Which DSLR for a budding photog?
I'm looking at getting in to photography but i know i want to start off with something quality. I've been relentlessly researching all the data sheets and forums about which one and i think i've filtered out 3: Olympus E-volt E-420, the Sony Alpha 200K or the Nikon D40. As of right now i think im leaning towards the sony just because of namebrand reliance, its higher amount of mp`s and its flexibility in terms of manual mode. Any professionals or experienced people out there wanna lend a recommendation?
OK here is my short answer. I would not filter out the D40 yet. The D40 has a full manual mode, Flexible progam, aperature priority, shutter priority modes. These are the same modes on all DSLR. It also has several other programed modes for things like portrait, night, children etc. As a photographer improves and learnds to use metering better these additional modes seldom get used so they are usually found on the more amature cameras and seen as not needed on the professional cameras.
I also would not get caught up in the megapixel hype and instead look at the entire sensor issue. Look at the article I linked below The D40 will do everything a beginner to intermediate photographer needs at a great price. It comes with an 18-55 lens. It will let you use any other money to buy more accessories. And by the time you outgrow it cameras will have advanced to the point that most of what is on the market now would be obsolete. I bought a D300 last year and only had a it a few months when the D700 came out. The canon would also serve you well but I am a Nikon person so I suggest them. I have friends that are very happy with thier canon's and take great photos. You will have others that like Pentax and Olympus and they are not bad cameras but if they were in the same ballpark you would see many more professional photographers use them
Now for the longer answer as you already have some experience I will be preaching to the choir on a good bit of this.
I would say the Nikon D40 Its an entry level DSLR. A digital SLR will give you a much larger sensor than any point and shoot camera. Larger sensor = more light to each pixel = clearer, crisper photo with better color saturation. DSLR will also let you grow and take more control as you learn more and you can change lenses when you have a need to. The sensor on the olympus is smaller than on Nikon or Canon
I am a nikon person and have had nikons since the 70's I personally think the nikon D40 give you more for the dollar than any DSLR today. There are some that do more but you pay a good bit more. Do not let the lower megapixels concern you if you do not do very very large prints you will never notice the lower DSLR. My brother recently needs a DSLR for a class and I recommended the D40 to him So I would also say get the D40 not the D40X. The Nikon D40 does not have limited functions compared with other entry DSLR. Yes it has fewer funtioncas than a 1500 dollar camera body would. It is not a a cut down version its equal or above most any entry level DSLR.
There is a great article in this months Digital Photopro Magazine that is titled "Megapixels how much is enough" EVERYONE looking at buying a new digital camera can profit by reading this article. Its here
http://www.digitalphotopro.com/studio/megapixels-how-much-is-enough.html
I have a d300 and a d40 and when I am shooting for fun I grab the d40. Its weightless, a joy to use and gives good results
If you have a bit more money the D60 give you a number of things you want. It has newer firmware and image processors, designed for the 10 mp sensor. It has an "Active Dust Reduction System with Airflow Control ". Nikon not putting a system on the D40 to deal with dust is one of the biggest drawbacks I see to the D40 ( though I think its still a great camera for the money) If you change lenses dust will get in and the camera needs a system to deal with it. With the D60 you get a VR lens. That will help with low light situations ( they may offer that now with the D40 but originally it was not) . The D60 has Adaptive Dynamic Range. Nikon calls it "Active D-Lighting," it lets you save some highlights that my otherwise be lost. It has a newer better metering system than the D40. So you can get the D40 not the D40 x and spend the other money on lenses or a flash
Some people will want to make a big issue out of the fact that there are some nikon lenses that will not autofocus on these cameras. Right now there are "only" about 39 lenses that autofocus on these cameras. They cover the range of focal lengths. I doubt any photographer would be seriously limited with "only" this many lenses to choose from. If you want to manually focus you can more than double this and do so at a low cost. Manual focusing is easy and how we did things for decades before the advent of autofocus.
Cannon and Nikon chose to put the vibration reduction in the lens rather than the body. Somefolks put it in the camera and make of that. Yes that means you get stabilization only on lenses with that feature built in. In the body in theory it would work on every lens. But in fact image stbilization in the lens has proved to work faster and smoother with a lower impact on focus times than image stabilization in the body/ One problem with in body stabilization comes from the fact that the sensor would have to move different amounts for different focal lengths. A canon white paper says an in body system would have to move the sensor 1/4 inch to account for movement on a 300 mm lens.
Now a comment on liveview. Have you ever tried to hold several pounds of digital camera and lens steady at arms length while you look at an LCD screen. It not at all the same as holding a few ounces of point and shoot camera steady in the same position. One of the things we preach to new photogrpahers is to learn to hold the camera properly so the body mechanics give you a steady shot. You can't really do that looking at the LCD. So liveview is really something that will have very limited applications in a DSLR. So liveview is really something that will have very limited applications in a DSLR. Usually only when its on a tripod. I have liveview on my D300 and have never used it.
