What type of camera would you suggest for me?
Right now, I’m looking at Nikon and Canon SLR Digital camera’s [like the Canon Rebel xti, for example]. I just want some outside opinions on the type of camera I should purchase.
I previously had a Minolta Maxxum5, but I want to “upgrade” to a digital.
I love to take photographs of landscape and scenery [my family travels to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee very often], including old farm buildings, mountains, waterfalls, etc. I also take many pictures at live music shows, where the lighting can be very poor and there’s a lot of action. Basically, i’m looking for an all around great camera.
Now, I’m not the richest person in the world either. I’m looking for a camera [body only] costing $600 or less.
If you could also guide me in the right direction as far as camera lenses, that would be great.
thanks a bunch.
If you have a couple of Minolta A-type mount lenses, you should look at the Sony Alpha-100 (A100) digital SLR, as this is the type of lens that the camera takes. The body alone is available at B&H Photo for $599. I’m not a HUGE fan of this camera, but it is one of the top 10 digital SLR’s in the consumer market right now.
If you want to get away from your Minolta lenses or want to avoid Sony in the first place, the Nikon D40 and Canon Rebel XT are in your price range. They are the number 2 and 3 selling consumer SLR’s right now. http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4341/top-selling-digital-slrs-for-may.html I have abias towards the Nikon way of doing things and I usualyl recommend the D40, but you mentioned the Rebel XTi, so I will mention the XT as it is in your price range.
Since you have some experience, you ought to go to a camera shop and play with both the D40 and the XT and see what you think. The way they feel in your hands will be the deciding factor. I have a stock comparison that I will include here, though…….
~~~~~~~~~~
Nikon D40 vs. Canon EOS 350D (Rebel XT)
This isn’t exactly what you asked for, but perhaps you will find it helpful in making your decision. I have never used a Canon EOS 350D, so I can’t actually compare the cameras, but I favor the D40 because it has a spotmeter and the 350D doesn’t. Although the D40 seems small, it is practically the exact same size as the 350D.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos350d%2Cnikon_d40&show=all
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page17.asp
tells us that the Canon 350D meter calibration is off by about 1/3 of a stop. This would not really present any problems, except that it suggests “something” to me about the quality, since the Nikon and Pentax are dead on.
Scroll on down the page for image comparisons. The D40 is clearly sharper and shows less noise at all ISO settings.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page18.asp shows us that both handle shadows equally, but the D40 clips the highlights by about 1/3 of a stop.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page21.asp shows a side-by-side of studio images. The 8 MP of the Canon 350D at least put the camera on equal footing with the Nikon D40 for image quality, but you have to take note that the Rebel XT is shot at ISO 100 and the Nikon is shot at it lowest setting of ISO 200. I think the Canon images may look a little better, but we know from the prior page that under equal lighting levels, the Canon will start to break up before the Nikon.
The reviewer says, “While it is possible to pick areas of the image which lend some credence to the EOS 350D’s 34% pixel count advantage it’s clear that the average observer would not notice these differences and that you would need a very large output size for any of them to become visible.”
Check this out…
http://dpreview-img.fotki.com/gallery/canoneos350d_samples1/originals/img_4068-raw-dpp.jpg is taken by the Canon 350D with a 17 mm focal length at f/6.3, 1/80th of a second, ISO 400 using RAW.
http://dpreview-img.fotki.com/gallery/nikond40_samples/originals/dsc_1206.jpg is taken with the Nikon D40 with an 18 mm focal length at f/4.5, 1/80th of a second, ISO 400 using jpeg.
The point of focus for the Canon photo is a bit deeper than it is for the Nikon, but even having 8MP and using RAW and a smaller aperture, I think the Canon image breaks up a lot more than the Nikon. You can barely make out the features on the face of the gentleman in the background. Is this the camera or the superiority of the Nikon 17-55 lens, which so many of us here praise???
Okay, I’ve made my stance clear. I like the Nikon D40 better than the Canon EOS 350D, so here’s my general review of the D40.
The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It has a few “consumer friendly” totally automatic modes that make it very easy to use, but still offers total photographic control when you are ready to take charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on.
