My First Camera: where to begin?

[Zerozx]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums, I just recently decided to join after reading a few of the articles that are posted on the main site. They're helpful with trying to learn the basics and the beginning of photograph/camera terminology and such.

For some time, I've really been interested in photography. It probably doesn't help that I absolutely love nature and attempting to "capture" certain moments, so, that adds on to wanting to purchase a camera. For a while, I just used my mom's (I'm still young ) Sony Cybershot DSC-W190 to experiment and take a few snapshots.

As time went on and as I saw more and more pictures of landscapes, scenery, and even current events on the internet; the more I really wanted a nice camera, the more I really wanted to practice more and to learn as much as I can about cameras/photography.

Now, the main point of this post: the purchase of a camera. A camera that is my own. I've been reading about "Nikon vs. Canon," trying to get a lot of different opinions...but I guess when it boils down to it, it really doesn't matter how much I read reviews and opinions, right? People like what they like. Regardless, here I am asking questions. haha. I'm willing to pay a decent amount for a camera, but I don't believe it would be wise of me to start off by making a $1,000 purchase... So, I was thinking in the range of $500-600 (probably closer to 600), maybe $700. and If I really feel like stretching it, depending, I may be willing to pay $800. Somewhere in that range.

I hope someone can help me with this, it has really been bothering me as of late. Oh, and one more thing: someone told me that it's probably a good idea to actually go into camera stores and hold the cameras and get a "feel" for it, rather than just impulsively making a purchase online. I'm by no means an impulsive person when it comes to buying something, I like to read a bit and know what I'm getting myself into. So, with that in mind, what should I do? I've been to a few stores nearby, but they were major stores (Wal-Mart, Best Buy) and all of their cameras weren't on. You can't use them. You can hold them and pick them up, but you can't actually use them..so..I'm not sure how helpful that is to the customer. I live in a fairly rural area, so I don't know of any camera stores nearby. :\
edit: (when I said the Best Buy is "nearby," I mean it's 30-40 miles away...haha.)

Thanks for reading! All replies are appreciated, hopefully I can ask away without annoying anyone...

[Doug Sundseth]

There is no general quality difference between Nikon and Canon. Canon probably does video better. Nikon does flash better. The other things are pretty much a matter of taste.

If you know someone who owns a DSLR from one or the other company that you can ask for help (and perhaps borrow the occasional lens), that might be a good choice. Otherwise, the advice to hold both cameras (T3i and D3100 or D5100 probably) is good. The ergonomics of each company's cameras are different, and which will work best for you is mostly a matter of taste.

[Cmof2]

And as a happy Sony owner, I must say that the photography world is more than just Nikon vs Canon, lol. Definately hold the cameras. It has to feel good in your hands. In the lower levels of any brand you wont notice a quality difference. From recently taking a class, and talking to other brand owners, the biggest difference is the menus really. How easy each camera allows you to change the settings. Again, it is a personal prefference though. I know that I am very happy with my sony. I know someone who has a successful business with a sony and she has helped me a lot. If you know anyone with a DSLR ask thier advice. Otherwise, pick a price range. And be prepared to live with that camera for a few years. Oh, and be prepared to want to buy additional equipment once you get that camera in your hands. It is a wallet draining, but fun hobby.

[Zerozx]

Originally Posted by Doug Sundseth

There is no general quality difference between Nikon and Canon. Canon probably does video better. Nikon does flash better. The other things are pretty much a matter of taste.

First, thanks for the input!
You mentioned flash, which reminded me of something. A friend of mine told me that I should probably get a camera with an internal flash. Actually, they told me to "make sure" that I get a camera with internal flash. Do you (does anyone) agree/disagree with that?

When you say "better" video, how different would it be? I imagine it couldn't be too much of a drastic difference, assuming the camera was of good quality. I'm interested in video as well, because I think that I would use a camera for both still shots and videos (is that a bad thing?).

If you know someone who owns a DSLR from one or the other company that you can ask for help (and perhaps borrow the occasional lens), that might be a good choice. Otherwise, the advice to hold both cameras (T3i and D3100 or D5100 probably) is good. The ergonomics of each company's cameras are different, and which will work best for you is mostly a matter of taste.

