Hey! I thought y’all would be great to ask for opinions on camera options. The blog world seems to be divided into 2 categories:
Nikon lovers
and
Canon Rebel lovers
If you have a fancy DSLR camera, what kind do you have?
Tell me what you love about yours. I’m in the market to upgrade to an entry level DSLR (not a high-end one!) and would love to hear what you have, why you like it or just some suggestions on what to look for.
I’m a complete novice when it comes to DSLR, but I think it might be time to upgrade from my Canon Powershot, which has served me well for 2 years. I know enough to know that photography can be an expensive hobby and I don’t want to go Pro, just want to improve my photos and have fun with it, since blogging is SO much about good pics.
Lens upgrade: I also know that investing in a good lens upgrade is crucial too (and hear that the lens is MORE important than the camera), so I’d love to hear all about lens options and why you like them. If I do only get one lens upgrade, which one should it be? I’m saving my pennies for this!
I’m leaning towards a Canon Rebel entry level (simply because a lot of my friends have them), but am not sure what the different variations mean on the end of the Rebel, like xsi or xst, so if you have any insight on that, I’d love to hear it.
I can read all sorts of reviews online, but I figure that YOU are the ones to ask. Those of you who love photography and have been using a DSLR are the best ones to share your knowledge. I will read every comment and try to digest it all. I want to be sure I’m making the BEST choice for me.
Let’s hear it, please!
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The giveaway winner for the Scotch-Brite cleaning products is lucky #10, Kelsey. Please send me your mailing address and I’ll get them out to you, hope you enjoy!
Kelsey April 18, 2010 at 7:15 pm
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Leslie says
I have a Nikon D60 and love it – easy to use. I wish I had a 50 mm lens to get the lower aperture and it’s def going to be my lens upgrade BUT it’s almost $500 to get that lens w/automatic focus for the Nikon D40 and D60. I think that same lens for the Canon Rebel is MUCH cheaper {but don’t quote me on that}. If I did it again, I would absolutely love another Nikon, but I would give the Canon Rebel, and the cost of upgraded lens, a good, hard look.
Calamity Anne says
I’m just waiting for the extra $$$ to get my dream camera. I’ve done all the leg work, and the winner is the Canon Rebel XSi!!!
Tami says
After much research my husband bought me a Canon Rebel XSi for our anniversary in March. I love it!!! I love the weight of it, how easy it is to use, how crisp the pictures are…so beautiful!! Would highly recommend the Canon Rebel XSi camera to anyone.
Jo says
I have a Canon Rebel and truly love it! The majority of the photos on my site are with it – while there take a moment to enter my jewelry giveaway – http://jos2ndact.blogspot.com/2010/04/blogaversary-and-giveaway.html
julie says
I am a rebel girl. I have been reading you blog for a couple of years now and we just moved from illinois 2 months ago. I was so excited to move because of the fun places on your blog. Thank you so much. Anyway, the walmart in Oneonta is remodeling and yesterday they had a lot of their canon and nikon cameras on clearance. You may want to call them. As far as classes, I am taking classes at Birmingham school of Photography and the teacher is unbelieveable. Paris is teaching us intro to photography in manual mode. They are one month classes and we meet 1 day a week for 3 hours. I think you would really enjoy her classes. Hope this helps. Thanks for the blog.
Jenny says
I am a Nikon girl and currently have the Nikon D90 and LOVE it. I upgraded from the D40x (which is now the D60/D5000?) primarily for lens reasons. Many of the lenses wouldn’t autofocus on the D40, so you had to be sure you bought a lens that would autofocus (for me, that’s important), and those that do autofocus are more expensive. With the D90, that is a non-issue since there is a motor within the camera and it isn’t required in the lens.
I have three lenses, a 50mm f/1.4, an 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 and a Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3. I absolutely love my 50mm as it gives me fantastic shots in low light – that is a big one for me. I get some really great shots of my kids with that lens, and I like that I don’t have to use a flash. An external flash is another great investment – gives a much softer effect than the standard camera flash.
