░I needz a new camera (Nikon/Canon)

[Mr. Clean]

Yeah so my dad said he's going to give me a little bit of money to get a camera so i'll add that on top of what I sell my camera for (Sony A100). I'm figuring I'll have about $1000 to spend on something. So my question is what do you guys think I should get?

I basically have the Sony version of a D40... maybe a little better, but I want to get something that:

-Will have good low light performance
-Good burst mode
-Easy to use
-Affordable lens and flash options
-11+MP sensor
-Sharp pictures (that's most likely lens stuff, but I want to keep that in mind)
-Easy to use. Buttons are well placed, settings are easy to mess with

I know Canon and Nikon don't really differ that much in their lens options, but I still wanted to put that out there. I'm not biased at all toward Nikon or Canon so I'm open to whatever you guys have to suggest. I really want the best deal for the money (obviously) meaning I don't necessarily need to buy a new camera. I really want to get something that has 2 lenses maybe.

I don't know what all the Nikon models are now... I was thinking D90, but I don't know what the D60 or the D80 is.

I haven't done a WHOLE lot of research on this yet so I figured I'd go ahead and post this up.

Thanks for any info in advance.

[Dirty Octopus™]

I have no input.

[sikfricks]

i have a xsi its my first dslr and its very easy to use and straight forward, only thing i can find wrong with it is its small

[13Bracer]

yay for d90..
but maybe check out the D5000
i think it just came out..dont know much about it.only saw it in a magazine i have..lol.ill see what i can find on it...

[james]

why not get a better sony? you should already have a lens or two.

[Tarzanman]

Mr. Clean: Yeah so my dad said he's going to give me a little bit of money to get a camera so i'll add that on top of what I sell my camera for (Sony A100). I'm figuring I'll have about $1000 to spend on something. So my question is what do you guys think I should get?

There is nothing wrong with the Sony DSLRs. You might be less frustrated (in terms of accessories and available lenses) with a more popular brand (only Canon and Nikon are more popular than Sony)... but Sony makes good cameras (including DSLRs).

I basically have the Sony version of a D40... maybe a little better, but I want to get something that:
-Will have good low light performance
This is mostly a function of the lens. It doesn't matter what camera body you have if your lens isn't suitable for what you are capturing. Lenses with an aperture of f/2.8 or lower are generally considered acceptable for low light photos.

Good burst mode
This is going to disqualify you from the 'consumer' line of cameras like the Canon XTi, XSi, T1i which only do about 3.5 fps in burst mode..... you will need a 'prosumer' or semi-pro camera body like the Canon 40D or 50D which do 6 fps. You'll have to ask someone else what the Nikon equivalents are because I am only vaguely familiar with how they name their cameras (I think you'd need a DXXX?).

-Easy to use Buttons are well placed, settings are easy to mess with
What do you mean by "easy"? None of them are difficult to use... you just have to learn where the settings are and when+how to adjust them based on what you are taking photos of. Some people like the layout of one camera over another, but that is just personal preference

-Affordable lens and flash options
No offense to the Nikon fans, but you'll find more mid-range lenses for a Canon mount. The Nikon lenses tend to be either super awesome (and very expensive) or fairly poor (and relatively inexpensive). The 1.6x crop Canon cameras have more options between the two extremes (though they also have both top & bottom of the line lenses available if you want them).

-11+MP sensor
Canon 50D is the only camera I would reccomend based on your criteria and price range. It will cost you a bit more than $1000 (~$1,100), though... unless you can settle for a 10MPixel 40D... or the slower burst rate on the 'consumer' Rebel XSi or T1i.
There's also the Sony ά700 (~$900, 12 Mpixel, 4.9 fps); Nikon D90 (~$1000, 12 MPixel, 4.5 fps)[/b]

-Sharp pictures (that's most likely lens stuff, but I want to keep that in mind)
Except for a couple of rare exceptions... photo sharpness is directly related to how much dough you spend on lenses!

I know Canon and Nikon don't really differ that much in their lens options, but I still wanted to put that out there. I'm not biased at all toward Nikon or Canon so I'm open to whatever you guys have to suggest. I really want the best deal for the money (obviously) meaning I don't necessarily need to buy a new camera. I really want to get something that has 2 lenses maybe.
Go used to save cash. Canon 50D, Nikon D90 or Sony A700. Lenses will cost you extra. Expect to spend between ~$350-$900 for two good lenses. Depending on which ones you get. Unfortunately, the low light zoom lenses are the ones that cost the most money ($400 and up)! If you are trying to save cash you'll have to decide between fixed length lenses or low light zoom lenses

I don't know what all the Nikon models are now... I was thinking D90, but I don't know what the D60 or the D80 is.
I haven't done a WHOLE lot of research on this yet so I figured I'd go ahead and post this up.
Thanks for any info in advance.
I would probably shoot for a Rebel XSi or T1i if you're looking to stretch your dollars. You will have to live with a slower burst and slightly slower focus, but it will save you a couple of hundred on the body (and uses the same exact lenses the pricier Canons do)

[AE86Raptor]

A lot of your questions can be more opinion based. You say you want to have a good burst mode, what do you qualify as good? Some may say 3.5 fps is good (my E-520 has that and I don't have any problems with it) and others may say something above 6 fps is good. What kind of photos are you aiming to take? I got some pretty good shots using my burst mode at this year's Formula Drift. What you may want to do is to go check out the cameras you may be interested in and play with them and see what you think. Also, on the resolution of the sensor, what are you wanting to go bigger than the 10.2 MP that yours has? How big of a photo are you wanting to print out? How many lenses do you have for your Sony DSLR? Also, remember that you can use the older Minolta lenses on the Sony, since Sony bought Minolta and they share the same mount.

