Posted on: 24-03-07 08:27:17
Any suggestios guys about a good SLR digital camera and the place to get it.. Most of them are very expensive and i was looking to get a second hand canon or nikon ???
Quote:
Originally posted by grdean2001
Any suggestios guys about a good SLR digital camera and the place to get it.. Most of them are very expensive and i was looking to get a second hand canon or nikon ???
Essentially there are three camera companies that are targeting and exploiting the "amateur consumer" segment in the Digital SLR market.
Canon:
http://www.downtowncamera.com/index.asp?mode=12&c=637230922007032431892193113901&cat=58&subcat=225
Nikon:
http://www.downtowncamera.com/index.asp?mode=12&c=637230922007032431892193113901&cat=58&subcat=226
Pentax:
http://www.downtowncamera.com/index.asp?mode=12&c=637230922007032431892193113901&cat=58&subcat=229
There are others as well like Fuji, Olympus, Sony, Samsung and Panasonic but they are not there yet in terms of market share but it is by no means reflective of their quality.
I own a Nikon D50 with a couple of lenses and an assortment of filters. I love the camera for what I do which is photography as a hobby.
To begin with, you need to know what your budget is. Pentax offers the least expensive Digital SLR camera ($649 with 18-55mm lens). They have an excellent array of lenses too. Again, Nikon and canon are right there for a little more ($750+ with 18-55mm lens).
Next, you need to know what are the features you need in you camera. Any camera with built-in dust reduction and image stabilization is going to cost you more. Most other features are common to entry-level DLSRs across all companies.
Your next item to consider would be the lenses. If you already own a film camera and some lenses that you might want to continue using then you might want to consider going with the same company. If not, then any entry level DSLR should be a good start. I like Nikon. They are better built and a little heavier than their Canon counterparts which seem like crappy, cheap plastic.
Finally, please visit a Henry's store (you don't have to buy there, they are expensive than other places like Aden Camera or Downtown Camera) and ask for cameras from each company. Feel them, take some pictures. Get a sense of how easy the features are accessible etc. For me, I loved the Nikon once I held it. Hated the Canon for the same reason.
Lookout for weekend flyers where Henrys and other companies have sales for camera body+ 2 lenses. Sometimes these are cool deals. They all do price matching.
Last but not the least:
DO NOT BUY CAMERAS IN FUTURE SHOP OR BEST BUY. Their sales people can talk about Salaam-e-ishq for hours but are not qualified to educate you on DSLRs!!!
Thanks, Raj.
In fact even I wanted to ask (you) the same question. Your pictures are great.
I have a Nikon FE-10 (with UV filter and other bells & whistles) but want to move to digital.
Compare Digital Cameras here. Good indepth reviews. If you have any other site like this then I would Love to know as well.
http://www.dpreview.com/
As said by someone - Budget will decide your purchase.
http://www.henrys.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PageDisplay?dest=frames.jsp¤cy=CAD&storeId=10001
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Mumbai Maazi Ladki ...
Please check forum link at jjmehta.com . You cant go wrong after that .
I think it would be hard to beat NIKON in SLRs . D 70 / D 50 / D 40.
Another good site is dpreview.com .
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Fido.
Perhaps a question you should ask yourself first is what you're planning to get out of a camera. I say this because I also had a film SLR but I wouldn't go back to one at present given my needs.
SLR lenses can be quite expensive. Look at the prices for fast lenses; they can go upwards of $1000 easily. Also carting around a bag of lenses is not a lot of fun.
The reason camera manufacturers want you to go SLR is because lenses are a cash cow for them. Once you buy your first Canon/Nikon/whatever you are locked into that manufacturer. Why do you suppose lens mounts are different for each manufacturer.
There are lots of good fixed lens cameras out there that also offer good picture taking ability along with manual control. Look at the Canon G7, Sony H9 (not yet out), Canon S3 IS etc. Also look through the various forums on dpreview and check out the photos taken by users with these cameras. I have been very impressed by them.
IMO, you might want to consider a camera with built-in IS. Canon and Nikon do not offer them. Pentax (or is it Olympus) does. Lenses with IS cost that much more. The 2nd tier manufacturers have to offer more features at the same price point to compete with the big boys. Might be a reason to actually choose something other than Canon or Nikon.
Anyway, hope you're not more confused by all this information!
Thanks Maharaj, Fido and Alex.