Alright, thanks. So it sounds like I'll definitely need to shop around and try to hold some cameras...that could prove to be a challenge for me, considering my location. I don't know of very many people with high-quality cameras, one person that I do know lives hundreds of miles away...and the other people I'm not familiar with. But I could attempt to see if they'll let me hold/use it.

[Zerozx]

Originally Posted by Cmof2

And as a happy Sony owner, I must say that the photography world is more than just Nikon vs Canon, lol. Definately hold the cameras. It has to feel good in your hands. In the lower levels of any brand you wont notice a quality difference. From recently taking a class, and talking to other brand owners, the biggest difference is the menus really. How easy each camera allows you to change the settings. Again, it is a personal prefference though. I know that I am very happy with my sony. I know someone who has a successful business with a sony and she has helped me a lot. If you know anyone with a DSLR ask thier advice. Otherwise, pick a price range. And be prepared to live with that camera for a few years. Oh, and be prepared to want to buy additional equipment once you get that camera in your hands. It is a wallet draining, but fun hobby.

Haha, sorry for excluding Sony! I didn't mean to discriminate. Yeah, I've read from other people that it is, indeed, much more than just Canon vs. Nikon.

That's what is so scary to me, paying a hefty price for a camera that I could potentially be displeased with, and then I'm stuck with it for quite some time. Ha! Speaking of time, I know this is going to seem like a silly question, but...can cameras "wear out" over time? Meaning, if you use it a lot; take a lot of pictures and videos, can the lens/glass/shutter/whatever, eventually just wear down and become not-as-good? and I don't mean that it literally breaks, as if you dropped it, hopefully someone understands what I'm asking.

[Cmof2]

If you could take a day and drive to an actual camera shop that may help. We live in the middle of nowhere too. We have a walmart, but that is it. Anything more is an hour away.
I havent bought an off-camera flash, but I will say, that my on-camera flash annoys me. I will do what I can to avoid using it.
I dont really think that you would have to ever worry about a camera wearing out. If you buy used, some people want to know how many shutter clicks it has had, but honestly, I havent heard of it ever being a factor.

[MindyRaeL]

Originally Posted by Zerozx

can cameras "wear out" over time? Meaning, if you use it a lot; take a lot of pictures and videos, can the lens/glass/shutter/whatever, eventually just wear down and become not-as-good? and I don't mean that it literally breaks, as if you dropped it, hopefully someone understands what I'm asking.

DSLR's do have a life expectancy. It's based on the number if times the shutter opens and closes, also called actuation. I don't know about Canon's, but the lower end Nikons (D3100, D5000, D5100) have a life expectancy of about 150,000. The higher end ones (D7000) have a life expectancy of about 300,000. That is just the manufacturers numbers, and most camera can usually last much longer than this if you take care of them.
I wouldn't really be concerned about life expectancy if you're looking to buy new. More than likely, you'll want to upgrade your camera long before you reach those numbers. Life expectancy really come into play whenever you're looking at buying a used camera. Obviously, the lower the actuations, the better. Be careful, because a lot of sellers won't list this number, and you should ask for it before buying a used body. Here is a great article on DPS which will show you how to find actuation count.

As far as buying a camera, I can't really help you there. It's a very personal choice and all about what feels comfortable to you. If you do buy online, I recommend Adorama.com. I have bought most of my gear from them, and they've been awesome. I've returned a few things as well, and they're pretty generous with their return policy (in case you order a camera you hate.) And be sure to check out their used listings. They're pretty spot on with their ratings, and you'll get more bang for your buck. I know a lot of other people recommend B&H, too. I've never used them, so I can't say for sure.

Oh, and welcome to DPS! Hope you stick around, there is lots to learn here! Enjoy!

[ArmySoldier777]

+1 for Adorama I do about 90% of my shopping with them. They also have a really good buy back program. They'll buy your used gear for up to 70% "I think" of market value, depending on the condition of it.

As far as buying a camera goes, I think it's pretty much all been said. It's all about what feels best to you. For me, thats Canon. I don't have anything against Nikon, Canon just feels more comfortable to me and I'm familiar with the menus. Speaking of which, anybody wanna get me a T2i for Christmas? Yeah, long shot I know lol .

