recommendations for cameras

[stewie]

im going to take the plunge tomorrow and get a new camera... would like the best I can get for under $1500.... i dont know that much about them but i would like to get into photography... any suggestions?

[vh_bu98]

Originally Posted by stewie

im going to take the plunge tomorrow and get a new camera... would like the best I can get for under $1500.... i dont know that much about them but i would like to get into photography... any suggestions?

Well, you need to narrow it down to what type of camera. A point & shoot or a DSLR. Ask yourself on what you are trying to achieve.

I recommend visiting dpreview.com since they probably can provide you more information.

[stewie]

Originally Posted by vh_bu98

Well, you need to narrow it down to what type of camera. A point & shoot or a DSLR. Ask yourself on what you are trying to achieve.

I recommend visiting dpreview.com since they probably can provide you more information.

Yes, I want to DSLR... I want to be able to take pics like the member "the dude" was posting....

[vh_bu98]

Originally Posted by stewie

Yes, I want to DSLR... I want to be able to take pics like the member "the dude" was posting....

With a budget of $1500, here are some camera bodies I would recommend with some room to buy a lens or two. You will have to buy the lens separately unless you get a kit although I'm not impressed with neither Canon's or Nikon's general kit lens. Nikon used to package the 18-70mm and that was a good kit lens, but now they only sell it separately. Here are some bodies.

Nikon D80 - $781.95
Canon EOS 30D - $799.95
Canon EOS 40D - $1149.00
Nikon D200 - $1399.95

Those are new prices from B&H. You can get a good deal in the used market. My advice is go to your local camera store even if it's a Ritz or Wolf camera and get a feel for the camera. See which one feels more comfortable to you and how easy can you navigate the menu and features. Price should not be the primary factor since I have known people who bought on price and have buyer's remorse.

The majority of DSLRs will give you great quality photos if used correctly, so don't get hang up on mega-pixels and ISO unless you know that your style will require those as factors.

As for lenses, it depends on how serious you are. If you want to start off with a general all purpose lens. Here are my recommendations.

Nikon
AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR - $199.95
AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR - $699.95

Canon
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS - $174.95
EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM - $409.95

If you want to do some macro work, here would be good ones to start with.

Nikon
Nikkor 60mm micro f/2.8 - $399.95

Canon
EF-S 60mm f/2.8 macro USM - $384.00

You can't go wrong with any manufacturer even a third-party one like Sigma or Tokina for macro lenses either. For any other type of lens, I tend to stick with the original manufacturer.

A 50mm f/1.8 lens is a great lens to get as well and both companies sell one for around $100. It's a sharp lens and being a prime lens, it will help you learn how to frame.

The number one rule is to investigate in good lenses. Buying 1 general purpose variable zoom lens is okay to start off with if you want to do general photography. But if you're really serious about it, start off with the 50mm f/1.8 as mention and save your money up for quality f/1.4 primes or f/2.8 zoom lenses.

As for taking photos like the dude, experience is the key. Technology can not make up for having a good eye and the experience needed to capture the moment. And if you want to create art instead of just capturing the moment, you're going to need to develop good post-processing skills with photo editing software such as PhotoShop.

When you're ready to buy, I recommend www.bhphotovideo.com. I purchase the majority of my equipment from them. Great prices, fast shipping and good service. I would avoid Best Buy or Circuit City since you will pay more. I would only buy from them if I needed it immediately and that they have it in stock. And I would also seriously consider the used market since you can get some good deals.

If you want to learn more about the Nikon system, I recommend visiting www.nikonians.org.

[watchlady]

DSL under $1500 Canon 40D, if you can stretch the budget a bit Nikon D300.
If you want a good point & shoot a Canon G9 for close to $400.
dpreview.com is a good way to get more info.

I have some B&H coupon codes for Canon and Nikon so pm me if you want one.

[watchlady]

You could go Nikon D80 and a 60 macro for less than $1500.

