Need help choosing DSLR Camera

[salad_man]

Thanks for all the replies, I would have never of thought to look over the data transfer rate and all those specs, since I would like to shoot at a higher resolution so this might be a spec to look over.

[Chazz Layne]

salad_man: See? I warned you that you'd get a lot of opinions

Indeed, we should probably consider ourselves lucky that no one has mentioned micro-4/3 yet... whoops!

Chazz: Unfortunately, we didn't get to meet on the recent GSE trip but it looks like we'll have some good stuff to discuss over a campfire some time!

Agreed! Hopefully I'll get an AZ trip pulled together sometime soon. I was going to do one this month, but an unexpected move popped up so we're busy packing instead.

[Chazz Layne]

Thanks for all the replies, I would have never of thought to look over the data transfer rate and all those specs, since I would like to shoot at a higher resolution so this might be a spec to look over.

As long as you get a good card it won't matter too much for high res. Where it really starts to show up is when you start getting into rapid-fire shooting (multiple frames per second). This is great for things you can't predict to the millisecond, like birds, wildlife, sports, and water. Video is also a big one, if you're into that (most folks aren't).

[salad_man]

Referring to lenses, I just want to begin shooting basic shots, friends family, some scenery and outdoor shots, what lens would I be looking at to be a good all around lens. After I might want to do some close ups but we'll start easy, he he. This one looks like a good refurb camera: http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/st ... _227015_-1

[michael]

I'll add one more bit of advice and then be quiet and let you go buy your new camera

If you do end up considering a camera that has a digital zoom feature, take a few minutes to understand the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom. Digital zoom, for the most part, is not very useful as it is not really a zoom at all but rather a digital manipulation of the image within the camera that 'crops down' and manipulates the resolution to achieve a zoom-like effect. Cropping and manipulation of the resolution is really best done in post-processing. Look for a camera that has a high optical zoom factor and if it also has a digital zoom feature, look to see if digital zoom can be turned off in the setup menu.

Don't forget to take a million photos!

Chazz: You know of course that the next question will be "What is the best software to process digital images?"

[ssc]

SM,
That set up willl suit your needs just fine. The 18-55 is a good starter lens and as you get a bit more experience, you may add a telephoto. Do not get too concerned by the stats, as Chazz says it really is not a major issue at this time. It is something I need to consider when shooting wildlife, sports--surfing, planes, rc cars etc, but you are looking to do mostly static pics and the refurb you reference is a great way to start.

As stated in my first post, there are so many different issues that we could get into, but it is not something to be concerned about. Get your camera and start shooting. Like so many other things, it is the the carpender, not the hammer. Hence, avoid the paralysis by analysis and develop your photography skills and upgrade when what you want to do cannot be accomplished with your current gear.

Cheers, Steve

[salad_man]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, really helping me come to a decision.

[Chazz Layne]

Chazz: You know of course that the next question will be "What is the best software to process digital images?"

I've grown quite fond of the provided Canon utility (Digital Photo Professional) for getting the RAW files ready for any edits. It also happens to use the same shortcut keys for the same functions as the world's best photo editor/processor/chopper...

Photoshop. It hasn't changed much since CS3, which still runs just fine on all the latest OSes, so if you go this route save yourself a few bucks and pick up a used copy. Just make sure that you trust the source and that they haven't used their serial number to "upgrade" - that would invalidate the license. Yes, a surprising amount of people actually dump the older versions when they buy the newest, instead of the much cheaper upgrade path... no idea why.

[michael]

Chazz: You know of course that the next question will be "What is the best software to process digital images?"

Photoshop. It hasn't changed much since CS3, which still runs just fine on all the latest OSes, <snip>

I do both restoration work (I started out 'back in the day' retouching negatives with a camel hair brush!) and digital image manipulation. Photoshop CS2 is my current weapon of choice. I recently changed over to an iMac so I'll probably upgrade when I get the Mac version. If I'm lucky, I might be able to use my CS2 to upgrade and finesse an OS change at the same time

For someone just beginning to explore digital photography, I think Photoshop Elements may be enough to get started and it costs less than 1/6 of the full version. Much of the learning curve would transfer to the full version of Photoshop if/when anyone moves to that level. There are a lot of capabilities in Photoshop that support graphic arts but looks to me that Photoshop Elements focuses on digital image manipulation.

I haven't played with RAW yet, but that is on the list of things to do. Right now, I'm busy trying to learn Morse code

[OLLIE]

I use a Nikon D40, a Nikon D60, and a Canon G-11. I am pleased with all of them. The G-11 is an incredible camera that doesn't require any lenses. If you check out the my Mt Langley Hike report thread, those were all shot with my G-11 in RAW format. They needed very little touching up but I always do a little with them. I use Adobe Lightroom 3 to process my images.