Sold the 20D - what do I get now?

[johnny_smith1]

I am new to photography, recently puchased a Canon 20D with a lens to

take family photos as well as to start to learn to take some city /

photojournalistic type photos. Loved the camera but found it

cumbersome to carry everywhere and to be discrete (especially with

the large telephoto zoom) especially a pain to have to carry and pull

out to get shots on my commute to work and walking around the city

and I didn't want to draw attention to myself by wearing it around my

neck. Returned the camera and now I'm back to square one trying to

decide what camera (SLR or otherwise) is best for my needs, my budget

is around $2000 but I'd like to spend less if possible (one of the

reasons I decided to return the camera).

 

For all of you photojournalists - style photographers and photo

bloggers, what camera/lenses do you use? Would I be better suited

with something like a G6? Or do most of you walk around with a DSLR

in your bag/around your neck at all times? Any feedback is

appreciated.

[phule]

How about the Canon 350D (Rebel XT)? It's a lot smaller and a lot less noisy than the 20D. :)

 

I think only you, by going to the camera store and holding specific models, can answer your question of which camera to purchase.

 

If long lenses are a requirement, you might want to look at some of the 10x-12x consumer digital cameras. Panasonic seems to have some very nice cameras in this range.

[johnny_smith1]

Long lenses are not required - just basic city-scapes and people photos. I handled the D70, Digital Rebel, and several point and shoots. The G6 and the D70 felt the most solid to me (outside of the 20D), the Digital Rebel felt a bit cheap compared to the others.

[Ed_Ingold]

I can't imagine a better camera for street photography than a Leica M, even an old one. If you prefer an SLR, a Nikon F3HP is not much bigger, but slower to use and much noiser.

 

Personally, I don't have a problem carrying a DSLR if it gets the job done. Then, I'm not a dedicated street-snapper.

[wbowman]

I think it is unlikely that you will find one camera that accomplishes both of your goals. It seems to me that you'd perhaps be happiest with something like a Canon G6 or Pro1 for your day-to-day commute and something different for time dedicated to photography. Have you considered purchasing a prosumer digital to keep with you at all times and a used film camera for fun and weekends? I don't think many people on this forum own just one camera. I don't think there is one camera that will do everyhing well. You need to find the right combination of camera(s) to fit your style. My situation is similar to yours so I keep a tiny Canon 3MP digicam in my work bag and I haul around a Digital Rebel or an ancient Nikon FM when I can spend more time on photography.

[GerrySiegel]

Hah. Of course you have figured the answer for yourself. A good quality digital camera with a fixed lens. In this category, there are several great choices. I like the idea of the Olympus C7070,5060, or 8080(heftier but nice) trio. When I use my older 5050 with a fast lens and black form noone is overwhelmed by this item, and the flip up screen even lets me do the look down thing when I choose,hee hee. The Canon is not bad either,has good ratings. And Minolta and Nikon make nice models in this price range too,well under a grand. Try them for start up speed though. The Oly 5050 I have takes a while for the lens to get its snout out, and newer models have fixed that deal up. No,hell no, I don't walk around with an SLR around my neck. I am not a Japanese tourist. But if I carry a camera, my cloth Domke bag or backpack will easily accomodate it until I want to shoot. You need to get more experience Johnny and you were right to return the 20D. This is not the camera for a John Smith...just kidding,but you know what I mean. There are smaller SLRs when you are ready to get fancier. Pentax makes one.

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

You might look for a deal on an Epson RD-1, maybe on e-Bay and get the best of both worlds. Of course then you'll need to track down a lens for it that could blow your budget, but heck, isn't that why they invented the word over-budget?

[peter_phan]

<i>Would I be better suited with something like a G6? Or do most of you walk around with a DSLR in your bag/around your neck at all times? </i>

<p>

Have you condidered the Digital Rebel XT/350D? It's a lot smaller than the 20D. And a 350D with a 17-85mm IS lens makes a good, versatile, fairly compact package. With something like a 50/1.8 mounted, it's not much larger than a digicam. It pretty much gives you everything that your 20D had, but in a much smaller package. If that's still too large for you, then you'll definitely need to go with something like a G6. You'll also want a nice, discrete bag that will allow you to easily pull the camera in and out of.

