yet another "which camera for a newbie" thread

[tehzeh]

just curious, you using D3k or D5k?

D5k is pretty good as it has the same sensor as D90 or it can take self portrait too, the screen can flip 360!

And it's a Nikon. Enough liao.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

I agree with gimumancer that we should refrain from statements like "buy _____ camera", or "DON'T BUY _______ camera", before we even bother to ask the TS for more information about what he/she is aspiring to achieve with their DSLR purchase.
As I've said many many times before, sometimes when I walk around tourist spots and observe those with DSLRs, I notice that MOST of them are using an entry-level or mid-entry-level model with the kit lens.

Whether these people end up purchasing another lens or not is pure speculation on our part. It is premature to presume that someone buying a Nikon D60/3k/5k will eventually want to buy a lens like the 50/1.8 just because it is quite affordable. Hence the (lack of an) AF motor situation may not ever crop up.

I feel that there are too many CSers "pushing" the camera brands that they have bought themselves. I'm not sure what the reasons behind that are.

 

[bobgosling]

WOW! Didn't expect 3 pages of replies, all of which I have read carefully. Thank you all.

Some people seem to have missed the point that I had a lot of experience with a Canon-A1 so know all about Aperture, Shutter-speed, ISO, etc. The only thing the A1 lacked was autofocus and the fact that you had to send the film off to be developed ( remember those days ?! - actually for B&W I used to develop myself ). The Auto setting was handy when the wife wanted to take a snap and I see most DSLRs have retained this feature.

My budget is "circa" $1K so I can maybe go to 1,300 , or if my wife isn't looking $1,500. Whatever I get, the intention is to buy at least an additional telephoto later on ( maybe a flash first actually ) .

I had not considered the Pentax K-7 but I will look at the specs. Does anyone have any experience of this model ?

My reason for going for Canon 500D was 15.1mp plus brand new model plus familiarity with the Canon brand plus does everything that I want. Anyone know if I can get an adapter for my old Canon lenses? I have fisheye and 500mm telephoto lenses that could be focused and have aperture set manually ( if WYSIWYG through the viewfinder ).

Thanks for all the advice. And , hey , cool down when arguing the merits of your favourite brand !!! :bsmilie:

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

WOW! Didn't expect 3 pages of replies, all of which I have read carefully. Thank you all.

Some people seem to have missed the point that I had a lot of experience with a Canon-A1 so know all about Aperture, Shutter-speed, ISO, etc. The only thing the A1 lacked was autofocus and the fact that you had to send the film off to be developed ( remember those days ?! - actually for B&W I used to develop myself ). The Auto setting was handy when the wife wanted to take a snap and I see most DSLRs have retained this feature.

My budget is "circa" $1K so I can maybe go to 1,300 , or if my wife isn't looking $1,500. Whatever I get, the intention is to buy at least an additional telephoto later on ( maybe a flash first actually ) .

I had not considered the Pentax K-7 but I will look at the specs. Does anyone have any experience of this model ?

My reason for going for Canon 500D was 15.1mp plus brand new model plus familiarity with the Canon brand plus does everything that I want. Anyone know if I can get an adapter for my old Canon lenses? I have fisheye and 500mm telephoto lenses that could be focused and have aperture set manually ( if WYSIWYG through the viewfinder ).

Thanks for all the advice. And , hey , cool down when arguing the merits of your favourite brand !!! :bsmilie:

If your heart says 'go for the Canon 500D', I think that's the decision you should make, coz otherwise you'll perpetually be filled with the "what if" kinda questions

Apologies, I'm not familar with the Canon A1, so I don't know if the mount is the EF one. I suspect it is not.
Probably there is an adapter (I'm just guessing here...), but be prepared to have to do everything (focus, estimate exposure, etc) manually.

 

[CS TAN]

A1 uses FD mount which is different from the current EF mount but of course, there are adapters that will get the FD lenses mount on the EF cameras. Try to get one that has AF confirmation to make life easier but since TS came from the old school of manual focus (MF) generation, MF should not be a problem for him. The only thing missing might be the split-screen that can help greatly when doing MF. You can change focusing screens in some camera model but not 500D IIRC.

