Advice on SLR Camera
I'm interested in getting an SLR camera for work and to satisfy my growing interest in digital photography. I've looked around and have narrowed my interest to the Cannon EOS Rebel XTI and Nikon D80. I'm curios to see what some of the pros here think of these models and any advice and suggestions they may have.
Comments
I'm interested in getting an SLR camera for work and to satisfy my growing interest in digital photography. I've looked around and have narrowed my interest to the Cannon EOS Rebel XTI and Nikon D80. I'm curios to see what some of the pros here think of these models and any advice and suggestions they may have.
Either of those models will probably meet your needs. Both are good brands. I myself (an amateur hobbyist) use a Pentax istDS, it is a great little SLR and all of the older K-mount lenes will work with it. Check this site out for tons of reviews. Its really helpful.
http://www.dpreview.com/
I'm interested in getting an SLR camera for work and to satisfy my growing interest in digital photography. I've looked around and have narrowed my interest to the Cannon EOS Rebel XTI and Nikon D80. I'm curios to see what some of the pros here think of these models and any advice and suggestions they may have.
For detailed review of the Canon http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/
and the D80 http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond80/
It compares very well against the Nikon D80 and the Canon XTi : Look here.
I'm interested in getting an SLR camera for work and to satisfy my growing interest in digital photography. I've looked around and have narrowed my interest to the Cannon EOS Rebel XTI and Nikon D80. I'm curios to see what some of the pros here think of these models and any advice and suggestions they may have.
I got the D80 and LOVE it.
Also, DPREVIEW and POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY rated the D80 better.
I appreciate the reponses. I'm not a great Sony fan but will give it's slr a look. You never know, it may appeal to me. Right now I'm leaning Nikon.
I've used the sony camera and it feels cheap. Also, both Nikon and Canon have been in the SLR business forever. Sony just entered it. Nikon and Canon have a lot more experience and I would definitely NOT go with Sony.
I take lots of photographs - and ended up with the first version Digital Rebel, which is great SLR camera in many ways. Manual controls, low noise and film-like depth-of-field are its strongpoints. The Canon, the Nikon and the new Sony all seem very good.
But I'd say the Rebel is a bit like a hacksaw ... and a lot of the time I really want a Swiss Army Knife. Something lighter and more flexible. There are some great compact cameras with good zoom optics. If I was buying again I might look at the the Panasonic Lumix cameras with a 12x optical zoom. Somthing like this will allow you to capture shots, when an SLR would have you scrambling to change a lens.
It depends very much on what you want to use your camera for.
C.
I woud offer a word of caution.
I take lots of photographs - and ended up with the first version Digital Rebel, which is great SLR camera in many ways. Manual controls, low noise and film-like depth-of-field are its strongpoints. The Canon, the Nikon and the new Sony all seem very good.
But I'd say the Rebel is a bit like a hacksaw ... and a lot of the time I really want a Swiss Army Knife. Something lighter and more flexible. There are some great compact cameras with good zoom optics. If I was buying again I might look at the the Panasonic Lumix cameras with a 12x optical zoom. Somthing like this will allow you to capture shots, when an SLR would have you scrambling to change a lens.
It depends very much on what you want to use your camera for.
C.
No compact ever will be better than an SLR, and I know this owning both compacts and SLRs. SLRs have superior optics, superior features, superior resolution, and superior durability. SLRs are not for family vacations or time with friends, it's for PHOTOGRAPHY. Everybody should own a compact for...whatever. Photographers should own an SLR for photography.
I too am looking to get a better camera soon, I am most likely getting a Canon Rebel XT. The XTi would be nice, but its a lot more money, and the added features aren't really worth it to me. Yeah, it's 10 MP, but 8 is fine for me, and the second anti-shake feature the XTi has renders pointless IMO. Most of the time to get good shots with closed fstops and slow shutter speeds, your going to need to use a tripod. You can get a XT for 500 new, with a kit (lens, batteries, manuals, chargers, caps, case, the whole nine). With a XTi your paying 799 just for the body, then you need to buy lenses, batteries, chargers, and everything else (including a tripod). If you have the money go for it, if your trying to make your money stretch, go with the XT.
Don't! Go for the D80. Most of it's features are superior in performance. Also, it is better built and more ergonomic in the hand. The XT and XTi both feel very cramped and both perform worse.
