Mid Range DSLR?

J

jayx9

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 1, 2005
Messages
309
Is there an entry level mid range DSLR that doesnt cost so much? Looking into to getting one for maybe 500? I dont really know much about DSLR cams.

Thanks in advance.
 
You can get a Nikon D50 or Canon 350D aka Rebel XT for around that price. Of course, you now need lenses. If you don't know much about cameras, don't get one until you know exactly what you want. Did you build your pc without knowing a damn thing? I certainly hope not. :p

dpreview.com
fredmiranda.com
 
Ive read reviews, just the prices are killer. Even Ebay seems to have only "packages" that you can only buy with a million things. I just want a DSLR and some kind of standard lens.
 
You can buy the D50 and also the 350D in a "Kit" just body and lens which is a good deal.

I made a study about the D50 and the "kit" lenses are just fine and difficult to find anything better for the same price if not impossible.

I didn't buy anything yet cause I want at least 10 megapixels....I wait till the 10 mp is the same price as for example the D50 now.
 
Don't buy a package. If you shoot for $600, you can get the RebelXT with the kit lens. It's a good starting point, but you'll probably want to upgrade the kit after a while 'cause it's pretty fuzzy at the edges and not very fast
 
Can anyone recommend a site that has a cheap RebelXT with lens thats reputable.
 
Youri Carma said:
You can buy the D50 and also the 350D in a "Kit" just body and lens which is a good deal.

I made a study about the D50 and the "kit" lenses are just fine and difficult to find anything better for the same price if not impossible.

I didn't buy anything yet cause I want at least 10 megapixels....I wait till the 10 mp is the same price as for example the D50 now.
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That's an asinine statement considering 10mp doesn't even give a 20% of quality even though it's more than 20% higher mp. Mp is a myth once you get past a point. 6.3 mp is used by many pro photographers as the other cameras have very little increase cost/performance.
 
From my own photographic retouche, manipulation and tweaking experience it's nice to have the extra pixels. With the extra pixels there is less change of moire after noise reduction - sharpening - colorbalance, etc.... It is also more easy to make cutouts.

I am not talking about publishing in printing but also her you have the advantage of the extra pixels.

I like the colors en depth of the D50 which are overall much better than the Canon so you understand; I am not that pixel freak. But since I am a pro in the photographic retouche I know my business.
When I look at a digital photograph made by the Canon family even the most expensive ones I always get the feeling somebody was busy with glueing the pic together, can't help that.
Maybe the Canon is even better for that purpose stiching and glueing cause it's too unnatural sharp anywayz. So maybe I have to buy the 10mp Canon slr.:confused:

But for the pure photographic quality I'll wait for the Nikon.

Another nice thing to know is that even when you have purple fringing with 10mp it maybe still there but not noticable cause of the small pixels. :D
 
The Olympus E-Volt E500 is a very nice DSLR for the price. It can be had w/ a two lens kit for ~$600-$700 depending on where you get it. A very very solid DSLR for the price.
 
Sorry if I am threadjacking here but I too am looking for a mid range DSLR and here are my options:


*USED* Digital Rebel XT SLR with Canon 18-55mm EF-S Lens-- $475 shipped
Nikon D50 Digital SLR w/Nikkor 28-80mm F/3.3-5.6 G Lens-- $500 shipped
Pentax K100D Digital SLR Body with 18-55mm Lens Kit--$560 shipped - $50 MIR
Canon Digital Rebel XT SLR Kit with Canon 18-55mm EF-S Lens-- $600 shipped
*USED* Digital Rebel XT Kit with 18-55mm EF-S Lens, Canon EF 55-200 mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM, and Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash-- $650 shipped
Canon Digital Rebel XTi SLR Kit with Canon 18-55mm EF-S Lens-- $700 shipped


I am leaning towards the k100d for the Shake Reduction, which I may find useful as this is my first dive into photography... or the D50...


Any suggestions?
 
Seufari said:
I am leaning towards the k100d for the Shake Reduction, which I may find useful as this is my first dive into photography
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Exactly how do you expect shake reduction to help you?
 
well... I might be a bit shaky with a camera for a while until I get used to it. This is what it is for is it not?
 
Seufari said:
Sorry if I am threadjacking here but I too am looking for a mid range DSLR and here are my options:


*USED* Digital Rebel XT SLR with Canon 18-55mm EF-S Lens-- $475 shipped
Nikon D50 Digital SLR w/Nikkor 28-80mm F/3.3-5.6 G Lens-- $500 shipped
Pentax K100D Digital SLR Body with 18-55mm Lens Kit--$560 shipped - $50 MIR
Canon Digital Rebel XT SLR Kit with Canon 18-55mm EF-S Lens-- $600 shipped
*USED* Digital Rebel XT Kit with 18-55mm EF-S Lens, Canon EF 55-200 mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM, and Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash-- $650 shipped
Canon Digital Rebel XTi SLR Kit with Canon 18-55mm EF-S Lens-- $700 shipped


I am leaning towards the k100d for the Shake Reduction, which I may find useful as this is my first dive into photography... or the D50...


