If you have a minute... recommend latest entry DSLRs

NeilL · April 23, 2009

My brother is beginning to be wooed by the attractions of DSLR. He's asked me for a recommendation. I can tell him about Canon, but though I've registered the appearance of other brand entry level cameras and comments here about them, I haven't gone deep enough to have an opinion about their relative pros and cons.

If you have a minute could you throw us a list of your recommendations, just names is enough, he and I can do the research. Doesn't have to be on the basis of cheapest, but easiest to make a start in DSLR use and a good basis for building up gear. My brother would mainly be shooting candids and scenery for a start.
Thanks if you can help!:clap

ziggy53 · April 23, 2009

NeilL wrote:

...

If you have a minute could you throw us a list of your recommendations, just names is enough, he and I can do the research. Doesn't have to be on the basis of cheapest, but easiest to make a start in DSLR use and a good basis for building up gear. My brother would mainly be shooting candids and scenery for a start.
...

This forum has a fair amount of support for (in addition to Canon):

Nikon
Olympus
Sony/Minolta
Pentax

Of those brands I see people using:

Nikon D40/D40x/D60, D80/D200, D90/D300, D3/D700
Olympus E410/E420, E500/E510/E520, E620, E1/E3
Sony/Minolta A100/A200, A900, 5D/7D
Pentax K100D, K10D, K200D, K20D

For any of these I do recommend that the prospective buyer consider that a dSLR camera is part of a "system", and they need to consider future needs as well as current needs. Once you are firmly entrenched in a particular system, it becomes relatively expensive to switch.

If buying used is a consideration, then look around for used equipment "now", to see what's available. A fair amount of the time I see users lament that they cannot find this or that accessory for their system that they suddenly realize is only available in another system.

I normally do recommend Canon and Nikon simply because they provide the best breadth of system equipment and a large opportunity for used equipment. Used lenses can be a tremendous money saver, for instance, and the selection tends to be best in the Canon and Nikon mounts. I do caution buyers about the lower-end Nikon cameras which lack the AF screw motors that they may find the cameras somewhat limiting for older lenses and primes that lack AF-S technology, however it may not be that limiting to the user if they don't need those lenses or if they wish to use the lenses in a manual fashion.

Olympus and Pentax tend to be very inexpensive brands for first time buyers, especially considering the total feature set. I have to admit that I am a longtime Pentax user but I have yet to get a Pentax dSLR. Maybe soon however.

Olympus users are fairly well represented here and the Olympus Four Thirds system has a lot going for it. On a features-per-cost measurement they may be the best current value on the market. We have one shooter making a living using Olympus system cameras and proving, once again, that the photographer matters much more than the brand.

Sony is relatively new to the dSLR market, purchasing Konica Minolta to enter, but recent offerings show that they are serious contenders.

It's hard to purchase an absolute "dud" camera nowdays and I do think that most dSLRs are fairly competent, used wisely.

My own recommendations are:

Canon: dRebel XT/350D on up through the dRebel line. The XSi represents a pretty good value and has many desireable features. I would probably suggest an XTi over an XS. If they become more serious it's pretty easy to make the jump into the xxD line if you start with a dRebel first.

Nikon: D80/D90 are nice starter cameras. A bit better lens choices than the D40/D40x/D60 line. D200/D300 for best older Nikkor lens compatibility.

Olympus: E520 and kit lens. Very good value and lots of features. E620 better yet.

Pentax: K200D, another good value and easy to jump to K20D if they become serious.

Sony: A350 has a very nice feature set for an inexpensive dSLR but I haven't seen one yet.

Cygnus Studios · April 23, 2009

What a great answer Ziggy.

NeilL · April 23, 2009

ziggy53 wrote:

This forum has a fair amount of support for (in addition to Canon):

...

Fantastically helpful answer, ziggy. Much more than I asked for. Thank you very much.

thumb

I'll send this off to the bro and it will be the key to his further investigation on the web and down at the camera shop!

Thanks again!