I also want to add that some of the low light, “fast” lenses (35mm f/1.8 and the 50mm f/1.8) are quite reasonable – around $150 or so. A great price for a sweet lens. Hindsight, I think I would go with the 50mm f/1.8 vs. the 50mm f/1.4 since the 1.4 was a lot more expensive. But, it’s a great lens and I love it and get quite a lot of use out of it.
A great website to look at is http://www.dpreview.com. They have camera reviews, lens reviews and all sorts of different discussion groups. A lot of experts out there who really know their stuff. I got a lot of information from that group in making some of my camera/lens decisions.
Good luck!
Jenny
Sara @ Russet Street Reno says
I asked for and received a Canon Rebel XSi for Christmas and I am in love with this camera! My family purchased it from Amazon for under $600 and the 18-55 kit lens is still what I’m using now. I love being able to adjust the white balance but find that the auto white balance is usually right on. I love how easy this camera is to use, and most of the pictures I take without flash still turn out beautifully and look professional. I am looking into which lenses to upgrade to, but I’m pretty put off by the prices – anywhere from $150 to $1000 per lens! I will definitely be jotting down Pat’s amazing tips when I start my upgrades. I will be getting a tripod as she recommended, and I also am going to splurge on the Speedlite 220EX flash and the TC 80N3 camera remote control. What better way to take self portraits? ha!
I would definitely recommend the Canon Rebel XSi camera for entry-level DSLRers.
ps – Darby’s post on her XSi is really informative!
http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2009/03/its-a-canon/
Tanya says
I am a Nikon girl myself, but I would advise you to go with the Canon simply because you are already familiar with their products and you will have an instant support group if you have several friends who already have that camera. I would recommend going with the most you can afford instead of just starting at the bottom because it is all new to you. If not, you will get hooked and want to upgrade in no time. I have found dpreview.com to be very helpful also. I’m excited for you because I know once you take the plunge that you are going to love it.
anh says
i had the nikon d50 and loved it all the up to the day my shutter went out. i had it for 4 years or so and used need it everyday like it was my job to photograph things or ppl. but i am sooo wanting to try out a canon. but i have all the nikon lenses…
Marcia says
Hello. I just started following you blog.
I was making these same camera decisions not too long ago. I have a Canon and I love it! I have the 40D because Costco had it and a lens for a good price. I would love to have several lenses (a macro lens, a telephoto lens, and several more), but it is not in the budget. I have a 28-135 zoom lens with IS (image stabilizer). My advice is to get a lens like this. There are other ranges, like 18-300 and others. This kind of lens is considered a “walking around lens.” If you can only get one, get a zoom lens with a good range. With this you can shoot portraits, landscape, and many other things. Also, get IS. If you plan on shooting anything handheld (without tripod), IS is a must.
The BEST place online (and most reputable in my opinion) for all things related to cameras is B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
Also, I’m in Birmingham too. I took a class at Samford in their Samford after Sundown program. I plan to take several more. Here’s the link:
http://www4.samford.edu/sundown/index.html
Jessy says
Hi Rhoda!
Let me start off by saying that I have an affinity for Nikon, since I used to work at a camera store and know the ins and outs of that company; I support them over Canon any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
However. I’m a traitor. I have a Canon P&S, and a Nikon DSLR. Why Canon for the point and shoot? It had more options for me to customize, and yet, I can put it to auto and let my husband use it. The Nikon P&S’s are geared more towards geeky types, with the touchscreen and whatnots.
My Nikon though is definitely what I would support for DSLR. I have a D40, and while although it’s a little older now (Bought my baby in June 2007), it still exceeds my expectations. Primarily why I chose Nikon is I prefer the glass in the lenses, and the range of lenses I can upgrade to. My kit (Which was $550 three years ago at Wolf Camera) was the 18-55 and 55-200, and while the telephoto stays on the camera most often for shooting the candid kid shots, the shorter lens works excellent for wide-angle shots. The two lenses I would recommend for your type of work would be a shorter range (Like the 18-55 if you’re looking for cheapy, or the 18-105), and a 50mm. The 50 will grant you versatility to shoot people shots, and to get more depth on the treasures you find. Honestly, if you have a local camera shop nearby, drop in and hold them in your hands. That could make your decision as well. The Nikon has a slightly bigger body, and while it’s a little bit heavier, folks like me rejoice with our big hands and ability to easily hold it. The Rebel is a big smaller, and my long fingers can’t handle the small-ness.