Here are the specs of his camera which may help out even further:

Product Specifications

Weights and Measurements

• Dimensions (Approx.) : (WHD) 5 1/4" x 3 3/4" x 2 7/8" (133 x 95 x 71 mm)
• Weight (Approx.) : 1 lb. 3 oz (545g) body, not including battery, lens and media

Convenience

• Burst Mode : Up to 3FPS; Unlimited to capacity of media (JPEG L/M/S); Maximum 3 frames (RAW + JPEG); Maximum 6 frames (RAW)
• Color Mode(s) : Black & White, Standard, Vivid, Adobe RGB (Except for Adobe RGB, all other color modes use the sRGB color space)
• Memory Stick PRO™ Media Compatibility : Tested to support up to 16GB media capacity; does not support Access Control security function
• Red-Eye Reduction : On/Off (all modes)
• Scene Mode(s) : Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night View/Night Portrait
• Self Timer : Yes (10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off)
• White Balance : Auto plus 6 Modes (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash); +/-3 step adjustable Kelvin temperature control

Hardware

• LCD : 2.5" TFT (230k pixels) LCD with Clear Photo™ design
• Microphone : N/A
• Viewfinder : Optical: TTL, 0.83x, 95% coverage

Power

• Battery Capacity : 7.2V, 1600 mAh; CIPA standard: approx. 750 pictures4
• Battery Type : NP-FM55 Lithium-ion rechargeable battery

General

• Imaging Device : 10.2 (effective) APS CCD Sensor; 23.6 x 15.8 mm; RGB primary color filter
• Megapixel : 10.2MP

Convenience Features

• AF Illuminator Light : Yes, On/Off Select
• Clear RAW NR : N/A
• Histogram Display : Yes; Playback only
• Movie Mode(s) : N/A
• Multi-Pattern Measuring : 40 Segment, Center Weighted, Spot

Processor

• BIONZ™ Engine : Yes (LSI with Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO/DRO+))

Optics/Lens

• EV Compensation : ±2.0 EV, 1/3 EV Steps
• Exposure : Program Shift: Yes, Command Dial
• Focus : Auto Focus: TTL Phase Detection, Multi-point: 9 Area, 8 Line, 1 Cross Sensor, Auto Focus Mode: Yes, Adjustable Spot AF: Selectable Sensor, Visual Focus Confirm: Direct via VF Matte Screen, Manual Focus: Yes
• ISO : Auto/160/200/400/800/1600/ Lo80/Hi200
• Lens Type : Interchangeable A-mount
• Shutter Speed : 30 < 1/4000 sec 52 step, Bulb

Software

• Operating System Compatibility : Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional, ME, XP Home and Professional; Macintosh® OS X (v 10.3 or later). OS must be installed at the factory.
• Supplied Software : Picture Motion Browser for Sony v1.1 (Windows), Image Data Converter SR Ver. 1.1 (Windows & Macintosh), USB Driver

Operating Conditions

• Flash Effective Range : GN12 at ISO 100 (39 feet/ 12 meters)
• Flash Mode(s) : Manual Pop-up: Auto, Fill-flash, Rear flash sync, Wireless off camera flash (with Flash HVL-F56AM, F36AM), Auto/On/Off/Rear Curtain/ Wireless

Inputs and Outputs

• Output(s) : Video: Yes, NTSC/PAL Selectable
• USB Port(s) : Yes, Supports USB 2.0 Hi-speed

Service and Warranty Information

• Limited Warranty Term : 1 Year Parts & Labor

Accessories Supplied

• DT 18-70mm f3.5 zoom lens (27 - 105 35mm eq)
• NP-FM55 Lithium-Ion Battery
• BC-VM10 Battery Charger
• Video Cable
• USB Cable
• Shoulder strap with eyepiece cap and Remote Commander clip
• MSAC-MCF1N MS-Duo to CF Adaptor
• Body cap
• Accessory shoe cap
• Image Data Converter SR Ver.1.1/Picture Motion Browser Ver.1.1 CD-ROM
• NOTE: No Memory Stick media is included.

[james]

This is mostly a function of the lens. It doesn't matter what camera body you have if your lens isn't suitable for what you are capturing. Lenses with an aperture of f/2.8 or lower are generally considered acceptable for low light photos.

uhhh

[13Bracer]

check it out....
http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Ni...452/D5000.html

[Mr. Clean]

Alright, I'm also tossing this around... what if I just got a couple new lenses for mine? you think I would be able to sell everything if I still wasn't happy. I mean I've really been thinking today that I don't know why I'm not happy with mine... I think it's really just image quality and I'm thinking that has a lot to do with lenses. So I may just dump that money in a couple of lenses and see what happens. I think I want a zoom lens and a wide angle.

