I own no land, instead I have wheelestate. I’ve been a full time RVer since 1997. Working summers as a Park Ranger takes me to many beautiful places and playing during the winter takes me to many more. This blog is simply the story of my life's adventures.
Moved
Thank you for stopping by. Just to let you know, I'm still blogging but have moved to Geogypsytraveler. Hope you'll follow my adventures. Just click here.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Looking at SLR cameras?
Doesn’t everybody want a new camera? Even if you just bought one a year or two ago you’ve probably learned what new features you want in the next camera.
Nigel says he has been told you would be always best to buy from a company that makes lenses. He says if he is right, the Nikon does just that but not the Canon. Just worth thinking about. Take care Diane
I shoot with a Sony, but you'll love SLR and RAW format. I have a, 18- 250 zoom lens, and I use it almost exclusively. (I must only be careful to hold it perfectly still!) That's another thing - I think most new cameras have a stability function built in, and you definitely need it for zooms and macros.
Gaelyn, mine is the Canon EOS Rebel xti 400D. Purchased at Costco a couple of years ago for under $1000 and included 2 lenses, zoom and wide-angle, nice case, cables, chargers...the works. Now if I could just get the hang of night sky photography!!!
Well, your pictures are beautiful, and that's something I know!
From the sublime to the ridiculous, Annie and I both have little pocket Casios XLIMs that have crapped out after a year. Started out beautifully. I'm disappointed.
Okay, people, carry on with sophisticated camera talk.
I'll just take your old one (and the talent that goes with it ;>)! Seriously, I will check back to see what you decide. Yeah, you're right every photo blogger lusts for a newer camera!
I will say go with Nikon. I shoot with one, and love it. I've also been noticing a lot of pros been jumping onto Nikon and leaving Canon. Either way both makes are great cameras, but Nikon has some good stuff in the pipeline.
I'll be following your choice carefully. I think that the eye is more important than the camera but some of our fellow bloggers have magical results when they marry the eye with great equipment and technical know how.
For myself, I get bored by the technical details. I'm feeling a vague hankering to upgrade to a DSLR.
Gaelyn: I have a 5100 and love it.. it's my "grab and go" camera these days.. light and easy to carry with superb image quality... but of course I already had a set of Nikon lenses. If you're starting from scratch, you could go either way, but once you buy into one or the other, you're kind of committed. The lenses are more important than the camera body anyway.. bodies change and improve every year or so but lenses last basically forever, with care. The rotating viewfinder on the 5100 alone is worth the price to me and the difference between 16 and 18 MP is so small that it is irrelevant. Good luck!
No matter what you have I think you always want just a little bit more. I have a DSLR, a Canon Rebel XT, and I'm hankering for one of the newer models. Really I don't think you can go wrong with either Nikon or Canon, and the difference between 18MP and 16.2 is not much. So pick the one that feels the best to you when you're holding it, especially with the zoom lens on it. Weight is important too as you get older. As much as I would like having one of the bigger cameras and lenses I know they would be too heavy for me--also remember you are packing it around wherever you go, so even a little more weight can make a difference. For wildlife, image stabilization and speed are important, but those rocks in the canyon don't move very fast. Basically figure out what features are most important to you and then pick the one that most closely meets that. Have fun!
I have looked at SLRs from time to time and the Nikon has been better rated and feels better in my hands. (I always buy Canon though) I decided against an SLR because of the weight. I prefer the lighter point and shoot super zoom cameras. In the end, good pictures are because of a good photographer, not the equipment.
I am partial to Canon so take this with a grain of salt. Rather than the plastic body of the T3i, you may want to consider the much more feature-rich 60D or even the 7D. To help in the cost department, you might want to consider a factory-refurbished model. Go to http://shop.usa.canon.com/ and click on the "Refurbished" selection in the (red) drop down menu. Lens and other items are also available refurbished.
