Shopping for Digital SLR

its all going to depend on the skills you develop while learning how to use the camera. the pictures could be horrible or they can be fantastic. it really doesnt make a whole lot of difference on what brand or equipment you get. obviously tho you wouldnt want to get anything that isnt of a good quality and thats why everyone says stay with wither canon or nikon. both have a very wide market or lenses and other equipment you will want and are easy to shoot. but if you dont learn how to use what you bought then you will want to stay with a P&S. these dslr cameras all have an "auto" mode to where they will act as a point and shoot camera, but if thats all your going to use then the P&S is what you will want. dont be afraid if you get the camera to go to the M or manual modes. you will learn how to use it and be MUCH happier with the way your pictures come out. on the nikon there is an A mode or aperture mode. this chooses the aperture that is pretty close to suggested for the particular picture you are taking. im still learning on mine and ive owned it now for 2 years. it takes time but i have come up with some pictures i would have never thought i could with it.

 

here are a few that i have taken and this is with just my kit lens (18-55mm f/3.5-4.6)

 

I've been researching the same thing. My choices are between the Canon Rebel XSI 12.2MP dSLR and the Nikon D3000 10.2MP dSLR. Both have good reviews but the Canon seems to have more positive reviews. These were around my price range: $450 - $550.

 

I have a Canon XS and it takes great pictures. It's a really good entry level Digital SLR for a good price. You may want the XSI for higher resolution.

 

Thanks for all of the input, everyone. Went shopping Saturday and got the T1i from cannon.


She absolutely loves it!! I used it Sunday during the Rio Puerco run. Putting them in my TW gallery seems to have affected quality, though. How do you guys post these super clear pics?

 

i have a E510 for personal use because i was on a buget but since then i have been using a canon T1i for busness and that camera is alsome.great pictures.

 

Awesome photos. I use image tags and photobucket to post my photos.

Awesome choice of camera. My 50D has the same basic innerds as your T1i.

Also here is a great place to read up on how to really use your camera:
http://stopshootingauto.com/

Click on the exposure lessons in order link.

 

Question number next is: where to go to get pics developed. We did a test run on the kiosk at the local walgreens. A lot of them came out dark. But I think it was the kiosk, not the picture itself. I'm beginning to realize that the instant photo deals are hit or miss.

Any suggestions?

 

I love costco and use them to make my prints. You can also use walmart. The key is that your prints are made on the 'big' machines in the 1 hour photo not on the little kodak printer.

 

Great choice on the Canon. I got the EOS 50d it takes amazing pictures!!!!!!!

 

Old School Cannon 20D

 

Whenever the Nikon D5000 is back in stock at the local target, its mine. 679$ plus 10% off for signing up for a credit card.

So for about 619-629$ i can get an awesome camera.

 

2nd on the guy who said Costco. A friend of mine who is pro says that they are probably the best you get before stepping to a pro service, and at that level you would have to be printing very large prints to notice a quality difference.

Can't beat tossing your pictures at Costco's website and picking them up when you go out for groceries, all at a good price too.

 

Just an FYI for making prints, it's not uncommon for a photo to turn out dark when you print it. This is because computer displays try to optimize the viewing experience (through gamma adjusments).

When I post-process a RAW for printing, I will turn down the brightness or adjust the gamma of my display and then bump the brightness of the image, and output the JPEG and specifically identify it's for print and not for web distribution.

This isn't an issue with who you have printing the photo. It's simply how computer displays render images on screen.

 

Got my self a Canon Rebel XS and couldn't be happier. I had originally bought it for my father, but its too much camera for him and he never used it. If I would have bought it for myself, I would have gone with the Rebel T1i.

Regardless, the camera kicks ass, and you most likely wont use the camera to its fullest potential unless you really get into photograph and take the time to really learn about the art. The lens is much more important then you would probably imagine too. Once you figure out what kind of photos you would like to shoot, get a quality lens that will suit your needs.

 

Here is a photo of a duck that I took recently.

http://sc4333.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p1001396345-5.jpg


Camera makeCanon
Camera modelCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Focal length145 mm
Exposure1/250 at f/5.6
FlashNot fired, compulsory mode
Exposure bias0 EV
Exposure modeAuto
ISO speedISO 100

 

Nice, duck.

I think part of it is we are still shooting pretty much on auto. WE are both trying to methodically go through the settings and learn what they each do.

 

Thanks. Missed your post about getting the T1i. Great choice!

It just takes some time to get used to all the features. I am by NO means a pro, or even close to it. I just enjoy taking photographs. The more and more I play with the camera and read literature regarding the practice, it becomes more and more second nature. Good luck!

 

You don't have to start right into manual mode or believe that it is the only answer to really good shooting. Try starting with TV mode (which gives you manual exposure and auto-adjusts aperture), then move to AV mode (which gives you manual aperture and auto-adjusts exposure), and so on.
For the most part, unless I have a very controlled environment I will shoot in AV mode (light can change drastically). If AV isn't doing what I want, I can make corrections by moving to full manual.

Also remember that you are shooting digital and you can take as many pictures as you want with instant feedback. One tip someone told me is to try shooting in P mode to see what the camera suggests for the environment. From there, you can hone in by switching to a more advanced mode.

 

I saw this site somewhere....I thought it was on here...But i cant find it right now, so im gonna post it again.

http://stopshootingauto.com/exposure-lessons-in-order/

Go through the lessons "IN ORDER" from this guy and you will understand ALOT more than you do now. He puts things in basic terms. If your scared to get off of AUTO mode, check it out.