Best SLR camera?
 

We are looking to buy a new SLR camera and need suggestions. We just want something that takes good pictures and that if something happened to it, it wouldn't be too much of a loss. Any suggestions for good, reasonably priced SLR cameras?

Digital SLR or 35mm SLR?

Are you looking for a 35mm SLR or a digital SLR? As you may know a digital SLR is going to be much more expensive than a film camera, so maybe that disqualifies it as something that "wouldn't be too much of a loss."

Otherwise, I think the type of camera is less important than the glass you put on it. All modern cameras will have all the whizzy features you'd ever want and more. But, when it comes to lenses, Canon and Nikon pretty much rule. I think it would be hard to go wrong with a basic 35mm SLR from either company.

You might also consider a cheap used digital SLR like a Canon Digital Rebel. Even the original 6.3 Megapixel model (my previous camera) will produce fantastic large prints. I have framed prints hanging from this camera and a 3 Megapixel camera as well as a few 35mm prints. They all look pretty much the same. It's always amusing when people have to ask, "Are these film or digital prints?" I love playing the "guess which ones are digital?" game. People are almost always wrong. The digital ones look quite good.

And what's "reasonable?" Further, why an SLR?

I agree that you can't go wrong with Canon. Decide what features you want, and research prices. Very easy. Good buys on eBay, too, if you read the offers carefully to get a new, unopened boxed camera.

I wouldn't buy a used camera, because I think people can treat them roughly so you might be buying someone else's problem camera.
:)>-

<i>I wouldn't buy a used camera, because I think people can treat them roughly so you might be buying someone else's problem camera.</i>

I don't know, Maureen. Hey, runr3, you wanna buy my Canon 20d? Problem free for three years now. And I'm itching to step up to the 40d.

Why an SLR? Good reasons: much faster reaction time; plus, real photographers like to see action &quot;live&quot; through a viewfinder, not just on an LCD screen. I recently bought my first point-and-shoot digital (a Canon SD750) and while it's ultra-convenient for carrying around in any situation, I still hate taking pictures with it. I feel so constrained - it's so limited. With my Canon 5D (or the rebel) I can snap way with much more control and precision. I would NEVER trade my digital SLR for a P&amp;S digital.

While it's possible a used digital camera might have problems, it's much more likely that someone is simply upgrading. The first Canon Digital Rebel was only 6.3MP; the latest is about 10MP and is smaller than the original. Or people will upgrade to the 30D or 40D (40D is really nice). I don't think it's automatic that a used digital is going to be defective. Just spend some time playing with it and trying it out. (Don't be afraid to upload an image or two to your laptop and look carefully at it.)

Sorry, but personally I do exactly the opposite what MaureenB suggests.

If I want to buy new, I'll buy from a reputable dealer with US warranty. Not from ebay.

If I want to save money, I'll buy used on ebay or on &quot;classified&quot; section of other photo websites from individuals.

But I like the question raised by beachbum. Why a dSLR? What are you trying to do? Are you going to keep expanding on your system to add other lenses and accessories?

Oh, I know the reasons for an SLR, Andrew. But from what runr3 says s/he is looking for, an SLR might be a waste of money.

I recently bought a P&amp;S digital too: a Leica d-Lux 3. Takes great photos, but I hate not having a view-finder. So I don't use it much.

This is my guaranteed procedure for buying a new digital camera. I've given this advise to many people now and so far I haven't had one person come back and say they got the wrong camera.

1. Go to betterphoto.com and click on Resources &gt; Your Camera. You have a choice of taking a visual or text quiz. Either one will work. Answer the questions and you will get a list of about 10-15 cameras. Write down the models of the 5-7 that rank highest for your needs.

2. Go to dpreview.com and check out the reviews for each of the 5-7 cameras on your list. Cross off all cameras that get less than a Recommended. Cross off any camera that turns you off as you read the review. This will reduce your list to 1-3 cameras.

3. Go to a store and try out the cameras on your list. Buy the one that feels the best in your hands (or whoever's hands will be taking the photos).

