I do photography as a hobby, as in photographing anything from landscape to animals to models. I only have up to $600 for this. Does anyone have a suggestion that has worked really well for you? It's not just a pasttime but more of an "amateur photographer" level. Most of what I do is shooting aspiring/amateur models. I had been using a Canon EOS Rebel 35mm camera up to this point but it belonged to the in-laws and the sister needs it for class this semester. It worked really well for me but I want to be open-minded in case there is a great camera I'd be missing out on otherwise.

12/28/2005 12:12:03 PM

used eos digital rebel 300.

12/28/2005 12:34:31 PM

my advice, if you are going to go digital, is to be patient, save up some more money, and get a nikon d70s

12/31/2005 12:02:00 PM

my advice would be to pm noen and ask him

he made a thread showing off his photography and it was great, try him he might can help

12/31/2005 12:46:14 PM

i picked up a Nikon coolpix 8800 through my wifes work for a discount and I've loved it so far takes awsome shots and you can take point and shoot style pics, 'scence selector' style pics or go with total manual controls. Also since it has the large lens and great apature you can take awesome night photos... even better with a tripod. Here one i did freehand of Pieng, if interested I can show you some I took of the hong kong nightscape

12/31/2005 6:17:22 PM

^that pic isnt exactly a ringing endorsment of that cameras quality.

I would say save up a little more, and at least go with a Nikon D50. The minolta Maxxum 5D isn't half bad, but if you can scrounge up some more $$, get the Canon Digital RebelXT. That thing is the shit!!

12/31/2005 6:32:09 PM

I use a Rebel EOS X and like it. Do you want to stay with 35mm? Have you thought about digital or medium format?

12/31/2005 6:41:22 PM

d50 should suit your needs. or if you dont shoot sports and want to stay film, a canon AE-1 can be had for a mere 50 bucks with a fast 50mm lens on ebay.

i shoot a d70 with a couple of good glass, i have a lot of manual focus film 35mm from canon to nikon and pentax. i find myself shooting digital 90% of the time though

12/31/2005 6:55:37 PM

if'll sell you my nikon n65 for real cheap
you can use it while you save up a little more for a nice digital camera

12/31/2005 7:34:24 PM

Quote :

"^that pic isnt exactly a ringing endorsment of that cameras quality."

i was holding it... no tripod, while walking out infront of a crowd of whining kids.... because they had to go home. I'm just illustrating how good a pic it'll take with no setup, you average digicamera would throw flash about 10 feet and you'd have a person and no spaceship earth

1/1/2006 1:08:09 PM

nikon d50

1/1/2006 2:17:23 PM

we've got a couple, but ive always been pleased with the digital rebels and they seem in your price range.

1/1/2006 2:25:22 PM

http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=375755

1/1/2006 2:25:34 PM

im just saying, most will be relatively comparable. might as well use what you are used to and comfortable with (in this case the rebel).

1/1/2006 10:57:36 PM

Thanks all for the suggestions. I ended up getting a Canon EOS Rebel T2 since I was already familiar with it. I would love to do digital but didn't think I'd have the money for one. I checked out some Nikon cameras but just didn't click with them. This will hold me over while I do what was suggested - save money up for a nice digital one.

1/2/2006 12:54:20 AM

if you're going digital:


- do not buy one of the little cutesy "it can fit easily n my pocket" cameras. they have amazingly shitty ratings across the board, even when compared with lower mp cameras that are a little larger.

- if you can help it, get a sony or canon.

[Edited on January 2, 2006 at 12:55 AM. Reason : 7]

1/2/2006 12:54:39 AM

Nikon!

1/2/2006 1:34:34 AM

Sony

why sony? You need to focus your energy and money on a company that makes cameras...not everything. Sony is spread so thin they dont know their heads from their asses.

Nikon D70, er, D70s is the new release.

1/2/2006 3:01:02 AM

It sounds like Nikon is the most popular so far in the responses so when I go digital I'll definitely look into them. Yeah we already have one of the "cutesy" digital cameras (although better function than form). There's no question that I'd be going for a more professional one. Either way Canon or Nikon are the brands I'm looking at the most since they are more focused on cameras.

[Edited on January 2, 2006 at 11:11 AM. Reason : ]

1/2/2006 11:10:59 AM

D50 or D70(s) is the best camera for the needs, except price. You might be able to find a used one in ok shape for $600 but you wouldn't have any problem finding a Canon EOS Digital Rebel with lens for that price. It isn't as nice of a camera but for the price range it is pretty much the only option.

1/2/2006 12:07:11 PM

Quote :

"http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=375755"

OLYMPUS E-20 DIGITAL SLR, with flash extention and filters. It'll be around 1800+ if you buy it new right now. I have a bid for 550. $600 and its yours.

reviews:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/e20-review/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympuse20/
http://www.baber.com/baber/cameras/olympus_e20_digital_camera.htm

Top of the line Digital SLR for $600...

[Edited on January 2, 2006 at 3:18 PM. Reason : .]

1/2/2006 3:17:55 PM

How about the Nikon D50, good entry d-slr. $600 on pricegrabber.

1/2/2006 3:33:20 PM

Quote :

"- do not buy one of the little cutesy "it can fit easily n my pocket" cameras. they have amazingly shitty ratings across the board, even when compared with lower mp cameras that are a little larger."

umm... have you used the Canon SD series at all?

1/2/2006 3:44:16 PM

I got a d70 off ebay for 750 with the 18-70 lens right before christmas. I love it so far but I have heard good things about the d50 too.

1/2/2006 4:01:31 PM

I got a Rebel XT (350D) for Xmas and I love it. Worth the 1k.

1/2/2006 7:51:07 PM

Quote :

"OLYMPUS E-20 DIGITAL SLR, with flash extention and filters. It'll be around 1800+ if you buy it new right now. I have a bid for 550. $600 and its yours. "

Isn't worth even $400, even with all the extras. It's a 5mp camera. SLR isn't worth shit on a lo resolution camera. It sure as hell isn't top of the line.

ncsutiger: Since you are familiar with Canon's you should stick to Canon when you move to digital. You can use all the lenses/filters/et al that you already have, versus having to start over with a Nikon or other comparable brand. Also the differences between competing entry level DSLR's are really negligable when it comes down to it, especially the Nikon and Canon offerings.

The one thing to keep in mind is how much money you will SAVE over the course of a year. Your development costs will go down 80-90%, which can pay for the camera in no time. Granted I haven't moved into the DSLR age yet either, but I've saved thousands in development costs over the past 4 years as a conservative estimate.

And really, if you know the fundamentals of traditional photography (which it sounds like you do), then making the move to digital will be nothing but a godsend as far as processing and development goes. Really the only hurdle is getting used to sitting in front of photoshop instead of in the darkroom, which is kind of sad sometimes.


You can find the Digital Rebel XT for $699 every now and then from reputable dealers online, but I haven't seen it that low in a couple of months.

[Edited on January 3, 2006 at 2:19 AM. Reason : /]

1/3/2006 2:15:30 AM