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which DSLR camera should i buy?

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If you can afford an $1800 lens, you're not worried about IS costing you money.

At the lower range of lenses (you know, the ones that penny-pinchers can actually afford), the Sony built-in IS does present significant savings.
 
There's a huge user community of Canon and Nikon and you're going to get a lot of support from people who want you to buy 'their' model.

I have been a long time Minolta (now Sony ) user and of course would suggest Sony as I know the models and lenses.

There are posts below comparing prices of Sony and Canon lenses, however the Sony 70-200 is a handmade lens, hang over from the KM days, intended for pro's and unless you are in to that is not one you should consider. Recent sony lenses, eg 70-300G come out top in tests and are very competitively priced. I am waiting for tests on the 70-400G as well but expect it to be a star.

So, in the real world, as a beginner in DSLR, I would suggest a300 (a350 if liveview is what you like, personally I regard it as a waste of time, even the Sony implementation which is much better than any other DSLR to date). If you have a bit more, the a700, especially with the latest firmware is the one to get...same sensor and IQ as the much more expensive Nikon D300.

I would choose a Tamron 18-250 to start with, if you want the Sony label you can buy a Sony equivalent for a bit more (maybe a few upgrades, but some debate about that).

I would shoot with that for a while until you see what your needs are for faster lenses. Although the Sony/3rd party list is not as long as Canon, they have all the important bases filled, especially at the amateur level, and are expected to introduce more pro lenses at a better price as they redesign them.

just my 2c worth

tom
 
tomhongkong said:
There's a huge user community of Canon and Nikon and you're going to
get a lot of support from people who want you to buy 'their' model.
Click to expand...
True. The same goes for Olympus, Pentax and Sony. These three make up a smaller market share, the argument for their systems are no less valid. You may be able to get better value for you money if you define your needs and understand the offerings of the all the large players, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Sony.
tomhongkong said:
I have been a long time Minolta (now Sony ) user and of course would
suggest Sony as I know the models and lenses.
Click to expand...
A person with good Minolta or KM lenses will be inclined to stick with the KM/Sony brand because of their investment in good lenses.
tomhongkong said:
There are posts below comparing prices of Sony and Canon lenses,
however the Sony 70-200 is a handmade lens, hang over from the KM
days, intended for pro's and unless you are in to that is not one you
should consider. Recent sony lenses, eg 70-300G come out top in
tests and are very competitively priced. I am waiting for tests on
the 70-400G as well but expect it to be a star.

So, in the real world, as a beginner in DSLR, I would suggest a300
(a350 if liveview is what you like, personally I regard it as a waste
of time, even the Sony implementation which is much better than any
other DSLR to date). If you have a bit more, the a700, especially
with the latest firmware is the one to get...same sensor and IQ as
the much more expensive Nikon D300.
Click to expand...
I find the optical viewfinder of the A350 compromised in terms of usability for the marketing sake of live view.
tomhongkong said:
I would choose a Tamron 18-250 to start with, if you want the Sony
label you can buy a Sony equivalent for a bit more (maybe a few
upgrades, but some debate about that).

I would shoot with that for a while until you see what your needs are
for faster lenses. Although the Sony/3rd party list is not as long
as Canon, they have all the important bases filled, especially at the
amateur level, and are expected to introduce more pro lenses at a
better price as they redesign them.
Click to expand...
I would argue to learn with a smaller range zoom or a prime (one focal length) lens. The difference is convenience vs critical thinking and superior optical quality.
tomhongkong said:
just my 2c worth
Click to expand...
My 2 cents in counterpoint.
 
Go to a camera store and actually handle each camera in question. That will help you decide right there. For example, I found the viewfinder on the Olympus and my glasses didn't mix well, and I found it a little smaller than I like (entirely depends on your hand size and preferences). You may find it a perfect fit, however. Comparing the Canon and Nikon, I found I far preferred the construction and ergonomics of the Nikon, but again, you may feel differently upon actually trying the controls. All the entry level and enthusiast level cameras will take good pics. From the Nikon end, I'd either recommend the D80, which has great prices available right now - given equivalent prices, it simply is more camera than the Canon 450; or the D90, which adds a number of updates to the D80, most noticeably with a new sensor (great at high ISO) and a video mode. All at more cost, of course.

But as I said, go try the cameras - your individual likes and dislikes when actually handling the camera can often trump a whole list of feature-debates.

--

 
Dear everybody,

oh my God, one day out of town and so many messages!!! Thank you very much for all your advice.

Actually my "one day out of town" was in Canadian Indian Summer taking pictures of red trees ;-). I was with a friend who owns a Nikon D40 with a 18-135 lens (unfortunately not stabilized, that was a problem in the rather dark woods).
Apart from that I really liked the Nikon, the way to touch and handle it.

There is one thing I realized: Probably if youre walking around, you are really not very happy about changing your lens all the time. His lens could serve quite a large range of focal lengths including a bit of wide angle. I found that very good, because I like to zoom in a lot. Maybe this doesnt seem like a real photographer ;-)) but maybe if I hike around I realized I would not want to change the lens all the time and so maybe I would waste some opportunity for nice pictures.

