# What camera are you using?



## WillyJ (Jun 22, 2010)

Hey all,
I'm in the market for DSLR and I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions. My budget is kinda tight, so I'm trying to stay under $1k. I've been looking at the Nikon D3100, but I'm worried about the lack of internal autofocus motor. I know this will probably end up costing more when I go to buy lenses. But that means the D90, which is slightly out of my budget, and I know they are introducing its replacement next month. I don't have a lot of experience with Cannon, but that's also an option. I'd like to hear any input/experiences/advice from PT members.
Thanks,
Will


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## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Costco has a great deal on a Nikon and Cannon PKG for just under 1K. Comes with 2 lenses, sim card, bag...


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

You can get a SWEET deal on Canon stuff if you use their Loyalty Program. You trade in a busted old camera (PowerShot, film SLR, etc.) and they offer you a number of deals at a crazy price. They're refurbished models, but from what I've read across the internet, a lot of people say the cameras arrived like brand new. Here's a huge thread on fatwallet about it: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/849344/


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

This isn't what I am using, but the Canon T2i with IS kit lens for ~$800 is very hard to beat IMO. Add a Speedlite external flash, and you are set for most situations. Add a telephoto lens later if you are into wildlife etc photography.

I looked into the Canon loyalty program and it works out well for some. Considering to buy a busted G1 or G2 and exchanging it with a G11...


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

I shoot with a Canon 40D. Got it (body only) for $450 a few years ago used on CL. Glass is what will put a fat dent in your wallet though, but not as expensive as equivalent Nikon glass. I'd check out that loyalty program for starters.


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## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

I use a Canon XTI and glass will certainly make ya broke quick!


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## lnstevens (Aug 9, 2010)

I realize SLR's are a different world, but after my experience with the Canon P&S I own now (or should I say POS) I will be going back to Olympus. I only a really nice Olympus fixed lense Point and Shoot that looked like an SLR and took beautiful pictures. Focus capability, etc... were always good, but the Canon I own now has given me nothing but trouble.


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## Algaegator (Jul 30, 2010)

The Pentax KX does a great job with high ISO shooting (ideal for tanks) and the lenses cost less in the long run.


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## williamsonaaron (Jan 27, 2010)

I have a nikon d80 and plenty of lenses its a good camera and I like Nikon a good amount but I wish I had gone with a canon their low light and higher ISO imaging is much much better(maybe nikon has fixed this now) ALso My Nikon sucks at long exposures...like 15 minute exposure. I like to do astrology photography etc and the nikon sensors heat up so much they cast a severe blue tint in the upper right and left corners ruining the image even using Long exposure reduction wich takes double the time since you have to run a dark frame for the same exposure length does not remove all the heat flare.
Nikon has better introductory lenses 
Canons cheap lenses are crap but canons expensive L glass blows away most nikon lenses>>

in the long run you get what you pay for... you should also consider sony Alpha as well as olympus and even Lumix


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## davinci27 (Jul 27, 2010)

Nikon d3000. I was worried about the focal motor as well, but since I havent' bought a second lense yet I haven't had any problems. I love the camera.


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## koop (Sep 18, 2009)

Get a Nikon or Canon (whatever feels better to you) and spend your money on glass, not the camera. I've had the Nikon F90, F100, D100, D1x, D2x, D200, D300, and am currently shooting with the D700. I also have several trusty lenses that have survived over that timespan. Cameras technology changes every few months but quality glass should last you a decade or more.


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## lnstevens (Aug 9, 2010)

Okay, I honestly know very little about camera's so maybe someone could help me out here.

How does this one from Olympus compare with the one listed from Canon? I'm keeping in the $500 price range because it is the max I will be able to convince my wife to let me spend in January when we get our taxes, and yes I know things may change by then. 

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1386&page=specs

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consu...meras/eos_rebel_xs_18_55is_kit#Specifications


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## Algaegator (Jul 30, 2010)

Manufacturer websites won't objectively tell you how those cameras perform. Try a site like dpreview for solid testing.


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## FlSHRFun (Jun 26, 2010)

Canon EOS 7D here. Love it!


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## TeamTeal (Mar 31, 2010)

canon 550d which is the same as the t2i


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## littlefish (Aug 6, 2010)

Canon ar the best, a little expensive, but is worthing.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Many, do I feel like a reject only having a canon powershot that cost me like $100.....


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## Jason Baliban (Mar 3, 2005)

Nikon is Best:hihi:

Quality light is better than any camera. I know that doesnt answer your question. But jumping from a quality P&S to a consumer DSLR body will not offer that much of a jump in image quality. The big difference comes in expensive glass and quality light sources.

If you are simply trying to pick a brand, canon and nikon lead right now. Both of their systems are great. Pick them both up and choose based on how they feel in your hands. 

jB


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

davinci27 said:


> Nikon d3000. I was worried about the focal motor as well, but since I havent' bought a second lense yet I haven't had any problems. I love the camera.