[stewie]

Originally Posted by watchlady

You could go Nikon D80 and a 60 macro for less than $1500.

thank you.. I think that was the one I was looking at Best Buy but i didnt get it there because the salespeople are clueless. I can going to a specialized camera shop tomorrow... if you buy from them they will teach you how to take decent pictures... thank you for your help

[watchlady]

They will probably try to sell you the kit lens but a macro will get you better watch photos. Lighting is really important, most people working in photo shops don't know much about lighting. You could take a class, where do you live? I think there is a specialized watch photography forum on watchtalk or wristwatch forums.

[Welshwatchman]

Whatever camera Mike uses.

[Incurable]

Originally Posted by Welshwatchman

Whatever camera Mike uses.

I think you'd be very surprised a what camera Mike uses...

[watchlady]

Get a tripod too!

[watchlady]

Did you get a camera today Stewie?

[Incurable]

Originally Posted by watchlady

Did you get a camera today Stewie?

He's probably at home, buried deep in manuals, scratching his head right now...

For the record, you can get shots like Mike with a $200 camera (as I believe he actually does). No discredit to Mike at all but an affirmation of his skills in using light, exposure, aperture and seasoned judgement (just to name a few).

[Gedanken]

I'd agree with vh_bu98, Stewie. There's just a couple of points I'd raise for your consideration:

1) If you're going to go DSLR, be mindful that more money's going to go into lenses than into the rest of the camera, and as you go along, you're most likely to upgrade your gear if you stick with it.
2) Manufacturers each have different mounts for their lenses. If you go down the Nikon track, for example, you're pretty much stuck going down that path unless you're willing to get rid of all your gear and start all over again.
3) As any of the photographers here will tell you, knowing your photographic technique is more important than the equipment specifications. I expect that Mike, The Dude or any of the other guys will be able to do more with a point-and-shoot than someone who's got all the bells-and-whistles kit but doesn't understand the effects of different aperture sizes.

As vh_bu98 said, there are a lot of camera bodies that will do the trick, and things like megapixels and ISO levels can be deceptive. These days 10 megapixels and above are pretty much standard, but unless you're planning to blow photos up into posters, they're not going to make a world of difference.

Two things I would recommend that you check out before you buy is the amount of control the camera has over noise, and how well/quickly the autofocus works. You don't want to shoot in inadequate light only to have your photos turn out grainy (noisy), and you'll need an autofocus system that can keep up with the way you shoot.

One thing to consider is image stabilisation - hand shake can ruin a lot of photos, so this is always handy to have. Canon and Nikon have it built into the lens, while Sony and Pentax build it into the camera body. The advantage of the body-based systems is that you'll always have that stabilisation regardless of what lens you use.

As for the rest of it, keep money aside for some good lenses because that's where most of the difference will be made. While zoom lenses are handy for travelling, they tend to be weak at some focal points. On the other hand, single focal-length lenses can limit the kinds of shots you can take. Start with a versatile zoom lens (e.g. the Nikon 18-200 VR, or the Sigma 18-200 OS if you happen to go Canon) and then do some shooting to work out what kind of shots you tend to take. Based on your preferences, you can choose a lens that specifically suits your needs.

Stepping back from all of that for a moment, if you're really new to photography, you might want to consider getting a good point-and-shoot because unlike most DSLRs, they give you a preview of the what the photo will look like before you press the shutter button. It's a good way of learning the effects of changing aperture sizes, shutter speeds and ISO levels, and quite a few point-and-shoots like Canon's G9 (or the S5IS if you want a lot of zoom) can produce more than decent pictures.

[Gedanken]

Precisely, Mike. Six years ago, I got a little Panasonic point-and-shoot job with no manual functions at all, apart from the ability to turn off the flash. For a year I took perfectly ordinary pictures - reflections, red-eye, blurry hand-shake shots, you name it.

A mate of mine was off to Vancourver for a business trip and asked to borrow the camera. When he came back, I saw the photos he took and thought, "My camera can do THAT?!".

Since then, it's just been a matter of constant learning and that curve's just getting steeper. I wanna be like Mike when i grow up!

[sharif]

Stewie, if you are just starting out with photography, the Nikon D80 will do everything you need, and more. It's a great camera to work with. I'd save the rest of your money for glass and accessories, like a good tripod, for instance.