help him out, would ya? :)
Bump cuz I wanna know too.
Might blow your budget a little but the Nikon D5100.
Slightly less expensive, more friendly to novices but still very capable would be the Canon Eos Rebel T4i.
Should be plenty of reviews, ratings and comparisons to be found online via a web search.
I am a professional photographer.
When I am not working I use a Canon GX ( I think.). Not an SLR but about the most robust consumer camera out there.
Either one of the mid level Nikons or Canons will do the trick. But for that money you will come up a little wanting for lenses.
Personally, I would tell you it’s about the glass, and not so much megapixels.
assuming you don’t already have a bunch of lenses, it really doesn’t matter a whole lot which brand you get. They are all more than excellent.
DSLRs are one of those rare products in which there are no bad ones. I would not even worry about the number of pixels. They all have more than enough tho I would admit for a beginner camera the Nikon D3200 is pretty amazing with 24 MPs.
Pentax has the advantage that there are a whole lot of off brand (and name brand) lenses which will work with it.
Nikon and Canon probably have the most complete line of accessories tho Sony is really building up their line and a lot of the old Minolta Maxxum lenses work perfectly well on the Sony DSLRs.
“PHD (Push Here Dummy)”
LOL I love it!
Whatever it is, make sure it says ‘Canon’ on it!
Sony NEX-5n, used, Ebay... $330..?
If Yoda were a camera, then he’d be this one.
Switchable lenses, small form factor, very rich color. Just fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the size of that beast.
For $550 get a Panasonic Lumix GH-2 (very sharp, and not huge) with the kit lens.
Your only other choice is maybe a Canon T3i given that budget.
When you get $2,500 think about a used Canon 5D Mark 2 —but that’s after u get some experience.
Although it sounds like you want a super zoom ...zoom capability I'm guessing 30x - 40x." The 200mm lens won't give you that kind of zoom. A "superzoom", of which there are many are pretty good. I still use a Kodak Z712 when I want quick shots.
A DSLR takes some time to learn to use. Look for a local class on photography (I don't know where you live) that offers lessons on learning about lenses, light and exposure. Using a DSLR in "auto" mode kind of defeats the purpose of buying one....
This very versatile Rebel SLR has very good image quality, especially in low light, and very good performance across the board. It has a very short first-shot delay, a quick response time and is very good at minimizing the effects of camera shake. It includes a swiveling LCD, for hard-to-reach shots. It also has an excellent through-the-lens viewfinder.
Details, pictures, data and more at Amazon
Shopping channel QVC sells a very nice Canon Rebel package for $549.
http://www.qvc.com/Canon-EOS-Rebel-T3-DSLR-12MP-Camera-with-2-Lenses-&-Bag-Cameras-Electronics.product.E224618.html?sc=E224618-Targeted&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-1-_-E224618&catentryImage=http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/e/18/e224618.001?$uslarge$
They will have it to you in less than 10 days. This is where I got mine and I am very pleased.
IMO, Sony Alpha. They have models that will fit most budgets. I also recommend an 18-200mm zoom lens, which is good for about 99% of an average amateur photographer’s needs.
Nikon 5100 is a nice unit, easy to use, but something you can learn with too, got mine at SAMs with 2
lens case etc for about 700, worthy replacement for my trusty D70 that finally secumbed to old age and heavy use.
Canon makes a nice “prosumer” unit too. Be sure and get a unit you can grow with, experiment and have fun, digital sure changed the entire photograhy scene.
I currently have a Nikon D200, an advanced DSLR which takes good pictures, although I haven't completely mastered it. This is an older model--The D7000 and the new D7100 are its successors. The D3100 might be better as an entry-level model.
However, for most of my photography, I use a Canon Powershot G12 point-and-shoot camera, which is user-friendly and performs superbly.
“What camera makes & model’s would be good for us for this trip?”
_____________________________________________
This would be a logical question ten years ago, but with today’s electronic cameras, I see excellent photos from very low cost cameras, and even from the mobile phone cams.
We have a new I-pad where we see a 10 inch photo instantly.
The quality is amazing.
We have a couple of other compact digital cams that take great photos, and I doubt that either of them cost more then 100 bucks.
I was a pro photographer years ago.
Ever since I tried out a Canon PowerShot, the big camera bag has stayed home on trips. Mine’s a few years old now and I’ve done thousands of shots (we have three active kids). They have one now with a 50x zoom for about $500, I believe. I’d buy it in a shot if I were the least bit unhappy with my current camera. Even has a shoe for a real flash.
Over here!
Resident expert needed on isle #2...
“Budget for a camera is $500-$750. Ease of use is key, zoom capability I’m guessing 30x - 40x.”
I just got my wife a Canon Rebel T3i (600D). Got it at Costco (kit) with 2 lenses included. I just checked costco.com and see that they don’t have the Canon T3i anymore, but they have the Nikon D3200 for about the same price. Can’t go wrong with the Nikon, either.