Another DSLR thread

[Chad Cowan]

Finally decided to upgrade to a DSLR and being a complete noob overwhelmed by the process, I would like to get some suggestions from you all. I have read over the (many) previous threads on this topic and figured I would start a new thread and see if anything has changed lately; as in prices, technology, etc.

I've 'narrowed' it down to a Nikon or a Cannon; probably a D40x, D60, XSi or XTi. I have $250 to use at Amazon and am willing to spend $300-400 more on top of that. Would love to find a 10-22mm lens and a body but I doubt that is in my price range now, so I may have to settle on a kit lens until I can afford a 10-22. The camera won't be used for anything but chasing and nature photography, or maybe some nudes if I find a willing female subject.

I might be willing to buy used or refurbed. Is that not a good idea with cameras?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Hey Chad,

I have both the bodies you're looking at (D40x and D60). Both bodies are terrific and do the job well! I use a good catch-all Tamron 18-270mm lens which for me and my photography level is more than fine. On the other body, I have the 18-200mm Tamrom. Again, mostly to get the range of photos in one lens so I don't have to change. I don't have the shorter lens you're discussing.

As for the bodies, I don't have a preference in terms of which I prefer. The D60 may have a few more bells and whistles and it is a newer model. I think it has a dust reduction system where the D40x does not, but again, I ended up getting it as a replacement for my D70 which had an untimely demise off the hood of my car.

I would buy new verses refurbish as the bodies are pretty inexpensive as it is for new and you'll get the coverage, warranty, etc that comes with the new.

I think either one will suit you very well. As for lens preferences, I would wait on suggestions from the better photographers on the board.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

It's going to be hard to beat an XSi in that price range. Saw them new on BH just yesterday for $480. The live view and lcd size will be worth going to that instead of an XTi imo. Never thought I'd care for live view but use it OFTEN to get infinity focus nailed, since a 3 inch lcd zoomed in 10x is like focusing on a 30 inch wide monitor.

I've been toying with the upgrade idea the last few days, from my XSi and going above 12mp I'm sure glad I have canon gear and not nikon. 7d is really really calling my name, mostly for the picky magazines/etc out there that whine if their requested size means something has to be res'd up. 18mp gets a person 11x17 300 dpi without any resing up, so should eliminate that concern, as rare as it is. Probably another reason to go for XSi over XTi. 12mp is pretty nice, since they are pretty nice mp's.

As much as an upgrade bug as I currently have, I'm unable to be talked into the T1i, mostly based off the dpreview:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/

Not that you mentioned that one, but if it was teasing you, might read that review. Guessing it would talk you into the XSi.

However, the 500D's RAW images are also slightly lagging behind some of the competition and surprisingly even the 450D in terms of high ISO noise and to a smaller degree in terms of pixel level detail. It's not going to be an issue when checking images at screen size but it's certainly visible up-close.

Somewhere in there they called the XSi(450D) amazing or something. Here it is.

Compared to the JPEG output both cameras eke a tad more detail out of the RAW files. In terms of pixel detail the 450D is nothing short of outstanding. The 500D is not far behind but can't quite match its predecessor in this comparison. Having said that, the new model of course offers a higher resolution which makes up for the slight pixel detail disadvantage when producing larger prints.

Anyway, just reading that yesterday and figured I'd mention it incase the urge was there to go to T1i at a price you weren't really wanting to do yet.

 

[Greg Campbell]

If you haven't done so already, wander down to the local Best Buy, Sears, etc., and fiddle with the various models. Ignore pixels and widgets, and pay attention to the ergonomics. First off, will the thing fit in your hand, some of the smaller bodies are almost hard to grasp. Are the menus easy to navigate, can you reach and operate the fingertip camera controls w/o looking? How about the viewfinder?, brighter and bigger is better!

IMO, buying refurb can save you some bucks, with very little risk.
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=21592

Adorama's warranty terms are very favorable. Each reseller will offer something different, so be sure to read the fine print.
Here's what's on sale today.
http://www.adorama.com/searchsite/default.aspx?searchinfo=refurbished&category=1002&sort=p_price_sort|1

 

[Jay Charles Reid]

I agree with Greg. Try before you buy. I thought that one of the (Canon) XT family cameras would be my "perfect" camera....until I went to the store and played with it. My hands fit much better around the Canon 50D...and I bought it.