[dg1]

I'm not a photojournalist, but I do walk around to do my photos and I agree, my DSLR, a 10D, is not a lot of fun for that. I've replaced my 10D with an A2, and while I haven't sold the 10D yet, it's for sale for the same reasons you've noted. The A2 works great for daylight shooting, and can squeak by pretty well for low light static subjects, very well actually with the image stabilization. I enjoy using the A2 more than the 10D, and it covers 90% of what I like to shoot. A DSLR, for me, cover's only maybe 60% of what I like to shoot even though it's more capable for the 10% the A2 doesn't handle as well..low noise low light, and more action oriented shooting. But a camera you don't care to use, isn't much good, even if it has great image quality.

[godfrey]

I found the same with my 10D ... a wonderful camera but way too cumbersome and heavy

to carry about much. I want the sensitivity of a large sensor camera, however. My solution

was a Pentax *ist DS, which is a reasonable size and weight (about the same as the Konica

Minolta A2 when fitted with a 24-50mm manual focus lens).

 

Image quality between the 10D and the *ist DS is pretty much the same for all intents and

purposes, and I love the Pentax manual focus prime lenses.

 

Godfrey

[pbizarro]

"Street photography" has nothing to do with the camera, but rather it is the photographer's attitude that makes the difference.

 

If you are self-conscious about your own camera, other people will be too. IMHO, you made a mistake selling the camera. Have you tried your 20D with a 28 1.8 or 35 2.0 lens?

 

If you think the 20D is heavy, try using a 1V:) Practice, practice, practice...

[jorgen_udvang]

The new Panasonic FZ5 is a great little camera, and easy to carry anywhere. Then both the Oly 7070, the CP 8400 and the KM A2 or A200 should fit your needs rather well. Still, sometimes it's difficult to avoid an SLR. I use a 30 year old Oly OM-1 with a 50mm 1.8 as a "walk-around" camera, and a Canon A95, but I don't like the "silver" finish of the latter (and i don't like that it re-sets itself to factory settings when it switches itself off). Just my personal taste I guess.

[per__fverbeck]

I was in the same situation about 2 years ago: my D60 was very good, but too heavy and

bulky. Sold it and used a Canon G3 as my only camera; worked very well for me. Then,

one year ago, i was stupid (;->) enough to look at the Leica Digilux 2 at a dealer?s.

Bought it on the spot, works even better than the G3. Far better image quality, better

ergonomy. Only thing I miss is that swiveling LCD screen on the G3.

[dg1]

Per, do you find having to stick with the lower ISO 100 on the D2 very limiting? The same situation exists with the A2, but I've been surprised to discover that most of the time ISO 64 or 100 is more than adequate, and in a pinch I might go up to ISO200 or even 400 and the noise can be handle pretty well in post processing. The DSLR's low light high ISO's is certainly nice to have however.

[conrad]

Why not just keep it simple for a while? The G6 is nice. A Canon S70 would probably be a good choice too. A 28-100 equiv zoom, very compact, decent ISO 400 performance for it's class, excellent JPG's, and a raw mode if you want it. A Nikon 5400 is worth a look to due to the $200 rebate if you're in the US. A couple less MP's than the S70, but a lens in the same range as it and an articulated LCD screen like the G6. I like digicams with zooms wider than an equiv or 35mm and raw modes that don't lock the camera up for ages, so a Canon S70 or Nikon 5400 are my picks for something simple.

 

Anyway, a good compact is probably what I would do. Even if you get a DSLR again later, a good compact digicam is always useful.

[phule]

<< (and i don't like that it re-sets itself to factory settings when it switches itself off). >>

 

Uhm, that is not normal behavior and is a fault with your camera. You should return it.

[taner]

"...I am not a Japanese tourist..." Could you elaborate Gerry?

