Steve'sDigicams

DigitalGal · Feb 18, 2007, 1:34 PM

Hi!

I really hope to get some advice here.
Before 3 years I was using this site (not a forum though) as a reference to choose my 1st digital camera (I have bought Sony DSC-V1).

I love to take portraits, some landscapes.. fast moving objects (my kids

) and always trying to avoid flash.. I would love to try low light shooting too, which is still a blank area in my knowledge (my camera is not very good in that since I don't use a tripod).

Now I think I have explored all the options offered by my small digicam.. no more challenge.. a DSLR could be a really nice option for me. Now I am ready to learn a photography.

I am not going to spend a lot of money, because I am always in a lack of time to play seriously. My new camera should be a lightweight (I have no tight muscles and no will to get a bodybuilding course).. well.. I love Sony colours (maybe it can be Sony Alpha?).. My exploration is just in the beginning.

I'll really appreciate ANY advices and considerations (I am reading also other posts in forum trying to understand more).

Thank you in advance! Have a great day!

mtclimber · Feb 18, 2007, 2:13 PM

digitalgal-

I too, had high hopes for the Sony A-100 Alpha. However, I do a lot of low light level, handheld, no flash shooting and after trying a barrowed A-100, it soonbecame rather quickly apparent that the A-100 showed more noise in theirhigh (great than ISO 200) ISO settings, than I really wanted to deal with in the long term.

Keeping mind your desire to ..."not spend a lot of money." that does restrict the possible choices that you might make. The Canon 350D/XT, Pentax K100 and the Nikon D-40 are in the most "inexpensive" category. The Canon XT has 8mp, a wide selection of lenses and a Canon made CMOS imager that some think is preferable for its performance and color, to the imagers made by Sony that are used on the Nikon and Pentax cameras.

The K-100 DSLR is somewaht larger than either the D-40 or the XT. However, it does incorporate in body IS, that Pentax calls SR, or shake reduction. The K-100 is a 6mp DSLR camera, and has a wide selection of lenses avail for it.

The Nikon D-40 DSLR camera, also a 6mp camera, is the newest of these three cameras. Therefore, it incorporates the very latest in-camera processing and retouching. It is marketed as the ideal "transition" camera for folks moving from point and shoot cameras to DSLR cameras. The D-40 has received great reviews and already has a legion of very enthusiastic users who love the D-40 DSLR.

MT/Sarah

Corpsy · Feb 18, 2007, 5:43 PM

I own the Pentax K100d, and think it would be a great camera for you, especially if you plan to shoot mostly in RAW which you should if you really want to learn photography. Pentax has weaker in-camera processing than Canon and Nikon, but none of that is important if you shoot RAW. It's also cheap, has the in-camera stabilization, and tons of cheap used lenses you can get for it. If you're learning photography, I think it's nice to be able to get a pile of used manual focus lenses to play with cheap.

coldshot · Feb 18, 2007, 8:19 PM

The Canon XTI has free basic Raw if you choose to do so, you rarely need Raw with this camera, it can take pictures like this:

This is anin-camerashot not from a color transfered with an editing software.

mtclimber · Feb 18, 2007, 8:39 PM

Nicely done, Cold Shot-

Another very impressive Canon XTi shot. I really like it.

MT/Sarah

coldshot · Feb 18, 2007, 9:21 PM

Thanks Sarah,

Here's another shot of the XTI color.

mtclimber · Feb 18, 2007, 9:44 PM

ColdShot-

Thanks for posting. That image seems to have much less dramatic effect, it is almost too scattered in its impact. No offence intended, I am just feeding back my impressions.

MT/Sarah

coldshot · Feb 18, 2007, 9:59 PM

No problem,the image is not important, it's a busy group of flowers,just testingthe vibrant color the sensor can produce, how itresponses to a certain lighting at a certain time of the day.

DigitalGal · Feb 19, 2007, 8:20 AM

Hi and thanks to all that have left some considerations here..

I really tend to have a closer look on Canon Rebel XTi (I am in Europe, so it's name is a bit different Canon EOS400D..

Low light shooting could be a challange for me.. never have been into it yet - a lot of to learn.

I still don't understand the importance of megapixels in cameras.. 6 or 10? Mine current camera has 5.. How can ir be that 6 mpx camera can be somehow better of 10mpx cam?

Well.. until now I have been an intuitive camera user, but since it has turned into my real and almost the only hobby - I am going to learn more - starting from basics.

More advice needed.. and more shared experience..

Thank you! I am into reading again!

Attached immage - me today.. blind shooting - trying to get the most out of my current camera..

mtngal · Feb 19, 2007, 9:51 AM

It's not so much the number of megapixels, it's the quality of them. One of the reasons why a 6 mp dSLR camera gives you so much better pictures than a point and shoot is that the sensor is much bigger. As you add mp to the same size sensor everything gets more crowded and you add more noise. That's why a 6 mp camera might have better low-light capability - there doesn't have to be so much in-camera/software manipulation of the data to get rid of it.

All three of these cameras are very nice and will take great pictures. I personally have the Pentax K100 and love it.