Good luck in choosing your first camera I know you said your budgets going to be up to $800 "if you really push it", so keep in mind that you're going to need a lens too if you're purchasing a DSLR. And the lens is the most important part. And the "lens" eventually turns into "lenses" and before you know it you're spending way too much money.. lol.


David

[Zerozx]

Thanks Mindy and Army! Very helpful.

I'll keep in mind about the actuation number, but as you said, since I'm buying new, I probably won't worry about it too much.

I'll definitely check out Adorama and B&H. Skimming through some of their offers, the prices do seem to be lower. One camera was more expensive on Adorama by $100 or so, but yeah.

A few more questions:
1) What is Canon EOS? Is that just a "sub-brand" or a name given to certain cameras that Canon makes, or does the EOS actually represent or mean that it has a different function to it?
2) Army mentioned that I'll probably need to purchase a lens too, assuming that my purchase doesn't come with one, and my question is this: what would be a good lens to buy? I bet that it is "addicting" to buy different lenses, haha. but...for a newbie and a person on a budget, what would be a really useful lens to buy?
3) Assuming that I really can't find somewhere to use a camera, and that I only get to hold the body and not actually use any of its functions, are Canon's camera ergonomics generally the same across the board for all of their cameras (the same question for Nikon, Sony, etc.)?

[ArmySoldier777]

Originally Posted by Zerozx

Thanks Mindy and Army! Very helpful.

I'll keep in mind about the actuation number, but as you said, since I'm buying new, I probably won't worry about it too much.

I'll definitely check out Adorama and B&H. Skimming through some of their offers, the prices do seem to be lower. One camera was more expensive on Adorama by $100 or so, but yeah.

A few more questions:
1) What is Canon EOS? Is that just a "sub-brand" or a name given to certain cameras that Canon makes, or does the EOS actually represent or mean that it has a different function to it?
2) Army mentioned that I'll probably need to purchase a lens too, assuming that my purchase doesn't come with one, and my question is this: what would be a good lens to buy? I bet that it is "addicting" to buy different lenses, haha. but...for a newbie and a person on a budget, what would be a really useful lens to buy?
3) Assuming that I really can't find somewhere to use a camera, and that I only get to hold the body and not actually use any of its functions, are Canon's camera ergonomics generally the same across the board for all of their cameras (the same question for Nikon, Sony, etc.)?

While I can't answer all of those questions, I can answer a few when dealing with Canon.

1) EOS is a line of canon cameras that are autofocus-capable. EOS stands for "electro-optical system"

2) This is probably one of the toughest questions to answer, and it's asked on almost a daily basis. What lens do I need? Well, there's no straightforward answer and there are a LOT of things to consider. Lens sharpness, chromatic aberration, amount of vignette, focus speed, and probably one of the most important: maximum aperture value "the lower the number, the lower light you can shoot in. Among other things". And those are just some of the things to consider. Another would depend on the camera. Is it a full frame or a crop body? A crop body with a 1.6x sensor is going to turn a 50mm focal length into 80mm. Most canon DSLRs come with an 18-55mm lens. The sharpness isn't great, the colors could be better, and it's not that good for low lighting either. But a lot of people do learn on this lens as it's a good multi-purpose walk around zoom. That also brings me to another point, do you want a zoom lens or a prime lens? Zoom lenses may be more versatile, but with prime lenses you tend to get a lot better optical quality at lower prices. I have an 18-55mm, a 55-250mm "quality wise it's slightly better than the 18-55", and I also have a 50mm f/1,8. The 50, or the Nifty Fifty as a lot of people refer to it, is a great lens for anybody on a budget. Around $100 for Canon. It has Great optical quality and produces really sharp photos. It's a prime lens, so you lose the convenience of being able to zoom, but that makes you think about what your photographing even more. I'd say my Nifty Fifty spends about 80% of the time on my camera "although I have been in tight places where I wish I had something closer to the 30's. But I'm also on a 1.6x crop body", the 55-250 about 15% "when I'm shooting outdoor sports", and the 18-55 maybe 5%, if even that. So, if you're on a budget, i'd definitely keep that as an option. There are a Ton of posts around here on DPS about the 50mm that you can check out.

3) While I can't answer that question myself, here's a good site that gives you the specs as well as reviews on many different canon cameras. And I think there may be a section for Nikon as well. Canon Camera Reviews - Canon Cameras


David