[bengt_rehn]

If you like wide angle photography, take a closer look at Nikon Coolpix 8400. It is a 8 MP robust built compact (but not a pocket) camera with a picture quality at the same level as G6. The zoomrange of CP 8400 is a great advantage over G6 in my opinion but G6 gains back some by its faster lens.

[larrybc]

I've been using my Minolta A1 with pretty good success. I recently bought a D70 and will be giving that a try for street photography as well, once I buy a 35mm lens for it.

 

Larry

[johnny_smith1]

Thanks for your responses. I decided to go with the G6 and learn/use that for a while. I can bank the remaining $1500 I saved from returning the 20D + Lens and I can use that to buy a DSLR down the line if my interest/needs require or I can buy a better computer to process images on or something with it.

[per__fverbeck]

..."Per, do you find having to stick with the lower ISO 100 on the D2 very limiting?"

 

Not really, for several reasons. First, one DOESN?T have to stick with lower ISO:s; when

necessary I use both 200 and 400, just like I loaded Tri-X in my film cameras when the

light got low. Sure I get noise, like I got grain then, but in most low-light situations, it is a

minor nuisance compared to being able to shoot handheld without flash.

 

Second, while the D60 had far less noise at higher ISO settings, it also had slower zooms

and lots of mirror vibrations, so the need for high ISO was much greater than with the D2.

Also, the depth-of-field was narrower, so scale-focussing wide open was difficult; with the

D2 it is easy even wide open for 28 and 35 mm settings. This means, I now have a camera

that is quiet and fires instantly (with manual focus), also it can be shot at f/2 all the time,

allowing me to use either a faster shutter speed or a lower ISO setting, whichever suits the

situation better.

[GerrySiegel]

"I am not a Japanese tourist..." Could you elaborate Gerry?"....

Happily, Taner.It was,as is my wont, a ludicrous and goofy Gerry Siegel caricature by undersigned as an Oahu resident for 30 years,-now likely out of date down at the beach of Waikiki:-). (I should have said our visiting Korean or Chinese/Taiwanese tour group couples nowadays,I guess, AND added a large smiley face and a wink icon!.) The only newlywed couple tourists that (in olden days used to carry tripods) plus neckstrapped cameras or lanyard cameras OFTEN (a great idea when you think of it,for any serious photographers,even North Americans like me) were our pleasant Japanese visitors. God bless them all of the Asian countries for choosing to visit our lovely island and keeping it booming. Aloha,and trade winds too, Gerry <p>

Flatus Institute of the Pacific

[john_wall2]

Johnny -

 

I would look at the Leica Digilux 2 or the Panasonic equivalent (DMC-LC1). I believe they are "only" 5-megapixel models, but that may be more than sufficient for your needs. Worth a look anyway...

 

- John W.

[jcuknz]

Get yourself a Panasonic FZ5 when it arrives and work with it until you know more about photography... it has reasonable definition, small compact body, image stabilisation and long zoom. Forget about cheap clunky DSLRs and get with the modern pro-sumer type camera.

 

Then is a year of two, IF you NEED it, think about spending big bucks on DSLR if your specialist needs take you in that direction ...I doubt if they will ... unless you are earbashed by the old fashioned DSLR brigade :-)

[pod]

I think a 20D or 350XT with a 50mm 1.8 lens is plenty small enough. Why give up useful ISO to be lumped with a small less-versatile camera.

 

I've used my 20D for all kinds of travel, doco etc photography and have come quickly to realise that street photography and doco has two sides.

 

Zoom and shoot when someone is unaware. Then size doesn't matter, and you can change lenses as you like.

 

Get up close and personal, then they know your getting up close and the camera again doesn't matter. Of course there are occasions you can slip a smaller camera past someone, but I found at the end of the day, I had to get over the statement the bigger 20D can make and confidently engage people and get the shot.

 

I think personally that you have to be comfortable with the camera, and that if you feel like everyone is watching you with a 20D then it's probably more you than anything else.

 

Anyhow, best luck finding a solution that makes you happy.