My next toy shall be a DSLR camera
Photography has always been my interest. It may be a costly hobby, but it is one which I have every intention of pursuing. A Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera has always been on my want-list and that could very well become a reality in next IT Show.
It is bulky, expensive and dull; everything a digital point-and-shoot camera isn’t. A point and shoot is compact and settings are pretty much automated. In ideal situations, it would take almost no effort to capture a decent shot. Though it produces images of reasonable quality, there is only so much control you can have over it.
I love capturing a special moment, and almost always, due to the shutter lag of a point-and-shoot, I am not able to. On the rare occasions I did, at the end of the day, it isn’t going to be one which I would be looking at with pride.
With a DSLR, I will never miss that moment. I am the one who decides how I want to capture a picture, not the camera. That is when my creativity can be let loose.
I can just imagine a day out alone at Fort Canning park, just me and my DSLR, appreciating and capturing the beauty of nature which we seem to have forgotten all about due to the busy nature of our daily schedule.
What will I be getting?
An entry level DSLR. Not something too pricey or high end, just one suited for the beginner which will get me started in the world of real photography. Currently, I am undecided between the Nikon D80, D90 or the Canon EOS 1000D.
Nikon D40 or 1000D? Do you think a DSLR picture quality is really worth the higher price? This site http://www.dslrcamerareviews.com is an OK site (nothing special) and seems to say quality is worth it, but looking for other opinions as well, as I am thinking of buying one too. Thanks
Canon EOS 1000D is somewhat similar to Nikon D40s and D60. (:
you can refer to this sites for some opinions and reviews.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/
http://clubsnap.com/forums
Best is to go down to the camera shop, test and feel the camera yourself. (:
I have pretty much decided on the DSLR I want, I am just waiting for its price to drop.
I’ve recently purchased myself a DSLR, actually it came in the mail on Wednesday. I’m taking a trip at the end of next week out to Denver to do a 2500 mile roadtrip around the Grand Canyon and check out as many of the National Parks out there as possible. I wanted to replace my Point and Shoot w/ a DSLR to be able to take as many nice shots as possible with a nice camera. I picked up a Nikon D200 BTW.
I would suggest checking out eBay. I picked mine up with 2 AF lens, wide angle lens, extra batter, and storage back all for $1k. Best part was while it was “used”, the lady only took 350 pictures with it. She prefered to use her pocket camera. She had over $1700 in the whole deal. So you may want to check there and see what you can find. If you don’t mind getting a slightly used one, you could probably get a higher up model for about the same price as a new D80.
Best of luck!
Shane: I never considered Ebay because I find it difficult to a trust another person behind the screen with so much money, and I do not want to get myself into a sticky situation. You never know what defects the camera has. I think I would be better off purchasing a new one.
The D80 costs SGD $1100 (US $765), definitely cheaper than a new body advertised on Ebay. With the D90 releasing in a couple of weeks, should I just wait for it?
D90 seems feature-riched. you should definitely find out more about it.
s. kiat: D90 does a lot of things well, I really like the Adaptive Dynamic Range improvement of the D90 which identifies highlight areas that will be lost, and does its best to bring them under control. I am really in a dilemma.