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Starter DSLR Camera?

  • Thread starter Deleted member 217897
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Deleted member 217897

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Thinking about diving in the world of DSLR.
What do you guys recommend.
My budget is kind of low, I want to stay off buying used if I can(but not fully against it)
I'd say I have 300-500 to spend at the most.

Side question: I have a friend who I bought a Nikon D80 for,he wanted the D80 instead of the D90 and said the D80 was better even though the D90 is newer. Is this really true?
 
No the sensor is much better in the D90, I don't know why anyone would chose the D80 over it.

If I had that budget I would go with this refurbished D5000 kit for $519. It uses the same sensor as the D90 which performs great at high ISOs.

http://www.adorama.com/INKD5000RD.html
 
I'm not aware of any specs of the D80 that are better than D90, but I have friends who use the D80, and it's still a good camera - just older. Not sure what the prices are like for those, but you could probably get a good deal on a used one if you wanted - so maybe price/performance ratio is better to some people. I wouldn't bother buying a D80 new though at this point.

If you decide to side w/ the Nikon camp, I'd recommend looking at the D5000. It has the same sensor as D90, and D300, but a little better price and more friendly to entry-level users (missing a few features like high-end focusing system and pro-lighting hookups). It's still going to cost you more like $600 plus lenses though. For the price you're wanting, and staying w/ new not used, you might have to go down to a D3000 or a much older one like D40-60. Of the older/low-end ones, iirc, your best bet for performance-vs-price will probably be a D40 or D50. If you go down low enough, you can save a lot on the camera body and have more $$$ for better lenses that should still be good when you upgrade the body later.

Some much better deals will open up if you go ahead and pick up a used body – I’d really consider that if I were you. Then spend the extra on better lenses.
 
first i recommend searching the forums for this very topic that comes up often.

Me personally i prefer Canon, body may cost more but lense are better and cheaper and cover a better range
 
I didn't really mean that I was going for Nikon only, sorry if it sounded that way. Any company is fine with me
Ok I am open to used.
What are some tips on buying a used DSLR? What should I be checking? Keep in mind I am an amateur who desn;t have a lot of experience.
 
Although I prefer shooting Canon as well, it may be a good idea to have the same system as your friend; that way you can lend/borrow/swap gear and learn together.

Things to look for when comparing starter camera bodies are:
- ISO sensitivity (how sensitive to light is the sensor before it starts getting grainy/noisy)
- Number of Autofocus points (More is better)
- AF speed / accuracy
- Buffer / Burst rate
- LCD screen resolution
- *Feel/Handling (does it fit comfortably in your hand)

Here's a comparison of the D80/D90, feel free to ask if you have any questions
 
d5000 is a great starter camera. i would get something that your friends shoot. that way you gusy can borrow lens from each other etc. i started out with the d5000 and out grew it in about 5 months and got a d700

right now im pretty much the only nikon guy in my group of photographers. canon bodies and lens feel and look cheap to me.
 
I've been really happy with my D3000 as a starter DSLR. I only wish it had a larger sensor, but for $450 I can't complain.
 
I will say as one touched on above, be good to actually go to a store and hold the camera in your hand, as great as some features may be, it may not feel nice in your hands.....

for me my canon's i have to buy the battery grip, it just feels better to me, i like a heavier feeling camera.
 
I would recommend a Pentax.

The K-x is supposed to be an entry-ish type one, but it is more in between then k-10d and the k-20d.. both of which are very nice.

the K-x and the K-20d both have live view and are higher MP than the K-10d... but I never really got the point of live view on a DSLR anyhow.. especially for composition and lighting.

Their current high-end one is the K-7, but that is a bit out the range that you said you wanted to pay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-K-7-SLR-Digital-Camera-Body-K7-NEW-/200481269335?pt=Digital_Cameras

I have the K-10d and love it. Almost every single lense ever made for pentax SLR cameras will work on any Pentax DSLR camera.

The reason I say almost any is because I actually have one lense that catches and will not seat properly. Would be really easy to mod, but I really have no need for that specific lense.

As for lenses made for other SLR cameras, you can get adapters for just about anything to make it work on a Pentax camera. True, you will usually end up with the adapted lenses being fully manual, but it gives you a lot more control than using the auto settings anyway.

Also, some of the best lenses made are Pentax branded lenses and/or lenses made for Pentax cameras.

Here is a sample gallery of pictures taken with Pentax cameras.
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/home#section=HOME&subSection=0&subSubSection=0&language=EN

One thing to remember is: Always do research on ANY lense you are thinking of buying. Some lenses just plain suck.. this goes for lenses for any brand of camera.

Here is a current Ebay aution for a used K-10d... come with two lenses and some other stuff. BIN price is a mere $450
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-K10D-10-...5-200-Lenses-/160471963173?pt=Digital_Cameras

Pentax K-x body only - new for $500
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-KX-K-X-1...era-BODY-NEW-/350386467747?pt=Digital_Cameras

Pentax K-20d auctions:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-K20D-w-S...-Accessories-/150482448702?pt=Digital_Cameras

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pentax-K20D-14-6MP-DSLR-Camera-Body-Only-/170529291096?pt=Digital_Cameras

Also, with Nikon cameras, if you want shake reduction you have to buy lenses with it built in. With Pentax cameras you don't have to worry about that because the shake reduction is built into the camera body. This tends to make good/great lenses a little bit more affordable.
 
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Another vote for Pentax.
Though with that being said, there are nice options within all brands. Pentax has always had a great price to performance ratio though.
 
I've got a Canon 50D (out of your range) and the wife is using the aforementioned XSi and loves it. I managed to get it for her at a pretty good discount when they were transitioning over to the TL1.

However, in your price range new, there isn't much.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=6222&N=4291645407+4293918168

Of the 3 kits....

I would go with the Pentax or Nikon.

Sony's high ISO performance leaves much to be desired compared to even my old RebelXT. I don't have any experience with the Pentax, but obviously people here like it. :)

Pentax and Sony have the advantage of in-camera image stabilization, allowing for cheaper lens use while getting the benefits of image stabilization.

Nikon and Canon rely on their lense-based image stabilization, meaning more expensive lenses. However, it does have the advantage of stabilizing the image you see, not just the image taken, which is what the sensor based systems can not give you.

BB
 
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