What DSLR?

I took a couple of 35 mm black and white photography college courses. Now I want to buy a digital slr camera. Being a college student I don't have much cash. I was thinking about getting the lower end Canon eos 300d or saving a while longer for the Nikon d50. I want to shoot everything, including sports. What are you thoughts?

Brad

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Originally Posted by wragen22

I took a couple of 35 mm black and white photography college courses. Now I want to buy a digital slr camera. Being a college student I don't have much cash. I was thinking about getting the lower end Canon eos 300d or saving a while longer for the Nikon d50. I want to shoot everything, including sports. What are you thoughts?

Brad

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Hold on let's place each potential 6MPix DSLR buy in it's right context:

Canon 300D was released in August 2003 and has just been replaced by the D350 after selling a million. It's a bargain while stocks last. Only real drawback is it's speed to start up and do things - it was the last of the "slow" generation of DSLR's. Perhaps not the ideal camera for sports?

Nikon D70 was released in February 2004 and has just been replaced by the D70S after selling a million. It's also a bargain while stocks last. No real drawbacks - perhaps better for sports?

Nikon D50 is an economy version of the D70. Nobody's actually seen one yet. While it should start out at about the same price as the sold-off D70, there will be a kit with two lenses including a new 55-200 which would be useful for sports and might save you a few bucks.

I think that any of these would be good. Perhaps its better to go into your camera store and try out a 300D and a D70 and see which you prefer?

Charles

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Originally Posted by Franglais

Only real drawback is it's speed to start up and do things - it was the last of the "slow" generation of DSLR's. Perhaps not the ideal camera for sports?

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The startup speed has nothing to do with shutter lag or shutter speed. There is no difference for sports or otherwise. One drawback of the D70, XT, etc, is that they get their fast speed by always running, much like those "instant on" TVs. IMO, that drains the battery for a dubious return.

Thanks for the fast reply's. If any of you recommend other cameras as well go for it.

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Originally Posted by wragen22

Thanks for the fast reply's. If any of you recommend other cameras as well go for it.

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The two Rebels and the D70 are good choices. I would also look at the Pentax *ist line (three choices) or the Minolta 7D. I would ignore the Olympus with its small 4/3 sensor. The Nikon D50 has not been released yet and, if you have the money, the D70 or the almost the same D70S are probably better choices than the D50. This all assumes that you have no existing investment in lenses.

I don't know if any of these cameras really has a fast enough AF system for sports. You could zone-focus (focus on a spot and wait for the person/car/horse to get to that spot, then shoot) but that won't work with everything. I haven't used a D70 but the AF system that's in it is used in a lot of cameras, and experience with another body that has it, versus their higher end cameras, I'd say it's really not optimal - but can track something that moves predictably (like a car around a track) pretty well. I can't comment on Canon gear, no experience with it.

So with Nikon, there are a couple of choices. Like Charles said, the D70 is a good option. Matter of fact, the only real change with the D70s is a larger and supposedly better LCD screen. That's pretty minor, and all of the other changes can be downloaded by the user with a firmware upgrade that came out a month or so ago. It'll basically give you the same thing and save you some money. Another option with a better AF system is the older D1H. It's 2.74mp but has a very fast AF system, and can shoot something like 8fps. Handles like an F5, basically. That's a low resolution by today's standards but still useable. A used one on ebay is probably worth about as much as a new D70. It depends on what's important, getting the shot but not being able to make a highly detailed print the size of a garage door - or not getting the shot because the AF couldn't keep up. And it depends on where you're trying to go with photography. If just sports, I'd probably give a serious look at a D1H, but the D70 would be a better all-around camera.

http://www.keh.com/shop/product.cfm?...&crid=11301979
Heres a D 70 w/kit lens used for $ 899.
The camera settings are quick to adjust (most of them), and the flash sync speed, plus flash compensation even w/ built in flash is great.
I paid $970 for the same deal, and have never been dissappointed.
Mark.
EDIT
Just looked at B&H; same kit new $1049 - $100 rebate, $949.