Digital SLR question..

[RayH]

Just an FYI for you. I dont want to ruin your excuse to buy a new toy but if the reason you are getting a new dig camera is solely because of the lag between button push and picture take, you should know that most cameras have a two stage button. If you press it half way down, it will focus and perform all the functions it needs to just before taking the picture, then when you press it all the way, it is ready and will immediately snap the picture.

 

[IslandTractor]

There is no question that shutter lag is a practical problem especially if you are trying to take family photos of moving kids and pets as the original poster indicated. The newest generation of digital SLRs are virtually as fast as their 35mm ancestors however and therefore it is no longer a problem that needs a workaround. I've owned a couple of digital SLRs and a handful of digital point and shoots. While the two step shutter push does technically work, it is rarely useful during candid or family photography and is no substitute for what the current generation of digital SLRs (and point and shoots for that matter) are capable of. The new cameras essentially remove shutter lag from the equation which is what just about anyone would want.

 

[SCDolphin]

Look on Cnet.com for camera reviews. Canons are usually in the top reviews. I just bought my daughter an SD600 which is great but very small. I have an older Canon 10d with a lot of lenses. I would stay with Canon.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have a ton of Canon equipment and lenses from 35mm days so that determines what bodies I buy. However, the Nikons get just as good reviews as the Canons. If you already have some decent lenses from a 35mm SLR it definitely makes sense to stick with that brand if they make a digital SLR. Pentax has one now too. I think Minolta, Konica, Olympus and a few others have dropped out of the interchangeable lens SLR race though so in some cases a new start is justified.

A few manufacturers put out nice SLR style cameras too with a non interchangeable zoom lens. Those might be a nice way to explore digital SLR technology without investing in a whole Canon/Nikon kit. Read the reviews, check out the cameras in person and think carefully about how you really use the camera. No sense in paying lots of $$ for features you will never use.

 

[RobertN]

Look on Cnet.com for camera reviews. Canons are usually in the top reviews. I just bought my daughter an SD600 which is great but very small. I have an older Canon 10d with a lot of lenses. I would stay with Canon.

That's an open can of worrms, kinda like my Kubota is tops in review so get that. I think Camera brands and loyalty are worse that tractor or pickup truck loyalties

Canon and Nikon are usaully at the top though; look at the Pro's and that is what they are using. Canon leap frogged Nikon with vibration reduction lenses and motorized lenses, but that's not so much the case now; Nikon has always had very good glass. Now they have the doodads to go with it.

SLR's do make it difficult to change once you have a setup; I persoanlly would stay with a Nikon because I have not only a Nikon film body, but a few decent lenses too. If I had to replace them for purchase of Canon, Pentax, Minolta or whatever, there would be a lot of additional expense.

 

[thatguy]

thanks for all the help and feedback.. I went to one of the photo forums someone suggested and as someone mentioned a few posts back the camera forums posters are as opinionated as tractor ppl about their brands..

for what im using it for any name brand would probably do me just fine.. I do have a 70-300 nikon telephoto lense i can use on the nikon digital, but due to the way the D40 is made it wont be auto focusing. But in my past experiences auto focus on a telephoto doesnt work that great anyway..

thanks
brian

 

[IslandTractor]

I do have a 70-300 nikon telephoto lense i can use on the nikon digital, but due to the way the D40 is made it wont be auto focusing. But in my past experiences auto focus on a telephoto doesnt work that great anyway..

Well, I have had different experiences. I own two Canon digital SLRs and a number of Canon L telephoto lenses and have not had any trouble with focusing.

I'd hesitate to make a purchase decision based on owning one semi functional consumer grade telephoto lens. There is nothing at all wrong with the Nikon D40 but do yourself a favor and at least check out other cameras like the Canon Digital RebelXL or whatever other SLR is in the same general price range as the Nikon before you make a decision. You'll likely get frustrated with that 75-300 non autofocus lens pretty soon anyway.

Also, don't look just at the bundled "normal" zoom lens with either the Nikon or the Canon. I don't know the Nikon lens series but Canon makes a 17-85mm lens that is more bucks but much better performance than the basic 18-55 lens that tends to get packaged with the Rebel. I bet Nikon also has an upgrade for their normal zoom.

 

[RobertN]

Well, I have had different experiences. I own two Canon digital SLRs and a number of Canon L telephoto lenses and have not had any trouble with focusing.

I'd hesitate to make a purchase decision based on owning one semi functional consumer grade telephoto lens. There is nothing at all wrong with the Nikon D40 but do yourself a favor and at least check out other cameras like the Canon Digital RebelXL or whatever other SLR is in the same general price range as the Nikon before you make a decision. You'll likely get frustrated with that 75-300 non autofocus lens pretty soon anyway.

Also, don't look just at the bundled "normal" zoom lens with either the Nikon or the Canon. I don't know the Nikon lens series but Canon makes a 17-85mm lens that is more bucks but much better performance than the basic 18-55 lens that tends to get packaged with the Rebel. I bet Nikon also has an upgrade for their normal zoom.

Definitely. I would not hold up a purchase of another camera or lens system in this case. If it was a $2000 80-200/2.8-AFS, then I would think about it. Otherwise, I would at least check out the Canon, and other Nikon offerings. Not sure I would look past that; it is hard to beat the Canon/Nikon offerings. For a more basic platform and camera use, the other brands are ok though.

You're right on point about the bundled packages too. Although most bundle lenses work, they are typically the bottom of the barrel.

I'm a Nikon fan, partly because I just like them, and partly because I have used thier other optics(high power microscopy). I did get to try a Canon lens a couple years ago though, that was pretty dang cool! On a photo trip, I ran a roll of film through a Canon Pro body, attached to a 600mm tele with USM and stabilization. It was AWESOME. It was also about $10,000 Sure was a sweet setup though. The lens had its own backpack, and it's own tripod.

 

[IslandTractor]

The natural progression of a photographer is first to go for features, then quality of the body and finally to focus almost exclusively on the "glass". Nothing sweeter than good glass. Bodies come and go and are virtually always outdated in a couple of years (functional but outdated). Great glass on the other hand can last a lifetime. Devotees may argue about Canon v Nikon but no reasonable person can dispute that both offer superb lenses. It is tough when starting out with digital SLR shopping to look past the snazzy bodies but buyers should at least make an effort to include lenses in the equation. Especially check out the higher quality so called "pro" lenses as those are the ones that really make the difference and those are the ones you will be pining for once you get hooked.

I read somewhere that a good idea is to budget for your photo gear by allocating just 1/3 for the body and the rest for good or excellent quality lenses. I'd second that idea. Get a cheaper body if you need to (eg Canon RebelXT instead of a 30D) and never buy the packaged entry level lenses but instead pay a couple hundred or so more for the better quality lens. I know Canon has three levels of lenses and I assume Nikon does too. There are the very cheap package zooms then a better quality level zoom or primes for 200-500 each and finally the L series lenses which start at close to a grand a piece (exotic lenses like the 600mm stabilized lens are really just for pros and I'm not counting those). Five years from now the body and package lens are worth nothing, the better zoom will fetch maybe half of what you paid but the L lenses (or their Nikon equivalent) are quite easily sold for 75% of purchase price. Better yet, you'll probably never want to sell them.

 

[EddieWalker]

I know you're looking at SLR and have some lenses from other cameras. My previous film setup was a Cannon 35mm with four different lenses. Nothing super fancy, but all decent quality. I had a few thousand dollars in the setup as it was for my travels around the world in the Marine Corps, and then later on when I started to travel on hunting trips.

I have a few friends with Digital SLR's that they bought for the same reasons everyones mentioning here. They had the lenses already and they wanted to take advantage of them to use with a new digital camera.

I'm not a pro, don't have the best eye in the world and don't really care for one brand over another. I won't mention the brands they have as it's not important. They all seem to work the same. I will say that they spent quite a bit of money on those cameras!!

We went on a trip to Beavers Bend Oklahoma this past fall. The colors were amazing with cyrstal clear streams through the rock outcroppings. Just amazing. They loved thier pictures, but when compared to ours, it was kind of embarassing how dull there pictures were to ours.

Sometimes it's best to just take the hit, sell your old stuff for what you can get for it, and upgrade. I wouldn't buy an SLR again. The built in 12x optical zoom on the cannon is simply amazing. It's way more powerful than a 500mm zoom lense and it's already built in. No changing lenses or anything extra to carry around. It really does it all!!!!

If nothing else, be sure to at least go to a store and compare them. Try out a few brands and see the difference. Read the reviews and maybe try to find people with the cameras that interest you. That's what we did and ended up with the Cannon.

Good luck,
Eddie