 

[pinholecam]

Sorry, can't help too much on the Canon lens compatibility other than that your lenses are not directly compatible. They can only be used via adapters that are purchased online or thru local stores that sell them. Others who have successfully done so may have better advice.
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-manual-lenses/


My advice to reading the linked review is to read, look and examine the test shots yourself. Many will claim that K7 has poor JPEG noise performance vs the competition and this review does so as well. But look at the test shots yourself on noise from the very same review and it will tell a very different story. Details are retained very well at high ISO while the competition are just smudges of color. Noise reduction can easily be done in post processing up to the amount that the photographer chooses to balance detail and noise.
Here (warts and all)...
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk7/
In RAW, there is little to no difference.

Here is the Kx review :
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxkx/

WOW! Didn't expect 3 pages of replies, all of which I have read carefully. Thank you all.

Some people seem to have missed the point that I had a lot of experience with a Canon-A1 so know all about Aperture, Shutter-speed, ISO, etc. The only thing the A1 lacked was autofocus and the fact that you had to send the film off to be developed ( remember those days ?! - actually for B&W I used to develop myself ). The Auto setting was handy when the wife wanted to take a snap and I see most DSLRs have retained this feature.

My budget is "circa" $1K so I can maybe go to 1,300 , or if my wife isn't looking $1,500. Whatever I get, the intention is to buy at least an additional telephoto later on ( maybe a flash first actually ) .

I had not considered the Pentax K-7 but I will look at the specs. Does anyone have any experience of this model ?

My reason for going for Canon 500D was 15.1mp plus brand new model plus familiarity with the Canon brand plus does everything that I want. Anyone know if I can get an adapter for my old Canon lenses? I have fisheye and 500mm telephoto lenses that could be focused and have aperture set manually ( if WYSIWYG through the viewfinder ).

Thanks for all the advice. And , hey , cool down when arguing the merits of your favourite brand !!! :bsmilie:

 

[ijnek]

brand names aside, u need to check for individual cameras performance.

since u hv canon lens, i would say u stick with canon, get a suitable adaptor.
50D, 500D are the newer entry-mid level while 7D is the DX flagship(pls correct if i'm wrong)

most importantly n more important than anything else, go feel the camera.
Feel is very important and as the song goes "feelings, nothing more than feelings"

 

[android17]

OK, I have a budget of around $1K. I had a lot of experience using a Canon A1 years ago but relegated that to the attic after getting a digital point & shoot for Christmas one year ( currently Canon IXUS 70 ).

After doing a lot of research I'm considering a Canon 500D ( aka T1i Rebel ). Have also looked at Nikon 5000D but most comparative reviews give the Canon the edge. Have a handycam so video not that important but "nice to have".

I'm fairly sure I've made the right choice of camera but what should I do about the lens ? Should I go for the kit and get the 19-55 ( which I think is roughly equivalent to an old 35mm format 35-85 lens ? ). Would I be better off getting the body only and buying a 3rd party lens , if so which ones are recommended ?

Main photographs would be landscape, children & animals ( + macro ? ). Getting grey-haired now and hands shake a bit so Image Stabilization important I think.

Also, where is the best place to buy ? Most of the small shops seem to put up their price by 50% as soon as they see an Ang Mo walk in Thinking of paying a visit to Cathay Photo as that crops up consistently in the price lists. Worried about getting ripped off in Sim Lim and ending up with no warranty etc. How come it's so hard to buy anything online in Singapore ! :angry:

Firstly, if u r considering a Nikon camera, get one which has an autofocus motor. The reason why u buy a Nikon or Canon is due to the large number of lenses that can be used with the camera. This is one of the biggest strength of the Canikon brand. However if u buy a Nikon camera without AF motor (like the D3000 and the D5000), that means there will be alot of lenses that u cannot use. Infact, going by the numbers, the motorless DSLR D3000/D5000 has less usable AF lens than even Sony and Pentax.

