Camera nerds please help

[PIMking]

Yes but the T3I isn't the same as the T3

[HalifaxDrunk]

The link isn't for the T3i it is the T3, as I said below the links in my original post the T2i & T3i are above my budget right now.

[JMN]

You should stick with either Nikon or Canon. Your wife will eventually buy different lenses if she gets into it more seriously; you'll find it easier buying/selling Nikon/Canon equipment in the future. Not too many people are in the market for Sony equipment.

Can't go wrong with the D90! Great value camera.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by HalifaxDrunk

The link isn't for the T3i it is the T3, as I said below the links in my original post the T2i & T3i are above my budget right now.

I failed reading comp on that one...

[THE SCUD]

I just bought my Wife a D3100 to get her into the DSLR realm. It's neck and neck with the T2i but has better warranty and has (in her opinion) a way better user interface to teach you how to take/compose a shot using a DSLR.

Great camera and 2 year warranty and 5yr on the lens is better than canons one year and done warranty. Speaks to me about how better made the Nikon is.

[REDVAN]

When I got my dslr (Canon xTi, just a few years ago...) I must have hit every camera shop in town and played with every model out there.

I went with the Canon over Nikon because I liked the colours of the photos, and the feel of the camera better.

I also got a Canon point-and-shoot a few months later, that I still have today.

And I just picked up the Nikon J1- yes I know, I switched brands- but I wanted a point and shoot with a little something more. Sometimes you just want to zoom, point, and shoot- otherwise you've missed your shot.

SO I guess my point is: if it's not a surprise, take your time, go check them out, and decide what you want based on how it feels in your hand. As for the difference is models within the same brand, that's not something I can help with since I am not an expert in those models. But I am a believer in getting what you want, and not skimping for $100 bucks on a purchase of this size. You could have this camera for a long time, make sure it's exactly what you want.

[missdpuck]

I have a Lumix fz35 . It's okay for closer shots . it's when I used the zoom that it starts getting noisy, grainy, blurry. I know it must be me. I'm screwing up some awesome bird shots and it's driving me nuts. The teleconverter makes the situation worse. I won't jump into a DSLR until I figure this crap out. Grrrr. The flickr site has pointers but I'm still screwing up lol.
Since I'm going to be this picky I'm looking into a D90 eventually or 40D or whatever.
Thanks for the pointers in this thread, folks.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by missdpuck

I have a Lumix fz35 . It's okay for closer shots . it's when I used the zoom that it starts getting noisy, grainy, blurry. I know it must be me. I'm screwing up some awesome bird shots and it's driving me nuts. The teleconverter makes the situation worse. I won't jump into a DSLR until I figure this crap out. Grrrr. The flickr site has pointers but I'm still screwing up lol.
Since I'm going to be this picky I'm looking into a D90 eventually or 40D or whatever.
Thanks for the pointers in this thread, folks.

Well it kind of is, but it kind of isn't. As the wide end your camera's aperture is f/2.8, at the long end it's f/4.4. That means for a given level of brightness your camera is exposing more than twice as long on zoomed in shots (motion blur), or it's bumping up the ISO (noisy and grainy). Most cameras do this. Further complicating things is that to avoid camera shake with a longer lens you actually need a faster shutter speed. A teleconverter will always make things worse.

Best thing you can do is shoot in bright daylight. Otherwise you're really pushing the limits of physics: your photos will either be blurred, grainy, or dark, or some combination of the above. A DSLR will be less noisy, and a fast lens will also help (but your lens isn't really that slow). I'd guess lighting is your biggest issue.