The question about whether a digital SLR or a 35mm SLR is a big one. Also, why you want an SLR. I know many people who told me they want to get a dSLR. When I've asked them why, they've replied that they are unhappy with the results they're getting on the point &amp; shoot and the guy at the store says they need a dSLR to get better results. When we sat down and talked it out, 90% of those people DON'T want to deal with a dSLR (and lenses, etc.). They just want to be able to get a decent photo of their child. Usually, just having them bring me their camera and showing them a few tricks, makes them much happier and their wallet a lot fatter.

SLRs are great, but they're not for everyone.

P.S. Beachbum - didn't you say you were going to give me that 20D as a holiday gift? :-d

Like I said, if you read the information carefully, to ensure you're getting a brand new, unopened-in-box camera, with a factory warranty, you can get a good buy on eBay on a camera. It doesn't matter where you buy the camera, so long as you get one with a factory warranty, the brand stands behind it if you have a problem during the warranty period. Unless you want to buy from a store in your town where you can go for training, advice on accessories, etc.

It's incorrect to assume that sellers on eBay are not reputable. You can read the feedback on them, and make sure you check their return policy. Also, pay with a credit card. That way you have assurance you'll get what you ordered.

I'm awaiting a Canon SD1000 right now, having done this very thing for a Christmas gift. I paid only about $30 less than retail, but I got a three-year extended warranty, an extra 1G memory card, and a camera case. It's like buying from MacMall on-line vs. Apple-- you get some freebies thrown in to sweeten the deal.

Buying on eBay does require you do your homework. Some people don't want to spend that much time on it, so it's not for them.
:)&gt;-

If you are considering the SD1000, consider the SD750 instead. It's a little more expensive but it has a much larger LCD display - really nice. Costco today has this camera for only $219, a great price (I paid $40 more six weeks ago), plus they give you a 90 day return warranty on it.

By the way, memory cards are so cheap now that I wouldn't bother with only a 1GB card. 2GB cards for $20 are common now, and today I saw one on sale at Fry's for under $10. While you might think you won't take that many pictures, once you start shooting videos with it you'll quickly wish you had more space, believe me.

Sorry to bring this OT, but MaureenB, how much did pay for that SD1000? A quick search on ebay, I found the lowest price is about $160 + $23 shipping for $183 total.

Now, why would I pay that instead of $170 on amazon with free shipping?

And many of those dealers on ebay sell grey market stuff. No Canon USA warranty. That's why they'll throw in a &quot;1 yr&quot;, &quot;3 yr&quot; or whatever warranty from a 3rd party. I hope you won't have to use it, but it won't be as simple as shipping back to Canon USA.

Like Andrew says, a 1GB SD is basically free. I have at least a couple that I've gotten in the last 6 months for &lt;$10 (after rebate). Is the case a Canon one, or 3rd party no-name one?

Sorry, not to burst your bubble, but if I want a SD1000, I'll buy one from a reputable dealer directly. <b>I did not say any seller on ebay is not reputable</b>, which is of course not true. I sell stuff there too. There are are non-reputable dealers outside ebay too.

But in this example, amazon.com is reputable and has an excellent price. Why not buy from them instead?

Not to belabor the point, but I know how to comparison shop! I paid what you noted, and I'm getting a USA Canon warranty, plus the extras I mentioned. I have a good return policy, plus the assurance of buying throuh PayPal and Visa. I bought from a reputable buyer.

I think the real point, as I have already said, is that it pays to do your homework and to comparison shop.

Now, let's get back to the OP's question, can we??
:)&gt;-

B&amp;H Photo has a $50 rebate on the SD1000 through 11/30. With their shipping, that makes the total price $150.

I look at all the different companies out there, but 95% of the time, I find the best price without risk at B&amp;H. The other 5% of the time, I either buy locally or directly from Amazon (not through them from Adorama, etc.).

Let's wait to see what the big guy leaves under the tree, toedtoes. ;-)

Toed, the rebate applies to purchase of a photo printer plus any Canon camera, not to the camera alone. Thanks anyway.

