help me choose a Camera.

[Joel]

hi guys! im a newbie to photography. i have been taking photos for about an year now with borrowed cameras [D3100, 60D] and i think it's high time for me buy one for myself.

i love low light photography. and i'm into concert/ event photography. i need a camera that does well in low light especially without flash and a lens that captures fast moving subjects.
my budget is around $2000.

it would be great if you guys could recommend a good camera of any brand.

thank ya!

[Greg McCary]

Personal for that money I would get the Sony a77. I think it comes with one of the best kit lenses you can get. If you are a Nikon guy the D7000 is king of prosumer image quality and if you get a Canon a 7D. I have the a77 and more than happy with it and since I can use old Minolta lenses on it a have many options for affordable lenses. The a77 has the electronic view finder and is a technical marvel

[Joel]

Personal for that money I would get the Sony a77. I think it comes with one of the best kit lenses you can get. If you are a Nikon guy the D7000 is king of prosumer image quality and if you get a Canon a 7D. I have the a77 and more than happy with it and since I can use old Minolta lenses on it a have many options for affordable lenses. The a77 has the electronic view finder and is a technical marvel

thank you so much Greg for the Tip! i totally agree with you. Sony is so underrated and has always been overshadowed by Nikon and Canon. will defiantly check out the a77.

:thumbsup:

[volks]

Check out the Nikon D7000 as well.
I have been very pleased with mine.
Good luck with your decision.

[Anbesol]

May also be worth checking out the Olympus OM-D, with adapter, you could attach older manual focus lens. For low light, a fast fixed manual focus prime is a useful tool to have. Same with any micro four thirds and NEX system. The Fuji X-Pro 1 is a phenomenal piece of equipment, but pushes the budget a bit and has limited AF gear.

DSLR will have greater autofocus capabilities though, but only if you have a fast lens with it. The A77 kit has a fast 16-50 f/2.8 zoom lens for $2k, but should still be supplemented by a faster fixed lens.

The most important thing for you to do in order to accomplish your goal is to get a fast lens at the right focal angle for you. Aside from that, you could pick the "worst" camera now and still be better with a fast lens. What focal angle depends on what you want to shoot, what do you intend on shooting as fast action/low light?

[mattb]

Hard to go wrong with modern dSLRs these days. As mentioned the lens will probably make the biggest difference if you are buying a new body with good high ISO support.
I have a Pentax K-5 that I got for about $1000 (body only) which leaves you about $1000 to spend on a nice lens or two. Like all the other new cameras the K-5 has good low light performance that gets better with a fast lens.
If you want to be inconspicuous, the K-5 is one of the smallest pro (ish) bodies. It's also weather sealed which can come in handy if you like shooting outdoors too.
For your needs, I'd look at the Pentax 50-135 2.8 but that kills the budget by about $500.
For less money the Sigma 50-200 2.8 or Tamron 70-200 2.8 are also both considered to be high performers and would also fit your budget.
I'm assuming you would want the reach these longer lenses provide for concerts, but if shorter works well enough these same manufacturers have similar wider options too.
I shoot more with wider lenses and the concerts I'm likely to shoot are in smaller clubs so a Tamron 28-75 2.8 is long enough for most concert shooting I'm likely to do.
For the darkest situations I have a vintage manual focus fast fifty (Pentax A 50mm 1.7) that I picked up for next to nothing on eBay. That lens is a great value!

Good luck and happy shopping!

[Anbesol]

Worth mentioning, that ALL bodies now have great high ISO performance, all superior to the best of the worlds ISO 5 years ago. To scrutinize the differences of quality at 12800 + gets quite pedantic. The fast lens will open up much more than any difference in noise gain on modern sensors. If low-light autofocus is important, should stick with DSLR.

But yes indeed, matt's suggestion is a pretty solid choice too. The tamron 28-75 f/2.8 is the gem for cost efficiency, but 28 can be kind of narrow a starting focal angle for many. Perfect for me, some may prefer 24mm or less start (17-50 f/2.8 option)

[Joel]

wow thanks a lot guys... really appreciate your tips... well i still haven't bought a DSLR but got the opportunity to play with the D7000. also got my hands on a magnanimous 5D II.. which is a bit out of reach for me at the moment..

