Thinking of picking up an entry-level DSLR to play with..

[Flambeur]

Always wanted to, and think I'm ready now.

Anyone wanna walk me through the differences between the entry level Nikon/Canon offerings and which way I should go?

Basically just want to get the most basic setup to play with before I figure out if I want to invest more into this hobby.

 

[JohnGalt]

I can't walk you through much except to say that I've been happy with my D40. Even for someone like myself with no photography knowledge it's easy to take good pictures with.

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

I can't walk you through much except to say that I've been happy with my D40. Even for someone like myself with no photography knowledge it's easy to take good pictures with.

+1. I love my D40. I think it's been replaced by other Nikon offerings now, but that might make it all the easier to grab a D40, used, on the cheap.

 

[Flambeur]

Looks like D40 is still out there as their entry level offering, and you can pick one up from about $420...

 

[Fulcannelli]

+1 for the D40, good camera, my GF got one and in good light some of the pictures are as good as my D700.

 

[Flambeur]

is 6MP enough when compared with 10MP Rebel XS?

 

[Douglas]

Others may chime in here, but 6MP is plenty unless you're planning to blow up bigger than 8x10 prints.

 

[Fulcannelli]

6MP is fine, we blew up some posters from my GF's and it looked spot on. Just make sure you do your framing in camera and not by cropping afterwoulds if you are looking to do large prints.

the other standard bit of advise is to go to a camera shop and pick them both up, see which one feels better.

You'll also be buying into a company for a long time because of the lense mounts, you will always get the Canon vs Nikon debate from most forums with not much between them, I opted for Nikon cause Canon are sh!t (only joking).

If you can plum for a d60 get that but its a bit of a price jump but will give you 10MP and a lot more.

You wont regret it, I've been dossing around whith photography for a while now and I get a lot of grins from it.

 

[Milhouse]

The main players are Nikon and Canon. Each have their strong points, each have their weak points, but overall, you can do great work with either system.

Go to a store, and try them out. The controls are different. I suggest going with the one that feels more natural.

Megapixel rating is the last thing you should worry about, yet so many people focus on it like it is the most important thing.

The lenses are the really important things (as in THE MOST IMPORTANT). I have WAY more money tied up in lenses than in bodies.

 

[Douglas]

milhouse is spot on. invest in good glass. maybe even get a good prime lens (e.g. non-zoom). the big zoom lenses are tempting and convenient but once you start messing around you'll really start to realize the shortcomings of lenses with huge telephoto ranges, because for the money they're making a lot of sacrifices.

 

[Roikins]

If you just want to play around, then go to a store and play with both cameras or find a used one. You'll want to spend most of your money on glass anyway, especially if you decide to become more serious about photography. I like to shoot motorsports and fast action stuff, so I prefer the speed of my Canon set-up, but you really can't go wrong with either brand if you're starting out and want to play around.

 

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by Douglas

milhouse is spot on. invest in good glass. maybe even get a good prime lens (e.g. non-zoom). the big zoom lenses are tempting and convenient but once you start messing around you'll really start to realize the shortcomings of lenses with huge telephoto ranges, because for the money they're making a lot of sacrifices.

Ok, let's be honest here, we know the telephoto comes first. How else am I going to shoot hot chicks on the beach?

 

[otc]

Find a good deal on a canon digital rebel xti (some people actually prefer them to the newer xsi and they should be a good deal cheaper)

I like canon (although nikon has some cool stuff on the low end...once you start investing in glass it is hard to switch and canon wins the top glass award)

 

[whiteslashasian]

Want to plug this for vesses who is an incredible seller. Nikon D40X (10.2mp) for sale in B&S for $300 shipped including batteries, charger, and 18-55mm lens - http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=122723

 

[gregaz]

Another vote for Nikon D40. It was my entry into the DSLR world, and I am very pleased with it. Check out DPReview.com for the best forums and reviews.