So many choices.. please help

Hello all :) I'm taking a photography course and I was given a list of cameras that would be okay for the course adn was wondering if you all could help me choose. right now I don't have a price range but was wondering what I should look for and reasons why I should pick one camera over another or if a company is bad to go with.

The list:

All Canon EOS DSLR Models
D30,D60,10D,20D,Digital Rebel,1D,1DS,1D-MkII,52
All Nikon DSLR models
D50,D70s,D200,D2Hs,D2X
Olympus E1 and Evolt E300 models

I can't really pick certain cameras because I really don't know whats good to have in a camera. Some features that she explained in class that I thought would be nice were
Autofeatures
Autoadvance
Change Shutter Speed
Mirror Lockup
Depth of Field

Sorry if some of these don't make sense I just wrote down what I thought it would mean for some of them :p
Could you guys help me please! :D
Thanks for reading and thanks to anyone that responds in advance :) I know its a long list lol

arg didnt mean to post twice.. thats not a good start

Although I'm not familiar with Olympus equipment, I have tested the other two brands and you can't go wrong, in general, with either (dedicated forums for these two lines are a testament to the loyalty of its users and performance of the equipment).

As for the specific models, you're covering the entire range and no one can pick one for you. The list of features you're looking for is available in all these models (except for the mirror lockup which tends to be reserved for the mid-line and up models).

For you as a beginner or student, I would recommend starting on the "lighter" end of the spectrum. At this point in your studies, you need to develop your technique and master the basics before trying to learn the operation of sophisticated equipment. Kind of like trying to buy an expensive scientific calculator without knowing how to do basic arithmetic.

Don't be sold on just the features. Most of the photos I post here were taken long ago on "simple" manual focus, 35mm film equipment.

Once your understand the basics, you can consider moving up a model or two. By that time, newer models will be available for you. Good luck and have fun with it.


Oh, I'm dying to ask: where in the world is Potato Isle?

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Originally Posted by bleet

Hello all :) I'm taking a photography course and I was given a list of cameras that would be okay for the course adn was wondering if you all could help me choose. right now I don't have a price range but was wondering what I should look for and reasons why I should pick one camera over another or if a company is bad to go with.

The list:

All Canon EOS DSLR Models
D30,D60,10D,20D,Digital Rebel,1D,1DS,1D-MkII,52
All Nikon DSLR models
D50,D70s,D200,D2Hs,D2X
Olympus E1 and Evolt E300 models

I can't really pick certain cameras because I really don't know whats good to have in a camera. Some features that she explained in class that I thought would be nice were
Autofeatures
Autoadvance
Change Shutter Speed
Mirror Lockup
Depth of Field

Sorry if some of these don't make sense I just wrote down what I thought it would mean for some of them :p
Could you guys help me please! :D
Thanks for reading and thanks to anyone that responds in advance :) I know its a long list lol

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Remember a camera is just a tool and any of the ones you mention would produce results that are good enough for your needs. In your position I would eliminate cameras with the following characteristics:

- less than 6MPix (could be a problem doing prints larger than 8x10 inches)
- out of production (technology moves fast & it's a shame not to use the latest)
- top line professional models (heavy & overkill for your needs)
- not made by the top 2 manufacturers

This reduces your list to: Nikon D50, D70S, D200 and Canon 350D, 5D, 20D/30D(*)

All of these cameras have the features you list except perhaps mirror lock-up. I have not used this feature recently - it enables you to swing the viewing mirror out of the way before taking the picture and release vibration. It's only useful with the camera on a tripod when you're doing macro photography (flowers, insects) or astrophotography (stars).

Best thing to do is take the things in your hands and see which you feel most at home with.

I know that cost is no object, but do bear in mind that you're going to need a couple of lenses at least plus at least one flashgun plus CF cards etc.

Charles
(* Perhaps more news about the Canon 30D tomorrow?)

