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DSLR Camera Opinions / Recommendations

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Good Day TC ,

I'm having to retire my camera (I've dropped or knocke dit over 3 times this month now) and have been thinking of getting a new DSLR Camera.

Will use it for :

*Photographing new builds at the beach

*Family events

*Thinking of getting into photographing landscapes / nature (second hobby perhaps)

Need some information and opinions on them and which models / lenses you use ?

Know nothing about them really, so anything helps. Getting married in February in a "destination with sun and warmth" so may get it before then.

The only thing I've read so far (been busy) is that for the sensor type, CCD is better than CMOS.

Keep the opinions at an introductory level of price :) !

Finaly, I am technologically "slow" . . . . . . . . . . . . . so something with a slight learning curve is best.

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The things that really make the difference in terms of image quality are the sensor size (not the pixel count) and the glass in front of it.

Put a £700 Canon L series lens on an 8yr old EOS300D/REBEL and despite the small sensor and only 6.3Mpixel it will give better than a new Canon 14Mp EOS with their cheap kit lens on the front

Ditto an old full size sensor EOS 1 - paltry pixel count but with the full size sensor the quality of each pixel is so much better than the microscopic 14million they try to cram onto the chips these days.

Don't get caught up in the pixel marketting spin, especially if you don't want to print bigger than A3. Displaying images on LCD/Plasma TVs doesn't tend to highlight issues as much as printing does either.

Having said all that some of the newer dSLR do have the benfit of movie modes which for RC photgrapahy can actually be useful.

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We have a TV program in the uk called the Gadget Show . Take a look on their reviews of DSLR'S on their website . They review all the new tec in real world tests and i've found the reviews very helpful when buying new items . I also seem to remember them doing a program on rc cars and Tamiya coming out well - think it was a mini that came out tops .

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How about the new canon g1X ???? due out this feb and by all accounts will be not far off the quality of a cheaper slr and if your off to a nice warm place for your honeymooon the underwater case should be a realistic price compared to that of an slr.

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going to jump in with the Nikon D700 . Ok so its high end and expensive but for quality and the fact it will give trouble free use for years its a good choice .

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What do you have in mind for a budget - it might help with suggestions.

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Displaying images on LCD/Plasma TVs doesn't tend to highlight issues as much as printing does either.

Yeah, that's because even a 1080p TV is only 2 megapixels... even throwing a 3MP photo at it will look pretty dang good.

@OP: www.dpreview.com - the only answer you should ever need...

Good luck and be sure you're prepared to carry big-*** camera around with you *before* you buy it. Most SLR owners I know also have a good point and shoot (typically Canon S90, S95 or S100) because for the most part an SLR is just downright impractical. Unless they need mega zoom, way more light or super-fast action they almost always use the P&S.

And once you've seen a photo from an S90 or later you can understand why.

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Good luck and be sure you're prepared to carry big-*** camera around with you *before* you buy it. Most SLR owners I know also have a good point and shoot (typically Canon S90, S95 or S100) because for the most part an SLR is just downright impractical. Unless they need mega zoom, way more light or super-fast action they almost always use the P&S.

Good point - nothing worse than having to lug 10-15Kg of camera gear up a mountain to get a landscape or a flypast !

I took a fully loaded camera rucksack to Macchu Pichu - and boy did i know about it !

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What do you have in mind for a budget - it might help with suggestions.

The lower or introductory end . . . . . thanks for the info so far fellas !

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The lower or introductory end . . . . . thanks for the info so far fellas !

In essence there's not a huge difference in any of the major brands. The best thing to do is visit a camera shop and handle a few different cameras - the size of the palm grip, the layout of buttons and menus is different and some people prefer one makers layout over another.

As a very general statement, Nikon cameras traditionally give less vibrant (more accurate ??) colours than say Canon - all to do with the image chip and software (although easily corrected to suit your taste in post image software packages). Nikon 'kit' lenses are possibly slightly better than Canon, the Canon 18-55 IS lense is still pretty poor optically.

Other competitors like Pentax and Sony i've no first hand experience of sorry.

If you plan this as a second hobby then also look at the cost of additional lenses - Canon lenses are cheaper than Nikon. Altenrative lens manufacturuers like Tamron and Sigma offer a wider choice of lenses for Canon than Nikon, and considerably more than for the likes of Pentax and Sony.

What i would say is take a lot of time handling cameras - if you go with one maker and then change at a later date the cost of selling and rebuying lenses gets silly.

Spec wise there's not a huge amount of difference - most have 12mP or more (once again don't assume 20Mp is better), large rear screens, and movie modes. Any built in flash is OK for simple night portrait photos, but are useless for distance/high speed use where you need a dedicated flash gun.

I can't stress enough the importance of handling cameras - the difference betweena Nikon and Canon can be like the difference between a stick and wheel RC controller !

In the UK typical online , well known, camera retailers will get you..

Canon EOS 1100D with 18-55 IS kit lens for £390

Canon EOS 550D with same lens for £520

Canon ESO 600D with same lens for £560

Pentax K-r with 18-55mm lens for £400 (note Pentax have their image stabiliser in the camera, so you don't need to the expense of image stabilised lenses - the Pentax body is alos bigger so good if you have large hands)

Nikon D3100 with 18-55 VR lens £480

Nikon D5100 with same lens £650

Nikon D90 gets a bit more serious, more control and better images ..

