Recommend a DSLR for Zod

[General Zod]

So, I was toying around with getting into photography again as a hobby, and I'm liking the idea of picking up a DSLR for my birthday next month with how much the prices have dropped in the last few years. Since I'm a relative photography nub, I was hoping I could get some recommendations from people who have more experience using them than I do.

My primary concern is color accuracy when taking the photo (both nighttime and daytime) and the camera's menu interface, which should be clearly labeled and easy to navigate. (I've used some regular digital cameras that were downright confusing). My budget will be around $600, so any recommendations and advice for DSLRs around that price range with pros and cons would be awesome.

[phongn]

The cameras themselves are all pretty good these days. They're all pretty accurate color-wise (this is also a function of the lens as well as the sensor and software). Various considerations:

• Image stabilization. Nikon and Canon do it in-lens; Olympus, Panasonic/Samsung, Pentax and Sony (read: Konica-Minolta) do it in body (some third-party lenses are also stabilized). In-lens is better, but you pay for it in each lens, while you only pay once for in-body systems.
• Lens choice: You may well eventually want to do more than the kit lens lets you do. Nikon and Canon are king here - but the other systems generally have a good choice of equipment, too.
  • Note: Low-end Nikon cameras have constrained lens choices.
• Sensor noise: If you like available-light photography (read: no flash), you'll probably need to consider how noisy a camera's sensor is when you crank up the ISO rating (i.e. crank up the gain). Nikon and Canon rule the roost here, Olympus, Panasonic/Samsung and Pentax are middle of the pack, and Sony seems to (oddly) be lagging.
• Feel: How does the camera feel to you? Go find a camera store, play with them, see how intuitive they are.

Now - cameras in your price range. All of these come with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens or equivalent. The Canon and Nikon lenses are stabilized; the others have in-body stabilization.

• Canon XS (may be up for replacement soon)
• Nikon D60
• Pentax K200D
• Sony A230
• Olympus E520

Alternatives
You don't have to carry around a DSLR for good pictures. The Canon G10 and Panasonic LX3 are both fine high-end point-and-shoot cameras. They still have a puny sensor, unfortunately. There's also the Sigma DP2, which has a large sensor inside a point-and-shoot body. It's a bit of an odd camera, though, and I'd suggest trying one out at a store before you'd commit to it.

Film Alternatives
There are ton of older film cameras that produce perfectly fine images. They are cheap on eBay. There is the recurring cost of film and development, however. But a 30-year-old camera can provide images quite nice indeed:

[General Zod]

The cameras themselves are all pretty good these days. They're all pretty accurate color-wise (this is also a function of the lens as well as the sensor and software). Various considerations:

• Image stabilization. Nikon and Canon do it in-lens; Olympus, Panasonic/Samsung, Pentax and Sony (read: Konica-Minolta) do it in body (some third-party lenses are also stabilized). In-lens is better, but you pay for it in each lens, while you only pay once for in-body systems.
• Lens choice: You may well eventually want to do more than the kit lens lets you do. Nikon and Canon are king here - but the other systems generally have a good choice of equipment, too.
  • Note: Low-end Nikon cameras have constrained lens choices.
• Sensor noise: If you like available-light photography (read: no flash), you'll probably need to consider how noisy a camera's sensor is when you crank up the ISO rating (i.e. crank up the gain). Nikon and Canon rule the roost here, Olympus, Panasonic/Samsung and Pentax are middle of the pack, and Sony seems to (oddly) be lagging.
• Feel: How does the camera feel to you? Go find a camera store, play with them, see how intuitive they are.

Nikons and Canons seem to be the ones I hear the most raving about. Any particular models that would stand out from those lines? I figure I'll be dropping by a camera store next month to see what's available.

You don't have to carry around a DSLR for good pictures. The Canon G10 and Panasonic LX3 are both fine high-end point-and-shoot cameras. They still have a puny sensor, unfortunately. There's also the Sigma DP2, which has a large sensor inside a point-and-shoot body. It's a bit of an odd camera, though, and I'd suggest trying one out at a store before you'd commit to it.

