikon or a Canon. I have the digital rebel XT which is pretty cheap right now. It also takes some pretty good pics.

 

That is a great camera, why would you change? Plus there are plenty of lenses available for Pentax, not only new but also used. Pentax hasn't orphanned any of their lenses over the years. And unless one wants to print really giant pictures all the time, 6 MP or so will serve you very well, even up to fairly big stuff (like 12x18 or larger) as long as view at a reasonable distance.

This is a pretty good article about choosing a camera, even if it is Nikon-centric on the DSLR end.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm

 

canon rebel xt

 

After much debate, I have to agree with Magic Pie...

But with the stipulation that you'll be happy with the lens selection of the 4/3's system (which is pretty varied IMO).

The E-510 has sensor based image stabilization, which cut costs on future lenses if you do want to upgrade... and only costs $600 for body and 2 lenses that cover 14-150 (28-300 with the 2x factor of the 4/3's system). Plus, it'll be perfect for animal shooters as the 2x factor can give you a 600mm equivalent with a cheap 300mm lens, whereas a 1.6 crop sensor will only give you 480mm with a 300mm lens.