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Choosing new DSLR

D

Drago89

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 22, 2009
36
0
Hello.I recently sold my Canon 350d with it's kit lens.I'm not really sure what is the name in USA.Sorry about that.Anyway, now i need new DSLR and some new lenses and have some questions.When do you think the Nikon D90 will see some serious price drops ? That's one of the options.The main reason for it is that i can take 50/1.8 and 35/1.8 for a really decent price.These are one of the lenses i want to buy for my next camera.Also i read a lot of reviews about the nikon 18-70 and how good is it.On the Canon side - the 17-85 gets really bad reviews.I want some good and cheap walk around zoom.Also the budget is tight and i want some good lenses to start with so the money for body only are not that much.This is why i'm asking about the price drop :) Right now i'm looking into used DSLRs and my options are : Canon 30d , Nikon D80 , NIkon D200.So i need some help choosing one, along with the lenses.Thank you.
 
It's really not about the toys, it's about the photographer, tbh. You'll take good pics with any of those you mention. Just pick the one that feels most comfortable in your hands - something that feels right is a whole lot easier to hold steady ;) .

Personally, I use an old Nikon D1x pro camera. They can be picked up for as little as £250 these days. It's only 6mpix, but that is, frankly, quite enough for almost any purpose (I shoot a lot of stuff for print and I've produced perfectly acceptable A1 posters as well as a lot of glossy magazine shots from this camera).

Glass really depends on what you need. If you're going to shoot a lot of wide-aperture stuff, there's no substitute for a prime lens. I have 50mm and 35mm primes that I use for most of my critical stuff. The kit zooms are fine. If you spend more you tend to get better edge definition at extreme apertures and a faster wide aperture, but if you're gonna shoot 'em stopped down to F11ish, they're all perfectly good - even the 'badly reviewed' models. Personally I use an 18-105 VR for snapshotting. I also have an old 70-300 and a 12-24 (both Nikkor).

Ultimately, don't get too wound up about reviews - or the hardware in general. Just buy the basics of what you need and be happy. Any of the mid-range DSLRs and their matching lenses are going to give you a great result if you know what you're doing. Technique is what makes a good photo, not the latest kit.
 
I agree that finding the one that feels comfortable in your hands is a good idea. I just bought a new DSLR, and couldn't decide between a Canon or Nikon. I found they basically had almost identical specs, with a few minor differences here and there. So it wasn't until I actually went to the store and held the cameras in my hand did I realize I liked the feel of the Nikon alot better.

I got the Nikon D5000, but you seem to be going for a slightly more advanced camera like the D90. I'd look into the D7000 which just came out, you might like that.

If you want a used, the D90 probably will be dropping in price because I think the D7000 is basically its replacement. However, might as well get the new top of the line model, because you can have it for a few years without it feeling dated. Unless its out of your price range.
 
Tersono is absolutely right - technique is absolutely the main issue.

I have a Canon EOS 1D MkIV, because I can afford it. Coupled with a small selection of L series lenses this is how I get my most technically perfect shots.

A lot of my favourite shots, however, are taken with my compact Canon G9, simply because it's always with me. A well lit, well-composed shot from a more modest camera will hold your audience's interest much more than an optically flawless shot of a badly-framed dull subject.

I've added an example I took with the G9 in Tibet last year in a Nomad family's tent. It's a technically flawed stitched-together picture, but it's had some very complimentary reactions from people.

Good luck with your equipment search. Try and test a few models if you can, and when you've made your choice, challenge any perceived limitations about it and make it work for you.
 

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Go to a store and handle each body to decide which feels best while keeping in mind whether it will fit your needs (e.g. the 30D doesn't have a flash commander mode, unlike the Nikons, I believe).

As for a lens, the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 is imo an excellent choice, and though it's a tad more expensive than the ones you're looking at (but much less expensive than its Nikon/Canon counterparts), it's a much better lens, overall.
 
Parkin Pig said:
I've added an example I took with the G9 in Tibet last year in a Nomad family's tent. It's a technically flawed stitched-together picture, but it's had some very complimentary reactions from people.
Click to expand...

Incredible photo. Just... incredible.

I don't care if it's technically flawed - and I wouldn't be able to spot its flaws, even if you pointed them out to me, anyway - but a really good photo to me is one that forces me to stop and look at every detail for a few minutes.

I did that :)

/ thread derail.
 
Can I add just one quick thing: third party lenses are usually better and/or better value than Canon's or Nikon's. That's a rule of thumb. Sometimes it seems that the big two brands rely on their label more than their engineering. IMHO.
 
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