Clean slate camera/lens suggestions?

[L Kimbrel]

I want a good, uncomplicated digital setup that involves as little lens-switching and fiddling as possible. Over the years my husband has inundated me with SLR cameras of dubious reliability and murky provenance (he's a picker/junker/auction hound with borderline hoarding issues). I have Olympia, Nikon, Canon, Minolta bodies, most with various mechanical issues and none with owners manuals or guides., fifty+ lenses not totally compatible with anything, dozens of filters that don't fit lenses, every style camera bag imaginable. It's all going out the door. I want one good body, a wide angle lens, maybe a second lens to cover the wide angle's limitations, if any, and polarizing and UV filters. Budget is preferably $1000-$2000. I'm not going for professional wall art, but I do take good pictures even with a iPhone 5s, and I want to capture the detail and color that I see. I need low-light capability, but also way-the-hell-too-high light because anything up in the sky can catch my eye. I've tried to prise out what I want from a few of these threads but maybe if I put out specifics I could get a clearer notion of what to look for. Or am I hoping for too much versatility from too little gear here?

 

[NealRasmussen]

First, try ebaying the old stuff fast. Or hang on to it and give it to a museum.

I really like my Canon Rebel T5. Is 18MP and APC format. Does HD video too. I don't use the liveview when shooting stills, but it does have that. The P Program mode does really well for most all shots. If not a quick exposure adjustment, done easily, fixes that. Autofocus works well, but of course I often, usually shoot in manual focus. Image stabilization is nice. I can get really nice shots hand held even in the 1/8th sec area. But of course I'm most always on a tripod. Exception are those shots you have to get quick.
http://shaggybuffalo.com/wallpaper/20150516_InlfowDustBolt_C_1280.jpg just jumped out and started shooting continuously, as I knew a bolt would strike sooner or later.
Now as to the lenses, you'll probably need two. The T5 and kit lens is $400, so I wonder if you couldn't get body only at $300, but point I'm trying to make is the Canon 10-22 would be a great superwide lens. Equiv of 16mm to 35.2mm in the 35mm film world. But that one is big $s. $600 new. Then a zoom in the 18-135 range which is $500 new. That's $1400 new, and I bet around $800-1000 used. I have no problems buying used from B&H Photo. But perhaps the only place I would trust. Note I only have the T5 and kit lens, but have heard good things about the lenses. Also I have no idea about APC vs full frame.

Although I might be leaning towards full frame, as I like a more square format.

Though I do know DSLR rule over film, simply for the 1) instant feedback on the shot, and 2) costs way less than $1.50 per click.
Shoot 1000 pics in a night on sparks? No way. But yes. Way!

 

[Hannah.Taylor]

Canon 60D - $900
Canon 10-22 - $450 - $500
Canon 18-55

you will be set.

 

[L Kimbrel]

Thanks for the tips. I don't think I could, in good conscience, eBay this stuff. I don't recall what I finally did a couple years back to dispose of the dozen or more state surplus digital AF/AE cameras, complete with 8MB memory cards he thought was a steal. Maybe I can donate it to a service organization. I've tried to patch together a usable system but I'm just not a camera wonk. I like what I've heard and read about the 10-22 lens, wish I knew how to tell what bodies it works with, we have at least three Canons and two are digital. But slap me upside the head, I'm not going that route again! I'm set on a fresh start with new equipment that nobody's re-rigged. And a booklet to explain all the buttons and whistles, because trial and error is not an efficient way to use a camera. I've used B&H Photo, they did good by me.

 

[L Kimbrel]

Clearing skies after frontal passage, jumped out and grabbed one shot with the iPhone. It approaches the tone of your inflow picture, minus the lightning and detail and inflow.

 

[James Wilson]

I would get the Nikon D7100 .... Amazing camera!!
I would add the Tokina 11-16 for structure shots.

 

[Caleb Grunzke]

I would get the Nikon D7100 .... Amazing camera!!
I would add the Tokina 11-16 for structure shots.

Fully agree with this. And if you can, get a 18-135mm lens. This should give you plenty of zoom to get shots that are far away. The standard 18-55mm kit lens is alright but, sometimes I find out that I run out of range.

 

[Todd Lemery]

While we are on the subject of cameras, I would like a little help also. I really suck at taking pictures even when I remember to. I'm not looking to take awesome pics like a lot of the users on this site do, but just want a simple camera that I don't need to switch lenses or learn a bunch of settings. This camera doesn't need to take great pictures, but just decent pictures by pointing and clicking. I'll admit I don't want to put in a whole lot of effort. Is there a camera that will help me?

 

[James Hyde]

No matter what you choose; Canon or Nikon, which is totally up to you. You should have one wide angle and a good aperture range telescopic. From my personal experience for the wide angle should be 12-18 ish for a cropped frame or 18-24 for a full frame. I use the Tokina 11-16 and I know other chasers do as well. For the telescopic lens, you don't need to go ridiculously far. Under 200 is plenty. I don't often go past 130 or so. Past that you run the good risk of not holding it steady enough. Make sure it has a good aperture range though.

 

[L Kimbrel]

Okay, right now I'm looking at the Canon 60D with a 10-22 lens and 18-55 (or better) zoom, or the Nikon D7100 with the Tokina 11-16 lens and an 18-135 zoom. At B&H I'm finding a lot of the Canon 50D and 70D, but not the 60D. Any idea why that would be? I'm starting in the used department, maybe 60D owners don't get rid of them. At any rate, I have at least some idea now what I'm looking for, which is a huge help because, man, there's no end to the camera options out there! Add a lens, and I'm pretty sure I don't possess the math to figure out the number of possible combinations.

 

[Kevin Rimcoski]

I feel you on that. I talked with Mike olbinski about camera options. I too thought about the 60D, he recommended the 6D due to being full frame sensor I believe. Then he recommended the new T6i, and I love it

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[Justin Wilcox]

I shot with a T4i for a little while, but then grew out of it pretty fast once I got back into photography again. As of now I just sold my last Canon lens as of this morning, and plan on purchasing either a D7200 or a D750 before next season. The reason is once I got my hands on a D7200 and realized how much better the dynamic range, high ISO performance, overall image quality is over my T4i (which is practically the same performance-wise as the T5i, 60D, T3i), it was over for Canon. Although I will miss my 18-135 STM lens. That lens is amazing for a kit lens. If you do end up with a Canon, along with a Tokina 11-16, grab the 18-135 STM. It will stay on your camera 90% of the time. However, if you are leaning towards the Nikon D7100, check out fellow chaser/photog Matt Granz work. He really pushes the limits of the D7100, and produces some amazing images.
Heres his link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattgranz/