ATOT photographers, I'm thinking about a DSLR

[Corporate Thug]

a. how long will it take for me to learn how to really use it? How much skill is required?

b. can i get something decent for $500?

 

[ThePresence]

I'm in the process of deciding between a Rebel XTi and the Sony A100.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I'm in the process of deciding between a Rebel XTi and the Sony A100.

the xti seems out of my price range. Never looked into the sony but i'm willing to wager its out of my range as well.

 

[Kaido]

I'd highly recommend a used D70s. You can start out in Auto mode, it's as easy to use as a point-and-shoot

 

[BRObedoza]

nikon d50 w/ kit lens or rebel XT can be had for about $500.

 

[Corporate Thug]

what about this thing:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod...spx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A0539804

 

[Anubis]

D50 or D70s can be had for that much as well as the Canon XT, learning curve isnt that bad, you can pick up a guid or dummies type book and pick it up really fast

just read teh manual and dont get overwhealmed by all teh settings, start with auto modes and work from there

 

[drinkmorejava]

uhhhh, not again

Camera: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=38&threadid=1974205&enterthread=y
Lens: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=38&threadid=2003580

 

[RbSX]

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I'm in the process of deciding between a Rebel XTi and the Sony A100.

the xti seems out of my price range. Never looked into the sony but i'm willing to wager its out of my range as well.

Nikon D50 ~500 bucks

</thread>

 

[ultimatebob]

Paging tfinch2 and fuzzybabybunny

I'd choose a Rebel XT myself with an EF-S 17-85 lens, but that's what I own so my opinion is probably a bit biased. You can get a new Rebel XT with the 18-55 kit lens or 50mm 1.8 lens for around $500 now, though.

It's easy to use if you leave it on Auto, but you'll want to learn the manual shooting modes eventually. Otherwise, there isn't much point in getting an SLR.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I'm in the process of deciding between a Rebel XTi and the Sony A100.

the xti seems out of my price range. Never looked into the sony but i'm willing to wager its out of my range as well.

Nikon D50 ~500 bucks

</thread>

where can I find a D50 for $500?

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Paging tfinch2 and fuzzybabybunny

Did someone call?

Pentax K100D

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control...REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

 

[NoShangriLa]

a. Depends on the person & dedication. No skill needed to take pictures because it is essentially a fancy P&S, but it require much practice & looking to produce good images.

b. Yes.

 

[BRObedoza]

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I'm in the process of deciding between a Rebel XTi and the Sony A100.

the xti seems out of my price range. Never looked into the sony but i'm willing to wager its out of my range as well.

Nikon D50 ~500 bucks

</thread>

where can I find a D50 for $500?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control...u=381586&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

kit lens or 50mm 1.8 can be had for ~ 100

 

[Imported]

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I'm in the process of deciding between a Rebel XTi and the Sony A100.

the xti seems out of my price range. Never looked into the sony but i'm willing to wager its out of my range as well.

Nikon D50 ~500 bucks

</thread>

where can I find a D50 for $500?

I have a D50 I haven't used since I got my D80, along with the 18-55 kit lens. I originally was gonna sell it to a co-worker for about $450 but then her husband bought her a new D50 for Christmas. So they can definitely be had under $500 if you're looking used. If you're in the Bay Area and is interested, let me know. I don't have the box unfortunately.

 

[ElFenix]

who knows if it'll ever come, but...

 

[91TTZ]

I've had nothing by trouble with my XTi. They seem to have serious exposure issues on the auto modes. I'm on my third one, and the problem still exists. The pictures all come out dark, and since it's on the fully auto mode, there are no settings I can change to make it better/worse.

I can get decent shots if I use it in manual mode, but that's working around the issue instead of addressing it. When I set everything manually it's not using the camera's built in metering, it's using the settings I tell it to use. The fact remains that when you have it set on auto mode, the camera underexposes the pictures pretty badly.

Looking on photography forums, it would seem that my case isn't unique or even uncommon. Many people are complaining about it.