NIKON D80 (DPREVIEW)
Build quality \t - 9.0
Ergonomics & handling \t - 9.0
Features \t - 9.5
Image quality \t - 8.0
Performance (speed) \t - 9.0
Value \t - 8.5
TOTAL - 53
CANON 400D XTi (DPREVIEW)
Build quality \t- 8.5
Ergonomics & handling \t- 8.0
Features \t- 8.5
Image quality \t- 8.5
Performance (speed) \t- 8.0
Value \t- 9.0
TOTAL - 50.5
SLRs are not for family vacations or time with friends, it's for PHOTOGRAPHY..
What a patronizing remark!
A lot of what I needed to do (professionally) was capture good quality images for use in digital art projects. SLRs are fine but might not be the ideal tool for that sort of work.
Here a link to look at http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/panasonicfz50_samples2/
(from the excellent Digital Photography Review site.)
Of course an SLR *will* have better image quality - but if its in the trunk of you car - it will not capture a god-damn thing. All I am saying is that if this sort of quality meets your artistic requirements, an SLR might possibly be overkill, particularly if you don't want to buy and carry additional lenses.
C.
Anyway, do check the line up of lenses available from Canon and Nikon so you have an idea of what's offered. Then go to a camera store and handle the XTi and D80 to see which one feels better in your hand and how easy it is to use. You also might want to look at the Canon 30D as currently there is a rebate on it.
After you make your purchase read the camera manual thoroughly and then get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot.
I have a Canon Digital Rebel (the first version) and I really like it. One thing that would make it even better, I think, would be the ability to EASILY (read: effortlessly) change the focus when in AF mode. I believe that Nikon lenses are capable of this, and are electronically and mechanically a bit more advanced than the Canon lineup. You may want to keep that in mind during your research. The other important factors are the size of the detector (full frame, or 3/4 or what?), as bigger is better, and full frame is best, and how many shots you can take before the buffer fills up. Look for the burst quantity on that one. My Rebel only has a four shot buffer, and that gets annoying when I have to wait for the data to transfer to the CF card from the buffer. That, I feel, is more important than having full frame, or even the lens tech. Makes it a LOT more enjoyable when I can just keep shooting and shooting and shooting.
If I were going to get another one soon, I'd look very seriously at the Nikons, even though I already have several Canon lenses.
I'd cut the decision down between Canon and Nikon. Cast the others aside.
Regardless, wait until March. The Photo Marketing Association event runs March 08-11 and announcements of new products are expected.
Here's a comparison from Ken Rockwell: http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/d200...d40-5d-xti.htm
What I noted when I was in the smithsonian.... was that most the photographers whose works were displayed used canon, but the ones whom used Nikon had a richer image quality.
Good luck!
What a patronizing remark!
A lot of what I needed to do (professionally) was capture good quality images for use in digital art projects. SLRs are fine but might not be the ideal tool for that sort of work.
Here a link to look at http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/panasonicfz50_samples2/
(from the excellent Digital Photography Review site.)
Of course an SLR *will* have better image quality - but if its in the trunk of you car - it will not capture a god-damn thing. All I am saying is that if this sort of quality meets your artistic requirements, an SLR might possibly be overkill, particularly if you don't want to buy and carry additional lenses.
C.
Those pictures aren't great. Some of them are pretty good.
When it comes to buying, you are best not to put all your money into an expensive body and cheap glass. Unlike film bodies, dSLR bodies are superseded in 2 or 3 years. There is little point in having a whizz-bang body and sticking a cheap and nasty lens in front of it. Buy the highest quality glass you can – you won’t regret it. I went for a Nikon D200 and a 17-55 Nikor 2.8. It’s pro glass and I sold my soul to get it but I'd do it again tomorrow. If I couldn't have afforded the D200 with that lens, I would have brought the D80 rather than downgrading on the glass. I would still have been better off than buying a D200 and say, the popular 18-200 VR, which is just not in the same league as the 17-55.
Remember: Glass. Glass. Glass. Lenses may not seem as exciting as a high-tech body but they will have the biggest impact on your images and you will keep top quality glass as you move from body to body.
Anyway I got a nice Macro lens and am trying to learn how to take good photos.
I'm interested in getting an SLR camera for work and to satisfy my growing interest in digital photography. I've looked around and have narrowed my interest to the Cannon EOS Rebel XTI and Nikon D80. I'm curios to see what some of the pros here think of these models and any advice and suggestions they may have.
Go for Rebel XT rather than XTi... it's a better camera.