Feb 18, 2007, 8:19 PM	#4
coldshot Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 734	The Canon XTI has free basic Raw if you choose to do so, you rarely need Raw with this camera, it can take pictures like this: This is anin-camerashot not from a color transfered with an editing software. Attached Images

Feb 18, 2007, 9:21 PM	#6
coldshot Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 734	Thanks Sarah, Here's another shot of the XTI color. Attached Images

Feb 19, 2007, 8:20 AM	#9
DigitalGal Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 696	Hi and thanks to all that have left some considerations here.. I really tend to have a closer look on Canon Rebel XTi (I am in Europe, so it's name is a bit different Canon EOS400D.. Low light shooting could be a challange for me.. never have been into it yet - a lot of to learn. I still don't understand the importance of megapixels in cameras.. 6 or 10? Mine current camera has 5.. How can ir be that 6 mpx camera can be somehow better of 10mpx cam? Well.. until now I have been an intuitive camera user, but since it has turned into my real and almost the only hobby - I am going to learn more - starting from basics. More advice needed.. and more shared experience.. Thank you! I am into reading again! Attached immage - me today.. blind shooting - trying to get the most out of my current camera.. Attached Images

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Feb 18, 2007, 1:34 PM	#1
DigitalGal Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 696	Hi! I really hope to get some advice here. Before 3 years I was using this site (not a forum though) as a reference to choose my 1st digital camera (I have bought Sony DSC-V1). I love to take portraits, some landscapes.. fast moving objects (my kids ) and always trying to avoid flash.. I would love to try low light shooting too, which is still a blank area in my knowledge (my camera is not very good in that since I don't use a tripod). Now I think I have explored all the options offered by my small digicam.. no more challenge.. a DSLR could be a really nice option for me. Now I am ready to learn a photography. I am not going to spend a lot of money, because I am always in a lack of time to play seriously. My new camera should be a lightweight (I have no tight muscles and no will to get a bodybuilding course).. well.. I love Sony colours (maybe it can be Sony Alpha?).. My exploration is just in the beginning. I'll really appreciate ANY advices and considerations (I am reading also other posts in forum trying to understand more). Thank you in advance! Have a great day!

Feb 18, 2007, 2:13 PM	#2
mtclimber Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 18,143	digitalgal- I too, had high hopes for the *Sony A-100 Alpha. However, I do a lot of low light level, handheld, no flash shooting and after trying a barrowed A-100, it soonbecame rather quickly apparent that the A-100 showed more noise in theirhigh (great than ISO 200) ISO settings, than I really wanted to deal with in the long term. Keeping mind your desire to ..."not spend a lot of money."* that does restrict the possible choices that you might make. The Canon 350D/XT, Pentax K100 and the Nikon D-40 are in the most "inexpensive" category. The Canon XT has 8mp, a wide selection of lenses and a Canon made CMOS imager that some think is preferable for its performance and color, to the imagers made by Sony that are used on the Nikon and Pentax cameras. *The K-100* DSLR is somewaht larger than either the D-40 or the XT. However, it does incorporate in body IS, that Pentax calls SR, or shake reduction. The K-100 is a 6mp DSLR camera, and has a wide selection of lenses avail for it. *The Nikon D-40* DSLR camera, also a 6mp camera, is the newest of these three cameras. Therefore, it incorporates the very latest in-camera processing and retouching. It is marketed as the ideal "transition" camera for folks moving from point and shoot cameras to DSLR cameras. The D-40 has received great reviews and already has a legion of very enthusiastic users who love the D-40 DSLR. MT/Sarah

Feb 18, 2007, 5:43 PM	#3
Corpsy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 879	I own the Pentax K100d, and think it would be a great camera for you, especially if you plan to shoot mostly in RAW which you should if you really want to learn photography. Pentax has weaker in-camera processing than Canon and Nikon, but none of that is important if you shoot RAW. It's also cheap, has the in-camera stabilization, and tons of cheap used lenses you can get for it. If you're learning photography, I think it's nice to be able to get a pile of used manual focus lenses to play with cheap.

Feb 18, 2007, 8:39 PM	#5
mtclimber Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 18,143	Nicely done, Cold Shot- Another very impressive Canon XTi shot. I really like it. MT/Sarah

Feb 18, 2007, 9:44 PM	#7
mtclimber Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 18,143	ColdShot- Thanks for posting. That image seems to have much less dramatic effect, it is almost too scattered in its impact. No offence intended, I am just feeding back my impressions. MT/Sarah

Feb 18, 2007, 9:59 PM	#8
coldshot Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 734	No problem,the image is not important, it's a busy group of flowers,just testingthe vibrant color the sensor can produce, how itresponses to a certain lighting at a certain time of the day.

Feb 19, 2007, 9:51 AM	#10
mtngal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Frazier Park, CA Posts: 16,177	It's not so much the number of megapixels, it's the quality of them. One of the reasons why a 6 mp dSLR camera gives you so much better pictures than a point and shoot is that the sensor is much bigger. As you add mp to the same size sensor everything gets more crowded and you add more noise. That's why a 6 mp camera might have better low-light capability - there doesn't have to be so much in-camera/software manipulation of the data to get rid of it. All three of these cameras are very nice and will take great pictures. I personally have the Pentax K100 and love it.