Reminiscing Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 Can you please tell me why you like your camera? I'm interested in DSLR cameras and higher end point and shoots with some manual choices. I'm beginning to research cameras, as we plan to upgrade from my little Sony Cybershot later this year. I've found some reviews online, but what you can tell me will be the most helpful. This will be my first SLR but I'm learning about photography and have dreams of doing it professionally someday. I would like to be able to shoot video; I don't know if all DSLRs offer that. I want crisp sharp richly colored pictures. I know that the size of the pixels are more important than the number of them; how do I find out which cameras have the best sensors? I mostly photograph my active children, so I'm looking forward to being able to use a faster shutter speed than the capability of my point and shoot. I plan to go into some stores and handle the cameras to help me decide. But then I'll probably find the best price online, right? Thanks for any info on DSLRs and fancy p&s cameras! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjc Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 as you said michele you do need to go into the store as handling the camera and seeing which one you feel most comfortable is important...i have alwasy been a canon girl as i think it just fits in my hand best and now since that is what i am used to i dont think i would switch... my dslr is a canon 7D and my point and shoot is canon 10 G but now they make the 11G... if you dont go with a dslr i would really recomend this g 11 for an advanced point and shoot...it allows you to shoot in other modes , like aperture preferred and manual...so you can get used to gettign out of auto...which btw if you do get an dslr you should learn how to do cause otherwise you may as well have a point and shoot...another great feature of the g 11 is that it has a flash shoe so you can attach your own flash and bounce flash etc... you will not be stuck with the on camera flash as your only source of flash... hope this helps give you a few ideas.... but as i said go into the camera store, find one with lots of inventory so that you can hold different cameras in your hand... and as for online ordering i usually go w b an h....they also can be very helpful on the phone when ordering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah in VA Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 To echo Bobbie, another plus for a Canon G10 or G11, if you decide to go for a hybrid, is that these cameras have the ability to shoot in RAW. The only Canon point & shoots that I know of that do. As you know from Lewisburg, I have a Canon T1i, my first DSLR and I love it. Mainly because I have other Canons before (especially the S5 IS - Canon still makes this, up to an S20, I think) and I was used to the placement of the buttons and the menus. The Canon S series will also accept some interchangeable lens made especially for this series. I have them and I'm quite pleased with the results I get. And I still use this camera a lot! So what I just said suggests that you try a Sony DSLR, since you are familiar with Sonys. Margot has a Sony and could be a great source of information for you. I was especially impressed when Margot told me that the Sonys have the Image Stablization in the Camera, not the lens! Which for fast moving children, might really be a factor. Another main thing about fast moving children is that you need a camera and/or lens with a very large Aperture so you can have a very fast shutter speed to catch all those wiggly moments. But all cameras have a lens with a large Aperture - the 50mm f/1.8 for instance. Go into the stores, look, ask questions, hold and use the cameras. And most of all - have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjc Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 as you said michele you do need to go into the store as handling the camera and seeing which one you feel most comfortable is important...i have alwasy been a canon girl as i think it just fits in my hand best and now since that is what i am used to i dont think i would switch... my dslr is a canon 7D and my point and shoot is canon 10 G but now they make the 11G... if you dont go with a dslr i would really recomend this g 11 for an advanced point and shoot...it allows you to shoot in other modes , like aperture preferred and manual...so you can get used to gettign out of auto...which btw if you do get an dslr you should learn how to do cause otherwise you may as well have a point and shoot...another great feature of the g 11 is that it has a flash shoe so you can attach your own flash and bounce flash etc... you will not be stuck with the on camera flash as your only source of flash... hope this helps give you a few ideas.... but as i said go into the camera store, find one with lots of inventory so that you can hold different cameras in your hand... and as for online ordering i usually go w b an h....they also can be very helpful on the phone when ordering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Arell Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 I would definitely go into the store and handle all the cameras and see what feels good in your hands - you've gotten some good advice here already - I have a Canon Rebel Xti and I absolutely love it - it has all the bells and whistles plus some - I also have 2 Nikon point and shoots and I love both of them - I keep one of them with me at all times. My daughter in law just got a new Nikon point and shoot and it has the touch screen on it and I played around with it today and absolutely loved it - thinking I may have to add a third point and shoot to my camera family! Really, one of my point and shoot cameras I gave to my dh to use on the job because that's all he can or wants to do with a camera is - POINT AND SHOOT! I've