New to photography

I have great opportunities near home to photograph a variety of birds and would like to make my first camera purchase.

I'm leaning towards a nice DSLR. I'm willing to spend up to $1,000 on the camera, tripod, etc.

I would like a camera to take bursts of pictures and was also wondering if some cameras with video capabilities allow excerpts from the video to create a still shot?

Any feedback would be welcome.

TIA

Most any entry-level DSLR, from all the major manufacturers, ought to work for this. Regarding video, I don't know enough to comment.

Your problem will be selecting the right lens. You likely will need a lens 300 mm or longer, and good quality zoom lenses might be rather expensive, although you ought to be able to get a decent used fixed lens at a good price.

cabbie said:

I have great opportunities near home to photograph a variety of birds and would like to make my first camera purchase.

Click to expand...

The winged type ?

cabbie said:

I'm leaning towards a nice DSLR. I'm willing to spend up to $1,000 on the camera, tripod, etc.

Click to expand...

Slow down. No rush.

cabbie said:

I would like a camera to take bursts of pictures and was also wondering if some cameras with video capabilities allow excerpts from the video to create a still shot?

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They all do bursts, it's a question of how high a burst speed you are willing to pay for. It's gets quite expensive for the top end rates as you are basically buying a camera designed for professional sports shooters.

Some cameras let you take a photo while videoing ( usually this stops video while taking the shot ).

You can always extract a frame from a video later using software, so unless you need a full resolution shot interrupting video seems rather pointless.

--
StephenG

Pentax K100D
Fuji S3 Pro
Fuji S9600

Thanx to both of you for responding.

I'm glad I'm taking the time to research cameras and features.

I will follow this website and gather more info before I buy.

Great site with great contributors for us newbies.

Like been mentioned before, it's not the camera, but the lens that will be the problem. A good lens that gives you enough zoom is many times your budget. Now, don't panic. If you manage to get close(r) and the bird(s) are not too small, you can get by on sunny days with an affordable 70 - 300mm zoom. As an example:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/658175-REG/Nikon__D5000_Digital_SLR_Camera.html

Mind you, 300 is a minimum. Real "Birders" go double and use camouflage.... But for starters and when interested in nature in general, that combination would do well. You will also have to learn a few things. It's more than just snapshots. Learn to understand exposure and histogram, relation between ISO, shutter-speed and Aperture and how these influence Dof. That's ALL in a nutshell.

Later on you very probably would add a Sigma 150-500mm, which is reasonably priced.

cabbie said:

I have great opportunities near home to photograph a variety of birds and would like to make my first camera purchase.

I'm leaning towards a nice DSLR. I'm willing to spend up to $1,000 on the camera, tripod, etc.

I would like a camera to take bursts of pictures and was also wondering if some cameras with video capabilities allow excerpts from the video to create a still shot?

Any feedback would be welcome.

TIA

Click to expand...

For birds you will need a good lens! but start with a good dSLR - Canon T2i (550D) - 18 megapixels, 1080p HD video yes, you can extract stills from video but the quality won't be as good as the full jpg.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos550d/

birders like the 300 or 400mm lens but that's not cheap - start with the 55-250IS then work your way up

cabbie said:

I have great opportunities near home to photograph a variety of birds and would like to make my first camera purchase.

I'm leaning towards a nice DSLR. I'm willing to spend up to $1,000 on the camera, tripod, etc.

I would like a camera to take bursts of pictures and was also wondering if some cameras with video capabilities allow excerpts from the video to create a still shot?

Any feedback would be welcome.

TIA

Click to expand...

Not to through a cog in the works, but The Oly/Pany 4/3rds may be a starting point because of the 2x crop factor, The Oly 620 with a two lens kit is just over $600 and you have a 14-42 and 40-150 zoom (28-300)

Oly makes a 70-300 ZD zoom (140-600 in Full Frame terms) for $400.00 new,

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/504906-REG/Olympus_261057_70_300mm_f_4_5_6_Zuiko_ED.html

so if you can find a Oly 620 body only and buy the lens separate... that give you a good little birding kit to learn with.

--
K20D Sigma EX/DG/DF::: 24-70 f/2.8, 105 f/2.8. APO::: 70-300
M5 Voigtlander: 28 f/2, 35 f/1.4SC, 50 f/1.1. Leitz: 90 f/2 V2
Taking photos since 1968 with my 1st Voigtlander RF, No Newbie here :-D
http://www.pbase.com/peterarbib

Thanx to you and all the other responders.

