Need Advice on Purchasing a New Camera...I'm a Rookie

[jway32]

I need all the advice I can get on purchasing a SLR camera. In the past, All I have used is the small, point and shoot, 3mp cameras. I am about to finish my master's and as a gift, my wife told me to pick any camera, under $1,000. What is a good camera, which camera has the best lens options, etc.? Remember, I know nothing about photography but I can not wait to learn. I am very jealous of each you who make great pics and make it look effortless. Please share any and all info that you can, I know nothing about this stuff.

[TheWengler]

First fill out the form at the top of the "Which camera should i buy?" section then post it here.

[jway32]

Here are my preferences from the questionaire:

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

I do not want to spend over $700 for the camera. I would like for it to include at least one lens. If I got the body only, I would pay a max. of $500.

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Contrary to popular belief, size doesn't really matter.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

@ least 10

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

I am not really for sure about the definition of optical zoom other than basic zoom power but I would like at least ultrazoom.


* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
6.5

Do you care for manual controls?

I like using manual focus when I have the time, but when I am taking shots of the family or the dog, I can settle for auto.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Outdoor photography, photos of sporting events

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
The biggest would be an 8 1/2" by 11"

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
60% will be inside or low light

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Yes

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
I want a SLR

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
No, I do not know what any of them are

[Rooz]

ok i suppose to start with...

you don;t need a 10mp camera. a 6mp will be able to handle those size prints comfortably. and 10mp is pretty much the highest resolution for mid range and prosumer level nowadays. 12mp is new gen or top end stuff that is far more expensive than you can afford.

as a rule of thumb, sports generally requires a lens with a wide aperture of f2.8. these are often called "fast lens's" and are alot more expensive. if it's indoor sports then this is almost essential. if it's outdoor sports with lots of light then you can get away with something that isn;t quite as good, (or as fast). indoor shots may require a fast iso which degrades IQ or a hotshoe flash so that could be another expense.

"off the top of my head" the nikon d40 with 18-55mm kit lens + 55-200VR should get you a good range of zoom useability and quality for <$1000. chck out the "nikon d40 pic of the day thread" in the nikon forums for examples.

the pentax k100D is also a good option, not sure what telephoto is the best for that. another beauty is the olympus e510 dual lens kit.

[BBPhoto]

I am sure that you are going to get a lot of good technical advice here regarding camera choice. I would like to give you some advice on another aspect of DSLR photography that no one usually tells beginners.

To put it plainly, DSLR is a money pit of a hobby. Most people end up spending several times the initial price of the body/lens kit within a relatively short time of purchase. DSLRs can be fantastic tools but they are usually much less than that right out of the box. Soon after buying you discover that you need a carrying case, sensor cleaning products, memory cards, etc. Then you realize that the pop up flash isn't very powerful and is pretty harsh anyway. Then you want to shoot indoors where you are not allowed flash so you need to buy a faster lens and it goes on and on. I am sure if you asked everyone here about this, it would be hard to find someone who had anticipated the real cost of DSLR before getting their first camera.

I do not mean to discourage you from DSLR photography. You may be one of those rare people who buys an entry level kit and is happy with it for years but be aware that there are important costs involved if you are not one of those people. Good luck.

[fionndruinne]

So get the D40+18-200mm VR Nikkor, and be happy forever.

Alright, so maybe not. That won't give you low light capability, not for moving targets anyway.

jway, I'm surprised you put image quality at a 6.5... that's pretty low for a DSLR buyer. If that's how you're thinkin', though, you may want to look at a non-SLR ultrazoom like the Canon S5. That's a great camera, but the smaller sensor doesn't deliver the high quality of a DSLR. Then again, it's much less costly.

But if a DSLR is your desire, then the setup I mentioned above would give you a nice, almost "ultrazoom" range, and with wider angle (better for landscapes and some indoors shots) than an ultrazoom non-SLR. That would bump your budget maybe $200 though, but the 18-200mm VR is one sweet lens (I tried it out the other day; great match for the D40).

[TheWengler]

Yeah, you don't need all of those MPs. You list outdoor and sports as the types of things you'll be shooting but say that 60% will be indoors/lowlight. Does that mean indoor sports? The K100D doesn't have a very big buffer so only 3 RAW or 5 jpegs can be shot in a row in continuous shooting mode. You might want to start with an ultrazoom if image quality isn't that important to you. It doesn't sound like you know what you're getting into but if you insist on a DSLR I think you should start with something entry level. Maybe the K100D with the Tamron 18-250 and a 50mm f/1.4 for low light/portrait shots. Another option would be to get the kit lens and the Sigma 70-300 APO. The Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 is a popular replacement for the kit lens as well. The Nikon setup mentioned by Rooz is also popular. It's worth mentioning that manual focusing on a DSLR isn't all that easy because the viewfinders tend to be a little dark.

[Djzleite]

A100 will do perfectly with the best quality - price relation.

[fionndruinne]

Eh, you're not going to find many who agree with you on that A100 thing. The OP mentioned sports, well, that'll probably necessitate higher ISOs, and the A100 very obviously, well, sucks at that.

[Djzleite]

Eh, you're not going to find many who agree with you on that A100 thing. The OP mentioned sports, well, that'll probably necessitate higher ISOs, and the A100 very obviously, well, sucks at that.

Definatly A100 ISO isn´t the best, maybe the lens can do the diference, for sports ? The A700 but i´d let it drop the price before, A700 is costing almost the same as a D80 here