I've thought about getting another point and shoot but they just don't seem to offer enough options for my liking, especially in regards to having wide-angle shots, and I've never really been happy with the way they work in low light conditions. I figure if a DSLR does it better I'll go with one of those.

[phongn]

Nikons and Canons seem to be the ones I hear the most raving about. Any particular models that would stand out from those lines? I figure I'll be dropping by a camera store next month to see what's available.

In your budget range, the Nikon D60 or Canon XS are the top models; the Nikon D5000 or Canon T1i are outside your budget range. And do consider the other cameras as well. Nikon and Canon are the biggest sellers and get the most press.

If you like available-light photography, you can purchase an f/1.8 lens for either camera (or even f/1.4 if you spend some more money) and conquer the night.

[General Zod]

Nikons and Canons seem to be the ones I hear the most raving about. Any particular models that would stand out from those lines? I figure I'll be dropping by a camera store next month to see what's available.

In your budget range, the Nikon D60 or Canon XS are the top models; the Nikon D5000 or Canon T1i are outside your budget range. And do consider the other cameras as well. Nikon and Canon are the biggest sellers and get the most press.

If you like available-light photography, you can purchase an f/1.8 lens for either camera (or even f/1.4 if you spend some more money) and conquer the night.

How much outside? Depending on the difference in quality I don't mind dropping an extra $100, though anything higher is stretching it.

[Lt. Dan]

I recently bought the Canon XS and I love it. The kit lens is not bad at all and has Image Stabalization. With Just over 10 mega pixels, you don't even need a telephoto lens right away, just set it to take large images and zoom in and crop on the computer. But that goes with pretty much any camera with in that range. Everyone that I know was telling me to get a nikon because of this and that reason, but already having a 35mm Canon with a couple lenses, it just made sense to keep going with it. The color on it is very pretty and it is a very fast camera. It has a pretty small body and is light, which works for me considering I was used to my very light 35mm. The only drawback I see with it is that the view finder is a little small, but it's no deal breaker.

And right now, newegg is having a fucking really good deal
Check it out.

A kit, a lens, a bag, and a tripod for $640? Very nice indeed.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I heard from a friend that Canon screwed its customers with a new series of lens with a different attachment? (as in a different locking mechanism to lock the lens to the body?)

[Lt. Dan]

From what I understand, the Pro models don't take non-digi, EF lenses. But the XS takes both the old EF lenses from pre digital, which has a red dot on the base of the lens where it mounts to the body, and the new digi EF lenses that have a white dimond at the base of the lens. Other than that, I don't know of any incompatibility in the newer cameras or lenses.

[phongn]

I heard from a friend that Canon screwed its customers with a new series of lens with a different attachment? (as in a different locking mechanism to lock the lens to the body?)

No. There are two lens mounts for Canon - EF and EF-S. EF lenses will fit on all Canon bodies, but EF-S lenses will only fit on Canon cameras with APS-C sized sensors. EF-S lenses tend to be smaller and lighter for the same focal length and aperture since they project a smaller image.

Now, Nikon screws over customers of their lower-end camera lines (D40(x), D60, D5000). Since those bodies lack a screw motor, you don't get autofocus on a good percentage of Nikon glass.

[Alyeska]

So I tried bidding on a Nikon D90 on Ebay. Outbid sadly.

So is the D60 really a good camera? CNET reviews seem to give it only mid ranged reviews.

[phongn]

So is the D60 really a good camera? CNET reviews seem to give it only mid ranged reviews.

Yes.

[Alyeska]

Do you know a good general purpose lens for the D60? The 18-105mm on the D90 looks fairly good.

[phongn]

Do you know a good general purpose lens for the D60? The 18-105mm on the D90 looks fairly good.

The 18-105 VR is a good lens. The 18-200 VR is also pretty decent but a bit more compromised to get that zoom range. The 18-55 VR is a cheap and cheerful little lens. For third-party lenses, the Tamron 17-50/2.8 is a fine walkaround lens. No stabilization, but it's fast, optically good and relatively light.

