DSLR Advice

[adamc11]

Hi Fellas,

Just thought i'd grab some advice from some camera pro's.

My brother started looking at DSLR's to buy and was looking at the Canon 40D (superseded by the 50D, but just as good). They sell for about $1400 online with 1 year warranty and a 17-85mm lens. He doesn't want to spend a lot - which i said was silly... good cameras will last you years.

So, I went in to DSE and looked at the 40D and 50D and thought they looked pretty nifty and i could use one myself . I don't do a lot of photography (i'm quiet a novice, really), but then again i don't have a decent camera to do any with. So after doing some reading online, the 40D and 5D Mark II seem like good cameras from the canon range. Now i know the 5D Mark II is a better camera (extra 10 or so MP, full frame, superior image quality), but it also only shoots at 3fps whereas the 40D shoots at 6.3fps, which means the 5D will be no good for sports...

So i was wondering, has anyone here had the pleasure of using both of these cameras and could they let me know what they thought?

Seeing as i'm still a beginner, will the 5D be overkill? I'm happy to spend the money on a good camera that i will grow into and that will last me 10+ years.

Also, any other cameras you would recommend? Nikon, Olympus, etc?

Thanks for the help,
Adam

[greenfoam]

Minux has a 5D, My brother has a 40D that I've used a bit, The 5D takes a better picture but the 40D with a good lens on it can easily take magazine quality stuff. If you want to make posters then the 5D would be better, if not the 40D, I don't think most people would be able to tell the difference but you might be a freak like Minux and he seems to be able to get the most from the 5D even though he's not been doing it too long. We have most of the lower end canon's in my family, 10D 20D 40D a couple rebels etc, they are all similar and all good camera's. Actually the variation in camera and lens seems to be almost more than the difference between the models themself. Sometimes like the in the case of the 10D you just happen to get a really good one from the factory

[adamc11]

Thanks for that Greenfoam. I was wondering what camera minux used, as his shots are very nice. Would be great if you could give me some feedback minux. Thanks.

Edit: Also, what lenses you guys use.

[ClairBear]

Before starting threads, trying searching the subject. We already have eleventy hundred similar threads on this topic.

[Tom_1569]

Before starting threads, trying searching the subject. We already have eleventy hundred similar threads on this topic.

How about we make this thread twice as useful then.

I have the same question, was looking at the Nikon D5000, from the research its looks like a good and reasonably priced entry-level camera. I've used the D90 and was very happy. Any advice?

[Pete SS]

I bought a 450D last year and I'm more than happy with it. It's great for learning how to use a dslr and takes a good picture too. As you get more advanced a better lense can be bought and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the 450 and a higher end model.

Also, don't forget that a good pic is all about the subject and how it's framed.

[Rossbx]

Cannon and Nikon are about the best quality DSLR Cameras around. I seriously think you would find it very difficult to see the difference in image quality between them with the standard lenses.
3FPS is not to bad for spots photography, so don't worry too much about that because you can still get a satisfactory result from it. Ony worry about it once you become familiar with the camera and know what you are doing and exactly what typy of image you are trying for

[minux]

adam, the 5dmkII leaves the 40d for dead, full hD, full frame sensor, colour reproduction like nothing else. full HD video recording. However, do you really want to pay over 4.5k retail for a camera body when you have no idea what your doing? I personally would go 50D over 40D, the 50D has had a few changes in liveview, colour recording and sensor which make it worthwhile buying. While megapixels mean nothing when it comes to image quality it can help you a little when printing large format images(which i dont think your doing?). A 50D will last a lifetime and will meet your needs. As for a lens, i'd buy maybe a sigma 18-200 equivalent, should cover your bases pretty well while your learning.

Minux has a 5D, My brother has a 40D that I've used a bit, The 5D takes a better picture but the 40D with a good lens on it can easily take magazine quality stuff. If you want to make posters then the 5D would be better, if not the 40D, I don't think most people would be able to tell the difference but you might be a freak like Minux and he seems to be able to get the most from the 5D even though he's not been doing it too long. We have most of the lower end canon's in my family, 10D 20D 40D a couple rebels etc, they are all similar and all good camera's. Actually the variation in camera and lens seems to be almost more than the difference between the models themself. Sometimes like the in the case of the 10D you just happen to get a really good one from the factory

I havent used 5D in months, I swapped it for a lens Will be buying 5dmkII in a few weeks once mr taxman returns me some cash

How about we make this thread twice as useful then.

I have the same question, was looking at the Nikon D5000, from the research its looks like a good and reasonably priced entry-level camera. I've used the D90 and was very happy. Any advice?

Depending on what your shooting really depends what you go for. If your happy with the backwards functions of a nikon it should be fine.

[Doctor Sodways]

As Minux said, no point spending the big coin on a 5dII unless your a pro, a 40/50d body will be more than enough for your needs, the biggest thing to remember is Glass before body. A good lens is going to last you a lot longer than a good camera body, and is the smart way to buy gear if you intend on getting into photography.

Camera Bodies are superceeded almost every 12 months in the Canon line up, whereas glass lasts a lot longer, get your hands on a 40/50d body and get yourself some good lenses, read up on framing the subject, exposure etc, and remember, if your going to use the camera on auto mode, your probably better off buying a G10 or something...