Good starter Digital SLR?

[tegan]

You can learn more about photography with any D-SLR than a point and shoot. Just set everything to manual mode until you can take properly exposed pictures consistently.

Taking better pictures because you're using a D-SLR is debatable .

Since you're favoring Nikon, I'd get the D40 instead of the D40x. Why is more mega pixels better for you? How will the extra mega pixels benefit you? Is it worth the extra $$$? If you can answer those questions, then maybe the D40x is better for you.

I hope this helps a bit.

I know that we all tend to generalize from our own experience but we have to realize that not everyone has the same approach.

Granted you do not learn much from a point and shoot but a compact camera with manual settings for shutter speed, flash, ISO, contrast, exposure and several other areas can teach some people a lot.

A super zoom with a fixed 28mm to 200mm of 2.8 to 4.5 and a built in flash can help a beginner learn a lot as well.

A lot of DSLRs have as many advantages as they have disadvantages. An experienced photographer knows what features are necessary for his/her kind of shooting, what features are not necessary and what disadvantages are either serious or minor. A beginner does not have that background to fall back on in choosing a DSLR and if money is an issue, then that is a serious problem.

It is easy to tell a beginner to upgrade when the first DSLR no longer meets your needs but that is easier said than done for some newbies with limited funds.

I would tend to think that for some newbies, they perhaps should consider a pocket camera or a superzoom with a good fixed lens to start off with. For those who wish to go to a DSLR, they should purchase a little more than what they need, so that they do not have to upgrade too quickly. They may find also that resolution or megapixels is more important than they thought.

Tegan

[w3rk5]

Megan.........Lovin........did you guys buy anything yet?

[JoeMezz]

The Nikon D-40 has also gotten good reviews and would be a good camera to start with to get the feel of an SLR. What I would AVOID doing is spending too much money to get bells and whistles at this point.

Marko

Doesn't the D40 lack an internal motor for auto focus?
I think that is the case.

Wouldn't that limit lens for the D40 ??

[JoeMezz]

I'm a new amateur looking to get my first digital slr. I've been playing with a point and shoot for a few years and am now wanting to get more serious about my photography hobby and obviously need an slr.

So I'm looking for recommendations for a good camera to get started. I will be taking both indoor and outdoor shots, probably a fair amount of action shots as well. I don't think I'll be making many large prints so that isn't a concern.

I suggest the D80. i spoke with 3 Nikon dealers today and they said the D80 will have a substantial price cut within 10-14 days (I am buying 3 for work) .. I own a D80 and love it.

As far as the D40(x) I would avoid them (auto focus motor is NOT in the camera) so you have to get a lens with the motor in the lens. Maybe someone else can elaborate on that ... (I am no expert with the D40's)

[JoeMezz]

D80 is too science fiction for me now

What makes you say that ?

[mindforge]

Even though they get a bad rap with pros Sony puts out a great camera. They are priced right too due to the fact that Sony is trying to compete with entrenched Canon and Nikon. They have plenty of lenses due to the fact that you can use the Minolta lenses. Now, personally they are great for teh low to mid end. I have a Sony A200 DSLR and it takes great shots, I am not afraid to get in crazy situations, I carry it on my back everywhere without the thought that I have a few thousand dollars.

As a beginner I think it is important for us to be able to take pictures every day and at any time. The fear of losing my camera really isn't as prevalent as if I had a thousand dollar body and two expensive lenses... this camera is lightweight, has low cost lenses in the used autofocus Minoltas (you can get an 80-200mm mint lens for $50). I have spent barely a thousand and I have two great lenses, a tripod, my camera backpack, a couple filters to protect my lenses, a remote for the shutter, a couple batteries, a car charger and a couple 4 gig cards. The Sony software is pretty good - comes with asset management, raw file editing, and a good preview program.

If ultra high quality is your goal then look elsewhere, but if you want to really learn without fear get a entry level DSLR. This Sony a200 isn't bad at all. I mean people pay me for shots and their friends come running. It isn't really the camera anyway. If you are just learning get something you are not afraid of damaging. That way when the learning is all done and you are ready to step up, you can lay down the big bucks for a full frame.

My .02.

[ret]

on Aug 31st, the Sony A200 was going for $399 with the 18-70mm kit lens at Black's Pro in Woodbridge .... i guess thats a good price!!!

[mindforge]

on Aug 31st, the Sony A200 was going for $399 with the 18-70mm kit lens at Black's Pro in Woodbridge .... i guess thats a good price!!!

I got mine for that. I also picked up a new Kodak printer after some research on ink and all that -- I love the new printer. I get a lot of high quality prints from it. When I thought, I have about a thousand bucks I want to get a new D-SLR. I did research and it brought me to the final decision on the a200, extra lens, printer, etc. I still spent less than $1k and I have a great camera to learn on and some gear to play with. I wouldn't drop 1k for a body and a single lens with no supporting gear like a tripod, some sort of case, extra memory... I wouldn't just think about the camera...

My views are all from an amateur's perspective though, as I am an amateur. But, I am hungry for learning and I want to do so without worrying about a $1k camera body. By the way, my used zoom was $60, and you can get it on ebay for 1/2 that but I like the camera shop and the feeling you get when you talk to pros. The guys in the shop know what I want and they know that I don't want top of the line, I want used and I want to learn on it. Once I am better and have learned then I will pick up that high end full frame. Mind you, I could have got a Canon 5D (which is what I think I will go to when I am done with this Sony) right off the bat. I don't want to worry about my camera while I am learning, I want to experiment, I want to be able to fumble around and get a little more crazy than I would with a several thousand dollar camera body.

[mindforge]

I wanted to add one thing. I am not a Sony enthusiast. I want a Canon 5D or better but I know that it would just be too much. I sounded like a Sony hardcore in the above posts. Sony is just priced really good for competition and they are solid. Just buy the body and a used lens. Don't stock up on lenses or when you chose to upgrade you will find that you have invested too much in your camera.

That was the one drawback to my purchase. I am going to upgrade in a couple years to a full frame and my current equipment will be basically useless on that camera. You might want to step back and decide what you want later and perhaps purchase a model of camera that will let you take your other gear forward to other cameras you like.

[tegan]

I wanted to add one thing. I am not a Sony enthusiast. I want a Canon 5D or better but I know that it would just be too much. I sounded like a Sony hardcore in the above posts. Sony is just priced really good for competition and they are solid. Just buy the body and a used lens. Don't stock up on lenses or when you chose to upgrade you will find that you have invested too much in your camera.

That was the one drawback to my purchase. I am going to upgrade in a couple years to a full frame and my current equipment will be basically useless on that camera. You might want to step back and decide what you want later and perhaps purchase a model of camera that will let you take your other gear forward to other cameras you like.

You could always wait and see what the Sony 24 megapixel full frame camera offers in terms of design. It is expected out this year.

Tegan