Let us know which way you go! Happy camera shopping!
kristi says
Nikon! Best lenses…best camera. I took Angie Seaman’s photograhy online class (one of your sponsors) and she uses Nikon. Mine is a D60 which is perfect for beginners.
Jenny says
I haven’t used a Canon, but I love my Nikon D40! I believe it’s cheaper than the Canon. Mine came with 2 lenses for under $500 around Mother’s Day last year. This is a great time for sales.
TammyR says
My husband bought me a Nikon d90 last December for our anniversary. I am still learning how to use it, but I love it! I’ve had so much with it and I’m amazed at the pictures. He got mine at Best Buy and it came with two lenses. One is an 18-70 mm (I think) and the other is a zoom lens out to 200 mm. I use the 18-70 most of the time but I have used the zoom lens. I’m wanting a 50 mm lens. It’s on my list! I don’t think you can go wrong with Nikon or Canon. Since you’re in B’ham, go down to Wolf Camera Shop at Inverness Corners. They are really helpful in there and I’m sure they can give you some tips. They also offer classes.
Sabrina says
I finally talked my hubby into a “fancy” camera last summer and went with the Cannon Rebel Xsi for its awesome reviews, suggestions from family members and the price. The kit lens is ok and really got me started, but after reading a TON of self taught photography blogs, I begged for a 50mm/1.8 for Christmas. It changed my world…at least my photography world. Again, this is something many photography gals suggested to be your first post-kit lens purchase and they were spot on with that opinion. It takes awesome portraits and makes my crafts just pop. I still use the kit lens to get shots of rooms…sometimes you need that zoom out capability that you don’t have with a 50mm. Oh and the 50mm/1.8 is about $100. Best of luck with your purchase!
Brantley says
I was in your shoes about 6 months ago — shopping for a DSLR and debating between Nikon and Canon! I ended up with the Nikon D3000. This model is Nikon’s newest entry-level DSLR, just released in September 09. It has a great “beginner” mode, which was the ultimate selling point for me. I’m now to the point of experimenting with some of the manual settings. It came with 2 lenses: an 18-55 and a 55-200. I also purchased a 35mm f/1.8, which is what I use most often — great BOKEH — it stays on my camera body all the time unless I need to use the zoom function of one of the other lenses. I highly recommend shopping at a camera shop like Ritz or Wolf and “test driving” both the Nikon and Canon just to see which one “feels” best. I don’t think you can go wrong with either.
Lacy says
I just bought the Nikon D5000 3 weeks ago. I love it! I had originally planned to get the Cannon XSi however once in the store I discovered that it does not offer “Live View.” I need to have the instant gratification of seeing what I just took. The next model up (T1i) does offer this however it was much more expensive. I purchased mine at Best Buy and they offered the D5000 with 2 size lenses for a bundled price which was more in my price range! Hope this helps!
Sylvia says
Can’t wait to hear what you finally end up with as I too am in the market for EXACTLY what you are looking for.
I’ve heard that the Nikon lenses interchange for any Nikon camera whereas the Cannon ones are made for a specific model (haven’t confirmed this but have read it).
I’ll keep up with this post to see what the others have to say.
Biana says
I neither have a Nikon or a Canon. I have the Pentax k-x, and I’m really loving it. Most people automatically go for the Canon or Nikon, but I think the Pentax k-x is one of the best entry level D-SLR.
Rhoda says
Thanks to ALL of you for chiming in on this one. There is SO much to learn in the DSLR world & it’s all Greek to me right now, so I’m looking forward to reading up on it all and stopping by a couple of stores to actually hold them in my hand. I definitely will not buy anything that I haven’t touched and looked at in person. Then, I may buy online if I find a better deal there. It’s amazing what all there is to know about these cameras. Hearing all of you talk about the lenses has me scratching my head, but I’m sure that I’ll get it eventually.