[Salty]

OK so my natural inclination seems to be Canon and I'm not sure why, especially since I had one of their point and shoots and the thing was garbage. I was at Black's Photo the other day and both the Nikon D60 and the Canon XS were on sale for 549 CND. I have no lenses or anything so what I'm curious about is, what should I do?

I don't have super big hands so I think someone mentioned the Nikon is smaller I imagine I wouldn't care. I'm not sure how much I'll spend on lenses, anyone wanna give me advice? I'm thinking I'm gonna start working with Aperture maybe learn Lightroom too.

Basically I just want to be able to walk around and take good photos, my big concern is low noise, and good colour. I'm more than adept in Photoshop so tweaking isn't the biggest deal, I just want something that will give me the most I can work with once I move it over to the MacBook.

The reason I want the DSLR is mainly for the ability to manually control the focus and stuff like that. I don't know that I'd end up doing that much night photography but we could see.

Anyway anyone who's owned one of these or both who could give me some feedback I'd greatly appreciate it.

[PB2K]

I like the sony range. Because what all manufacturers don't admit is that most DSLR users only shoot with automatic settings, and most users just own 1 lens after a year. Sony makes great camera's that recently have the ability to 'teach' you how to enhance your photo by showing onscreen how the photo would look like if you adjusted this and that setting.
I'm not a DSLR enthusiast, I like automatic settings But my choice would be a Sony, or the new Panasonic G1 that has full HD movie capability too.

Camera's change so fast nowadays !

[Oisín]

I like the sony range. Because what all manufacturers don't admit is that most DSLR users only shoot with automatic settings, and most users just own 1 lens after a year.

These are the people for whom bridge cameras were invented.

[PB2K]

Indeed, nearly everyone can buy a DSLR but not everyone is able to use them properly. They just buy a Canon or Nikon because they can afford it. A new but simple point and click camera is what they would be happier with.

[ThinkInsane]

I'd second the Sonys. I've been very happy with mine.

[Timo]

Start here: The Online Photographer: T.O.P. Ten Recommended Cameras: #6

[harbinger75]

I've owned one Nikon DSLR and I currently have two Canon DSLR's (Rebel XS and a 50D). I have enjoyed all three, but I have Canon lenses, so I've remained with those.

If you're just interested in a few advanced settings in addition to point and shoot simplicity, I wouldn't go any more expensive than either the XS or the D60. Having said that, it's really a "Ford vs. Chevy" thing when it comes right down to it. Canon and Nikon have virtually leapfrogged each other over the years...one will come out with a whiz-bang feature the other doesn't have, then the other guy follows, etc., etc.

Some people have a lot of money invested in glass (which is where you'll really stand out in terms of photo quality) for a certain brand, so that's why you have die hards in either camp for the most part.

My suggestion is to handle each brand in-store, take some shots, check to see which camera has the control scheme and UI you like and decide that way. If you're not planning on going pro any time soon, then it's just a matter of whether you like driving a Ford or a Chevy more...

[ctt1wbw]

We bought a D50 with two lenses and a bad from eBay for $500. It's a very nice camera and easy to use. I've always liked Nikon. I am not sure they still make the D50, but Nikon's line is very nice and easy to shoot.

[Wiskedjak]

I've had point-and-clicks that offer manual focus, shutter speed and aperture controls. They certainly don't offer the range of control offered by an SLR, but it's a nice way to cheaply get familiar with how they work.

Beware the DSLR; it's not a buy-it-once kinda product. I'm *always* buying new lenses. Not because the old ones break, but because you quickly realize the vast difference between the cheap lenses and the expensive ones. I bought an XTi body in the fall for $350. Since then I've spent about $1500 on lenses.

As for brands, if you're ever thinking of doing some professional photography, you're limited to Canon or Nikon, simply by virtue of the lenses available. Either-or is good, although I think the top-top-end lenses offered by Canon are better.

[iranfromthezoo]

I am an Olympus guy and really like the product. I have the E-410 and I also have small hands and it was built for people with small hands. Great Great product. My only complaint is it doesn't capture motion very well in low light situations like Canon has the ability to do...

[Jawbone54]

Listen to Wiskedjak. You're going to get sucked into lenses.

Nikon or Canon, either one. Pick up a Canon XTi or Nikon D60. If you want a step higher, pick up a Nikon D90, but don't bother with the Canon 50D (especially if high ISO noise is a concern). If you want to start with a cheap lens that takes great pictures, pick up a 50mm f/1.8 (both Nikon and Canon). They'll run you in the $100 range.

Go to a local Best Buy or camera store and get a feel for the cameras for yourself. Don't buy from there though...buy online from Amazon.com, B&H Photo/Video, or Adorama. I've also had good experiences with Tri-State Camera.

[mattyb]

Salty, I've been looking at getting a dSLR myself. I bought a Canon SX10 (a bridge or pro-sumer) and I'd like to do more with my camera.

I've held quite a few cameras recently, the Canon 50D is big, and heavy. The Nikon D60 is a good size, and quite light. The link that Timo gave is pretty good, but you might want to make a list of what you want from your camera. Need Live View ? Want to use AA batteries ? etc etc. The opinions on Amazon, Dpreview and other sites make for interesting reading.

