Digital SLRs?

[Ryan]

Manfrotto 190xdb

http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-190XDB-Tripod-804RC2-Black/dp/B000OFSH9M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1274917183&sr=8-2

[aqhong]

^ Seconded. The Manfrotto 190 is pretty much the entry level of "serious" tripods, although I would recommend the XB (rather than XDB) if you can spare the cash.

[fallen angels]

Herpsky what size tripod you looking for? travel size or regular?

i also use a manfrotto 190XB legs + 488rc2 ballhead and like it a lot.

Lately i been considering getting a Benro travel angel 168 or 268, because most the time when i want to use a tripod is when i'm traveling and the manfrotto is too big/heavy to carry around.

[Osmosis Jones]

I've been looking to see if I can mount a 488rc2 ballhead to my motorcycle's side view mirror mounts. Anybody know what's on the bottom and what size?

[aqhong]

^ Standard 3/8" female tripod thread.

[herpsky]

Herpsky what size tripod you looking for? travel size or regular?

i also use a manfrotto 190XB legs + 488rc2 ballhead and like it a lot.

Lately i been considering getting a Benro travel angel 168 or 268, because most the time when i want to use a tripod is when i'm traveling and the manfrotto is too big/heavy to carry around.

I'd say I want a travel size that I can use at home

[herpsky]

holy shit, these tripods are expensive

but then again, i know nothing about photography

[eddyz]

Need a tripod ASAP.

Any recommendations?

Are dolica ones on amazon decent?

I'm not looking to be a pro. Need something with good cost-quality ratio.

And I have an entry level DSLR, not a D3 or 5D MK2

I got a dolica through newegg. pretty good ballhead for the price. quality is not the best, but it does what is suppose to, keep my D70 + 105mm lens still.

I would get it if your just an enthusiast looking for a ballhead tripod.

[jackg]

Yo! I am interested in getting into photography and am looking at getting a SLR. what sort of entry level camera should i be looking at???

Cheers

[soonami]

^^The answer to that question depends on what you plan on taking pictures of and how much your budget is. If you are looking in the $500 range, you will get a different answer than if you are willing to spend up to $1000. Also, if you are taking candid pictures of people then you have different needs than for taking landscapes or studio/posed shots

[aleopold]

My first suggestion is to go into your local shop, and hold all the DSLRs that you can. Get a feel for which one is most comfortable in your hand, because that's an underrated quality in a camera. Don't ask right away what the specs are, and all the technical talk. Do that afterwards. Next, you need to consider what type, and how serious your photography is going to be. That decision will help play into the brand selection you make, as Nikon and Canon are the two biggest and best pro camera suppliers. If you're not concerned about going pro, then consider every possible option. You'll also need to look into glass (lenses) so you know if you'll be able to continue to upgrade as you progress. If the company doesn't have that wide of a selection of glass, you should probably look elsewhere as you won't be able to upgrade (i guess this also depends on the previous question about how serious you are about it, eg. pro vs. amateur). Oh, and don't forget to consider price! Like the guy above says, it really all does come down to how much you are willing to spend, and what you want in the camera. So, after you make your initial visit to the store i'd recommend looking up any additional specs you might be interested in (fps, iso, megapixels, etc).

[Osmosis Jones]

Sold my Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 and bought a 35mm f/1.8 today. Feels great not having to walk back a couple yards to take photos.

[eddyz]

Yo! I am interested in getting into photography and am looking at getting a SLR. what sort of entry level camera should i be looking at???

Cheers

I would suggest you look for used setups especially on craigslist. I got my D70 through a dude that worked at an ad agency for dirt cheap in mint condition.

I would look towards D5000, or Canon's T2i

Lens wise, if you want sharp, get a prime (50mm 1.8), but if you want more versatility, get a kit lens to play around with.

imo, any DSLR will do to begin with, it is rather to practice both using camera functions and using programs like Photoshop or Lightroom for touchup/edits.

[jackg]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, its really great to have lots of input. In terms of money i was thinking around $500, just because i am definitely interested in photography but i dont want to go out and splurge on something i dont end up using very much.

As for the subject, i guess its probably more aimed at landscape photography, i live in a really amazingly beautiful street and i feel there are lots of awesome photos waiting to be taken.

I spoke to a friend of mine who is studying photography, and he suggested i check out Camera Exchange, a second hand camera shop in Melbourne, Australia and speak to them about it. Apparently they have a good selection of cameras and offer 2 year warranties on all their cameras plus it want hurt the bank as much to get a second hand camera.

Any brand or specific model suggestions considering all that???

Thanks again for the help, much appreciated.

[herpsky]

I'm thinking about selling my nikon D3000 in the US and getting a Canon T1i in Tokyo (DSLRs are much less expensive in Japan).

Some of the reasons for wanting to switch

-D3000 kinda sucks in low-light conditions

-having to get the DX lenses that are twice as expensive as the Canon equivalents

The only thing about the Canon Kiss / Rebel is camera bodies feel extremely cheap.

Are these good reasons for switching? or am I totally insane?