I'm also a fan of prime lenses. Nikon's new 35/1.8 is nice and not terribly expensive. The AF-S 50/1.4 is also pretty decent, though not as good as Sigma's monstrous 50/1.4 HSM.

[Alyeska]

The base lens that comes with the D60 is a good starter, but upgrading to the 18-105mm is something to consider. And after that there are several very nice third party lens's to get. I will have to consider that.

I had really wanted to get a D80, but the damned price on that thing skyrocketed since it went out of production. The D90 is actually cheaper than the D80 right now. Though even the D90 is extremely expensive. I guess I will have to strongly consider the D60.

[phongn]

The base lens that comes with the D60 is a good starter, but upgrading to the 18-105mm is something to consider. And after that there are several very nice third party lens's to get. I will have to consider that.

You could get the D60 with the kit 18-55 VR and the 55-200 VR lens. That would give you a lot of flexibility.

I had really wanted to get a D80, but the damned price on that thing skyrocketed since it went out of production. The D90 is actually cheaper than the D80 right now. Though even the D90 is extremely expensive. I guess I will have to strongly consider the D60.

Try other camera systems as well, not just Nikon (if you can).

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

How does the Canon G10 compare against the Nikon Coolpix P90 or P6000? Thinking of getting a higher end point and shoot in the future.

[phongn]

How does the Canon G10 compare against the Nikon Coolpix P90 or P6000? Thinking of getting a higher end point and shoot in the future.

The two best P&S cameras are the Canon G10 and the Panasonic LX3.

[Glocksman]

If you're looking for a good deal on camera gear, my advice is to hit up all of the local pawnshops.
Back in 1987, I got a smoking deal on a Konica FC-1, autowinder, Konica flash, and a set of Hexanon lenses at Goldman's here in town for under $200.

Failing that, KEH has a pretty good rep and IMHO 'undergraded' the Minolta AF lens I bought used from them.

[General Zod]

If you're looking for a good deal on camera gear, my advice is to hit up all of the local pawnshops.
Back in 1987, I got a smoking deal on a Konica FC-1, autowinder, Konica flash, and a set of Hexanon lenses at Goldman's here in town for under $200.

Failing that, KEH has a pretty good rep and IMHO 'undergraded' the Minolta AF lens I bought used from them.

I don't really trust pawnshops around here enough to buy anything expensive from them. Chances are good it's stolen if it's in hock.

That said it's looking like the Canon is turning out to be the lead brand; I'll be poking around some of the camera shops when I can afford it in a couple more weeks.

[phongn]

Failing that, KEH has a pretty good rep and IMHO 'undergraded' the Minolta AF lens I bought used from them.

I've bought more stuff from KEH than I really should've and they are always very good about ratings. Their "bargain" rating is pretty much like "EXCELLENT++" on eBay.

[Instant Sunrise]

This whole guide is shamelessly lifted from the #creatives wiki.

Introduction

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Photography is a great hobby. It's fun and has money-making potential, but it is neither cheap nor easy to get into. There's a million review sites offering thousands of conflicting opinions on item in every facet of photography. It's bewildering and, quite frankly, this confusion makes it hard to make an informed choice when investing in your first camera.

This guide will focus mostly on digital SLR cameras and their accessories. First and foremost, before you do anything else, you need to decide on what brand of camera you want to buy. Everything else, from lighting to lenses, stems from this one basic choice.

Choosing a brand is important because you are buying into an entire proprietary system when you purchase a camera. Canon lenses won't mount on Nikon cameras. Nikon speedlights won't mount on a Canon body. Neither accepts Pentax. There are exceptions, mostly involving the use of adaptors, but for the most part, when you buy a certain brand, you are limited to that brand's accessories or those of a third party. You can switch later on but you'll regret it because you'll have to re-buy a bunch of accessories.

The two biggest names in the camera world are Canon and Nikon, with Pentax and Sony coming in a distant third.

Canon vs Nikon vs Pentax

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For all intents and purposes, the big two (Canon and Nikon) are roughly equivalent at any given price point. That is, if you have a camera from each, from the same generation, of (nearly) the same price, you will get nearly equivalent performance, with the results skewed slightly towards Canon at the lower price points and slightly towards Canon at the high end. In particular, the low-end Nikons, such as the D40/D40x/D60, lack certain key features that advanced photographers find necessary.

