Which Digital Slr Camera Is Best For Amateur Photographers? ?
I’m pretty tired of my current digital camera with it’s so-so quality pictures. So this year I am planning on getting a Digital SLR camera. Which Camera would you recommend? Brand and pricing would be nice to know also. I’m not looking for those ultra pro type ones.
Tags: amateur photographers, Camera, Photographers, Digital, Amateur, digital slr camera
OK here is my short answer. I have a D40 and I love it. The D40 has a full manual mode, Flexible progam, aperature priority, shutter priority modes. These are the same modes on all DSLR. It also has several other programed modes for things like portrait, night, children etc. As a photographer improves and learnds to use metering better these additional modes seldom get used so they are usually found on the more amature cameras and seen as not needed on the professional cameras. I feel I have a fair amount of experience as a photographer and it performs well for me but I can give it to my 12 y/o grandson if set on program and he can get good usable pictures as well. His photography is improving as he is already learning to use many of the functions himself ( yes I’m a proud granpa) .
I also would not get caught up in the megapixel hype and instead look at the entire sensor issue. Look at the article I linked below The D40 will do everything a beginner to intermediate photographer needs at a great price. It comes with an 18-55 lens. It will let you use any other money to buy more accessories. And by the time you outgrow it cameras will have advanced to the point that most of what is on the market now would be obsolete. I bought a D300 last year and only had a it a few months when the D700 came out. The canon would also serve you well but I am a Nikon person so I suggest them. I have friends that are very happy with thier canon’s and take great photos. You will have others that like Pentax and Olympus and they are not bad cameras but if they were in the same ballpark you would see many more professional photographers use them
Now for the longer answer as you already have some experience I will be preaching to the choir on a good bit of this.
I would say the Nikon D40 Its an entry level DSLR. A digital SLR will give you a much larger sensor than any point and shoot camera. Larger sensor = more light to each pixel = clearer, crisper photo with better color saturation. DSLR will also let you grow and take more control as you learn more and you can change lenses when you have a need to. The sensor on the olympus is smaller than on Nikon or Canon
I am a nikon person and have had nikons since the 70’s I personally think the nikon D40 give you more for the dollar than any DSLR today. There are some that do more but you pay a good bit more. Do not let the lower megapixels concern you if you do not do very very large prints you will never notice the lower DSLR. My brother recently needs a DSLR for a class and I recommended the D40 to him So I would also say get the D40 not the D40X. The Nikon D40 does not have limited functions compared with other entry DSLR. Yes it has fewer funtioncas than a 1500 dollar camera body would. It is not a a cut down version its equal or above most any entry level DSLR.
There is a great article in this months Digital Photopro Magazine that is titled “Megapixels how much is enough” EVERYONE looking at buying a new digital camera can profit by reading this article. Its here http://www.digitalphotopro.com/studio/me…
I have a d300 and a d40 and when I am shooting for fun I grab the d40. Its weightless, a joy to use and gives good results
If you have a bit more money the D60 give you a number of things you want. It has newer firmware and image processors, designed for the 10 mp sensor. It has an “Active Dust Reduction System with Airflow Control “. Nikon not putting a system on the D40 to deal with dust is one of the biggest drawbacks I see to the D40 ( though I think its still a great camera for the money) If you change lenses dust will get in and the camera needs a system to deal with it. With the D60 you get a VR lens. That will help with low light situations ( they may offer that now with the D40 but originally it was not) . The D60 has Adaptive Dynamic Range. Nikon calls it “Active D-Lighting,” it lets you save some highlights that my otherwise be lost. It has a newer better metering system than the D40. So you can get the D40 not the D40 x and spend the other money on lenses or a flash
Some people will want to make a big issue out of the fact that there are some nikon lenses that will not autofocus on these cameras. Right now there are “only” about 39 lenses that autofocus on these cameras. They cover the range of focal lengths. I doubt any photographer would be seriously limited with “only” this many lenses to choose from. If you want to manually focus you can more than double this and do so at a low cost. Manual focusing is easy and how we did things for decades before the advent of autofocus.
Cannon and Nikon chose to put the vibration reduction in the lens rather than the body. Somefolks put it in the camera and make of that. Yes that means you get stabilization only on lenses with that feature built in. In the body in theory it would work on every lens. But in fact image stbilization in the lens has proved to work faster and smoother with a lower impact on focus times than image stabilization in the body/ One problem with in body stabilization comes from the fact that the sensor would have to move different amounts for different focal lengths. A canon white paper says an in body system would have to move the sensor 1/4 inch to account for movement on a 300 mm lens.
Now a comment on liveview. Have you ever tried to hold several pounds of digital camera and lens steady at arms length while you look at an LCD screen. It not at all the same as holding a few ounces of point and shoot camera steady in the same position. One of the things we preach to new photogrpahers is to learn to hold the camera properly so the body mechanics give you a steady shot. You can’t really do that looking at the LCD. So liveview is really something that will have very limited applications in a DSLR. So liveview is really something that will have very limited applications in a DSLR. Usually only when its on a tripod. I have liveview on my D300 and have never used it.
