New To Photography

[Chellie]

I have always been a sucker for great photos. It can be a picture of an old tire but if the photo is taken correctly, it can be pretty amazing. I ventured over to the Photography section last night (well the wee hours of the morning :p) and my love for photography sparked up once again. I am a 100% amateur. The camera I do have is Kodak EasyShare Z650, 6.1 mp, 10x zoom. I am looking to upgrade and from a little research, it seems I may go with a Canon. I don't know because the one that held my interest is a bit pricey. My husband was telling me that Sony is developing a camera that delivers 25 mp (he's a tech geek, love him though). I know there's more to a camera than point and click/shoot. I was reading Jennifer's basic tips and it was quite informative. I especially like the thread on "catchlights". So here I am attempting photography on a VERY small scale! :love2:

[Lauren]

Good for you - theres also a lot more to a camera than megapixels !!- more megapixels doesnt necessarily mean better camera - - I know this because I just got a 10 mp point and shoot which takes terrible photos - in fact it takes worse photos than my first ever digital camera which was only 1mp and certainly takes horrific photos compared to my Nikon D40 at 6 mp ( not that I would expect a point and shoot to compare with a DSLR)

[Chellie]

Good for you - theres also a lot more to a camera than megapixels !!- more megapixels doesnt necessarily mean better camera - - I know this because I just got a 10 mp point and shoot which takes terrible photos - in fact it takes worse photos than my first ever digital camera which was only 1mp and certainly takes horrific photos compared to my Nikon D40 at 6 mp ( not that I would expect a point and shoot to compare with a DSLR)

Yes, I was looking into DSLR cameras. I saw some on Canon.com. If I was willing to spend the money, sure (saw some for $5,000+). I know cameras cost. You can get a good deal but at the end of the day, it'll cost plus accessories and whatnot. A couple of ones that had me "eyeing" really hard. :D

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=15710
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=11933

I may go for this one but I am still researching. I just need to know more so I can buy the "right" camera. There are several brands to chose from but several Canon cameras have caught my interest.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=16303

Janet posted a thread/link that shows what rates/resellers of products. According to the site under the Digital Cameras category, this camera rated top

http://shop.resellerratings.com/xPC-EOS_20D_with_18_55mm_Lens/PD-23315746

Arrgh! Choices, choices!

[Jennifer]

Good for you Chellie, photography can be not only fun but very rewarding... like you said, a tire executed artistically can be very beautiful! LOL As far as camera's go, the Mark is a very expensive, very big, very high end professional camera that would be completly over whelming to even experienced photographers. You'd be a lot better off, for a LONG time with any of the Rebel series or even Canon's mid level "D" series (20D, 30D and the top 40D) You'll find that the lenses are more important, and sometimes more expensive than the camera itself.

My best advice would be A. Don't bite off more than you can chew... you'll get discouraged and B. Go to a store and hold both Canon and Nikon, Sony and Olympus, work the menus and controls and find which intuitively fits your style better. You'll get the most help and better options for lenses etc by staying in the Canon and Nikon camps. Lenses last far longer than any camera body will so choose a brand who's lens lineup is most like what you're going to shoot and then buy that brand. The entry to mid level Canon's are the Rebels (XT, XTi, XSi) and the Nikon would be the D40, 60, or 80

Moving to mid level would be Canon 20-30-or 40D series, Nikon D series 1 D100-200- or the new D300

Professional would be the Canon 5D or Mark and Nikon would be the D3

Good luck on your decisions and remember to have FUN!!!!

[Karen]

Hi Chellie and welcome to DSP's photography board :)

You have looked at some great cameras there, I had the 20D a few years ago and have just upgraded from the 5D to the 1D MkIII and man is it an awesome camera, but the Rebel that came out tops in the survey is a great way to make that jump from a point and shoot into the world of the DSLR.
I don't think you can go wrong with the Rebel and it may be all the camera you need, you probably need to go into a Camera shop and actually handle the camera's you are interested in and see how they feel in your hands :)

Lauren is right in that more mega pixels doesn't necessary mean a better camera but it does help when enlarging :)

[LadyCarolyn]

Having just made this transition myself, I echo what is said above. You do need to hold them, and see what fits your hand and check for how you interact with the camera. I would also echo staying within the Canon or Nikon camps, as the lenses are a huge investment and last longer than the body. The other thing I would consider is whether or not you can go back to the camera shop and get questions answered and help when needed. For me, that service is worth paying a few dollars more. You need to talk to someone who not only sells them, but actually knows cameras, their peculiarities and uses them. When it comes to this kind of expense a personal relationship with your dealer is quite important here.