I certainly have a lot of homework to do before buying.

I'll be reading here for a while.

Get Nikon and you can't go far wrong... D90 is coming down in price all the time at the mo!

My advice...don't get any one brand because someone here told you to, said one brand was 'the best', a salesman told you that's the best one to buy, or any other advice that tells you to only consider one brand. Do yourself a great big favor, and keep your mind open to all brands - let the features, the performance, the ergonomics, and the lens availability be the factors that begin to whittle down your choices until you find the camera that's right for you. When shopping DSLRs, any of the major brands will be capable of excellent shots with the right lens and a skilled user, and any brand's camera will be far more capable than any beginner photographer will ever be able to throw at it.

Look at Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony. All are good, reliable, viable options with a range of models that might suit your needs perfectly. All have long wildlife type lenses available for them that are quite respectable. There may end up being key features you want that eliminate some of these models, there may be some more comfortable to you than others that will eliminate a few more. Brand name is just about the last concern for beginning photographers - find the camera that feels best to you, has the features you want/need the most, and then find a good lens to pair with it...and you're on your way.

--
Justin
galleries: http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

zackiedawg said:

My advice...don't get any one brand because someone here told you to, said one brand was 'the best', a salesman told you that's the best one to buy, or any other advice that tells you to only consider one brand. Do yourself a great big favor, and keep your mind open to all brands - let the features, the performance, the ergonomics, and the lens availability be the factors that begin to whittle down your choices until you find the camera that's right for you. When shopping DSLRs, any of the major brands will be capable of excellent shots with the right lens and a skilled user, and any brand's camera will be far more capable than any beginner photographer will ever be able to throw at it.

Look at Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony. All are good, reliable, viable options with a range of models that might suit your needs perfectly. All have long wildlife type lenses available for them that are quite respectable. There may end up being key features you want that eliminate some of these models, there may be some more comfortable to you than others that will eliminate a few more. Brand name is just about the last concern for beginning photographers - find the camera that feels best to you, has the features you want/need the most, and then find a good lens to pair with it...and you're on your way.

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Surely to save time and considerable effort, the question has been put on this Forum, so as to gain knowledge that which others have spent years gaining- a short cut if you will. The point of these Forums is to share knowledge... Although maybe for some it is to show off without ever actually sharing?

As you can see on this very website for the money that Cabbie wants to spend it's not worth looking at Olympus or Pentax- so to the other three that you mention... D3000 is better than anything else at it's price point, D90 is not far from being replaced hence the lower price (currently almost as low priced as the camera in a lower class from other brands) . The nearest Canon to the D90 is far more expensive 50d and the Sony's aren't as user friendly/ergonomic... So as to Cabbie's original quest for a short cut to others knowledge... The short cut is- Get a D90 mate its not about brands, its just that at the price your looking at there isn't anything better at the moment.

Dudsie said:

Surely to save time and considerable effort, the question has been put on this Forum, so as to gain knowledge that which others have spent years gaining- a short cut if you will. The point of these Forums is to share knowledge... Although maybe for some it is to show off without ever actually sharing?

As you can see on this very website for the money that Cabbie wants to spend it's not worth looking at Olympus or Pentax- so to the other three that you mention

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Actually, I'll have to disagree - I can't see any such thing on this website. In fact, I see the Pentax KX being very well equipped and quite capable for a very reasonable price. Olympus I'm not as sure about - I merely suggested checking them out to find out if they have anything that might work.

Dudsie said:

... D3000 is better than anything else at it's price point, D90 is not far from being replaced hence the lower price (currently almost as low priced as the camera in a lower class from other brands) . The nearest Canon to the D90 is far more expensive 50d and the Sony's aren't as user friendly/ergonomic... So as to Cabbie's original quest for a short cut to others knowledge... The short cut is- Get a D90 mate its not about brands, its just that at the price your looking at there isn't anything better at the moment.

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Commenting on Sony as not being as user friendly or ergonomic is a presumptuous thing indeed - by point of fact ergonomics are very much a personal thing and it should be up to the individual to decide what is or is not a good fit for them. Possibly to YOU, all Sony cameras are not good ergonomically (though puzzling, since the ergonomics are drastically different between Sony models - the A330/380 vs A500/500 vs A850/900). For someone else, they may be just right. The same goes for Canon and Nikon. Again speaking to my primary message - decide for yourself, and don't always feel forced to buy what someone else likes.