Any suggestions?
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Wheres the d50 price from?
 
What exactly is the difference? Looking for something to start out with and I dont know much about lenses..
 
Seufari said:
well... I might be a bit shaky with a camera for a while until I get used to it. This is what it is for is it not?
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The in-camera shake reduction system is very new and not particularly effective. If you want true shake reduction, buy a lens with it, not a body. Lenses like Canon's IS or Nikkor's VR are good, but the extra feature jacks up the price a bit. Also, see if you even need it. IS/VR does not help when the subject is moving. It can only be used for static subjects.

Also, go to a CC or BB or any place that has cameras and try them out in the store to see which one you like using, handling, features, viewfinder (very important, because you don't have an lcd-preview).

I still recommend a D50. You can get the body for just $449 at B&H. Or $349 used at B&H. Then get the 17-80mm nikkor, tamron 17-50 2.8 (if you need a fast lens). Both are around $350 and are good lenses to get you started. You can always sell them and move on, but the kit lens is very dissapointing. (No surprise there, it's a KIT lens!!)
 
thunderstruck! said:
The in-camera shake reduction system is very new and not particularly effective. If you want true shake reduction, buy a lens with it, not a body. Lenses like Canon's IS or Nikkor's VR are good, but the extra feature jacks up the price a bit. Also, see if you even need it. IS/VR does not help when the subject is moving. It can only be used for static subjects.

Also, go to a CC or BB or any place that has cameras and try them out in the store to see which one you like using, handling, features, viewfinder (very important, because you don't have an lcd-preview).

I still recommend a D50. You can get the body for just $449 at B&H. Or $349 used at B&H. Then get the 17-80mm nikkor, tamron 17-50 2.8 (if you need a fast lens). Both are around $350 and are good lenses to get you started. You can always sell them and move on, but the kit lens is very dissapointing. (No surprise there, it's a KIT lens!!)
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Hey, thanks for that link. I couldn't remember where i had read that and wanted to go back and read it again...

If the used D50 was $349 on B&H, I'd get it, but its $409. I am looking at one on FM for $375. I'll probably go with that and then pick up a used lens.

Thanks for your help thunder...
 
Just make sure that the seller is well known on FM with good feedback there. Dunno if the camera might have dust issues or other problems, so it's important to buy from someone honest. B&H has fantastic customer service and a good return policy. That's what the extra $35 is paying for. :p
 
thunderstruck! said:
I still recommend a D50. You can get the body for just $449 at B&H. Or $349 used at B&H. Then get the 17-80mm nikkor, tamron 17-50 2.8 (if you need a fast lens). Both are around $350 and are good lenses to get you started. You can always sell them and move on, but the kit lens is very dissapointing. (No surprise there, it's a KIT lens!!)
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What 17-80mm nikkor lens are you talking about. I can't seem to find it.

What about the 17-55mm DX that is also bundled with this camera (for more $)
 
I'm actually leaning towards getting a pentax K100D myself after some research. In particular, I like the sharpness as compared to the rebel xt and D50. Also, I've seen some comparison shots in reviews that show the image stabilization to help make freehand (non-tripod) shots just a litttle bit sharper...and every bit helps!
 
Glacian22 said:
I'm actually leaning towards getting a pentax K100D myself after some research. In particular, I like the sharpness as compared to the rebel xt and D50. Also, I've seen some comparison shots in reviews that show the image stabilization to help make freehand (non-tripod) shots just a litttle bit sharper...and every bit helps!
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If you could provide links to your research, I'd really like to see them.
 
K100D has a slightly more aggressive in-camera sharpening algorithm than the D50/XTI. Whether this is good or not is up to you. Some like it, others don't like to sacrifice detail/highlights, if you shoot in jpeg it's probably useful.

Imo, 100D/D50/XTI are all great bodies. Instead, look at what lenses you want to buy into. Once you choose a XTI, you can ONLY use canon eos mount lenses, nikkon only uses f-mount lenses, and pentax used k-mount. The 3 bodies are excellent. Now decide what you want to buy into. IMO, Nikon/Canon have a greater selection are in it for the long haul.

Also, go to a store and feel each camera in hand. They all have different grips, layout and most importantly, different viewfinders (no lcd preview, all shots taken through the viewfinder on slr). I find the AF points on the XTI a bit hard to see (small viewfinder) but I got used to it after 20 minutes in the store with it. Also found that the D50 focused slightly slower, but I couldn't tell, however, it had more features.
 
Seufari said:
If you could provide links to your research, I'd really like to see them.
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Just sites that thunderstruck and a few others recommended, like dpreview.com and fredmiranda.com. I also like DCRP, since it's geared more toward us noobs just getting started with dSLRs.
 
thunderstruck! said:
K100D has a slightly more aggressive in-camera sharpening algorithm than the D50/XTI. Whether this is good or not is up to you. Some like it, others don't like to sacrifice detail/highlights, if you shoot in jpeg it's probably useful.

