While I was in LA I took some photos with my Sony Cybershot T7.
The Sony Cybershot is a nice little camera that fits easily into a pocket ie. it’s subtle.
Unfortunately its lens doesn’t exactly lend itself to more complex lighting scenarios and the zoom isn’t the best. While this is fine when you want to take simple snaps it’s really frustrating when you want to take shots of things like the bat mobile!
So can anyone recommend a digital SLR?
Choosing A Digital Camera?
I have had the Nikon D50 for six months now and love it. Fairly idiot proof and takes great shots
I’d recommend you get one of the entry level Canons Michele, say a 400D.
Go for the Canon. I have the 350d, precursor to the 400d, and is an excellent camera. A friend of mine got a Canon 400D from Pixmania.com and is very pleased with it. I got mine in Conns in Dublin and they offer great support and advice.
I am a Canon EOS 20D user but I’d say if you don’t have an existing range of lenses then go for the Nikon DSLR line. The D40 is amazing for the price and the D80 is just amazing period. If you can stretch then the D200 is a good bet.
Still, you can’t go wrong with the Canon EOS 400D either. I think they are a bit behind in the race with Nikon at this stage but for the average user it isn’t an issue.
Best thing to do is go to a camera shop that has both lines and fondle them all. Some people find the 400D too small in their hands while others love it. Some think the D80 has a better build feel to it than the 400D while it doesn’t matter to others.
Don’t pixel peep. Go for the camera that fits your hands and eyes best, the one that is ergonomically right for you. Image quality is 99% the same between these cameras.
Greetings. I know, me suggesting a digital camera! Go with it though.
The D40, D50 or D80 are really good camera’s from Nikon. I’ve helped with their technical support department recently and have been surprised at the amount of features these offer. The D40 is the newest to their line up and although has less features compared to the D50 it is compact, easy to u
se and versatile. The D50 has a lot of manual settings though so is great for catching pictures during live events. With external speed lights and a WLAN module, you’ll get pictures from this thing as sharp as from most other cameras. The Nikon SLR range also support other lenses. If your interested email me and I’ll go through more of their features.
My Girlfriend works with Nikon so she’ll be able to suggest a lot as well.
I loved my canon 350d – though it stopped working last nov, and im having problems with pixmania at the min (they cant seem to find it even though it was signed for). Other than that… I couldnt fault it. Im gonna get the 400d soon.
I’ve clocked up around 30,000 shots through my Nikon D70 and wouldn’t turn back, love Nikon hands down. Thought the EOS 300/350D at the same time were a bit of a let down, very flimsy to the feel of them. If you’re thinking Nikon, splash the grand or so and pick yourself up a Nikon D80. The core kit comes with an 18-70mm lens which is ideal for the majority of occasions. You can also pick one up with an 18-135mm lens which would almost save you in buying an additional lens for the greater distances.
Goes great with a MacBook Pro…. you buy at all while in LA?
Thanks for the recommendations so far 🙂
I don’t have any lenses at present…
Which online vendor gives the best “bang for my buck”? Is it pixmania?
Michele
PS: Ken – I didn’t buy anything in LA
With the weak dollar I would look at getting it from a State side shop. You just need to get a plug adapter and be aware of the warranty issues. Otherwise Pixmania is about the best this side of the Pond.
I bought my 20D from Pixmania and while they did screw the order up at first an email to the CEO of their parent company got the order sorted out. Previous to that I bought from the States.
Bought my own from the States as well, Cameta Camera is the store, have a big offering on eBay.
Ken / Paul
I’ve had a couple of bad experiences with eBay recently, so I’d prefer to deal with an actual shop. Any recommendations stateside?
Michele
bhphotovideo.com is reputable. I used Adorama.com and would personally not recommend them.
Just remember if paying by credit card your shipping and billing details need to be the same and when you pay they will ask you to fax or email a scan of the front and back of your credit card. They also won’t accept CC payments over a certain amount and instead you’ll have to do a bank transfer. But if you are sticking to an entry level DSLR and just the kit lens with some extra batteries and memory you should be under any limits.
Paul
That restriction is a bit of a pain, as I’m never at home during office hours!
Aren’t there any Irish online vendors?
Michele
An Irish online vendor would be great wouldn’t it…
Was thinking of getting one myself Michele and came across a good digital camera review site called Digital Photography Review.
Objective reviews of all cameras and very useful discussion forums on individual makes and models.
http://www.dpreview.com/
A Canon 350D/400D is a very nice starting point.
Hi Michele,
I recently faced a similar decision. There are three competitors in the field. The Canon eos 400D; a Nikon D40/70/80/etc; and the new Sony Alpha100. They are all much of a muchness; each offering fantastic image quality at really good prices. But there are some differences, and each will have its advantages and disadvantages – number of existing lenses, resolution, anti-shake, software, and so on – and one way of making a decision is to set a budget ceiling, and see which of them will have the features you want within the budget (a bit like buying a laptop or a car, really). Another – in many ways more important – matter, though, is how the camera feels in your hand. I was very impressed by the sony spec, and I’ve always liked the canons; but neither felt right when I checked them out in the shop. I used to have a Nikon F70 slr, and in the end I went with the Nikon D80 because it felt right. Paul Watson is right that you shouldn’t ‘pixel peep. Go for the camera that fits your hands and eyes best, the one that is ergonomically right for you’. Moreover, there is much in his advice that if you don’t have an existing range of lenses then go for the Nikon DSLR line, as there is an excellent range not only of Nikon/Zeiss but also of very good value Sigma lenses out there too.
Eoin
You’ve a very valid point. I suppose I need to find a decent camera shop and see what they have 🙂
Can anyone recommend one in Cork? (I’m not going to go into the centre of Dublin!)
Michele
Did you ever get a camera?
Phil
Yes 🙂
Didn’t you see my followup post?
M
ha – no sorry, I shall have to look for it.
Phil – It’s the pingback just above your first comment this evening 🙂
hmm… maybe i should pay a little more attention.