[DSe93]

I need help choosing an SLR camera. I don't know anything about how to use them and I want to learn... What do you guys recommend as a first timer?

[!Xoible]

stick to canon. Rebel XTi is a very good one

stick to canon tho lol

[FirstClass]

Depends:
1) How big are your hands?
2) How much do you plan on using it?
3) What would you like to spend, and what is the most you can spend?
4) Do you think you'll get into photography or is this a passing interest/on a whim?
5) What do you want to take pictures of?
Remember, glass is more important than a body.

[1º]

^answer those questions and we can give you a few cameras to look at. an important thing to do before you buy a camera is to hold it and get a feel for it before you buy it so you know what you're getting.

Originally Posted by ///Mantis

stick to canon. Rebel XTi is a very good one

stick to canon tho lol

i'd love to know why he should stick to a canon... please do explain.

[DSe93]

1) I'm 6'2 with proportional hands, and no bear paws or anything...
2) I like to take pics of EVERYTHING (with my phone and my point-n-shoot), and having a nicer camera will give me more of a reason to take more pics...
3) something reasonable I guess... $700? (I just read about a $37,000 SLR camera, 50 megapixel... HASSELBLAD... so you tell me what's reasonable!)
4) I am interested in learning more about it, plus it'll come in very handy in my future dental career.
5) See number 2... ex. landscape/cityscapes... and my beautiful car with a nice background... and also nighttime photos with lights like city lights or whatever... I donno, EVERYTHING!

Favorite color: RED
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite model: Adriana Lima

I hope this helps..

[FirstClass]

Note: in terms of price 40D > XSi > XTi

It sounds like you have reasonably large hands and want to take a lot of pictures. As was said above, you'll really want to go out and hold some bodies to get a feel for them. The XTi and XSi are both pretty small, especially the grip. The 40D is a much more substantial camera. When you go out and hold them you may prefer the compactness and relative lighter weight of the XTi or XSi or you may like the larger grip and more solid feel of the 40D. 40D is more than you want to spend, but if it feels better in your hand that's what really matters.

As far as glass goes, it really depends on what you want to take pictures of an how much you want to spend, but I will recommend a "nifty fifty". They're under $100, wide as hell and very versatile lenses.

[1º]

Originally Posted by FirstClass

40D > XSi > XTi

i still don't understand why nikon has been neglected.

since it has been, ill give some recommendations.

in respect to your price i would look at the nikon D40, D60, and D80.

The D40 is pretty small, like the XTi (never held the XSi but supposedly thats the same too) and since its pretty much the most entry level camera you could get from nikon, its the cheapest as well (just like XTI for cannon). That being said its the the most basic camera nikon offers, but dont get me wrong, its still an excellent camera. its just that if you progress in photography you will want to get a better camera in the future. on BHphotovideo.com you can get a D40 with a 18-55mm VR lens for about $469.95 or you can get a D40 with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm lens to give you a nice long range for about $649.95.

The D60 is a level above the D40 making its a somewhat better camera, a little more expensive, and a little less basic. I cant tell you how it feels but based on its specs its a pretty damn good camera for a beginner (just like the XSi). You can get a D60 with a 18-55mm VR lens for $629.95.

Lastly you have the D80. This is as high as i would recommend for a beginner being that anything above the D80 is way out of your price range and more complicated. The D80 is obviously the best out of the 3 i just mentioned; it feels the best in your hands, it has better technology and takes the best pictures. Its a bit more complicated because it comes with some more features and technology but its also more expensive. If you are absolutely serious about photography and it is something that you dont think would just be a temporary thing then i would recommend this one. The price is a bit above you limit but like i side before, if your going to stick to photography then go for it. you can get a D80 with a 18-135mm lens ,which has a nice long range, for about 1 grand.

i got all my info about the prices from BHphotovideo.com.

heres the link i used:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=&cltp=&clsgr=


go to your local camera store and check out the cameras that FirstClass and I have suggested. get a feel for them all, check the menus in them, see if the buttons are easy to reach(sounds dumb but trust me its important) try to take some sample shots if you are allowed.

if you have any questions feel free to ask.

[FirstClass]

Originally Posted by 1º

i still don't understand why nikon has been neglected.

Because I don't know jack shit about Nikons and I don't want to misrepresent them. I've never used them.

[1º]

Originally Posted by FirstClass

Because I don't know jack shit about Nikons and I don't want to misrepresent them. I've never used them.

LOL relax man

[FirstClass]

Originally Posted by 1º

LOL relax man

???
I am relaxed...

[Jurisprudent]

Nikon representation here.

I have a Nikon D60 w/ 18-55 VR and 55-200 VR lenses. Great camera. I chose it over the Canon because I liked the way it felt in my hand better and, in my opinion, the build quality is better. I doubt you can go wrong with either brand, honestly.

[DSe93]

thanks guys I'll continue doing my homework... I'll definitely look into those that all of you suggested, and like you said get a hands-on feel for them...

[FirstClass]

Originally Posted by DSe93

thanks guys I'll continue doing my homework... I'll definitely look into those that all of you suggested, and like you said get a hands-on feel for them...

Go to a Ritz camera or the like to feel the bodies up, but order from bhphotovideo.com they have pretty much the cheapest prices anywhere and they're a very reputable retailer. (Think Newegg for cameras)

[1º]

Originally Posted by Jurisprudent

I doubt you can go wrong with either brand, honestly.

+1

Originally Posted by FirstClass

Go to a Ritz camera or the like to feel the bodies up, but order from bhphotovideo.com they have pretty much the cheapest prices anywhere and they're a very reputable retailer. (Think Newegg for cameras)

+1, bhphotovideo is the best.