I bought the Nikon D80 . . .. and trust me . . . . I still don't know how to really use it and at times it has been very overwhelming and I have used a 35mm camera, so it wasn't completely foreign.

I think you have had good advice to ease into this more gradually rather than buy the top end immediately. I know the D80 is going to cause me a learning curve for a long time.

The other thing I would recommend is that you read the Photography threads in the forums . . . .. there is some fantastic teaching going on here and we are very lucky to have such gifted people willing to share their knowledge and expertise. And if you have any questions, just post it, someone will answer you . . .. .

[Chellie]

Thanks everyone! I have been reading the posts here and have learn some things. I am definitely not going to jump and buy just any camera. Especially one where it overwhelms me. I want to really get into photography, at least at a medium scale. As I was researching Canon cameras, I did notice Nikon keep coming up. Then I come onto here and yep, sure thing.:)

One thing that have hooked me is taking photos and getting that perfect "catchlight". I realized that is what mesmerizes you when you look at a photo of a person. In my first attempt, I ended up with the "pinpoint" look. :lol:

[Wuzzygirl]

Hi Chellie......you've gotten excellent advice here. I wish i had been here BEFORE i bought my DSLR and too many lenses *grins*. I started with the Nikon D50 and i LOVE it. I'm always finding something new and saying "well i'll be danged, i didn't know i could do that" *grins* The camera body is important, but more important is the lens. Jennifer, Karen and the gang are awesome with advice and sharing their knowledge. From someone who just purchased lenses because other people talked about them and now has lenses sitting in the camera bag...(ok REALLY i can't fit them in the camera bag so the ones i don't use are in my closet), be VERY careful and do research before you invest in lenses. Don't buy until you know what kind of photos you want to take and then research the best lens for that type of photography. I have a 50mm lens that is usually always on my camera. It's fast and sharp and i love the quality of the photos I get with it. I also have an 85mm which is GREAT for outdoor portraits. i love my 105mm macro lens.....you can do some amazing things with a macro lens *grins*. My "go everywhere" lens is my 18-200mm VR lens. I wanted this one bad but couldn't afford it when it first came out so i purchased a couple other "zoom" lenses which i wasn't happy with until i finally got the 18-200. I also have a 70-300, a 24-200, the 18-55 and a 30mm (which i just purchased because photogs on another site just LOVE it), which RARELY see the light of day *grins*. I wish i had the cash i shelled out for these lenses....i could afford to upgrade to the new D300 LOL!!!!

The point of all this babbling is this: don't jump in and buy something until you've read about it, tested it, etc. Read the photography threads here. there are some really good ones about exposure, composition, lighting....and Jen's Basic Tips are very good.

I LOVE this place *grins* Happy picture-taking LOL!

[maryjos]

Hey Pam, if you have lenses you don't use and are still in good condition, you should consider selling them on Ebay. Lenses often hold their value fairly well and it's a good way to get back some money on them if you really don't use them.

[team-d08]

We just invested in a Canon and I love it. I know I am not an expert but I do know that after looking at them go to B&H and compare prices. We are from a town that has little available in camera shops and we got a great deal from them. I think they sell all different kinds and the lens too. Just a thought.

[maryjos]

I really recommend people looking at a digital SLR go with either a Nikon or a Canon. The others cameras aren't bad, but they simply can't match these two on lenses, flashes, 3rd party compatible products, etc. Not to mention resale value. As others have said, MP really don't mean anything....increasing MP often will mean increasing the noise level if the underlying sensor is not always improved, but manufacturers will often push up the megapixels because it's something uninformed consumers put a lot of emphasis on. Keep in mind that the more MP, the more space your photos will take up as well! It might not seem that important at first, but when you have gigs and gigs of photos and have to deal with where to store them, it definitely plays a part! ;-)

I am a Canon fan and love my 40D, but Nikon is a very strong competitor as well. They definitely beat Canon in the flash department and their 18-200mm VR lens is extremely popular with all but the most dedicated pros, and there really isn't a good lens on the Canon side that matches up to it. They've finally brought down the price on their entry level camera so that it really is a toss-up between the two.

[taralyn]

Just another perspective off of the Nikon/Canon debates... I own an Olympus E510 and I LOVE IT! The only digital cameras I have ever used are Olympus brand and I've never found anything bad about them. HOWEVER, I am now having issues with buying new lenses. They are super expensive. The "cheap" one is $400, so it'll be awhile until I buy one. But, on that note, I still love the camera. The kit lenses are fantastic and I'm sure I'll be using it for many years to come.

Tara