Digital SLR?

[AZZenny]

I appreciate the eraseability and so on of digital cameras, but I grew up with my Dad's Nikon F and then got my own Nikon FM twenty years ago, so the quality of the photos I'm used to really took a plunge with my Pentax Digital -- nice camera, better shot quality than most of my friends' digitals, but -- just not the same. I really notice it in my photos from trips -- nothing worth framing, whereas in the past, I'd usually have at least a few that were really, really nice. I just don't want to haul that big, heavy old Nikon around.

I am merely a hobby photographer, however, nothing more. Landscapes, nature scenes -- So I am toying with the idea of getting a digital SLR -- but my initial reading sounds like to get one worth having, we're talking a minimum thousand bucks or so. Does anyone have one, or know anyone who does, and is the quality and control that much better at the lower end of digital SLR? (I am not going into the couple-thousand bucks or up professional range.)

And is this something that is likely to become substantially less expensive in the fairly near future -- like the next 6-12 months?

 

[Ryanwb]

This one just went on clearence at Walmart that I have been eyeing. I liked it at $650.00

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4898002

sorry forgot the link

 

[bratwurst]

I bought a Nikon D50 for my wife after our son was born because our digital compact point and shoot (canon e320 or something, can't remember exactly) would take forever when it needed to use the flash. By the time the picture was taken after you hit the button you missed the shot.

The D50 is great, I have absolutely no complaints about the image quality and my wife has taken close to 2000 pictures since I gave her the camera. I'm really glad we have a digital and not a film camera, believe me!

I had a Nikon N50 (film camera) so I only bought the digital camera body and the lens from the N50 worked fine. If you have a Nikon already check to see if your current lens will work. Is it an AF lens?

Also if you are only a hobbyist you probably don't need to go up to the D70 or higher levels. The D50 will work just fine. I've seen a lot of people buying the 70 that probably won't even use the extra features.

So you can save a little money if you only need the camera body, and also save by buying the 50 instead of the 70 level. Also, BEWARE of the shops that you find on the web that have prices that are outrageously lower than everyone else. Do your homework on the shops. Doing some forum searches of camera enthusiasts is very helpful to point you in the right places to find a reputable dealer that won't rip you off.

 

[AZZenny]

I was wondering if at least a couple of my Nikon lenses might fit -- I know one smaller AF lens almost for sure will -- one review I read said the tremendous lens availability for Nikons makes them often a much smarter deal than Canon, esp if you already have some lenses. I had started debating the D50 vs D70 vs. upcoming D80. Your insight is very helpful.

I've had very good luck using Ebay shops for electronic equipment in the past, so will probably start looking there.

 

[green machine]

I recently got the Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D...I like it alot, but KM gave up on cameras now so I am curious about support like firmware updates the the like. They sold their stuff to Sony, and, yeah...Sony.

 

[NMCard]

I got a canon d350 a few months ago. It takes a good picture. But I still need to learn how to use all of the features. The local CC has some courses I will take this fall.

 

[bratwurst]

Zenny - I think there is a way to check online based on the lens model if it works. Make sure you do this as some older non AF lenses will not have a full field of vision when placed into a digital camera, although almost any nikon or nikkor lens should fit a nikon body.

 

[AZZenny]

Zenny - I think there is a way to check online based on the lens model if it works. Make sure you do this as some older non AF lenses will not have a full field of vision when placed into a digital camera, although almost any nikon or nikkor lens should fit a nikon body.

Thanks -- I was looking at my lenses today and wondering. I'll try to track that down online. Some of mine are pretty old, so I suspect I'd need a new 70-210 at least. (Hope they make them lighter-weight, too.)

I found this info, also a site that discusses conversions. *And a comment elsewhere that this referred ONLY to Nikon/Nikkor lenses -- some of the 3rd-party 'tweener' semi-auto Nikon-compatibles (like my Zoom) have tried to reverse engineer an upgrade and not signed a protocol with Nikon, and will not quite work right even with the conversion package. So I will need a new Zoom.

You can go to Nikon's web sight to double check what lenses will work on a D50, but virtually all AI and newer lenses will "fit' any Nikon DSLR. And that included older lenses that have been converted to AI.* Now, these older lenses will work, but only in manual mode and will not couple to the meter or autofocus systems. If you are using an AF lens, make sure the M/A focus switch is in the A mode. You can see the drive slightly prodruding from the mount.

According to this, from the Nikon Web site, it (D50) should work with all AF
lenses:

High-Quality Nikkor Optics including NEW Compact and Lightweight AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Lens: The new D50 offers seamless compatibility with Nikon's extensive family of high-performance AF Nikkor lenses, as well as the expanding family of DX Nikkor lenses, providing superb color reproduction, razor-sharp image clarity and fast and accurate autofocus performance.

 

[bratwurst]

I want a fisheye lens, but for the couple random pictures I'd take with it every once in a great while I can't justify that kind of cost.

Would make about 100x more sense to get a nice wide angle. Then eventually get a decent zoom for when my son starts playing sports.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Anyone bought a DSLR recently?

I'm considering the Canon EOS 30D.