Obviously the most important aspect is your budget.

After spending hours and hours trawling Amazon, Dpreview, more photography sites than I can remember, I am going to try a Pentax K200D with the kit lens. If you've got the cash, then their K20 or the new K7 might be worth a look.

Best of luck.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by PB2K 

I like the sony range. Because what all manufacturers don't admit is that most DSLR users only shoot with automatic settings, and most users just own 1 lens after a year. Sony makes great camera's that recently have the ability to 'teach' you how to enhance your photo by showing onscreen how the photo would look like if you adjusted this and that setting.
I'm not a DSLR enthusiast, I like automatic settings But my choice would be a Sony, or the new Panasonic G1 that has full HD movie capability too.

Camera's change so fast nowadays !

I don't think my DSLR has ever been out of Aperture/Shutter Priority mode or Manual mode. Ever.

Can't imagine taking a picture in Auto mode. Be better to just buy a point-n-shoot.

Everyone I know who owns a DSLR gets a quick lesson from me about Aperture Priority mode.

[Railroader]

Salty: get either a Canon or Nikon. Whatever you get a better deal on or feels better in your hands. Both are fully capable. the kit lenses aren't as bad as most people let on to. And I second Jawbone's recommendation for a 50mm f/1.8.

Lastly, take most of your pictures in Aperture Priority mode just to prove Sony wrong.

[iranfromthezoo]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I don't think my DSLR has ever been out of Aperture/Shutter Priority mode or Manual mode. Ever.

Everyone I know who owns a DSLR gets a quick lesson from me about Aperture Priority mode.

I need a quick lesson...it's so confusing to me. I only stay in shutter, priority and manual mode. I hate the aperture mode because it's confusing.

[Wiskedjak]

Lenses in my Canon kit:
18-55mm IS (XSi kit lens - good image quality, feels a little cheap)
50mm f1.8 (amazing lens for the $)
70-200 f2.8L (great image quality, very heavy)

2nd for always shooting Aperture Priority.

[Timo]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

SAfter spending hours and hours trawling Amazon, Dpreview, more photography sites than I can remember, I am going to try a Pentax K200D with the kit lens. If you've got the cash, then their K20 or the new K7 might be worth a look.

Sweet cam.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by iranfromthezoo 

I need a quick lesson...it's so confusing to me. I only stay in shutter, priority and manual mode. I hate the aperture mode because it's confusing.

Easy. The smaller the number of the f-stop (aperture) the narrower the depth of field (amount of an image in focus). It is how photographers get a subject to "pop" in an image by having the subject in focus and everything else blurry. The larger the number, more in an image will be in focus.

Depth of field and aperture explained. at Zach Lewis

and

http://forums.macnn.com/83/art-and-g...tography-tips/

[Salty]

Cool that's actually the major effect I want! So it's called aperture priority mode? Cool, I have a friend who's into photography who's gonna give me a crash course once I buy it... ugh I don't wanna spend the money but I really wanna get into this sorta thing with a nicer camera than the one in my iPhone hahaha.

[Salty]

OK so I'm leaning more toward the Nikon D60, a friend has one that he's gonna bring over on Wednesday for me to play with, so long as I like the feel of that one then I'm gonna go with it.

Hmmm list of toys I've bought this year iPhone 3G, external HD for my new PowerBook converted to media centre, Intuos 4, and now potentially a new DSLR... seriously I need a boy friend...

[IceEnclosure]

To get the kind of images you're looking for(narrow DoF) a kit lens is less adept at doing so compared with a prime lens. If using a D40/D60 that prime lens will want to be AF-S(Nikon) or HSM(Sigma) unless you wanna focus manually.

I have a Nikon D40, which, like the D60 has no in-body focus motor. I'm about to purchase the Nikon 35mm f1.8 AF-S lens which is $199 and does a great job.

Nikon launches AF-S 35mm F1.8 DX prime: Digital Photography Review

[Salty]

Hopefully the kit glass will be good enough to start cause I don't have a lot of money to blow.

[harbinger75]

Originally Posted by Salty 

Hopefully the kit glass will be good enough to start cause I don't have a lot of money to blow.

Kit glass is perfectly fine to get up and running. It's the PHOTOGRAPHER who makes the camera do what they want it to do, and you can worry about the details of getting more glass and accessories as money permits, etc.

You will be happy with the kit lens and then when you are able to buy more glass, you'll be happy all over again when you start messing with that. It's a continuous cycle.

[mduell]

D40 + 18-55 kit (about $400USD)

6MP is great for prints up to 7"x9", ok for prints up to 12"x15".
Strong low-light performance, despite it's age, due to the relatively large photosites.
Spend the rest on glass (35/1.8, 55-200VR, 17-55/2.8, whatever).

The D60 is the same thing with more megapixels (are you going to print that large?), but it loses the wonderful 1/500 flash sync.

[mattyb]

Just ordered a D40 with the 18-55mm from Amazon.co.uk : £280 (~$450/320€)