Buying DSLR - limited budget

[Bigtime]

Great, way to post all those videos on the Rebel T2i. I've been debating upgrading from my Rebel XSi to that one.

Money pit indeed once you start down the DSLR path! A little less than 2 years after getting mine I have 3 lenses already:

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (Kit Lens)
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 Fisheye

You just get sucked in, even if you take photos as a hobby versus a pro!

[Table 5]

Unless you have a camera store locally you want to support, buy your gear in the states if you can.....it's considerably cheaper then Calgary, especially these days with the good exchange rate for Canadians. When it comes to the more expensive items (lenses etc) it can easily save you hundreds.

B&H (bhphotovideo.com) is a great start for looking at photo gear as they are one of the biggest photo outlets for professionals, and are almost always the cheapest around. If you're ever in NY, it's honestly a great tourist destination in itself.... not the best customer service, but they will haggle with you if you get enough stuff.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Great, way to post all those videos on the Rebel T2i. I've been debating upgrading from my Rebel XSi to that one.

Money pit indeed once you start down the DSLR path! A little less than 2 years after getting mine I have 3 lenses already:

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (Kit Lens)
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 Fisheye

You just get sucked in, even if you take photos as a hobby versus a pro!

Look what this guy did, now my brother and I are gonna buy that trolly system he used for those shots, its truly amazing stuff.

Already looking at lenses less than 2 weeks after buying the camera, oh and of course a tripod, etc..

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

You just get sucked in, even if you take photos as a hobby versus a pro!

Just wait till you start spending money for lenses that are 2/3x what you paid for the camera itself. You'll soon realize the body is the least valuable thing in your kit!

[ah123]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Unless you have a camera store locally you want to support, buy your gear in the states if you can.....it's considerably cheaper then Calgary, especially these days with the good exchange rate for Canadians. When it comes to the more expensive items (lenses etc) it can easily save you hundreds.

Buying camera gear from the US can definitely be cheaper - the one thing to research is the warranty situation. For example, Nikon Canada will not service a Nikon body or lens if it was bought from the US. This is probably not a huge deal, just sayin...

The other thing to remember is that shipping can really add up quickly, if you're not careful - UPS, I believe, charges an arm and a leg for brokerage fees while USPS or Fedex Air is much cheaper...

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by ah123

The other thing to remember is that shipping can really add up quickly, if you're not careful - UPS, I believe, charges an arm and a leg for brokerage fees while USPS or Fedex Air is much cheaper...

Yep, shipping can be a big issue.....which is why I inevitably become a human shipping container every time I come back to Calgary. I swear there hasn't been a trip in 7 years where I didn't bring back something from B&H or Adorama.....my dad alone has probably bought about 10K of stuff from them.

[Phaneuf3]

I'd stick to either Canon or Nikon. I'd also not rule out the option of going used. You can sometimes pick up a really good deal on some used and/or slightly out of date models. Other than the nerd-gasm and bragging rights, going for a slightly higher megapixel count, etc probably isn't going to get you too much other than a bigger hole in your wallet.

Since I know the Canon line better, I'll just stick to that but... going as far back as the XTi or even the XT will probably be more than enough for what you're looking to do and you could probably find it for seriously cheap. Also, keep in mind that your skill and learning how to use your camera properly will help your photography much more than having the latest bells and whistles.

Of course avoiding the gear lust is easier said than done but, IMO and especially for entry level gear, you'll get more bang for your buck going for lenses than a higher quality body. They'll also hold their value far better for when you decide to sell your current gear and upgrade.

[Regulator75]

If you are on a budget, go with the Nikon D5000 and the 18-105mm kit lens.

http://www.thecamerastore.com/produc...5-mm-f35-56-vr

[Icon]

I love my Canon Rebel T1i... since the T2i's out, I'm not sure if it's happened yet but I'd assume the price will drop a bit on the T1i.

[Thor]

Originally Posted by Regulator75

If you are on a budget, go with the Nikon D5000 and the 18-105mm kit lens.

http://www.thecamerastore.com/produc...5-mm-f35-56-vr

If he's going in the 800's why not the $200 more for the T2i You get a HD videocamera with that, what a bargain!

[Table 5]

Haha, classic guy shopping style here.....go into a store looking for a basic Corolla model, and after some incremental upselling, walk out with the 911 Turbo. I know I'm like that, I don't even need a salesman to lie to me.

[Titan]

A little bump but FS has this on sale. From the Nikon guys are these lenses decent for a total beginner? What do you think about this deal? It seems pretty good to me. Also, would you jump up to the D90?



thanks

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...637ef1c688en02

[Jayems]

Titan,

What are you wanting to shoot? Are you looking for a versatile camera and lens kit that will get you through most scenarios or are you looking for something more specific?

IE: Will you need to shoot indoors at high shutter speeds? (hockey, lacrosse, etc)?

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by Titan

A little bump but FS has this on sale. From the Nikon guys are these lenses decent for a total beginner? What do you think about this deal? It seems pretty good to me. Also, would you jump up to the D90?

thanks

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...637ef1c688en02

My photo buddy has that exact kit and is very happy with it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevincappis/show/

It's his first DSLR after using a higher end point and shoot. He wished he made the DSLR jump sooner.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Titan

A little bump but FS has this on sale. From the Nikon guys are these lenses decent for a total beginner? What do you think about this deal? It seems pretty good to me. Also, would you jump up to the D90?



thanks

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...637ef1c688en02

The biggest thing to avoid, as a beginner, is a long lens without VR. That kit is fine.

[GGG]

I said this above but I would highly recomend a cheap fast normal lens.

for Nikon this one

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...5877cfad8den02

Its a 50mm f1.8 and will allow you to play around with depth of field and capture a lot of low light stuff without flash and work as a poor man's portrait lens. To me this lens is more valuable then the long zoom.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by GGG

I said this above but I would highly recomend a cheap fast normal lens.

for Nikon this one

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...5877cfad8den02

Its a 50mm f1.8 and will allow you to play around with depth of field and capture a lot of low light stuff without flash and work as a poor man's portrait lens. To me this lens is more valuable then the long zoom.

Don't disagree with what you said, but for narrow depth of field a long focal length works too, and usually provides a less distracting background as well, even though aperture shrinks at the long end.

[Regulator75]

The 50mm is a great lens, it's a tad too long for indoor use. As the DX 1.5 magnification makes it a 75mm. I also own the 35mm f/1.8 and it's more natural for indoor use. They are both sharp as a tack.

Plus the D5000 can't fully use the 50mm as it doesn't have a built in Auto focus motor. It could only work using manual focus.

[Kybosh]

A while back I posted a similar thread but I still haven't made a decision for a camera purchase. I've slowly moved myself away from the DSLR field for a couple of reasons. First, I want a camera that I can easily take climbing or traveling. I already have a ton of climbing gear that I have to cart around and a big camera bag isn't very appealing haha. Also, I'm not quite financially ready to make the plunge.

A couple of cameras that have caught my eye, however, are the Canon s90 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. Does anyone have any experience with either of these high end point & shoots? The s90 is particularly appealing to me because of it's size and slightly lower cost (I also have had good experiences with other Canon cameras).

[wooohooo]

I hear VR is better for picture quality. Is it worth the extra $60 bucks or so to get a VR lens over a non VR lens for an 18-55 mm?