yet another "which camera for a newbie" thread

[gimumancer]

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:

I say you don't rush buying lens and end up not using it because it's not your genre of photography..i think it would even be better to buy a flash first before buying additional lens for indoor shots..the kit lens is a good training lens, for example just be yourself and take a number of shots that interest you using your kit lens for days or weeks even, based from your shots, study what type of photography you are into, if you notice most are portrait shots you might consider longer zoom lens with large aperture f2.8 or prime lens with f1.4 or f1.8 aperture because these lenses will give blurred backgrounds easily and good perspectives which are good for portraits..if landscape, you might want to consider wide angle lens..another reason to keep the kit lens is that you usually get that lens for a bargain since it is bundled and should you decide to become serious in photography and buy specialized lens, you have a backup lens in case one of your lens fails, the kit lens focal range is also designed to be an all around range, just enough wide angle, normal and zoom..

i personally recommend SLR revolution in FUNAN mall, it is a new shop that's been getting good reviews here in clubsnap..good customer service, new stocks, usually the lowest in quotations..

 

[Yinfinity]

Wow, so many recommendations. Don't you feel like being pushed through some kind of rite of passage to a new stage of life in photography? Listen to the voices, and find your own spirit guide.

But really go try out the different brands personally, you have to find out your own reasons to justify a $1000 investment.

 

[banana0ne]

why buy a DSLR in the first place? there's no point of getting one as learning UI of the camera is only the beginning of the learning process.

K-x is an beginner level camera but it has dedicated ISO button out of the box in which by the way, can be made in auto.

 

[gimumancer]

okok..BUY D5000 AND D3000 and pay more for AF-S lens!

want ease of use? Sony also easy leh, i dun see why D90 is so difficult because it has more buttons?

I gave my advice based on running future cost of ownership, futureproof. It really depends on what TS really wants, if you wanna shoot Auto with a DSLR, get a Panasonic LX3 or wait for Sony HX5 or even Canon S90, it produces nice sharp image too, why buy DSLR? so heavy to carry around.

Wanna use DSLR be prepare to learn and learn what are all the settings for.

like you said it depends on the user and it's all relative, what's easy for you will be hard for others..how do you even know a user will buy additional lens? for all we know they are satisfied with the kit lens already..i know lots of dslr users who don't buy additional lens and you could have mentioned that in your previous post.. last i checked you just said "don't get the d5k" without giving any reason..again it's all relative, it's their money and their time..what if the user is rich and doesn't mind buying af-s lenses?..what im saying is please be objective and lay out points especially when that kind of statements are posted on a public forum where first time buyers are looking for insights..

how is your statement:
Don't get the D5000, if you wanna go Nikon, settle nothing less than the D90

different from this:
Don't get CANON, if you wanna go SLR, settle for NIKON

the debate will be endless..

 

[tehzeh]

how do you even know a user will buy additional lens? for all we know they are satisfied with the kit lens already..i know lots of dslr users who don't buy additional lens and you could have mentioned that in your previous post..

last i checked you just said "don't get the d5k" without giving any reason..again it's all relative, it's their money and their time..what if the user is rich and doesn't mind buying af-s lenses?..what im saying is please be objective and lay out points especially when that kind of statements are posted on a public forum where first time buyers are looking for insights..

how is your statement:
Don't get the D5000, if you wanna go Nikon, settle nothing less than the D90

different from this:
Don't get CANON, if you wanna go SLR, settle for NIKON

the debate will be endless..

We do not know whether a newbie would buy additional lens. But as they advance, newbies would want better image quality and better lens. Some newbies even bought their 50mm prime lens without knowing why they need it.

If TS doesn't mind buying AF-S lenses with autofocus motor, would he/she have a budget of 1k? 1k isn't a lot when it comes to photography.

Hey, let's be objective.

What's wrong with "settle nothing less than the D90"? I have seen a couple of users here who got themselves D5000/D3000 or D40 or D60 and have problems buying new lenses, not a big problem though since everything is relative and blah blah blah.

 

[gimumancer]

why buy a DSLR in the first place? there's no point of getting one as learning UI of the camera is only the beginning of the learning process.

K-x is an beginner level camera but it has dedicated ISO button out of the box in which by the way, can be made in auto.

what i meant by giving up studying are the concepts for example the 3 kings - aperture, shutter and ISO. not the UI menu..i think we guys are not on the same boat, while you guys refer to the menu as being easy to use, I refer to how to utilize the d90 using the concepts..let me give an example..user wants blurred background, d3k will guide you to that just follow steps in guide mode while with d90 you need to set large aperture=small f, which at the beginning is confusing, in d5k there is a graphic illustrating the opening, if you do not have the patience and the time to sink in your head that large aperture=small f=more light, you will of course end with shots you do not intend to have because you did not grasp the concept..there are lots of people who just doesn't have the time and patience to study all that and if they jump through a semi-advanced cam like the d90, for these type of people chances are they might use auto all the time

 

[gimumancer]

We do not know whether a newbie would buy additional lens. But as they advance, newbies would want better image quality and better lens. Some newbies even bought their 50mm prime lens without knowing why they need it.