Like Tony, I own the 18-270mm Tamron for a one-lens-ease-of-use capability. Not cheap, but you can get good shots with one lens. Very versatile. Free lens hood.

In the Canon line, look at the 40D, too. It's a solid camera with nice reviews. You could find it used/refurb'd.

Unfortunately, there are TOO many options to choose from. Pick the lens first, then the camera. Also, http://www.dpreview.com/ has a ton of reviews of lens, cameras, etc.

 

[Derek Weston]

really hard to go wrong either way. Canon or Nikon... they run each other so close.

One consideration might be lens lineup... nikon vs canon. Seemed to think nikon lenses overall were a bit more expensive, but perhaps not. Canon might have the better lineup.

I've had good success with my refurb videocam.... hadn't tried with a camera, but hear of people doing it. Just watch shutter conditions, don't want wear there.

Lens wise...

If you get the kit lens from canon (18-55mm), make sure its the new kit lens with image stabilization. (IS) The old before it -- came with XTi I think -- was a piece of junk. This one is reasonably sharp. Nikon kit lenses are usually pretty decent as well.

Wide angle wise... the canon 10-22 is good, but it's hardly any better than the sigma 10-20 from everything I've read. (and I've read a ton wide angle wise) Good way to save some coin would be to buy a used sigma.... can probably grab one in the 350-400 range. (that's what I'd do, anyway)

FWIW... prime lenses (fixed size; ie 15mm, 35mm, etc) are generally sharper performers than zooms. In general, the wider the zoom, the more likely quality is to be compromised. (and the really nice ones will cost you an arm and a leg) I'm not an a fan of the super wide range zooms. (just depends how finicky you are about image quality)

checkout photozone.de, lots of good reviews.

BTW... have heard that XSI is a bit less noisy than the T1i.... likely due to higher megapixels with T1i. (15mp versus 12 for the XSI) The 15mp T1i -- with the higher resolution ability -- is more demanding of lenses... perhaps what Mike's comments were pointing out. Differences are going to be hard to notice, if you can indeed notice them, though.... go T1i if you want video, otherwise, XSI. (I own a T1i and am happy with it, fwiw)

 

[Patrick Martin]

I've got the XSi and love it. It was my leap into DSLR from a quality P&S (canon s3is). It produces good jpeg quality, and RAW images are extremely flexible. Generally, Nikon will produce a slightly better jpeg image, but if you plan on shooting RAW, Canon has the advantage...at least if you believe dpreview.com.

You really can't go wrong with the 18-55IS kit lens. Yes it's plastic, but it has decent optics that can produce really good images. I eventually did sell the kit lens and now have a Sigma 17-70 as my general walkaround lens. I rented a Canon 10-22 for 2 weeks last year and although the image quality is great, honestly found it to wide for my needs. Agree with others that a Sigma 10-20 will be just as good, especially when you consider it's almost 1/2 the price. I also shoot with a 55-250IS and 2 primes, a 50 f/1.8 and 85 f/1.8.

For your price range, either a Nikon or Canon will be fine, but consider that if you are going to add lenses to your bag down the line, that Canon has a wider and more versatile selection, and generally are less expensive.

 

[Jeremy Jones]

My two cents...When I made the leap to a DSLR, the one thing I wanted to make sure of, is that it is durable, and that the seals are good enough to keep moisture and debris off of the sensor and mirror. While yes, it is more expensive, to me....It is definitely worth the investment. I ended up going with the Nikon D200. Let me tell ya, its very rugged!

 

[Jim Saueressig]

I am sticking with my Pentax cameras at this time. I enjoy the weather sealing and the fact I can use all of the older manual lenses. Trying to get an order fixed right now with Amazon from ordering a k-7.

 

[Chris Sokol]

I decided to go with the T1i, but am buying it from B&H for one big reason. (OK...2 reasons. They have an excellent reputation.) They have a special running that if you buy one of the DSLRs off their list (Canon) and purchase either a Canon Pro 9000 or 9500 printer, you get a good rebate. I chose the Pro 9000 because it is more versatile when it comes to paper choice, and they are running a sale on it for $446, plus a $400 rebate...thus making the price of a dedicated lab-type photo printer capable of producing images up to 13x19 for $46. Not a bad deal!