Imo, 100D/D50/XTI are all great bodies. Instead, look at what lenses you want to buy into. Once you choose a XTI, you can ONLY use canon eos mount lenses, nikkon only uses f-mount lenses, and pentax used k-mount. The 3 bodies are excellent. Now decide what you want to buy into. IMO, Nikon/Canon have a greater selection are in it for the long haul.

Also, go to a store and feel each camera in hand. They all have different grips, layout and most importantly, different viewfinders (no lcd preview, all shots taken through the viewfinder on slr). I find the AF points on the XTI a bit hard to see (small viewfinder) but I got used to it after 20 minutes in the store with it. Also found that the D50 focused slightly slower, but I couldn't tell, however, it had more features.
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I swear thunder... Its all your fault...

Well... I now have a like new D50 and 18-70mm lens on the way. $375 for the D5 and $195 for the lens.

:S
 
Flawles said:
i love my d50
and i suggest you buy one
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I too love my D50. If you are on that tight of a budget try the D40. What I suggest is that you go to an actual store and, hold each one in your hand and, see which you like. The better it feels in your hand the easier and, the more you will use it.
 
Listen guys!
If I had some buckz to spend I would get the D50 today!

Nikon D50 Body (6MP) 400,-
Nikon D50 Kit (6MP, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6) 500.-
Nikon D50 Kit (6MP, 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, 55-200mm f/4-5.6) 740,-

These are all amazing deals.

Don't look for another lens, I did, frankly I waisted my time, these lenses are great to begin with...and so is the Nikon SLR.

I am not tutting my horne here!
 
Seufari said:
I swear thunder... Its all your fault...

Well... I now have a like new D50 and 18-70mm lens on the way. $375 for the D5 and $195 for the lens.

:S
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Damn you are quick! You won't regret the purchase. Especially around the holidays, lotta things you want to share/remember. Those are both excellent deals. I would take pics and compare them to full res pics (at 100% crop) at dpreview, make sure you get a good camera/good copy of lens. :D Also, that lens is much nicer than a kit lens, good choice.

I still haven't gotten one yet lol. It takes me forever to make a decision.... :( :mad:
 
thunderstruck! said:
Damn you are quick! You won't regret the purchase. Especially around the holidays, lotta things you want to share/remember. Those are both excellent deals. I would take pics and compare them to full res pics (at 100% crop) at dpreview, make sure you get a good camera/good copy of lens. :D Also, that lens is much nicer than a kit lens, good choice.

I still haven't gotten one yet lol. It takes me forever to make a decision.... :( :mad:
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I used to take forever to make a decision, but lately I have been spending money like nobody's business. I find it hard to have passion about my studies, but spending money is something that I love doing... :(

I do have another question or two.

Right now I am looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820178100
I have been reading about "slow" SD cards. Is this really something that I should be worried about? I can't really even see the "slow" card even being a problem.
 
Seufari said:
Right now I am looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820178100
I have been reading about "slow" SD cards. Is this really something that I should be worried about? I can't really even see the "slow" card even being a problem.
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Spend the extra on a Sandisk Ultra II. It makes a difference when you shoot off a quick burst and are waiting for the buffer to write to the card, or when you want to review pictures. A friend of mine uses a microdrive and it's noticeably slower than a good CF card, so I'd imagine a slower SD card would have the same effect.

Congrats on the purchase and welcome to an addiction ;)
 
fugu said:
Spend the extra on a Sandisk Ultra II. It makes a difference when you shoot off a quick burst and are waiting for the buffer to write to the card, or when you want to review pictures. A friend of mine uses a microdrive and it's noticeably slower than a good CF card, so I'd imagine a slower SD card would have the same effect.

Congrats on the purchase and welcome to an addiction ;)
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Too late... I dont expect any problems though. Going from a microdrive to the flash CF card, I see as like going from a hard drive (micro) to iRam. The difference is night and day. But going between SD cards would be like deciding between equal technology.
 
Seufari.. post some pics when you get the camera! (from the camera, lol)

Also, may want to get a filter as dirt/dust/debris protection for the lens, they are pretty cheap and useful.
 
i concur. you'll love the d50. for those who poo-poo the 18-55 kit lens, yes its not the best but its good enough to learn on and take some pretty decent pictures.

as for sd cards, i dont have one of the fancy high-speed jobs and it does the job just fine. however the way the tech is moving i bet you could find a great deal on the "super-mega-ultra" speed cards.

also, a uv filter is a must - if only for scratch protection for that $200 lens you just bought. start out with a decent cheapie.

most imporantly....make sure to post some pics when you start shooting! :cool:
 
thunderstruck! said:
Seufari.. post some pics when you get the camera! (from the camera, lol)

Also, may want to get a filter as dirt/dust/debris protection for the lens, they are pretty cheap and useful.
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Forgot to mention that the lens came with a Tiffen UV fitler. I'll definately play around with it during my christmas break and let you guys see the results. I dont have a lot to shoot where my home is, but maybe if we go skiing...
 
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