Neil

Cameron · April 23, 2009

ziggy53 wrote:

It's hard to purchase an absolute "dud" camera nowdays and I do think that most dSLRs are fairly competent, used wisely.

I completely agree with what Ziggy said above. My brothers and I all use a different system (Canon, Olympus, Nikon) and we're each quite happy with our choices. As it'd be hard to really go wrong with any of these, I always advise people to go play with them in the store. Get what feels comfortable and, as Ziggy said, find a system you'll be happy to use over time.

catspaw · April 23, 2009

CSwinton wrote:

I always advise people to go play with them in the store. Get what feels comfortable and, as Ziggy said, find a system you'll be happy to use over time.

ditto. regardless of what level they decide on, handling them is the most important part in the decision.

NeilL · April 23, 2009

CSwinton wrote:

I completely agree with what Ziggy said above. My brothers and I all use a different system (Canon, Olympus, Nikon) and we're each quite happy with our choices. As it'd be hard to really go wrong with any of these, I always advise people to go play with them in the store. Get what feels comfortable and, as Ziggy said, find a system you'll be happy to use over time.

Appreciate the comment!

NeilL · April 23, 2009

catspaw wrote:

ditto. regardless of what level they decide on, handling them is the most important part in the decision.

Thanks for this!

NikonsandVstroms · April 23, 2009

ziggy53 wrote:

Olympus users are fairly well represented here and the Olympus Four Thirds system has a lot going for it. On a features-per-cost measurement they may be the best current value on the market. We have one shooter making a living using Olympus system cameras and proving, once again, that the photographer matters much more than the brand.

I will expand off this comment a little bit, I went from a D50 Nikon to the Olympus E-420. The menu system on Olympus cameras is amazing, it will provide a lot of information for him, and changing almost any setting is done in that main graphic interface, not hidden in menus.

Another advantage is the processing of the images. Especially with JPEG's you will get a much better initial image than Canon or Nikon (and it fights with Fuji for the best out of camera images) additionally if he is not the best with postprocessing in the new E-620 there are built in art filters which I have not used yet, but have seen many great results.

The Olympus lenses are amazing. Even the "cheap" lenses are incredibly sharp, and small if you look at the 40-150 compared to other comparable lenses. The kit lens that he gets will be above what Nikon and Canon offer.

Canon and Nikon are great because you can slowly upgrade to the level of the 1D/D3 but if he's not looking to spend thousands of dollars anytime soon the Olympus system can offer amazing image quality and a lot of the features that only the higher end bodies of other manufacturers offer

swintonphoto · April 24, 2009

Olympus E-620. AMAZING feature set for the size and price. Grand slam if you ask me.

Tango · April 24, 2009

if i had a brother he wouldnt have a choice. he would get same as i so we could have a pool of lenses of sorts.

and if i were your brother i would be getting Canon so i could use that 14mm you have....

NeilL · April 24, 2009

AaronNelson wrote:

if i had a brother he wouldnt have a choice. he would get same as i so we could have a pool of lenses of sorts.

Bold move, Aaron!

D

rofl But I fear the arrangement might not be evenly balanced. His first love is tennis. He has a coaching school with an enrollment of over 300 future tennis stars, and two assistant coaches. I don't think he is too interested just yet in yielding to the siren calls of 'serious'photography! So I reckon I'd be hogging those 'shared' lenses. He would though like to get a dSLR soon. Maybe he figures he ought to have something decent to snap his champion pupils kissing their trophies!

AaronNelson wrote:

if i were your brother i would be getting Canon so i could use that 14mm you have....

Yeah, and I'd be whispering sweetly in his ear about the 15mm fisheye he should get to match!

D

NeilL · April 24, 2009

NikonsandVstroms wrote:

I will expand off this comment a little bit, I went from a D50 Nikon to the Olympus E-420. The menu system on Olympus cameras is amazing, it will provide a lot of information for him, and changing almost any setting is done in that main graphic interface, not hidden in menus.