As for offering knowledge - absolutely I am willing to do so. In fact, I've recommended Pentax cameras, Canon cameras, Nikon cameras, Sony cameras, and Olympus cameras to people who've asked - all based on their stated needs, wants, or likes. In this case, the OP didn't offer any specifics that would exclude any of the above brands in my opinion. If the OP were to declare that video was an absolute must in a camera, I'd leave Sony out. If they were to say they wanted a quick focusing live view system, I'd recommend primarily Sony. if they wanted a tiltable LCD screen, I'd recommend Sony & Nikon. If they wanted weatherproofing, I'd lean towards some Nikon & Pentax models. If they needed a specialty lens only offered by one or two manufacturers, I'd recommend those manufacturers.

But for needing a camera under $1,000 that can serve as a decent birding camera, with fast focus, good burst speed, and reasonably priced lenses available, I personally believe a Pentax KX, Sony A500, Canon 500D, or Nikon D5000 could all serve just fine for around $500-700, which is competitive with a sale price of a D90. and since there are some very different ergonomics and very different feature-sets on each of those, it seems valid to recommend that the OP consider them all.

Again...just my opinion.

--
Justin
galleries: http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

zackiedawg said:

Dudsie said:

Surely to save time and considerable effort, the question has been put on this Forum, so as to gain knowledge that which others have spent years gaining- a short cut if you will. The point of these Forums is to share knowledge... Although maybe for some it is to show off without ever actually sharing?

As you can see on this very website for the money that Cabbie wants to spend it's not worth looking at Olympus or Pentax- so to the other three that you mention

Click to expand...

Actually, I'll have to disagree - I can't see any such thing on this website. In fact, I see the Pentax KX being very well equipped and quite capable for a very reasonable price. Olympus I'm not as sure about - I merely suggested checking them out to find out if they have anything that might work.

zackiedawg said:

... D3000 is better than anything else at it's price point, D90 is not far from being replaced hence the lower price (currently almost as low priced as the camera in a lower class from other brands) . The nearest Canon to the D90 is far more expensive 50d and the Sony's aren't as user friendly/ergonomic... So as to Cabbie's original quest for a short cut to others knowledge... The short cut is- Get a D90 mate its not about brands, its just that at the price your looking at there isn't anything better at the moment.

Click to expand...

Commenting on Sony as not being as user friendly or ergonomic is a presumptuous thing indeed - by point of fact ergonomics are very much a personal thing and it should be up to the individual to decide what is or is not a good fit for them. Possibly to YOU, all Sony cameras are not good ergonomically (though puzzling, since the ergonomics are drastically different between Sony models - the A330/380 vs A500/500 vs A850/900). For someone else, they may be just right. The same goes for Canon and Nikon. Again speaking to my primary message - decide for yourself, and don't always feel forced to buy what someone else likes.

As for offering knowledge - absolutely I am willing to do so. In fact, I've recommended Pentax cameras, Canon cameras, Nikon cameras, Sony cameras, and Olympus cameras to people who've asked - all based on their stated needs, wants, or likes. In this case, the OP didn't offer any specifics that would exclude any of the above brands in my opinion. If the OP were to declare that video was an absolute must in a camera, I'd leave Sony out. If they were to say they wanted a quick focusing live view system, I'd recommend primarily Sony. if they wanted a tiltable LCD screen, I'd recommend Sony & Nikon. If they wanted weatherproofing, I'd lean towards some Nikon & Pentax models. If they needed a specialty lens only offered by one or two manufacturers, I'd recommend those manufacturers.

But for needing a camera under $1,000 that can serve as a decent birding camera, with fast focus, good burst speed, and reasonably priced lenses available, I personally believe a Pentax KX, Sony A500, Canon 500D, or Nikon D5000 could all serve just fine for around $500-700, which is competitive with a sale price of a D90. and since there are some very different ergonomics and very different feature-sets on each of those, it seems valid to recommend that the OP consider them all.

Again...just my opinion.

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everyone has an opinion ! - sounds reasonable to me

AFAIK, you won't get good photos from video clips. If you can overlook the video, the Olympus E620 and 70-300mm is a good starter kit within your price range. You will likley not be happy with focal lengths less than this for birding and with the cropped sensor camera, you're looking at a 100-400mm lens to get the same reach. While that is a good option with a mid grade body, it's beyond your price range and may be a little much for handheld shooting. You will find with the use of the tripod that handheld shooting can often be a much preferable way to work and in good light is quite easy to do with the Olympus in body IS.