[.blank cd]

-Low light performance has ALOT to do with the body. My D200 would get shit on by a D700 or a D3 at ISO1000 with the same lens, same shutter speed and all other values the same. Ive seen pictures from those cameras at ISO1600 with no visible grain

-Ease of use is pretty subjective, Canon shooters say canons button layout is great, nikon shooters say nikons layout is great. Since you've been on a sony, you already know you're layout

Burst mode you're only gonna get with a decent prosumer camera, my D200 does 6+ fps, D300 does 8+ fps with the extra battery grip and premium battery, and the D3 does 11+! Spray and pray baby! To be honest I really dont use it much, and I dont think I used it at Formula D either

All makes have their cheap and expensive lenses, and for the most part, you get what you pay for there. Megapixels dont really matter unless your making bigger prints. If you're just posting on the web, 6-7-8 mp is fine.

I would suggest finding better lenses for the camera that you have, and scour some forums for people that use Sony/Minolta cameras and lenses to get their opinions on that

[james]

-Low light performance has ALOT to do with the body. My D200 would get shit on by a D700 or a D3 at ISO1000 with the same lens, same shutter speed and all other values the same. Ive seen pictures from those cameras at ISO1600 with no visible grain

-Ease of use is pretty subjective, Canon shooters say canons button layout is great, nikon shooters say nikons layout is great. Since you've been on a sony, you already know you're layout

Burst mode you're only gonna get with a decent prosumer camera, my D200 does 6+ fps, D300 does 8+ fps with the extra battery grip and premium battery, and the D3 does 11+! Spray and pray baby! To be honest I really dont use it much, and I dont think I used it at Formula D either

All makes have their cheap and expensive lenses, and for the most part, you get what you pay for there. Megapixels dont really matter unless your making bigger prints. If you're just posting on the web, 6-7-8 mp is fine.

I would suggest finding better lenses for the camera that you have, and scour some forums for people that use Sony/Minolta cameras and lenses to get their opinions on that

hey i know you!

this is good info. its depressing that no matter how much you tell people that megapixle count doesn't matter - they still think they need 15 megapixel cameras.

anyways- OP: check out your local wolf camera. they are going out of business. maybe you can get a good deal. its worth a look.

and while we are on the topic of advice i still say you stick with the sony lineup. upgrade your body. go down to showcase and hold all of them. pretend that you are going to buy it from them so they give you the time of day.

[Mr. Clean]

well i will actually be using my camera for poster sizes with my new job so that is a fairly important aspect. right now i have 10 MP and i didn't know if it would cut the cheese. and as far as burst mode, it was going to be for animals mostly and my burst blows lol.

I just went out and bought an alpha zoom lens so i'll see what that does for me. i can return it in 14 days if i don't like it. i also want to get a wide angle, so i'll be doing some shopping for those.

anyone have a good resource for lenses and their uses as far as their range and stuff... like a chart for what lens is best for what? i'm a noob when it comes to actually understanding lens numbers... i mean i understand that the greater the mm reading the further the range but i don't understand the conversion to usable range numbers.

[Tarzanman]

http://www.alphamountworld.com/forums
http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/

[james]

well i will actually be using my camera for poster sizes with my new job so that is a fairly important aspect. right now i have 10 MP and i didn't know if it would cut the cheese. and as far as burst mode, it was going to be for animals mostly and my burst blows lol.

I just went out and bought an alpha zoom lens so i'll see what that does for me. i can return it in 14 days if i don't like it. i also want to get a wide angle, so i'll be doing some shopping for those.

anyone have a good resource for lenses and their uses as far as their range and stuff... like a chart for what lens is best for what? i'm a noob when it comes to actually understanding lens numbers... i mean i understand that the greater the mm reading the further the range but i don't understand the conversion to usable range numbers.

you bought a new lens mere days before you want to buy a new camera - possibly switching manufacturers? stick with sony man. sounds like you've made an investment at this point.

[atlantamx3]

As a fellow Sony shooter, I HIGHLY recommend you check out the a700. KEH has a body in stock right now for around $800. It will do ANYTHING the Canon/Nikon will do except video on the d90.

High ISO is NIGHT AND DAY vs. the a100. It falls flat pretty much anything above ISO200. the a700 is good all the way up to ISO 6400. I have posted shots on here to prove that.

Also, before switching brands, check out the Minolta/Sony forum-- www.dyxum.com.

They have IN DEPTH lens reviews too-- before you buy a lens, check there.

Or hell, feel free to ask me, since I guess I the resident Sony expert here.

[atlantamx3]

also, at ISO100, the a100 will make 30x40 prints with no problem.

I have over 30k shots on my a100 and about to turn 20k on my a700.

[Mr. Clean]

also, at ISO100, the a100 will make 30x40 prints with no problem.

I have over 30k shots on my a100 and about to turn 20k on my a700.

Awesome. i will def. check it out.

[YokotaS13]

used canon 5d and a 50 1.8