Buying a Digital SLR Camera and Lens System 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. 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. 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. My Recommendations: It depends on what your needs and budget are, but generally, if you are budget-minded, I recommend the Canon Rebel or Nikon entry level series as they are highly rated and you have a large assortment of quality lenses to choose from. But you should do your own research online and let your budget be your guide. Sony, Olympus, Pentax and Panasonic also offer Digital SLRs but generally don't offer as many lenses and accessories. Please visit my Camera Store to see many cameras mentioned here. Current
Canon EOS entry-level and "enthusiast" models: Other SLRs: Lenses 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 f1.8 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/3.5 or 4. 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 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. Unfortunately, good lenses often cost as much or more than the camera. Canon Lenses (See them here) 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. There is also a less expensive Canon 55 - 250. Three popular lenses that unfortunately cost $1 K or more are the Canon EF 24 – 105 f4 IS L, 70 - 200 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, and is good for available light portraits and indoor/outdoor low light shots. Upgrade the kit lens: cameras can be purchased as body only if you want to apply the extra $100 or so that the kit lens costs to a better quality lens. There are also are a few good 3rd 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. The new Tamron stabilized 18 - 270 mm f2.8 is a good choice and covers a wide range for a do-it-all lens or the Canon 18 - 200. 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. (See all Nikon lenses here.) Photodo is a great place for beginners to learn about lenses! **Also see my article All About Lenses for more information on lenses. Digital SLR accessories Memory Cards and Bags Most SLRs use Compact Flash or SD cards. Your camera will produce big files, especially if you shoot Raw, so get several memory cards in the 4 – 16 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. Lens Hoods Cases Camera Straps External
Flash Units Filters 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 Sensor dust cleaning |