ryanlovesyou

I know a lot of the people here are photographers, and I'm looking to get a digital SLR with my next paycheck. I don't have much to spend (<$600) so I was wondering if anyone has recommendations on what to look out for/avoid. I'm hoping to buy used and I'm not deluded into thinking I can score an outrageous deal either. However, Google gave me way too much gobblygook to comprehend, so here I am. Thanks in advance everyone.

extremenergy3

Been seeing some brand new nikon d40's in the sunday newspaper for $500 with lens. Maybe can get it cheaper used? Froogle.com that shizzzzz

Also, search cnet.com for reviews.

ryanlovesyou

I didn't even see the other thread about DSLRs, but I'm still looking for some suggestions. Sorry for the coincidence.

elemental

Pentax system (K200D, or if you can find a K100D it'll be cheaper). I use it. I love the value. I love the old lenses I can snag from eBay for cheap.

What you really need to do is go into a store and hold them all. Play with the buttons and settings- you'll know.

Badbalance

I have a Canon 20D which is slightly out of date (Canon came out with the 30 and 40d since). I got it for a hell of a deal 500 with a lens.

DongDong

some entry level cams are canon xti, they cam out with a newer one, not sure what it is, nikon d40, and d60 i think.

currently, the two biggest camera manufacturers that are dominating the market is canon and nikon.

those are great beginner cameras!

im currently have a nikon d300 with a 24-70 2.8 and a 10.5mm fisheye.

skinnyland

Film -> Canon
Digital -> Nikon

I bought my wife a D40 about 8 months ago, and it's killer.

shaan

D40 is way too limited of a camera unless you only plan on upgrading to AF-S lenses, go with at minimum a d80 if you want a Nikon, Canons X line isn't as arbitrarily limited except for the lack of a rear wheel

mattface 

I'm very happy with my Nikon D40.

The AF-S restriction is irrellevant unless you already own a bunch of Nikon lenses. If I already owned a bunch of Nikon lenses the AFS restriction might have meant something to me, but I'm good with the 18-55 kit lens, and the 55-200 mm F/4 5.6G ED-IF AF-S DX VR. For just over $200 it's a great lens, and it's amazing to have built in VR for that price. I've shot puppet shows in a dark club from the back of the room zoomed in to 200 freehand with available light. As long as I could get the pupet to hold still for half a second they came out great. ONe thing I've learned recently is the importance of white balancing in low light. Shoot available light in the auto modes, and it will assume sunlight indoor shots will be overly warm. Choosing incandescent, or setting a custom white balance makes a huge difference.


Also it works fine with other AF lenses, you just have to focus manually. It even works with Old F-mount lenses, but you have to be willing to work in full manual mode. THis is a neat trick if you want to shoot with available light and you have really fast fixed lens.

Most of the shots in my photostream were shot with my D-40 and the kit lens. This one was shot with an old Nikkor Micro 55 manual lens just to see if I could do it.

euphoria

if you have to buy used, go with craigslist so you can check it out first. I got a nikon D40 off ebay and the motor in the lens was shot and had a scratch. the guy was cool about the refund but it set me waaaay behind in my photo class

manboy

If you go with Ritz Camera, you should be able to get a D40 with the 18-55 and the 55-200 VR plus a bag for 600 bucks. Pretty good deal in my opinion. Online may be cheaper, but go with someone reputable.

I don't think the lens limitation on the D40 is that big a deal. They're merely doing what Canon has been doing since they went to the EOS system. If you're starting from square one, there are already a number of lenses that will work, and there are likely to be a lot more in the future as Nikon continues to make bodies with no AF motor. Also, here's a hint: third party lenses with a motor, such as the Sigma HSM lenses, will work on a D40 just fine.

The main limitation of the D40 for me is the menu system. It's built for a novice and can be a bit cumbersome for an advanced user. However, you can still do what you need to do fairly quickly.

As far as Pentax goes, I've never liked the menu system. They have an incredibly powerful system, but the menu isn't as easy for me as the Nikon or Canon.