If TS doesn't mind buying AF-S lenses with autofocus motor, would he/she have a budget of 1k? 1k isn't a lot when it comes to photography.

Hey, let's be objective.

What's wrong with "settle nothing less than the D90"? I have seen a couple of users here who got themselves D5000/D3000 or D40 or D60 and have problems buying new lenses, not a big problem though since everything is relative and blah blah blah.

something's wrong because it is generalising without any explanation..if you have seen users who has problem buying lens then i've also seen users who doesn't have problem buying lens, they are not making noise because they are satisfied, they are also not posting in forums so you don't notice them..that's why i urge fellow cs'ers to explain why and not just make a generalization because each model is targeted for certain audiences, nikon's marketing department should know better..our role here is to lay out pros and cons or identify which audience does our first time buyer we are advising belong to, and not decide for them right away without explaining because you do not know what the user is like

 

[tehzeh]

what i meant by giving up studying are the concepts for example the 3 kings - aperture, shutter and ISO. not the UI menu..i think we guys are not on the same boat, while you guys refer to the menu as being easy to use, I refer to how to utilize the d90 using the concepts..let me give an example..user wants blurred background, d3k will guide you to that just follow steps in guide mode while with d90 you need to set large aperture=small f, which at the beginning is confusing, in d5k there is a graphic illustrating the opening, if you do not have the patience and the time to sink in your head that large aperture=small f=more light, you will of course end with shots you do not intend to have because you did not grasp the concept..there are lots of people who just doesn't have the time and patience to study all that and if they jump through a semi-advanced cam like the d90, for these type of people chances are they might use auto all the time

How about this? ^ The one from D5000/D3000 easier? If the person is very new to photography, would he/she know the difference when the opening is big or small? I am not starting a brand war here, btw. Hmmm.

 

[tehzeh]

something's wrong because it is generalising without any explanation..if you have seen users who has problem buying lens then i've also seen users who doesn't have problem buying lens, they are not making noise because they are satisfied, they are also not posting in forums so you don't notice them..that's why i urge fellow cs'ers to explain why and not just make a generalization because each model is targeted for certain audiences, nikon's marketing department should know better..our role here is to lay out pros and cons or identify which audience does our first time buyer we are advising belong to, and not decide for them right away without explaining because you do not know what the user is like

Yeah, it is targetted for different people. And Yes, Nikon's marketing dept should know better because they want to earn more profit. let's not go on. Most of the people who don't recommend DSLRs without AF motor are trying to give the TS (who is a newbie) a bigger picture and to look far. DSLR has been a kind of camera that requires learning and understanding. I understand that newbies should get something easy to start off with, but if they could, why not get a more challenging one when there are a lot of tutorials and etc on the internet.

 

[osocan]

Obviously... a lot of people dont know what a Canon A1 is...

Cheers

 

[hoppie]

like you said it depends on the user and it's all relative, what's easy for you will be hard for others..how do you even know a user will buy additional lens? for all we know they are satisfied with the kit lens already..i know lots of dslr users who don't buy additional lens and you could have mentioned that in your previous post.. last i checked you just said "don't get the d5k" without giving any reason..again it's all relative, it's their money and their time..what if the user is rich and doesn't mind buying af-s lenses?..what im saying is please be objective and lay out points especially when that kind of statements are posted on a public forum where first time buyers are looking for insights..

how is your statement:
Don't get the D5000, if you wanna go Nikon, settle nothing less than the D90

different from this:
Don't get CANON, if you wanna go SLR, settle for NIKON

the debate will be endless..

Then get the D90 lor, why restrict yourself to the limited selection of Lens in the future to come? haiz.................so contradicting......................

 

[hoppie]

Obviously... a lot of people dont know what a Canon A1 is...

Cheers

heheehe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_A-1

 

[dingaroo]

Hi Bob,

I am a newbie too. As you can tell, I now own a Canon. Prior to the purchase, I was looking at various cameras. I researched and asked many friends. I had made up my mind with Nikon, as I have some relations who use Nikon too. I had at that point in time, not known of Clubsnap yet, and as such didn't seek the wise words of the various gurus in here.

