Investment in SLR camera?
I am looking for the right digital SLR camera in which I will not waist money on. The things that I want this camera to do are as follows:
Be good in low light and nightime shots
Lens to be reasonable costs at distant shots ( lets say 300-400 metres without blur )
I am not sure about the movie mode on the Nikon D90 because it has its limits of 5 minutes on what they call HD.
The canon 50D has more pixels of 15pixels but there is a new Canon 60D coming out in 2010 so I cannot decide on which to invest in mostly.
with the Nikon lens 18-200 there is mostly creep which I do not want because I like to take photos of buildings in panoramic ( upwards you know what I mean )
Also SLR good for weddings and good enough to print images of A2 size without any noise.
Can you anyone advise me?
First, you need to remember this: “Its not the camera, its the photographer.”
In the hands of someone knowledgeable about light, composition, f-stops, ISO and shutter speeds and with the skill to use those elements to make the picture they want to make any camera will give good results within its limitations.
When you say “… good in low-light and night time shots …” I’m guessing you mean without flash. This requires a fast lens (f1.4, f1.7) and a camera with good high ISO performance. Sony, Nikon, Canon, Pentax all give good results up to ISO 1600. Above that Nikon seems to have the edge for now but that will soon change.
To take crisp, clear pictures at the distances you mentioned will require a long lens with the camera mounted on a tripod. Trying to hand-hold a long lens is difficult at best unless you use a high ISO like 800. The Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM is $549.00 at B&H and the Nikon AF-S VR 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 IF-ED is $549.95 at B&H. http://www.bhphotovideo.com
If you wait for next year’s model of camera you’ll never buy a camera. If you think that buying the newest model is necessary then I wish I owned a camera store close to you. Think of it like you would a car: If you have a car that is getting 32 miles per gallon, would it be intelligent to trade it in for one that gets 33 miles per gallon? In my opinion, the answer is “No.”
Regardless of what DSLR camera you buy today, its extremely unlikely that you will have exceeded its capabilities within 12 months. The only reason I can think of to upgrade would be to get a full-frame sensor camera like the Sony A900 or Canon 5D Mark II or the Nikon D700 – and then only if you’ve used a DSLR for a couple of years.
Any DSLR will be “… good for weddings…” IF you have the skills necessary to photograph a wedding. Remember what I said at the beginning? “Its not the camera, its the photographer.”
If you shoot at a low ISO (50, 100) at your camera’s maximum resolution with the camera on a tripod then any DSLR should give you a file sufficient for an A2 (16.5″ x 23.4″, 420mm x 594mm) print.
I suggest reading reviews of the Sony A350, Pentax K20D, Nikon D60 and Canon 50D.
I really think you should consider taking a few photography classes before buying a DSLR. If classes aren’t possible then you’ll need to do a lot of reading and studying on your own.
First and foremost will be the Owner’s Manual for your camera. READ & STUDY it until you know all the features of your new camera – and how, when and why to use them or not use them.
“Understanding Exposure” and “Understanding Shutter Speed”, both by Bryan Peterson.
“Digital SLR Handbook” by John Freeman
“David Busch’s Quick Snap Guide to Using Digital SLR Lenses” by (surprise) David Busch
“The Art of Digital Photography” by Joseph Meehan
Subscribe to at least one photography magazine. Shutterbug is my favorite and you can read reviews of the cameras I mentioned at http://www.shutterbug.com
Type the camera name and model in the Search box.
p.s. Its spelled “waste” when referring to money, etc.
|
|
Nikon FCE9 Fisheye Converter Lens for Coolpix 5400, 5700, 8700, 8400 & 8800 Digital Cameras (requires converter adapter) An outstanding extreme wide angle “Fisheye” lens / For use with the Coolpix 8700 and other cameras as specified… |
|
|
Canon SX40 HS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 35x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch Vari-Angle Wide LCD $429.00 Canon PowerShot SX40 HS 12.1 Megapixel Bridge Camera – Black 5251B001 31. What’s in the Box: PowerShot SX40 HS Body, Battery Pack NB-10L, Battery Charger CB-2LC, Lens Cap, Case for Hot Shoe Cap, Neck Strap NS-DC11, Interface Cable IFC-400PCU, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM…. |
|
|
Fujifilm FinePix F505 16 MP CMOS Sensor and 15x Optical Zoom Digital Camera with 4 GB Class 10 SD Memory Card (Black) $149.00 The FinePix F505EXR is a full-featured and technologically advanced camera for discerning point-and-shoot photographers or SLR users who want to travel light but donât want to compromise image quality and picture-taking versatility. Superb results are assured with exciting new features including an innovative 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, RAW image capture, high speed shooting capabilities, … |
|
|
Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Silver) $109.00 Canon Powershot A1200 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Silver)… |
|
|
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D Digital Field Guide $2.98 This full-color book is designed to tap the exploding market in serious digital photography with over 250 pages of new and beautiful photos, essential photography how-to information and no-fail formulas for getting great digital pictures with the newly announced Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D. It goes above and beyond competitive digital SLR books with step-by-step techniques that cover exposu… |
|
|
12 AA 2600mAH NiMH Ni-MH RC Model Car Digital Camera Rechargeable Battery $0.01 |
|
|
Plastic Tripod Fit for Binocualr Cameras and Spotting Scope New $25.99 |
|
|
Panasonic Network Camera PD-3006-AC 6 Port Poe Injector Ac Input $183.75 |
|
|
Home Office 700TV Hi-Rez Network CCTV DVR Security Camera System 3G Iphone MAC $799.99 |
|
|
4.3″ LCD 32GB MP4 MP5 PSP PMP Video Game Player Camera Game AV Cable PSP Black $0.02 |
