What's a good SLR camera for $600 or under?

Question

I want a Canon Digital Rebel XTi but they are a little pricey. I found one on Amazon for $600 but it would be nice for something a little cheaper if it's just as good as the one I want. Suggestions?

Answer 1

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Olympus-S...

Nikons are much better though, even with only 6.1 MP

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Nikon-D40...

Answer 2

Still the best digital SLR is the top rated Consumer Report recommendation:  The Olympus Evolt E-510 camera which currently sells for around $650 at samy's camera:

http://www.samys.com/product_detail.php?...

Good luck!

Answer 3

http://www.abesofmaine.com/item.do?item=...

Answer 4

It'll be hard finding a good DSLR under $600. You have to keep in mind that you'll need to buy a lens for it, unless you're getting a kit package.

I recommend (not in any particular order):

1. Canon XTi(10.1 MP) - $619.99

2. Nikon D60 (10.2 MP) - $624.99

3. Nikon D40 (6.1 MP)- $468.75

The D40 is obviously the cheapest and a nice option if you have a very tight budget. However, personally I think 6.1 MP doesn't leave a lot of room for cropping

The XTi has the least noise of all 3 cameras and a nice option as well.

The D60 is the newest of the three.

Go check out some reviews.

D60

http://dcresource.com/reviews/nikon/d60-...

XTi

http://dcresource.com/reviews/canon/digi...

D40

http://dcresource.com/reviews/canon/digi...

I don't agree w/ Sweetner about Nikons being 'much better'. It's really up to user preference. Image quality wise, it'll depend on the lens you're using & a lot of other factors. All three cameras will give you comparable quality.

Answer 5

I have to agree with the others on the Nikon D40.  I am planning on buying one for myself soon if that tells you anything.  Walmart sells the D40 online for $465 (I think).  It would give you a great start in the world of photography, in my a opinion.  

I'm not sure how much you know about photography, but in case you don't know, Nikon and Canon are the top dogs right now.  Close behind them is Sony and a few other companies.  Nikon and Canon may or may not be as expensive as the other companies, but keep in mind that when you buy a SLR or DSLR you're not just buying a camera your entering in to a "family".  What I mean is if you buy a Nikon DSLR, any accessories you buy later (for the most part) either have to be made by Nikon or for a Nikon.  You can't buy a Sony camera then put a Canon lens on it or vice versa (as far as I know).  The same goes for most of the other companies.  Say,you buy a Nikon camera, a whole bunch of Nikon lenses, and a nice new Nikon flash, then out of no where Canon comes out with some new feature on their camera bodies that some how makes all your pictures come out perfectly.  Well you can't just buy that new fancy camera body and expect your Nikon lenses and flash to work on it.  

So my point is if you're buying a DSLR to get started into photography don't just look at who can give you the most features for the best price because if you're like me and plan on eventually buying lens , flashes, and other accessories you're going to be stuck with that company (at least to some degree).  

Then again if you're just buying a DSLR and have no plans for future accessories or upgrades, then the other manufacturers like Sony are probably a better deal and will probably give you relatively the same picture quality.

Anyways, I hope this helped.  Good luck!

Answer 6

I will have to agree, the D40 is a steal!

I will be purchasing mine soon. :) Check out Adorama, B&H, or Best Buy.

Answer 7

Sweetner is right although 6MP sensors on DSLR's is plenty.  How does $470 with a 18-55 mm lens sound ... Amazon dot com

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.h...

http://www.jdpower.com/electronics/ratin...

Answer 8

There are basically two schools. Canon and Nikon and these two make outstanding dSLR's. You might also wanna try Nikon D40, also an entry level dSLR. You can check B&H.com btw.:)