Nikon also has great service. I was just reading the other day on eyefetch in the Nikon forum where someone posted that they had dropped thier lens and broken it. It was not a fault of the company they messed up. The sent it to Nikon and Nikon could not fix it. Nikon offered them a brand new identical lens at half the price. They did not have to
In closing all major camera manufactures make good cameras get out and compare the features and how they feel in your hand. Go to places like kenRockwell.com and DPreview.com to compare them. Nikon and Canon have the largest market share and I personally think there is a very good reason they do. Not bashing other brands but photographers tend to be very very demanding folks and they then tend to be loyal to what has worked for them well and consistently. That is not a pavlovian response anymore than it is a pavlovian response in my work at the fire department when I trust the brands of turnout gear and airpacks that have worked for me time and time again. Sometimes even going beyond the published specs. People in ANY demanding profession gain loyalty and trust from thier experiences. And if the product did not perform it would not be favored for long.
Yes Sony bought out konica-Minolta. And yes Minolta used to make the bodies in portugal for the Leica R3 and R4 ( the minolta XE-7 chassis) But Sony does not make the bodies for lieca V or S . So its not the same as the old Minolta cameras though people try to say it is.
NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 26 March 2010
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.
 |
 62mm UV Filter For Canon Nikon Tamron Sigma Sony Lens  US $3.99 |  55mm UV Filter Lens For Camera Sony Canon Nikon New US $3.99 |  2 FilterCapHood For Nikon Canon Sony Lens 55mm UVCPL US $13.46 |
| Powered by phpBay Pro |
 | Camedia C-50 Digital Camera Lenses Sale Price: $224.99  |
DescriptionCompact 5.5X DX-format telephoto zoom lens with High Refractive Index lens element and ED glass is Ideal for capturing distant subjects at athletic events, family pictures, dramatic sunsets, travel and more... |
 | Nikon WC-E63 Wide-Angle Converter Lens for Nikon 4300 & 4500 Digital Cameras List Price: |
DescriptionOne of the most frustrating problems facing any digital photographer is the inability to fit an entire group of people or breathtaking landscape scene in the picture. While you can't remove the standard Coolpix lens and replace it as you can on an interchangeable lens SLR camera, you can quickly and easily attach this accessory wide-angle lens onto the camera's built-in lens to get the results you want... |
 | Introduction to the Sony A100 Digital SLR List Price: |
DescriptionTake great pictures with your Sony A100! All you need is this training DVD and about two hours, and you'll have the knowledge and the confidence to create the images you want. The topics are arranged in chapters, so you can move at your own pace, and return later to individual subjects... |
 | MagicFiber Ultra Fine Goja Microfiber Cleaning Cloths for LCD screen, Camera Lens, Glasses and other delicate surfaces (Premium 200mg) Removes fingerprints and oil with just a swipe! Perfect for Tablets (iPad, Xoom, Galaxy Tab, Kindle, Nook), Cell Phone (iPhone, HTC, Droid, Samsung, Android, Blackberry), Laptop and LCD TV screens |
DescriptionOur highly rated and very popular Goja Microfibers. Extremely effective, yet safe on all your most delicate items. Our ultra fine premium (200mg) microfiber cloths are designed to meet the highest standards of quality... |
 | Polaroid High Speed SD Card Reader ( SD, SDHC ) - Hi-Speed USB Sale Price: $2.49 |
DescriptionThanks to their ability to transfer images from virtually all popular digital media cards to your computer without tying up your camera-or wasting its batteries, few accessories are as immediately indispensable as Polaroid card reader/writers... |
 | Black Zipper Eva Pouch Carrying Case + Universal LCD Screen Protector for Fujifilm FinePix Z90, FinePix AX300 Digital Cameras Sale Price: $4.99 |
DescriptionUniversal LCD Screen Protector Film Shield Guard - (2.3in x 2.9in) |
 | GTMax Green Zipper Pouch Case + Universal LCD Screen Protector for Olympus Stylus 7010 / SP-700 / Stylus 1030 SW / Stylus 850 SW / Stylus 790 SW / Stylus 7000 / Stylus 1040 / Stylus 1010 / Stylus 840 / Stylus 830 / Stylus 820, / Stylus 810 / Stylus 780 / Stylus 760 / Stylus 750 / Stylus 740 / Stylus 710 / Stylus 600 Digital / Stylus 1200 / Stylus 1020 / Stylus 1000, VG-160, VR-340, VR-350 Digital Sale Price: $3.74 |
DescriptionUniversal LCD Screen Protector Film Shield Guard - (2.3in x 2.9in) |
 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3CK Kit Black 12.1-megapixel Digital Camera with 14mm Pancake Lens List Price: |
DescriptionPanasonics LUMIX DMC-GF3 realizes all the features you want from a bulky DSLR interchangeable lens camera, only it accomplishes this in an ultra compact point-and-shoot camera body about as wide and tall as a typical smart phone yet is lightweight and simple to master... |
 | NEEWER® 160 LED CN-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power Panel Digital Camera / Camcorder Video Light, LED Light for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Panasonic,SONY, Samsung and Olympus Digital SLR Cameras Sale Price: $38.58 |
DescriptionThis super lightweight 160-piece-LED video light can be used in video taking. either for lights setup or supplement, the light intensity can be changed to offer professional effects. Specification: Input: DC 7... |
 | Canon SX40 HS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 35x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch Vari-Angle Wide LCD List Price: |
DescriptionCanon PowerShot SX40 HS 12.1 Megapixel Bridge Camera - Black 5251B001 31. |
SONY EX1 test shoot with and without 35mm adapter
Tags: camera, photo, photography, shop, shopping