Nikon D90 18-105mm ED VR Lens £769

Another alternative could be one of the 'interchangeable lens' cameras like the Sony Alpha NEX / Nikon 1 - basically the body of a pocket camera with the ability to take better quality, bigger lenses. Not much cheaper than a dSLR and lens availability is a lot less, but for what you're after they could be a good compromise.

again go try one out, handle it, see whether the controls are intuitively placed for you.

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Having just bought my first DSLR camera, I was in the same boat as you when I was first looking. I was looking at Canon, Sony and Pentax, eventually settling for a Pentax KX with a 18-55 kit lens, bought from Jessops for £349. I had the slight advantage of owning a few k-mount Pentax lenses already, which are manual focus, but still fitted to my new camera. I have to say that I am really pleased with the camera so far, it takes some stunning photos, and although I am a complete and utter newbie with cameras, I have had some good results so far, even on the 'auto' mode. The other good thing with this camera is that it takes normal AA batteries, so I bought some good quality rechargables, meaning that I should never have a flat-battery moment!

I have also managed to pick-up a few baragin lenses, including a Samsung 70-200 lens from their DSLR (£35 from CEX!), which uses the same mounts as Pentax, and I bought a Sigma lens which is a 70-300 for £50! As well as having the on-board anti-shake, the auto-focus motor is also inside the camera, unlike Canons, which also helps reduce the cost of extra lenses, although to be honest, most lenses seem to be horrific prices for anything semi-decent!

I use my camera at least once-a-week at my son's football matches, and I'm really pleased with the way the pictures have come out. Lots of detail, good colour and they seem to print out pretty well too.

I also tend to carry a compact around with me, my trusty Sony W35. Sometimes carrying around 3 lenses and a tripod can be quite wearing! And on that note, with any DSLR, to take any great pictures you will definitely need a tripod. I was lucky, as I have a Nikon-obsessed Uncle who gave me a very nice Velbon Tri-pod as a gift last time I saw him! (Thanks!!!)

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Now that it has been almost one year, what did you end up buying.. And knowing what you know now would have choosen another model? I've learn buying the best len is more important than buying the best camera. Camera technology will only get better and prices will come down over time, but good lens hold their ground. Good lens with an average camera will have better photos than a good camera with a so so lens. Nikon or Canon lens made in Japan are generally the faster and better quality lens. Slower and lower quality lens are made in China or Thailand. The only part I am not sure is the quality built of older vs newer model from Japan. Picture wise the newer model is better and more expensive, but if you are more into "the construction of the lens" I think the older model is better, kind of like the old 3 spd vs new 3spd, which would you choose?

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Camera's are so varied, I had a Nikon D50 and considered upgrading to a newer model, but to be fair i got fed up of carrying two or three lenses around with me, i ended going back a step to a bridge camera, i took a look around for a while before buying a Nikon P500, with its 36x zoom and hd video functions, plus high speed recording in 720p at 60fps, vga at 120fps and qvga at 240fps, this came in handy when videoing rc action. We are looking at a gopro 2 or 3 for more action video, plus my bro has a Nikon D300 so we are never short of options for footage at meets. We could do with a topic where members discuss how they get and edit there footage to give others more information about videoing, taking photograph's and which software to use.

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Got to agree with you. Most of the time those point and shoot are good enough. Its light and small, and less damage to your wallet. The Gopros are good as you can mount them anywhere and view the action later from surfing, skiiing, skydiving etc... Lugging around camera and lenses plus tri-pod are not exactly fun, especially going on hike or walking around for several hours. But the photos are nice and worth it except for the sore shoulder later. The lenses are addictive. I am pumping money into the lenses and look forward to a full frame later. Good thing the Mrs. is getting into photography, otherwise I have lots of explaining to do. Now I have to buy a dryer for the lenses and camera and don't have to hide it because the Mrs. totally agree. :)

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Well, the family got me:

Canon EOS Rebel T5 1200D

Canon EFS 18-55mm Lens

Canon EF 75-300mm Lens

Tripod

Now, I'm going to need some weekend college courses in photography, camera use.

My aging Toshiba laptop is going to need to be updated with something new to go with the camera bits ;).

Recommendations for photo software/programs ?

(I've an interest in starting some nature photography)

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I have the very same Kit you now have! The 18-55 is NOT the best but it works for close pictures, The 75-300 i do use the most as it gives a lot better picture.

I would recommend you download the FULL destruction book direct from Canon and work through it as it gives a badword of a lot more info than what you get with the camera.

Even with the 300mm lens i get better Moon pictures with my old Fuji HSX20!

Steve.

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Adobe software is great. The elements package will give you all you need.

Practice practice practice and when things do not come out as expected Google why. The good thing with digital is you can take the same shot 10 times with different settings and see the results.

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Recommendations for photo software/programs ?

Adobe Lightroom is great for enhancing pics that just need a little tweaking

I do any major editing in GIMP (and it's free!)

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