Another advantage is the processing of the images. Especially with JPEG's you will get a much better initial image than Canon or Nikon (and it fights with Fuji for the best out of camera images) additionally if he is not the best with postprocessing in the new E-620 there are built in art filters which I have not used yet, but have seen many great results.

The Olympus lenses are amazing. Even the "cheap" lenses are incredibly sharp, and small if you look at the 40-150 compared to other comparable lenses. The kit lens that he gets will be above what Nikon and Canon offer.

Canon and Nikon are great because you can slowly upgrade to the level of the 1D/D3 but if he's not looking to spend thousands of dollars anytime soon the Olympus system can offer amazing image quality and a lot of the features that only the higher end bodies of other manufacturers offer

These are excellent points! I think these cameras might best match his needs and his circumstances right now, as well as be the basis for whatever else he might want to do in photography later. Thank you!

NeilL · April 24, 2009

swintonphoto wrote:

Olympus E-620. AMAZING feature set for the size and price. Grand slam if you ask me.

Well, as I remarked to bro, when guys are as fired up about something as you and CS there's gotta be something in it!

I sent bro a link to the Olympus E-*20 cameras website!

Tango · April 24, 2009

NeilL wrote:

Bold move, Aaron! Drofl But I fear the arrangement might not be evenly balanced. His first love is tennis. He has a coaching school with an enrollment of over 300 future tennis stars, and two assistant coaches. I don't think he is too interested just yet in yielding to the siren calls of 'serious'photography! So I reckon I'd be hogging those 'shared' lenses. He would though like to get a dSLR soon. Maybe he figures he ought to have something decent to snap his champion pupils kissing their trophies!

Yeah, and I'd be whispering sweetly in his ear about the 15mm fisheye he should get to match! D

or how about the 300mm that just arrived...

btw, where in the world are you these days? down under?

NeilL · April 24, 2009

AaronNelson wrote:

or how about the 300mm that just arrived...<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/mwink.gif" border="0" alt="" >

btw, where in the world are you these days? down under?

You putting ideas in my head??<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/eek7.gif" border="0" alt="" >wink:D<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/rolleyes1.gif" border="0" alt="" >

I am in a fabled land <style>/* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:SimSun; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:宋体; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@SimSun"; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 135135232 16 0 262145 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style>7528 miles west-northwest (288.5 degrees) from home, Melbourne, Aus. In other words, <st1:country-region><st1:place>Saudi Arabia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the place of sand, dust and more sand (and of course oil) - the photographer's paradise! I love it! :ivar<o:p></o:p>

NeilL · April 27, 2009

E520 + 2 or E620 +1
Ted's Cameras, a reputable chain in Aus, has the E520 with the 14mm-42mm & 40-150mm lenses for AU$1000 (~US$700)*, dSLR cameras generally are much more expensive in Aus than US, and the E620 with the first lens for AU$1400.

Would anybody like to comment on those deals, and what they think of these lenses?

*thanks for the correction silversx80

ziggy53 · April 27, 2009

NeilL wrote:

Ted's Cameras, a reputable chain in Aus, has the E520 with the14mm-42mm & 40-150mm lenses for AU$1000 (~US$1200 *dSLR cameras generally are much more expensive in Aus than US), and the E620 with the first lens for AU$1400.

Would anybody like to comment on those deals, and what they think of these lenses?

DPReview has a fairly condensed comparison of the E520 and E620 in the preview here:

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympuse620/

The E620 is similar to the E30 prosumer camera in terms of imager and image processor. It is not clear how much of an impact that actually has on the image quality versus the E520.

The E620 also has an ISO 3200, where the E520 caps at ISO 1600. (The ISO 3200 may not meet everyone's quality expectations so actual use will vary.)

It's almost always more important to have more lenses so if the Zuiko 40-150mm, f/4.0-5.6 ED meets your friends quality and speed needs, the 2 lens kit would be obviously more versatile. (BTW, there are 2 Olympus lenses of 40-150mm, so I am assuming you are referring to the f4-f5.6 ED. It would be nice to know if that is the case.)

silversx80 · April 27, 2009

That price seems pretty steep (but your exchange rate is a bit off). $1000 AUS is about $713 US, which is pretty fair for retail. The 520 with the 14-42 fetches ~$500 US.

