sgtpepper64 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 So, my birthday is coming up and everybody in my family wants to pool their money/get me gift certificates to get me a new digital camera (because that's what I want). I'm looking for something anywhere in the $300 - $750 range. I'm really interested in expanding my photography equipment, although I really don't have any idea where to begin. I don't need anything that has a ton of bells and whistles, just something really solid that takes nice pictures, and is fairly user friendly. If anyone has any suggestions as to what they use, or something they recommend, I'd sure appreciate you posting them here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
okp greg Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 So, my birthday is coming up and everybody in my family wants to pool their money/get me gift certificates to get me a new digital camera (because that's what I want). I'm looking for something anywhere in the $300 - $750 range. I'm really interested in expanding my photography equipment, although I really don't have any idea where to begin. I don't need anything that has a ton of bells and whistles, just something really solid that takes nice pictures, and is fairly user friendly. If anyone has any suggestions as to what they use, or something they recommend, I'd sure appreciate you posting them here. If you want to be able to expand your photography equipment, I would look at an entry level dslr. The Canon 550D is on the upper end of your price range; http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T2i-Digital-3-0-Inch-18-55mm/dp/B0035FZJHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1299071392&sr=8-2 however, if you get it you can begin to invest in lenses and flashes that will work with any other canon dslr you decide to get in the future. So it would be a nice stepping stone for you. If it increases your interest in the field then you can grow with it and eventually replace the body with a higher end model but still have lenses. On the other hand if you don't have the time to get your money's worth out of a camera you don't have to feel bad for blowing $5000 on the body. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 My Canon G10 takes really nice pictures. It's kind of half way between a point and shoot and an SLR. It has a few bells and whistles but you can always just use it in automatic mode. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 the G series are a nice compromise, but are limited in the fact that you can't change lenses, and thus lose the flexibility of a DSLR. of course, your budget doesn't really include enough to consider extra lenses, but if that's of interest down the road you want to think about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sgtpepper64 Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Hmmm, I appreciate the responses everyone. I'm thinking that the http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T2i-Digital-3-0-Inch-18-55mm/dp/B0035FZJHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1299071392&sr=8-2 seems just about perfect for what I'm looking for. I like the flexibility of being able to upgrade lenses and flashes later on when I have more disposable income. Do you have any experience with this camera okp greg? I was astounded by the pretty much only positive reviews I've read for it all over these internets. Ha. Now, if it came down in price about 200 dollars it would be beyond perfect, hah. But I think it's worth it to spend the little extra on something that is better quality, and you can grow with rather than have to spend it shortly in the future if I want to upgrade. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 my first camera was a rebel XT, about 2-3 generations removed. that took good photos, but i wanted a bit more flexibility so i upgraded. bodies can come and go, spend decent $ on good lenses and they will last. check out dpreview.com or fredmiranda.com for reviews, or google POTN (it's a Canon user site) and dig around in there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
okp greg Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 my first camera was a rebel XT, about 2-3 generations removed. that took good photos, but i wanted a bit more flexibility so i upgraded. bodies can come and go, spend decent $ on good lenses and they will last. check out dpreview.com or fredmiranda.com for reviews, or google POTN (it's a Canon user site) and dig around in there. I'd pretty much echo what Tinnitus said. I've been using Canon dslr's since the 10D and have used most of their bodies, including several of the Rebels. They're great bodies and are priced well. Think of your first body as a vehicle to get you into dslr terrory. Then, when you realize how awesome and fun it can be you can start building up lenses first and switch to a better body down the road. To be honest, if you're just entering field I would even suggest looking at a model that was one or two generations old. They use the same lens mounts so you wouldn't lose the ability to upgrade, but they tend to be about $100 cheaper. That would be the Canon 500D. Check them out, find a local camera shop and see if they have any you can hold and get a feel for, maybe take a couple shots. A good dslr is a long term investment, you're sure to get your money's worth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 If you don't think you'll need video capability, and don't mind taking on a slight risk of buying used (and i've bought used lenses and a used body), then you could look at something like this: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1008090&highlight=40D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RaspberryJam Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I'm going to second the G series. The real only limitation I can see is the inability to change lenses. Size is a huge bonus, there are lots of ways to override automatic settings, can use WAV so there is lots of editing that can be done. I've had my G9 for 4 or 5 years and it travels great. Really good versatile solid camera. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thejokeexplained Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Any advise on this camera CANON REBEL XT/ EOS 350D SLR? I found a gently used one with a EF 55-200mm telephoto lens included, along with accessories; flash cards and such, for about $400. You guys seem to know what your talking about and i have seen and enjoyed Tinnitus still work. So before i pull the trigger is this a good entry level camera? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 that's the 1st camera i got. if it's got fairly low shutter actuations, i would think it's worth $150-200 or so. it's a good starter camera but i wouldn't pay more since it's 3-4 generations old now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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