I've spoken to 2 fellow's lately who have sold their Canon's to get Nikon's... if you really hold on long enough, and have money to burn the the new Nikon D800 has about 40 M-pixs... I believe... that should put an end to your deside for more M-pixs ;-) Most people I spek with seem to suggest that the Canons are great... but if you want a proper work horse the the Nikon is the answer! Good luck... I know what I want!
My 2cents: Both cameras are great, it all depends on your preference. I am a Nikon user since the 90's using film.
I love my D90, but this new P&S Sony I got last October, served me very well. It takes nice pictures. I do a little bit of hiking, and I take both with me. I almost bang my camera yesterday when I slipped at the Red Rock Canyon in Kern because the rocks and sand were very slippery. Hehehe, now I am sore.
Ah Nikon versus Canon! The eternal question. If you start with one, think that you will stick to the brand. So think about the lenses you will eventually want to add in the future... I love my Canon (s) one I can bring everywhere (the G12) and the Rebel...
I've been yerning for a SLR for so long now as well, but every time I think that the time has come something crops up at home or with the family that is more important and chows up the money.
I think if you stick with either Nikon or Canon for a DSLR you will find satisfaction. Both my DSLR's are Nikon. A D90 & a D40. Both my point & shoots are Canons. My Canon Powershot SX210 rides on my belt every day but my Nikons are the workhorses taking an average of 50 photos a day while we are traveling & maybe 20 photos a day when home. A DSLR with interchangeable lenses whether Canon or Nikon is a must if you are a creative person. And, in my opinion, a camera with an eye veiwfinder is absolutely critical for proper composition.....
Lots of great suggestions. I already had a slew of Canon lenses and SLRs, so when I was looking for a lightweight "traveling SLR" last year, the Canon T3i seemed more comfortable and familiar to me than the Nikon models, but certainly either one will provide plenty of beautiful images. I got an 18-270 Tamron lens for it that has also been a real gem and rarely comes off the camera due to it's range and lightweight size. Another feature I've really enjoyed is the flipout LCD screen-- great for high or low-angle shots, or even doing self-portraits! Have fun!
19 comments:
Canon T3! I use the T1 and I lurve it. Then again, I'm a Canon girl through and through.
Nigel says he has been told you would be always best to buy from a company that makes lenses. He says if he is right, the Nikon does just that but not the Canon. Just worth thinking about. Take care Diane
I shoot with a Sony, but you'll love SLR and RAW format. I have a, 18- 250 zoom lens, and I use it almost exclusively. (I must only be careful to hold it perfectly still!) That's another thing - I think most new cameras have a stability function built in, and you definitely need it for zooms and macros.
Gaelyn, mine is the Canon EOS Rebel xti 400D. Purchased at Costco a couple of years ago for under $1000 and included 2 lenses, zoom and wide-angle, nice case, cables, chargers...the works. Now if I could just get the hang of night sky photography!!!
Uh.
Well, your pictures are beautiful, and that's something I know!
From the sublime to the ridiculous, Annie and I both have little pocket Casios XLIMs that have crapped out after a year. Started out beautifully. I'm disappointed.
Okay, people, carry on with sophisticated camera talk.
Roxanne
The Good Luck Duck
I'll just take your old one (and the talent that goes with it ;>)! Seriously, I will check back to see what you decide. Yeah, you're right every photo blogger lusts for a newer camera!
I will say go with Nikon. I shoot with one, and love it. I've also been noticing a lot of pros been jumping onto Nikon and leaving Canon.
Either way both makes are great cameras, but Nikon has some good stuff in the pipeline.
I'll be following your choice carefully. I think that the eye is more important than the camera but some of our fellow bloggers have magical results when they marry the eye with great equipment and technical know how.
For myself, I get bored by the technical details. I'm feeling a vague hankering to upgrade to a DSLR.
Good luck, and take good notes.
