Beginner DSLR

[lintonam]

I am looking at buying a DSLR camera and am on a $600 budget. I'm trying to decide between:

D40 SLR Digital Camera Kit with 18-55mm Lens $499.95

Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 10.2 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera with Sony Zoom DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 Lens $499.95

Canon 400D $589.95

OlympusEvolt E-410, 10.0 Megapixel, SLR, Digital Camera Kit with Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Lens, and Olympus 40-150mm F4.0-5.6 Zuiko Digital Lens  $549.95

Is the E-410 a better deal with 2-lenses or will I be better of with the Sony and only the one lens, since the a-100 has IS?

[flyboy 28]

It all depends on what you're shooting. If it's airplanes, kit lenses will get you nowhere, unless you're right at the runway. Be forewarned though, for $590, the Canon 400D will be body only (without a lens), unless you stumbled upon a fantastic deal.

[Theis]

My Olympus E-500 with the 14-45mm lens and 40-150mm lens is a good beginner DSLR..
I think the Olympus is the best choice, because you get two lenses, plus the interface is more userfriendly, and Olympus is generally a more beginnerfriendly DSLR camera, IMO..

A happy Olympus DSLR owner for almost two years now 8-)

Cheers Theis

[Mictheslik]

Just remember to keep a bit of money behind for the lens.....the body is nowhere near as important as the glass in front of it.

Also I'd advise looking around for second hand bodies....often much cheaper and not really that much different to a new one

.mic

[Vapour01]

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

[Mictheslik]

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

.mic

[BAW0343]

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

I'll take one  ;D

[evanatorx]

Speaking of which, I once saw a man shooting aircraft with medium format mamiya!  :o

[Omag 2.0]

All dSLR's in that price range are good nowadays. Just try and feel them at your local store and you'll find out which one suits you best.

Nikon and Canon have the vastest array of lenses available, as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina also build lenses for them. Other brands like Pentax, Sony, Olympus etc aren't always supported by the third party manufactures, although times are changing.

Sony is storming the market at the moment, with lots of new camera's and lenses. Keep your eye on them.

Try to make up your mind on what you'll be shooting, as once you choose a system, you'll have to stick with it and lenses differ in prices from one brand to the other. Do some research on what's available and in what pricerange.

Some links to get you to some reading material:

Camera's and some lenses: www.dpreview.com , http://www.cameralabs.com

Lenses: www.photozone.de ( in english) , www.fredmiranda.com


btw: I own a Canon 400D and use a Canon EF 70-300 IS lense for aviation photography. And I'm very happy with it.  ;)

[Omag 2.0]

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

At my Belgian digital photography forum a guy bought this camera + several L lenses... just to do home and vacation photography. How idiot or wealthy can one be?  ;D

[The Ruptured Duck]

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

At my Belgian digital photography forum a guy bought this camera + several L lenses... just to do home and vacation photography. How idiot or wealthy can one be?

[flyboy 28]

21mp is useless unless you're planning on having the picture blown up the size of a car.

[The Ruptured Duck]

21mp is useless unless you're planning on having the picture blown up the size of a car.

and there are those kinds...

[pepper_airborne]

21mp is useless unless you're planning on having the picture blown up the size of a car.

Let alone that a camera that size with all the lenses isnt really something you take along with the kids to the amusement park.

[Tweek]

21mp is useless unless you're planning on having the picture blown up the size of a car.

Let alone that a camera that size with all the lenses isnt really something you take along with the kids to the amusement park.

I don't know why you'd need more than one lens to take to an amusement park! Plus, the 1Ds isn't exactly a huge camera. It'd still be very manageable on a day out.

But still, it's pointless having such a camera unless you're a professional. Or indeed if you like printing your photos at the size of a car...