[DougLikesBMW]

Can anyone help me out please? I am looking to get a pretty decent camera that is close to my budget..I would need a beginner camera, as this would be my first camera, and I would really like to get into photgraphy...is it possible to get an SLR camera with my budget, if so can you guys please list a couple that would be good for me? My budget is <$400.

[1º]

read through the post

[DougLikesBMW]

Okay I gave the thread another read through and did a bit of research.

Can anyone please tell me their thoughts of this camera for someone who wants to get into photography, doesn't really know much, and this is infact their first camera...

I can get it for $225 - Kodak EasyShare Z812 IS - http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/d...sp?newsID=3209

[1º]

you want to get your self a basic entry level DSLR like a Nikon D40 or Canon Digital Rebel XTi

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by 1º

you want to get your self a basic entry level DSLR like a Nikon D40 or Canon Digital Rebel XTi

Even if it's going to be my first camera? My dad keeps telling me that I shouldn't spend so much money on my first camera not knowing if this is going to be a passing interest (which I think I will always be interested) and also he says that I won't even know where to begin since all of this would be too advanced for me.

Any thoughts?

[1º]

the thing is the kodak that you brought up is not a DSLR, its just a "high level" digital camera, nothing wrong with that at all but at one point you will be limited so i believe its better for you to get something thats much less limited. When i first began i bought a camera similar to that one, used it for about 2 weeks then ended up buying a D70s. sure it was much more expensive but i really did like photography and felt that it would be a hobby that i would continue for the rest of my life. it wasnt really hard to figure things out either. i did some reading online, bought some books, talked to a few professional photographers and other hobbyist who were much more experienced and advanced based on the tips, ideas, and concepts that they gave me.

if your sure that this will not be a passing interest for you, i see you go for the two cameras i recommended, if you are not so sure then go for the kodak. but if you do get the kodak and end up loving photography, it might be hard for you convince your parents to get you another camera any time soon.

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by 1º

the thing is the kodak that you brought up is not a DSLR, its just a "high level" digital camera, nothing wrong with that at all but at one point you will be limited so i believe its better for you to get something thats much less limited. When i first began i bought a camera similar to that one, used it for about 2 weeks then ended up buying a D70s. sure it was much more expensive but i really did like photography and felt that it would be a hobby that i would continue for the rest of my life. it wasnt really hard to figure things out either. i did some reading online, bought some books, talked to a few professional photographers and other hobbyist who were much more experienced and advanced based on the tips, ideas, and concepts that they gave me.

if your sure that this will not be a passing interest for you, i see you go for the two cameras i recommended, if you are not so sure then go for the kodak. but if you do get the kodak and end up loving photography, it might be hard for you convince your parents to get you another camera any time soon.

Thanks a ton for your advice sir! I don't think this will be a passing interest as I have always been interested in photography (just never really expressed it because cameras were just too expensive).

That's exactly why I just want to get the Nikon D40 now, instead of buying the Kodak and proving that I am really interested in photography and then having to pay for a whole new camera.

I have a question about the D40 vs. the XTi, I see that the D40 is a 6.1 megapixel camera and the XTi is a 10.1 megapixel camera, yet the XTi is only $100 more than the D40...so why go with the D40 over the XTi if there is such a large difference for only $100? Or is there something that I am not understanding because I am a noob to this stuff?

Also, is www.bhphotobideo.com the best place to get my tripod and accessories?

[1º]

Originally Posted by DougLikesBMW

Thanks a ton for your advice sir! I don't think this will be a passing interest as I have always been interested in photography (just never really expressed it because cameras were just too expensive).

That's exactly why I just want to get the Canon D40 now, instead of buying the Kodak and proving that I am really interested in photography and then having to pay for a whole new camera.

I have a question about the D40 vs. the XTi, I see that the D40 is a 6.1 megapixel camera and the XTi is a 10.1 megapixel camera, yet the XTi is only $100 more than the D40...so why go with the D40 over the XTi if there is such a large difference for only $100? Or is there something that I am not understanding because I am a noob to this stuff?

Also, is www.bhphotobideo.com the best place to get my tripod and accessories?

first off, nikon makes the D40 and Canon makes the Digital Rebel XTi... lol

to tell you the truth, megapixels dont really have much to do with the quality of the photograph. it kinda only determines how large you can print a picture with out the photo being distorted, and unless you are planning on printing poster sized photographs you'll be fine. 6.1 megapixels is perfect if you are only planning on looking at your pictures on the computer or planning to print on normal computer paper sized pictures (which is 10x11in paper i believe), and since you'll be a beginner i doubt you'll find much use of the extra pixels.

Now to settle the debate between Canon and Nikon. We all know nikon is way better, so thats the end of that ... LOL jk(i know a lot of guys will get their panties in a bunch after that comment)

To tell you the truth, i believe Nikon and Canon are equally as good. You can get excellent shots with cameras from both companies if you know how to use them. its just little things that are different that people swear makes one WAY better than the other.

The best thing for you to do, like i mentioned before, is to go to a local camera store and get a feel for bother cameras (in your case the Nikon D40 and the Canon XTi). Hold the cameras and see how it feels in your hands, look through the menus, try to take some test shots if you can. (However when you do go to check the cameras out i wouldnt necessarily listen to what the sales person has to say because most times their advice is biased based on what they like themselves and them trying to make a sale, you know?) after checking out the cameras the desicion on which camera you should get will most likely be obvious to you.

BHphotovideo.com is the best place to buy your camera and all its accessories. many people i know, including myself, buy their equipment from them and have had no complaints.

good luck man.