Hello, tough decision
Hi everyone, here's the deal, I've been looking to upgrade my minolta xt since around christmas time, it takes very nice pictures, but kind of limited.
After checking out a ton of prosumer cams and sort of ruling out dslr's because, at least at the present time ( I'm 16 ) don't have enough time to dedicate to photography to make up for a dsrl and the lens are very expensive and don't cover as much subjects as my last choice on the prosumer market, the olympus 8080, plus they are heavier, bulkyer and not take anywhere shoot anything like compacts, and I have no idea if I can expose properly without a lcd for previewing ( by the way, I just became aware of this event with cmos cams, is there any other thing I should know ?). On the other hand, a dslr would allow me to grow into it later, maybe someday enjoy the lens variety and the usuals, like usable iso 1600 and speed.
The release of the 350d shook my convictions on the 8080 a bit, but it wasn't until I saw a really nice deal ( kind of rare around here, on a normal store you can still buy a rebel with kit lens for about 1200€,which is slightly less than the same number in dollars ) on a portuguese website that had a 350d with the 18-55 kit lens, the EF-S 55-200 usm lens, and the battery grip for almost 1300€. Yes, larger investement, no, I might not use the grip too much, but those lens would cover enough range for me.
I'd like to know if, even with those lower end lens it would be worth getting the canon, would the pics have higher quality/sharpness than the olympus? because I don't think I'll buy lens too much over 200$, if any.
Well, thanks in advance for any piece of advice you guys can give me
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After checking out a ton of prosumer cams and sort of ruling out dslr's because, at least at the present time ( I'm 16 ) don't have enough time to dedicate to photography to make up for a dsrl and the lens are very expensive and don't cover as much subjects as my last choice on the prosumer market, the olympus 8080, plus they are heavier, bulkyer and not take anywhere shoot anything like compacts, and I have no idea if I can expose properly without a lcd for previewing ( by the way, I just became aware of this event with cmos cams, is there any other thing I should know ?). On the other hand, a dslr would allow me to grow into it later, maybe someday enjoy the lens variety and the usuals, like usable iso 1600 and speed.
The release of the 350d shook my convictions on the 8080 a bit, but it wasn't until I saw a really nice deal ( kind of rare around here, on a normal store you can still buy a rebel with kit lens for about 1200€,which is slightly less than the same number in dollars ) on a portuguese website that had a 350d with the 18-55 kit lens, the EF-S 55-200 usm lens, and the battery grip for almost 1300€. Yes, larger investement, no, I might not use the grip too much, but those lens would cover enough range for me.
I'd like to know if, even with those lower end lens it would be worth getting the canon, would the pics have higher quality/sharpness than the olympus? because I don't think I'll buy lens too much over 200$, if any.
Well, thanks in advance for any piece of advice you guys can give me
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The Olympus will undoubtedly give you good images. I haven't held one or tried one, but judging by the reviews it's an excellent camera.
The Canon 350D would give you more flexibility as a photographer. But that flexibility comes at a price. Furthermore, to really take advantage of what the 350D can offer, you need pretty expensive compouter software, such as Photoshop. And you might get bitten by the lens bug, and want to keep on buying new lenses, which gets expensive!
You don't say how long you've been shooting. If you're just starting, it might be a better idea to get the Olympus. It sounds like an excellent camera.
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You might want to look into the SonyF828. IMHO a better p&s than the 8080. Prices have been dropping on it. Sony is supposed to make an announcement in the coming weeks regarding a new whiz-bang camera to take it's place in their lineup. That will drive the 828 price much lower quickly.
Good luck,
Let us know what you end up with.
Den
@wxwax I've been more serious about it for about a year. I know, I've been fortunate enough to use photoshop since probably photoshop 5, but improved a good bit in the last year. The only lens I'd consider buying after the ones in that shop's kit would be the canon 50mm f1,8, which I hear has top quality for low price and is fast and some sort of macro lens, maybe a sigma one. By the way, one of their macro lens are 70-300mm, what does the macro indication mean? Just normal lens that can focus at a much shorter distance? Can I take normal pictures, like a landscape or something with them ?