Check out Nikon’s “Picturetown” promotion, where they handed out 200 D40′s in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/
Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-test-nikon-d40.html
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm
I hate to see people slam the camera because it can’t autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a “slight problem” with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for “AF-S” lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 “VR” (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with “VR”. There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) “out of print” lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: “If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed.” (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a list of AF-S lenses.)
The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.
You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $525 (June 2007). Add a Lexar Platinum (60X speed) card for $25 or 2 GB for $35. Or – get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for $750. They also have used D40′s from $475.
And yet… clearly these are both very good cameras. What it all comes down to is which one YOU feel better about. Go to a camera shop and pick them up and see.
~~~~~~~~~~
NIKON D300 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
|
|
Nikon D70 6.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $164.99 |
|
|
Nikon D200 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera Body Only D 200 DSLR 10MP 205765 $265.00 |
|
|
Nikon D50 6.1 MP Digital SLR Camera Body Only (Works, but …) $111.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 1D Mark III 10.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $1,450.00 |
|
|
Nikon D2X 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera – Body Only ++original box and manual ++ $750.00 |
|
|
Nikon D3000 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) AMAZING CONDITION! $222.50 |
|
|
Nikon D700 12.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $1,900.00 |
|
|
Nikon D1H 2.7 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $127.50 |
|
|
Sony α (alpha) A350 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – Body ONLY! $299.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-inch LCD (Body Only) $1,399.99 |
|
|
Sony DSLR-A300 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) $179.00 |
|
|
Sony α (alpha) NEX-3 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (body only!) no lens $219.00 |
|
|
Nikon D80 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $220.01 |
|
|
Nikon D300 12.3 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $735.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $1,546.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS Rebel T1i / 500D 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $300.00 |
|
|
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF1 12.1 MP Digital Camera – Black (Body Only) $225.00 |
|
|
Minolta DiMAGE 7i 5.0 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black & Metallic silver (Body Only $5.51 |
|
|
Canon EOS Rebel T1i / 500D 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) +bonus $300.00 |
|
|
Nikon D3x 24.5 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $7,850.00 |
|
|
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF1 12.1 MP Digital Camera – Black (Body Only) $192.50 |
|
|
Pentax K-r 12.9 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $378.00 |
|
|
Leica M9-P 18.0 MP Digital Camera – Steel gray (Body Only) $7,823.00 |
|
|
Pentax K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) plus extras $622.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 40D 10.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – (Body Only) $299.99 |
|
|
NIKON D300 12.3MP DSLR DIGITAL BLACK CAMERA BODY ONLY $489.99 |
|
|
Nikon D3000 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $340.00 |
|
|
NIKON D300 12.3 MP DIGITAL SLR CAMERA – BLACK – BODY ONLY – FINE CONDITION $760.00 |
|
|
Nikon D2X 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $1,100.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 40D 10.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) – With Extras $209.50 |
|
|
Leica S2 Medium Format Digital Camera Body Only $14,000.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D 8.0 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $120.50 |
|
|
Brand New Canon EOS 60D 18.0 MP Digital SLR Camera Black Body Only $834.99 |
|
|
Nikon D1H 2.7 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $100.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 7D 18.0 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $1,100.00 |
|
|
Nikon D700 12.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) W/MB-D10 Battery Grip $2,125.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $500.00 |
|
|
Nikon D40 6.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – (Body Only) $199.00 |
|
|
Pentax K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) & Bonus Bundle $1,188.17 |
|
|
Canon EOS 1D Mark II 8.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – Body Only w Brand NEW Charger!! $649.00 |
