New Guy: Need DSLR Advice
Hi all,
I found you thru ADVrider, many of you know me already.
k, here it is....
Was kinda thinking about an upgrade for my Sony Cybershot DSC-P9, 4.0MP. Been reading about the Canon S1 IS on ADV.
Went to Wolf Camera today. Yep, S1 is bit to small in my hand and the screen is impossible to see out in daylight.
BUT...I see, and try, the Digital Rebel. OMG! That old SLR feel I miss from my very old Canon A-1. Light, easy to see everything. Viewfinder very kewl. I'm a bit nervous about the play in the lens mechanisms (manual zoom & focus).
I realize I need to do SERIOUS homework. Went to ADV, came here...then started reading about D20....
*sigh* I'm overwhelmed.
I want that SLR feel, I want button labels I can see without my reading glasses, I want a viewfinder with dioptic correction...a viewfinder that is actually usable, I want more manual control over my exposures, I want excellent macro ability, I want more megapixels....the Rebel has caused great lust in me...
...but I don't want to spend $1K on a camera....
...unless I have to....
So I know I need to do my homework...but I could really use a nudge in the right direction...what camera(s) do you think I should begin researching? Am I being realistic about money?
I like my little Sony a lot and plan to keep it. So size/weight isn't a big problem for my next digicam.
For an idea of some of the photography I do see my images posted in the Portrait section titled "She's a Doll".
Thanks,
Perry
I found you thru ADVrider, many of you know me already.
k, here it is....
Was kinda thinking about an upgrade for my Sony Cybershot DSC-P9, 4.0MP. Been reading about the Canon S1 IS on ADV.
Went to Wolf Camera today. Yep, S1 is bit to small in my hand and the screen is impossible to see out in daylight.
BUT...I see, and try, the Digital Rebel. OMG! That old SLR feel I miss from my very old Canon A-1. Light, easy to see everything. Viewfinder very kewl. I'm a bit nervous about the play in the lens mechanisms (manual zoom & focus).
I realize I need to do SERIOUS homework. Went to ADV, came here...then started reading about D20....
*sigh* I'm overwhelmed.
I want that SLR feel, I want button labels I can see without my reading glasses, I want a viewfinder with dioptic correction...a viewfinder that is actually usable, I want more manual control over my exposures, I want excellent macro ability, I want more megapixels....the Rebel has caused great lust in me...
...but I don't want to spend $1K on a camera....
...unless I have to....
So I know I need to do my homework...but I could really use a nudge in the right direction...what camera(s) do you think I should begin researching? Am I being realistic about money?
I like my little Sony a lot and plan to keep it. So size/weight isn't a big problem for my next digicam.
For an idea of some of the photography I do see my images posted in the Portrait section titled "She's a Doll".
Thanks,
Perry
0
Comments
You may want to look for a used Digital Rebel. I've seen prices online around $750 for a brand new rebel kit, and around $600 for a used rebel kit.
Being worried about money...your not alone. Most everyone that does not make money on their photography sweats the price tag. When I bought my D70, it took me weeks to finally convince myself it was a good move.
When you get your new DSLR, I'm sure you'll also get what is called lens lust. This is the *expensive* part of the DSLR. You can find great deals on used lenses to help ease the burden on your bank account.
Fred Miranda (http://www.fredmiranda.com) has a site with great Buy & Sell forum. Right now, used Canon gear is flooding the forums with the release of the 20D. Its a buyers market, so take advantage while you can.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Hope this helps.
Dave
http://www.lifekapptured.com (gallery)
Canon Digitl Rebel Body
Canon Digital Rebel Kit
The S1 comes with a big ol' zoom lens. So do quite a few consumer cameras. But if you go the dSLR route, you give up that big ol' zoom. Typically, you'll have to buy 2-3 lenses to get the same zoom range. And that's a lot of money.
It's a truism these days that you "rent" the body of a dSLR, and buy the lenses. That's because the technology of the bodies changes so much faster than that of the lenses.
If you don't mind, how about taking a step back? What were your original reasons for wanting to upgrade from your Sony DSC-P9?
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
i'm on my third dslr body in five months. bought the rebel in april, the 10d in july, and preordered the 20d in august. the rebel's been sold, the 10d sold, but
i have a swell collection of canon glass, that will last and last
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Hi Sid! Nice to get a response from you here!
I cannot make out the lettering nor the icons on the outside of the P9 without reading glasses. Same with the info on the screen. I cannot see the screen outside in daylight.