There's always a better offer out there, after a purchase has been made! That's the nature of technology.
:)&gt;-

Oops, sorry Maureen. I didn't read it closely.

Yes, after you buy it, it will always be found for less. However, with B&amp;H I rarely feel like I got screwed in the deal. :)

Nikon D40, if you are going to get an SLR. Check it out on www.cnet.com and it's on www.buydig.com for $477 last I looked. It's awesome!! Point and shoots are like convenience food, they serve a purpose. SLR's are for taking great photos.

I have read that the D40 does not accept the full complement of Nikon lenses that the upper models do.
Does anyone have real life experience with same? I was interested but hesitant after reading that.

The D40 and D40x don't have a focusing motor in the body, so you can only get auto-focusing with newer Nikkor AF-S and AF-I lenses that have internal motors.

For other lenses, you can still use them on the D40 and D40x. You just have to focus manually.

Unless you already have a lot of older non-AF-I/S lenses that you're planning to use, it's really a non-issue.

Yeah, I was a little concerned when I was first learning about SLR's and wanted the D40 but the focus thing....as the post before me says, it's a non issue if you don't already own any lenses. What you want with the Nikon D40 is a silent wave lens and they make six or seven of them, I think. So, don't let the manual focus jabber worry you. If you think you are really going to bloom into something huge, you could be on the hunt for the D50....now out of production, compatible with any of the lenses. More expensive, and I don't think it's needed for a first SLR.

We got the Nikon D40x. It came with two lenses, a camera bag and an SD card. All for $849.99.

Actually, I see B&amp;H selling the D40x with the 18-55 and 50-200 <b>VR</b> for $749 + shipping. [Or under $620 with just the 18-55, but $140 for a VR telezoom is an incredible deal.]

That's one of the best deals for dSLR right now. The others are the Olympus E-410 or E-510 with the 14-42 and 40-150 packages.

Can someone explain price differential. This site (http://tinyurl.com/2fc3un) offers a Canon Rebel XTi body for $249. All the others offer the same thing for at least $200 more. What gives?

Michael - Do a google search for bestpricecamera.com's user ratings, and you'll see reviews like this one:

www.resellerratings.com/store/Infiniti_Photo_3

Lifetime rating of 0.18 out of 10.

When something sounds too good to be true... then it probably is.

BTW, I sold my one-year old XTi with 7,000 actuations for $525 on Amazon Marketplace 2 months ago. Why in the world would anyone sell you a new one for $249?

Currently the best value for a DSLR is the Olympus E510 two lens kit. Canon and Nikon dominate sales-wise and there are few camera sales people who know much about this gem but, that's what I'm here for.

What can this camera do?

Here's a link to an image right from the e510 with no post processing at all.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/85494020

Unless you're a pro, this is plenty of camera.

Can I put in a word for the Pentax K10 D - it has 10MP, built in shake reduction, self cleaning sensor, is weather proof and is backwardly compatible with every Pentax K fit lens. It is a truly amazing piece of kit.

What about this site (http://tinyurl.com/2h4p32) which seems to list positive reviews?

rkkwan: If looking for body only, I can find some, presumably brand-new, for less than $500.

I should add that I am looking for a Canon because I currently have a Canon film camera and plan to use some of my existing lenses with the new one.

Michael - They are probably the same people. I'll just say that you've been warned. If you do get a brand new camera with USA warranty from them for $249, good for you. But just don't complain when you don't.

That's all I have say about that. :)

BTW, these guys fly between Vancouver and Macau (near Hong Kong) for under US$200 roundtrip. Even better deal than the XTi.

www.metismacau.com

Michael - don't look for the &quot;cheapest&quot; price on the camera. You will get what you pay for.

Instead, look for a reputable dealer with a good price. bhphotovideo.com is a great place. They aren't the cheapest, but you know you will get quality products at a decent price. You also won't get bait &amp; switch tactics like some of these other sites.

Most of the sites that offer a body only for an outrageously cheap price never sell a body only. They use that to lure you into making the purchase. Once the purchase is made, they contact you to explain that it is not in stock, but they can switch it for the body with &quot;these quality accessories&quot; for an additional $300-400. Unfortunately, &quot;these quality accessories&quot; aren't worth $5 and you've been had. You will also have to fight tooth and nail to get your refund.