|
|
Nikon D5100 16.2 MP DX Format Digital SLR Camera Body Only USA Refurbished $484.00 |
|
|
Sony α (alpha) A700 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $499.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 40D 10.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) + BGE2N Batt Grip $550.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 16.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $3,999.00 |
|
|
Olympus EVOLT E-5 12.3 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $906.84 |
|
|
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV 16.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $4,425.00 |
|
|
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D 8.0 MP Digital SLR Camera – Silver (Body Only) $102.50 |
|
|
Canon EOS 50D 15.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $630.00 |
|
|
Nikon D40x 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera – (Body Only) $199.00 |
|
|
Nikon D700 12.1 MP Digital SLR Camera – Black (Body Only) $1,598.00 |
|
|
Video Door Phone Intercom Touch Screen Monitor and Password Access Control Camera System $390.00 Would like to see who is outside before opening the door? The door is too far, or you are disabled or elderly person and find it difficult to walk all the way every time? Its no longer a problem with high tech video door phone. With this system you can supervise front door situation at any time, take a picture of the person at the door and store it in memory, communicate with hands-free audio and … |
|
|
Introduction to the Nikon D5000, Vol. 2: Advanced Topics Training DVD $29.99 Take great pictures with your Nikon D5000! Push your creativity to the limits; create photographic images that up until now have existed only in your imagination! This guide takes you through Canon’s advanced features, and explains what they are, how they work, and how they can perform in real-world situations. Custom Settings: The D5000 is endlessly configurable. We go into detail about the sett… |
|
|
Minolta Maxxum 7 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only) $599.99 One of Minolta’s claims to fame is that they introduced to the world, back in 1985, the very first autofocusing (AF) 35mm SLR ever produced: the Maxxum 7000. The Maxxum 7 is the fifth-generation version of that original Minolta AF SLR, combining recent advances in lens design, light metering, exposure systems, and focusing automation with an ease of operation that offers photographers tremendous p… |
|
|
HP KQ246AA 8.0 MP Deluxe Webcam $27.78 Enjoy live video conferencing. Get this small and stylish webcam and share your photos or videos. Chat face to face over the internet, record videos, snap high resolution photos…. |
|
|
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) $3,799.99 Canon EOS 5D Mark III Digital SLR Camera – BODY ONLY 5260B002AA… |
|
|
AZDEN WLT-PRO Pro Series Wireless Lavaliere Microphone and Transmitter $78.24 Designed for use with Azden’s WR-PRO receiver from the WHX-PRO wireless transmission system, the WLT-PRO microphone and transmitter bundle offers wireless convenience and clear FM transmission from compact, unobtrusive components. Affix the lavalier condenser to your lapel, plug the mic cord into the transmitter, and away you go. The mic cord doubles as the transmitter’s antenna. Use the supplied… |
|
|
Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software $419.98 The ETX70AT is my favorite of all the low-cost computerized telescopes, because of its compact body and also because it is so easy to use. The ETX70AT package includes everything a beginner needs to get started (except batteries). So what can you see, exactly, with this little telescope? It will show you craters on the Moon, the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter. Take it with you to dark co… |
|
|
JVC Everio S GZ-MS100 Flash Memory Camcorder w/35x Optical Zoom (Red) $399.00 Compact Slim Design; One Touch Upload to YouTube Konica Minolta 35x optical Lens and 800 x digital zoom Records directly to a SD / SDHC memory card (card not included) 1 hour recording at the highest quality (Ultra-DVD Movie) with a 4 GB SDHC memory card 2.7-inch 16:9 widescreen clear LCD; Auto LCD backlight control… |
|
|
Cobra MR HH475 FLT VHF Waterproof Two-Way Marine Radio with Bluetooth $179.95 Cobra’s HH475 is a unique compact floating radio, featuring Bluetooth Wireless Technology to keep your cell phone safe and dry while communicating loud and clear. It also features Cobra’s exclusive Rewind-Say-Again digital voice recorder so you will never miss a VHF transmission. Full-Featured VHF Radio Bluetooth Wireless Technology Keep your cell phone safe and dry by pairing it to t… |
|
|
Nikon GP-N100 GPS Unit for Nikon 1 V1 Digital Camera $149.00 The Nikon GP-N100 GPS Unit attaches to the camera’s accessory hot shoe. The GPS uses the USB interface and draws its power from the camera body. The unit provides latitude, longitude, altitude and time information (UTC). It has a 3.0 – 40 sec satellite acquisition time, depending upon whether it’s being started hot or cold. The device supports the Assisted GPS (A-GPS or aGPS) feature…. |