[Joel]

May also be worth checking out the Olympus OM-D, with adapter, you could attach older manual focus lens. For low light, a fast fixed manual focus prime is a useful tool to have. Same with any micro four thirds and NEX system. The Fuji X-Pro 1 is a phenomenal piece of equipment, but pushes the budget a bit and has limited AF gear.

DSLR will have greater autofocus capabilities though, but only if you have a fast lens with it. The A77 kit has a fast 16-50 f/2.8 zoom lens for $2k, but should still be supplemented by a faster fixed lens.

The most important thing for you to do in order to accomplish your goal is to get a fast lens at the right focal angle for you. Aside from that, you could pick the "worst" camera now and still be better with a fast lens. What focal angle depends on what you want to shoot, what do you intend on shooting as fast action/low light?

mainly metal gigs.. concerts... at times im ok with the 18-55 at times i need more zoom..

[Joel]

Check out the Nikon D7000 as well.
I have been very pleased with mine.
Good luck with your decision.

yap and im loving it!!!

[Greg McCary]

For concerts I think I would stay away from Olympus as the high ISO will suffer. Also with stage lighting I think dynamic range would be important and flaring issues. I am convinced that the smaller the sensor the more flaring issues you will have. I compared DXO marks for weeks before I went to Sony. I just think you get a lot of bang for your buck with them.

[Al Arafat]

What kind of camera do you want ?Detail please...what type of camera do you want SLR, DSLR
So i think lens is important thing to choose a camera ,
I think Nikon D7000,Nikon D3200, Canon EOS 50D ,Canon EOS 30D those are SLR,and make good sounds .

[frizby66]

For what its worth, I spoke with a couple of professionals and they all said the same thing, Nikon's are great if your experienced, Canon's are great if your a newbie. They said a Canon will give you great results from day one, but the Nikon will give you outstanding results...eventually!

I got a Canon 600D...newbie

[Geoff I]

First of whole I would not ask for advice on a forum because folks are so biased to the camera and equipment they shoot with, I would go along to your local camera store and pick up various models of camera and try them in store, get a good feel for the camera and see what is comfortable in your hands, after picking a good camera it is down to the lens to go with the camera, talk to the guy in the store he will probably put a lens on the camera for you to try and shoot a couple of shots off, remember the camera store wants your cash and I am sure they will be more than happy to help.

Nikon and Canon are great cameras and the price range is there to fit your budget so good luck with your purchase.

[Anbesol]

First of whole I would not ask for advice on a forum because folks are so biased to the camera and equipment they shoot with,

lol, not exactly. If you have specific questions, this forum is great about answering. But, if the question is, "which brand is better", then the question already presupposes the silliness that must ensue. Point being, this is a great place to ask questions. Ask specific ones which are a little more than "which is better x or y".

I find it strange that you start out by saying that, then follow by giving a blanket endorsement to all Canon/Nikon gear;

[maveric]

Hi Folks,
I'm looking forward buying a new camera upgrading from my point to point camera to a DSLR. I have shortlisted Canon EOS series. First question, Is there any difference between EOS 550D and EOS Rebel T2i both seems to be same in features I think former is the Indian version and the other is US version. My Plan is to get the Body and lens separately. I have two choices EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS and EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, as a beginner which one would be better. I'm a frequent traveler so my requirement would be a lens with good focal length and avoid carrying multiple lens. If I consider these two lens Is it worth spending more and getting a EF-S 18-200mm than EF-S 18-135mm. I may not be able to buy another one in near future budget . As a professional photographer what would you suggest? If I'm wrong could you please suggest me a good bundle.

[masjojon]

I was greatly helped by the existence of this threat ...

[MotorToad]

I'd look your local craigslist over for a used body a generation or two old and spend on lenses. 40D, 50D, or D300.

I almost went with Nikon because my brother shoots that and has a nice lens or two for borrowing, but *everyone* else I know shoots Canon so I went that route. That's the only legitimate reason I can think of for choosing one brand over the other.