gotten some great pictures with my little point and shoots - had them long before I had my Canon Rebel - it is a wonderful camera, and I love it, but it took me several tries of holding different cameras in the store before I decided on it - I like the way it feels - and I like the way I can access everything on it - it's complicated camera-wise but Canon makes it easy to learn and use - at least that's what I found. You've gotten some good advice from some real pro's already - my one piece of advice is just go to the store and don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions as you hold and play around with each camera you might be interested in - make sure you get a clerk who knows their stuff when it comes to cameras though - it makes a world of difference and if you don't think the clerk who is helping you knows ALL about the cameras, don't be afraid to ask to talk to another clerk who does! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosemaryS Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 I would go to a camera store as well, Michele, but I would also not make any hurried decisions. Try the cameras out, make sure you are going to a reputable camera store where the employees are actually knowledgable about the lenses you are interested in. Your camera and the lens(es) that you get will be expensive with a dslr, and you need to know how you are going to use the camera, as well as know if you're going to use the features it has. More important than mega pixels are the lenses that you use on your camera... fast glass will come in handy when you need to shoot active kids so as Bobbie and Sarah in VA have said, you'll need to find a lens that has a wider apterture to let in more light because shutter speed will be faster... You can find lenses in all different ranges of cost and while more expensive lenses are usually better (there's a reason they are more expensive), you can find some wonderful lenses that are great to use and not as pricey.... Not all cameras come with flashes either, and you'll have better control if you have a camera with a hot shoe, or in other words you can add your own flash to it, rather than using the one that came with the camera if it has one already. If you're buying a camera, chances are you will be buying more than one lens for it down the road. Make sure you want to stay with that brand because if you want to upgrade your camera in the future you want to make sure they will fit on the new camera, or you will end up rebuying lenses and that will get really expensive... you can resell lenses but you won't usually get near what they're worth unless you have the better lenses, and even then you won't get everything you put into it. You can also look on sites like B & H (this is where I got my camera from as well as most of my lenses) and P.O.T.N. (Photography on the Net - this is a forum for Canon users and is very helpful) for used cameras and lenses as another option. Be very careful buying online, but these two as well as a few others are okay to buy from...any company that tells you you need to get an upgrade cf or sd card is probably trying to take advantage of you. Camera companys won't sell you a camera with a card that won't work in it. But you'd be surprised at how many camera places will try that on a newbie to higher end cameras, and even point and shoots. If they do try it, thank them and tell them you want to think about it some more, leave, and report them to the camera company you are looking at. ( I think P.O.T.N. has information they upgrade, as new information comes available that lists bad companies and who to look out for) I love my canon cameras and would never switch... They fit my hand well and take wonderful photos, but there are other companies that are equally as good with their cameras and lenses, it really does matter what features you are looking for, and how it feels to you. I hope this helps and please feel free to ask more questions as you think about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnie2004 Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 After going to the store Michelle chec out Ebay they have stores there and alot of them are physcial stores from NYC and places like that. Have fun buying your camera and be sure to let us all know what you get! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappinchar Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Hi. I was using a Sony Cybershot, as well. I wanted to upgrade before my new bundle arrives. I asked questions here, too. Looked online. Went into stores. lol I wound up buying a Nikon D5000. It has video, too. I decided to buy it in person at Wolf Camera so that I would feel comfortable going in and asking questions and getting hands-on help later on. Plus, they gave me (with the purchase) some videos and classes. I still have plenty to learn and play with...but I've been loving the camera...and the lenses I bought with it. Have fun shopping!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargotW Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Hi Michele! Here is my two cents worth! I have a Sony - higher end point & shoot. I have all the choices - manual, portrait, shutter & aperature priority etc. but no RAW or hot shoe for an external flash. This camera takes great pics and I love it but I had a couple frustrations with it when shooting fast moving objects - my GD cheerleading, kids playing basketball, dogs playing etc. The zoom was controlled with a switch and too slow for me. The slight shutter delay caused me to lose some shots. The macro was great and overall a great camera! I purchased a Sony A300 for a couple of reasons (I always used Nikon film cameras) the stabilization is in the body rather than the lens and it has a live view with the tilt screen if I want to use it. I can shoot RAW and JPEG at the same time. The photos I have shot are almost spot on with the