Digital Camera - Which is Right for Me?

S

shocksyde

2[H]4U
Joined
Jan 24, 2001
Messages
2,355
Hello [H]ers,

I am in no way a professional photographer. However, I took some classes in college and have continued taking pictures since, using a measily 4mp Canon A80. I've been printing up my favorite shots in an 8 x 10 format, but would like to make larger (and higher quality) prints. Suprisingly enough, the 4mp canon has served my purposes very well thus far.

As far as what i photograph: Everything. I take pictures whenever i see something that I think is beautiful. So, consequently, I take tons of pictures. Also, I'll be the photographer for my company's annual picnic. This assignment will be a first for me, hopefully I enjoy it enough to possibly persue it as a career.

Anyways, on to what I'm looking for:
- Camera with ability to make bigger, higher quality prints (7mp+ i guess?)
- DSLR (I would like to take the plunge, unless of course someone knows of something cheaper that is comparable in quality)
- Durable, no cheap construction
- Ability to take a wide variety of shots (indoors/low light, outdoors, fast action, macro shots, etc)

I've been looking at Canon Rebel XTs, but am a bit concerned with the cost of additional lenses. I do, however, understand that in order to truly be a good photographer I'll need all those additional lenses anyways. Would I be able to get away with the kit lens for 6 months to a year?

I know this question may be a bit off topic, but the [H] has always been kind to me and answered my questions well. So if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears.
 
I've been using the Digital Rebel XT and its' kit lens, along with a Sigma 70-300mm APO DG lens for many months now. If you'd like to see a sample of what this camera with these two lenses can do, take a look at my devaintART page:

http://mjcfromct.deviantart.com


I'd say you definitely could get by with the Digital Rebel XT. One thing I would recommend if you go with this camera is to get the additional battery grip. It makes the camera SO much easier to handle, and if you get the additional battery like I did, you get an incredible amount of battery life.
 
wow, i think you just talked me into it, cool pics.

I've been browsing ebay and craigslist, do you think it's a good idea to get a used one? I could save a few hundred bucks.
 
Good question. I'm not sure, to be honest. There seem to be some good deals on ebay every once in a while, for a complete kit that hasn't been opened, sometimes those can save you up to 100 bucks off the price of the kit at an online retailer. I purchased my kit on Newegg.com, bhphoto.com is another good website. I'd be slightly worried about getting a used one, unless you know how many shutter clicks it has gone through, if there is any dust on the sensor, scratches on the glass, etc.
 
Yeah, I didn't think about those points.

My current camera has some dust on the CCD and every picture I end up keeping I have to edit in photoshop to get the random dots out.

I did notice Newegg's price is relatively cheap compared to places like Amazon, so maybe I'll be safe and stick with a retailer and not a second-hand camera.

Thanks for your input.
 
No problem!

A good website you should check out if you are looking for tons of input on Canon digital cameras is http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ . They are a dedicated Canon forum, and have tons of tips and advice to share, along with photo critiquing and Photoshop advice.
 
You can certainly use the kit lens for a long time. It's not perfect, but after sharpening and correction in post-processing, it's hard for most people to tell the difference between the kit and more expensive lenses. I'm not saying that the kit is uber or something like that -- merely that it's good enough to get by.

You also shouldn't be going to a function with a brand new piece of gear that you don't have experience with. You'll probably get better results with your existing camera just because you know how to use it better. If you have enough time to get up to speed on a new camera/system before the function, fine. Otherwise, if it still feels "new", then you're likely to be make the mistake of focusing on the equipment more than the pictures and the setting, getting stuff wrong, etc.

Dust on a sensor is a fact of life with DSLR's (which some even try to incorporate built-in means for addressing them). There's an easy solution -- specifically-designed sensor cleaning kits and their correct use. Google for more on this; approach it carefully with good cleaning tools. You can also get by by ignoring this problem to some degree by using wide apertures which de-focus the dust.

(It's even possible that some second-hand DSLR's will come from owners or stores which take the trouble to properly clean the sensor, but I wouldn't count on that of course; the absence is most probable; scratchy/bad cleaning is also possible.)

And of course, (a) the camera is not the photographer nor the subject, etc. (b) you generally need/want a (D)SLR to have sufficient control as an advanced photographer. (a2) a really good photographer can blow us away with a 50-year old film camera, child's camera, etc..
 
I have gotten praise for being able to take awesome pictures with a 4mp canon P&S camera. So it's my wish to step it up a level and see what i can really do. You guys have been most helpful.

And believe me, I know having a better camera won't make me a better photographer. But if you were a painter, you wouldn't use a brillo pad as your brush would you? Wait, that might actually be pretty cool... haha.

Anyways, thanks for the advice again. I knew I could count on the [H].
 
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