What is a good digital SLR Camera for an amateur?

Question

I'm looking for a great working digital SLR camera that has good features, is easy to use, and the price range is $600 or below. This camera will be used to get me started into the digital SLR world and hopefully help me in my interest in photography.

Answer 1

There's nothing wrong with the Nikon D40. Ken Rockwell actually prefers it over some of the other Nikons.

Answer 2

I have a Canon Rebel XTi and a Pentax K110D. They both take great pictures and are easy to use. I took the Pentax over the Nikon for a few reasons. It has a better burst than the D40 and I liked the fact that it used AA batteries. I believe the price is still lower which allows you to buy other items (additional lens, filters, or other things). There are less items available for Pentax compared to Canon or Nikon, but there are still plenty of choices. You can also get a Pentax with optical image stabilization in the camera body. This is a great feature.

The Rebel is also a great choice and will offer you plenty of power as you improve. It is more expensive off the start and will definitely push you to the $600 ceiling you set.

Nikon also makes good SLR cameras. Some prefer them to  the others. I am not a fan myself, but you cannot go wrong with any of these 3.

Answer 3

I've got the D40 also...and it's not the "megapixels" that make the image. That's just a marketing ploy. I make great prints up to 8.5" x 11" (the limit of my Canon iP6700D). If I need to print any bigger, I'll just up-rez to 300ppi, and print poster size. The D40 is down about $100 less than what I paid a year ago. I suggest the AF-S 18-200mmG ED VR lens (although the kit lens is outstanding...better than the Canon XT's kit lens). It's really the only lens you'll ever need. Worth the $635 I paid for it.

Answer 4

Both Nikon D300 and Canon 40D are overshot for a beginner. They are the professional cameras that have things in them desirable by seasoned pro, and which drive the costs very hight up, that aren't needed by an amateur. Yet both D40 from Nikon and Rebel from Canon are great starter cameras. They have everything you need for the results nearly the same as from those expensive bodies. Less a little convenience and speed that a pro may not afford to lose, but you very well can live with things like having to go to a menu to change ISO! A pro needs that button at their fingertips, because if they're on assignment, and suddenly the action got into a dark corner, he needs to adjust ISO quickly and without taking his eye off the viewfinder...

So stick to the cheaper ones.

Also a comment on 6mp. Yes, by todays standard it's on a low side. But who sets the standards? Surprise: it's the marketing people! They will tell you with upmost confidence, how 10 megapixels is almost twice as many as 6 - woo-hoo! The fact is, 10 megapixels is only about 30% more than 6 megapixels, because the real deal is not the actual pixel count, but the number of pixels per inch on the printed image. And since the total pixel count is a product of width x length -- the actual advantage is determined by how many more pixels there are over the length of the image.

The 6mp image is 2000x3000

The 10mp image is 2592x3872

So if you look at it that way, 2592 is only 30% more than 2000 and respectively 3872 is 30% more than 3000....

And of course if you're between 6mp and 8mp - we're talking about only mere 15% advantage!

Basically it's proportional to the square root of total pixel count. So you need to quadruple the megapixels to get double the resolution...

When I'm talking about these percentages - what I mean is that you can make a print of the same exact quality that is this much bigger on a side. So if you print 6mp image at 8x10, you can make a 10x13 print from 10mp image with the same exact quality and pixel density. As you see - not a huge advantage!

I hope I am making sense with all this math.

In any case - you should not have any troubles printing anything up to 11x14 inches from a 6 megapixel camera in great quality! So unless you're going to do posters or a lot of cropping out - you're just about as good with 6mp as you would be with 10.

Much more important is the kind of lens you get. Because that's what usually makes night and day in image quality. While you can and should save money on the body - lens is a different story. First of all lenses are your long term investment. Once you graduate to either a higher level body or a newer model in the same class, which come out every few years - your lenses will stay with you!

With your budget you are pretty much limited to either a kit with 18-55 lens, or if you're lucky the two lens kit: 18-55 and 55-200. But I would instead try to get a single 18-55 lens with VR, which is a bit more money, but again, it is your long term investment! You can always buy another lens later, when budget allows.

I hope I didn't bore you to death with all these calculations and speculations and silly examples,

Good luck with your choice,

LEM.

Answer 5

Hmm, i'm in the exact same position, i'm a starter too, and i just got the nikon d40, and i can't make any complaints about it , except the megapixels, and the nikon d40 only have six, which is excusable. But, if i could take back my money, i would get the nikon d40x the nikon d60, or the rebel xt/xti. But, you might have to spend over your limit by like fifty dollars or so. ( you know, because of the new vibration reduction lenses now featured in the lenses of 08'). But, perhaps you should save a bit more, and go with the nikon d300, or the canon 40d. I hope that all of your photography aspirations work out for you ::p

Regards,

Nathan

Answer 6

When you express your budget to be $600.00,  I would assume that is your max.  Right?  So some of the cameras that are being suggested top the scale up to $1600.00.  Good cameras, that is for sure,  but probably not what you want to start out with or go into dept for.   As far as the brand,  you will be happy with either the Canon or the Nikon.  Both have great reputations and are reliable.   Your best bet is to look for a kit which would include the camera, the accessories and a lens or two.    I am not sure that eBay is the best place to find one but I do know you can go to the book store  - in the magazine section - and find a photo magazine with lots of catalog advertizements in the back.   Two of the companies that come to mind are B&H and Adorama.  Of course there are many others and the prices are totally competitive...  but this will give you OPTIONS as well as saving on paying tax ( which would probably be more than the shipping).   I have purchased cameras this way and it is very easy - I've had no complaints period.   Make sure, however that you are buying a camera that is USA Warrantied and you WILL have to ask if it is.    As far as megapixels,  I think that was already addressed nicely.   Unless you are planning to make enlargements 11X14 and bigger,  don't worry about needing the biggest.   6 to 8 megapixels will serve you well and cost you less.  If you considered buying a used digital SLR,  this might not be a great idea if you are not familiar with the workings and such.  One very important thing to keep in mind,  the shutter on a digital camera absolutely has a life, meaning how many times you can shoot off your camera before the shutter fails.  The less expensive the camera,  the fewer the shutter clicks or as it is called "actuations".   Right now, cameras in the range of around $800.00 or so have something like 80,000 actuations.  So,  if you buy a used camera,  you cannot know how many times the shutter has been actuated and how many it has left.    Better to be safe than waste your money.  That is my 2 cents worth.  Have fun looking and hope you find a good deal.

Answer 7

The best may be a 35mm SLR until you learn how to use a fully adjustable camera ... for under $200 you can usually find a good used Nikon or Canon 35 mm with a lens on craigslist.  Start here and take a beginners class in photography and by the time you have your exposures nailed, have learned how to compose and deal with some of the mistakes beginners make, not only will you be ready for a nice DSLR, but they will be more advanced and perhaps at a lower price.