I recently saw a D-30 for $300 at a used camera store. If money is an issue, that would be a good choice for a photography course. I had a D-30, and it took very nice photos, and has manual mode, Av mode, Tv mode and P mode. I could get a 16x20 print from it if I shot RAW.

thanks for the help guys :) I'm going to take a closer look at the companies and see what I come up with. I went to class today and it seems like most people have nikon/canon so I'll see what I can pick with those. I'm curious though, how much would a camera with mirror lock-up cost?

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Oh, I'm dying to ask: where in the world is Potato Isle?

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It's an Island far far away where the land is made up of potatoes for everyone to eat :p

There's a digital SLR guide on the site that might help you understand the features and issue a little better: http://www.photographyreview.com/dig...rguidecrx.aspx

You might also want to look at our 35mm SLR guide as it also has some good general SLR information: http://www.photographyreview.com/Learnguidesslrcrx.aspx

Last but not least, check the digital SLR reviews: http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...S_3127crx.aspx

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Originally Posted by Photo-John

There's a digital SLR guide on the site that might help you understand the features and issue a little better: http://www.photographyreview.com/dig...rguidecrx.aspx

You might also want to look at our 35mm SLR guide as it also has some good general SLR information: http://www.photographyreview.com/Learnguidesslrcrx.aspx

Last but not least, check the digital SLR reviews: http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...S_3127crx.aspx

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thx for the links! :) I was lookin for a review site to see what people thought about the cameras :)

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Originally Posted by Stephen Lutz

I recently saw a D-30 for $300 at a used camera store. If money is an issue, that would be a good choice for a photography course. I had a D-30, and it took very nice photos, and has manual mode, Av mode, Tv mode and P mode. I could get a 16x20 print from it if I shot RAW.

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I bought a used D30 recently on ebay, I paid a little more than $300, but it took a lot of waiting to find one for less than $350. Overall I'm happy with the camera, as far as taking pictures goes it has all the features a newer or higher end camera would have including mirror lockup, taking pictures is a fairly simple process, there is a shutter an aperture and focus, everything else is just there for convenience sake. The only differance I see between the D30 and say the newest 30D (confusing naming isn't it) is the number of megapixels, which for practical purposes isn't really a big deal. You can still print up to an 8x10 without any problems, let's be honest how many pictures do you plan on printing larger than 8x10? My only gripe is that the autofocus hunts more than I'd like, I find myself switching to manual focus mode more often than not, especially indoors or where there are heavy shadows outdoors, my Quantaray 70-300 doesn't seem to help the autofocus out, but even with a Canon 50mm f1.8 it hunts around a bit.

Nikon D50, D70S, D200 and Canon 350D, 5D, 20D/30D

I agree with Charles. Those are your best choices regarding price and features.

after reading reviews i like the D70s but i was wondering what is the main difference with the D70s and the D50? I read that the D70s takes clearer pictures but what is the main difference?

sry 2 bump but my assignment is due tuesday and I have to get camera really soon =)

Okay Bleet, if you decide to go with a Canon, I recommend either the 350D or the 20D. The 20D is better in every respect, but it's also more expensive, so let your budget decide.

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Originally Posted by bleet

after reading reviews i like the D70s but i was wondering what is the main difference with the D70s and the D50? I read that the D70s takes clearer pictures but what is the main difference?

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The D70s has more features that will come in handy if you want to get serious about it. I know you can get excellent results with a D50, but two things about that one: I don't believe that it has a depth of field preview button (check on this, but it is very useful) and it uses SD cards. Nothing wrong with SD cards, but you'll find that most DSLR's use Compact Flash cards and down the road you might be stuck with a bunch of SD cards you can't use with a new camera.

The D70s also had a huge price drop last weekend (4/2/06) so if you check the prices now versus when this thread was started, you'll see that there isn't much of a price difference anymore.

Two of the things on your list of features stand out to me. Auto Advance doesn't apply to a digital camera - only to film cameras (auto film advance). Mirror lockup is very rare with DSLR's. I'm not sure which ones have it, but be prepared to spend $3k or more on a body that does that. I've had it with film cameras but rarely used it. Handy in a few situations but not often for me, at least. Get a good camera body like a D70s and spend the rest of your money on good lenses - you'll have the lenses longer than you'll have the camera.