When you set aside the performance of the camera bodies themselves, there's only two things left with which to make your decision: ergonomics (how it feels) and accessories (lenses/speedlights/etc). The consensus is that Canon has an edge in lens quality and that Nikon has the superior selection of speedlights (external flash units). Of course, the details can change at any given time--both companies release new gear all the time, trying to one-up each other.

Pentax is the distant third in the camera market--the red-headed stepchild of the photography world. They make a great product, with a large (but not as large as the big two) number of accessories, and they sell most of their products for less than their big two counterparts. Pentax does include image stabilization on their camera bodies though, which is a huge plus. Nikon and Canon only put IS on their lenses, and charge a premium for it.

This leaves ergonomics as the deciding factor for many. My number one recommendation for anyone--anyone--purchasing an SLR camera is to go out hold the thing. Go to Best Buy or Ritz Camera or some local mom and pop. Hell, go to all three. Pick up every camera in the price range you can afford. Play with it. Can you easily reach all the dials? Is it too big? Too small? Ask the guy behind the camera to put a large lens on it. How's the balance? Is it too heavy?

Then go on to the accessories. Does the included strap slip off your shoulder? Add the cost of a new, better strap to your purchase. It's better to spend $20 on a strap than drop your $1000 investment. Consider getting a battery grip for the camera. See if you can try it out on the body of your choice--such grips often change the entire feel of the camera. The Canon Digital Rebel series, in particular, benefits heavily from the battery grip.

In the end, you want to buy the best camera that you can afford that fits comfortably in your hands.

Buying

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Once you decide on a camera, it's time to move on to the actual purchase. For some people, money really isn't an issue. They'll spend more at a local chain just to help them along--but for many of us, we want the best deal possible, and that usually means buying from the internet. You can save hundreds of dollars through reputable sellers, but don't fall afoul of a scam.

My first warning is so basic that I'm surprised I even have to include it: if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. There's a large number of internet stores that offer amazing deals on camera bodies and accessories. You might find the camera you're want for half the price of anywhere else! You order it, but then you get an email asking you to call to confirm your order, and so you do. The guy on the phone then tries to sell you accessories--incredibly overpriced accessories. When you decline, he'll probably hang up. Then you get an email and your camera is suddenly on backorder and won't be available for two weeks, or three, or even a month. So you call to cancel and you keep getting the sales pitch/hang up routine. Finally, after days or even weeks of hassle, you manage to cancel your order. Or worse, you gave in and helped to keep these assholes in business.

The above scenario is incredibly common. There's a whole string of camera companies, most of which operate out of Brooklyn, New York, that base their entire operating model off of the high-pressure, overpriced accessories sales. So, if the deal is too good to be true, check up on the site first! Reseller Ratings is your best friend.

Fortunately, we photographers have a number of reputable sellers online who offer great prices, fast service, and great customer care in case of defects. Adorama, B&H Photo, and even Amazon.com are great places to shop for camera gear. Buy.com occasionally offers amazingly good deals. The last deal I got was in the too good to be true category, but reseller ratings gave them a thumbs up, so I took a chance and was not burned. In fact, my order with the free shipping offer arrived faster than my 2-day shipping from Amazon ordered at the same time. Look no further if you want brand-new gear.

• Adorama
• B&H Photo Video
• Amazon

Buying Used

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Face it, photography is expensive. "Sure," you say, as you look at your $500 Rebel XTi. "It's not that bad." A year later, you buy your first L-series lens that cost triple what your camera body did, and you wonder why you didn't listen to me.

You can cut the cost by buying used. Just make sure that you buy from a reputable seller with a good return policy.

Good places to buy used gear from include B&H Photo and Adorama . In fact, B&H and Adorama are good places to buy anything camera-related. There's also a few eBay stores worth looking into, such as Cameta Camera--just do your research.

