Help Choosing a Digital SLR

- Do you like to work with the computer and Photoshop?
- How large do you want to print on a more regular basis?
- Do you plan to use a solid tripod and carry it more often than not?
- What kind of subjects do you like to photograph?
- How important is photography to you?
- Of course the budget is important too. Buying a camera and a few lenses is not all!

Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen,

I'm a kind of newb to photography but have been taking pictures here and there for a couple of years. I really don't know any of the terminology, but I'd really like to do more in photography. So, let me answer the above questions in order:

- Yes, computers are no problem for me.
- Normally medium 8.5" x 11" sizes, but I'd like to be able to blow them up to much larger dimensions if need be, like 16"?
- I'm not sure what a "solid" tripod is, but I like using monopods
- Sports like: baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, etc. in day or night. But I'd also like to be able to do scenic shots during the day or night (like large overviews of the new city I live in from atop hills)
- Not greatly important, but a hobby I'd like to learn and develop and become profeccient at.
- My budget right now is about $1,000 to $1,500 for a camera body, small, and large lens.

My family likes to go Sony and for the past year and a half or so I've been able to use the Sony Alpha 100 with the 17-55mm and 75-300mm lens.

Thanks for any advice you can give me...and if there's something outside of my budget but would be a great camera for my specifications please don't hesitate to suggest that one too.

Cheers,

-Dirk

There is nothing wrong with the Sony A100. Did you like the feel of it when you held it? Did you like the quality of the lenses?

You can buy into any of the major brands of DSLR for the budget you are considering. Go try them out in a camera store.

If I was in your shoes with your budget I would get the Pentax 100 Super, the SMC P DA 16-45 F4.0 ED/AL and the SMC P DA 50-200 F4.0-5.6 ED. This is a better setup than the 18-55 kit lens which is an OK lens but does have some problems with chromatic aberration, at least mine does.

The 100 super is fine for a beginner with lots of room for advancement and it has image stabilization and weather seals to help keep the dust out.

If you had the extra $$ I'd suggest getting the same focal range in the DA* series. That is a nice set of lenses. Even more outside the budget would be the K10D. I have to warn you though it's not a camera for someone delving into DSLR for the first time.

There are similar packages to be had in Canon and Nikon. Just go try some bodies out and see which you like better.

Welcome to PR, Dirk.

First, the list of questions you put at the top of your post are irrelevant to whether you want to get a DSLR (except the budget question).

What is going to be most important is how the camera feels in your hands. Too big or too small, and it won't be comfortable to use. I didn't pay much attention to this when I bought my RebelXT, and I ended up spending extra to get a battery grip because my hands are too big to use the camera comfortably.

As Cyberlord said, the other important thing is lens quality. Some lenses come with plastic mounts, and other lenses feel like they were built cheaply or with low-quality materials. Whatever you do, read the review section on this site and others to get an idea of what to avoid.

If you are going to shoot a lot of sports, in low light you will need a fast zoom. Most kit zooms will disappoint you for shooting sports. You need a F/2.8. They are not cheap but I think most F/4s are just to slow. I would also look hard at image stabalization. It would help a bunch shooting in low light.

Good point Greg, I missed the sports part. In bright sunlight right next to the field the f4s work fine, albeit a little slow focusing sometimes. At least my Tamron 75-300 is. It works and I have photos to prove it, but I would enjoy a faster lens with faster focusing speeds.

At night under stadium lights the F4s don't cut it. A fast 2.8 or less prime would be better but expensive.