I also have the Nikon D3000. Great camera.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi All,

sewingalot you are not alone! But having taken photos for several decades I have come to realize it isn't just the camera, but the photographer. I use a under $200 Canon PowerShot SX110is. I like the ability to go manual mode, set the speed, f-stop, with manual focus. The Macro mode gives good close ups. Just offering up an alternative. BTW, this image has been dropped down from 2000 KB to 200 KB so it looks a little "grainy"


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Jason Baliban said:


> Nikon is Best:hihi:
> 
> Quality light is better than any camera. I know that doesnt answer your question. But jumping from a quality P&S to a consumer DSLR body will not offer that much of a jump in image quality. The big difference comes in expensive glass and quality light sources.
> 
> ...


+1 on the light.

You could take better shots with a P/S than a SLR if your off camera light is better. Don't you ever notice how good outdoor shots come out compared to indoor with most cameras. I used a Canon S2 IS(P/S) for a long-term and them upgraded to a Canon XSI (SLR) and the pics weren't any better out of the box.

And as Seattle shows many of the better P/S have very strong optical and macro built in.


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## hoa101 (Aug 31, 2009)

To some degree, your camera doesn't matter. The photographer takes the picture not the camera.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm

He's talking more about photography as art, but you get the idea.

DSLR do take high res pictures, and give you access to all kinds of useful lenses. Your pictures will still suck if you don't know what you're doing though. That being said, I use a Nikon D40 body, which I am very happy with. 

My aquarium pics still suck though, because I have no idea what I'm doing. Don't know how to light them, can't figure out the proper aperture/shutter speed/iso combo for ultra-sharp pics of fish... very frustrating. Lanscapes and stills are much easier. :red_mouth

Check out these pics. Beautiful! No idea how he does it.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/photography/13562-canon-350d-50-mm-f2-5-a.html


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## williamsonaaron (Jan 27, 2010)

lnstevens said:


> Okay, I honestly know very little about camera's so maybe someone could help me out here.
> 
> How does this one from Olympus compare with the one listed from Canon? I'm keeping in the $500 price range because it is the max I will be able to convince my wife to let me spend in January when we get our taxes, and yes I know things may change by then.
> 
> ...


 
I have never owned either so its hard for me to give you any advice on either of those camera's.

If I were you I would go to www.dslruser.co.uk and become a member of the forums there and then start a thread asking advice about those 2 cameras then you'll get users from both makers letting you know the pluses and minuses of each. Or it will just turn into an argument between forum members about who makes the better camera either way you'll get lots of info..


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## williamsonaaron (Jan 27, 2010)

hoa101 said:


> To some degree, your camera doesn't matter.


 
This is not true.. in many ways... 

the camera matters a great deal based on what you are attempting to do.. 

for example long exposure night shot with a nikon D50 then take the same photo with a d80 - the d50 will have much less noise and heat flare simply because the D50's sensor is farther away from the battery.. Nothing a photographer could do there. 

Leica slrs were all the rage in the 60s and 70s because they had the quitest shutter allowing for more candid pics... 

the simple truth is you should match the camera to what you want to do with it for best results... and asking people in the camera forums will help you a great deal if you tell them what your intentions are and they'll even suggest lenses to help you accomplish it.

and just cause you brought Ken Rockwell into it.... 

"* Ken Rockwell is the Chuck Norris of photography

* Ken Rockwell's camera has similar settings to ours, except his are: P[erfect] Av[Awesome Priority Tv[Totally Awesome Priority] M[ajestic]
* Ken Rockwell doesn't color correct. He adjusts your world to match his.

* Sure, Ken Rockwell deletes a bad photo or two. Other people call these Pulitzers.
* Ken Rockwell doesn't adjust his DOF, he changes space-time.

* Circle of confusion? You might be confused. Ken Rockwell never is.

* Ken Rockwell doesn't wait for the light when he shoots a landscape - the light waits for him.

* Ken Rockwell never flips his camera in portrait position, he flips the earth
* Ken Rockwell ordered an L-lens from Nikon, and got one.

* Ken Rockwell is the only person to have photographed Jesus; unfortunately he ran out of film and had to use a piece of cloth instead.

* When Ken Rockwell brackets a shot, the three versions of the photo win first place in three different categories

* Before Nikon or Canon releases a camera they go to Ken and they ask him to test them, the best cameras get a Nikon sticker and the less good get a Canon sticker

* Once Ken tested a camera, he said I cant even put Canon on this one,thats how Pentax was born
* Rockwellian policy isn't doublethink - Ken doesn't even need to think once

* Ken Rockwell doesn't use flash ever since the Nagasaki incident.

* Only Ken Rockwell can take pictures of Ken Rockwell; everyone else would just get their film overexposed by the light of his genius

* Ken Rockwell wanted something to distract the lesser photographers, and lo, there were ducks.
* Ken Rockwell is the only one who can take self-portraits of you

* Ken Rockwell's nudes were fully clothed at the time of exposure

* Ken Rockwell once designed a zoom lens. You know it as the Hubble SpaceTelescope.
* When Ken unpacks his CF card, it already has masterpieces on it.

* Rockwell portraits are so lifelike, they have to pay taxes

* On Ken Rockwell's desktop, the Trash Icon is really a link to National Geographic Magazine
* Ken Rockwell spells point-and-shoot "h-a-s-s-e-l-b-l-a-d"

* When Ken Rockwell went digital, National Geographic nearly went out of business because he was no longer phyically discarding photos
* For every 10 shots that Ken Rockwell takes, 11 are keepers.

