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Hello! I'm new to photography but would like to purchase a Digital SLR Camera with a price range of up to $550. any suggestions on the best for this price range
thanks in advance
msnicole83
Why do you want to start with a DSLR? There are may fine cameras today that are really great for beginner's. A DSLR will add way to much complication to the art of photgraphy in the hands of an amatuer.
One has to remember it's not the camera that makes great photo's......It's the person taking the picture.
In order to become a good photographer one need to develop "the eye" that sees great composition.
most point and shoots are to hard to learn good photography skills with.most lack enough control to really control the situation well or even at all...
just tonight i took my little cannon sd880 to try to take unobtrusive no flash photos at a swanky restaurante we went to. im a fairly skilled photographer but i got to tell you i coudnt get a steady low light picture out of that little thing flopping in my hand...
there was no manual control to try to tame the lighting situation and the few photos i managed to get were soooo noisy at such high iso.
if you really have a serious interest a simple dslr like the d3000 or d5000 or even the d80 are great to learn on. both marilyn and i learned everything on a d80..
Last edited by mathjak107; 07-31-2010 at 06:14 PM..
most point and shoots are to hard to learn good photography skills with.most lack enough control to really control the situation well or even at all...
just tonight i took my little cannon sd880 to try to take unobtrusive no flash photos at a swanky restaurante we went to. im a fairly skilled photographer but i got to tell you i coudnt get a steady low light picture out of that little thing flopping in my hand...
there was no manual control to try to tame the lighting situation and the few photos i managed to get were soooo noisy at such high iso.
if you really have a serious interest a simple dslr like the d3000 or d5000 or even the d80 are great to learn on. both marilyn and i learned everything on a d80..
I disagree. One can take good pictures with any camera provided they take the time to learn the basics (reading required) and research (more reading required) the cameras functions to select one that will do the job.
I'm a strong advocate of the K.I.S.S. principal when it comes to photography equipment . You know, Keep it Simple Stupid so that the gear doesn't get in the way of to photo.
there are 3 parts to photography today and all 3 are important parts..
part 1 is learning to compose the photos, learning to have an eye
part 2 is the camera and learning to use it to get proper exposures and to control the scene and the look you want
part 3 is the post processing end, thats learning to use editing software . with film the lab used to handle that end, with digital that falls on you now.
if someone has a limited budget it dosnt make much sense in my mind to go point and shoot when even the most complex dslr today has the same idiot modes as a point and shoot and can allow them the luxury of starting simple in auto mode and then allow them to introduce the bells and whistles on the camera.
a camera like the d3000 or used d80 is no harder to use then a point and shoot and allows you to grow with the camera.
its exactly how my wife learned. she started in program mode and advanced from their.
its really for the person to decide how they want to do it but having to get another camera again just seems silly as well as part 2 is very difficult on a point and shoot to learn.
most are missing the modes you even need to learn like an aperture priority mode or shutter priority mode.
just makes no sense to me to learn on anything but a dslr if you really want to learn unless you got bucks to waste on 2 cameras.
you would be far better served with the 1 dslr and a better lens instead of eventually 2 cameras.
Last edited by mathjak107; 08-01-2010 at 03:18 AM..
I disagree. One can take good pictures with any camera provided they take the time to learn the basics (reading required) and research (more reading required) the cameras functions to select one that will do the job.
But, if the camera is limited in it's ability to function in certain environments, then no amount of reading will correct that, and you will NEVER be able to get a keeper photo in those conditions. I have point and shoots as well as DSLR's, both have their place, but the ability to take a photo in fringe conditions is FAR better on the DSLR. As for reading to learn how to use the point and shoot, the same holds true for DSLR's. Except you end up with a much more versatile, and useful camera with the DSLR in the end.
Quote:
I'm a strong advocate of the K.I.S.S. principal when it comes to photography equipment . You know, Keep it Simple Stupid so that the gear doesn't get in the way of to photo.
I agree with this 100% K.I.S.S. is a great concept to follow when getting a camera. Every single entry level DSLR will out preform all but the higher priced point and shoots and are just as simple, if not more so than the point and shoots. It comes down to the sensor size and the quality of the glass (lens) in front of it.
ANY brand of DSLR camera in that price range will have an auto program that you simple turn it on, hold it up, and press the button... poof, photo is taken (without the horrible shutter lag most point and shoots have). The difference is that while they all have the simple auto mode, they all also have the ability to grow with the person as they evolve in their photo taking. Point-and-shoots do not have that ability. My 7 year old son can, and does, take photos with my DSLR. If a person buys a DSLR and has ZERO desire to grow beyond the auto mode, that is fine too. They will have better quality photos and prints the entire time.