 

[montanafan]

As far as how long it will take to really be able to use it, it all depends on the types of photos you want to take. With good light or in any of the auto modes, it's pretty much the same as a good point and shoot, not difficult at all to learn, but if you want to push the limits and take the types of photos that are beyond the capability of a point and shoot, then you're going to be constantly experimenting, practicing, and learning from research and other photographers, not to mention the extras you'll be investing in to get certain types of good images.

For example, several parents I know bought DSLRs recently to take photos of their kids playing indoor sports and night football. The cameras are capable of that, but they didn't realize that for football they'd need an additional lens and an external flash, and even then you can't get good photos with an automatic setting. Same thing with indoor sports like basketball and volleyball. And sometimes a flash isn't allowed in those sports and then they really have to learn about WB, ISOs, aperture and shutter speed combinations, etc. Then to get the absolute best out of your photos you have to learn something about post processing with PhotoShop or something similar.

If you're really interested in photography though, all the experimenting, learning, and improving is what makes it so much fun. Good luck and have fun with it!

 

[igowerf]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Paging tfinch2 and fuzzybabybunny

Did someone call?

Pentax K100D

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control...REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

I love mine.

6.1 megapixels, shake reduction (image stabilization), decent kit lens, and compatible with TONS of lenses without needing an adapter.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
I've had nothing by trouble with my XTi. They seem to have serious exposure issues on the auto modes. I'm on my third one, and the problem still exists. The pictures all come out dark, and since it's on the fully auto mode, there are no settings I can change to make it better/worse.

I can get decent shots if I use it in manual mode, but that's working around the issue instead of addressing it. When I set everything manually it's not using the camera's built in metering, it's using the settings I tell it to use. The fact remains that when you have it set on auto mode, the camera underexposes the pictures pretty badly.

Looking on photography forums, it would seem that my case isn't unique or even uncommon. Many people are complaining about it.

does it do it in 'P' as well?

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug
a. how long will it take for me to learn how to really use it? How much skill is required?

Depends on how far you want to take it

I've been doing photography for a little over 2 years, but I'm nuts about it.

b. can i get something decent for $500?

Sure. D50 + 18-55, used D70 + 18-55, used D1 + 50/1.8, XT + 18-55, used XTi + 18-55, Pentax, and the list goes on and on. Stay simple with lenses for now. The basic kit lens will be plenty.

 

[Mrvile]

a. If you're dedicated and willing to learn, you'll master the controls in no time. But the controls and the gear are only about 1% of photography.

b. Yes you can, but be ready to drop more and more money into the system as you progress. As you get better, you'll quickly start finding that the gear you bought for $500 is really holding you back, and you start making investments in lenses and lighting equipment far outpricing your original camera body. It sounds crazy now, but just wait. Just wait.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
who knows if it'll ever come, but...

i placed an order just in case in the morning.

 

[virtuamike]

Originally posted by: Mrvile
b. Yes you can, but be ready to drop more and more money into the system as you progress. As you get better, you'll quickly start finding that the gear you bought for $500 is really holding you back, and you start making investments in lenses and lighting equipment far outpricing your original camera body. It sounds crazy now, but just wait. Just wait.

Depends on what you want to get into and how deep

Macro you can get by on cheap. I spent $65 on my macro lens, $30 on an extension tube, and $50 on my bellows (ok so my tripod and ballhead aren't cheap, but I use those with everything else too so I'm not counting it).

And here's a great kit for learning off-camera flash photography.

*sigh* the expensive stuff is really nice to work with though . . .

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
I've had nothing by trouble with my XTi. They seem to have serious exposure issues on the auto modes. I'm on my third one, and the problem still exists. The pictures all come out dark, and since it's on the fully auto mode, there are no settings I can change to make it better/worse.

I can get decent shots if I use it in manual mode, but that's working around the issue instead of addressing it. When I set everything manually it's not using the camera's built in metering, it's using the settings I tell it to use. The fact remains that when you have it set on auto mode, the camera underexposes the pictures pretty badly.

Looking on photography forums, it would seem that my case isn't unique or even uncommon. Many people are complaining about it.

does it do it in 'P' as well?

Yes, it does.