So essentially u buy a Nikon for their lenses, yet if u buy a D5000, u will end up with lesser lense selection than a Sony or Pentax DSLR, losing the Canikon advantage. U might as well buy a Pentax or Sony in this case since they're cheaper and have more lenses to choose from.

My advise is, if you wanna buy a Nikon, then choose one which has build in AF motor, so that u can use all Nikon AF lens. Nikon is the only brand with such lense selection headache. Canon, Sony, Pentax etc dont face such problems.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Firstly, if u r considering a Nikon camera, get one which has an autofocus motor. The reason why u buy a Nikon or Canon is due to the large number of lenses that can be used with the camera. This is one of the biggest strength of the Canikon brand. However if u buy a Nikon camera without AF motor (like the D3000 and the D5000), that means there will be alot of lenses that u cannot use. Infact, going by the numbers, the motorless DSLR D3000/D5000 has less usable AF lens than even Sony and Pentax.

So essentially u buy a Nikon for their lenses, yet if u buy a D5000, u will end up with lesser lense selection than a Sony or Pentax DSLR, losing the Canikon advantage. U might as well buy a Pentax or Sony in this case since they're cheaper and have more lenses to choose from.

My advise is, if you wanna buy a Nikon, then choose one which has build in AF motor, so that u can use all Nikon AF lens. Nikon is the only brand with such lense selection headache. Canon, Sony, Pentax etc dont face such problems.

Do all people who buy Ferraris take part in races? After all, that's the ONLY reason why someone would buy a Ferrari, right? It's a racing car, so it must be used for racing. Otherwise he/she might as well buy a Mercedes/BMW...

 

[banana0ne]

Do all people who buy Ferraris take part in races? After all, that's the ONLY reason why someone would buy a Ferrari, right? It's a racing car, so it must be used for racing. Otherwise he/she might as well buy a Mercedes/BMW...

:nono:depends on the model.

 

[gimumancer]

Firstly, if u r considering a Nikon camera, get one which has an autofocus motor. The reason why u buy a Nikon or Canon is due to the large number of lenses that can be used with the camera. This is one of the biggest strength of the Canikon brand. However if u buy a Nikon camera without AF motor (like the D3000 and the D5000), that means there will be alot of lenses that u cannot use. Infact, going by the numbers, the motorless DSLR D3000/D5000 has less usable AF lens than even Sony and Pentax.

So essentially u buy a Nikon for their lenses, yet if u buy a D5000, u will end up with lesser lense selection than a Sony or Pentax DSLR, losing the Canikon advantage. U might as well buy a Pentax or Sony in this case since they're cheaper and have more lenses to choose from.

My advise is, if you wanna buy a Nikon, then choose one which has build in AF motor, so that u can use all Nikon AF lens. Nikon is the only brand with such lense selection headache. Canon, Sony, Pentax etc dont face such problems.

actually the IN body motor is not the primary reason why you'd buy the d90 over the d5000, it is just 1/6 of the reasons:

1. grip
2. commander mode
3. top lcd
4. larger screen
5. brighter viewfinder
6. in body motor

you're making such a big fuss about the in body motor when in fact there are few lens that are worth looking that will benefit the in body motor..tell me aside from the cheapo 50mm and the 85mm f1.4, can you give me what other lens that are worth looking at out there?? and tell me how many NEW slr owners you know purchased that lens? ..the in body motor will definitely benefit owners who previously own older lenses that's for sure but for first time owners this is not that of a big deal..and haven't you notice? they aint making lenses with no motor anymore.. we get it, d90 is a serious cam for serious enthusiasts, but are all nikon users gonna buy 10 or 20 lens? fact is you just need 3 lens, is it that hard to choose 3 lens that will suit your needs? there are 3rd party lens that has built in motor too..in fact i think it is even a blessing in disguise because that's one less thing you'll need to think about, you just need to focus on lens that has built in motor..this guy:

http://www.bythom.com/nikond5000review.htm

thinks the 18-55, 55-200 and the 35mm is all you need (and yeah ken rockwell likes d40 also).. it's not all about lenses you know

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

:nono:depends on the model.

