sjfcatfish or others: what is best digital SLR?

[Swimmer]

The dedicated camera for the boat was just purchased at Radio Shack...a very small 5 MP with a $50 rebate...so only costed $79.

However, a couple guys at work recently bought digital Cannon Rebel SLR kits (about $800 w/lense) and really like them. I've seen the Nikons (w/out lense?) for about $800.

And, I saw what seemed like a good deal on a digital Minolta SLR w/two lenses for about $700. First: what is the best of the best digital SLR? Second: what is the best deal? Third: are the above mentioned cameras similar enough that price would be the determining factor?

[fishingmike0770]

About a month ago i bought a brand new nikon D-50. I am really happy with it and i got the camera with a bunch of other stuff including 3 lenses for $900. Its not the best of the best but they say its one of the first choices for novice photographers, unless you already know that your gonna be hardcore into and spend a lot of money. I got mine off hsolist from a company and like i said, im very happy with it.

[Dbl]

Covered a month or so ago. Should be helpful for you.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=738730&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

[mcary]

It looks like the topic was covered pretty well in the linked post. I just thought I would add that I use a Canon Rebel XT for now and am very happy with it's performance for the price. I have talked to a few different professionals and they have all told me to go with Canon if you are looking for the highest quality. I've had the opportunity to use a Nikon D50 and also thought it was a very nice camera. Canon just came out with a new 30D that I have my eye on, looks like a nice setup. I have to agree with the other guys though, beware of the world your setting yourself up to enter. It is extremely addicting and can get very pricey, but it's all well worth it.

[MarchelRipley1]

To answer that question properly, It would truly depend on what you were photographing and at what level you desired to be taking pictures. You could spend well over $10,000 for a profeesional grade set up or less than $500.00 if your doing point and shoot. I have my preferences on the high end products, but don't know much about the P & S camera's.

[Swimmer]

The link Dbl posted was really helpful. I'm one of those not beginner, but certainly not pro photographers. I have an old Minolta 35mm SLR and have had high school type training...remember the developer, fixer stuff? Anyway, I would like a decent body (Canon, Nikon?) and one professional, or almost professional grade lense...maybe that zooms to 300mm. Willing to spend about $1200 for the lot. So, If you had $1200 or so to play with, what would YOU buy?

[Steve Foss]

Ohhhh, golly. Here's goes the Canon/Nikon thing!

After weighing all the options, when I decided to turn pro I settled on Canon. I'd been shooting it for years, but I took an impartial look at what was out there and made my choice. Since my Canon glass was cheap consumer glass at the time, there was no reason to stay with Canon just to save money on glass. I shoot the 20D (8.2 megapixels) with the add-on battery grip/vertical control, and my go-to lens is the Canon 100-400mm L series image stabilizer. That's a bit over a $3,000 combo.

My Canon-ness being said, Nikon makes great equipment, and if you choose a Nikon product you won't regret it. Buzz, Tom Wilson and Hobbydog can certainly make their case for Nikon, because they know Nikon inside-out.

I simply think you get a bit more bang for your buck with Canon. You can get a Rebel XT (8 megapixel) body and a 70-300 Canon image stabilizer for about the money you mentioned. The XT is a body quite a few pro Canon shooters use for their backup body. The image stabilization lens will gain you two stops for sure, and sometimes up to four. My 100-400L IS allows me to shoot all the way down to 1/30 with a monopod and get sharp images at full magnification and a wide open f-stop, as long as the subject is fairly still.

If you're looking to Nikon, the D50 or D70 body kit will cost less than the XT body kit, but they're both 6 megapixel bodies, and you can't get more megapixels with Nikon unless you go up to the D200 (about 10 megapixels). I don't know if Nikon makes a consumer grade image stabilizer (Nikon calls it VR for vibration reduction).

So, whichever brand you choose, I'd recommend the following:

1. Body

2. Kit lens (Canon and Nikon both offer wide angle consumer-grade zooms with their entry-level kits. Nikon's is slightly better.)

3. Telephoto zoom of 70-300 or approximate.

4. 1 Gb memory card or bigger.

5. Sturdy tripod and monopod. Once you get used to shooting off a stable platform, you'll never want to go back. The IS and VR lenses shot off monopods are sublime.

6. Card reader. They're lightning fast, way faster than plugging your camera into your computer with the cable, and they only cost $10 to $30.

There are lots of other things I could add to this list. This is what I consider the bare minimum. Other good things will occur to you after you proceed, and you can keep asking and asking and asking for advice. We'll keep giving it.

Go online using that list and shop. Write down the prices. For the last three years, I've done all my camera/supplies shopping at Canoga Camera. You put the Ws in front of that and the comm at the end and you'll have it. They have great service and the best prices of all the top online dealers.

[island guy]

Best SLR? I think the top brands all do a swell job! I'm still a novice but my SLR is starting to produce some nice photos. I don't think it is so much the camera but the artistic eye of the shooter. I joined a camera club and have learned much from it's members. There are folks I shoot with who can set down the SLR and grap their $175 point and shoot and take fantastic photos. Better than what I can do with mine. I think developing an "eye" for what will produce a great picture takes experience, talent and lots of practice.

Some of the photos I admire the most were shot generations ago on equipment that would be considered pretty primitive today.