* Ken Rockwell's digital files consist of 0's, 1's AND 2's.

* Ken Rockwell never focus, everything moves into his DoF

* Ken Rockwell's shots are so perfect, Adobe redesigned photoshop for him: all it consists of is a close button.
* The term tripod was coined after his silhouette

* Ken Rockwell never produces awful work, only work too advanced for the viewer

* A certain braind of hig-end cameras was named after people noticed the quality was a lot "like a" rockwell

* Ken Rockwell isn't the Chuck Norris of photography; Chuck Norris is the Ken Rockwell of martial arts.
* Ken Rockwell never starts, he continues "


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## lnstevens (Aug 9, 2010)

I went to that site that was recommended earlier and decided on the Olympus. The features were close to identical, reviews were much the same, both were 10 MP, but the Olympus was reviewed to have a better grip and has 3 different forms of storage media. I also have a good personal experience with Olympus over Canon.

And you can say "It is the photographer, not the camera" all you want. The 4 or 5 MP Olympus I owned took 100% better pictures than the 10MP Canon I now own ever took.

It goes to show you that it isn't just all about the Megapixels either. The Olympus I had was a $200 Camera (roughly) and the Canon was about $160. But we are also talking years about, about 4/5 years, in technology. And the Olympus still took a better picture.

When it comes to DSLR though it probably comes down to personal feelings towards a company since the feature sets are so close and the ability to use a Camera.


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## WillyJ (Jun 22, 2010)

oh, I like the look of the Cannon 550D! Does this camera have the internal focal motor? I don't see it listed one way or another on dpreview.com

Seeing as how I am upgrading from the camera on my extremely cheap, 2 year old flip phone, I'm sure the pictures will be 100x better even if I let my 6mo old nephew take them ;p


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## Algaegator (Jul 30, 2010)

Good, now do yourself a favor and buy a prime lens with a fast aperture (f2.8 or less) so you can gather as much light as possible. 



lnstevens said:


> I went to that site that was recommended earlier and decided on the Olympus. The features were close to identical, reviews were much the same, both were 10 MP, but the Olympus was reviewed to have a better grip and has 3 different forms of storage media. I also have a good personal experience with Olympus over Canon.


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## lnstevens (Aug 9, 2010)

Algaegator said:


> Good, now do yourself a favor and buy a prime lens with a fast aperture (f2.8 or less) so you can gather as much light as possible.


If I do this I will be a double dead man, and I prefer to only die once. My wife had only approved this camera: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1499 which I can get for $299.95 if I look around, brand new w/ an extended 1 year warranty.

Now I'm seriously looking at spending $500/600 on a camera.....

This is next year when our taxes come back though, so things could change by then.


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## Jason Baliban (Mar 3, 2005)

Algaegator said:


> Good, now do yourself a favor and buy a prime lens with a fast aperture (f2.8 or less) so you can gather as much light as possible.


Be careful with you DOF with fast lenses. I find it better to stop down for a larger DOF and then add as much light as you can to the top of the tank....even if its 1000 watts of extra light.

jB


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## Algaegator (Jul 30, 2010)

Jason Baliban said:


> Be careful with you DOF with fast lenses. I find it better to stop down for a larger DOF and then add as much light as you can to the top of the tank....even if its 1000 watts of extra light.
> 
> jB


This is true. I like fast wides for stuff like that with a deeper DOF.


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## Algaegator (Jul 30, 2010)

lnstevens said:


> If I do this I will be a double dead man, and I prefer to only die once. My wife had only approved this camera: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1499 which I can get for $299.95 if I look around, brand new w/ an extended 1 year warranty.
> 
> Now I'm seriously looking at spending $500/600 on a camera.....
> 
> This is next year when our taxes come back though, so things could change by then.


I hear ya -- we all have to live witin our means.


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## lnstevens (Aug 9, 2010)

I actually think I just figured out that the camera isn't a POS, the AiAF (Ai AutoFocus) is a POS on this Canon. I was just playing with Manual Focus and got this shot of one of my Ram's.


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## dodohead (Jan 11, 2010)

i wish i had a canon 100mm 2.8 macro for my 40d... i want to take more shrimp pictures


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## hoa101 (Aug 31, 2009)

williamsonaaron said:


> This is not true.. in many ways...
> 
> the camera matters a great deal based on what you are attempting to do..
> 
> ...


I'm quoting this just because of the silliness. People on the internet are funny. Seriously though, does this have any place on this forum?

I'll remember your thoughts next time I'm worried about heat flare during a long exposure shot of my aquarium. I think I shall call it, the _Big Green Blur_. Coming soon to the modern art section of the Met. :thumbsup:


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## WillyJ (Jun 22, 2010)

Ended up getting the Cannon T1i (500D). Got a killer deal and so far I love it!


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## WillyJ (Jun 22, 2010)

Some of my first shots, just messing around with the different modes and stuff yesterday. I know the last one isn't a tank but I like it


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