Cameras

Nikon D-200 & D-70s

The D-200 has10 megapixels w/: AF ED Nikkor 70mm-300mm f4-5.6 zoom; AF-S Nikkor 18mm-135mm f3.5-5.6; AF Nikkor 50mm, f1.4

The D-70 has 7.1 megapixels.

At the moment my D-200 is my preferred body. NOTE: if you happen to have any old SLR lenses, DON'T count on them being compatible with a digital camera that you purchase. I tried using an old 27mm Nikon AI lens on my D-70 and the exposure was really screwed up, way too light and contrasty.

Bottom line, get the most camera/ lens you can afford, and the one that will hold up the longest without repair. Once you buy into a particular system, be it Nikon or Canon or Olympus, you're pretty much stuck with that system. Also, if you can afford it, stick with the name-brand lenses. You usually get what you pay for with camera gear and off-brand lenses typically use inferior optics.

Shop your local camera supply store so you can hold the camera and read through its manual, then buy online for the best pricing. I always use www.bhphotovideo.com in NYC. They have the biggest selection, a very competitive price, and above all else, they are TRUSTWORTHY. I've been burned too many times by Amazon.

One other item when shopping for large lenses, (300mm+) if you think you want or need a 500mm, you might want to avoid the ''Mirror Lens'' 500mm. It's much shorter, and cheaper, but it does really odd things with interior lens refraction like horrific lens flare, especially under backlit conditions. For the East Coast, a 300mm is usually enough, especially if you have a high megapixel camera, you shoot ''fine'' quality or ''raw'' (get a large flash media card to support the large sizes of your files) and then blow them up in Photoshop. For print, 300dpi is preferred. For online, 72dpi is sufficient, in fact preferred. I always shoot 300dpi because I'm more interested in print quality than conserving file space online. Hope this helps.

 

For sure. Good ideas. Definitely go to camera shop and look at and hold everything. Don't get Olympus. They are trying to make things too inter-compatible. They are making their lenses with this 4/3(or 3/4) which is compatible with them, Pentax, and some other crappier SLR companies. Anyway, Zuiko(sp?) is their lens manufacturer and I don't like them. They are light flimsy and seem cheap. Definitely Canon or Nikon if you want to take any serious pictures.

As already stated, if you feel like you want a longer lens, see about getting a cheaper SLR model, possibly the XTi or XT because they still take quality images but will leave you plenty of cash for a nice lens or two. Just a couple thoughts.

Before you buy anything, go to a shop and hold/play with it

 

since you're going with costco it's definitely safe. IF you end up shopping around on the internet make sure you read reviews about the site/shop before purchasing. I read a story on a photography forum of person ordering a lense only to have a rock in a box delivered (literally) to their door.

 

Costco is safe for sure but since they changed their policy on most electronices you can no longer take stuff back at anytime like previously. I beleive now you have 60 days. I would suggest buying the coverage and make sure you can return the camera at any time down the road. Cameras are worth getting protection for since they are not cheap nor cheap to fix.

 

if i were in your shoes, this is how i would spend my money

canon eos 20d, used, goes for around $400
canon 70-200 f/4L goes for a little over $500, new, the used price isn't too much below

that will leave you with a little left over for memory cards or a bag or something, and will give you a decent starting kit for something that would suit surfing as well as other things. you can also throw in a canon eos 50mm 1.8 lens brand new for $80, always a use for those

stay away from lenses that have a long zoom, such as a 70-300 or something. the widest aperture will be greater than something with a smaller amount of zoom, which will take away from your photos. (they won't look as good, or as sharp)

 

I too am in the same position as you Aguaholic and i have been reading everyone's tips for camera's and was looking around and came across the Canon EOS Digital Rebel xTi. I was just wondering what people thought about that one.

 

the canon rebels are made of the lowest of the canon line, the cheapest and farthest thing away from professional in the DSLR line

the canon 20d is a bit higher up, and feels less like a toy and more like a camera. it has been replaced by the 30d, and then the 40d, but nothing has really changed enough to rule out the older 20d. but it has dropped the prices of them considerably, to the point where they cost the same if not less than a digital rebel.

