 Sanket Save |
Beginner's DSLR for $500? Hi There, I'm a beginner in Degital SLR photography. Can you please help me decide a good entry level DSLR? I realllly look forward to your replies. Thanks a Click!
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Bunny Snow |
What camera do you have now? Are you doing film photography? Or, do you have a "point and shoot" camera? Susan
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Sanket Save |
Hi Susan! I have currently Casio Exilim EX-Z600 (5mp) digital camera. I have a point and shoot camera. Sanket
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BetterPhoto Member |
If you watch, most of the major companies have entry level DSLR cameras for around 500. Nikon has the D40, Sony has the Alpha A200. and I think that Canon has two. Each are well suited and easily operated. Sony.com has the Alpha A200 on their website with a 18-70mm zoom and a 75-300mm zoom for 499 with free shipping. Have fun and keep shooting, Mark H.
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doug Nelson |
Look at keh.com or at a trusted camera store for a Pentax K10D, K100D or K200D with the kit zoom.
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hi Sanket, I have been a SLR fan for more years than I wish you to know. However, for a scheduled vacation trip, I just bought a Canon S5 for about $300. It’s not a SLR however it sports an electronic viewfinder that mimics (to a high degree) the view presented by an SLR. Advantages: Fully automated or fully manual – your choice. A non-interchangeable zoom lens 6mm ~ 72mm (equivalent to 36mm ~ 432mm on a 35mm camera) that a12x range starting at a moderate wide-angle and extending to a respectable telephoto. A 4x electronic zoom that extends this range to 48x (max zoom becomes equivalent to1,728mm on a 35mm). Both a wide angle and telephoto supplemental are available for under $100 each. The camera is packed with more features than you can count. It runs on 4 AA batteries. Has a wonderful LED flip screen to boot. Lens open to a respectful f/2.7. Disadvantages: A little big for a pocket camera. Uses a tiny imaging chip crop factor 6 thus noise is a problem at high ISO’s. The lens is not completely free of chromatic aberrations however its quite good. I think it is the perfect starter camera. Go to a camera store and check it out. Alan Marcus
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Bunny Snow |
Sanket, I have a wonderful Canon EOS 20D, which is NOT an entry level camera. But, I've learned after the fact, that it's not the camera so much as learning both photography and digital darkroom that is necessary first and foremost. My travel camera is an upper level point and shoot, a Panasonic DMC-FZ30, which I bought in 2006 to carry to Greece and Turkey and carried to Scandinavia and Russia this year. It weighs about 26 oz and has the lens capability of macro, 35 mm wide angle, and telephoto going out to the 35mm equivalent of 432mm. The f-stops go from nearly wide opened to f-16. It has a wonderful, sharp LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens. And, the you capture in uncompressed RAW, TIFF or Compressed JPEG. There is much more about this awesome point and shoot at: The only negative, is that it has been discontinued for upgraded models. The store where I bought mine, no longer has any in stock. But, they may be able to be found on the web. While it is not a SLR, it will teach you many of the things that an SLR can do, and at the same time, you can learn (what I am now just learning) how to process digital images because that's at least, if not more than 50% of digital photography. This was not told to me when I was searching for a camera in 2004. I thought I could just jump into digital after being a film photographer for 40 years. I was wrong. And, this has been an expensive lesson. As with Alan's camera, the biggest problem other than lapse time, is low light and high ISO's. It's highest ISO is 400, which is inadequate for the kind of photography I prefer doing. The camera does not do well in low light. But in most light, it will do very well. And, will teach you a great deal because it has both manual and automatic settings. I strongly recommend that you stay where you are right now rather than jumping into SLR's because having a better camera does not automatically make you a better photographer. There is so much to learn about digital and so many expensive upgrades that need to take place in software (digital darkroom), upgrading your computer as you upgrade cameras, before you reach the place of purchasing a SLR, and then deciding which lenses to purchase, and which tripods are necessary to achieve the sharpness that the lenses are capable of giving. It's not an automatic thing that if any photographer purchases a SLR camera that they will instantly take good pictures. It's a major investment in time, money, and education. And, technology keeps changing with new upgrades in everything, every year. The camera that I spent what I thought was a lot of money to buy in 2005, $1299, is now selling for $500 for the body alone. And most larger camera stores no longer carry it because it's been discontinued with the newer upgrades at higher prices. That's just the body. The lenses cost extra. Everything is changing so fast that I'm considering going back to film, while film is still available.