On the lenses, I have both with my E-410. The 14-42 is arguably the best kit lens on the market. Sure, it has its quirks, but it does a fantastic job. I don't think the 40-150 (f/4-5.6) is anything to write home about, but I have no complaints either.

Here are some links to galleries I have (some of the shots have been taken with the 35mm macro). I'm an amature's amature, so don't blame the gear

Flickr
MobileMe

NeilL · April 27, 2009

silversx80 wrote:

That price seems pretty steep (but your exchange rate is a bit off). $1000 AUS is about $713 US, which is pretty fair for retail. The 520 with the 14-42 fetches ~$500 US.

On the lenses, I have both with my E-410. The 14-42 is arguably the best kit lens on the market. Sure, it has its quirks, but it does a fantastic job. I don't think the 40-150 (f/4-5.6) is anything to write home about, but I have no complaints either.

Here are some links to galleries I have (some of the shots have been taken with the 35mm macro). I'm an amature's amature, so don't blame the gear

Flickr
MobileMe

hehe... I was adjusting the wrong way! :hack (Didn't there used to be an 'embarrassed' icon?? Who's been into the icon jar?! :food)

Very helpful, thanks! We'll have a peek at your galleries.

NeilL · April 27, 2009

ziggy53 wrote:

DPReview has a fairly condensed comparison of the E520 and E620 in the preview here:

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympuse620/

The E620 is similar to the E30 prosumer camera in terms of imager and image processor. It is not clear how much of an impact that actually has on the image quality versus the E520.

The E620 also has an ISO 3200, where the E520 caps at ISO 1600. (The ISO 3200 may not meet everyone's quality expectations so actual use will vary.)

It's almost always more important to have more lenses so if the Zuiko 40-150mm, f/4.0-5.6 ED meets your friends quality and speed needs, the 2 lens kit would be obviously more versatile. (BTW, there are 2 Olympus lenses of 40-150mm, so I am assuming you are referring to the f4-f5.6 ED. It would be nice to know if that is the case.)

Thanks, ziggy. Understand and take your points. I'll check which of those lenses is the one in the kit pair.

Great link!

swintonphoto · April 27, 2009

NeilL wrote:

Well, as I remarked to bro, when guys are as fired up about something as you and CS there's gotta be something in it!

I sent bro a link to the Olympus E-*20 cameras website!

Great!
Honestly, the E-420, E-520, and E-620 are all remarkable cameras for the price. They have very appealing jpg engines, and the lenses (As others have commented) are the best in their class. Olympus's greatest strengths are their lenses, size, and the price for features benefits. I often wonder why everyone doesn't use them, but that's my bias speaking.:D

The kit lenses that come with these cameras are remarkably sharp.

swintonphoto · April 27, 2009

Also,
Here are some great detailed tests/reviews of the Olympus lenses:
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/15

NeilL · April 27, 2009

swintonphoto wrote:

Also,
Here are some great detailed tests/reviews of the Olympus lenses:
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/15

Yep, the E620 looks like it would be a lot of fun to play with!

The brother was asking about the Zuiko lenses, so I'll send him the link. He'll be happy to read it!

Thanks, Jonathan.

NeilL · April 27, 2009

photograham wrote:

I like all Canon's

...sounds like a recipe for peace of mind.:D

Thanks for your comment.

I have Canon gear and I think it's the best, but then...

stevod · May 12, 2009

NeilL wrote:

...sounds like a recipe for peace of mind.:D

Thanks for your comment.

I have Canon gear and I think it's the best, but then...

Six months in and I'm still loving my Canon 450D - first DSLR for me.

S

NeilL · May 13, 2009

stevod wrote:

Six months in and I'm still loving my Canon 450D - first DSLR for me.

S

Yes, that must be a nice camera.

Thanks for your comment, stevod!

If you have a minute... recommend latest entry DSLRs

Comments