However, on the day of the purchase, I came to a realization - Why follow the crowd? I am buying it for MYSELF, for my OWN use. As such, the equipment should as much fit me as I should fit it, in relations to ergonomics and budget. At the end of the day, I ended with the Canon 500D, 18-55mm kit lens, and a 70-300 non-IS USM III lens.

And since the day of purchase, am very happy with it. I have added on a flash, a 50mm f1.8 (cheapest) lens, a tripod, and a carry-all bag since then. Now, I'm saving up for an ultra-wide angle lens as I like to take landscape and architecture.

What I'm trying to convey is this - only you would know what you want and can buy. Start off with a kit lens, learn to operate the camera and how it function under various conditions (not extreme conditions unless your camera can withstand it). Because what you must do at the end of the day, enjoy the process of composing the picture, the pint of clicking the shutter, and the endless hours enjoying the picture you have taken.

Cheers.

 

[banana0ne]

what i meant by giving up studying are the concepts for example the 3 kings - aperture, shutter and ISO. not the UI menu..i think we guys are not on the same boat, while you guys refer to the menu as being easy to use, I refer to how to utilize the d90 using the concepts..let me give an example..user wants blurred background, d3k will guide you to that just follow steps in guide mode while with d90 you need to set large aperture=small f, which at the beginning is confusing, in d5k there is a graphic illustrating the opening, if you do not have the patience and the time to sink in your head that large aperture=small f=more light, you will of course end with shots you do not intend to have because you did not grasp the concept..there are lots of people who just doesn't have the time and patience to study all that and if they jump through a semi-advanced cam like the d90, for these type of people chances are they might use auto all the time

Is there any difference between 3 kings of d90 and 3 kings of d3000??? :dunno:
that I need to know, I might be missing something???

 

[gimumancer]

Then get the D90 lor, why restrict yourself to the limited selection of Lens in the future to come? haiz.................so contradicting......................

you don't get the point wa loh..what if the user is rich BUT is supernoob and very new to photography and insists she wants a dslr that will spoon feed information, a step by step guide, no time to study aperture, shutter, ISO settings..can d90 satisfy that?

 

[gimumancer]

Is there any difference between 3 kings of d90 and 3 kings of d3000??? :dunno:
that I need to know, I might be missing something???

no but there is a difference on HOW they are utilized..i'm actually lost what are we arguing about now lol..it started out with the other guy making a sweeping statement without explanation and me defending the different models as being targeted to different audience..so banana0ne, what is the point you want to convey?

 

[Linerax]

you don't get the point wa loh..what if the user is rich BUT is supernoob and very new to photography and insists she wants a dslr that will spoon feed information, a step by step guide, no time to study aperture, shutter, ISO settings..can d90 satisfy that?

Then she shouldn't get a DSLR.

 

[banana0ne]

no but there is a difference on HOW they are utilized..i'm actually lost what are we arguing about now lol..it started out with the other guy making a sweeping statement without explanation and me defending the different models as being targeted to different audience..so banana0ne, what is the point you want to convey?

nothing.... just want to mess your mind...

some points though, True we cannot generalize people's ability to learn photography as some people just too lazy to read books or don't want to experiment on their cameras. But what's the point of having a DSLR if your not creative enough to learn by yourself? It just wont justify the high amount of moolah you paid for a camera.
Secondly, UI as I've said nowadays is really easy to navigate. no need to have a doctorate degree to operate actually. This would help up speed up the learning curve as direct access to the 3 kings (what you said) are already there. wouldnt it be nice to say "Okay I turn this knob and whoo! I like it" than read step one turn the dial, step two half press ho-hum!!, then say "geez! i skipped the next step!"? I think DSLR's especially entry level to medium level are not targeted to nursery students, rather than yuppies to oldies which is by the way mature enough to grasp knowledge.
thirdly, what's the point of getting an interchangeable lens camera if you cannot buy the lens itself due to high price? better just buy an LX3 with PASM and fast 2.0 lens.
and lastly, how many people in the world who is rich and don't have time (or lazy) to read books that will buy a DSLR? (this point I'am not very sure about my statement especially on nikon and Canon)

just my opinion...

 

[hoppie]

you don't get the point wa loh..what if the user is rich BUT is supernoob and very new to photography and insists she wants a dslr that will spoon feed information, a step by step guide, no time to study aperture, shutter, ISO settings..can d90 satisfy that?

okok............TS buy D3000 or D5000. nevermind i am not the one using, just suggesting :bsmilie:

 

[hoppie]

no but there is a difference on HOW they are utilized..i'm actually lost what are we arguing about now lol..it started out with the other guy making a sweeping statement without explanation and me defending the different models as being targeted to different audience..so banana0ne, what is the point you want to convey?

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!