Nikon also has great service. I was just reading the other day on eyefetch in the Nikon forum where someone posted that they had dropped thier lens and broken it. It was not a fault of the company they messed up. The sent it to Nikon and Nikon could not fix it. Nikon offered them a brand new identical lens at half the price. They did not have to
In closing all major camera manufactures make good cameras get out and compare the features and how they feel in your hand. Go to places like kenRockwell.com and DPreview.com to compare them. Nikon and Canon have the largest market share and I personally think there is a very good reason they do. Not bashing other brands but photographers tend to be very very demanding folks and they then tend to be loyal to what has worked for them well and consistently. That is not a pavlovian response anymore than it is a pavlovian response in my work at the fire department when I trust the brands of turnout gear and airpacks that have worked for me time and time again. Sometimes even going beyond the published specs. People in ANY demanding profession gain loyalty and trust from thier experiences. And if the product did not perform it would not be favored for long.
Another thing to consider is that new and better digital cameras come out every year, and the old models are quickly obsoleted. This doesn’t mean that old cameras aren’t good any more, but it means that the camera itself is far less important than in the film days.
Lenses are still important though, as they will last for years of use. However, there are still improvements in lenses, just not as big of jumps.
That being said, I would go with the Nikon D40. It’s small, cheap ($450), and has a great lens. The lower end Canon lenses are generally poorer quality than the Nikons, especially the 18-55 kit lenses. Another thing is that Canon doesn’t even have an all-purpose zoom like Nikon’s 18-200mm DX lens for digital cameras. With the kit lens and Nikon’s excellent 55-200mm VR lens, you don’t really need anything else for a D40.
Now, this doesn’t mean that Canon doesn’t make any good stuff. It’s just that Nikon’s consumer end products are better at the moment. Both make great pro equipment.
Also, the jump up to pro equipment is a big enough investment that you really would be getting all new equipment and you old stuff wouldn’t matter anyway. The pros keep their lenses when moving to new bodies though, so they have more of a reason to stay with one system.
One more hidden advantage for the Nikons is the lens compatibility. All of Nikon’s DSLRs can use every lens Nikon has made since 1977, and the D40 can use every lens since 1959! With the Nikons, you can get old pro glass for a song and use it on any of your cameras.
agree with cat lover (except the cat part) - you must get a feel for the camera - consider not only the feel for model you are considering but also next models up. Canon and nikon are both excellent - lots of canon people will blather only canon, nikons users scream only nikon. They both have excellent systems. Avoid the latest and greatest camera - the price is higher than justified and the features really arent changing that much. Dont fall in love w megapixel - more important to get your shot, which is dependent on your lens. I just picked up a pair of canon 40d, not the recent 50d. Check out some web sites by fred miranda, digital pro etc - If starting out fresh - maybe the canon xsi w kit zoom lens and 50mm prime (better for lower light). In a year or so consider getting a bigger lens or a macro etc depending on your interest.
When you buy a DSLR, you are buying a system. The cost of changing systems later can be prohibitive, so you may just have to hang with the decision you made five or ten years before, when you were less knowledgeable and not in a good position to make a good choice … not without a lot of research and chatting with pros.
This may sound funny for an amateur to base the camera system on what the pros use, but that is exactly what you want to do.
First you never know if you may want to later shoot semi-professionally.
Second, the cost of entry level professional systems is no more that the cost of an entry level camera made by companies who sell to the advanced amateurs.
At this time, Nikon has the least expensive entry level cameras and most advanced professional systems … a great combination if you are just starting out.
Link to considerhttp://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-18-5…http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.h…http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40.htm
Any Canon or Nikon it a good camera. But the one that is best for me might not be the best for you. Go to a good camera store and look at the ones in your price range. Handle them and take some pictures. See how easy it is to use the controls You will know the one for YOU when you hold it in your hands.
I have a Canon XTi. Yes, it came out two years ago, but it suits me just fine! It has been a very popular model. I have no real use for the live view in a DSLR, so I don’t need the latest model.
Have the salesperson show you the cameras, and you ask lots of questions. If you buy it at Ritz Camera in the store, you get some free lessons, which you might find very valuable. I know sometimes you can get a camera cheaper online, but for me, I like the personal attention, and if I have trouble or need anything explained, I have a place to go and talk to a real person! That means a lot to me!
Good luck!
After shooting many years with a lovely film Pentax, I bought a Canon XSi for entry level DLSR ( being a student I can’t afford what I really wanted) I love the camera. See if you can get a hold of this article. My reasons for not staying with Pentax was that I got a great deal on holiday for the XSi. In all fairness, Nikon Canon Pentax and Olympus make great entry level DSLR’s and what ever one you pick you will enjoy thoroughly.
http://hereshow.ca/latestissue.asp?id=43
I started out doing photography on a Canon Rebel.. the OLD one with only 6mp. The new one is much nicer. Expect to pay about 1k to get a decent setup for yourself. Shop around and realize that when you see a bundled package you need to break it down to see what you are really paying.