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Bunny Snow |
There is a running column in the Q&A forum here at BetterPhoto.com whose title is: Going Digital: What Would You Like to Have Known? http://tinyurl.com/5ugwfo I know that a DSLR body can be purchased for a relatively low price, but you'll be throwing far more than $500 at digital. With the body, lenses need to be purchase, and flash cards, and batteries, filters and all of a sudden a lot more has been spent. Then, you may find as I did, that you bought the wrong camera to provide less hassle and better quality images. Or, that it wasn't the camera after all, it was learning to meter better, or whatever. I've been in photography for a long time, but am perpetually a student. My first SLR film camera was a Pentax K-1000 and I purchased two lenses (plus was gifted a macro). But the film kept jamming in the spockets and I spent a great deal of travel time in broom closets re-feeding the film in the dark into the camera. I bought it a second hand Nikon, which did not take Pentax lenses. So, I gave my Pentax to my daughter. And, bought one short telephoto 80-200mm f2.8 and one 105mm macro f2.8. But that camera could not be repaired having been discontinued, so I bought another manual Nikon, the FM3A..already having an investment in lenses. Two years later, unhappy with the quality I was producing, I purchased the Canon Elan 7E and was very happy with my purchase. The Canon has a wonderful metering system. I purchased lenses for the Elan that could also be used on a middle level Canon D-SLR. I still use the 70-200mm f4L and 100mm macro regularly, but replaced the 28-135 mm zoom with 24-105mm f4L and 24-70mm f2.8L lenses, yet desires keep growing and my learning expands. Point is: Photography is very expensive. It's one of the most expensive hobbies/ professions around. There is no end to the equipment that you eventually want or think you need. And, when it comes to digital, even more is needed, including computers, RAM memory, 2 hard drives and more, much more. Bottom line is start slow. Learn to make the best of what you have and when you can learn no more with that camera, then move up slowly. Technology is changing so fast making resale value insignificant except for high quality lenses. Research heavily, take courses, learn photoshop before moving up. Many photographers purchase far more than what they need and spend a lot of money for equipment which quickly becomes obsolete. Been there.
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BetterPhoto Member |
Here is the same advice I give everyone else. Go to a camera shop and try all the cameras in your price range. choose the one that you feel most comfortable with. the camera that works and feels best for you is the best camera for you.
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Bunny Snow |
If I took your advice Mark, which is fine as long as you have a large camera store where you live, I would be stuck without the cameras which give me the most pleasure and would have had to purchase whatever they carried. Through BetterPhoto.com and the WorldWideWeb, I purchased my last 4 cameras because of the changing circumstances with my health. Also, remember that if you want the sharpness your chosen equipment has to offer, you'll likely need a sturdy, reliable tripod to protect your investment. A cheap tripod does not cut it from my experience. Personally, I have no problems with any of the advice from BetterPhoto.com members, assuming they've spoken from their own experiences. But, it makes for a lot of sifting of information. You can find the pros and cons of each camera and decipher from that what you need and can afford. I feel that you should always have a good idea BEFORE going into a camera store. Then, try the cameras in your price range. Go home and think away from the pressure of sales people. And, don't be afraid to continually to shop until you reach the point of not being able to get one camera out of your mind. For me, it's like choosing the right mate. At least, that is how I buy. But, remember with digital: The camera and lenses (if applicable) are only part of the equation. Learning digital darkroom and purchasing the best software (assuming you are computer literature) which is at least 50% to achieving what you want. I thought after over 40 years of film TLR and SLR photography, I could step right into digital. But, I have since learned otherwise. And, for me, the digital darkroom has been a major learning experience. The beauty of BP classes, in my opinion, is not only learning from often published professionals, but from their experiences with equipment and that of others in your class. I consider BP a goldmine of valuable information and I'm thankful to everyone.
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