white balance. Even if you never take the camera off Auto, I would still go with the DSRL. You will be able to control the zoom manually and get a faster shutter response. (OK, maybe I'm a bit of a control freak! lol) I purchased the external flash which I am just learning to use - Bobbie inspired me at our weekend and I got the LumiQuest diffuser she used. My son in CA got a Canon which he is pretty happy with. It felt a little better in my hands but it didn't have the features above. Plus, I already had my SONY so I had better be happy with my choice! LOL HTH - let me know which camera you decide on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Arell Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Yes, Michele - we are all anxious to know on which camera you decide - so be sure and let us know - you've gotten lots of advice here - hope we haven't bombarded you with too much information but I think when it comes to making a purchase like this, one needs all the advice and help one can get. And I think you have gotten some good pointers here from some members who certainly know their cameras! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reminiscing Posted May 10, 2010 Author Share Posted May 10, 2010 I appreciate all your input and I am taking notes! It will be several months before I get my camera though, probably. It'll be my birthday/Xmas/Valentines present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DeeMac Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Hi. I was using a Sony Cybershot, as well. I wanted to upgrade before my new bundle arrives. I asked questions here, too. Looked online. Went into stores. lol I wound up buying a Nikon D5000. It has video, too. I decided to buy it in person at Wolf Camera so that I would feel comfortable going in and asking questions and getting hands-on help later on. Plus, they gave me (with the purchase) some videos and classes. I still have plenty to learn and play with...but I've been loving the camera...and the lenses I bought with it. Have fun shopping!!! It's so exciting shopping for a DSLR! It seems that there are Canon lovers and Nikon lovers....I happen to be the latter, altho I feel that both brands are equally as good. I recently bought a Nikon D5000 and like it very much. The menu is so simple to follow and it has many other attributes I enjoy very much. As for an SLR vs P&S.....I feel like it's a no brainer for me because I shoot my grandkids a lot and for me, the shutter lag in the P&S frustrated me to no end. I had a good Canon SX10 P&S that was an excellent camera, but I just wasn't happy, so I recently sold it and put the money toward a macro lens for my D5000. I am buying my more expensive stuff from the local Camera Center because their prices are competitive and they give me very personal service and are always happy to answer my frequent questions since I am pretty much a beginner photographer. Best wishes to you on your journey researching....enjoy the process! To other D5000 owners out there, maybe we could get a thread going about the D5000 as we learn to use it. Have a great day. It's beautiful, altho cool, in South Central PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosemaryS Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 I would still start looking at cameras now Michele, it's not too early by any means. The more you research the more questions you are likely to have. The shutter speed on your camera has a lot to do with the lens you choose for your camera. I would caution about buying from ebay or sites online that you don't know anything about... again there are a lot of companies that don't have experienced people who know what they're talking about and just because it's hard to go back for satisfaction if something goes wrong. Not to mention again the things I stated above. With such an investment, you want support if there is a problem or you have questions about your camera and lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Arell Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 I would agree with that - I did a lot of research online when looking for my telephoto lens - and when I was ready to buy went to Staples and they ordered it so I could actually put it on my camera and hold it to get the feel of it - and like Rosemary said, the online sites advertisements sound great but if something goes wrong, you could be stuck with a piece of equipment that you can't get any help with because the service just isn't there - it's like - once you've bought it from them, they are done with you. Not all sites are like this, but many are. I just don't think that one can just order any camera without holding it in their hands and getting the feel of it with every lens they want to use - my point and shoot stays in my pocketbook all the time and I can't tell you how many times it has come in handy when I didn't have my Canon Rebel Xti with me - and while it is so not the same as using my Canon, it takes a decent picture and I feel comfortable just knowing I have a camera with me all the time. Anyway, you've had lots of good advice - and I agree with Rosemary that I would start looking now - just to give yourself plenty of time to see and feel all the selections that are out there - by the time you get your camera you will feel completely comfortable and knowledgeable with your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelAD Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Hello Michelle, I am studying photography and will be starting my 2nd course at www.PhotoManhattan.com in the Fall. I had bought a Nikon D60 2yrs ago and it is a great camera for people going from a point & shoot to learn DSLR but unfortunately they discontinued this camera but you can still buy it if you search plus there are also other beginner DSLR cameras like the Nikon D90 that has Video. Here's the thing now that I have learned alot more about DSLR cameras and what field I like shooting which is sports the Nikon D60 has it's limitations with the Kelvin Temperature, etc...and my dream is to hopefully have one day the Nikon D700 but it will cost me $5,000 that I don't have though I hear they are coming out with an upgrade which is the Nikon D700s which I believe has video... I take alot of free workshops at B&H in Manhattan, NY (Main Site) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ Events Space Link http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/EventSpace.jsp and alot of professional photographers that have shot the 2010 Olympics game and other various things say that they have used Canon & Nikon and they all say that the Nikon is a better camera. What you need to look for in a camera... 