I volunteer at a local charity camp in the mountains an hour from my home and was asked to to do some classes on nature shooting and was asked about what equipment they should buy (six sets for classes of six people) and I recommended the E620 two lens kit and the 70-300mm. It was mentioned that I was perhaps biased because I use Olymous myself and I explained that I do not actually use any of that equipment, have the two higher classed bodies, $1000 lenses instead of the kit lenses and a 50-500mm as my main telephoto lens. My recommendation was based on my own comparisons of brands for a starter kit with telephoto photography as an emphasis. It helps that I understand all the minor details of Olympus use to get the best out of the equipment but I know that in some ways it's easier overall than other brands to get the best out of the equipment, at least in jpeg. It's not like I'm going to be instructing beginners in the use of raw.

It's what I would buy right now if I was just starting out and while I could easily recommend Canon or Nikon with a higher budget, you have to work with the budget you have and for overall capability and IQ (and size for the reach), I honestly believe the E620 2 lens kit and a 70-300mm is the best value around right now. Whether my E3 and E30,50-200mm, EC14, and 50-500mm are the best value as an upgrade compared to investing in another system, that's debatable but I'm too busy using it all to debate it or ponder the hassle of going to an entirely new system for some iota of better capability and presentation IQ. I could do better with another system I think, but for basic capability and a limited budget, the E620 two lens kit and 70-300mm deserves a close look for comparison to other brands.

I tell you right now, good telephoto photography is an expensive endeavour and $1000 will barely cover the cost of a good lens, let alone a body and lens and a few kit lenses for all those photos that you don't need a telephoto lens for and your digicam will not do as well as a simple kit lens on a dslr. I do honestly think (and I am in no way a fanboy or one of those trendy people buying what my friends have with very little understanding of photgrphy in general) that the Olympus kit, if you cannot get your money's worth out of it, then you surely won't be able to do it with another brand with the same budget.

How long did it take, to get you to be truly helpful... Why didn't you just give that shortlist in the first place??

What do you normally use??

For digital photography, I've been using a Sony DSLR-A550 for the past 7 months. I had a Sony A300 before it which I enjoyed. I also still have 2 film cameras that I occasionally use - a Canon EOS-IX, and a Pentax ME-Super. For compact digital cameras, I've got a Fuji F70 as a bump-around compact, and a Sony TX1 as an ultra-compact.

It would be cheapest for me to go with Sony/Minolta mount in the future for my main camera, as I've got a fairly extensive lens collection for them. If I didn't like their offerings, I could get a start with Canon bodies as I do have 3 lenses which would be compatible from my film camera. The Pentax lenses I have would be less useful, as they are all manual lenses...but some are good optically. I haven't liked Canon's ergonomics in their entry and mid-level cams lately, and tend to favor heavier and larger bodies. Usually ergonomically, I do best with the mid-level and up Sony models (the entry-levels are very uncomfortable to me with the shallow grip designs they went with) or with Nikon models. Pentax for me are often a little too small and light, and Canon grips are uncomfortable for me. Though I'm always watching new cameras - designs can change and preferences too!

--
Justin
galleries: http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg

But for needing a camera under $1,000 that can serve as a decent birding camera, with fast focus, good burst speed, and reasonably priced lenses available, I personally believe a Pentax KX, Sony A500, Canon 500D, or Nikon D5000 could all serve just fine for around $500-700, which is competitive with a sale price of a D90. and since there are some very different ergonomics and very different feature-sets on each of those, it seems valid to recommend that the OP consider them all.

zackiedawg said:

Again...just my opinion.

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When purchasing my Camera I did hours and hours of reading magazines, websites, forums, talking with numerous pro photographers and not so pro photoraphers borrowing cameras and trying them out... The general feeling that came from months and months of research was, that most pro's use Nikon or Canon which in my mind means they are probably pretty good (Most people can't afford Leica!!)... That Sony's ergonomics aren't generally that great compared with the likes of Nikon.

I bought my D90 for around $900 with 18-105VR... I have seen the price lower than that since then. Why would you buy a D5000 over a D90 if the price difference isn't much?? This very website said of the D90 "After using and testing the D90 extensively, it's hard to think of a better enthusiast-level camera."