Gaelyn:
I have a 5100 and love it.. it's my "grab and go" camera these days.. light and easy to carry with superb image quality... but of course I already had a set of Nikon lenses. If you're starting from scratch, you could go either way, but once you buy into one or the other, you're kind of committed. The lenses are more important than the camera body anyway.. bodies change and improve every year or so but lenses last basically forever, with care. The rotating viewfinder on the 5100 alone is worth the price to me and the difference between 16 and 18 MP is so small that it is irrelevant.
Good luck!
No matter what you have I think you always want just a little bit more. I have a DSLR, a Canon Rebel XT, and I'm hankering for one of the newer models. Really I don't think you can go wrong with either Nikon or Canon, and the difference between 18MP and 16.2 is not much. So pick the one that feels the best to you when you're holding it, especially with the zoom lens on it. Weight is important too as you get older. As much as I would like having one of the bigger cameras and lenses I know they would be too heavy for me--also remember you are packing it around wherever you go, so even a little more weight can make a difference. For wildlife, image stabilization and speed are important, but those rocks in the canyon don't move very fast. Basically figure out what features are most important to you and then pick the one that most closely meets that. Have fun!
Camera jones?
I have looked at SLRs from time to time and the Nikon has been better rated and feels better in my hands. (I always buy Canon though) I decided against an SLR because of the weight. I prefer the lighter point and shoot super zoom cameras. In the end, good pictures are because of a good photographer, not the equipment.
I am partial to Canon so take this with a grain of salt. Rather than the plastic body of the T3i, you may want to consider the much more feature-rich 60D or even the 7D. To help in the cost department, you might want to consider a factory-refurbished model. Go to http://shop.usa.canon.com/ and click on the "Refurbished" selection in the (red) drop down menu. Lens and other items are also available refurbished.
Nikon... all the way!!
I've spoken to 2 fellow's lately who have sold their Canon's to get Nikon's... if you really hold on long enough, and have money to burn the the new Nikon D800 has about 40 M-pixs... I believe... that should put an end to your deside for more M-pixs ;-)
Most people I spek with seem to suggest that the Canons are great... but if you want a proper work horse the the Nikon is the answer!
Good luck... I know what I want!
My 2cents: Both cameras are great, it all depends on your preference. I am a Nikon user since the 90's using film.
I love my D90, but this new P&S Sony I got last October, served me very well. It takes nice pictures. I do a little bit of hiking, and I take both with me. I almost bang my camera yesterday when I slipped at the Red Rock Canyon in Kern because the rocks and sand were very slippery. Hehehe, now I am sore.
Good luck with your choice.
Ah Nikon versus Canon! The eternal question.
If you start with one, think that you will stick to the brand. So think about the lenses you will eventually want to add in the future...
I love my Canon (s) one I can bring everywhere (the G12) and the Rebel...
I've been yerning for a SLR for so long now as well, but every time I think that the time has come something crops up at home or with the family that is more important and chows up the money.
I think if you stick with either Nikon or Canon for a DSLR you will find satisfaction. Both my DSLR's are Nikon. A D90 & a D40. Both my point & shoots are Canons. My Canon Powershot SX210 rides on my belt every day but my Nikons are the workhorses taking an average of 50 photos a day while we are traveling & maybe 20 photos a day when home. A DSLR with interchangeable lenses whether Canon or Nikon is a must if you are a creative person. And, in my opinion, a camera with an eye veiwfinder is absolutely critical for proper composition.....
Lots of great suggestions. I already had a slew of Canon lenses and SLRs, so when I was looking for a lightweight "traveling SLR" last year, the Canon T3i seemed more comfortable and familiar to me than the Nikon models, but certainly either one will provide plenty of beautiful images. I got an 18-270 Tamron lens for it that has also been a real gem and rarely comes off the camera due to it's range and lightweight size. Another feature I've really enjoyed is the flipout LCD screen-- great for high or low-angle shots, or even doing self-portraits! Have fun!
Post a Comment