I want aperature and shutter priority.
I want better macro capability....I want to almost hit my subject with the lense if I feel like the shot warrants it. I'm doing a lot of macro stuff these days.
I want a zoom that's not so jerky and real hit and miss ...you know..oops, too close..oh, oops now too far,..ugh...too close..oops. I think I'd actually prefer manual zoom like the Sony F828 has.
I want more MegaPixels. I already have images that I want to have printed in 11x14. I'll have more, and I want the data to be there.
If the S1 fit my hand I'd probably be buying it. See, I went into Wolf Camera just to see what an S1 was like and then I see the Digital Rebel and ....off we go to the races...
BTW, I went to another Wolf Camera today. Saw the Sony DSC-F828, the Canon Digital Rebel, and the Nikon (something)70 side by side. Got the whole dog and pony show from the sales guy. Now I'm depressed.... they all feel good in my hands, each has qualities I like...and I still don't want to pay $1k for a camera.
It might very well be time for me to suck it up and just wring every last f*%^ing bit of performance I can get out of the P9. That may be what has to happen.
I know about buying lenses. BTDT a long time ago with my old Canon F-1, which sits idle in it's dusty bag in the garage with lenses, flash, and motor drive unit. I'm not gonna do that. No need. Any one of the above 3 cameras would suit me just fine with what they come with, and a UV filter.
(ack...that last paragraph sounded kinda crusty and contentious....guess I'm just bemoaning the fact that I *have* a great 35mm camera...all the capabilities I'm asking for here...but I'll be damned if I ever process a roll of film again...so I'm just expressing frustration with myself...not anyone else)
*sigh* When I win the lottery I'm going to buy a P-51 Mustang and fly it to every damn NASCAR event. My pre-positioned luxury MotorHome will be there with the hot tub running and 3 "personal assistants" waiting. I'll have my people meet the camera shops people and bring me something that strikes my mood for the days photoshoot....
Perry
Andy, I wish my old Canon lenses fit the new Canon dSLR bodies.
Perry *sigh*
You can have Av and Tv with a Canon Powershot G5 or the Sony 828 as well as the 300D,10D,20D, etc etc You do NOT have to have a DSLR for Av - aperature preferred or Tv - shutter preferred. But boy it is really nice.
Like this?
or this?
It will be hard to capture images like this without an SLR with a macro lens - 10D, 20D, 1DMkll etc etc. But the body will not be sufficient - will also need a 100 or 180 macro - not a 50 macro
The zoom on the Sony 828 gets good reviews. So does the Canon 70-200 f2.8 L. But there is a dramatic difference in price. On the other hand, the Canon lens will still be usable 5 or 10 years from now. Will the SOny 828 still be viable 5 or 10 years from now? I do not really know for sure, but I have my suspicions.
The 8 Mgpixel point and shoots like the Sony 828 can print 11x14. But they will not match the image from an 8Mgpixel DSLR like the 20D. Much bigger pixel light wells = much less noise particularly at higher ISOs like 800 or 1600.
I shoot many nice images with a 5Mpixel Canon G5
for example
But it does not and will not replace my DSLR, because the smaller sensor size causes the images to have more noise particularly if you want to shoot in dim light, AND the smaller sensor size also increases the effective Depth of Field - You just cannot get the shallow depth of field with a P&S that you will be able to get with a full size 35mm SLR. This can be an advantage for macro - Nikon CoolPix 995s ( 3.2 Mpx) take great macros because they have great depth of field but they do not easily allow a shallow depth of field.
You are correct Perry, that to own the best of digital photgraphy is expensive and large and heavy. Much easier to carry a Sony 828 or a Minolta A2. -
In the end, you just have to decide what kind of images you want to shoot and where you want to be in the next five years. For me, that meant abandoning some non-AF Nikon equipment and switching to the white lens crowd. It was hard to do - but I have never looked back, nor have regretted it. Cheers!
Another note from one rider to another - My 10D travelled from Indiana to New Mexico and Colorado and over Hagerman Pass between Basalt and Leadville in my tank bag on my GS. It never whimpered and still works flawlessly. You can see those pictures here http://pathfinder.smugmug.com/gallery/23385 The ONLY lens I had then was a ProMaster 28-200 f5.6 Not a great lens at all, but it fit in my tank bag. After all, cameras do not take pictures, photographers take pictures.
Good luck and keep the rubber side down...
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
That said, I'm personally waiting for a 20D.