For the OP. Because you are just starting out, take the advice most people have given you and go into a real honest to God camera shop and try the different offerings that are out there in your price range. Buying a camera is very personal and has to "fit" you. If the shutter release is awkward, or the camera body is too larger (or too small) those are things that will never change on that body and will bug you every time you pick it up. If something bugs you every time you pick it up, pretty soon you pick it up less and less until it becomes an expensive door stop in the closet. As for lens selection, unless you are going to be shooting some fairly unique types photos, ALL of the manufacturer's cover a huge range. Most carry a line of lenses that cover from 10 or 12 mm up to 400-600mm. I've never seen a camera make that is limited when the aftermarket lens makers are figured into the mix. Sigma makes some fantastic lenses, as does several other aftermarket makers. Shoot even the 4/3rds format covers from 7mm up to 300mm (all Olympus lenses).
The most important part is getting a camera body you will use, and use for a long time. That means one that is comfortable to use, and to grow with. Go to several different camera shops and talk to different people in them. If a shop sells 95% Nikon, of course that is the one they will be most familiar with, same for Canon, Sony, Olympus, Fuji, etc.... Because you are just starting out and not tied to a brand because of expensive lenses you already own, you have a nice advantage of getting whatever brand fits and works best for YOU. mathjak107 loves his Nikon's, RayinAK uses Canon if I recall, I shoot Sony, some pros in this area shoot Fuji. Who is right, and who is wrong? None of us are. We all shoot what we like/comfortable with and frankly if we were all standing side by side and took a photo of the same object with the same settings, other than personal composition you wouldn't be able to say which photo came from which camera.
Last edited by Bydand; 08-01-2010 at 07:30 AM..
Reason: fixed horrible spelling :)
As a relative newbie I just have to add to the discussion from my own experience as a photographer in the making, sorry to horn in.
Nothing can turn a new person off to photography than having a lot of bad pictures. A good practiced photographer can use a cell phone or mediocre point and shoot and get some well composed and decent pictures. Someone new to photography will on occasion get lucky in the composition and settings, but often the quality of the shot is still lacking. As a beginner one has no idea about ISO, or f-stop or even shutter speed having an effect and just know it was too dark/over exposed. All to often pictures will seem even totally out of focus where you thought it was all in focus because of the choices the camera made for you. If the person looking for a camera is really interested in lots of family pictures, group pictures and some "event" pictures like vacations and graduations, most point and shoots will probably be adequate. As soon as you want to be even slightly artistic the point and shoot becomes very frustrating.
Once I moved up from a point and shoot to the Canon Rebel I was hooked. Right now I still spend a lot of time reading tutorials, books and looking at pictures on forums (like here) to try and see what makes a good picture and understand the technical aspects. If I didn't, at least, see a few shots that I felt a little proud of because they were sharp, clear and in focus I might have given up on the hobby. Now I've got an additional lens and have a tripod on my wish list because I am beginning to understand my needs better and understand the deficiencies of my pictures are correctable. The auto settings are much like the point and shoot for learning composition and even learning what settings work for what light, BUT the ability to determine settings as I begin to understand how they effect a picture has been priceless. To get a shot of a flower perfectly lit and in perfectly in focus but with the background perfectly blurred has been a joy I never had with a point and shoot, even in close up mode.
If you have the money, go for the classic beginner camera like mine right at the get go rather than a cheaper point and shoot and then move up and get the good camera you can grow into. The kit lens alone was an improvement over the one on the point and shoot. If you already have taken some really good pictures then it might be worth getting an even more advanced camera from a reputable dealer that sells used and refurbished cameras and plan on dropping as much or more on additional lenses.
Right now I still spend a lot of time reading tutorials, books and looking at pictures on forums (like here) to try and see what makes a good picture and understand the technical aspects.
Get used to this part . I've had a 35mm in my hands since before auto focus, auto exposure, and all the "auto" stuff was common (or in some cases even available). I continued to read, and study photos in order to improve my own. Now that I made the switch to Digital a couple years ago, I am still reading, learning and growing. It will never end.
3-1/2 years of eating and sleeping photography, a few photocontests under our belt , some commercial shooting and we still consider our selves advanced amatures
Get used to this part . I've had a 35mm in my hands since before auto focus, auto exposure, and all the "auto" stuff was common (or in some cases even available). I continued to read, and study photos in order to improve my own. Now that I made the switch to Digital a couple years ago, I am still reading, learning and growing. It will never end.
I had the feeling that was the case. I never got good enough (never enough time) with my old SLR, so now I am starting all over again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mathjak107
3-1/2 years of eating and sleeping photography, a few photocontests under our belt , some commercial shooting and we still consider our selves advanced amatures
I still have a long way to go to get even that far!!
just got a pentax k-x for $475. from the research i did before i purchased it's better than entry level dslr's from canon, nikon and sony. more options.. such as video recording.
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. I've had a 35mm in my hands since before auto focus, auto exposure, and all the "auto" stuff was common (or in some cases even available). I continued to read, and study photos in order to improve my own. Now that I made the switch to Digital a couple years ago, I am still reading, learning and growing. It will never end.
