[ichad]

Hi all,
can anyone let me know what the best digital SLR cameras are out right now? It would need to support changable lenses and be around 6-8 MP minimum. I'll be using it to photograph everything from close-up very detailed shiny objects to busy landscape panoramics.

I've been looking at the Nikon D70 for starters, along with the Canon EOS300D, both 6 mega-pixel, but really want more..

What's the hype around town? anything new coming out soon? We would need a camera sometime in the next 4-8 weeks max.

cheers,
chad

[Macola]

I don't own one, but the new generation of digital SLRs with anti-shake technology looks very promising. Keeping the camera steady (without a tripod) at higher megapixel resolution is notoriously difficult.

[luvaboi217]

If your choices are between the 300d and d70, the d70 is a much better camera. You can find a canon 10d which is an nice camera for about 1000 new nowadays. It uses the same sensor as a 300d but has more features and comes in a better body. The successor to that is out now though, the canon 20d which is 8mp and is really fast, 5 frames per second. that will usually run you around 1500 for the body. Be prepared to spend some money on lens though. Lens will last you much longer than the body though. In general, canon lens are usually cheaper than nikon. If you need a super higher end camera, then the canon 1ds mark II was just announced that pretty much has everything.

This is a much better forum for digital photography though. It also has extremely detailed reviews.


edit: forgot the url

www.dpreview.com

[spiky_dog]

the 20D looks to be the low(er) end king at the moment. it addresses the concerns that people had with the 10D: startup time, buffer size, frame rate (even tho no one was really asking seriously), and file size while maintaining low noise. mine's on order...

[fiesta cat]

Originally posted by ichad:
I've been looking at the Nikon D70 for starters, along with the Canon EOS300D, both 6 mega-pixel, but really want more..

What you really should concentrate on is what lenses your going to buying and let those decide what camera you get. You don't simply buy a camera, your buying a system, and once your in a camera system, your in it for years to come (unless you have money to throw around and don't mind losing money switching lenses every so often). It really is an investment.

Somebody mentioned DPReview.com, which is a very good start. I'd go into a camera store and handle them/try them.

I've used both a 300D and a friend's D70, I went with the 300D because I had already invested in Canon lenses, but the D70 was decent (it had a few problems/things I didn't like such as moire/artifacts, however Nikon may have corrected that with firmware). Both take good pictures.

If you want more both in lenses and camera, somebody already said it, get the Canon 20D. Then you'll want to get some of those nice white lenses you see at various sporting events (the Canon 'L' glass), which are expensive but worth every penny, else so many professional photographers from magazines/newspapers wouldn't be plunking down the big bucks. Got a kidney to sell?

If anybody tells you "the 300D and D70 are plastic and not that durable", ignore them. They are made out of polycarbonate which is the same stuff that your motorcycle/bicycle helmets are sometimes made out of. Tough stuff. Plenty of people have dropped/bumped either one and not had problems (and you could have the most expensive DSLR and drop it on the right surface and your screwed anyways).

Read Phil's reviews on DPReview.com, handle them - things like hand size may come into play, take some photos. Most importantly, figure out what your primarily going to be shooting and look at the lenses that are available/best for those situations.

At the DSLR level, the biggest factor in how good your pictures are going to turn out is not the cameras themselves, but the experience/skill you have and your lenses. Cheap lenses can reduce a DSLR to nothing better than your common P&S cameras.

[nica]

I recommend Canon 10D or the 20D. the 20D is the update to the 10D and as mentioned above has improvements on the 10D.

Canon 20D
Faster lens focus
Fast on/off
Faster writting speeds to the cards
Lighter body
Feels better in hands

These are the notes that a friend of mine gave me he replaced the 10D with a 20D. He was making 24x36 prints from the 10D and they looked great (that was at 6MP) now the 20D is 8MP.

Canon also has another model but that one is a few K more don't know if it's worth it. My friend sold the 10D after one year of use for $800.

[ichad]

Thanks for the info chaps.

After what seamed like a whole afternoon in my local photography specialists (taking pics, downloading them to the laptop and experiementing with lenses and techniques), I decided to take the plunge and buy the Canon 20D Kit (includes a EFS 18-55mm lens)!! The results are fantastic, our product photography has definition and detail - on the interesting side, I'm out and about being creative - I'm already hooked.

I'll probably upgrade to a manual sigma lens in a couple of weeks too.

cheers all - I'm off to snap happy. (below is one off my first office experiments, on scooter)

[Eyenovation]

Your camera is a prosumer, which will limit you in some applications. Suprised no one reccomended the 1Ds or 1D Mark II.

[Lee33]

I agree. Canon 10 or 20D. I have a 10D and LOVE it.