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I am looking at getting an entry level DSLR camera.
At the moment I am looking at the canon 1000D/rebel XS or the Sony Alpha A200.
The Canon has live view the Sony doesn't .Is the live view worth the extra money? Do people use it?
The Canon appears to take better Quality shots especially in the iso range.
Anyone have experience of these camera's.
Anyone recommended a good entry level DSLR camera.
Thanks
BigD,
Hey that's good newz! Too bad Supersignet isn't around much anymore cuz' he could give you the run down on Canon gear.
Live view on DSLRs can be a nice feature if you often shoot at odd angles (ie. camera above, below or generally offset to your head). Otherwise you may not find it useful and just another confusing thing to learn.
Recommendations on entry level cameras are complicated. I will suggest Nikons because I've found them to be very reliable and sturdy - even at the entry level. Ultimately, we need to know a couple of things to get you going like:
- How much you can/want to spend
- What kinds of photography you plan on doing
- Will you be trying to get ublished or make money with the images
- Will the gear be used on bike?
CC
1: Around $800.00 -$900.00 I can get the Sony alpha A300 for $810.00 with two lens(18-55mm and 75-200mm)Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyCarl
2: Scenic landscape shots and some motorcycle sport shots( Trials ,Enduro and MX)
3: No not trying to get published or make money from the images.
4: yes the gear will be used on the bike and also for use in the mountains(back country ski-ing) in winter( very cold 0 to-20 ) and hiking trips also.
Someone has suggested the Sony Alpha A300 and it is the same price as the Canon 1000D but has more features but the one I like is the tiltable live view screen(the Canon does not have this feature) which I would use from time to time, I certainly like it on my video camera.
Thanks for the advice.
BigD,
I would also not ignore the Nikon range if they're available in your area and strongly suggest taking the time to feel each of these in your hands if you haven't already. Shopping purely on specs is often a bad idea because using a DSLR can get more intimate than you may expect.
That said, I'll offer a few ideas.
1) Forget the kit lens and try a good piece of third part sharp glass. Kit lenses aren't bad but there's no comparing the sharpness and contrast to a decent bit of f2.8 glass. I suggest the Sigma 18-50 f2.8 or, if you want a little more zoom, the 18-70/2.8 to 4.5. Both of these lenses aren't too expensive (although I've heard in Australia camera gear is a little pricey) but will by far out resolve the kit lenses from any company.
2) For motorcycle shots, you'll find the extra speed of a piece of fast glass to be a huge advantage as it gives you faster shutter speeds in natural light as well as faster focusing. Shooting objects in motion take a lot of practice with camera technique, timing and understanding the behavior of your subject. For landscapes, I suggest bringing a tripod.
3) If you're going to be taking the camera gear through rugged environments, its almost equally as important to think about your luggage system that not only protects the gear from constant vibration an weather elements but also makes the camera easy to access and quick to use. Higher quality lenses and bodies will stand up to a beating better than cheap plastic ones will but still, maximum protection is important. I'm a fan of the Lowe Pro line of bags, but they can be a bit pricey and now there are quite a few good alternatives out there for less so spend some time and shop around. After a while, you'll find that no one bag will do it all and you may need to pick up a couple more over time in order to safely do the things you do with your gear.
What Nikon, Pentax or Olympus models are available in your area?
CC