&quot;I should add that I am looking for a Canon because I currently have a Canon film camera and plan to use some of my existing lenses with the new one.&quot;

Be aware that only Canon full frame DSLRs will work with your old lenses. APS-C sensor size Canons like the Rebel are not backward compatible.

This is also true for Pentax and Nikon APS-C cameras as well.

In general, you'll have to abandon your film SLR lenses when you move to DSLR unlees you're willing to spring for top-of-the-line full frame Canons or Nikons.

Before you make this leap, go here:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/

and ask questions for real users rather than what you'll be told by the children at the retail outlets trying to sell cameras they don't understand.

If one camera was head and shoulders better than the rest, the rest would all go out of business.

I have always been a Canon person so I tend to stick with them.

When I decided to replace my Canon SLR film camera I went to a local camera store to play with the various models from a few manufacturers.

The first thing I noticed was that the Canon offering was layed out very much the same as my old camera (except of course for the display screen and several added features).

That was a big positive for me.

The necxt thing was that my beloved walk-around lens fit the camera.

This should be explained somewhat. Due to the size of the sensor vs the size of 35mm film, the lens acted like a 45-150 lens instead of the 28-105 lens it is.

This may not appear to make a big difference but it does.

Most people don't realize that when you travel, what you really want is wider and not longer. That is, you want a wider angle lens and not a more telephoto lens.

I used my older lens for a while and then found that on my first significant trip a large proportion of my photos were taken at the widest angle.

I promptly replaced the lens.

While megapixels are important, the quality of the sensor is at least if not more important. The Canon sensor alows me to shoot in the evening at ISO800 or ISO1600. That's great.

I found that the biggest advantage to going digital was being able to change ISO on-the-fly.

I can set it to 200 for normal daytime shots and temporarily up it to ISO800 when I go inside (remember to switch back).

And lastly. I'm sure this whole thread is above the heads of many fodorite travellers.

Some will say &quot;I'm not a pro so I don't need an expensive SLR camera&quot;.

I wouldn't look at it that way. Your trip memories are as important as mine or somebody else's.

One last thing. Since much of the picture taking on a P&amp;S (point &amp; shoot) cqmera is automatic, it gives you very little in the way of &quot;say&quot; how the picture is taken.

Consequently, since the camera is already doing a lot of guessing, it also giesses for PP (post-processing). It jacks up the sharpness, brightness, contrast and anything else it can.

On an SLR you can tell the camera what to do and leave the rest for you to do in software such as Photoshop or any program that comes with the camera.

And of course, one more last thing. Since you're not buying film, be prepared to have to review many more photos than you took with your film camera.

And of course, one more last thing. Always shoot at the highest resolution. Memory is cheap and you never know what you'll want to do with some of the photos.

Peter,

I didn't notice what you last wrote. The more recent Canon film camera lenses (EF series lenses but not FD) are compatible with the 1.6 factor sensor cameras (Rebel series of digitasl camera - 300, 350, 400). They just act somewhat longer and not as wide.

That may or may not be an issue for you.

What <b>peterboy</b> says about Canon incompatibility is <b>mostly wrong</b>.

Any Canon dSLR (including the current XT, XTi, 30D and 40D - all 1.6x crop APS-C cameras) can use <b>any Canon EF lens</b> ever made. The effective focal length will have a 1.6x factor, but they all can be used.

The only incompatibility is that if you purchase EF-S lenses that are designed for these 1.6x crop cameras (all Digital Rebels and 20D/30D/40D), these EF-S lens cannot be put on the full-frame dSLRs (1D, 5D), the 10D, or the EOS film cameras.

OK, you can stick your old lenses on there but they won't act as they did on your old film camera. I've not heard of anyone being really satisfied with this.

I take exception to the often used &quot;and you can use all your old lenses on this new Nikon/Canon/Pentax&quot;. Sure it is true...sort of.

Do your own research folks.

Caveat emptor