Digital SLR Model For a beginner ?

"Jinesh" <pvjinesh DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1190523576.432300.243520@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> Gurus,
>
> Which Digital SLR camera would you suggest for a newbie? (low cost).
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jinesh
>

Are there used Nikon D70's available in reputable second hand shops? This
was my first digital SLR camera and I think a lot of them were sold at the
time. I sold mine a few months ago for £200.

I imagine that if you check it out before paying for it, especially making
sure that the sensor is not dirty, then there is no reason why it should'nt
be a good dea ir the price is low.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

Just wanted to add that the Canon S3
is now available for $250.

A damn nice P&S, almost comparable
to a DSLR, for a damn good price. (or
vice-versa, i.e. good P&S / nice price)
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:46:21 -0400, allr1.TakeThisOut@webtv.net wrote:

> Just wanted to add that the Canon S3
> is now available for $250.
>
> A damn nice P&S, almost comparable
> to a DSLR, for a damn good price. (or
> vice-versa, i.e. good P&S / nice price)

Yes, it's very nice. But oh the noise. Even in daylight at ISOs
as low as 80 and 100 you'll see some, but it's not usually a big
problem unless the prints you make reach moderately large sizes.
Along with a smaller, more conveniently carried P&S and a larger,
better performing DSLR, the S3 IS fills a nice intermediate niche.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

Jinesh wrote:
> Gurus,
>
> Which Digital SLR camera would you suggest for a newbie? (low cost).
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jinesh
>

A used one. Great prices now on nice used 10D's, and any lenses that
you pick up will be usable on a newer body if/when you need one.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

Jinesh wrote:
> Gurus,
>
> Which Digital SLR camera would you suggest for a newbie? (low cost).
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jinesh
>

The entry level D-SLRs tend to be heavily de-featured, such as the Nikon
D40/D40x, Pentax K100D, etc.

Spend the small amount of extra money to move up one step, and you'll
have something that you'll be a lot happier with.

The best choices are the Nikon D80 or the Canon XTi (400D). Avoid
Pentax, Olympus, Sony, and Fuji.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

mark.thomas.7.RemoveThis@gmail.com wrote:

<edited, for brevity>

> If I was starting from scratch, was monetarily challenged and didn't
> mind fiddling with manual lenses from time to time, I'd go to the
> bottom end Pentax models which are well-featured and going for a song
> at the moment, and there are lots of very nice (old and new) Pentax
> mount lenses available...

<edited>

Hello, Mark:

Best advice, yet. For instance, the Pentax K100D (my personal puppy) is
a remarkable bargain, and even boasts built-in image stabilization.


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur.RemoveThis@concentric.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

On Sep 23, 12:59 am, Jinesh <pvjin... RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote:
> Gurus,
>
> Which Digital SLR camera would you suggest for a newbie? (low cost).
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jinesh

Nikon's D40/x, Olympus E-410, Canon....forget it, Pentax K100.
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

Yvon Travailler wrote:

>Pentax: SR (shake reduction) is a joke and totally useless above 100mm,

This is false. Works very nicely with my 300mm lens. With or without
teleconverter. SR also works very well with *all* my existing lenses..

>slowest autofocus on earth,

Not slower than any other comparably priced cameras. Of course you can
get better AF if you spend the money on Canon or Nikon 1 series. But
selling low-priced cameras based on the reputation of high-priced
cameras is part of the marketing game.

>terrible QC on new lenses (made in vietnam).

Not only have I not experienced this personally, but I haven't heard
any complaints along these lines from the many Pentax shooters I know.
My recent purchases have been quite outstanding.

>Almost impossible to find lenses in stores, you have to go on ebay. The
>K100D use 4 AA battery, this is so annoying...

Personally I love the AA battery option in my ist-D. With current
battery technology you get long shelf life and plenty of shooting
capacity. And you're never far from fresh batteries in an emergency.

>And the K10D has probably the worst jpg engine on themarket,

On the 2 occasions I've shot JPEG in the past year the results have
been excellent. (But really, if you're concerned with image quality,
you won't be shooting JPEG in the first place.)

>you have to shoot RAW to have great pictures.

But this one is true with any camera


--
Mark Roberts Photography & Multimedia
www.robertstech.com
412-687-2835
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

SMS wrote:
>
> Jinesh wrote:
> > Gurus,
> >
> > Which Digital SLR camera would you suggest for a newbie? (low cost).

<edited, for brevity>

> The best choices are the Nikon D80 or the Canon XTi (400D). Avoid
> Pentax, Olympus, Sony, and Fuji.


Hello, Steven:

I suspect that you actually meant to write, this:

"Avoid all Pentax DSLR models, except the K10D."

