Buying a Digital SLR Camera and Lens System

In recent years since digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras became more affordable, many photographers have made the jump as digital SLR cameras offer the top image quality for photography enthusiasts. There are "entry-level" models to choose from by the two top manufacturers, Canon and Nikon. More serious photographers or those who have deeper pockets generally prefer more advanced models like the Canon 40D, 50D, 7D or 5D MK II and the Nikon D90, D300 and D700. There are also nice entry-level models from Sony, Olympus and Pentax. Most models can be purchased with an inexpensive kit lens or two for those on a limited budget.

Digital SLRs have the following advantages:

1. You are actually seeing through the lens so, basically, what you see is what you get. The viewfinders are larger and brighter so you can really see what you are shooting. Some have Live View LCDs as well.
2. Faster startup and shot-to-shot times, shooting 3 to over 6 frames per second in high-speed mode.
3. Lower noise (graininess), resulting in cleaner images in low-light situations where it is necessary to use higher ISO values.
4. High-quality interchangeable lenses from wide-angle to telephoto to suit your shooting needs.
5. External flash units are available for better photos. They can be mounted on the camera’s hot shoe and can be bounced off the ceiling or walls to avoid washing out your subjects and harsh shadows created by on-board flashes. Most can also be used off the camera or on a flash bracket.
6. They have a number of buttons and/or dials that allow very fast adjustments of settings including Exposure Compensation, Metering modes, White Balance, Aperture and Shutter speed, ISO, multi-shot/single shot mode, and change focus points, which makes it much faster to change settings.
7. Digital SLRs focus and shoot extremely fast under most conditions so you won't miss the shot and most have a continuous focus mode for moving subjects.

Considerations:

Digital SLR cameras are larger and heavier than compact digicams. If you like to keep a camera in your pocket or purse, then an SLR may seem overly large, but you can always have a 2nd inexpensive "take-anywhere" pocket camera. The size is actually easy to get used to after a short time and any inconvenience is more than made up for by the superior image quality. Sharper and much more detailed images are the rule.

Even though an SLR may have fewer or the same number of megapixels as a compact digicam, the actual image quality is much higher because they have larger sensors. For example, an 8 megapixel SLR will produce a more detailed image than a 12 megapixel compact digicam, and will allow you to print larger images that look great. Due to the larger sensors, SLRs have less “noise” (graininess) at high ISO settings than compact digital cameras. And keep in mind that reviewers have noticed little difference in prints up to 11 x 14 from SLR models with 8 and 10 megapixels and not much of a jump in quality from 10 - 12 either. Camera reviews of image quality and features should be your guide, not the number of megapixels in most cases unless you are a wildlife photographer or routinely print larger than 11 x 14".

Camera and Lens Systems

When you purchase your digital SLR, keep in mind that you are purchasing a system which will include not only the camera, but lenses and external flash units and other accessories that you might be interested in later on. Therefore you should do research on the whole system including any lenses that you might be interested in purchasing later. Often quality lenses cost more than the camera if they are stabilized or professional quality. You might start out with the kit lens which is typically a shorter focal length such as 18 - 55 mm. Soon you may realize that you need more reach for distant subjects such as wildlife or scenery and for portraits. Or you may want to add a higher quality lens for better photos in lower light situations and better color and sharpness. You should, therefore, check to see which lenses are available and what the prices are in the various systems from different manufacturers.

Canon and Nikon are the leaders in number of lenses available and generally Canon has a few more lenses and has lower prices on their stabilized high-end lenses. Also keep in mind that the 3rd party lens manufacturers Tokina, Sigma and Tamron make some good quality lenes which are cheaper than Canon and Nikon and other camera brands and are now making stabilized lenses! Their quality control is not as high as Canon and Nikon so be sure to buy at amazon.com, bhphotovideo.com or adorama.com where you can return one for exchange if it is not up to par.

Lens Availability, Price, and Quality

Look at differences in price for the lenses you are interested in. You can check all the available Canon lenses here and the available Nikon (Nikkor) lenses here .

Also check out Sony, Pentax and Olympus lenses.

Canon has a large assortment of lenses available and many are moderately priced. Read this great article on Canon lenses!