A lot of people will talk up the Olympus like crazy, but I wouldn't go with the four-thirds system. The smaller sensor can be a drawback, and I like the wide aspect ratio of the APS-C size sensors.

Can you tell I sell cameras for a living?

schleven

https://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/Produ...BCL=&GBC=&GCC=

30D, Excellent condition, $695.

Can probably find it cheaper on a local craigslist. Or just get a 20D.

homEsick

i'm about to purchase a D40 in july. i'm pretty sure after it's outdated i'll go up to a w/e modern version of the D300 camera is. no reason to spend big money now until i can appreciate the extra features and what not a higher body will bring me. and as stated in the other camera thread b/c of looks, ergonomics, reviews, specs, and samples, i believe nikon>canon.

burbankbiker

I picked up a Nikon D70s (outdated by a couple models) for 450 off amazon last year. It's a great camera and one that was 1800 a couple years ago. If you don't need the extra pixels or the bigger screen of the newer prosumer DSLR's, I can totally recommend it.

Digital cameras are developing so fast now that a 2 year old camera is considered undesirable by buying public but it's still a great camera. So why not spend 25% and get a 2 year old camera, updating it with newer but still outdated models frequently, rather than spending 4 times as much for the latest greatest now and having a totally outdated camera in 8 years.

That way, after 8 years, you've spent the same amount of money but have a 2 year old camera (your 4th such purchase) instead of an 8 year old camera. Make sense?

JayNev

www.dpreview.com is an awesome site for reviews and what not

str8flexed

Hey, I started the other thread on DSLR's. I think I will want to purchase a 30D used and then get the 18-55 IS lens for about $170. Hopefully the 30D used will run about $550 and no more than $600, and this will be a sweet setup.

However, keep in mind that you can get a new Rebel Xti with lens kit for about $500 if you find a good deal. This was tempting.

However, people still say the Xti is entry level while the 10,20,30D's are more for the advanced consumer. While I am no doubt an entry level photographer, I'd still like to have better equipment and things I've heard such as the build quality (metal vs cheap feeling plastic), ease of use (with scrollwheel on back, and more buttons on the back so less going through menus to change iso/shutter speed etc), and the better, brighter pentaprism viewfinder on the 20/30D's are reasons I am leaning towards this instead of a a Rebel XT/Xti.

Also, I like the 2.5" screen on the 30D better than the 20D's 1.8" or smaller. I think it would make a big difference in reviewing pictures and learning what looks ok...

chase.

i still use my 6mp D100, and while i'd prefer a newer nikon digital body, the lenses are really what counts. buy what you can afford either used or NOS a couple models old, drop the real cash on glass (expect to spend 60% or more on lenses overall).

the biggest thing i can recommend to people new to photography is to try the different brands out— they all have very different ergonomics and shapes. if you have a big camera store (if you've been to B&H in NYC) near you, that's a good place to try out all the bodies. don't be fooled by stuff like image stabilizers or a crazy zoom range (like 18-200mm), they're no substitute for fast glass and will likely make your technique lazy. pros shot for years with primes; zooms are convenient but easy to misuse.

MIN 

Canon xti with tokina 17-50mm F2.8 lens. tis sharp.

zachariah.

canon offering full frame > nikon not

wolfbrother

I like my nikon d40 a lot, but I haven't been using it nearly enough.
Check www.BHphotoandvideo.com. They have some pretty good deals.

chase.

uh, what? D3.

MIN 

The real issue is that canon cropped frame bodies can use both EF-S and EF lenses whereas Nikon forces you to use crop-sensor lenses on crop-sensor bodies, etc.

It's totally irrelevant if you are looking for an entry-level camera body and don't have an investment in prior, film-based Canon lenses like I did.

homEsick

edit: chase beat me to saying nikon does offer full frame

baxtefer

Tamron?

Tokina's offering in that range is the 16-50

sp00ki

our mods are useless...