After all, the K10D takes a proprietary Lithium-Ion battery (D-LI50),
and thus, should be very dear to your heart. <g>


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur.RemoveThis@concentric.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

Rich wrote:
>
> On Sep 23, 12:59 am, Jinesh <pvjin....RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Gurus,
> >
> > Which Digital SLR camera would you suggest for a newbie? (low cost).
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Jinesh
>
> Nikon's D40/x, Olympus E-410, Canon....forget it, Pentax K100.


Hello, Rich:

No, forget YOU, Corky. I'm confident that Pentax neither needs, nor
wants, any endorsements from trollish troublemakers of your ilk.

Incidentally, for your edification, "K100" is supposed to have a "D"
appended to it. <g>


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur.RemoveThis@concentric.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

Mark Roberts wrote:
>
> Yvon Travailler wrote:
>
> >Pentax: SR (shake reduction) is a joke and totally useless above 100mm,
>
> This is false. Works very nicely with my 300mm lens. With or without
> teleconverter. SR also works very well with *all* my existing lenses..
>
> >slowest autofocus on earth,
>
> Not slower than any other comparably priced cameras. Of course you can
> get better AF if you spend the money on Canon or Nikon 1 series. But
> selling low-priced cameras based on the reputation of high-priced
> cameras is part of the marketing game.
>
> >terrible QC on new lenses (made in vietnam).
>
> Not only have I not experienced this personally, but I haven't heard
> any complaints along these lines from the many Pentax shooters I know.
> My recent purchases have been quite outstanding.
>
> >Almost impossible to find lenses in stores, you have to go on ebay. The
> >K100D use 4 AA battery, this is so annoying...
>
> Personally I love the AA battery option in my ist-D. With current
> battery technology you get long shelf life and plenty of shooting
> capacity. And you're never far from fresh batteries in an emergency.
>
> >And the K10D has probably the worst jpg engine on themarket,
>
> On the 2 occasions I've shot JPEG in the past year the results have
> been excellent. (But really, if you're concerned with image quality,
> you won't be shooting JPEG in the first place.)
>
> >you have to shoot RAW to have great pictures.
>
> But this one is true with any camera


Hello, Mark:

Thanks, for setting the record straight, about the K100D's
utter delightfulness.

By the way, I'm using an FAJ 28mmF3.5-80mmF5.6 autofocus lens,
on my camera. It was included with my Pentax ZX-60 (35mm SLR)
kit and is assembled in Vietnam.

I haven't taken any RAW shots, yet. The K100D's bundled software
applications ("PENTAX PHOTO Browser 3" and "PENTAX PHOTO Laboratory
3") both require a minimum of a Pentium 4 CPU ("2.0GHz or higher
recommended") -- but, my ancient, home-built computer is already
maxed out, with a paltry PIII 1050MHz chip.


Cordially,
John Turco <jtur DeleteThis @concentric.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

John Turco wrote:

> After all, the K10D takes a proprietary Lithium-Ion battery (D-LI50),
> and thus, should be very dear to your heart. <g>

The issues with the K10D are unrelated to the power source, but it
actually is not too bad, just not up to the standards of competing
models from other manufacturers. Certainly if you have a stash of Pentax
lenses then the K10D is acceptable, but you wouldn't buy it if you were
starting from scratch. The original poster is not trying to leverage a
collection of lenses, nor did he or she say that they were looking
solely at cost.

The issues with the K100D go way beyond the power source. AA batteries
are an annoyance to be sure, but the K100D is very entry level and every
possible economy needed to be taken. For $400, you get what you pay for.
It's a relatively inexpensive way to get rid of shutter lag!
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ? 

SMS wrote:

>John Turco wrote:
>
>> After all, the K10D takes a proprietary Lithium-Ion battery (D-LI50),
>> and thus, should be very dear to your heart. <g>
>
>The issues with the K10D are unrelated to the power source, but it
>actually is not too bad, just not up to the standards of competing
>models from other manufacturers.

Actually, it's quire a bit better than competing models from other
manufacturers. The main thing is lacks is the option of "picture
modes" that choose aperture, shutter speed and ISO together (portrait
mode, landscape mode, sports/action, etc.). For a beginner who doesn't
know how to choose aperture, shutter speed and ISO, something like a
D80 makes sense because it has these picture modes, but for a
moderately experienced photographer, the construction, weather sealing
and shake reduction of the K10D put it far ahead.
So neither is really "better": It just depends on what photographer
the camera is going to be used by.


--
Mark Roberts Photography & Multimedia
www.robertstech.com
412-687-2835
 >> Stay informed about: Digital SLR Model For a beginner ?