Image stabilized lenses should be considered if you don’t want to use a tripod most of the time to avoid blurring from camera shake at longer focal lengths, 200 mm up, or in low light. Some cameras from Sony, Pentax and Olumpus now offer anti-shake technology in the camera, making any lens stabilized, although this might be a little less effective than stabilization in the lens itself.

So keep in mind, when shopping for a digital SLR, to consider not only the camera body, but look at the whole system of lenses and accessories. Look for a manufacturer that offers a wide range of lenses at prices you can afford, flash units, and other accessories you might want to add later. If you decide to upgrade your camera body in the future, you will be able to use the same lenses and flash units from major manufacturers. You can also purchase 3rd party lenses and accessories from vendors such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina for Canon and other brand cameras. Several of the new models from Sigma and Tamron have stabilization.

My Recommendations:

It depends on what your needs and budget are, but generally I recommend the Canon Rebel XSi or T1i as they are highly rated and you have a large assortment of quality Canon lenses to choose from. But you should make you own decision and let your budget be your guide. If you have a larger budget, look at the Canon 40D or 50D or the Nikon D90 or D300. If you have a smaller budget, look at the entry level Canon and Nikon models or Sony, Pentax and Olympus models. The newer Olympus 620 has good reviews and comes in a kit with 2 lenses also to cover the whole focal length under $900. It's based on the Four-thirds system and has a 2X crop factor as opposed to 1.3 and 1.6 used by other manufacturers and shoots in 4:3 aspect ratio whereas other cameras use the standard 35mm 3:2 aspect ratio that natively produces a 4 x 6 image. Four-thirds models produce a 4.5 x 6" image that requires cropping.

Please visit my Camera Store to see many cameras mentioned here.

Current Canon EOS entry-level and pro-sumer models:
Rebel XS - lowest priced, 10 megapixels, 2.6" LCD with Live View, kits available
Rebel T1i - offers 15 megapixels, 3" Clear View LCD screen, & HD Video, kits available
Canon EOS 40D - 10 megapixels - great camera and a good value where still available
Canon EOS 50D - 15 megapixels, 3" Clear View LCD screen, Live View, 6 frames per second, kits available

Current Nikon entry-level and pro-sumer models:
D60 - older entry level model - 10 megapixels, dust-reduction system, kits available
D3000 - NEW entry level model - 10 megapixels, dust-reduction system, 3" LCD, kits available
D5000 - NEW model, 12 mp, movie mode, Vari-angle color LCD monitor, Live View, kits available
D90 - 12 megapixels, Live View, high-res LCD, 4.5 frames per second, movie mode, kits available
D300s -12 megapixels, 7.3 frames per sec, Live View, 51 focus points and movie mode, kits available

Other SLRs:
Sony Alpha models such as 200, 300, 350, and 700 with anti-shake technology
Olympus Evolt - several models
Pentax - several models with Shake Reduction

Please visit my Camera Store to see most of the cameras mentioned here.

Lens reviews and recommendations

You obviously need a lens to go with your new SLR.  You might want to start with a normal-range lens such as the kit lens that is available with most models.  Or you might want to purchase the body only and choose a better quality general purpose or different focal-length lens instead of the kit lens if your budget permits. Normally kit lenses are not very high quality, so you might want to research lens quality online before making your purchase. Go to http://dpreview.com for help with lens choices in their Discussion Forums as they have one for each camera manufacturer and various models too and lens forums where you can ask questions. Also go to fredmiranda.com reviews and check out their lens reviews from users (not pro reviews) which are very helpful.

There are also sites that test and review lenses:

Lenses come not only in specified focal lengths, but are also have specified apertures or f-stops that refer to the “speed” of the lens.  A lens with a large aperture such as f/2.8 or less is referred to as a “fast” lens because it can let in more light resulting in faster shutter speeds.  Most lenses have smaller maximum apertures such as f/4 or 4.5.  They are mainstream lenses and are good for outdoor photography with pretty good available light or indoors using flash. They are physically smaller, lighter weight and usually less expensive than fast lenses.