I would refrain from buying camera bodies and lenses from individual eBay sellers though. You never know what you're getting into with them. Craigslist is a valid, but still risky, option if you can actually meet up and test-drive the gear you're interested in purchasing.

All of these, though, pale in comparison to the granddaddy of used camera gear, KEH. I've bought as much from KEH as I have from anywhere else, and I have never had a problem. Their rating system is brutally honest about the gear they sell. In fact, it's often far more harsh than necessary. I bought a Bargain-rated cheap (manual focus, I was curious) lens that was cosmetically flawless but for one tiny ding on the aperture ring. Adorama or B&H would have rated that near the top of their scale, where it honestly belonged. KEH put it on the bottom of their scale.

• Keh

Lenses: Zooms and Primes

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The camera body is but one small part of your purchase. The body is useless without a lens. Most new camera bodies are available in "kits" that include a mediocre lens (or two), maybe a UV filter, maybe a crappy bag...you get the drift. Most of the items other than the lens included in these kits are garbage. As for the kit lens...

It's a pretty big point of contention around these parts on whether or not you should even bother with the kit lenses, so I'll break down the argument.

My opinion is that every starting photographer should have a zoom lens in the 17mm-50mm range. It's convenient, is wide enough for most indoor work, and works well for outdoor landscape-type photography. Because of this, a lens in that range is a wonderful learning tool, without the frustration a non-zoom (prime) lens can cause.

If that lens happens to be the kit lens, so be it. It will work until you get good enough to realize the lens's limitations and want to buy something else, and if you never progress as a photographer, you're not out hundreds of dollars on something you won't use.

If you want a good lens in that zoom range, check out the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. Tamron is a third party lens manufacturer that makes lenses for most SLR camera manufacturers. Some of their lineup is utter garbage, but this lens is probably the best thing they've ever put out. It's approximately $450. Canon and Nikkor (Nikon lenses are branded Nikkor) have good lenses in that range, too. They're higher quality than the Tamron, but they're also more expensive.

On the other side, you have what we photographers call "Prime" lenses. These are lenses at a fixed focal length (i.e. they don't zoom in or out) and have, in most cases, incredibly high quality optics and huge apertures. Many people recommend prime lenses as learning tools. Because you have to physically move to change the 'zoom' of your photograph, you end up thinking more about the photo's composition before you click the button. Other people find this frustrating.

Whether or not you buy the kit lens, and whether or not you like primes or zooms more, you will probably want to buy the 50mm f/1.8 for whatever camera system you purchase. This lens is probably the best cost-to-value lens on the market. They're incredibly cheap (for photo gear) at about $100. The huge aperture makes them ideal for indoor or low-light work. The 50mm focal length is great for head and 3/4ths portrait work, yet is still useful for landscape photography.

• Kit Lens Pros
  • Kit lenses cover an incredibly useful focal range (approximately 17mm-50mm).
  • They are good for general walk-around use.
  • Their optical quality is roughly on par with that of a mid-range point-and-shoot
• Kit Lens Cons
  • Kit lenses are mediocre at best.
  • They have small apertures, rendering them mostly useless in low-light situations.
  • They have low-to-average quality optics and are often made of lightweight, easily-broken plastic.
  • Kit lenses have almost no re-sell value (with the exception of the Nikkor 18-70 f/3.5-4.5, which people oddly love. I don't know why. They resell for like $200.)

Post-Processing

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The difference between a good photograph and a truly great photograph is often the work done after the photograph was taken. This post-capture editing is called post processing, and it is pretty much a must in this day and age.

Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, and even Picasa and iPhoto are applications that allow you to tweak your photographs and make them something more than they were. You can boost color saturation, clone out blemishes, and more. You can fix exposure and remove noise.

These tools are your modern-day darkroom. The great film photographers of the past would tweak their photographs in the darkroom. Why should we be different? The only difference is that now we don't have to worry about light leaks and scratching our film. Of course, we do have to worry about hard drive failure and memory-card corruption...

The key to post processing is not to over-do it. When in doubt, less is more. Almost everyone makes the same mistake starting out: too much saturation and too much sharpening. Ease back a bit. You can achieve a certain "look" without too much effort. Less is more.