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Digital SLRs?


nairb49

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I've been wanting to get a DSLR and sidney recommended I cop a use 20d/30d and the f1.8. I'm pretty sure I'll be completely satisfied with that camera and I can upgrade lenses at some point later on.

the xti and shit are just too small for my man hands.

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this dilemma is totally similar to what i had about fixed gear bikes

i got an "entry-level" fixie and as i got better at it, i wish i had gotten something better. but i initially had no clue what was and wasn't good...

i thought of getting a really fancy fixie but i just realized that getting a new bike doesn't mean my skills get better overnight.

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d3000 is supposed to replace D40, i heard
D40 is almost discontinued, but some retailers still have them. I'd still get it over the D3000. Save on body and buy yourself a good lens.

If you want an internal focus motor on a nikon, you need to get d90 and above. But nobody really cares anymore as most good lenses for hobbyists now come with the SWM

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Cause the D40 is cheaper. The D3000 certainly won't get you pumpin better pictures.

I recently did a wedding for a friend with a Canon 5D and I'd take the D40 over the canon cause it's smaller, more portable and delivers the same quality for digital use (I don't do prints)

Unless you want to go pro and do stuff like photojournalism, sports, etc, I'd advise to get an basic body and spend the extra money on glass, a good flash, etc.

and lets say you really dig photography and one day you want to upgrade your body for better iso performance, more buttons, internal focus, or whatever, you'll still be able to use your lenses

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i see.

i'm actually starting a photography class next week and sorta need one soon... If there's no significant price difference between D40 and D3000, im just gonna get the latter.

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i thought you were talking about the d300 which is hell of a machine.

my flatmate had a d40 and i didn't like it, the interface was annoying and the pictures not that great. but the kit lens attached to it sucked.

i'd honestly take a used d80 because that's a choice you won't regret. if you haven't handled many dslr you'll like the d40, but once you get used to photography and try more cameras you see that it has some obvious flaws. i can't talk about the d3000, i've never even seen it.

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i read that...

i also read reviews that the ken rockwell reviews aren't all that accurate

i just can't decide...i know i won't be buying a 1000-dollar DSLR

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I had a D40 prior, I fucking hated it. If you want to get a 50mm f/1.8 off the bat forget about it as it won't autofocus on the D40. The kit lens sucked, too, but I would go with a Tamron f/2.8 zoom to replace it. The only thing I ended up liking about it was the user-friendly interface, and I only discovered the virtual aperture display right before I shipped it out.

The D80 and D300 are very nice and you can always find bodies for a good price.

I would say if you don't want entry-level, go for a used mid-level body and get one reliable lens for the moment. Think of it as finding good deals on quality bike parts to build a new whip as opposed to buying a shitty off the peg for the same price. Then you could always upgrade at less expense

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I shoot Nikon, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

*Nikon cameras "feel" better, especially compared to competitors in the same price range. Sony and Canon's just feel flimsy and made of cheap plastic

*Nikon lenses generally offer less distortion and more sharpness

*The menus are easier to navigate and I feel like the buttons are placed exactly where I want them without looking up from the viewfinder

I've shot a D40 and now have upgraded to a D90 as well as N70, N80, and F100 in the past and I feel like I haven't had a bad experience with any one of them. I like te D40 because it was lightweight, the kit lens was very good at 18mm (not nearly as distorted as the 18-105 or 18-200), easy to learn how to use, and took very sharp pictures when properly used. And also, I got the D40 and kit on ebay for around $300 two years ago!

What I didn't like about the D40 was:

-3 AF points made it difficult sometimes to focus on what you need it to

-ISO greater than 800 was really not useful except when you have no other choice

-No body mounted AF (not important with new lenses, but if you have some holdovers from film it is important or with the cheap 50/1.8)

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I'd have to disagree. have you ever held a 1D Mark IIN? mine definitely doesn't feel like nothing after holding it for a day.

no offense but are you comparing the top of the line pro Canon camera to the entry level? I don't think anyone would argue that that camera is meant to be light

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i thought you were talking about the d300 which is hell of a machine.

my flatmate had a d40 and i didn't like it, the interface was annoying and the pictures not that great. but the kit lens attached to it sucked.

i'd honestly take a used d80 because that's a choice you won't regret. if you haven't handled many dslr you'll like the d40, but once you get used to photography and try more cameras you see that it has some obvious flaws. i can't talk about the d3000, i've never even seen it.

No offense, but this probably has more to do with the person taking the pictures than with the camera.

I've pulled better photos with a 5MP point and shoot than with higher end DSLR and film gear from mamiya, simply cause I had better subjects, more inspiration, and maybe also a little bit more luck.

People that blame poor pictures on poor gear are usually poor photographers.

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Pulled the trigger today. Bought a nikon from bestbuy.

Had a BB 10% off coupon and put that jawn on my japanese credit card.

The exchange rate is like 88 JPY to 1 USD. I ended up paying around 47,000 yen. In the end, I'd say it was priced like a super high-end compact digital camera.

Kind of a shitty analogy but...

I bought a bianchi pista as my first fixie. Ended up hating it after 1yr.

I learned enough about fixies that I knew exactly what I would want for mynext bike e.g. BMW or Bruiser.

Instead of bitching and blaming shitty skills on the bike, I went out and practiced a shitload.

Conclusion: Don't need a new one until I start doing mad BMX-inspired tricks

better camera doesn't make me a better photographer overnight, right?

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yeah it won't make anyone a better photographer, but sometimes it can help taking pictures in situation where it would have been impossible to with some other gear (e.g iso), but what's more important is lenses.

dijonnaise, i see what you mean. i've never used a d40 in an interesting setting, juste because i needed to (usually while my camera wasn't around), and the fact that i could have had my own camera at the moment probably influenced my judgment.

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i shoot canon but it's true, especially on the entry level dslr. the rebels feels like toy whereas the D40/D3000 feel sturdy and better built.

ohh okay I didn't know we were talking about strictly entry level. for the entry level it's definitely true, I had an XTi, also 30D. although a lighter camera is probably what most consumers are looking for, so that may be a factor, or it may be that canon doesn't want to spend the money on a better frame. i've come to really dislike canon, but i like the interface and have too much invested to switch.

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My first DSLR pic. I'm already impressed beyond belief.

What a fucking difference.

The image was originally like 3000x4000. I compressed it a bit.

4006660375_dc79ef4f7c_o.jpg

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here's a tip: expose for detail in the darks/shadows (if they are important), because in processing you'll have an easier time bringing highlights/lights down than bringing shadows/darks up.

This is only true for film. For digital, it's the exact opposite: expose for the highlights, develop for the shadows. Digital sensors are notorious for blowing out highlights.

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This is only true for film. For digital, it's the exact opposite: expose for the highlights, develop for the shadows. Digital sensors are notorious for blowing out highlights.

you're right. I ALWAYS get this shit backwards. my bad. :(

k here's another tip: don't follow my advice

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