Keep in mind that you get what you pay for with lenses!  If possible, purchase lenses with good reviews. Your camera is only as good as the lens you are using. Good lenses often cost as much or more than the camera.

Canon Lenses

If you purchase a Canon SLR, you can get the camera body and an inexpensive kit lens for only about $100 more. If you don't plan to upgrade your lens quality any time soon, that would a good deal. However for better image quality, you can buy the camera body only and pick out a better lens. I am only familiar with Canon models in this area. There is a nice new Canon EF-S 15 - 85mm f3.5 - 5.6 lens (about $750) which is considerably better quality and extends to a longer focal length suitable for portraits that would be a great option. It's also good for landscapes and indoor shots. Also consider the Canon EF 70 - 300 IS USM lens if you want a longer telephoto lens suitable for sports and wildlife.  It is the least expensive long focal-length zoom lens Canon offers and has good reviews and the price isn’t bad, around $550. 

Two popular lenses that unfortunately cost $1 K or more are the Canon EF 24 – 105 f4 IS L and EF-S 17 - 55 f/2.8 IS.  Also consider “prime” lenses, which have a single, fixed focal length such as 35 mm, 50 mm, 85 mm, 135 mm, etc. These lenses are generally a little sharper than zoom lenses and sometimes they are cheaper and faster lenses. The 50mm f1.8 is very inexpensive, just over $100.

Upgrade your XT or XTi kit lens: If you have low budget and have an XT or XTi that came with the 18 - 55 mm kit lens, you can upgrade to a "new and improved" kit lens for around $175 that has Stabilization: the 18 - 55 IS. It started shipping with the Rebel XSi so if you have that model or XS or T1i you have the new lens.

There are also are a few good 3^rd party lenses for Canon and Nikon and other, such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina, but most older ones don’t have built-in stabilization. So check them out to save money.

I am not familiar with Nikon lenses as to pricing and quality but you can easily get answers on the forums mentioned above. Just do some research before buying your camera and lenses so you will know what the options are and what fits your budget.

Photodo is a great place for beginners to learn about lenses!

Digital SLR accessories

Memory Cards and Bags

Most SLRs use Compact Flash cards but some smaller ones use SD cards. Your camera will produce big files, especially if you shoot Raw, so get several memory cards in the 2 – 8 Gb range. 

Pay close attention to the SPEED of the card.  Make sure you get at least a 50X speed card. Cards come in several higher speeds so get a fast one. AVOID cards that show no rating or less than 50. I think Sandisk Extreme IV, Extreme III or Ultra II cards are the most reliable and that's what I use.

Most photographers don’t use small cases for their SLRs.  Instead, invest in a camera bag than can hold all your gear; camera, lenses, flash, lens hoods, batteries, cards, etc.  These come in several styles from Tamrac and Lowepro, among others; backpacks, shoulder bags, rolling bags, and combo bags that can be shoulder/backpack/waist bags. 

External Flash Units
The advantage of flash units is that they can be pointed upward or at an angle to provide bounced flash that illuminates the subject with soft, diffused light rather than harsh, direct, “in your face” light that can whitewash your subject and cause harsh shadows behind the subject. They can also be used off the camera on a bracket or in another location.

Filters
Many people like to use a UV Haze filter over their expensive lenses to prevent scratches or damage to the surface of the lens and for easy dust cleaning.  If you want to purchase a filter, get a good brand such as a Hoya Pro 1 (Multicoated) or even better, B + W brand filters to avoid lessening the quality of the images that you will get if you use a cheap one that often comes in a kit. Polarizing filters are also popular for reducing reflections and deepening blue skies, like polarizing sunglasses. I buy my filters at http://2filter.com

Lens Cleaning
Be sure to purchase a microfiber cleaning cloth and some lens cleaning solution.  Never drop the solution directly on the lens.  Put one or two drops on the cloth and clean the lens or filter. 2filter.com sells a great cleaning solution and cleaning cloths.

Sensor dust cleaning
You are not likely to have a problem with dust on the sensor if you change lenses inside a home or vehicle or in any other clean environment. If you change lenses outside or often, then you might find dust on your sensor. Read my sensor cleaning article for information.

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