What Digital Camera should I buy

Hi I have always wanted to take up photography as a hobby and finally

7 months ago I bought my first camera a Nikon Coolpix 7900. Since

then Ive got hooked. I would like to buy myself a Digital SLR now and

take tis hobby so a higher lever. I am a sailor by profession and get

to see many places all over the world. Most of the photos I take are

landscapes, yachts, sunsets, people and wild life and I do also like

to take any sport photos.

 

I was thinking of buying the Nikon D100.

 

I'd like to know if I am making the right choice and also what lenses

would be ideal for the type of photography mentioned above.

 

 

 

Any reply would be highly appreciated

 

 

 

Thanks

Canon EOS 20D

The search button should turn up about 7,252 other similar equipment threads. DOn't sweat the choice too much - just about any modern camera will provide excellent results. Even 50 year old cameras are superb (I use a Contax that went out of production while Kennedy was president).

 

If you really want to take your photography to another level, consider classes or a workshop. I've enrolled in several workshops at the New England School of Photography here in Boston. That has improved my photography far more than any camera or lens purchase that I have ever made.

 

Robert

<i>I was thinking of buying the Nikon D100. </i>

<p>

The D100 is a 4 year old camera. It's a bit outdated by today's standards. Get a 20D. It has higher resolution, faster frame rate, larger buffering capacity, less image noise at high ISO, mirror lock up, takes a cable release, etc. It's an all-around better camera for your diverse shooting interests. My main body is a 20D, but for travel, I take my Rebel XT (350D) because it offers the same image quality and overall performance as the 20D, but in a more compact, lighter package.

Well Mr.Gusman with all the different Digital SLR camera's out there now, if you stay with the top dogs you can't go wrong. My next digital camera is going to be the Canon 20D just my personal pick. I've had many different cameras in the past from Minolta to what I have now which is a Canon Elan and a Sony DSCH-1 which is digital and I think it does a great job. Its going to be a hard choice for you, but if you stay with Canon, Minolta, Nikon great cameras for a great price you can't go wrong. There are more expensive ones out there but for what your shooting stay reasonable. you can get a great digital camera from anywhere from $700 to $1500 it just depends on how much money you are willing to spend.

If you can, wait for the Nikon D200. Should be available by next January. It will be a notch above the Canon 20D.

 

http://www2.photim.com/info/relie.php?lien=http://www.photim.net/D200g/P1UK.htm

Which indicates that we can expect a replacement for the 20D to ship about two weeks after

the D200 is announced.

If you'er thinking Nikon, the D-100 is out dated. Get a D-70s or D-50. They have better image quality.

Answers are going back and forth between an admittedly dated Nikon model (D100) and its rumored replacement (D200) that is not yet for sale.

 

Fortunately, Nikon currently has available two modern consumer level dslr's: the D50 and the D70s. Both are excellent and competitively priced.

 

Pentax, Minolta, and Olympus all have consumer level dslr's that are producing great photos for their owners. And the two Canons previously mentioned, Rebel XT and 20D (at different price points) are also excellent.

 

In other words, you've got choices. Good choices. In my opinion, you should visit a real camera store (rather than an electronics superstore, some of which stock a few of these cameras, but rarely have personnel capable of discussing them in any detail). Take some time to get the "feel" of these cameras -- an often unmentioned but I think important, and of course, largely subjective factor.

 

For starters, I'd look at a "kit lens," typically a consumer level zoom lens that is available for purchase at an attractive price with the camera body. Some kit lenses are better than others.

 

I'd also consider a fast 50mm lens. By "fast," I mean a lens with a max aperture of f/1.8 or f/2.0. This lens will, when mounted on a dslr other than an Olympus (which have different sized sensors), offer you the perspective of either 75mm or 80mm (on the Canons), and will let you take sharp pictures in comparatively low light without flash. It'll also make for an excellent inexpensive portrait lens. Nearly all the companies also offer longer consumer-level zooms (in the 70 - 300mm range) that are fairly light and inexpensively built, but take decent photos. Pro level zoom lenses can produce greater results, but they're big, they're heavy, and they're very expensive.

 

Good luck and have fun. Your travels should make for magnificent photo opportunities.

Digital Rebel XT. The image quality is exactly the same as the 20D. It is an extremely good camera

 

Yinka

May I suggest a KonicaMinolta 5D or 7D - you get Image Stabilization build into the

camera body, operation is completely intuitive, and these cameras tend to be very reliable.

Thank you very much for all your help. This forum has been a big eye opener.

 

Thanks once again for the time taken to respond to my message. All your points and suggestions have been noted.

 

Adrian

As a sailor there's something you should consider - marine environments are MURDER on cameras! High humidity, microparticles of salt, and sand and grit from beaches create ideal conditions to corrode all the zillions of switches, sensors, and electrical contacts of modern cameras, and crud up the sensor each time you change lenses.

 

One strategy is so buy a professional camera like the D2X which has better weather-sealing that the consumer cameras being discussed here. Another strategy is to stick with a NON-interchangable lens digi that's not too expensive. Another strategy is to consider a rugged all-mechanical film camera like the venerable Nikon FM2n, and I suppose another strategy is to consider using a waterproof case by Ewa or some similar company.

Peter has a point about weather sealing. Nikon D2x is a pro-level camera and very well sealed. But a pro camera also means pro size, pro weight, and a pro price.

 

The somewhat older Olympus E1 is now fairly significantly discounted and likely has the best weather sealing (or perhaps the only weather sealing ?) of any camera in its price range. Good camera, too, and nowhere near the size or weight of the D2x and comparable Canon pro bodies. Nowhere near the price, either.

 

One reservation would be the somewhat limited availability of lenses for Olympus digital slr's. Perhaps still worth a look, though.

Any camera will do, regardless of brand. Don't think about it too much. Go to a store, handle several models, see which one best fits your hands, and that is your answer.

You will get all brands and models here, just go to a photo shop and look for a not so old DSLR, you will find the right one.

I have a Konika Minolta 5D, it is not too big and great camera, I am very impressed by it.

The danger of getting a big camera is that at the end you will think, uy, is too heavy to have it around, etc ,etc. You will not notice this at the beginning tough.

 

Like you I had a coolpix and jumped into the DSLR world, never regreted that.

 

Good luck in your search!