@lark I don't think the sony is better, it is really comfortable, but too big to carry around.
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You are correct in your understanding of Macro.
Among the advantages of the DSLR are better noise control at high ISO, faster all around operation (when you hit the button, it takes a pic, no delay), the ability to shoot in RAW (which is a huge advantage), a better processor, larger buffer, more controls, better autofocus, and normally, better glass. The Olympus is said to have great glass for a prosumer, so that may be a push.
Whether or not the Canon would take better pictures than the Olympus is more a matter of who's running the camera, I reckon, than the camera itself. In absolute terms, yes. But not many of us really know our cameras well enough to maximize their capabilities.
With regard to spending money on glass, the first thing that will start eating at you is speed - the lenses you cite are good, but not the fastest. And as your eye becomes more discerning, you might also eventually decide that the more expensive L glass will also give you sharper images.
Don't underestimate your mind's ability to crave something better than you already have. If I'm not mistaken, it's already engaged in that process - hence this discussion.
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I guess you would like to have an opinion from another 16 year-old photographer....me!
To start off, I just got a DSLR. I took a pretty big leap from a Canon Powershot A80. I had used it for quite a while, and just like you, I found myself to be too limited with the controls. I started checking out DSLR's and decided that they would probably be the best choice, so I started saving. I was originally going to save up for the Digital Rebel, but after I thought about it for a while, I thought that in the long run, I'd be happier with the 20D with its more features.
If I were you, I would go for a DSLR. It took me about 5 months to save up for the 20D, and as of now I'm saving up for lenses. Go for the DSLR...you'll be much happier in the long run. I'm so glad that I took the big step up, and I'm sure that you would be too.
And don't worry about not being able to expose properly. DSLR's have light meters to help you with things like that. It just takes a bit getting used to.
If you have any questions and have AOL Instant Messenger, my screen name is RedBull314.
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"Money can't buy happiness...But it can buy expensive posessions that make other people envious, and that feels just as good.":D
Canon 20D, Canon 50 1.8 II, Canon 70-200 f/4L, Canon 17-40 f/4 L, Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 430ex.
Yeah, I know, there's and old nikon 35mm slr here at home, it gives me a feel for the viewfinder, manual focusing tough :-) Another thing, being 16..... don't you worry about walking in the streets with more or less 2000$ around your neck and bag? One unlucky turn and it's all gone !
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With the 20D, there are tons of features that normal prosumer cams don't have. Here's a list:
-The 20D has super fast focusing, unlike prosumer cams where it takes around 2 seconds fo focus.
-Interchangeable lenses...With prosumer cams you are limited to whatever zoom range the fixed lens has.
-If you want to change shutter speed, Aperture, or ISO, it's only 1 button away where as on my A80 you would have to press through a menu.
- AI Servo mode where the camera keeps a moving subject in focus so you can get that shot when shooting sports.
-Very low noise in high ISO ranges.
-Other things that you would have to use to see. There are so many more features packed into DSLR's that aren't in prosumer cams.
THat's exactly what I thought when I was saving up for the Digital Rebel. My thoughts were "The 20D is way out of my league and there's no way I could afford to get it." Well, I was wrong. I'm really glad I got the 20D because it sure will stay with me for a long time....longer than the Digital Rebel would have.
It's just a chance you have to take. Most people don't really know the true value of the camera, so I don't worry about it too much. You just have to be aware of your surroundings.
http://redbull.smugmug.com
"Money can't buy happiness...But it can buy expensive posessions that make other people envious, and that feels just as good.":D
Canon 20D, Canon 50 1.8 II, Canon 70-200 f/4L, Canon 17-40 f/4 L, Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 430ex.
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http://redbull.smugmug.com
"Money can't buy happiness...But it can buy expensive posessions that make other people envious, and that feels just as good.":D
Canon 20D, Canon 50 1.8 II, Canon 70-200 f/4L, Canon 17-40 f/4 L, Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 430ex.
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