[funkdoobi]

spend the coin and get like used d300.

i'd stay with nikon since you're with them already.

i would of already made the switch over from my 5d2 setup to a d700 or d3 if it wasn't such a pain in the ass to sell it all off, get what they're worth, then buy all nikon yaadda yadda yadda

[joelz]

You could get a used d90 too - or wait a bit and see what nikon does with the d90 replacement that's supposed to come out soon - it kills in low light

the other good question to ask is what lenses do you have and why are you focusing on buying dx lenses?

[herpsky]

You could get a used d90 too - or wait a bit and see what nikon does with the d90 replacement that's supposed to come out soon - it kills in low light

the other good question to ask is what lenses do you have and why are you focusing on buying dx lenses?

I have no extra lenses.

When I was doing research on lenses, I realized that the low end Nikon bodies all require DX lenses for auto-focus to work.

I just can't justify dropping 1000 USD on a DSLR body.

I'm not going to be a professional photographer or study it in an educational setting.

Even at a low ISO setting e.g. 400, images get pretty noisy / grainy with the D3000.

I've never owned any other lens so I honestly have no idea how big of a difference a non-kit lens would make e.g. EF f/1.4

maybe my photos are shitty because i don't have a clear understanding of basic theories of photography

It doesn't really help that people around me are super nerdy overachievers who spend their free time hiking mountains, listen to shitty indie rock and "saving" the underprivileged in developing countries. ie) know nothing about the shit i'm interested in

[po_boy_fuuma_hatesbargerz]

yo yo check this:

EP-1 for $500.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11525799

[joelz]

I have no extra lenses.

When I was doing research on lenses, I realized that the low end Nikon bodies all require DX lenses for auto-focus to work.

I just can't justify dropping 1000 USD on a DSLR body.

I'm not going to be a professional photographer or study it in an educational setting.

Even at a low ISO setting e.g. 400, images get pretty noisy / grainy with the D3000.

I've never owned any other lens so I honestly have no idea how big of a difference a non-kit lens would make e.g. EF f/1.4

maybe my photos are shitty because i don't have a clear understanding of basic theories of photography

It doesn't really help that people around me are super nerdy overachievers who spend their free time hiking mountains, listen to shitty indie rock and "saving" the underprivileged in developing countries. ie) know nothing about the shit i'm interested in

well (from b&h) a t2i is $800 (us) and a new d90 is $900

one thing you may want to do is find the book understanding exposure (http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Exposure-Photographs-Digital-Updated/dp/0817463003 on amazon) to get an idea of what you are trying to achieve (that may help with the grainness - at ISO 400 that sounds like you aren't totally doing something right) and would be way less expensive than buying a whole new camera

[funkdoobi]

what the fuck are you doing to be seeing a lotta grain at 400?

That cam shouldn't really have any problems until you start hitting 1600, and it'd be god awful at 3200.

[aqhong]

^ Have to agree, I have a D60 (same sensor as the D3000), and have no problems shooting with auto ISO up to 800. Even 1600 is very usable if you have Lightroom 3: http://thomashawk.com/2010/06/adobe-lightroom-3-i-feel-the-need-for-speed-oh-and-the-most-significant-advancement-in-photo-noise-reduction-i-have-ever-seen.html

[herpsky]

what the fuck are you doing to be seeing a lotta grain at 400?

That cam shouldn't really have any problems until you start hitting 1600, and it'd be god awful at 3200.

lul failed

[chantheman]

yo yo check this:

EP-1 for $500.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11525799

this looks like what i need before investing in anything crazy. anyone have this?

[maakuruii]

this looks like what i need before investing in anything crazy. anyone have this?

I just recently picked one of these up, so far I am really impressed with it.

I really was looking for a smaller camera I could always carry around.

And with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 this is a pretty fast and small camera.

For the Size of the camera I would say it's a step up from a point and shoot,

But I don't know how it would compare to an entry level slr.

[po_boy_fuuma_hatesbargerz]

Considering there are step-up adapters for normal DSLRs, (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/adapter-puts-nikon-and-pentax-lenses-on-micro-four-thirds-cameras/)

It's pretty versatile. Also Full-motion video + slr quality in a tiny little package is super win for me. I'm thinking about selling off my D80 kit to use this, as I won't have much time in the following years to play with a full-fledged system.

[Ryan]

I just sold off my Nikon D2Hs. Seriously considering the Olympus EPL1.

[cord13]

I'm trying to decide between the E-PL1 and the Pentax K-X. I can get the K-X for $475 and the E-PL1 for $525. The K-X uses AA batteries, not a rechargeable pack, and is bulkier, but has a viewfinder and more advanced features. the K-X also has more and cheaper lenses, the E-PL1 has schweet retro styling. I tried the E-PL1 today at Bestbuy and loved it, but I don't think there are any local stockers of pentax, so I can't make an IRL comparison.

[joddicted]

I'm using d80 can't afford d90, the noise works great on BW photos

[hellogoodbye]

cord13, don't think you can go wrong with either choicec, both are great. a couple of my friends have the K-x and i've messed around with it. it's a solid camera for the casual photographer

i chose to get the EPL1 because of its size/weight (the K-x is pretty small for a dSLR actually, but the AA batteries make it heavy). don't really use the viewfinder anyway. the in-camera effects are nice to play around with as well

just get either one and start shooting!