Exactly...
It's presumptuous to assume that one buys a Ferrari purely because he/she wants to go racing, in the same way that its presumptuous to assume that one buys a Nikon or Canon purely because of the vast number of lenses that each brand produces.

 

[ijnek]

Do all people who buy Ferraris take part in races? After all, that's the ONLY reason why someone would buy a Ferrari, right? It's a racing car, so it must be used for racing. Otherwise he/she might as well buy a Mercedes/BMW...

ferraris n lambo r rich ppl car,...not for racing, for show-off...hehehehe....:bsmilie:

n
tokina lens DON'T have built-in motor.
they make excellent lenses too eg the 11-16

beside the cheapo 50 f/1.8 n the 85 f/1.4, there r lots of lenses out there which r definitely worth looking at depending on what you shoot.
i own a tokina 16-50 f/2.8 , 50-135 f/2.8 which needs a body to drive the auto-focus.
my bad for being poor, can't afford the nikon 17-55 f/2.8 n i dun like the tamron 17-50 and i'm reserved abt the sigma 18-50.
the tamron sp90 has a version which does not have a built-in motor, which ppl can consider for lower cost.
the AFD lens out there, 60,105 r all top notch quality lens.

i agreed that the built-in motor is not everything, but it is an important factor to consider.
also, the build quality of the d5k is not as good as the d90.
holding the d300/s is another thing although, but let's jus leave tat out.

it's not abt less things to consider, it's a lot more factors like cost n choices etc etc.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

I agree that having the AF motor in the body opens up many more possibilities with regards to lens choices. I myself am glad I went for the D80, since I can now use the 50/1.8, 85/1.8 and the Tokina 12-24 DX without concern about AF compatibility.

However, I reiterate my point that there are MANY MANY DSLR users out there who simply buy the body with kit lens, and NEVER upgrade the lens. For them, it's totally irrelevant whether or not the camera has an AF motor in the body.

If someone were to ask me what camera to get, considering his/her intention to be serious in this hobby and gradually acquire more specialized lenses in future, I wouldn't recommend the Nikon D60/D3k/5k. Of course you can't really predict such future events, but that doesn't mean that one should immediately write off the Nikon entry models.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

ferraris n lambo r rich ppl car,...not for racing, for show-off...hehehehe....:bsmilie:

n
tokina lens DON'T have built-in motor.
they make excellent lenses too eg the 11-16

beside the cheapo 50 f/1.8 n the 85 f/1.4, there r lots of lenses out there which r definitely worth looking at depending on what you shoot.
i own a tokina 16-50 f/2.8 , 50-135 f/2.8 which needs a body to drive the auto-focus.
my bad for being poor, can't afford the nikon 17-55 f/2.8 n i dun like the tamron 17-50 and i'm reserved abt the sigma 18-50.
the tamron sp90 has a version which does not have a built-in motor, which ppl can consider for lower cost.
the AFD lens out there, 60,105 r all top notch quality lens.

i agreed that the built-in motor is not everything, but it is an important factor to consider.
also, the build quality of the d5k is not as good as the d90.
holding the d300/s is another thing although, but let's jus leave tat out.

it's not abt less things to consider, it's a lot more factors like cost n choices etc etc.

By the way, Tokina DO make lenses with motor, the AT-X 124 AF Pro DX II being one example The price... well, is one of the reasons why it makes more sense to buy the D90 if such lenses are taken into consideration...

 

[osocan]

Katz Eyes Optics do have focusing screens for the 500D. And if you're not confident of changing it yourself, can always approach some bros here to assist. I got mine done by bro fatigue (very reasonable fee).

I have moved on to other mounts but am still retaining the T90 and F1 with together with a few other FD lenses.

Welcome to the world of DSLR, Bob

 

[caizhixiong]

I feel that there are too many CSers "pushing" the camera brands that they have bought themselves. I'm not sure what the reasons behind that are.

Improve the resale value in case they're selling.

 

[Yinfinity]

Improve the resale value in case they're selling.

+1
The Ugly Truth.