 

Sigma makes an incredible product... so you are wrong there... Tamron however i agree 100%

the 40D is an awesome camera but if you are just starting out on a digital slr and are just looking for more quality and camera options then I would say go with a Canon 30D... you can still find new ones being sold on bhphoto.com or you could even go with the new Rebel XSI... prbly the best entry level dslr to date! but you will sacrafice fps


cheers
-Kalen
www.kalenfoley.com

 

you obviously have not seen the rebel XSI...

 

yea i just recently picked up the XSI as a back up camera and its def a solid camera.. but a great choice in the 40D... the camera is a machine... def read up on the manual cause canon does a great job explaining all the possibilities and uses for the camera...

 

Thanks for contributing Folzz. Hope you had a blast on your 22nd bday.

 

thanks man! had a pretty fun session down in OC with Phil and Stoehr right before dark and then hit up the town... mini golf is wayyyyyyy cooler when you cant really stand up straight HAH

 

Ok. So I'm not sure about Canon lenses, but I think IS is image stabilization correct? Ok, well the best thing you can do is buy a faster lens (lower f number). Because then you can shoot at a quicker shutter speed because the aperture will let in more light. A faster lens will always be more productive than IS(for Canon) and VR(Vibration Reduction for Nikon). But a faster lens will run you much more money. For example, a 80-200mm f/2.8 will cost about $800-$1000, but a 70-300mm VR f/4.5-5.6 will be $500. But with the f/2.8, you could also then shoot sports indoors, or at night, which the other won't do too well.

You have the 40D, so I think most Canon lenses should fit on it. Its not one of the base line cameras (XT, XTI) because they don't have AF in the bodies, so you would need AF in the lens. (I'm not sure about the XS or XSI, anyone know).

If you wanna go used, see if you can pick up a used like 200mm IS f/2.8 (or lower). That'll pretty much give you the best possible shot. Fast lens + image stabilization.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-70-200m...=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1227464755&sr=1-7

See if you can find it used, otherwise its real expensive but a top of the line lens.

 

Good lens. I use a 70-300 VR which is like IS for Canon, and all my surf shots are with it. It'll be good in daylight, where you can use a fast shutter, but if you try to do any kind of night or indoors sports photography, it won't fly well.

 

i would keep clear of any lens w/ a min aperture larger than 4.0. While the lens above is a good beginner's lens it does limit you. 4.0-5.6 means that at 70mm the lens has a 4.0 as its widest aperture. But at 300mm the widest aperture is 5.6. this will limit you in certain lighting situations, as you will be letting in less light at 5.6 than at 4.0 or 2.8.

With that said there are some other things to consider. Will you be using a 1.5x or 2x teleconverter in the future? If so, know that you will lose a full 1 or 2 stops respectively. So your 300mm 5.6 now becomes a 300mm f11, which may be ok but you'll see degradation in the image and you'll be unhappy with the quality (trust me, i've been there).

With that said something else to consider is the lens's 'sweet spot.' A faster lens will be sharper at smaller aperture values (generally 2 full stops above the min value but could be higher) than a slow lens. In other words, an f/2.8 will be sharpest somewhere in the f/5.6-8 area where as a f/4-5.6 will be in the f/11 area. This will then lead to an adjustment in shutter speed (slower at a smaller f-stop so the camera can capture the appropriate light), which can then negatively impact your photos.

Finally, IS. Get it if you plan on shooting mostly handheld and you want ultra-sharp photos (which you do). Granted the 70-300 isn't very heavy but it will help significantly as it enables you to shoot handheld at shutter speeds 2 stops slower than w/o IS. If you can't or don't want to spring for IS then purchase a monopod.


The June 2008 issue of Outdoor Photographer talks about everything above in more detail. Or you can peruse http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ for more tips and insight from photographers around the world


hope that helps.