Thats why i have the question if the Canon 18-200mm IS lens is a good lens?

I could search for a system of Canon or Nikon plus such an allaround zoom lens. And then buy a high aperture lens for special purposes and other things I may like in the future.
What do you think?

It seems to me that the main impact is a bit more shifted to the lenses than to the body here, so I will maybe focus more on that.

Thank you very much once again!!
Simone

PS: come to see Canadian red trees, it's great! :)
 
You get the best bang for the buck. Great image quality. In body IS and a superb handling. Just try it out in the shop and decide for yourself.

--
Today's oppressed become tomorrow's oppressors...
 
...is very soft. In fact there are only two reasonable super zooms.

The Nikon (18-200) VR

Tamron (18-250. NOT the 18-200 which is not that good). No VR but with a Sony DSLR it has it automatically

--
Today's oppressed become tomorrow's oppressors...
 
simsi said:
OK i have googled a bit about the Canon 18-200 lens, it seems not yet
available! Is the Sigma lens 18-200mm IS also good?
Click to expand...
Not available yet and no independent reviews.

The Sigma and the Tamron have some major issues around their middle range. The Nikon is good.
--
Warning: The internet is filled with one sided views. Stay objective.
 
theatrus said:
simsi said:
OK i have googled a bit about the Canon 18-200 lens, it seems not yet
available! Is the Sigma lens 18-200mm IS also good?
Click to expand...
Not available yet and no independent reviews.

The Sigma and the Tamron have some major issues around their middle
range. The Nikon is good.
--
Warning: The internet is filled with one sided views. Stay objective.
Click to expand...
--

I used to have the Nikon 18-200. Poor IQ at wide angles. Unacceptable, to me. Unless Canon's 18-200 greatly outperforms every other lens of this range, I'd avoid it.
 
Hello!

I have finally bought my camera! I found a shop here that has prices comparable to online shops, and as I really wanted to see and touch the camera before buying it, I went there today.

Actually I was oriented towards a Nikon D90 with a VR zoom lens, but with the 18-200 lens that would have been quite expensive. Thats why the person in the shop showed me the D60, which is basically pretty much similar to the D90 and much cheaper. (he said that, is it correct???)
So I bought a Nikon 18-200 VR lens with a Nikon D60 body.

What do you think of that? Is it correct or should i quickly go to change it ;-))).

I am not completely overwhelmed about the low-light performance, but I guess first of all I have to find out all the options. Later I will also buy a high-aperture lens.

Thank you for everything!
Simone
 
simsi said:
Hello!

I have finally bought my camera! I found a shop here that has prices
comparable to online shops, and as I really wanted to see and touch
the camera before buying it, I went there today.
Actually I was oriented towards a Nikon D90 with a VR zoom lens, but
with the 18-200 lens that would have been quite expensive. Thats why
the person in the shop showed me the D60, which is basically pretty
much similar to the D90 and much cheaper. (he said that, is it
correct???)
So I bought a Nikon 18-200 VR lens with a Nikon D60 body.

What do you think of that? Is it correct or should i quickly go to
change it ;-))).
I am not completely overwhelmed about the low-light performance, but
I guess first of all I have to find out all the options. Later I will
also buy a high-aperture lens.

Thank you for everything!
Simone
--
Click to expand...
--

The body should be fine. You should check out your lens. There seems to be some sample variation with it. Make some tests at 18mm and 200mm, at the largest apertures. Examine the images at 50% magnification (few lenses are going to look good at 100%).
 
With cheap D80 prices, I recommend bypassing the D60 and going to the D80, but the D60 is smaller and lighter, and if you are not going to shoot RAW, the JPEG files benefit slightly from updated processing. The D80 has more auto-focus points, more dedicated controls so you don't have to wade through menus (not such a big deal when you are starting out, though), a better viewfinder, and can auto-focus with a much broader set of lenses.

--

 
Greg Nut said:
It is worth pointing out that the XSi is a lot more full-featured
than the D60, for just a little more. Don't know about Canon's
18-200.
Click to expand...
He already bought it and he made a very good choice. I would choose the XSi, but I could never say the D60 is a bad choice, because it's a very competent choice. It'll serve him very well.
 
Hello!

Finally I changed my D60 to a D90. I found several things I really didnt like: no autofocus with non AF-S lenses, not so good ISO, always dialling through the whole menu, no exposure bracketing (I want to try HDR), and a few more.
When I held the D90 in the shop in my hands it definitely felt much better! :-)

It was more expensive, but I was soon a bit disappointed, and spending a lot of money on something not so satisfying is not good I think.
I also bought a f1.8 50mm lens - this one is cheap and great!!!!

The 18-200 lens is nice - but what is your opinion about that? It is a bit unsharp and a bit slow, or am I just not used, using wrong settings, etc.? I dont mind very much about distortion, but rather about sharpness and low-light things.

Thank you for all your help!
Simone
 
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