1 - What is it that you want to shoot? 2 - If it's portraiture then you will need additional lighting accessories and books on portraiture and lighting. 3 - Also a major factor is the lens for there are different lenses for different subjects. Shooting at 85mm is great for Portraiture. Also the aperture on the lens the bigger the aperture say f 2.8 makes the lens or say it's like your pupil when your in light and you see your pupil get smaller so that means your eye is letting more light in which is like the aperture that is letting more light into the lens. 4 - A camera that has a high ISO preferably 3200 but I am looking at the Nikon D700 Full Frame camera that has an ISO of 6400 for I shoot night time football school games. The higher the ISO on a camera the less noise/grain depending on the Manufacture the Nikon is good at high ISO. 5 - A good memory card is a big factor the more memory the better, Sandisk is a great card. Here is something I learned last year at one of B&H workshops Intro to DSLRs... Important Features of a Camera... LCD Screen Size Live View Self Cleaning Sensor Built in Image Stabilizer - the Nikon lenses has the Image Stabilizer on their lenses and you can shut it off. Auto Focus Sensors - the Nikon has the Auto Focus Sensor on their lenses and you can put it in manual mode. Frames Per Second Low Light Sensitivity Metering System Durability Ability to Shoot RAW & JPEG Capabilities and there are some that even has Tiff along with RAW & JPEG Go to B&H online link and look at the DSLRs and look at peoples reviews another place is to look at Amazon's Reviews when you type in the camera model but I would not buy from Amazon. B&H is a high reputable big store and they have an online instant message is you have any questions. For me B&H is like walking into a big candy store and I can spend hours looking at all the things they got it's not like Best Buy or Walmart, etc... they are very reputable and they get alot of major companies that come there as well as alot of famous photographers and also people that give workshops in photoshop, video, etc... My suggestion if you have a good photo store that when you go to the counter and they know all about the camera they are selling then you are in the right place. B&H has that I look at a camera and they tell you all about the camera for they have the opportunity to take the cameras and use them and then be able to tell the customers. Write down your list and then as they are answering your questions write down their answers and then go home look at your answers and also google reviews on the camera and take it from there. Have fun! HUGS. Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Arell Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Hello Michelle, I am studying photography and will be starting my 2nd course at www.PhotoManhattan.com in the Fall. I had bought a Nikon D60 2yrs ago and it is a great camera for people going from a point & shoot to learn DSLR but unfortunately they discontinued this camera but you can still buy it if you search plus there are also other beginner DSLR cameras like the Nikon D90 that has Video. Here's the thing now that I have learned alot more about DSLR cameras and what field I like shooting which is sports the Nikon D60 has it's limitations with the Kelvin Temperature, etc...and my dream is to hopefully have one day the Nikon D700 but it will cost me $5,000 that I don't have though I hear they are coming out with an upgrade which is the Nikon D700s which I believe has video... I take alot of free workshops at B&H in Manhattan, NY (Main Site) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ Events Space Link http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/EventSpace.jsp and alot of professional photographers that have shot the 2010 Olympics game and other various things say that they have used Canon & Nikon and they all say that the Nikon is a better camera. What you need to look for in a camera... 1 - What is it that you want to shoot? 2 - If it's portraiture then you will need additional lighting accessories and books on portraiture and lighting. 3 - Also a major factor is the lens for there are different lenses for different subjects. Shooting at 85mm is great for Portraiture. Also the aperture on the lens the bigger the aperture say f 2.8 makes the lens or say it's like your pupil when your in light and you see your pupil get smaller so that means your eye is letting more light in which is like the aperture that is letting more light into the lens. 4 - A camera that has a high ISO preferably 3200 but I am looking at the Nikon D700 Full Frame camera that has an ISO of 6400 for I shoot night time football school games. The higher the ISO on a camera the less noise/grain depending on the Manufacture the Nikon is good at high ISO. 5 - A good memory card is a big factor the more memory the better, Sandisk is a great card. Here is something I learned last year at one of B&H workshops Intro to DSLRs... Important Features of a Camera... LCD Screen Size Live View Self Cleaning Sensor Built in Image Stabilizer - the Nikon lenses has the Image Stabilizer on their lenses and you can shut it off. Auto Focus Sensors - the Nikon has the Auto Focus Sensor on their lenses and you can put it in manual mode. Frames Per Second Low Light Sensitivity Metering System Durability Ability to Shoot RAW & JPEG Capabilities and there are some that even has Tiff along with RAW & JPEG Go to B&H online link and look at the DSLRs and look at peoples reviews another place is to look at Amazon's Reviews when you type in the camera model but I would not buy from Amazon. B&H is a high reputable big store and they have an online instant message is you have any questions. For me B&H is like walking into a big candy store and I can spend hours looking at all the things they got it's not like Best Buy or Walmart, etc... they are very reputable and they get alot of major companies that come there as well as alot of famous photographers and also people that give workshops in photoshop, video, etc... My suggestion if you have a good photo store that when you go to the counter and they know all about the camera they are selling then you are in the right place. B&H has that I look at a camera and they tell you all about the camera for they have the opportunity to take the cameras and use them and then be able to tell the customers. Write down your list and then as they are answering your questions write down their answers and then go home look at your answers and also google reviews on the camera and take it from there. Have fun! HUGS. Andrea Andrea, The information you gave here is so helpful. Thank you so much for sharing it. I learned a few things reading your post of which I was not aware - I shoot with a Canon Rebel XTi and it is great - has all the features about which you spoke and so far, so good - I also have a couple of point and shoots, which are Nikon cameras and carry one with me all the time - they take some pretty awesome pictures too and are always on hand if I need them when not carrying my big camera bag around with me. You have given us some very good pointers here and i, for one, appreciate that you took the time to write all of these great tips. Thank you so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnie2004 Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 I would still start looking at cameras now Michele, it's not too early by any means. The more you research the more questions you are likely to have. The shutter speed on your camera has a lot to do with the lens you choose for your camera. I would caution about buying from ebay or sites online that you don't know anything about... again there are a lot of companies that don't have experienced people who know what they're talking about and just because it's hard to go back for satisfaction if something goes wrong. Not to mention again the things I stated above. With such an investment, you want support if there is a problem or you have questions about your camera and lenses. I have bought alot of my stuff from Ebay. I have spoken to actual stores that are in NYC and surrounding areas and have been more than satisfied with my purchases. I have recieved nothing but 100% satisfaction from any people I have dealt with. My daughter bought her camera from a online store from Ebay recieved in less time than quoted 100% satisfied and I have no complaints about them. Don't worry really about shopping from Ebay. You can always do a BBB search to see how legit they really are. Halleys camera was also warrentied from Canon so ........I am not sure what else I can say every dollar you save is a dollar more in your pocket!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorie Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 I like having a larger optical range! Here is something I recently got in my emails and thought it might be interesting (or more confusing?!), it was nice to see what was being talked about via a video of newer cameras in the market. Hope this is OK to post...Digital Cameras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reminiscing Posted May 16, 2010 Author Share Posted May 16, 2010 Glorie, that link went to a Google page inviting me to try out something new called "Buzz." I'd like to see the digital camera page you meant to share, if I can. Thanks! I'll check out Ebay as well as local camera stores and B & H online and Amazon. I have ordered many many times from Ebay and only had one disappointing order, but even that I was able to send back and get a refund (even though she sent me an angry letter). Amazon has been very generous about fixing mistakes. I have lots of time to research, so I can look everywhere I know about. Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas and advice. It all helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorie Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 Glorie, that link went to a Google page inviting me to try out something new called "Buzz." I'd like to see the digital camera page you meant to share, if I can. Thanks! I'll check out Ebay as well as local camera stores and B & H online and Amazon. I have ordered many many times from Ebay and only had one disappointing order, but even that I was able to send back and get a refund (even though she sent me an angry letter). Amazon has been very generous about fixing mistakes. I have lots of time to research, so I can look everywhere I know about. Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas and advice. It all helps! Sorry, it didn't go there for me but, this may be a better link...New link for digital cameras We have a couple of Sony's and one Canon and when testing them under similar lighting situations, the Sony's beat the Canon! I was very surprised because I keep hearing and seeing more Canon's out there than Sony's. I was really checking it out to show my DH that I needed a new camera, but, I guess I don't. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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